Chapter 241
Chapter 241: Demon Tribe Healing
“High Elf… Liliana…!?”
Mycin’s voice hit a high pitch.
“That incredible magic power… no way, is she really the ‘Saint’ Liliana!? Liliana El Del Milfluer!?”
At the name Mycin mentioned, Tafuman stared in disbelief at the ‘dog’ in front of him. The name ‘Saint’ Liliana was known to every soldier of the alliance…!!
“Oh, you even know her full name well.”
The Demon Lord’s Prince clapped his eyes in admiration.
“Of course I do…! El Del Milfluer— the name of the royal family of Forest Elves…!”
“Exactly. That’s Liliana of El Del Milfluer.”
“Why is the missing High Elf Saint in such a…?”
Mycin mumbled, unable to continue.
Such—how should I express this? Should I say a miserable state…?
“Missing, huh. Is that how she’s treated in the alliance?”
The Demon Lord’s Prince stroked his chin thoughtfully, muttering, “Hmm.”
“This one participated in the surprise attack on the Demon Lord Castle eight years ago.”
“What!?”
I’ve heard rumors—an elite unit aided by the White Dragon directly assaulted the Demon Lord Castle…!
However, seeing the fate of the ‘Saint’ before me made it clear that the outcome was not favorable. Therefore, neither the Holy Church nor the representatives of various nations spoke about this matter in detail. And likewise, the Forest Elves only spoke in vague terms about the now-missing ‘Saint’ … labeled as ‘missing’…
“This one has been held captive by the Night Elves for a long time.”
—For eight years. The Demon Lord’s Prince casually mentioned something truly horrifying, stroking Liliana’s head affectionately.
“I took a liking to her and took her in. Now her self has been destroyed, and she thinks she’s a dog. I told you, right? My ‘pet’…”
…Everyone was rendered speechless by the sheer horror.
High Elf—an existence revered as a divine and noble being under the favor of the gods of light. Despite being in a royal position within the Holy Great Tree Alliance, Liliana, who had continuously supported the allied forces on the frontlines, remained known as the ‘Saint’…
“Kuunn…”
Why do you all have such scary faces? Liliana seemed to wonder as she furrowed her brows, quickly hiding behind the Demon Lord’s Prince.
We felt a chill as we realized—we were being feared.
The impact hit like a blow to the head.
“Oh…”
Mycin unwittingly knelt at the scene, too heart-wrenching for a former member of the alliance to bear… it became painfully clear that there was not even a trace left of her original personality…
If a Forest Elf had been present, they might have died of rage—thinking that, Tafuman, still reeling from shock, vaguely began to grasp the ‘healing’ conundrum.
If they have a High Elf in their grasp… it would be easy for the dark forces!
(They plan to generously give the benefits of a brainwashed Saint to the people of the autonomous district…!)
Fury, sorrow, humiliation, Tafuman couldn’t fathom how to express the chaos he felt inside. Above all, the most miserable thing was having to accept that ‘charity’ without any option to refuse… Those who could boldly reject such kindness were nowhere to be found.
Pretending to be benevolent while trampling upon the pride of humanity—what a perfect act of barbarism befitting a Demon Lord Prince…!!
“Well then, shall we start your healing? Quite a gathering of the barely alive, isn’t it?”
The Demon Lord’s Prince Zilbagias wore a sardonic smile as he called out to the Beastman soldiers, “Hey, go bring me a bucket or something, the bigger the better.”
What on earth would they use that for? The citizens of the district wondered, but a Beastman soldier sped back with a large barrel, displaying his natural swiftness.
“Alright, just the right size. …Is the only damage to his abdomen and arm?”
Zilbagias nodded, gesturing with his chin to a seriously injured person lying on a stretcher.
“No, there are stab wounds on the chest too…”
“Strip him down so I can see. If the treatment fails, it’ll be troublesome.”
At his command, an accompanying man began to remove the severely injured person’s clothing. Some parts stuck due to congealed blood, which painfully pulled off the skin, causing the unconscious patient to moan in agony.
The wounds were festering, in a terrible state…
“This is awful… well, whatever. [Teleportation Spell].”
In an instant, the Demon Lord’s Prince emitted an overwhelming sense of pressure.
No… this is magic! Some powerful spell is being cast!!
“…Huh?”
One of the companions let out a dazed voice.
The injured person, covered in wounds… transformed in an instant to a state without even a scratch.
Moreover, the arm that had been lost was beginning to grow back…!
“Ugh.”
Then Zilbagias let out an unroyal sound.
Looking down, he was flabbergasted. Zilbagias’s right arm was rapidly rotting away, dropping into the barrel with a thud. Blood began to ooze from his abdomen and chest as he slumped down.
“Cough. Remarkable how this fellow is still alive with such wounds…”
“Wuff!”
Liliana clung to Zilbagias, licking his cheek affectionately.
A divine light enveloped Zilbagias, and instantly his wounds healed. His arm grew back as well.
What in the world… what’s happening here!?
Why did the injured person’s wounds transfer to Zilbagias…!?
“That’s… what!?”
“Hm? It’s my family’s bloodline magic, [Teleportation Spell].”
Zilbagias replied smugly when Mycin, acting as the spokesperson, asked.
“Teleportation Spell…!?”
“Indeed. It transfers injuries or ailments to another target and replaces them. I take on the wounds of the injured, allowing Liliana to heal them. This is how I’ll treat you.”
What the heck is that…? Someone groaned in confusion.
“Right now, Liliana can only perform healing miracles mainly by licking. She’s my pet, after all; I can’t let you filthy folks let her lick you without a proper bath!”
The Demon Lord’s Prince stated with a serious expression.
“…………”
Several of the injured wore slightly disappointed expressions.
