The Witch's Hut (3)
Neromeltia and her companions spent a night in Taego Forest before returning to the Demon Lord Castle alongside the witch Hestinia, whom they had reunited with. Taego Forest held a wealth of flora and fauna essential to restoring the polluted Terraris, making it a vital sanctuary that had to be protected. Hestinia had already restored the dimensional barrier over the forest that Lusteria had previously broken. Afterward, Hestinia met the orcs and ogres of Caboni Forest, exchanged greetings as a new officer of the Demon Lord's army, and followed Neromeltia through the central gate of Caboni Forest to reach the Demon Lord Castle.
"Oh my, it really is terribly desolate. Those Humian barbarians."
"It's only this bad because we've only just begun reconstruction. Originally there was nothing but rubble."
Reconstruction required rebuilding the ground from scratch, so most of the rubble that made up the ruins had to be cleared away. Only after completing the foundational work for the planned underground facilities could roads and buildings be erected on top. Of course, the water and sewage systems also had to be installed during this process, which meant it would take considerable time before actual construction could begin in earnest. Fortunately, the orcs and ogres with their formidable strength had joined the reconstruction of the Demon Lord Castle, greatly accelerating the pace of the work. Moreover, since construction was the orcs' specialty, even the Demoniian laborers who had previously been in charge were now taking orders from the orcs.
"My lord! I am relieved to see you return safely!"
"Yes. I trust there were no problems in my absence?"
"Of course not. Everything has proceeded exactly according to your plans."
Crawford rushed out the moment he heard of the Demon Lord's return. He appeared to have been in the middle of work, as he still clutched a quill pen stained with ink. The fact that he had come running without even setting the pen down spoke volumes about how highly he regarded the Demon Lord and how much priority he gave her.
"I'll be meeting with Crawford for a while. Lusteria, sort through the backlog of documents and bring them to my quarters. Beatrice, look after Hestinia and Nella for a bit."
"Yes, Master!"
"I'd rather explore the Demon Lord Castle on my own. Field inspection is important, after all."
"Very well. Hestinia, feel free to look around the castle. Beatrice, take Nella to the dining hall and have some tea."
"Understood, Master."
With that, Neromeltia, Crawford, Lusteria, and Hestinia each went their separate ways. Left behind in the plaza were Beatrice and Nella. Nella carefully surveyed the scene around her. An ogre carrying two massive boulders destined to become construction materials. An orc swinging a pickaxe to break apart stones embedded in the ground for foundation work. Demoniian workers loading various scraps of debris into sacks and hauling them to designated collection areas. A goblin carving a new handle from wood to repair a broken hammer. Everyone was diligently performing their respective roles.
"It's remarkable. So many different races working together in harmony like this."
"Indeed. They have all gathered here solely for the sake of our great Master."
"It's awe-inspiring… and at the same time, it makes me angry."
Nella had lived her entire life seeing only orcs and ogres. Even the ogres, the only other race she had ever encountered, had never been on particularly good terms with the orcs. While they shared a sense of camaraderie as inhabitants of the same forest, they had never been inclined to unite closely. It was only because her older brother Beriberi and the ogre chief Oun had desired peace and exchange that a stable peace had been achieved; in previous generations, there had been frequent skirmishes and even outright wars. Yet here at the construction site for the Demon Lord Castle's reconstruction, four different races were working side by side. Each fulfilled their roles faithfully and cooperated without major conflict. Nella found the sight profoundly beautiful and awe-inspiring. At the same time, it filled her with rage.
She had learned that a thousand years ago, Hemonigent had been a nation where far more races lived together in harmony. The Humians had mercilessly trampled that beautiful peace which everyone had enjoyed equally and shattered every trace of civilization. She could not bear her hatred for them.
Nella's anger extended to another as well.
