Kerdihak's Rage (2)
Kwaaaaaah!! The roar that erupted from the dragon’s colossal frame shook the very air around it. The heavy, intense wave of vibrations rattled the hearts of every living creature in its path and crushed their lungs. Ribcages resonated, eardrums threatened to burst, and even the ground beneath their feet trembled faintly—an overwhelming display of power. The roar of a dragon, said to stand at the apex of the food chain, stirred the primal instincts of all beings and awakened raw terror.
“Kuhhhhk!!!”
“Kahhhk!!!”
Most ordinary residents had already evacuated to Under Barkus, so a major disaster was averted, yet the damage was not entirely nonexistent. Several orc soldiers had stopped breathing and collapsed backward, or were groaning in agony as they dropped to their knees. Beriberi wanted to bark a stern reprimand at the sight, but he could not bring himself to do so. Beriberi, who had once traded blows on equal footing with Nella—the orc army’s strongest swordsman—was himself one of the orc army’s mightiest warriors. The difference lay only in their choice of arms and tactics; he too had honed his body through years of grueling training. Even he found the dragon’s presence difficult to endure, his face twisting in discomfort. He knew full well that no matter how rigorously trained these elite soldiers were, withstanding a dragon’s roar was an immense burden for any ordinary soldier.
In truth, the fact that only a handful had fallen while the majority still stood firm, desperately holding their positions, was a testament to the orc army’s strength—one worthy of praise.
“Oh? Not bad, for insects. I thought they would all be swept away cleanly.”
Kerdihak was genuinely impressed. Though the roar had been born of fury, the reality before him differed greatly from his expectations, and his interest was piqued. Normally, a dragon’s presence caused any member of the humanoid races to foam at the mouth and faint. The weaker ones would even vomit blood, convulse, and die. The roar that could bring down griffons in flight and send even the colossal Zaratan fleeing into the ocean depths was a fundamental authority granted to dragons by the Creator. The sight of mere orcs refusing to kneel before his overwhelming power intrigued him.
Yet Kerdihak’s admiration was little more than the mild surprise of discovering ants that refused to die when stepped on. For the orcs who had fought so desperately to endure, it was hardly a welcome reaction.
“You pathetic lizard. Think that works on the weak?”
“I hear the ones who only have a little power tend to torment the weak to boost their own self-esteem.”
“Ahahaha! That’s exactly right!”
There were also those who remained largely unaffected by the dragon’s presence. Cadistella, Beatrice, Hestinia, and Crawford—absolute powerhouses for whom the roar was nothing more than a slightly loud shout. Even Nella, who was weaker than the other executives present, merely furrowed her brow and lowered her head slightly. Rather than covering her own ears, she had reached out to shield Lusteria’s, while Lusteria simply clutched Nella’s hand tightly and showed only a slight tightening of her expression.
Because of this, the powerful figures gathered here still had enough composure to exchange casual remarks.
Cadistella’s sarcastic jab was met with Beatrice’s calm agreement, completing a conversation that was sure to drive Kerdihak mad. That relaxed exchange promptly dashed the blue dragon’s slightly elevated mood back into the gutter.
“That was merely my way of saying hello!”
“Some hello. You were fully intending to knock every last orc unconscious.”
“How dare you look down on me!!!”
Cadistella provoked him again. While she grinned and teased Kerdihak, Beatrice approached from behind and whispered secretly.
“I will withdraw from this battle.”
“…What do you mean?”
Beatrice’s whisper reached Cadistella from behind, hidden from Kerdihak’s notice. Cadistella kept her eyes on the dragon and continued smiling, her lips barely moving as she replied in a voice only the two of them—and their nearby allies—could hear.
“Kerdihak would never have come alone. He must have prepared some other scheme, perhaps even accounting for the possibility that our master is here. He is the same man who once sent heroes ahead because he could not handle the Demon Lord by himself. He would never have the courage to face the Demon Lord and all her executives alone.”
