Chapter 5

This is a story from the perspective of the Demon King Belia during the siege of Rannu Castle.

A story about Belia and the enslaved Albert.

My name is Belia. I am often underestimated because I am a woman, but I am one of the twelve Demon Kings.

Even so, I am the progenitor of vampires and one of the most senior Demon Kings.

The more we, the creatures of evil, fight, the stronger we become.

There are twelve acknowledged strong individuals who have earned the title of Demon King through their battles.

Among them, the Immortal Four, including myself, are the four Demon Kings with particularly formidable power.

Our strength is unmatched by any other demons, but in this world, there are many bloodthirsty individuals, so there are always those who challenge us.

This time, it was Rannu.

I had only met Rannu once before, at a meeting of Demon Kings in the past.

A rude, arrogant werewolf who looked down on others and acted as if he owned the world.

A Demon King who made no effort to hide his desires.

He ruled his subjects through fear and showed no mercy to those who defied him.

It was pitiful for the people under his rule, but I was busy dealing with other Demon Kings, so I did not interfere with his territory, which bordered mine.

However, three years ago,

Rannu suddenly declared war on me.

He seemed to have the intention of taking my place among the Immortal Four.

While the title itself doesn't matter to me, if he were to harm my territory, I couldn't just let him do as he pleased.

The result was a full-scale war, but I am not a battle maniac.

To be honest, I think I am relatively mild-tempered among the Demon Kings.

If he didn't harm my territory, I was willing to recognize him as a neighboring Demon King.

Of course, if he went too far, I would crush him mercilessly...

It might seem lenient, but it's because my jurisdiction is vast, and I can't govern it alone.

I don't need Rannu's territory.

I want capable subordinates more than territory.

While one of the Immortal Four is an exception, the other three have factions.

Most Demon Kings belong to one of these factions, and I have two or three friendly Demon King allies.

Despite his problematic personality, Rannu is still a Demon King, and if possible, I would like to bring him under my command.

Killing Rannu and forcibly installing a new Demon King in Rannu's territory would be meaningless if they lacked the power.

A Demon King without self-defense would be killed by the bloodthirsty demons in no time.

Considering the future, I wanted to avoid war as much as possible.

Given this background, I tried to make friendly contact to avoid the war, but Rannu refused.

I had a glimmer of hope, thinking maybe... but as expected, the war could not be avoided.

To be honest, I didn't really expect it, given his character.

He also rejected my offer of surrender.

There is a clear difference in the forces we possess.

Naturally, Rannu was forced into a corner, and the extermination operation entered its final stage.

Only Rannu Castle, his stronghold, remained.

Even though he was cornered, Rannu had been a Demon King for a long time, and his true strength was unknown, so I had to go there myself as a Demon King.

I set up camp in front of Rannu Castle.

Preparations for the siege were progressing steadily...

Just as they were about to enter the final stage.

An extraordinary existence suddenly appeared.

The day before the siege of Rannu Castle, I and my subordinates were resting in front of the castle gate to regain our strength when a gargoyle suddenly flew in, swaying.

The gargoyle's eyes were lifeless, and it seemed to be under a subjugation spell.

I thought it might have come for reconnaissance, but it was so bold that it was almost as if it was asking to be shot down.

Not knowing the enemy's purpose, we couldn't just leave such a creature alone, and a fireball spell was cast at the gargoyle by one of my subordinates.

An explosion occurred centered on the gargoyle, and the smoke made it disappear from sight.

Wasting subordinates... that is something I detest the most.

Anger towards Demon King Rannu began to rise.

I don't like subjugation spells, even if they make soldiers more effective in war by removing their emotions and focusing on their goals. It's not fair to those who have to fight them.

Battles should be equal, and it's ridiculous to risk your life against something that lives mechanically.

Life and death should be decided by one's own will.

The smoke from the magic gradually cleared.

The preemptive magic attack would have surely shattered the gargoyle...

Everyone must have thought so.

I did too, but...

(Impossible... what is that?)

There, I saw something unbelievable.

When the smoke cleared, a gargoyle was floating unharmed, flapping its wings.

There was no trace of a defensive spell before the magic attack.

Gargoyles generally have decent physical defense but average magic resistance. They have some resistance to water and earth but are average against fire magic.

(And yet... unharmed?)

I still had some composure at this point.

No matter how strong it was, it was still just a gargoyle, not an enemy of a Demon King like me.

However, the next moment, my composure vanished.

The gargoyle, looking down from the sky, began to prepare a spell.

Instantly, an unbelievable amount of magical energy enveloped the area.

(Huh? No way... this amount of magic power, it's the same as mine or even more!)

Judging from the magical energy, the gargoyle was casting a water spell, Tidal Wave.

A level 7 super spell, the highest level, which only a few Demon Kings can use.

(Oh no! This is really bad!)

If such a spell were cast, my army would be devastated in one hit.

I rushed to the gargoyle to stop the spell.

I judged that no one else could stop it except me.

I hastily changed my strategy.

(I need to neutralize that gargoyle's mobility and deal with Demon King Rannu first.)

If the main Demon King Rannu were to die, the subjugation spell would be lifted.

If I could deal with Rannu first, I wouldn't have to fight that gargoyle.

I wouldn't come out unscathed if I fought that gargoyle.

(I can't afford to fight that monster head-on.)

I was swung around, had holes poked in my stomach by Stone Needles, and had mud thrown in my face, but I managed to burn the gargoyle's wings and make it fall.

After neutralizing its mobility, I rushed into the castle to deal with Rannu before the gargoyle could rejoin the battle.

To be honest, the gargoyle was incomparably stronger than Rannu.

Rannu wasn't weak as a Demon King, but the gargoyle was so strong that Rannu's strength paled in comparison.

Before he died, I asked Rannu about the gargoyle, but he seemed to know nothing about it.

(What? Why doesn't the owner know about it?)

We won the battle, but the gargoyle's strength was on par with the Immortal Four.

I'm glad I was here.

What was that abnormal gargoyle?

If I hadn't been here, my army might have been wiped out.

After the siege of Rannu Castle, I had my subordinates search for the fallen gargoyle, but it had already moved south.

It's a problem to leave such a dangerous gargoyle alone, but there's no choice.

Of course, I will issue a search order, but I must warn them not to take unnecessary risks.

For now, I can only hope that the gargoyle regains its self-awareness and becomes a sensible being.

I would like it to join my ranks...

(I don't want it to hold a grudge for burning its wings...)

Feeling a bit uneasy, I proceeded with the post-battle cleanup.

"Milady Belia, the candidates for employment are gathered in the entrance."

"I'll be there in a moment, have them wait."

(Ugh... the mud on my face won't come off, and my hair is a mess from being swung around.)

I rubbed my face with a towel, but the stubborn mud wouldn't budge.

(That gargoyle! I can't show my face in public like this!)

I couldn't show my face to anyone, so I struggled with the mud alone, but it wouldn't come off.

I had no choice but to call for a maid for help.

As expected, the maid was shocked.

She even called me "Milady Belia?" in a questioning tone.

(How humiliating...)

It took her two hours to win the battle against the mud and stand before the soldiers.