The room they were guided to was far better than expected. As befitting a remarkably bustling town, it seemed that wealthy merchants and nobles occasionally sought lodging here. The inn staff placed the luggage in the corner of the room before departing. Jeha dismissed the rest of the party, sending them to their own rooms, with the exception of Paimon and Zephyr.
It was just as Jeha slumped onto the bed that a polite knock sounded at the door.
Paimon opened it to reveal a man dressed as an ordinary merchant, who bowed his head respectfully.
“Let him in,” Jeha instructed. The man stepped inside, and as Paimon closed the door, he strode forward as if he had been waiting, prostrating himself before Jeha.
“I greet the Great Lord. Forgive me for only now offering my respects, having had to avoid human eyes.”
The man, who seemed to be representing the group, lifted his bowed head, simultaneously revealing his true form. Beyond his rather handsome features, his pointed ears and dark claws unmistakably marked him as a demon.
“So, you’re the Demonic Dragon Protection Association, I presume?”
“Yes, that is correct. I am Malik, the humble president of the Demonic Dragon Protection Association.”
“And the hatchling? Is it still safe?”
“Per your Lordship’s command, we have refrained from direct approach, but judging by the faint vital signs we detect, it appears to still be alive.”
“That’s a relief,” Jeha said, nodding.
Malik hesitated, clearly having more to say. Jeha offered him an encouraging glance.
“Demonic Dragons are an inherently belligerent species; it’s common for them to fight to the death if they encounter one another. Even during mating, if things go awry, they’ll fight each other to the death, which is why there are so few surviving Demonic Dragons. The hatchling you seek is a rare individual, born for the first time in nearly six hundred years, so…”
“…Are you implying it’s not appropriate for me to raise it?” Jeha asked. Malik, startled, hastily shook his head.
“No, not at all! How could I possibly dare to question your Lordship’s magnificent will? Moreover, if such a precious hatchling were to be personally raised by your Lordship, nothing could be safer.”
Malik stammered out his excuses, a sheen of cold sweat appearing on his brow.
“Then what was it you wanted to say?”
“Its vital signs are gradually weakening, which is why… I earnestly implore your Lordship to find and protect the hatchling as quickly as possible.”
Malik’s face was etched with genuine desperation. He had always imagined demons to be creatures solely devoted to fighting, destroying, and killing, yet the more he learned, the further they strayed from his ingrained prejudices.
Glancing at the encroaching darkness that swallowed the fading sunset, Jeha spoke. “I was planning to go look for it tonight anyway. I dislike complications, so leave the others here and you, Malik, will guide us.”
Malik’s face instantly brightened at Jeha’s words.
****
After leisurely finishing the meal brought to their room, complete darkness had settled outside. Jeha left instructions not to be disturbed, saying he would retire early, and then locked the door.
At the appointed time, Paimon, Zephyr, and Malik slipped into the room as if melting through the walls. The four of them, including Jeha, then headed straight for the dark mountain range.
The mountain range, which appeared rugged even from a distance, revealed its true, formidable nature once they ventured inside.
From the moment they entered, towering conifers, reaching skyward as if to pierce the heavens, formed a dense forest that greeted the party. The slopes were incredibly steep, so much so that an ordinary human would have to crawl, hunched over, to ascend them. The dense trees completely covered the sky, and scarcely any moonlight penetrated the thick canopy.
Of course, such conditions posed no problem for their group. For Jeha, the very essence of darkness, as well as for the other children of darkness, piercing the darkness was as natural as breathing. Neither the steep, treacherous slopes nor the dizzying height of the mountains could impede the party’s swift progress toward their destination.
Had they been human, it felt as though they would struggle to move even a few hundred meters, even if they had prepared thoroughly for a daytime climb. Given that a village had formed nearby, it was likely many people lived off this mountain range. However, the current party was traversing areas inaccessible to ordinary humans in a straight line to reach their destination quickly, so no human footsteps were discernible where they passed.
They weren’t running, yet with every step, their bodies surged forward. Jeha marveled inwardly, realizing his body moved like this simply by thought, without any prior practice. In a way, it was fortunate. After all, what kind of Demon Lord would I be if I couldn’t even keep up with my guide, Malik?
How long had they been climbing the mountain in a straight line? Malik, who was leading the way, abruptly halted. Jeha walked to his side and briefly gazed at the breathtaking spectacle that lay before them.
