Chapter 269
After the mysterious demon, Trinity, left, the Imperial Army was thrown into chaos. Not only did she break through the castle’s defenses alone, but her declaration of becoming the Demon Lord shocked them deeply.
Immediately, the commanders of the entire army gathered to discuss the situation. Among them, debates raged about whether to believe the story brought by the suddenly appearing demon, Trinity, or not.
However, Bella dismissed it as a pointless discussion. The important thing was that a threat to the Imperial Army stationed in this castle had emerged. That alone was reason enough to expedite the castle’s repairs.
Not just me, but the other commanders agreed with Bella, and we immediately focused all our efforts on the castle’s defense.
Trinity’s appearance reminded the Imperial Army that demons are dangerous beings capable of subduing dozens of humans alone if they so desired.
After defeating the giant ice worm, the Imperial Army had been in high spirits, but now tension filled the air. The fear of not knowing when the demon might attack the castle again created a sense of crisis.
Perhaps because of this, the Imperial Army managed to complete the castle’s repairs in two days, mobilizing all their strength. Fortunately, the wall repairs were nearly finished, and Ariel’s defense magic formula was almost complete, allowing the Imperial Army to finish all preparations within two days.
“……”
Standing on the northern wall, I faced the cold night wind. Looking out at the snow-covered plains, the Demon Forest and the horizon came into view. The scenery from the castle was breathtakingly beautiful, but I couldn’t afford to be sentimental.
Beyond that horizon lies the land of death, the Annulment Zone, where everything freezes. And in that land of death, the third Demon Lord of this story is born.
The Princess of Snow, Arisa. The one who will freeze the world with a cold rivaling the Ice Age, and the master served by the Winter Knight, Aaron.
Considering the competition for the Demon Lord’s throne, Arisa, not Aaron, could be considered Trinity’s true rival. Though she never appeared in the original work due to the players’ devastation, she is a key figure equivalent to the final boss.
Of course, I plan to prevent her from appearing this time as well. If the Princess of Snow were to appear in addition to the already overwhelming situation of facing the players, it would be unmanageable.
The way to stop the Princess of Snow, Arisa, is to thwart Aaron’s plans. To make Arisa the Demon Lord, Aaron has already descended from the Annulment Zone and is expanding his influence. All my efforts to move the Imperial Army, even while hiding my identity and putting on a show, were to stop Aaron.
Moreover, there was one more reason worth risking exposure. While stopping Aaron is important, changing the deep-rooted perception of demons among humans is even more crucial. To fight alongside humans against the players in the future, it’s necessary to shake their perceptions. Hence, I aim to set a good precedent.
That there are demons friendly to humans.
“Here you are, Count.”
Turning my head, I saw silver hair tinged with a bluish glow. Beneath it, eyes like a winter lake stared at me.
“Bella…”
“I’ve been looking for you for a while.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Do I need a reason to look for you?”
“…I suppose not.”
“Then excuse me.”
Bella stood beside me, looking out at the northern landscape.
“It’s quiet.”
“Yeah…”
It was strange to see her, so noble, standing shoulder to shoulder with me, the main antagonist. Moreover, she and I are now comrades fighting together. A situation unimaginable in the original work.
“Count.”
“Yes?”
“Give me your hand.”
“My hand?”
“I have something to give.”
What is she trying to give? As I extended my hand, Bella grabbed it firmly.
“It’s cold!? What’s this? Your hand is so cold, why aren’t you wearing gloves…?”
“It’s fine in my pocket.”
“Tsk. Fine, my foot. Give it here.”
Bella shoved my hand into her pocket. Unlike mine, her pocket was incredibly warm.
“There, isn’t that warm?”
“…I see. But didn’t you say you had something to give?”
“I just did.”
“?”
“I gave you my warmth. Are you pretending not to notice?”
“……”
I silently watched her hair flutter in the night wind. Then our eyes met.
“What…? Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Just…”
“Because I’m pretty…?”
“……”
“Honestly… Is it so hard to say I’m pretty?”
“I never said I wouldn’t.”
“It’s all over your face.”
I always maintain an expressionless face, revealing no emotions, a practice of ‘patience.’ But sometimes, this expressionless face leads to small misunderstandings.
“Don’t misunderstand. My face is always like this.”
“I know. I was just teasing. But Count.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any siblings?”
The unrelated question made me frown.
“…No, I don’t.”
“I thought so. As expected…”
“Why do you ask?”
“This might sound strange… but that demon I met.”
“Trinity, that woman?”
“Yes. She looked a bit like you.”
Her words made my heart skip a beat, but I managed to hide my turmoil with ‘patience.’
Only one question lingered in my mind.
‘How?’
I had changed my gender, used an eye mask and cloak to hide my identity, and even altered my speech. There should have been no way to connect me to Tristan.
Yet, how did Bella figure it out?
I calmly asked again.
“She looks like me?”
“Yes. Something about her… the atmosphere, I guess. Especially her eyes reminded me of you…”
“……”
Could it be just that? Trinity was created based on Tristan’s female version, so there are similarities in appearance…
But still, Bella’s observational skills were terrifying.
To avoid suspicion, I casually replied.
“Is that so? I didn’t notice, but if you say so, she might get along well with me.”
“Huh?”
“If I get the chance, I’d like to meet her again.”
“Hmm… If that happens, she might not get along with you but end up dead by my hands.”
Bella smiled quietly. The murderous intent in her smile seemed genuine, making me a bit scared.
I decided to change the subject.
“So, do you believe what that demon said? Do you think the demons will really attack?”
“Hmm… I’m not sure.”
Bella thought for a moment before speaking.
“I don’t know. But there’s no benefit for her to lie to us… Considering she risked coming to our castle… It’s better for us to believe her.”
