7th Demon Prince Jilbagias’ Chronicle of Demon Kingdom Toppling

５０． Guide to The Hunting Ground

I noticed that the carriage was slowing down while I was in the middle of reading a book while caressing Liliana’s head.

「It seems we have arrived.」

I closed the book in my hand with a snap.

When I poked my head out of the window, the stone paved road made by the Corvut tribe got interrupted, replaced by ordinary soil road toward an obviously poor mountain village.

It seems the eye-witness saw the deserter goblin in the nearby fortress.

――The journey up to this point was pretty carefree.

I used the traveling time to learn a new spell from Sofia or reading a book. Thanks to Sofia’s lessons, I escaped from the fate of having to read lines of letters inside the carriage, and mastered the use of the soundproof barrier spell.

『Now this spell will allow us to have lots of clandestine talks.』

Stop using such unusual words―― But you’re right, the soundproof barrier would be a great help for us after this.

In addition, to keep my shape up I also did some martial arts training with Garounya and various training from Verossa when we camped along the way to this place. Learning how to walk in the forest from the hunter, swinging my sword, basically I spent my time learning as much as possible.

『――Your Highness, you have a really good movement. Honestly it doesn’t seems like someone who is wielding the sword for the first time.』

Verossa’s praise sounds like sarcasm in my ears.

『If not for Your Highness’ status as a prince―― I would love to train you in the way of the sword right away.』

Even though I was cutting corners when training my swordsmanship with Verossa, the latter could instantly discern my capability in a single glance.

Naturally, he wouldn’t go as far as guessing that I might be learning swordsmanship without a teacher. He only concluded that I had 『Natural Talent』 with the sword. The fact that Verossa was willing to guide me as my swordsmanship teacher if not for my status as the demon prince―― Was the best praise I could hope for.

Since I also couldn’t learn swordsmanship for real due to my status, we decided to do a mock combat with me using a spear against Verossa with his sword.

And just as I had expected, Verossa is stronk. I wouldn’t be a match for him if not for my spell.

I could only last five whole minutes against him with pure spearmanship. It was a matter of experience though.

「――Welcome to our humble hamlet, Your Highness.」

When I came into the village with everyone, an old beastfolk, the patriarch of the village, came to welcome us.

His face reminds me of a tabby cat. According to Garounya, this person seems to come from ancient lineage. Anyhow, the majority of the villagers were… Hybrid beastfolk.

The villagers’ attire looks rather simple, it reminds me of the attire of the countryside of alliance from a few hundred years ago. But then, no one seems to be suffering from malnutrition. Maybe because there was a lush forest around the village, and a sorry excuse for a cultivated field. According to the report, their main food should come from hunting instead of from their field, and since all of them look healthy, there seems to be no problem with their food.

But then, they witnessed goblins around the vicinity of the nearby ruined fortress, the sharp decrease of the number of their prey, and many traces of devastation inside the forest.

「9 of 10, it’s almost confirmed to be the goblin, we’ve already sent a lot of people to go there but――」

The patriarch showed a downcast gaze. Ten strong men from the village had already been sent to subjugate the goblins and yet―― None of them had returned.

Those who couldn’t wait any longer also went to that place and yet, they had never returned either. As a result, the patriarch led his troops to scout the fortress but then――

The place turned into something akin to a battlefield. The patriarch who had been living for a long time and also participated in several wars during his youth felt a unpleasant premonition, he felt something ominous would happen once he entered the fortress, thus he stopped everyone who was about to enter the fortress and went back to the village.

「I had no other choice but to retreat, even if I have to be labeled as a coward. If you want to put a blame on someone, please blame me for my cowardice, Your Highness. I’m the one who forced everyone to retreat!」

The patriarch prostrated in front of me, rubbing his forehead on the ground.

… This might be the reason why everyone in the village seems to be depressed.

I mean, isn’t this atmosphere way too heavy for a mere goblin hunting? Are you sure that this was truly a happy-go-lucky stroll, Platy?

「Your story seems to be contradicting what I read in the report though…」

Sofia’s OCD started acting up, she was clearly displeased by this situation. I mean, wow, she was scary. Even the patriarch was trembling non-stop receiving her intimidating glare.