Below their feet was a narrow, profound chasm, as if the mountain range itself had been cleaved by a colossal blade. Far below, a narrow, winding valley could be seen.
“We believe it is located there. However, per your Lordship’s command, we did not descend to confirm its presence directly,” Malik said, pointing to an open cave entrance that looked suspicious even at a glance, situated halfway down the deep cliff.
The cave entrance was not very large. It would be a bit difficult for three or four people to enter simultaneously. Positioned halfway down the cliff face, with sharp rocks jutting out, it didn’t look easy to spot. Of course, even if one did find it, approaching it seemed almost impossible for a human.
‘If this were a martial arts world, there would surely have been some fortuitous encounter here,’ Jeha thought idly, looking at the cave entrance. But he quickly dismissed the thought and focused his attention on the inside of the cave.
Indeed, the presence of a living creature could be felt deep within the cave. While it was slightly different from the demonic energy commonly exuded by demons, he could still faintly detect a subtle presence unique to the races of darkness.
“It seems the mother sealed away all its demonic power before evacuating it to the human realm. Since its demonic energy was barely detectable, it was quite a struggle to locate it.”
“Hmm. You did well,” Jeha nodded dismissively, offering a perfunctory compliment, then moved fluidly into the cave entrance instead of leaping down the cliff. Paimon, Zephyr, and Malik followed him.
As it appeared from the outside, the inside of the cave was quite treacherous, with jagged rocks jutting out everywhere. Jeha slowly made his way deeper into the cave. With each step, he gradually allowed his demonic energy to unfurl, which he had meticulously suppressed upon arriving in the human realm. This was to ensure the hatchling wouldn’t be frightened by the presence of an unfamiliar human.
It was when he had moved as slowly and quietly as possible, reaching the deepest part of the cave, that a tiny breath reached his ears. The breathing was so frail that he worried it might cease at any moment.
This was perhaps natural, given that the young hatchling had been left alone in such a deep cave for so long, without food or water. A wave of shame and self-reproach surged through him, realizing that his own desires had caused such suffering to the young hatchling.
Abandoning all pretense of careful approach, Jeha quickly rushed forward. He soon discovered a small creature curled up in a corner at the very end of the cave. No, to call it ‘small’ might be an exaggeration, though it seemed large enough to fill his arms completely; regardless, it looked incredibly tiny.
Jeha swallowed hard, gazing at the baby Demonic Dragon curled in a ball, taking weak, shallow breaths. The hatchling’s entire body was covered in sleek, jet-black scales that shimmered with an oily sheen. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of reptiles, this baby Demonic Dragon lacked the peculiar alienness typically associated with them, making it less repulsive.
Was it because it felt the familiar demonic energy after so long?
The baby Demonic Dragon, which had been curled up motionless, as if playing dead, moved its head slightly. It weakly lifted its head and opened its tightly closed eyes, revealing sparkling golden eyes, a stark contrast to its body. Their gazes met. The baby Demonic Dragon’s tail twitched slightly from side to side. Even its drooping wings fluttered faintly. After staring intently into Jeha’s eyes for a moment, the hatchling’s snout parted slightly.
“Qyuu…?”
The moment he heard that tiny sound, Jeha trembled slightly, as if struck by lightning. The baby Demonic Dragon he had only imagined until now… was simply adorable!
Jeha immediately strode forward and crouched before the baby Demonic Dragon.
“Hello, little one?”
As Jeha gently greeted it, stroking the hatchling’s head, its vertically slit pupils dilated and contracted, proving its reptilian nature. Its tail tip and wings twitched faintly, suggesting its small head seemed to be diligently assessing the situation.
The hatchling’s deliberation didn’t last long. As if utterly captivated by the pure, potent demonic energy it hadn’t felt in so long, it wagged its tail happily. Then, as if asking for more affection, it rubbed its head against Jeha’s palm.
“Cute…” Jeha could no longer hold back and muttered aloud. He continued to stroke the hatchling’s head and back, whispering, “My poor little one. You must have been so scared, all alone here without your mother, weren’t you? You poor thing.”
“Qyuu… Qyuu…” As if understanding his words, the hatchling whimpered plaintively, like a plea.
“Oh, you’re so cute!” Jeha continuously murmured ‘how cute’ and did not stop stroking the hatchling. The baby Demonic Dragon’s scales were cold and hard, but that did not bother him in the slightest.