Previously
Ludvic carries Ariella into the sky as he burns the ship, though he struggles to deliver his villainous lines convincingly without her coaching. Ariella watches with satisfaction as Count Igor is humiliated and the imperial marriage plans are ruined.
Whooooosh—!
Whenever the wind whipped up, tumbleweeds and dust rolled together across the ground.
“Is this, by any chance, the most neglected edge of your territory?”
Ludvic raised an eyebrow as if he had just heard something utterly absurd.
“No? If I’m returning to my own territory, there’s no reason for me to deliberately head to some remote corner.”
Which, unfortunately, made sense.
“Even so…”
Wherever she looked, the scenery was nothing short of miserable.
The path was overrun with unweeded brush. Rusted farming implements and handcarts lay scattered here and there.
A few houses came into view, but they looked long abandoned. Their windows were completely broken, and the roofs tilted dangerously, looking ready to collapse at any moment…
As Ariella’s gaze lingered on them, Ludvic spoke as though reading her mind.
“Ah, don’t worry. I don’t live in that house.”
No, she hadn’t been worried about that in the first place. From the standpoint of both safety and hygiene, no one should be living in a place like that…
“That’s the house of the Kobolds who cultivate this farmland.”
Ariella gasped in shock.
“It isn’t abandoned? Someone actually lives in that?”
Her astonishment did not stem from being a sheltered princess ignorant of poverty. In Ariella’s homeland, it was customary to demolish abandoned houses before they turned into dens for vagrants or criminals.
From a security standpoint, it was the only sensible choice.
Yet a house right in the heart of the territory looked like this—and, worse still, people actually lived in it?
It meant the situation was disastrously insecure.
“Come, let us go.”
Unlike back in the human realm where he had soared through the sky, Ludvic led the way on foot. Ariella followed behind him.
How far had they walked? Suspicious noises suddenly drifted over—harsh shouts and terrifying cries laced with sheer terror.
“What is that?”
The Demon King’s eyes turned sharply focused. Soon, the scene unfolding on the opposite side came into Ariella’s view as well.
Kobolds were fleeing in panic, pursued by armed warriors…
“Orcs?”
The panicked screams of the Kobolds reached her ears.
“Orcs! The Orcs have appeared!”
“Run!”
The Kobolds had evidently been working in the fields. Now, having thrown aside their tools, they ran for their lives with all their might.
There were around twenty Orcs, moving with clear coordination. Roughly half wielded axes and swords to sow chaos, while the other half carried sacks slung across their backs, sweeping up the crops inside.
Ariella asked urgently,
“Aren’t the Orcs inhabitants of this region? Why are they attacking the Kobolds?”
“They aren’t subject to the Demon King’s rule; they live apart in their own tribes. With the harvest approaching, they’ve come to raid my lands. Just as they always do.”
His face darkened as he reached his hand into the air, summoning a sword into his grip.
“Wait here. These bothersome pests… I’ll go deal with them.”
With those words, Ludvic charged toward the Orcs.
He did not use fire this time, likely concerned it might spread across the farmland.
The Kobolds, catching sight of him, cried out in joy,
“Ah! It’s the Demon King!”
“He’s come to save us! We’re safe now!”
The Orcs, who had been brimming with confidence, were stunned by his sudden appearance.
“The Demon King?! Impossible! He can’t be here right now… Surely…”
“What? Didn’t they say he was on vacation? How did he get back so fast… Aaargh!”
His blade was swifter than lightning. With every gleam of the polished steel, an Orc crashed to the ground.
Meanwhile, the fleeing Kobolds spotted Ariella.
“A… a human?”
“Yes, a human. Just as you see.”
“But… what is a human doing here?”
“Wait a moment. Let me ask first.”
Questions swirled in her mind. Unable to suppress her curiosity, she addressed them directly.
“Orcs are carnivores, aren’t they? Why raid farmland, then? They don’t eat grain. And this doesn’t seem to be their first time doing it.”
Because she asked so boldly despite being a complete stranger, the Kobolds answered without thinking.
“…As you say, those bastards don’t eat crops. They plunder them from us to sell in the lands of other demon kings.”
Without realizing it, the Kobold had slipped into a respectful tone with the human before him. Though she was only human, an oddly compelling dignity radiated from her.
“Do Orcs possess enough intelligence to engage in trade?”
“Pardon? Of course. They are exceedingly cunning creatures.”
“Wait. That makes even less sense to me.”
‘If they trade in the lands of other demon kings, why do they only raid Ludvic’s territory…?’
Ariella’s mind raced.
‘Does it mean the defenses here are so weak they can plunder without fear? Or do the Orcs find nothing in this territory worth trading for—nothing they actually need?’
The answer was both.
The Orcs strolled into Ludvic’s territory as if it were their own backyard, knowing full well its defense lines were riddled with gaps.
Nor could they even contemplate trading with the locals, since what Orcs needed were finely crafted metal weapons, medicines, and alchemical or magical tools.
Yet such resources were scarce in Ludvic’s lands. There were barely enough for personal use, let alone goods to sell.
In other words, their margins were so razor-thin that surplus resources simply did not exist.
A Demon King who stepped in to fill the role of ordinary soldiers and personally ran down bandits.
Watching his back as he immersed himself in battle, Ariella realized the truth. A pang of worry began to settle over her.
By then, Ludvic had finished off the Orcs and returned. He clearly hadn’t expended a single drop of magic in the skirmish.
It wasn’t just his magic; his swordsmanship was remarkably formidable as well…
The Demon King, his breath not even slightly labored, resumed walking with Ariella. Behind them, the Kobolds bowed in gratitude again and again until the two disappeared from view.
While Ariella sorted through her thoughts, they finally arrived at the castle.
Just as expected, its scale was pathetic. It looked barely as large as the smallest keep in her homeland.
Demon soldiers stood guard at the entrance.
Yet to Ariella’s eyes, the atmosphere seemed rather undisciplined.
The guards were chatting among themselves and only noticed the Demon King at the last moment, scrambling to greet him.
“Huh? You’re back early, Sire!”
“Wait… that scent… sniff, sniff… It’s a human!”
“Did you bring back a new maid?”
“Heh, no way! His Majesty isn’t into slave hunting!”
Before their chatter could continue, Ludvic cut them off firmly.
“She is a contractor.”
· · ·
· · ·
A strange silence lingered for a beat, and then…
“What?! You, Sire?! Ahahaha!”
“Are you saying you made a contract with her? Haha, that’s impossible!”
“Right, right, a contract! That’s like a vampire sunbathing!”
“More like an Orc going vegan!”
The gate guards laughed insolently at the King’s words, openly mocking his contract with Ariella right to their faces.
Ariella felt anger simmer within her.
These fools… didn’t they all deserve to hang from the gallows?
The moment news of the Demon King’s arrival reached the castle, the drawbridge was lowered, and the head butler—a Kobold—stepped out to receive them.
This Kobold looked entirely different from the farmers they had met outside. His attire was relatively formal, and he wore a monocle over his right eye.
His fur was heavily streaked with white, attesting to his advanced age.
“Show her to her room.”
Having said that, Ludvic turned to Ariella and told her he would see her again tomorrow, seemingly intending to resolve some urgent business today before summoning his ministers tomorrow to introduce her formally.
With that, the two parted ways for the moment.
“Please call me Groib.”
The Kobold spoke in a calm, clear voice.
Groib intended to guide Ariella straight to her room, but she stopped him.
“One moment, Groib. Do you have some time right now?”
“Pardon? Of course I do, but…”
“Then instead of going directly to my quarters, I’d like to tour the castle and its surroundings for a bit.”
END