Chapter 256: The Dragon Duchess (2) [Bonus Image]
Two days after Noir Giabella's unexpected visit, Eugene sat in his room, lost in thought. Suddenly, the door to his room burst open, and Noir Giabella strode in without warning, just as she had done before.
"It's settled, my dear Eugene," she declared without preamble.
Eugene's blood boiled as Noir Giabella referred to him as my dear Eugene. It was the one thing that irked him more than anything else. He couldn't fathom why Noir Giabella was so fixated on him. In fact, he didn't care to understand, nor did he think he could comprehend her motives. He had learned about her many business ventures in Helmuth, and in his opinion, the succubus before him was clearly out of her mind. How could he possibly even attempt to understand a lunatic like her?
“You will enter the Dragon Demon Castle as a gourmet product,” continued Noir.
“A gourmet product?” asked Eugene.
“Yes!” Noir's smile brightened as she nodded enthusiastically.
Eugene had been curious about what she meant, but it appeared to be precisely what he had suspected. Among the nobles who lived in the Dragon Demon Castle, there was a demonfolk with an insatiable interest in human flesh. It wasn't something to brag about in the present era, but it wasn't a secret in Raizakia's domain either, given the Black Dragon's notorious animosity toward humans.
That particular demonfolk in the Dragon Demon Castle was a client of one of the Night Demons under Noir Giabella's command.
"My dear Eugene, I'm sure you're aware that Helmuth is unforgiving when it comes to those who trespass illegally. Should the hunting demonic beasts catch you, they will devour you on the spot," Noir warned.
Even if one were to evade the beasts' gaze, it would only exacerbate the problem. The demonfolk hunters were far more intelligent and relentless than the beasts, and they held no regard for the rights of those that they captured.
Noir added, “And this isn’t something to be talked about openly, but the only thing Helmuth respects are the humans who enter the country legally and the law-abiding citizens. Other than that—”
“You demonfolk sons of bitches. I knew it. You laugh and act nice on the surface, but you secretly extort human life force, eat humans alive, and enslave their souls. Isn’t that right?” Eugene said, having finally gotten an admission of the demonfolks’ misdeeds. Eugene pointed his finger at Noir while opening his eyes wide. “No matter how much you pretend not to be, demonfolks are demonfolks, after all. What is it that you say? Helmuth is a good place for humans to live. You’re obviously deceiving humans with your glib tongues to feast on them after fattening them up like pigs for slaughter—”
“My dear Eugene, calm down,” Noir interrupted Eugene in the middle of his sentence and raised her hand toward him. “The only human beings who are not shown respect in Helmuth are the illegal immigrants, those who disobeyed the law. My dear Eugene, as you should know very well, Helmuth’s laws are very favorable toward humans, but Helmuth is just as harsh on those who break the laws.”
“Even so, eating humans? Fucking demons—” Eugene began to protest.
However, Noir cut him off mid-sentence, raising a hand to silence him.
"Dear Eugene, do try to remain calm," she said, her voice measured and cool. "In Helmuth, the only ones who are denied respect are the illegal immigrants, those who have broken our laws. Our laws, as you know, are designed to benefit humans, and we are quite protective of those who abide by them. But we do not take kindly to those who do not obey the laws.
“I don’t know why you are so angry. In the end, our species are different, right? And my dear Eugene, as far as I know, the Lionheart family acts as the guardian of Uklas Mountain, right?”
“So what?” spat Eugene.
"Doesn’t that share a border with the Samar Forest?" Noir asked, her eyes narrowing. "I've heard that many desperate souls attempt to cross it illegally. The Black Lion Knights are tasked with guarding the border. And if they catch anyone breaking the law, they have the authority to execute them, do they not?"
She knew the answer already — they did.
"It's only natural for a country to punish and deter illegal immigration," Noir continued, with her voice still as measured and cool as before. "And as for the demonfolks... Well, it's hardly surprising that some still have a taste for human flesh. This is nothing new. Moreover, isn't cannibalism still practiced among humans? Are cannibals not a greater threat since they feast upon their own kind?"
Eugene attempted to deny Noir’s words, but he recalled the natives of the Samar Forest. Quite a few tribes among the barbarians still practiced cannibalism.
"As different species, we can never truly understand one another," Noir mused softly. "But we can try. Nevertheless, my dear Eugene, surely there are more pressing matters at hand than criticizing the demons and Helmuth?"
She raised her black glasses with the tip of her fingers. The eye ornament had appeared out of thin air, evidence of the Demoneye of Fantasy. She used the Demoneye of Fantasy just for the sake of wanting to give herself the appearance of an intellectual. Yet, when Eugene recoiled with a look of disgust, the glasses disappeared as if they had never existed in the first place.
