Chapter 39

"Master!"

From the shoulder of the dragon-form Veel, a figure leaped down.

It was Plati.

"I'm so glad! You're safe...!"

She ran straight to me and hugged me.

"I'm sorry! These demons came because of me, didn't they? I'm sorry...!!"

Plati, who was unusually meek.

Did she feel so much responsibility for this situation?

"It's okay. The orcs handled it before I even had to step in. And Prince Aruana was here too...!"

"Huh? My brother was here?"

Only now did Plati notice her brother standing there.

"What are you doing here at this time? It's probably not for anything important, right?"

"That's harsh, my sister!!"

Indeed.

And.

The Astares and their subordinates, who had been so affected by Veel's roar, were unconscious, foaming at the mouth.

The two subordinates were in the same state.

The ship that brought them had also fled in fear of Veel, abandoning their commander.

Leaving the commander behind like that is pretty cruel.

"What should we do with the unconscious demons...?"

'Why not just kill them and bury them?'

"That's a bit much...!"

I couldn't quite follow Veel's straightforward suggestion.

* * *

"They have mutated."

The teacher, upon seeing our orcs, informed us.

Monsters occasionally undergo sudden changes, altering their species. These are called mutants and are generally much stronger than their original forms.

"The orcs have mutated into Wylar Ogres, and the goblins into Spartan Goblins. They are extremely powerful monsters, and the presence of just one can change the course of a battle."

"R-really...!?"

Our kids had become such formidable beings.

Is this because of the 'Bearer of the Supreme'? Did they hyper-evolve just from my touch?

Right now, they are disposing of the skeletons they defeated.

Would they make good fertilizer if spread in the fields?

The situation has calmed down, and the remaining issue is the cleanup.

"What should we do with these people?"

The demon Astares and her two subordinates.

"Kill them and bury them with the skeletons...?"

"No, no, no, no...!"

Veel was all for it, but I couldn't be that cold and ruthless.

It's one thing with regular monsters that have no will or soul, but killing someone who can communicate and looks almost human is a bit too much.

Especially since the battle is already over and the outcome is clear.

"You're too soft, Master."

"I won't take their lives, but I will make them take some responsibility."

Astares herself currently seems to be in a state of extreme discomfort.

After all, she is sandwiched between the two greatest calamities in the world, the No-Life King and the dragon.

"Ah, aaaaaah...!?"

The Demon King's Four Archfiends, who are supposed to be among the most powerful demons, are trembling uncontrollably.

...Given their titles, I would think they are top-tier among demons, but even they are afraid of the teacher and Veel?

"They are strong, but only in the context of demons."

"Even if a bug jumps out, it will never reach the level of a dragon! Master is an exception, of course!"

I see.

Since we weren't getting anywhere, I decided to negotiate directly with her.

"Astares, how about this? If you promise not to oppose us from now on, you can go home."

"B-b-b-b-b-b, don't insult me! I am one of the Demon King's Four Archfiends, Astares of 'Delusion'...!!"

Even as she trembled violently.

"Shit! Pull yourself together! This will tarnish the Demon King's dignity!!"

She gathered her resolve and composed herself.

"Alright, then I have a proposal!"

"Yes?"

"Are you called a saint? Fight me one-on-one! If you win, I'll do whatever you say. I'll even accept the previous condition!"

"Huh?"

I made eye contact with Veel, who was suggesting to just turn her into charcoal with a look.

"Alright. If it will make you feel better, I'll fight you."

"Yay!"

Astares immediately perked up.

"Don't be hasty! No matter how powerful your followers are, you are just a human! If I can subdue you, I can overcome this situation!!"

"Astares, Astares."

Perhaps feeling pity, Plati, who is usually the most gentle, spoke to her.

Ironically, she was the one who had come to take Plati away.

"Since you don't seem to understand, let me explain. The No-Life King, the dragon, the mutated orcs and goblins. They all follow him. Do you know why?"

"Huh?"

"Even demons follow those stronger than themselves, right?"

"So you mean..."

Is the match starting now?

I drew my holy sword from my waist with a flourish.

"Is that... the holy sword that was lost for a thousand years, the Evil Holy Sword Droyshvartz...!?"

Without even engaging in battle, Astares dove to the ground in a prostration, conceding my victory.

* * *

Thus, Astares was allowed to return home, but the problem was that she had no means of transportation.

The ship that brought her had fled with the crew in fear of Veel, leaving no trace.

So, the dragon-form Veel decided to fly them to a suitable place.

I emphasized not to treat them roughly, but apparently, when they returned, they were dropped right in the middle of a battlefield where the demon army and the human army were clashing.

And as an added warning, Veel breathed fire and declared to the entire battlefield, "If you pull any more stunts, I'll drop this on your capital!"

...

...

...

Well.

Thank you for your hard work.