Chapter 300
Chapter 300. Farewell to the Demon Lord Kingdom
— The following two weeks flew by in an instant.
Starting with the handover of the magistrate, I spent my time preparing for exile by learning various things and training, and time passed as swiftly as an arrow.
First, the day after persuading Diagias, we flew back to the Demon Lord Castle and stormed into the Demon Lord’s office.
“Diagias is my successor…!?”
The Demon Lord was astonished, as if a strong wind had hit him.
Well, if my son, who showed no interest beyond matters of romance and Bon-Dage style, suddenly said he would manage the city, he would definitely be taken aback.
“Zilba said I can leave all the work to the officials and make as many ‘fun rooms’ as I like at Evaroti Royal Castle.”
The way he put it! The look on the Demon Lord’s face when Diagias casually answered was priceless—understanding, exasperation, and a hint of wanting to say something to me.
“Well… very well. Diagias Gigamunt, I appoint you as the magistrate of the Evaroti Autonomous District as the successor of Zilbagias Reiju.”
“I am truly honored.”
Anyway, without raising any particular suspicions, Diagias was appointed on the spot. It’s true that being such an unexpected choice caused less of a stir compared to Aiogias or Rubyphia.
…No, in a way, it was indeed a stir, but the Demon Lord probably had no reason to refuse.
We quickly left the office, and once out of sight, we high-fived with a loud “bang!” Now we were accomplices.
After that, I learned the basics of human society from Virosa along with Leila—the fundamental survival skills like cooking and camping.
“Basically, in large cities surrounded by walls, personnel from the Holy Church are stationed at the city gates. If you show even the slightest suspicious behavior, you’ll be asked to come into contact with the holy light, so it’s best to stay away. However, rural areas may also have Holy Church patrols, and the behavior patterns are—”
“This is how you use flint. Compared to magic, it’s quite frustrating, but please bear with it. …Oh, the way you handle things, Your Highness, is wonderful. Leila, no using breath secretly!”
“This wild herb is edible. This wild herb is also edible, though not tasty. This one can give you a stomachache if you eat too much, but it’s a valid option in emergencies. This mushroom will kill you if you eat it. In fact, mushrooms are basically dangerous, so unless you’re in a life-threatening situation of starving to death, please don’t touch them. I’ll let you know about the edible types as needed—”
For me, it was a parade of knowledge I’d already known, but the countermeasures against dark beings from the perspective of a Night Elf spy were rather interesting.
Also, I think it was beneficial for Leila, who only knew the life in the Demon Lord Castle, to learn about a bit of survival knowledge.
“Wow, that’s fascinating. Could you tell me a bit more about behaviors that are likely to draw the attention of the Holy Church?”
By the way, Sophia was also actively gathering knowledge by talking to Virosa.
With the ability to remember word-for-word after hearing something once and to transcribe that knowledge in magical letters on paper, Sophia greatly helped me as I repeated Virosa’s teachings to memorize them.
Before bed, I could deepen my knowledge about the Night Elf intelligence network by studying the documents Sophia summarized for me.
I could even remember the name of the puppet merchant association that I had nearly forgotten after asking Virosa before; that was a good thing. It would surely be useful…
“You know… the exile punishment is a bit excessive, don’t you?”
“Hahaha! The most mischievous of our bloodline is definitely Zilbagias, sis!”
Along with that, Gorirashia and his brother Legorius also showed up.
It was nice to see them again. Gorirashia looked half worried, half exasperated, while Legorius laughed heartily and carefree.
….However, the fact that they traveled a long way to meet me probably meant that Legorius was also considering that this might be the last time.
“You can’t use a spear in the allied territory, so I’ll whip you up in swordsmanship!”
“I’ll help too!”
And so, along with Virosa, I trained in swordsmanship with Gorirashia and Legorius.
As for the content… there was nothing particularly noteworthy. I was easily able to wield a sword, under the pretense of researching combat techniques that used both sword and spear along with Virosa.
Virosa praised my sword skills as “natural talent,” and Gorirashia and the others were surprised, saying, “What’s there to teach you?”
However… as a result, the training became quite intense.
I was caught up in a duel with Gorirashia, who was acting as the hero, while in my human form.
And I began to come to terms with the price of losing Liliana—
“The High Elf’s pet has escaped? That’s inconvenient.”
“…Indeed, it truly is.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with Gorirashia with bitterness.
Without the blessing of the Saintess, the injuries from battles could only be healed with teleportation spells. Of course, this meant I needed slaves—
Ten people a day.
I maximized that.
I was still trying to minimize it as much as possible…
“Still, you have good muscle. You feel tougher than using a spear.”
During a break, Gorirashia asked Virosa if she agreed.
“Absolutely. If you weren’t a prince, I would have invited you to the way of the sword.”
Virosa, watching with arms crossed from the back, said with genuine regret.
“Isn’t it fine? With this opportunity, you should teach him properly; you three will travel together, right? You can set it up as a wandering sword saint and his disciples.”
“I see… But even in human form, Your Highness has quite a bit of magical power. It may be unnatural for a disciple of a sword saint.”