“My dear Eugene, as I said earlier, you will enter Karabloom as an offering for a demon of the Dragon Demon Castle.”
This wasn’t anything for Eugene to worry about. The Night Demons of Karabloom carried out the orders of their queen perfectly. They had already managed to persuade the gate examiner, who happened to be one of their clients.
Sneaking a single human — a mere product — into Karabloom was no issue, particularly given the current state of chaos. Count Karad of the Ruol Fief was gearing up for a territorial war, and though no formal declaration had been made, rumors alone had plunged the Karabloom Fief into disarray. Their lord, the Black Dragon, had been absent for two centuries, and there was no response to the ongoing provocations from Count Karad. Consequently, the atmosphere within the Karabloom Fief had hit rock bottom, and countless demonfolks were even fleeing the territory.
"And, of course, my dear Eugene," said Noir, "you must conceal your identity. We'll need to find a way to cover your distinctive gray hair, and you must never draw the Holy Sword. Even if the gatekeeper, intoxicated in their sweet dream... is kind and receptive to our requests, they would never let the Hero pass.”
“And after I climb to the Dragon Demon Castle?” asked Eugene.
“You are free to do as you wish from then on. My dear Eugene, your purpose is the Dragon Heart of the Dragon Duchess, right?” Noir said. She grinned before continuing, “You’re lucky in that aspect.”
“I’m lucky?”
“Yes. Sooner or later, a war will break out in the Dragon Demon Castle,” Noir stated with a nonchalant expression.
Eugene blinked dazedly at her words. “War?”
“Yes. In the near future, Count Karad will declare war and carry out a bold invasion of the Dragon Demon Castle, probably in a few days.”
“Isn’t this too sudden?”
“Not necessarily. Count Karad has been preparing for this war since quite a long time ago.... He’s prepared an ace up his sleeve, something that’s guaranteed to win him this war. Maybe you’ve heard of the name? The Beast of Ravesta — the head of the Beastfolk, Jagon.”
Eugene's countenance stiffened involuntarily. He couldn't possibly be unaware of the name Jagon.
Noir's voice was calm and collected as she delivered the news.
"A group of Beastfolk mercenaries, led by none other than Jagon himself, has made their way into the Ruol Fief," she explained.
"Count Karad won't be able to keep Jagon in check," Noir continued, her tone turning grave. "He'll have no choice but to declare war and launch his attack on the Dragon Demon Castle. That lunatic Jagon must have come to Ruol with the sole intention of hunting a dragon."
Count Karad had managed to lure Jagon all the way from Ravesta, a distant land, by tempting him with the prospect of a territorial war with the Dragon Demon Castle.
Noir calmly expanded on the situation to Eugene, "It's likely that Count Karad and his army, along with Jagon and his mercenaries, are already en route to Karabloom and the Dragon Demon Castle. They must be feeling confident in their chances of victory, and with no civilians to worry about, they have no reason to hesitate. In fact, they may have already left Ruol by now."
In the realm of Helmuth, only humans were deemed worthy of the title of civilians in accordance with the law. Battles and wars between demonfolks were frequent occurrences. They were often fought to gain territory or establish dominance, but the safety of civilians had to be the topmost priority in all such situations.
However, when it came to demonfolks killing other demonfolks during a war, there were no restrictions imposed by Helmuth's laws. In fact, such conflicts were actively encouraged as a means of enhancing the power and prestige of the demonfolks. After all, if even this were sanctioned as well, the demonfolks would have likely gone insane long ago.
“That’s why timing is important. Eugene, aren’t you also worried about how to escape from the Dragon Demon Castle after killing the Dragon Duchess?” Noir asked.
Eugene's true intention was not to take the heart of the Dragon Duchess but to use her to find Raizakia in the elusive gap between dimensions. Though he couldn't be certain, he held little hope that even encountering the Dragon Duchess would help him locate the rift.
‘Maybe it’ll be similar to a kidnapping,’ Eugene thought.
Moreover, it would be a difficult feat for him to escape the Dragon Demon Castle after subduing the Dragon Duchess.
“I see what you mean.” Eugene furrowed his brows as he listened to Noir's explanation.
He finally understood the true importance of timing in their plan. As soon as Count Karad and his forces initiated the invasion of the Dragon Demon Castle, their defenses would be at their weakest point. It was at that critical moment that Eugene’s party would have the best opportunity to make their escape.
“The Dragon Demon Castle’s defenses will be destroyed during the course of the invasion. Jagon will lead the invasion into the castle with the beasts, and my dear Eugene, that’s when you can escape during all of that chaos,” said Noir with a mischievous smile.
