Twilight was settling through the treetops, and in the distance, thin wisps of smoke were rising from the chimneys of Cabin Village, appearing exceptionally peaceful against the dark blue canopy of the sky.
Leopold walked a short distance along the edge of the forest surrounding the hunter's cabin. He found a shed, bent down to scoop up a bundle of straw, and was about to turn back when his footsteps suddenly ground to a halt.
This scent... a magical beast? No, there was something deep in the woods!
He set down the straw and crouched in the shadow of the shed. His golden pupils slowly contracted in the dim light, and the outlines in his vision gradually became clear.
Deep in the forest, four figures were on the move. Without exception, their exposed skin was a dark reddish hue, and a pair of short, curved horns protruded from the sides of their heads.
“As expected, they're from the Fallen Demon Race. Looks like a scout patrol...” Leopold rubbed his eyes.
In this world, the Demon Race had many branches. There was the Primordial Demon Race, which ranked as the First Race, and the Abyssal Demon Race, which belonged to the Second Race. The ones before him were of the lowest tier of demons, the Fallen Demon Race, who belonged to the Fourth Race.
They maintained a distance of about five paces from one another, appearing well-trained and heavily armed.
Leopold didn't rush to move. Only after confirming the four figures had gone far did he slowly rise from the shadows, bend down to pick up the bundle of straw, and turn back toward the cabin, his pace just as unhurried as before.
“Blake.”
Blake was crouching in the main room, trying to build a temporary stove out of a few stones. He looked up at the sound. “Yeah?”
“There are four people in the forest,” Leopold said, setting the straw in a corner. “A scout patrol from the Fallen Demon Race. They're about two hundred paces away, traveling along the game trail on the west side. They didn't head toward the village.”
“...What a coincidence.” Blake stood up. “Our very first day here, and they've already sniffed their way nearby.”
“They didn't spot me,” Leopold said. “But since a scout patrol has reached this point, it means the demons are paying much closer attention to this area than the village chief realized.”
Hearing the commotion, Isabella walked out of the side room and leaned against the doorframe. “Demons?”
“Yes. They seem to treat this area as their territory. If we don't deal with the demons, our slumber will become extremely dangerous,” Leopold said.
“Indeed. We cannot afford to let our guard down against the Demon Race.” Isabella nodded.
“Their marching route is highly structured; they stop every so often to observe their surroundings,” Leopold gestured. “Most importantly, they avoided the valley where Cabin Village is located and took a detour instead.”
“This means they already have a complete map,” Isabella said quietly.
“And they aren't in a rush to capture people,” Blake chimed in. “A scout patrol is just here to reconnoiter. The real strike force will follow.”
“They won't just come once.” Leopold turned around. “There is a high probability of movement tonight as well.”
Blake set down the stones in his hand. “You're right. Now that they've finished scouting, if they find the village completely off-guard, attacking tomorrow would be the most logical move. Checking one more time tonight would be standard procedure.”
“Since when did you become so smart, Blake?” Isabella looked at Blake with a face full of curiosity.
“Ahem,” Blake quickly sat up straight, trying to play it cool. “I—I've always been this way. The blue dragon lineage is always calm!”
“Why don't we strike first?” Leopold ignored their banter and suddenly suggested.
“...Strike first?” Blake wiped the dust off his hands and stood up. “Sounds like a good idea. The question is, how do you plan to do it?”
“How about we wipe out their base camp?” Leopold smiled.
“But won't that attract a larger demon army?” Isabella asked, puzzled.
“If we just kill a few scouts, it certainly would,” he finally said. “But what if the ones who kill them aren't humans, but dragons?”
Blake was the first to grin. He stretched his wrists, his knuckles popping with soft clicks. “I don't know what difference it makes, but... I like this idea.”
“Leo, what do you plan to do?” Isabella asked.
“It's like this: as a higher race to the demons, once we appear in this area, they are bound to be on high alert.
“The Fallen Demon Race has always been despised by other demons, and it's virtually impossible for them to have any connection with the Angelic God Race. This means they won't be able to call for reinforcements.” At Leopold's words, Isabella's eyes lit up.
“So we can act without any worries! But what if they have some powerful trump card?”
“Isabella, do you remember what Oliver said?” Leopold looked at her. “They select children with special talents, take them away, and 'convert' them.
“According to our inherited memories, the Fallen Demon Race was originally converted from other races through a special kind of magic, which is why they are shunned by other demons.
“While they can reproduce naturally, why wouldn't they use that special magic when they're short on manpower?”
Blake was the first to frown. “Are you saying... the demons capturing and converting people is actually their way of replenishing their troops?”
“So I estimate that this group of the Fallen Demon Race is likely a rogue branch that fled to the Eastern Border to establish their own nation.”
After Leopold finished speaking, a brief silence fell over the cabin.
Isabella was the first to break the silence. “Fleeing to the Eastern Border to build a nation... that actually makes sense.
“A regular army has fixed supply lines and garrisons; they wouldn't wander around capturing people like a band of disorganized stragglers.” Isabella looked into Leopold's eyes. “Furthermore, if they had the backing of the Abyssal Demon Race, they wouldn't need to rely on converting humans to replenish their forces.”
Leopold nodded. “So this branch of the Demon Race is highly likely a rogue faction that broke away from the mainstream. They need manpower, supplies, and territory—and this forest on the Eastern Border, along with the surrounding villages, is a prime piece of meat to them.”
Blake burst into laughter, resting his hands on his hips. “Then what are we waiting for? A mere Fourth Race thinks they can challenge us?”
Blake turned toward the door as he spoke. “Let's go right now, before they even realize what's happening—”
“Wait,” Leopold raised a hand to stop him. “Not yet.”
Blake turned back, frowning. “Why? Didn't you say we're going to wipe them out?”
“We will definitely wipe them out, but not right now.” Leopold walked back to the pile of straw and sat down. “If we go now, we'll only run into scattered scouts. Not only will we fail to destroy their base, but we'll also completely alert them.
“If we wait until the latter half of the night, when they've finished gathering and setting up camp, we can strike and wipe them out in one fell swoop, eliminating the threat once and for all.”
Blake stood at the doorway, silent for a few seconds, before reluctantly letting go of the doorframe. “...Fine. We'll wait. But don't make me wait too long.”
“It won't be long,” Leopold said. “Get some sleep first. I'll wake you during the latter half of the night.”
Blake glanced at him, offered no further argument, and walked over to the pile of straw in the corner of the main room. Ignoring the dust on the floor, he lay straight down.
Leopold turned his head to look at Isabella, who was still standing in the main room. She didn't speak, merely standing there quietly, her icy-blue eyes stealthily studying him in the dimness.
Leopold didn't know what to say and could only scratch his head awkwardly. After a long moment...
“Bella?” Leopold spoke tentatively. “Aren't you going back to the side room to rest?”
“Don't you have anything else to say to me?” Isabella puffed her cheeks, looking at him with a deeply resentful expression.
Leopold was slightly taken aback. After dazing for a moment, he could only offer a clumsy, soft, “Goodnight?”
At his words, the anticipation in the depths of Isabella's eyes instantly vanished.
“Hmph, I'm ignoring you!” Isabella turned and walked away without looking back.
Rate on N.U.
