Chapter 55

――To the north. The ruined city of Velindora.

The remnants and debris of a kingdom that was destroyed in the battle against the demons in the past.

A burned city. A gouged earth. A collapsed castle.

What remained was rubble, ash piled on top of it, and the silent bones of the people who perished.

Visitors to this cursed land had long since ceased, and when its name was mentioned, it was always accompanied by fear and resentment towards the demons.

In the middle of a square that once bustled with activity in this desolate ruin, a man's shadow stood.

A tall man with a sharp gaze and a resolute face.

One could say he was handsome, but the confident smile on his lips gave others a rather fierce impression.

"---You've come."

The man narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. As if in response to his voice, shadows began to appear sporadically in the ruins. Among them were those with purple skin and horns, and some who looked no different from humans... but all of them, without exception, were demons.

"A young whelp, summoning us like this?"

"Valros, who do you think you are?"

A voice came from a corner of the ruins. It was tinged with hostility, but the demon called Valros showed no sign of concern, closing his eyes and deepening his smile.

"It's an urgent matter."

"If you say so, it must be something important, right?"

"If it turns out to be trivial... you'll understand then, won't you?"

Valros shrugged.

"Depending on the circumstances, we may be forced to change our plans."

"Why don't you just get to the point instead of being so dramatic?"

Another voice, this time a woman's.

"Not everyone is here yet, are they?"

"About Mystra? He probably has no intention of attending such a meeting."

"Hmm... then let's get to the main topic."

Valros paused, his smile fading as he spoke.

"The regular reports from Linneth, who was infiltrating Termwillis, have stopped."

For a moment, the demons fell silent.

"...Who is Linneth?"

A confused demon asked.

"A young female demon. She was knowledgeable about human magic and was exploring methods to break the seal in the Great Labyrinth."

"Is that enough to summon us? She might just be late?"

"No, she was probably caught and defeated by the humans."

"Right. I see her as having been defeated by the humans. She was a fairly solid individual."

Valros dismissed the optimistic view and agreed with the defeat theory, but a few of the demons, including those who had voiced their dissatisfaction with Valros's summons, exchanged glances and laughed.

"Is something... amusing?"

"Can you not laugh at this? This is the reason you summoned us?"

"Exactly. Just one low-level lackey died, right?"

They laughed again, oblivious to the ominous tone in Valros's voice. Glaring at them, Valros frowned in displeasure.

---Fools.

Valros thought.

Indeed, Linneth was inferior in pure combat ability to those present here.

Linneth herself was aware of her inferiority and had a somewhat twisted nature. She didn't seem to have good feelings towards Valros either, given her awareness of her own shortcomings.

Linneth's resentment towards Valros stemmed from the high pride typical of demons, but from Valros's perspective, his evaluation of her was not low at all.

"You said that if Linneth dies, the plan will change?"

"As I said before. She was smart. She was knowledgeable about human summoning magic, barriers, and teleportation. She was essential for opening the path to the Moonlight Temple."

Among the demons, who were more inclined towards brute force, Linneth was somewhat different. She was a rare and valuable asset because of her skills and knowledge.

At the very least, she was far more capable and useful than those who didn't understand her value or the implications of her death.

That's why Valros held her in high regard. Even if Linneth saw his high regard as arrogance, that was a different matter.

"So, what do you plan to do? If we can't enter the Moonlight Temple, won't our plans be derailed?"

"We'll have someone take over Linneth's research. If things go well, we might get some results. In any case, we need more information about the seal on the Moonlight Temple and what happened to Linneth. We'll have to send someone else to Termwillis."

This was the reason Valros had called the meeting.

"Clean up after a little girl? Why don't you go yourself?"

The one who said this was one of those who had voiced dissatisfaction with Valros's summons. The mocking tone made those who had been laughing at Linneth's expense chuckle. But then—

"O-Oh!?"

A muffled scream and the sound of stone shattering were heard.

Valros had grabbed the demon's face and slammed him into the ground with incredible speed. The sheer force of the simple action caused cracks to run through the ground.

"Don't chatter so much. I might crush you."

Valros said this while casually slamming the demon into the ground again and again. The demon's limbs flailed like a doll's, and with each impact, the ground shattered and the surrounding terrain collapsed.

The reason the independent demons centered around Valros, even for a common goal, was simple: Valros was just that strong.

The demon whose face was being held was in a terrible state. At first, he resisted out of pride, but eventually, he could no longer endure and began to plead.

"St-Stop, please!"

"Then show some respect."

Valros threw the nearly unconscious demon aside and surveyed the others again.

He had also intended to make an example of him. The relaxed atmosphere that had prevailed among those who had been laughing was now gone.

Valros, in his usual demeanor, was more gentlemanly. As someone entrusted with leadership, he would normally be more considerate. But today, he was in a bad mood, and one of the demons who harbored resentment against him had misjudged the line of acceptable behavior.

"I, as you know, can't move from here. The others have their own reasons for being unable to move... Is there anyone who can go to Termwillis?"

"I'll go."

A step forward was taken by a demon with burning red eyes.

"...Zevion?"

Valros frowned.

It was Zevion, a battle maniac, who had volunteered. If there was no way to break the barrier, Zevion might suggest a brute force approach. Even if not, the thought of how Zevion would react to Linneth's defeat was unsettling.

Valros would have preferred to entrust the task to someone else, but there was no one else available. Zevion's mind was focused on combat, which was why he was free to go.

He hoped Zevion would exercise some restraint.

"Will you take him with you?"

Valros pointed to the demon he had just released.

"That's fine... but will he be of any use?"

"If I follow strength, I won't defy you or him again."

"I see?"

Valros chuckled, recalling the demon's earlier humiliation.

Well, a combination of a battle maniac and a cunning mind might strike a balance. He doubted the demons, who followed strength, would faithfully follow detailed instructions anyway. In that sense, Linneth was indeed a rare talent. She could be relied upon to act rationally despite her emotions.

"Any other points to note?"

"Among Linneth's research, there are tools for infiltrating Termwillis. Use them to gather information. These tools are not easily replaceable, so use them carefully."

"Understood."

"Also, while you can deceive the outer barriers, you won't be able to handle some of the inner barriers, especially those deep in the labyrinth or within the castle. Be cautious."

"Understood."

Zevion, with a smug smile, grabbed the still unconscious demon by the collar, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and turned to leave.