「In short, you’re telling me that something strange happened in the forest and the people who got sent in to investigate the fortress had never returned, right?」

「As much as I’m embarrassed to say this, you’re correct…」

「Humph.」

Even if for example the goblin had already become a large flock, I don’t think that was enough to stop ten trained men from escaping.

Suppose that those goblins had already been multiplied so much that they literally overwhelmed those men, this village should’ve already been gone by the time we arrived…

「This is definitely an unusual situation. Or else, is this part of the schedule too?」

I tried to ask for Sofia’s opinion.

『Unexpected Situation』 had already became something inseparable from march. Platy might’ve prepared a little surprise to train me even further.

「I think… This is too strange for something that My Lady did.」

It seems Sofia had also felt something was amiss. Well, I also think that this wasn’t Platy’s arrangement.

「I don’t think she would prepare this kind of situation to see how I deal with unexpected situation but…」

「But, My Lady can hardly arrange this kind of situation.」

「Agreed.」

Honestly speaking, this situation might be a pure coincidence. Meanwhile, the patriarch was looking anxiously at us.

「Is it simply because of some error in the report that we ended up coming to this village? Maybe someone wrote the wrong destination.」

「The possibility of this matter being the deed of a hob-goblin isn’t zero.」

Sofia grit her teeth and then took out a document from her chest pocket, and checked the content of the document again. I think checking the letter like this was unnecessary since she could recall the contents of the letter from her memory.

「Patriarch, tell me the name of this village.」

「Kakao village.」

「Uhm. There’s no other village with the same name in the demon kingdom… Just to be sure, when did you start building this village? And what  is the villager count of this village last year?」

「U~hm, please wait a minute…」

When I was looking at Sofia who started asking the patriarch various questions, Verossa called out to me in a small voice.

「Please use the three of us.」

Verossa and two other night elf hunters. They were more than enough to hunt deserted goblins, and were already fully armed, ready to be dispatched at any given moment.

「Just scout the area around the forest. And take a look at the fortress from afar, you may return after that.」

I let out a grin as I added.

「Whatever you find in there, they’ll be my prey.」

「Your wish is my command.」

Verossa bowed and then vanished into the darkness of the forest along with the other two hunters. I couldn’t feel their presence or breath, not even the sound of their footsteps or the rustling of their clothes――

It’s vexing but, I had no choice but to rely on those night elves in this kind of situation.

「Well then…」

I looked at the direction of the highway. According to Platy, she seems to be sending a shadow guard to protect me but―― Are they by chance the warrior from the Reiju clan?

By this point, one of the employees―― Possibly Vigne should’ve used a fire spell―― To get in touch with those shadow guards.

There was still a possibility that this situation might be part of my training, but it’d be an embarrassment if I asked for their assistance so quickly into my first field training.

I wanted to avoid the situation in which those shadow guard, the warrior from Reiju clan to were to  judge me as an incompetent prince.

『Oh, finally starting to aim for the throne of the demon king for real, eh?』

Ante asked with a mocking voice. Screw that goal. I am just unwilling to let my mother’s clan look down on me.

I don’t really care about the part of me using the authority of the Reiju clan but, I definitely wanted to avoid the situation in which the Reiju clan would interfere in the future due to this blunder.

I looked around while pondering about this situation.

On top of the hill which separated the forest from the village stood an eerie ruined fortress with the background of the night sky.

There was indeed a huge threat in that fortress, big enough to not even let go of ten strongmen from beastfolk.

It might be a demon beast, or mere undead…

『Whatever reside inside will be disposed off by that man called Verossa.』

… Agreed.

But still, I shouldn’t let my guard down.

Maybe I should spend time by frolicking with both Garounya and Liliana.

†††

――Around thirty minutes later, Verossa and co returned from scouting the area.

「We’ve captured and interrogated the goblins loitering around the fortress and the forest. There’s obvious traces in all of them being charmed, or brainwashed by something.」

""

And the information that I heard from Verossa indicated that this wasn’t a simple goblin hunt.

「As for the fortress… I can’t say anything about that place.」

It was quite rare to see him hesitating like this.

「I felt something similar to a human presence… From that place.」

… WHAT?