Chapter 18

The fortress of Balentzere, the stronghold of the 7th Legion Commander, Sefiro, is located in the territory controlled by the Demon King's army, where the main force of the 7th Legion is stationed.

It is also used as a temporary residence for brigade commanders who do not have their own territories, and other brigade commanders often run into each other when they come to report to Sefiro, the legion commander.

I try to avoid staying in this castle as much as possible.

The demons, in general, are very particular about the hierarchy, or rather, they only judge based on whether someone is above or below them.

They judge others solely by their strength and achievements.

Recently, I have been making remarkable achievements, but my strength is somewhat underestimated.

The reasons for this include the fact that I have not killed many enemy soldiers while occupying cities, and that I have only recently been promoted to brigade commander. However, it might also be due to my habit from my previous life, which makes it difficult for me to act in a domineering manner.

Therefore, if I were to encounter a brigade commander who is strong but lacks intelligence, a conflict would be inevitable.

That's why I wanted to quickly go to the transfer room and return to my territory, but at such times, I inevitably run into people I don't want to see, which is a sign of my bad luck.

In the corridor leading to the transfer room, I encountered Beio, the werewolf brigade commander.

Among the brigade commanders of the 7th Legion, he is the most prone to fighting.

I moved to the side of the corridor to let Beio pass, to avoid any conflict.

However, Beio deliberately changed his behavior and deliberately bumped into me.

Then, he started making baseless accusations.

"Hey, that hurts! Why are you bumping into people?"

No, I was standing still, right?

You really have a straightforward personality.

Usually, I would apologize sincerely, but today was different.

This is a good opportunity to provoke a fight.

The commander once said,

"Humility may be a virtue for humans, but for demons, it is a sign of contempt. It might become a weakness someday."

And so on.

Moreover, this might be a chance to expose a traitor.

It's not bad to act like a demon sometimes, so I decided to say something to Beio.

"I was standing still and let you pass. You were the one who bumped into me."

Beio probably didn't expect me to counter.

"What!?"

He bristled with anger.

"You should apologize. Your dirty fur got on my precious robe."

I brushed off the fur, sighing.

Beio's breathing became even more labored upon hearing this.

"My silver fur is dirty? You insolent undead!"

Good, it's going according to plan.

If I can anger him this much, he will act as I expected.

Indeed, Beio pointed at me and declared,

"I challenge you to a duel!"

That's what I wanted, I smiled inwardly.

Duels among demons are quite common.

Even among humans, nobles often duel, so it's not surprising. However, unlike human nobles, there are no formalities in demon duels.

There's no throwing of gloves or crossing of swords to signal the start.

The duel begins without any preamble.

The werewolf Beio let out a roar that shook my spine.

If I were an ordinary human, I would have collapsed from the shock.

Werewolf roars are infused with magic and can cause unconsciousness.

Fortunately, I am not an ordinary human.

I have lived with demons since childhood and possess powerful magic.

I am not affected by such intimidation.

I infused my magic into the staff I inherited from my grandfather, the Ouroboros staff.

This man is a brigade commander, after all.

There's no need to hold back.

However, there's no need to kill him either.

I am not so heartless as to kill a comrade just because I don't like him.

I cast the Fireball spell at Beio.

Werewolves are quick.

Under normal circumstances, a Fireball would be easy to dodge.

However, my Fireball spell is different.

The one I just cast is a customized, original version.

A spell taught by the commander, which sacrifices power for speed.

The Fireball flew at the speed of an arrow, and Beio's face showed shock.

"Damn, using a clever spell, huh?"

He probably intended to dodge it at first but changed his mind and decided to take it head-on.

Beio stopped and, with a confident expression, caught the Fireball with both hands and crushed it.

"Hmm," I couldn't help but be impressed.

Even with reduced power, I didn't expect him to be able to do that.

He is indeed a brigade commander.

I shouldn't have underestimated him.

However, Beio used all his strength to crush the Fireball.

I didn't miss this opportunity.

I infused my staff with magic and swung it at Beio's head.

If an ordinary human were to receive such a blow, their skull would shatter, and they would die. However, Beio, a werewolf and a high-ranking demon, let out a cry but still retained consciousness.

