Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Roooar! The Earth Dragon Appears!
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From Set's perspective, he couldn't completely distrust me. Even if it was a scheme to make the demons suspect each other, that would be far too vague and idiotic. It would've been better to seize that moment earlier and slit my throat with a knife, taking out one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
But here I was, pleading for him to believe me without any intent to kill. He had no choice but to waver.
"I'll be careful, just like you said. It's easy enough to look into it a little."
"So you'll believe me?"
"I'm just saying I'll check it out."
"That's good enough. One thing's for sure—the Demon King plans to invade the entire world. And watch your back with your subordinate. Cremong. She's probably the one who'll kill you and take your spot as the next Four Heavenly Kings."
"Got it."
The future new Four Heavenly King, Cremong. She kills Set and takes his place. But this time would be different. Set had to survive and help me.
"By the way... how do you know all this?"
"Right, Daron! You've been dropping these bombshells. The Demon King invading, this demon getting murdered..."
At Set's question, the princess began listing all the things that had puzzled her up to now.
"Th-that's..."
Fuck, what do I do now?
"And you know way too much about demons for it not to be suspicious."
I hadn't expected the princess or Set to get tangled up with me like this. Even with Pamela earlier, it had played out as me knowing her plan from the start. A little competence looks impressive, but too much just breeds suspicion.
Say God gave me a secret revelation? No way. The saintess might be on my side, but if they verified it with God some other way, I could get fried for lying.
"Daron! Answer me!"
This damn princess bitch— even if she helps, it's a headache. I get it, but it's so fucking unfair.
Screw it.
"I'm sorry. Ugh..."
I trembled, grinding my teeth. Then I thought of the saddest things I could to well up tears in my eyes.
"Your Highness. I have my own circumstances. I'll tell you someday."
A man's tears are priceless.
"But this much I can say for sure. For this world... for this Empire... I will devote myself fully, even if it shatters my body."
Not ugly tears, but righteous ones. The princess stared at me blankly. The tears of a true man bound by some constraint from speaking the truth. Even as a princess, she was still a woman. Her face showed deep admiration for a man's tears.
"You have your story, I see. Very well. We'll let it slide for now."
All my actions so far had only helped the Empire. From strategies against magical beasts to rescuing the princess. Even this damn bitch still had a shred of humanity.
[You. That's a lie, right?]
Set's voice suddenly rang in my head. He wasn't opening his mouth.
[I'm especially good at spotting lies like that.]
What an annoying talent.
[Ha. But this is a mindfuck. So what you said earlier is the real real deal. You didn't even fake the lie on purpose? Nah, that can't be.]
From the moment he realized I was lying, Set couldn't dismiss my earlier warning lightly. Unless I was crazy, it had to be the truth.
"Hey, princess."
"Hm?"
"Since you took a hit to your Empire's knights, consider this an apology gift. I was gonna take these guys with me, but I'll leave 'em. Torture or kill them however you want. There are other ways to find out who's behind this. And... Daron."
Set looked at me again. What now?
"If it's a lie, I'll kill you. Even if you're in the princess's bedroom, I'll ignore all the guards and kill you."
"Wh-what do you mean Daron's in my bedroom?!"
"Heh. Just saying."
Set approached me slowly.
"But if it's true, I'll cooperate with you. Plus..."
She pressed her cleavage-baring, slutty body against me and stroked my cock.
"I'll grant you one thing you want. Anything."
She wasn't touching me directly. A hand from the shadows behind the princess's back was fondling my dick. How'd she know I was getting hard?
"Then I'm off. Oh, right."
As Set slipped into the dark shadows, she left these words behind.
"Once these two siblings are out of commission, the magical beasts will rampage freely. They're mindless, so they're simple, but they'll be a pain since they've gotten stronger."
At that moment, a massive roar echoed from the forest outside the cave.
"Set! Don't tell me your brother's an Earth Dragon sorcerer?"
"Whoa. You really are something. You even know that?"
"Fuck."
"Good luck. I need to check it out myself, so I'm in a hurry."
With that, Set vanished completely.
"Daron. Earth Dragon? You mean like an earthworm?"
"No! We need to get out and order a full retreat!"
"What?"
Earth Dragon.
