Chapter 10: Counterattack (2)

The resistance at the labor camp was truly meaningless.

The supervisors guarding the camp could not mount a proper resistance against a single boy, who walked indifferently, and were mercilessly scattered, defeated one by one.

They tried capturing prisoners, shooting arrows together, even charging in unison.

But there was no sign of victory.

Before long, the labor camp, once filled with noise, had emptied, and not a single human sound could be heard.

A boy walked alone.

After the battle, the boy’s first destination was the mine where it was said that Lerazie had worked.

But there was nothing alive in the mine.

Pickaxes for digging stones, rocks to be smashed, and the resulting iron ore—everything was nothing but mineral objects.

But those who worked here were the living, more so than anyone else.

Why had this mineral monster of a mine longed for life? Regardless of the era, many lives had been lost here.

Within the hungry mine, those who had failed to escape remained.

There were traces of supervisors being killed by stones as they tried to stop the escape, and in contrast, the demons who had fallen, struck by swords.

If those who died here were the prey consumed by the mine, the nameless woman left behind in this place was likely the last dessert left by the mine.

The boy quietly approached the woman’s side.

As the boy sat by her, the woman gently opened her eyes.

“Did you fail to escape?”

Even as she died, the woman was still worrying about others.

“I heard a really strong person came to save us. Leave me and go.”

“That would be me.”

“Oh, you’re amazing for your age. Do you think everyone else escaped?”

“Yes, you’re the last.”

“…I don’t think I’ll be the last.”

The boy gently supported the woman’s head with his hand and looked at her wounds.

Saving her was impossible.

The wound was too deep, and even if treated right now, she wouldn’t last long.

“Do you have any last words or wishes?”

The woman paused to think before giving a shallow smile and replying.

“…You’re strong, aren’t you? Right?”

“I am.”

“Keep going.”

“To the point where those who did this to us leave this land. Do you understand?”

“Is that your wish?”

“Yeah, that should be enough.”

As the woman’s wish was heard, the Demon King quietly nodded.

And the boy whispered to her ear so she could pass on in peace.

“Your wish will come true.”

The boy slowly aimed his sword at the woman’s neck.

When the boy hesitated for a moment, the woman nodded, as if saying it was okay.

“Thank you.”

With the woman’s last words, the sword was driven deep into her neck.

At least, she no longer felt pain.

The Demon King traveled to many places.

In what looked like an office building, he examined the administrative documents that ran the colony.

He also compared the accommodations for the demons and the humans.

Although quite a bit of time had passed…

Lerazie and the puppy were still waiting for the Demon King at the collapsed barrier.

“Demon King! You’re back?”

When Lerazie saw the Demon King approaching from a distance, she bent deeply at the waist to greet him.

The Demon King got closer, patted Lerazie’s head, and said.

“Well done, Lerazie. There’s no one left in the labor camp.”

“Hehe. Thank you.”

“But using magic without my permission was wrong. Even if no one got hurt.”

“Ot…”

“Keep practicing controlling the power of your magic. Then I’ll allow it.”

“Okay…”

With a sad expression, Lerazie looked down at the ground.

Then, as if remembering something, she suddenly exclaimed, “Ah!” and spoke to the Demon King again.

“Demon King, I found something!”

“Tell me.”

“My friends are all prisoners caught by people in white clothes! They’re still alive! It’s a dangerous place, but…”

Lerazie’s face seemed to hold both joy and anxiety.

Sensing this, the Demon King spoke calmly, as usual.

“Calm down. I’ll bring them all back.”

“…Yes!”

As the Demon King spoke with certainty, Lerazie nodded her head, seeming somewhat comforted.

“What should we do next?”

“The enemies will realize that it was us who destroyed this labor camp.”

The Demon King’s detection magic had picked up the scouts in white clothes.

They were not inside the camp, but watching from the outside as the supervisors were massacred.

The Demon King knew of their presence but didn’t capture them.

They needed to go back and report Lerazie’s and the Demon King’s existence.

“Now, the enemies will bring your friends on their own.”

“Ah…”

The Demon King felt the presence of the officers quickly moving outside the detection magic range and thought about it.

What choice would they make?

Would they call for more, stronger people to carefully approach, or would they immediately act to capture this wild dog?

If it was the former, they could gather more information, which would be good.

If it was the latter, things could be finished quickly, which would also be good.

“Then should we wait here for now?”

“No, where are the demons who escaped?”

“They originally tried to escape far away… but… after seeing you kill them all, they stayed.”

“Did I reveal that I’m the Demon King?”

“No! You blocked my mouth the last time.”

With a laugh, Lerazie put her hands over her mouth.

Nodding with approval, the Demon King said.

“We’ll join them.”

“Thank you. Thank you. It’s all thanks to you…”

“You’re a hero. Truly…”

“Our child survived thanks to you…”

A group of demons, numbering in the hundreds, had gathered and formed a camp.

When the Demon King and Lerazie arrived, those who recognized them rushed over to thank them.

Though a number in the hundreds was still far fewer than the entire camp population, the rest had either escaped when the barrier first collapsed or had left earlier, unwilling to stay behind.

Most of those who remained were the weaker ones.

The young, the wounded, the sick.

The others were those who had voluntarily stayed behind to care for them.

There was a system where the strong helped the weak.

Upon seeing this, the Demon King instinctively felt that there was a leader among them.

“Who organized this gathering?”

“That person over there!”

When the Demon King asked those who had come forward to thank him, several fingers immediately pointed at one person.

The one who was suddenly pointed at by so many people looked surprised for a moment, but then recognized the Demon King and Lerazie.

“Ah! Nice to meet you! Wow… you really were a boy.”