“If they attack as she said, focus only on defending this castle.”
“Huh?”
I recalled the time Bella lost to Aaron. Knowing how dark that period was for her, I wanted to avoid her fighting Aaron if possible.
“But I should also go out and fight…”
“If we lose this castle we’ve worked so hard to reclaim, it’s all over. So leave the fighting outside to me or the other knights, and you protect this most important castle.”
I emphasized its importance.
Feeling it wasn’t enough, I added.
“You’ve realized how dangerous demons are. If they attack the castle, the soldiers here will likely panic. The only one who can properly command them… as far as I know, is you.”
“…You’re overestimating me all of a sudden. If anything, you could protect it, so what’s the worry?”
“…Me?”
“Yes. If I’m in danger, you’ll save me like before.”
Bella stared straight at me. Her eyes were filled with infinite trust in me.
That gaze felt undeserved, so I looked away.
“Such shameless words… You’re the one overestimating me.”
“Haha… Don’t worry. I’m not so weak that you need to save me.”
“Then you…”
“But I understand what you’re saying. Since you put it that way, I’ll stay and protect this castle.”
Fortunately, Bella accepted my opinion.
Though not without conditions.
“In return!”
“In return?”
“If I protect the castle well, grant me a wish. How about it?”
Bella smiled mischievously. Her cheeky attitude was endearing, but I was afraid of what wish she might make.
“…What wish are you planning to make?”
“It’s a secret.”
As if…
Bella chuckled, thinking about her wish. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I couldn’t just stay silent.
“Alright. But what if you fail to protect the castle?”
“Huh?”
“If you want to make a wish, there should be a corresponding penalty.”
“Even with all your money, you’re being so stingy?”
“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not about money; I’m just naturally stingy.”
“…That’s something to be proud of. So what do you want from me, Mr. Stingy?”
If the castle is lost, it’s all over. So I suggested a reasonable wish.
“A bunny.”
“?!”
Just that one word made Bella’s face turn red.
“You, pervert! You want me to wear that again?!”
“Yes.”
The bunny girl outfit she wore before to cheer me up. Though I didn’t ask her to wear it, she did it voluntarily. Now, it seems she considers it a dark history.
If the castle were truly lost, there’d be no time for such wishes. Bella, extremely embarrassed, waved her hands and even pinched my hand in her pocket. It hurt.
“Really, really perverted…! Forget about that bunny! Don’t ever think about it again!”
“If you tell someone not to think about a bunny, what do they think of?”
“Huh?”
“They think of a bunny. So I’ll never forget how you looked then.”
“You made it sound so profound, but in the end, you’re just asking me to wear that shameless, vulgar outfit again?!”
“Yes. You catch on quickly.”
“Beast… Pervert… What’s wrong with your head?”
“If you plan to make a wish, be prepared for that much…”
At that moment, I was speechless.
My gaze was fixed on ‘those things’ that entered my sight.
“If I have to wear that in front of you again, I’ll die of embarrassment. So another wish…”
“……”
“Count? What’s wrong?”
“…They’re here.”
*
“Aaron-sama!”
A member of the Ho-in tribe hurriedly ran to the front group. At their head, the Winter Knight, Aaron, looked down from his ice-made horse.
“What is it?”
“The scouts we sent earlier have returned with information! The number of humans over there is several times ours.”
“How many?”
“Well… about 100,000.”
At his words, murmurs spread among the demons following Aaron.
Fully armed, they were heading towards the human castle south of the forest. Tonight, they planned to attack and drive out the humans, but it seemed more challenging than expected.
“100,000… wow…”
“How many is that?”
“It means there are as many humans as trees in this forest.”
“What?! Then what do we do? We’re so few!”
“Why are you making it difficult? That just means more humans to kill! Shouldn’t our blood be boiling?”
“Ugh! Hunting humans!”
“Hey, you crazy bastards! You’ll be caught by humans and boiled alive!”
Fear and unrest spread easily. Especially among a coalition of different races with differing values, unlike the trained regular army of the Empire.
“Quiet.”
Aaron’s low voice silenced the demons. The many races obeyed him due to his charisma and overwhelming power. Without Aaron, such a diverse group would never have moved together.
“But Aaron-sama… attacking head-on with our numbers…”
“That’s right. There’s even a barrier around the castle. Without a plan, casualties could be high.”
True to their reputation as skilled fighters, the Ho-in tribe knew when to retreat. Their bravery stemmed from avoiding unwinnable battles.
Even these seasoned warriors expressed concern to Aaron.
But Aaron shook his head.
“Don’t worry.”
He drew an ice sword from the air and plunged it into the snowy ground.
“Numbers are meaningless before me.”
“Huh?”
As soon as Aaron’s cryptic words ended, his sword melted and disappeared into the snow. The various races stared blankly at the futile sight.
“?!”
“What, what’s this?! An earthquake?!”
Soon, a faint tremor began.
The snowy ground writhed as if alive.
No, not as if—it truly was alive.
As figures began to rise from the snow, they couldn’t help but be horrified.
“Sk, skeletons?!”
Skeletons armed with ice shields, swords, spears, and bows. They were the ice and snow monsters Aaron usually carried, the skeletons.
But the demons’ horror wasn’t just due to that. The endlessly created skeletons soon filled the snowy plain in overwhelming numbers.
The sight was like a massive snowstorm.
-Groooooo.
Death soldiers roared everywhere.
Aaron filled the Demon Forest with tens of thousands of skeleton troops.
“Listen, soldiers of winter.”
Aaron drew his sword from the air and pointed forward. His sword aimed at the fortress humans built long ago to block monsters, Roelgreen Castle.
He commanded towards that hateful human trace.
“Wipe them out.”