As Virosa said, I naturally possessed magical power at the level of a high duke. Even in my weakened human form, I was about the level of a baron to viscount. Now that I was surrounded by high-ranking demon races, it was different, but once in the allied territory, I’d likely stand out reasonably.
“It’s not like every disciple of a sword saint becomes a sword saint.”
“Hahaha, if that were the case, the allied forces would be much tougher!”
Legorius chimed in with laughter.
“It wouldn’t be strange if there were a swordsman with a bit stronger magical power. Anyway, you’ll need a reasonable excuse.”
When Gorirashia asked if Zilbagias would have an issue, I nodded.
“Then it’s settled.”
“…O calling me ‘master’ is a bit too much for me.”
“As both a swordsman and a spy, your skills are worthy of being called ‘master.’ Right? …I’ll leave Zilbagias in your hands.”
Bam! Gorirashia slapped Virosa’s back.
“…Yes! I will protect him with my life!”
I couldn’t help but look away from Virosa, who nodded with a face full of determination.
“Hey! Hey!”
Where I looked away, Leila was diligently practicing with a thrusting sword.
…She worked hard, I suppose.
It looked rather lackluster, though.
“Leila! More hips! Put your hips into it!”
Next to her, Garunya cheered her on, giving advice. Although Garunya couldn’t handle a sword, her footwork and weight shifting were at a masterful level.
…So, in essence, it meant Leila needed to focus on how to move her body before her swordsmanship could improve.
Until now, it had been policy to go back to dragon form instead of enhancing combat potential in human form, but now that we were infiltrating the allied territory, there was no telling.
‘…………’
Meanwhile, the thrusting sword—Barbara was quietly waiting not to draw attention, but there seemed to be an air of melancholy oozing from the blade…
Barbara was to accompany Leila as her protective sword. It was definitely difficult to carry the body around.
Since Aurolo Fortress had burned down and turned into ruins, the damaged Barbara body was sealed in a coffin-shaped case and buried away on a mountain peak far from the fortress. I was a bit worried about whether it would hold up without maintenance for a year, but… I hoped that all the anti-decay magic layers I stacked would keep it fine.
“I wish I could go too…”
According to Leila, Garunya would often lament this.
She seemed quite affected by the shock of losing Liliana, not to mention that both I and Leila were heading to the alliance.
She considered dyeing her beautiful white fur brown and performing surgical changes on her ears and nose to disguise herself as a dog beastman, but was disheartened when the Night Elves pointed out, “You’ll be found out by your scent.”
…Back in her active days, my friends who were fist saints would always say, “You smell like a cat and a tiger.”
“I feel so sorry and apologetic for not being able to be of help at crucial moments!”
I comforted Garunya, patting her as tears brimmed in her eyes.
Honestly, I felt relieved that she wouldn’t be able to keep up.
“Zil-kun! I believe we’ll meet again…!!”
Now that I think about it, Enma also hugged me dramatically, wide-eyed and teary when I went to say hello.
I was planning to keep it simple and have a brief chat.
But I ended up getting a long lecture on the soul protections from holy attacks.
It ate up a ton of my time, but well, it might be useful when I fight Enma someday—if I can understand the methodology, I might be able to break through Enma’s soul protection—so it wasn’t entirely in vain…
†††
Before long, the day of departure arrived.
We decided to leave earlier without waiting for the one-month grace period. Exiles and their companions would not receive any support from the Demon Lord Kingdom during the execution of their sentence, but conversely, before the execution, they could obtain information and materials from local spies.
That said, it was far too dangerous for Leila and me to enter the city, so Virosa was supposed to contact the local informants—
That was the plan.
I donned my traveling gear, gazing up at the sky from the aerial takeoff site of the Demon Lord Castle.
The calm, late summer night was filled with sheep clouds here and there.
I gently smoothed the fabric. Although the quality was decent, it was somewhat tacky, like old clothes for common folk. Having only worn high-quality attire before as the Demon Lord’s son, the rough texture felt uncomfortable against my skin. I had truly become accustomed to luxury.
By the way, underneath this, I wore the Bon-Dage style—[Evrogia]. It stood out when removed, but for armor worn under everyday clothes, it had exceptional performance. Besides, as the seasons progressed from autumn to winter, the need for thicker garments would decrease my chance of exposure, so I judged the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Conversely, I was leaving the dragon scale armor [Shindikaios] behind. Of course! That kind of thing stands out way too much!
The rest of my gear included a well-used leather backpack, high-quality leather boots I had gotten comfortable wearing during training, and the dormant Adamas hanging from my waist, along with the remains of soldiers hiding at the bottom of the backpack. When Leila was in dragon form, she would also hang the main body of Barbara, the thrusting sword [Frodiida], on the opposite side of Adamas.
‘It’s finally happening…’
Barbara whispered in a mental message that only I could hear.
Yeah. That’s right.
Leila, who had a slightly heavier load than usual, flapped her wings lightly to check for any hindrances, while Virosa, dressed in inconspicuous clothing, performed a final inspection of equipment and supplies at my side.
—It’s finally happening.
