Makai Hongi

Chapter 74

Demon King Tralzard’s messenger was the General, Flying Dragon Miralda.

A woman who was every bit as beautiful as the flashy kimono she wore.

I assumed that she was a lot older than she looked, but as I was an ogre that could read the room, I didn’t ask her about it.

And as someone who still had those old Japanese sensibilities, she was exceptionally good-looking to me

Were we not in this situation, I might have wanted to hit on her.

In any case, she slowly began to talk of the past.

“To the east of Demon King Legard’s country, there is a small country ruled by Lesser Demon King Legras. I suppose you might recognize it as the country where one of the Six Pillars of Salt is located.”

The Six Pillars of Salt… The places where the Celestial World invaded from.

A terrible war had been waged, and countless residents of the Demon World had died.

“It used to be ruled by Lesser Demon King Sola, but that changed with a Gekokujyo. And now Lesser Demon King Legras sits on the throne.”

I looked at the map.

Legras’s country shared borders with Great Demon King Bihashini and Demon King Legard’s countries.

This would be a very nervous place to be for a Lesser Demon King.

“It was only much later that I heard stories about a certain person playing a big role in that take over. However, that person did not stay in the country. He took his subordinates and wreaked havoc on the surrounding lands. It was Legard’s country that suffered the most.”

So he provoked a Demon King. He had a lot of nerve.

“He did all that, and it didn’t start a war with Legras’s country?”

General Farneze was right to question this.

You had to retaliate when someone ravaged your lands. It was the way things were done in the Demon World.

“Well, the people wreaking havoc weren’t under Legras’s control.”

In other words, they were like us now. Free.

There were people who weren’t under anyone’s control.

However, they were usually shunned wherever they went.

“And they eventually came to our country. Several towns and villages were destroyed. The group was composed of Obliteration Hunters, Black Knights, and Dullahan. All of them were very powerful. We had a difficult time dealing with them. Most of them escaped, but we captured some. That’s how we found out. The name of the person who led them.”

“You mean…”

“They called him Nehyor. A short Vampire. And the group that he led was called the ‘Wild Hunt.’ What do you think? Sound familiar?”

I had never heard it before. As for General Farneze…

“The Wild Hunt. The gang of ghosts that come out of the shadows to work as much savagery as they can, before vanishing into the night…”

“So you do know them. It was around that time when all rumors of their attacks suddenly stopped. I had assumed that they had been defeated…”

“What time was this?”

“About three hundred years ago.”

It was the same time that Nehyor had come to this country.

So the guy who used to pick fights with Demon Kings was our Corps Commander? A good, lowly citizen like me…was working for a gangster?

However, I still didn’t understand what Nehor wanted.

Did he want to bring back the Wild Hunt?

Well, then he could have done that. He could have just left.

He didn’t need to plot so carefully like this and escape.

Yes, his mind was still a mystery to me.

It wasn’t just his purpose. I never knew what he was thinking during normal times.

—But he was not someone you could trust.

Somewhere in my heart, I had always believed this.

And so while I was angry when I heard that he had fled, I also felt like it was something he would do. However, I would not forgive him if we met again.

“I understand your situation now. And I will accept your earlier proposal.”

Miralda’s words caused my open jaw to freeze.

She had suddenly changed her mind? Because of what just happened?

“Are you certain?”

General Farneze looked doubtful.

“If Nehyor is the head of the Wild Hunt, this disaster might affect our country as well. I do not know what he has been thinking or waiting for during the last three hundred years, but I feel like it would be unwise to cut you off now. No, it would be best for you to be indebted to us.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

The General and I both bowed our heads.

While we would be indebted to them, it was not really a problem.

After all, we were always in a weaker position.

The day might come when they asked us to do something in return. But it would have been just the same as if they had ordered us to do it.

Anyway, it was more important to get out of the current predicament.

“Well, let’s discuss the details…is what I would like to say…but it seems like you have important matters to attend to?”

Yes. Now that Nehyor was gone, it felt like I was suspended in the air.

“I will remain here. You can go and deal with it.”

“Uh, thank you.”

“So, how about the same time, tomorrow?”

“That is fine. Half a day will probably be enough… No, I will make sure that it is.”

“Hmm. That is good. I will be expecting good results.”

Miralda nodded with satisfaction, and then she vanished.

This time, I had been staring hard at her, but had not been able to observe any special abilities being activated.

It meant that if I ever had to fight her, I would have no way of dealing with that skill.

“Miralda. What a terrifying girl…gah!”

“Golan. We must go at once!”

The General grabbed me by the collar and shot up into the air.

“Gggghhheee…”

C-can’t…breathe…