Chapter 194
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194
Of course, Robiad wasn’t the first to discover the eggs. When he arrived at the East Nest, a pack of Lizardmen who already lived in the forest were scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to transport them.
The current situation was the result of Robiad driving those Lizardmen away and seizing the eggs for himself.
Even now, he could vividly recall the looks on their faces. The Lizardman Chief had backed away slowly, an expression of pure, maddening injustice etched on its features. Ah, it was truly a sight to behold.
How foolish.
In a world where the strong prey on the weak, weakness itself is a sin. To commit such a sin and then act like the victim was fundamentally wrong. If they had a grievance, they should have simply gotten stronger.
"Hehe, khaha."
Chuckling like a madman, Robiad glanced back at the eggs.
There were nine in total.
In the myths, Gamigin had eaten only one egg. Robiad was certain that story was more than mere superstition.
‘Just one can make you like Gamigin.’
What would happen if he monopolized all nine?
‘Maybe, just maybe…'
He wouldn't have to cling to the likes of the Yubar or Obstarius factions. He could create his own Robiad faction. If it came down to it, he might even be able to defeat Yubar himself.
"My Lord!"
Just as he was happily envisioning his future, one of his subordinate monsters rushed toward him.
"What is it? Don't tell me you broke one of the eggs."
"N-no, that's not it! Another Demon King has arrived from the direction of the nest. They wish to see you."
"Another Demon King?"
Was it Obstarius? Had he found out already?
His heart sank for a moment, but Robiad quickly regained his composure. If it were Obstarius, his subordinate wouldn't have referred to him as "another Demon King." It had to be some nameless Demon King whom even his own lackey didn't recognize.
"Bring them in."
As Robiad nodded, a Demon King, guided by his subordinate, walked toward him.
The eyes of everyone in his army, who were busy securing the area, turned to the newcomer.
"..."
It was a Demon King of small stature.
Robiad frowned. Judging by their aura, they were definitely a Demon King.
‘I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere…’
He couldn't quite place her. Looking at that purple hair and those clear eyes, he was certain he had seen her before, but her name escaped him. It was the kind of vague familiarity one had with someone they’d only briefly seen. In cases like this, it was usually a Demon King he had caught a fleeting glimpse of in Judeca.
"I am Melju de Limp Agrea, the 17th descendant of Asmodeus."
Before Robiad could place her, the Demon King—Melju—introduced herself.
"Melju."
Ah, no wonder she looked familiar. It was Melju! The realization finally struck Robiad. And then he thought:
And here I was, thinking she was someone important. Melju, Melju. Let’s see…
"...Melju?"
The Demon King from the Primordial Core?
The very same Demon King that the Swallow had personally gone all the way to Judeca to recruit?
"Are you truly Melju de Limp Agrea?"
His mind went completely blank. Forgetting even to introduce himself, Robiad blurted out the question.
"Yes. My name is Melju. I have already told you, so why do you ask again?"
"...I can't believe it."
"You are a very suspicious Demon King."
Frowning slightly, Melju raised the staff in her hand.
"I swear upon the blood of evil."
As Melju muttered the words, a purple mist spread out around her. Soon, evil spirits emerged from the mist and began to circle her.
It was a form of death magic used to prove one's innocence, a spell that could only be cast on oneself. If the caster lied in front of the evil spirits, the spirits would rip out their heart. Not even a Demon King was exempt. In short, whatever she said next would be the absolute truth.
"I am indeed Melju de Limp Agrea, the 17th descendant of Asmodeus," Melju declared without a shred of hesitation.
Reacting to her words, the spirits glared at her for a long moment before silently vanishing back into the mist.
Only after the mist had completely cleared did Robiad swallow hard.
She was the real Melju de Limp Agrea.
The very being favored by that ancient monster—the one who had conquered Judeca single-handedly and made even Yubar, the incarnation of evil, bow his head without a fight—was standing right before him.
"I-I am Robiad, the 9th descendant of Belphegor. What business brings you here?"
"You don't need to ask why I'm here, do you?"