“Maybe he already knows Neromeltia isn’t here?”
“If that were the case, he would not be wasting time talking and getting angry. He would have attacked immediately to raze the Demon Lord Castle before our master could return. He is still testing the waters. Until he is certain whether our master is present, he has no intention of launching a proper assault.”
Beatrice’s conjecture revealed an answer none of them had even considered. Moreover, it seemed irrefutably accurate.
“Then what do you think his scheme is?”
“…Make a noise in the east and strike in the west. In this situation, it would be making noise in the north and striking in the south. Whether it is the human army or another dragon, he plans to attack another location with some ally.”
“Don’t tell me…!”
Understanding Beatrice’s words, Nella’s face turned ashen. If the guess was correct, Kerdihak’s target was the destruction of Caboni Forest. The thought that her homeland was the objective made Nella’s heart race with urgency; the hand resting on Lusteria’s shoulder began to tremble faintly.
“Once this fact becomes known, the Demon Lord’s forces will inevitably split to protect both sides. With only the executives left, we will lose all our footholds on the surface regardless of the battle’s outcome.”
“Then what if we announce that Her Majesty has returned…?”
“The opposite. We must not let them discover not only our master’s return, but even her resurrection itself. The enemy still believes her existence is uncertain. That is why Kerdihak is only observing and has not yet attacked. If we reveal our master’s presence now, we will turn not only the dragons but the Twelve Gods against us as well.”
If the gods—who had once granted oracles to the humans and created heroes to slay the Demon Lord—learned of the Demon Lord’s resurrection, the consequences were obvious. Fearing the Demon Lord’s revenge, the gods would pour everything into killing her again. The Demon Lord Castle, still lacking proper defenses and with reconstruction barely underway, would have no chance of withstanding their assault. Therefore, it was only prudent to delay the revelation of the Demon Lord’s existence for as long as possible.
“Lusteria. Buy us time by saying anything to that lizard. We need time to discuss.”
“Eeeh. Can I really do that? I’m not confident……”
“Don’t worry. That guy won’t make a move until he is certain whether Neromeltia is here or not. In fact, if he thinks he can tie us down here, he will be delighted—because it will make destroying Caboni Forest easier.”
At Cadistella’s instruction, Lusteria, lacking confidence, patted her own soft cheek once to steel herself. With forced determination, she stepped forward toward Kerdihak with a bold expression. Kerdihak, who had been watching the succubus suddenly emerge after a brief silence, narrowed his eyes with interest, wondering what was happening.
“Ahem! Hello! My name is Lusteria Servie Avenoah!”
“…Right. The little succubus who used to follow that Demon Lord wench around. I remember you. Quite a few familiar insects have gathered here. Has that Demon Lord wench truly been resurrected?”
Lusteria took a calm breath to steady herself. The action was so obviously a preparatory step before speaking that Kerdihak focused his attention, curious about what she intended to say. Moreover, though he maintained a relaxed facade, he was inwardly desperate to determine whether the Demon Lord was present. He had casually mentioned her resurrection as if it were an offhand question.
Lusteria did not bother answering. She seemed intent only on what she wanted to say. Kerdihak did not mind. The Lusteria he had seen in the past had been timid, powerless, and innocent. Once the conversation began, dealing with her would be only a matter of time. No matter what she said, he was confident he could steer the dialogue cleverly and extract the answer he desired.
Adopting a somewhat gentle tone to manipulate Lusteria with his silver tongue, Kerdihak spoke softly.
“Well now, I suppose I spoke too harshly because I was angry. If my words were rude, I apologize. So, what does our little succubus lady wish to say?”
Lusteria looked up at the suddenly gentle Kerdihak. His voice was warm, yet a dragon’s face bore no expression—it was like a mask concealing emotion. Behind it surely lay a cunning and sinister scheme. Nevertheless, Lusteria smiled brightly at him.
What followed from her soft lips was something Kerdihak had never anticipated.
“From now on, I will tell you the recipe for Blueberry Parfait!”