Chapter 6

◆Queen of Darkness Mona

"This is a rare visit, Lady Mona, to such a place."

As Mona entered a room in the Demon King's Castle of Nargol, an old man, the master of the room, greeted her. The old man bowed deeply. He looked like an ordinary human, but like Ranfeld, he had horns on both sides of his head. This old man's name was Lugos. He was once a god of knowledge among the gods of Elyos, just like his beloved husband, Modus. When his husband was exiled from Elyos, Lugos, being a subordinate god, followed him to Nargol. Now, he serves as the chancellor of Nargol. Lugos is not a strong fighter and did not participate in the battle against the hero.

"Raise your head, Lugos."

Lugos raised his head and led her to a chair in the center of the room.

"What brings you here today, Lady Mona?"

Lugos asked.

"Lugos, what do you think of Count Kro... I mean, Count Dihart?"

"Count Dihart?"

The battle the other day. Everyone in the castle saw it. Lugos must have seen it too.

"I think he is very strong. He defeated the hero, after all. I find it reassuring to have such a powerful ally."

Indeed, Count Dihart is strong. He defeated the terrifying hero single-handedly. However, that is precisely why we need to consider something.

"Is that all?"

Lugos tilted his head.

"What do you mean, Lady Mona?"

"Do you know, old Lugos, that according to the prophecy of the goddess Casa, the hero is a man from another world? And Count Dihart is also from another world."

"!!"

Lugos looked surprised.

"Surely... Lady Mona, you...?"

"Yes, I see the possibility that Count Dihart could be the hero. If he poses a threat to Lord Modus, we may have to eliminate him."

Count Dihart lacks loyalty and could betray us.

"However, Lady Mona, due to the hero's invasion, the Demon King's army is in a state of disarray. It is impossible to oppose Count Dihart."

According to Lugos, the only races that can be easily rebuilt are the goblins, who can increase in number quickly, and the undead, who are easily replaceable. Other races will take a considerable amount of time to rebuild. The trolls and the demons, the two strongest races in Nargol, have been devastated. In fact, the trolls did not suffer much damage in the battle with the hero. The troll king surrendered early, seeing that he could not defeat the hero. Moreover, the troll king betrayed Nargol and even served as a guide for the hero. However, something must have happened, as the troll king parted ways with the hero halfway through and did not accompany him to the end. After Count Dihart repelled the hero, the troll king feared purging and fled from Nargol. Without their king, the various troll tribes began to fight among themselves and lost their unity. They will not be a significant force for a while. As for the demons, they are the strongest race in Nargol, and perhaps the strongest in the world, excluding the divine race. The demons resemble humans, the standard for all races, and are characterized by the horns on both sides of their heads. While the demons are physically weaker than the trolls, they are the most skilled in magic among all the races in Nargol, using their magic to overwhelm others. Only the angelic race can match them. The elite Dark Knights, a part of the demon race, were decimated by the hero recently. The demons are long-lived but do not reproduce easily, and it will take time to restore their former strength. Even Lord Ranfeld, a hero among the demons, must be in pain. With the demons, the core of the Demon King's army, in such a state, rebuilding is uncertain.

"Moreover, Lady Mona, even if the army is rebuilt, we cannot match Count Dihart."

Lugos says that defeating Count Dihart, who defeated the hero who destroyed the Demon King's army, is impossible even if the army is rebuilt. In fact, Count Dihart is currently the strongest force in the Demon King's army.

"Furthermore, Count Dihart has become a hero among the demons. I do not wish to consider him an enemy."

Lugos said, looking troubled. He does not want the morale of the demons, the central race of Nargol, to decline. This seems to be his opinion.

"I do not want to consider Count Dihart an enemy either. But we need to be prepared for any eventuality."

"What does His Majesty think of this, Lady Mona?"

"No, Lord Modus does not know that I consider Count Dihart dangerous. Moreover, Lord Modus seems to favor Count Dihart, saying that he smells like himself."

Lord Modus, her beloved husband, treats Count Dihart well and does not suspect any betrayal.

"Besides, Lord Modus cannot lie. If I express my concerns, it will show in his attitude."

Therefore, this matter should not be discussed with anyone else.

"That is why this is a confidential matter, Lugos. As the wisest man in Nargol, I need you to consider what to do in case of an emergency. Even the strongest have some weakness. Gathering information on him will not be a waste."

Lugos nodded.

"Indeed, information is important... Understood, Lady Mona. I will assign one of my subordinates to keep an eye on Count Dihart and gather information."

"Thank you, old Lugos."

After a few more words, she left the room. Lugos did not seem to consider Count Dihart dangerous. Or perhaps he just did not want to think about it. Count Dihart has become an indispensable part of the Demon King's army. No one wants to consider him an enemy. But someone has to think about it.

"Oh, my beloved Modus. I will surely protect you."