Melju raised her hand and pointed past Robiad at his army. More precisely, she pointed at the eggs they were carrying.
"I'm here for the eggs."
"..."
The lineage of Asmodeus possessed stronger libidos than the descendants of other Demon Kings, so they reproduced relatively quickly. Considering she was of the 17th generation and judging by her appearance, Melju was about 150 years old... If she was a Demon King of that age, her strength would be...
‘No, what am I thinking?’
Robiad shook his head.
That wasn't what was important right now. At this rate, he was going to lose everything. He had to protect the eggs at all costs. He couldn't let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity be snatched away so easily.
"Are you referring to these giant eggs?"
"I mean the eggs of Calamidad."
"...But Lady Melju, even among Demon Kings, there is morality and a hierarchy. How can you so brazenly try to take what another Demon King has already claimed?"
"That's the first I've heard of it. Don't Demon Kings constantly plot against one another to steal the 'Symbol of Sin' or the '6 Divine Artifacts of Evil'? Is this not a world where the strong prey on the weak?"
"Th-that is..."
—Well, she wasn't wrong.
"Besides, it is not I who desires them. Lord Swallow commanded me to bring them."
Ah.
Robiad gasped. It was checkmate.
No excuse would work.
"In any case, you will hand over the eggs."
"..."
Mind racing in a sudden panic, Robiad mobilized every bit of knowledge he had accumulated over three hundred years of ruling monsters.
‘The easiest way, of course…’
—would be to eliminate Melju right here.
‘No, I can't.’
The risk was too high. The Primordial Core stood behind her. Even if he killed Melju and absorbed all the mana from the eggs, he didn't think he could defeat them.
Should he run away with the eggs?
He could escape if he fled alone, but how could he possibly get away with nine of these heavy eggs? Besides, his subordinates were still here. That was also impossible.
"You're thinking quite hard. I might fall asleep waiting."
He had to find a way out of this that didn't involve direct conflict.
"Y-yes... If the great Lord Swallow desires them, then of course I must offer them up. H-however, wouldn't it be boring to just hand them over? How about we hold a contest first!"
"Why should it be interesting? I'm just here to collect the eggs."
‘This damn bitch.’
Her words hit him right where it hurt, and Robiad took a step back. The situation had unfolded so suddenly that he couldn't tell if this Demon King was incredibly sharp or if he was just being incredibly stupid.
Regardless.
"I-it's really simple! I'm not saying I won't give them to you. It's just that if I win, you leave me two... no, just one egg."
"..."
Melju frowned, looking at Robiad as if he were a bug on the side of the road.
Yet, she didn't stop him from speaking. It was as if she was telling him to keep babbling.
"How about we each choose three of our subordinate monsters and let them decide the victor? A truly great Demon King must possess a great army, after all. What do you say?"
As he spoke, Robiad used telepathy to summon his three most capable subordinates.
Behind him, three monsters lined up and knelt. All three were near A-rank, the very subordinates Robiad took the most pride in. From the left, there was Agasputes of Might, Rogaiaders of Sonic Speed, and... of Transcendence...
"My Lord! It is dangerous for you to come alone, leaving us behind."
Just then, Melju's own army arrived, forming a neat line behind her.
Robiad took one look at her monsters and gasped in horror. On her side, there wasn't a single monster below A-rank. What was this? Was he seeing things? Even Yubar's elite army wasn't at this level!
"...On second thought, having our subordinates compete is a bit much, isn't it?"
Retracting his words at lightning speed, Robiad wracked his brain once more. The options of 'fleeing' and 'killing Melju' had now completely evaporated. He now had to worry about his own life.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"W-well... Ah, yes! Let's change the terms of the contest!"
Only one option remained. Robiad slowly backed away to create some distance, then raised his staff.
"I heard that you, too, are a Demon King who trains in magic rather than the sword. Then how about a magic duel? You are a Demon King as well! If you have even a shred of competitive spirit, you'll want to test our strength and establish our hierarchy."