It could mean earthworm, but I meant a real dragon that lived underground. I remembered it bursting from the ground and tearing apart our comrades. And that brother demon had been on the battlefield too. Back then, I didn't think much of it, but who knew he was an Earth Dragon sorcerer.
Asabel and I rushed out of the cave. We'd made sure to knock the two demons out cold for later pickup.
"Wh-what is that?!"
A dragon head bursting from the ground. A few knights were caught between its teeth.
Asabel was probably seeing this for the first time too. A magical beast that size had to be new to her.
Fuck... I knew the future and tried everything to avoid mass casualties, but they even had this thing ready? Sure, its size let it kill a bunch of knights quick, but not endlessly. The problem was it was berserking. In the previous loop, the snake sorcerer's beasts alone did heavy damage to the knights. They hadn't needed to unleash the Earth Dragon too. Too much slaughter would've prompted a strong Empire response. But this berserk Earth Dragon had lost its link to its master. Instead of waiting quietly in its underground lair, it was going apeshit. If this kept up, the nearby village would be in chaos.
"Your Highness."
"I know."
The princess pulled out a jeweled horn. It hummed with mana—clearly a magic tool. A horn that could broadcast across the whole forest.
—Preeeeeeek!!!!! Preeeeeeek!!!!! Preeeeeeek!!!!!
Three blasts.
The retreat signal. The princess's choice was right. Retreating could save even one more knight. Plus, they had to evacuate the villagers by the forest.
"Daron! Can you carry me to where the knights are?"
"Outside the forest?"
"No. To where the knights were fighting before I sounded the retreat!"
The princess spread her hand, conjuring a mana map. It showed the knights' positions and detailed forest paths. A handy spell for checking troop status. Her combat skills sucked, but she was decent at this.
"I haven't learned amplification magic yet. So I have to go in person to lead them."
"Your Highness."
"I can't do much. But I keep thinking of those knights who abandoned me and fled earlier. If I do the same... I'd be no better than them."
Fuck, why are you like this?
A highborn princess who couldn't read her underlings suddenly growing a spine.
"Understood. Get on my back."
"Thank you."
Asabel climbed onto my back. Her armor hid the soft breasts, but her thighs felt incredibly plush. As a princess, her skin was the softest I'd touched yet.
"So... sturdy."
"Pardon?"
"Ah, nothing. Let's go."
"Yes, sir."
I dashed off with the princess on my back. Following her directions, we reached the knights quickly. Total chaos, as expected. The Earth Dragon was bad enough, but the rampaging Black Anacondas were fierce too. The knights had started fleeing at the princess's retreat horn, but the ferocious snakes forced some to halt in groups.
"Don't go that way! Retreat to the other side!"
"Your Highness. Be more specific."
"Retreat to the area with all the fallen leaves!"
After linking up with the magic troops, the princess used amplification magic to issue orders. The direction she pointed had fewer trees and snakes.
"Hurry! Retreat now!"
We were the rear guard. Far ahead, the vanguard still had tons of troops to evacuate.
"Your Highness. The vanguard knights will all die at this rate."
"Knights with leeway, help the vanguard retreat too!"
Asabel Silv.
She lacked strategy and rarely won wars, but her effort was impressive now. Her retreat orders had flaws, but when I pointed them out, she improved eagerly—unexpectedly so.
Under the princess's command, the knights retreated safely.
Something felt off.
The Black Anacondas chased us hard, but the Earth Dragon stayed put, roaring and smashing the forest. It looked like it was fighting someone.
And far off, a ragged knight was running this way carrying another. Ainel on her back had the gravely wounded Rise.
...Fuck?
"1st Company Leader! What happened?!"
"Haa... haa... Your Highness!"
"Com... mander."
Rise, slung over Ainel's back, had half-closed eyes.
"The vice commander was badly hurt by the Earth Dragon. Quick treatment will save her life."
"Where's the Knight Commander?!"
"The commander..."
Ainel glanced sadly at the Earth Dragon behind her. It was still fighting something. Probably...
"She's holding it off to let the knights evacuate."
"Alone...?"
"...Yes."
That explained why the Earth Dragon wasn't pursuing the retreating knights. It couldn't. Ariana was blocking it.
"D-Daron..."
"Vice Commander. Are you okay?"
"The... commander..."
Rise gripped my hand tightly, trembling. Covered in blood, she pleaded with me.
"Save... the commander."