Of course, it was easier said than done. The first problem would be the assassination of the Dragon Duchess. Even though she was a hatchling around only two hundred years old, a dragon was still a dragon — a creature with the hardest scales and bones in the world. Moreover, it would be impossible to assassinate a dragon that was protected with all kinds of magic.
‘If you get lucky, you should be able to escape in the chaos of the invasion after killing the Dragon Duchess.... But if you’re unlucky, you’ll be captured by Jagon before you escape.’
Noir grinned while imagining the various possible outcomes.
***
Eugene passed through the gate without encountering any problems.
The two of them were now comfortably seated in a luxurious car with the Night Demon behind the wheel. As they drove, the Night Demon spoke up.
"We are headed to the mining town," the Night Demon said with a smile. "It's quite a place. Did you know it has the highest concentration of dwarves in all of Helmuth? Once a month, they present their crafts and goods to the Dragon Demon Castle."
The Night Demon leaned in toward Eugene and continued in a hushed tone, "My client is responsible for inspecting the crafts and goods. You will be accompanying the goods on your journey to the Dragon Demon Castle. My role is simply to escort you and the goods."
After that, the Night Demon inquired, "Is there anything else I can assist you with, Sir Human?"
“No,” replied Eugene without even glancing at the Night Demon.
Upon hearing the mention of an inspector, Eugene recalled the information he had looked into regarding the Dragon Demon Castle during an information search in the past.
Eugene knew that the works of the dwarves had been siphoned off. Knowing that the dwarves were bound by Raizakia and thus couldn't have been the ones responsible, he had assumed that there was someone else involved in the process. Now, it seemed that the culprit was the demonfolk inspector, who acted as the middleman in the scheme.
‘The inspector is pilfering the goods and daring to sneak in a human in the territory of Raizakia, who had always harbored animosity toward humans... So this is how far it’s fallen,’ Eugene thought.
The inspector’s audacious actions indicated clearly that the demonfolks within the Dragon Demon Castle were convinced that Raizakia was absent, and their loyalty to the hatchling was questionable at best. This realization painted a bleak picture of the upcoming war; it seemed that it would be a sloppy one-sided battle.
As the invasion loomed, it was evident that the nobles residing in the Dragon Demon Castle would quickly surrender en masse. They wouldn't stand a chance against the overwhelming forces of Count Karad's army. With little resistance expected, Jagon would effortlessly lead his beasts to the castle, ready to tear apart the Dragon Duchess limb by limb.
‘They won’t even be able to buy time,’ Eugene thought.
It was unfortunate since a fierce resistance from the Dragon Demon Castle and a ferocious battle between the two groups would allow Eugene to escape with ease.
“And how will you send me to the Dragon Demon Castle? Will it be through a warp-gate?” asked Eugene.
“Yes. The inspector will come down to the mining town through the warp-gate. You can stay with the other goods on the cart and head up through the warp-gate with the inspector,” answered the Night Demon.
“And what if that demonfolk bastard wants to eat me on the spot?”
The Night Demon chuckled, her eyes glinting mischievously as she spoke. "Hahaha, that will never happen. Have you not heard from the Queen? That demon prides himself on being a gourmet."
She paused, shooting her listener a sly wink, and then added, "I was the one who informed the Queen about this. Bhud — ah, Bhud is the name of that demon. I memorized his name because he kept asking me to call out his name whenever he was dreaming."
The Night Demon leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Anyway, when I told him that I would give him a human as a gift, Bhud was really happy and responded to me, saying that he would cook you using many different methods and hold a secret feast with his friends."
“Huh?” Eugene clenched his fists and clicked his tongue, feeling frustrated.
The thought of what he would do with the demonfolk who had helped him make his way up to the Dragon Demon Castle had never really crossed his mind. However, after hearing what the Night Demon had to say, Eugene had now made up his mind. He would take the demonfolk's head as soon as he arrived at the castle.
Karabloom was a small dukedom, and it was Helmuth's finest jewelry mine. Rizakia, the Duke of Karabloom, had been uninterested in expanding his rule unnecessarily, so instead of taking a large territory of useless land, Raizakia had chosen Karabloom, Helmuth’s finest jewelry mine, as his dukedom.
In terms of the size of the estate, Karabloom was smaller than even the Gidol Province, Eugene’s hometown. Thanks to this, he was able to arrive at the mining town after traveling about five hours from the gate. He exited the car with a large hood covering his head and headed for the mining town’s warp-gate.
The jewelry mine in Karabloom was the best in all of Helmuth. For three centuries, the mine had been worked tirelessly by the dwarves, who had no choice but to offer up their precious findings to their absentee lord. Despite the passage of time and the deaths of the original dwarves who had been bound by contracts to work in the mine, those contracts that had been made generations ago continued to apply to the dwarves’ descendants. They toiled away in the mines, processing the jewels that were then handed over to the Black Dragon. It was a fate that seemed impossible to escape as Raizakia's binding magic ensured that the current generation of dwarves would continue to work there until they, too, passed away.