"Why did Lady Hestinia not fight alongside the Demon Lord? Someone with the power to freely traverse dimensions and protect vast forests with barriers… why…"
Before she knew it, Nella had clenched her fists. It was the story Hestinia had mentioned during their conversation the previous night. Hestinia had described fleeing in panic at the sound of thunderous roars and screams, only to return later and find Hemonigent already destroyed. Nella had found it difficult to look at Hestinia, who had recounted the tale with a smile as though it were nothing more than an exciting adventure, and had used the excuse of going to bed to retreat to her room. Though Lusteria had been snoring like a puppy in the neighboring bed, Nella herself had lain awake, her thoughts in turmoil.
The question Nella had pondered all night: If someone of Hestinia's caliber had fought alongside them, would the future have turned out differently? It felt unbearably cruel and resentful. Living for a thousand years in Taego Forest near Caboni Forest without ever revealing herself or her identity made Nella feel slighted. Moreover, Hestinia seemed to keep a wall between herself and everyone else, which made interacting with her even more uncomfortable. Recalling the story of the war from a thousand years ago only made Hestinia seem cold and heartless, as though she had abandoned Hemonigent to save herself.
Even Nella, who had lived in the safe and pristine environment of Caboni Forest, had never been able to shake her anxiety about possible Humian raids or dragon attacks. She had also felt suffocated by the stagnant life of never being able to leave the forest, to the point that it felt like a vast prison. Limited food supplies had caused endless conflicts with the ogres, and in previous generations there had even been frequent battles. There had been years when they had been forced to dig up tree roots to stave off starvation because there wasn't even enough food to wage war. If someone like Nella, who had lived in relatively good conditions, felt this way, she could not even begin to imagine what it must be like for those struggling to survive in the harsh environment of Terraris.
Beatrice could tell exactly what Nella was thinking just by looking at her hardened expression. Though Nella had not experienced the Humian invasion war herself and therefore had no right to voice any opinion, she still could not let go of her resentment toward Hestinia. In truth, Hestinia had hidden and disappeared at the very first sign of the Humian invasion. If one considered only that fact, Nella's anger was justified. It amounted to nothing less than a high-ranking officer of the Demon Lord's army fleeing to save herself when the enemy attacked.
However, Beatrice knew why Hestinia had been forced to act that way. Though she did not know Hestinia well and found her dimensional magic unfamiliar, Beatrice was well aware of the circumstances surrounding the Humian invasion. At the very least, she felt it necessary to share what truth she knew.
"Lady Hestinia must avoid anything that puts her life at risk. It was an unavoidable choice for her, so please do not think too poorly of her."
"…What do you mean…?"
"She is bound by an unbreakable contract. For now, that is all you need to know. I believe it would be proper for you to hear the details from the person herself."
Nella did not know the full story, but if there was a legitimate reason and circumstances, then she should not criticize Hestinia. Especially since she herself had never experienced the Humian invasion. When she realized that Beatrice had read her feelings and offered advice, she felt deeply ashamed and could hardly bear it.
"It's all right. It is also true that Lady Hestinia is powerful enough to change the course of the war."
"……"
"Following our Master's instructions, I intend to escort you to the dining hall. Is that acceptable?"
"Ah, yes. Of course!"
Beatrice calmly led the way, guiding Nella to the dining hall. Watching the maid's back as she walked ahead with her hands clasped politely, Nella suddenly felt puzzled by her demeanor. The Beatrice who had not hesitated to attack Hestinia upon their reunion, warning her not to approach, had just defended Hestinia to her. Her attitude was also noticeably softer than her usual dry demeanor. Nella wondered what might have happened between the two without her knowledge, but decided not to dwell on it. She also resolved to stop thinking about Hestinia's flight from the war, which had been troubling her since the previous night. There must have been reasons unique to Hestinia that Nella did not know, and all she needed to do was focus on doing her own part to the best of her ability. She had no desire to dig into matters she did not understand, and if there was clearly an unavoidable reason, then it was not something she needed to concern herself with. Nella decided she would try to be a little warmer toward Hestinia from now on.