No, more importantly—!
“What meaning does such a magic even have…?”
Mycin was clueless, showing a perplexed look. Bloodline magic, he said? It seemed to be a type of unique magic passed down through blood, but what on earth is the point of a spell that takes on someone else’s injuries?
Well, one could save gravely injured individuals with one’s own sacrifice… but it didn’t seem like the Demon Tribe would possess such a spirit of self-sacrifice…
“Hmm? It’s quite convenient—”
Flashing a grin, Zilbagias took on the wounds of another injured individual. His one eye popped, while both legs and one arm rotted away. “It hurts,” grumbled the Demon Lord. At that moment, Tafuman suddenly came to a realization.
—Could I kill him now?
Reflexively, he thought that. After all, Tafuman and company were allowed entry into the city while still armed with their personal daggers. They must have been judged unworthy opponents facing such upper-class demons…
But against the weakened Demon Lord now!!
—I can kill him!
Tafuman didn’t think about the meaning behind killing him at this moment. Half unconsciously, his hand reached for the dagger at his waist—
“—It’s quite convenient. Because I can do things like this.”
Suddenly, the Demon Lord’s Prince fixed his gaze on Tafuman.
“[Teleportation Spell].”
The sensation vanished from Tafuman’s hand as he tried to grasp the dagger.
No, that’s not right!
His hand is… rotting away…!!
“Transferring injuries or illnesses to another target is how it works. If I can take on wounds, it stands to reason I can push them onto others. Of course!”
What the hell… Mycin was left speechless. Tafuman, only then catching on, understood.
The ‘lost right arm’—that state was thrust onto him via that Teleportation Spell! In an instant!
The Demon Lord surely sensed Tafuman’s hostility and retaliated…
Don’t dare attempt half-hearted rebellion.
It was a childish folly…!
To have your injuries thrust upon you! As a soldier, he couldn’t help but tremble at such a terrifying prospect… if that was the case…!!
Unless you instantly kill your opponent, any grievous injuries you inflict would bounce back onto you…!!
“—I said humans have their uses in the Demon Kingdom, right?”
The Demon Lord Zilbagias stated, tossing his rotting foot into the barrel with his now-grown back arm. He was promptly licked by Liliana, and his own foot grew back in no time.
“Humans possess a body structure extremely similar to ours in the Demon Tribe. Other than the presence of horns, their organ placements are almost identical. Hence, they are exceedingly suitable—”
A wicked smile spread across the Demon Lord’s Prince’s face.
“For use with the Teleportation Spell.”
…No way.
When I heard ‘uses,’ I thought surely it would be something like mine slaves…
“No way…!!”
“Indeed. As long as there is a healthy human, I can heal all but horn damage with the Teleportation Spell.”
“…What happens to those who’ve had injuries or ailments thrust upon them?”
Mycin, dripping with cold sweat, asked with a labored voice.
“They die. That’s obvious, isn’t it?”
The Demon Lord tilted his head as if questioning why he would ask such a basic thing.
“Well then, let’s continue with the healing… Oh, I might as well fix that arm of yours too. Though it’s a bit repetitive.”
Zilbagias turned to Tafuman as if remembering him.
Tafuman found himself experiencing a bizarre sensation, as if the ‘state of having no arm’ was being pulled away.
Then, his arm grew back… as if nothing had happened.
What is this! What is happening…!!
After that, the nightmarish scene unfolded where Zilbagias took on injuries and illnesses, becoming badly hurt, while Liliana healed him, only for the injured persons to return without a scratch.
The most peculiar thing was—
It wasn’t the ‘Saint’ acting like a dog or the unique magic of the Demon Tribe.
No matter how terrible the injury transferred to him, the Demon Lord Prince displayed not a single hint of pain on his face, as if he had no sensation at all.
“Now that’s everything. Thanks to you, Liliana, everyone has recovered. How nice.”
“Woof!”
With an enthusiasm that suggested she would be wagging her tail if she had one, Liliana barked while her bottom wiggled cutely.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll take in ten people at a time. I plan to stay for several days, so the number of seriously injured should decrease considerably.”
Tossing the remains of a shriveled arm into the barrel, the Demon Lord said.
“Oh, make sure you pick up that too. The floor will get dirty.”
He pointed to Tafuman’s feet.
Tafuman experienced the rare occurrence of picking up the remains of what had once been his own right arm with the arm that had just grown back. He had to be careful, lest it crumble into pieces; the touch was mushy and disgusting…
“I genuinely care about you all.”
Zilbagias displayed a refreshing smile, tinged with a hint of madness.
“Get well soon and enhance the district’s prosperity.”
That smile sent chills down my spine—
“I’m counting on you for the coming battles. Expecting much from you all, citizens of the district.”
Hahaha… as he laughed uproariously, he left with Liliana.
“………”
Those who hadn’t regained consciousness yet remained on the stretcher, while everyone else stepped firmly on the ground as they left the castle.
After getting a fair distance away, someone mumbled, “What a monster…”
Tafuman too, in a daze, looked back at the royal castle, gazing up.
The black banner of the Demon Kingdom fluttered in the dawn sky…
The capital of the Defteros Kingdom had fallen in less than three days under the fierce assault of the Demon Lord’s Army. But now, it was all too understandable.
Bloodline magic of the Reiju Tribe—
And the invading army had been comprised of the Reiju Tribe.
“We… we were fighting against those monsters…?”
Tafuman’s muttering weighed heavily on everyone’s hearts.
To rebel against… them…?
“……”
He held animosity against the Demon Lord’s army… and hostility as well…
Yet… only for today…
Can I think it’s okay to take a break…? Those weak thoughts were hard to shake off.