His eyes had dark whites and bright blacks, a characteristic of the immortals. He was a sturdy male immortal.

“Thanks to you, we’re free now. Thank you so much.”

“Why did you gather the people here?”

The Demon King, receiving gratitude, tried to gauge the one who had taken on the role of leader.

“These people can’t go far. What do we have? No food, only rags for clothes… without help, they’ll all die on the streets.”

“Then what?”

“I heard you’re wreaking havoc at the prison camp. I was planning to wait here until the camp was cleaned up, then raid the storeroom to gather supplies for our journey. And now you’re here…?”

“…That’s correct. Please go ahead.”

“Alright! We’ll clean out the prison camp properly.” Ah!

“One more thing. Where are you planning to travel to?”

“…I’ll be leaving the Empire’s territory. It’ll be just as miserable, but there are places that at least treat our demon kind as second-class citizens.”

Is there such a place?

The Demon King etched this crucial information deep into his memory.

“…If it’s not rude, may I ask you one thing?”

“041.”

“Are you perhaps from the Resistance?”

The Resistance?

The Demon King fell into deep thought at the unfamiliar term, hiding his reaction from the others.

Just by the word alone, it was easy to understand what kind of organization it was.

It meant that there were still people in the demon world fighting against the current world.

If even a demon in a small camp like this knew about them, it probably meant they were doing more than expected.

“Something like that.”

“Ah…! So the Resistance is still alive…!”

“…I envy you, even though you’re so young. You wouldn’t need my help, would you?”

The man glanced at the two people and the dog.

One had an air of refinement in his actions, and his calm voice made him seem like a young boy from an old fallen noble family of the demon world…?

The other… Seeing him panicking alone from the side, it looked like this person was either his servant or a bed partner…

That undead monster… impressive. Is he part of the Resistance? I’ve heard they’re few in number but incredibly strong.

As expected from the undead faction, they weren’t frightened by the monster.

“Then come on in and rest. As soon as we clean out the storeroom, we’ll set up a tent for you two to spend the night separately.”

“What?!”

At the mention of spending the night separately, Lejaje was taken aback.

The Demon King pressed down on Lejaje’s head as he spoke.

“Aaah…”

“We won’t be staying long.”

“It’s alright. We’re thankful enough that you liberated us from the camp. I’ll be going now.”

The leader left the spot and began calling others over.

They were probably the ones who would return to the camp and bring the supplies.

Watching this, the Demon King felt a sense of reassurance.

The others didn’t know, but Lejaje understood that subtle difference.

“If that person is here, there’s no need to worry.”

“…Is that so?”

“He’s subtly trying to get us to join their camp. It would be safer that way.”

“…Ah!”

“He knows how to make plans and how to speak cleverly. They’ll get to their destination on their own.”

The Demon King finally withdrew the detection magic he had spread out.

The disappearing magical aura was clearly visible to Lejaje.

She gazed at it, her face showing a complicated expression.

Once again, a massive flow of water formed in Lejaje’s mind.

“When using mana, you need a clear standard. Imagine there’s a giant water bottle.”

All the mana is contained inside the bottle.

What should be done next? Lejaje quickly grasped the concept.

She surrounded the mana with a solid band made of mana.

“What if there was a small tube that allows the mana to leak out?”

A fine tube is placed inside the water bottle.

It was as though she were using a straw, carefully placing the tube in her mouth and sucking.

When the image was fully formed, exactly one glass of water appeared in Lejaje’s hand.

“…Wow…”

“Congratulations on taking the first step in utilizing magic, Lejaje.”

The Demon King took the water Lejaje had created and drank it from the glass.

“The fire is out, so it’s not warm, but it’s refreshing.”

“…Demon King.”

“Thank you for your concern, Lejaje.”

The Demon King stood up and removed his wet clothes.

Lejaje quickly turned her head in shock.

“Are you not worried about your friend?”

“Pardon?”

“As you worry about me, I also have things to worry about you.” He spoke softly.

“My friends…”

Lejaje reflexively clutched her clothes tightly.

She was worried.

The more she thought about it, the more troubled she became, and she feared she might cause the Demon King trouble instead.

“…You think you can save them?”

“I promise you, I’ll take responsibility.”

Amid the uneasy feelings, a calm voice came in.

“Your friends and your grandmother will all return.”

“…Yes! I trust you.”

The Demon King changed his clothes and laid down on the hammock.

Lejaje, hearing the sound, cautiously turned her head.

“Please take care of the fire using the method we just learned.”

“Yes!”

The Demon King rested comfortably in the hammock.

Lejaje quietly started a fire, lighting the firewood.

It didn’t catch quickly due to being wet.

As she watched the firewood slowly turn red, Lejaje fell into thought.

Demon King, I understand how heavy the burden on your shoulders must be.

But I also know that you are someone who can bear it.

However, sometimes, I see you troubled.

Though my magic is still lacking, it feels like magic.

When you’re with me, I just hope you can let go of all worries and be happy.

Once I save my friends and grandmother… that might be my next wish.

Staring at the small fire beginning to burn, Lejaje pulled her legs up and sat down.

Her face, as she spent the night, was filled with a happy smile.

“Did something happen last night? I heard water was pouring out of the tent…”

The camp leader cautiously asked the Demon King.

Right next to him, Lejaje was wide awake, staring blankly into space with tired eyes.

“There’s nothing to worry about. It was a personal matter.”

“Ah…”

The camp leader nodded, seemingly understanding Lejaje’s state.

“I won’t ask any further.”

It seemed there was some misunderstanding, but the Demon King knew about it and didn’t correct it. There was no need to.