Upon looking around, I found all of my acquaintances came to see me off. Unlike Leila and me, who had completely relaxed shoulders, many of them struggled to mask their expressions. They probably couldn’t shake off their anxiety, thinking this might be the last time.
Garunya looked like she might cry, while Sophia wore an ever-calm expression. “Compared to disappearing in the Demon World and bringing Ante back, this exile is like a trip,” she had said.
Incidentally, the Demon Lord was not among those seeing us off.
Well, given the circumstances of being a convict, it would be troublesome for the Demon Lord to come see me off.
Likewise, Aiogias and Rubyphia were also absent. Diagias should have been working hard at Evaroti by now.
The only ones crowded at the takeoff site were family. —But I felt a strange sensation knowing that they were all dark beings, such as cat-like beastmen, Night Elves, demons, and devils.
Without noticing, the number of familiar faces in the Demon Lord Castle had increased. Like this…
With Gorirashia maintaining a stern expression, Legorius wearing a solemn look, Sidarl looking a bit worn out, worried Viene, Garunya wiping her eyes, the composed Sophia, and then—
“—You’re leaving, Zilbagias.”
Platy, in a dress, stood straight with her posture.
“Yes, Mother.”
We locked eyes.
Yesterday, we shared a meal and discussed various trivial matters until just before bed.
But now, arriving at this moment, neither of us knew exactly what to say.
“—Leila.”
Platy shifted her gaze away from me and turned to Leila.
“I’m sorry for doubting you for so long. But you have never betrayed me and have always supported my son. Thank you. …Please, take care of Zilbagias.”
With that, she gestured for Leila to nod.
—That was the greatest form of gratitude she could show Platy as the Duchess.
In fact, she bowed her head to Leila.
“N-no! Your Grace…”
Leila was left speechless.
“…I will not betray Zilbagias. Absolutely. I will do my utmost to support him.”
With golden eyes shining brightly, Leila declared as if taking an oath. I could see Gorirashia drawing back slightly in the back. Perhaps he saw Leila’s colors with [Kyougan].
“Thank you, Leila.”
With a smile, Platy turned her attention to Virosa.
“Virosa.”
“Yes.”
“I have never met a Night Elf as skilled as you. And no one has been as loyal as you. …I place my full trust in you as well. Please take care of Zilbagias.”
“Yes! Leave it to me!”
Virosa, bowing deeply, looked back at Platy with eyes filled with determination.
“This Virosa, even if it costs my life, is committed to bringing His Highness back safely to you in a year…!”
………….
“Thank you, Virosa.”
And then, Platy’s gaze returned to me.
As always, she seemed to struggle to find the right words.
“Zilbagias.”
Walking up to me, Platy hugged me tightly.
“Mother.”
I was taken aback. No matter how much mother and child we were or how soon I was departing, this was not something a high-ranking demon would do under public scrutiny.
But… I couldn’t say anything. Platy’s breaths were shallow and quick, and her hands trembled; the embrace was painful enough to be overwhelming.
She truly wanted me to stay—her unexpressed feelings seemed to pulse through every inch of her being.
“…Please take care of yourself. Make sure you eat well, get enough sleep, and always be careful… and then, then…”
Words tumbled from her trembling lips without logic.
“…I’m okay, Mother.”
I gently hugged her back. …I felt no embarrassment.
“I will return safely. There’s still much to be done.”
—Yes.
I couldn’t just scamper off to the allied territory.
“Rest assured. Have I ever claimed I could ‘do it’ and then failed?”
When I said this jokingly, Platy seemed to remember her smile, awkwardly returning it.
—No.
She squeezed her eyes shut, breaking through her hesitation to show a defiant grin.
“Yes. You have always been that way. My prideful son, always exceeding my expectations.”
She carefully released me and took a few steps back.
“I have been blessed with an extraordinary son. You are my pride itself.”
So.
“—Safe travels. And come back stronger.”
Ah.
Without needing to be told that.
“Yes, Mother. …I’m off.”
I turned my back to Platy and gracefully mounted Leila’s saddle. Virosa climbed on behind me, and we both secured our safety harnesses.
I turned back.
Platy wore her usual defiant smile. But her hands were tightly gripping the hem of her dress.
“Well then, everyone! Until we meet again!”
I waved to not just Platy but those behind us as well.
—Let’s go, Leila.
‘—Yes—’
Leila spread her wings and flapped.
We soared lightly upward. Rising swiftly into the sky.
To the sky!
We gradually gained altitude, spiraling upward.
From the takeoff site, Platy and the others looked up at us.
I shifted my gaze to the central part of the Demon Lord Castle. To the Demon Lord’s palace—
There, he was.
Before the palace stood a demon clad in black.
The Demon Lord Goldgias Orgi was also looking up at the sky.
Despite how minuscule each of us appeared, I felt our gazes collide.
The Demon Lord raised one hand and waved in our direction.
I too waved back in response.
—Demon Lord. I will return.
Without fail, to defeat you. To bring down the Demon Lord Kingdom.
No matter what anyone says,
—I am the hero.
――――――――――――――――――――――――
Next time, before diving into the [Exile Arc for the Allied Territory], we’ll have a few episodes of the [One Dog Journey ★ Pulsating Homecoming Arc].
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