“Poor dwarves. They won’t ever be able to leave this area for the rest of their lives,” commented the Night Demon.
“Why?” asked Eugene.
"The dwarves are bound by contracts with the Black Dragon, and they cannot leave this area without permission," explained the Night Demon.
These contracts had been made under the threat of the Black Dragon's power, and as a result, the dwarves were trapped in their mining town.
Despite their captivity, the dwarves continued to work tirelessly, their eyes dull and lifeless from the effects of their permanent restraint. Nevertheless, even in their captivity, the dwarves' skills as craftsmen could not be denied. Eugene could see the fruits of their labor in the loaded carts that were being transported through the warp-gate. Each item was expertly crafted, and even Eugene, who was not particularly knowledgeable about such things, could recognize their exceptional quality.
This was a matter of course, though. The items were being dedicated to a ferocious and greedy dragon, and if they were of poor quality, they would have to face the full wrath of the dragon.
“Bhud should be here in a minute,” said the Night Demon.
Eugene followed her instruction and entered an empty box loaded on top of a cart.
“You have to stay calm until you arrive at the Dragon Demon Castle,” warned the Night Demon.
A lid was placed on top of the box, and Eugene observed the surroundings through a keyhole in the box. After a while, the warp-gate was activated.
“Aris!”
The sound of the Night Demon’s name echoed through the air, causing her to turn her head. A demonfolk had just walked out of the warp-gate, and Eugene could see him through the keyhole in the box. The demon's appearance was grotesque, with the features of both an orc and a pig. He waddled over to the Night Demon, his large belly heaving up and down with each step.
“It feels different to see you outside the store. Does this mean I’ll have the chance to see you outside in the future as well?” Bhud openly flirted with the Night Demon before picking up a necklace from the cart.
After looking around, he placed the necklace into the Night Demon’s cleavage.
“Oh, my....”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. This is nothing compared to the present I’m going to receive today. So, Aris, is it that box?” asked Bhud as the corners of his mouth twitched.
The Night Demon nodded with a smile, and Bhud approached the box with a gulp.
Thud.
Bhud tapped the box once with his large hand. Eugene curled up into a ball with a frown. After a few more taps, Bhud turned around with a satisfied smile.
He let out a pleased hum as he pushed the cart containing his gift toward the warp-gate, which was activated once more.
"This is a wonderful gift," Bhud said with a grin, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
The warp-gate ceased glowing, and the movement of the cart beneath Eugene came to a stop. Through the keyhole, he saw that the scene outside had changed drastically. Instead of the dull and dreary mines of Karabloom, the keyhole of the box now revealed a grand view of the Dragon Demon Castle. Eugene had no time to appreciate the sight. He had arrived at his destination, and it was time to take action. His plan was to burst out of the box and eliminate Bhud without delay, just like he had already resolved to do.
Eugene took a deep breath, preparing himself for the task ahead. He was ready to make his move.
“W-Who are you!?”
However, Bhud yelled in surprise before Eugene could jump out of the box.
Eugene was surprised as well. A girl dressed in clothes the color of sky blue was standing outside the warp-gate.
The girl's voice rang out loud and clear, echoing through the corridors of the Dragon Demon Castle as she said, "Inspector Bhud! Your wrongdoings are known by heaven, by earth, and by me!"
Bhud's eyes widened in shock, and he stumbled back a few steps. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words got caught in his throat. Before he could even begin to form a coherent response, he felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him. Without even realizing what he was doing, he sank to his knees on the cold stone floor.
“Are you kneeling in acknowledgment of your sin?! But know that simply kneeling will not absolve you of the crimes you committed!” continued the girl.
“W-Who might you be?” asked Bhud.
He didn't understand why he was kneeling, and he didn’t know who this girl was. However, his body had responded instinctively the moment he saw the red jewel embedded in the girl’s forehead.
“Do you not recognize who I am? Well, rightly so! However, know that everyone in the Dragon Demon Castle will come to know the name of this lady today! This lady is the legitimate master of the Dragon Demon Castle and the only flesh and blood of the Black Dragon!” the girl declared. She waved her hand, which caused her sleeves to flap, and extended her palm toward Bhud. “My name is Raimira! You wicked soul who dared to touch the offerings to the Dragon Demon Castle! As the master of the Dragon Demon Castle, this lady commands you! Immediately end your own life—”
The girl wasn’t given a chance to finish her words. The lid of the box was smashed open, and Eugene jumped out.
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