"Alright, now, should I finish him off?"

An ordinary demon would think so, but I am human, and once the fight is decided, I hesitate to inflict further cruelty.

That is my weakness, according to the commander.

"...Damn, not yet, it's not over yet!"

Beio, despite his injuries, stood up.

His feet wobbled, and his silver hair was stained with blood, but he still had the will to fight.

(Really, why are demons so stubborn...?)

I sighed inwardly and began to chant a spell.

This time, I intended to use a powerful spell to reduce his fighting ability,

but I didn't get to finish the incantation.

Someone intervened between us.

She quickly stepped between Beio and me and said,

"Enough, both of you!"

She extended her hands and used the Binding spell to restrain Beio.

It's not easy to bind a brigade commander-level demon in combat readiness with a single spell.

Sefiro, our superior, rarely showed a serious expression as she scolded us.

"Duels among demons are not forbidden, but it's unacceptable to have one in the corridor of my fortress."

Furthermore, she continued,

"The winner of this match has already been decided. Beio, were you such a foolish demon that you didn't even know your opponent's strength? I thought you were one of the strongest and most intelligent werewolves, which is why I appointed you as a brigade commander. Did I misjudge you?"

Beio finally regained his composure upon hearing this.

"...I apologize," he bowed his head.

The mad dog-like Beio was like a tame dog in front of her.

This is a testament to Sefiro's strength.

Sefiro, seeing that Beio had accepted his defeat, said,

"Yes, it's good that you're being honest. So, this match is won by Ike, right?"

Beio immediately agreed,

"...Yes."

Satisfied with his answer, Sefiro said,

"In the world of demons, strength is everything. Don't hold a grudge."

She then began to cast a healing spell on Beio.

Beio's body glowed pale, and his wounds quickly closed.

Apart from the blood, he looked as good as new.

Once his wounds were completely healed, Beio bowed and said,

"Commander, I apologize."

Sefiro also said,

"Yes, it's fine. You have your own duties. Go back to your post and make more achievements."

Beio followed her order but, as he passed me, he lightly bowed his head.

It seems he now acknowledges my strength.

However, he also left a parting shot,

"Next time won't be like this!"

Well, he is a straightforward character in a way.

"I'll beat you down every time."

I returned the gesture and watched Beio leave.

As Beio entered the transfer room, I asked Commander Sefiro,

"Well, Commander, did you get any information from Beio?"

Sefiro, upon hearing this, feigned ignorance,

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

"Usually, you would say something like, 'It's your own fault,' and tell me to be more careful. But this time, you cast a healing spell, and quite thoroughly. I think there's something more to it."

"Hmm, you noticed. You are indeed Romburg's grandson."

She then explained,

"You know that the Memory Reading spell can only be cast when the target is completely at ease, right?"

"Yes, if the target doesn't have magic, it wouldn't be necessary, but since the target is a demon, it's not that easy... Ah, I see, that's what you mean."

"That's right. When the target is receiving a healing spell, they are completely at ease."

"...You are a ruthless person. Did you deliberately call us here, knowing that we might run into each other?"

"Hmm, I wonder."

Sefiro neither confirmed nor denied it, but laughed her usual laugh.

"...So, did you get any useful information from his memory?"

"Hmm, I did get some useful information."

"You don't mean he's a traitor, do you?"

"No, he is crude and simple-minded, but he abhors such acts. He can be considered innocent."

"I see. Well, that's the kind of person he is. He seems to be far from any schemes."

"However, I did get a lead on someone who tried to incite him to betray. Beio himself didn't realize it was a betrayal, but it seems another brigade commander tried to recruit him."

"Wow, you are indeed the commander."

I praised her and asked for the name of the person, but she shook her head.

"No, I have a suspect, but I'm not certain yet. It's too early to name the person."

She concluded that she needed solid evidence.

Then, she glanced at me.

In other words, she wants me to gather the evidence.

As I mentioned before, the orders of a superior are absolute for demons.

Moreover, this is a matter concerning my brigade, or rather, the entire legion.

Even without being ordered, I intended to find the traitor.