As he had calculated earlier, Melju was barely 150 years old. No matter how incredible she was, she had only lived for so long. Robiad hadn't survived for over three hundred years for nothing. There was a clear difference in magical knowledge that came with experience.
‘When Melju joined the Primordial Core, rumors were rife among the monsters that her position was a product of nepotism.’
While it was true she belonged to the Primordial Core, it was highly questionable whether she actually possessed strength worthy of it. Besides, hadn't he seen it with his own eyes? How powerless she had been during the trial before Swallow appeared.
"I'm not suggesting we fight to the death! Just a pure test of our skills..."
"No. Let's make it a fight to the death."
"Huh?"
Melju raised her staff as well. Strangely, the army behind her began to hastily back away.
What was happening? Weren't they all A-rank monsters? Why were they running from Melju?
More importantly, why did the mana gathering around her staff feel so ominous?
...
"Black Mana?"
His vision was completely engulfed in black.
*
A message came from the scouting team.
"Lord Swallow! We received word from Ms. Melju. She has secured all the eggs in the first nest she found."
"Oh, awesome."
Swallow, who had been lazing about, shot up from his seat, only to immediately flop back onto the floor as if all his energy had vanished.
"Tell her she did a good job."
*
[They say the army led by Ms. Melju has already found one of the eastern nests.]
"Wow, I guess the Demon King favored by Lord Swallow really is on another level."
Hearing the report, the Older Yaksha Sister muttered with an amused chuckle.
The monsters of Room 2, including the Yaksha Sisters, had headed straight south from Swallow's camp. They were the pursuit team chasing Calamidad. They were supposed to have intelligence support from the Leprechaun Merchant Guild, but with the guild yet to arrive, they were forced to head south blind.
Arriving ahead of schedule, the Yaksha Sisters chose to wait in an area Calamidad had not yet reached. By recalling Scobina's words and reverse-calculating the giant turtle's southward speed, they could roughly deduce which region she would pass through.
According to their calculations, Calamidad would pass through here around tomorrow.
"Everything is fine and dandy, but..." the Older Yaksha Sister said.
She was hiding in the bushes. The other monsters of Room 2, under her command, were doing the same. While everyone suppressed their bloodlust and magical energy, the Older Yaksha Sister poked her head out slightly to survey the area far beyond the brush.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
There were humans there.
Beyond the bushes lay a field with a wooden fence erected for farming. Once you crossed that boundary, it was human territory. They couldn't tell if the territory belonged to a count or a marquis, but judging by its prosperity, it wasn't a poor estate.
"They've gathered quite a crowd."
If there were only a few humans, she wouldn't have cared. As Swallow had said, killing minor pests wouldn't cause much trouble. However...
"Roughly how many are there?"
[Roughly nine hundred? They're trickling out of the castle in platoon-sized units. Looking at their formation, it seems a little over half have gathered. Kee-hee,] replied the Queen Harpy, once known as the Grim Reaper of Goma Hill.
"So once they're all here, they'll easily exceed a thousand."
A force of over a thousand troops was not something that could be easily mustered from a territory of this size.
It was obvious without even looking. They had squeezed out every last drop of their manpower. They certainly hadn't gathered for a festival.
"We need information."
The Older Yaksha Sister gave a command with a simple hand gesture.
Unfortunately, there were no monsters in Room 2 capable of Polymorph. Making do with what they had, the Younger Yaksha Sister went out herself and lured back an old soldier who looked to have a good deal of mercenary experience.
While they lacked monsters capable of Polymorph, they did have monsters that could control humans. A wooden doll possessed by a grudge spirit brainwashed the old soldier, allowing them to eavesdrop on the conversations of the other soldiers.
"...So that's how it is."
Having grasped the humans' situation, the Older Yaksha Sister nodded.
Those people were indeed an army gathered to stop Calamidad. The soldiers had assembled under their lord's command.
The reason, of course, was survival.
Calamidad flew through the sky. If she simply passed by without paying any mind to the land below, the damage would be minimal. At most, there would be occasional monsters descending from her shell, some harm from climate changes, or other incidental fallout.