''Oi show the way'' I spoke to the devil inside my mind who grunted before obeying
Led by Baalkaroth, I ventured toward the location of the dungeon, with Roy following in tow. The path was calm though filled with the eerie stillness of the night and the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind. I could sense skepticism in Roy's eyes as he trailed behind me, an unspoken doubt that lingered in the air, and well it was normal ....as the ability that I made up, would be something revolutionary for our kingdom to have.
Since it meant that in a military campaing, we would always know the position of the enemy's army , which would mean no risk of ambushes or of secret maneuvers made by the enemy during a pitched battle
Despite his disbelief, showing him the entrance to the dungeon would be the only way to validate my claims. As we approached the ominous site, I made sure to ask time to time to Baalkaroth if there was any enemy near our position and the response I receive was always the same one
''STOP FUCKING ASKING I WILL TELL YOU IF I FEEL SOMETHING, I AM NOT YOUR FUCKING MONSTER RADAR''
Fucking ungrateful bastard , this is the thanks I get for saving his life...after obviously fucking it up,mh.... maybe his behaviour was kind of justified.
Baalkaroth's voice echoed in my mind, announcing that we had arrived at the location. I came to a halt, raising my hand to signal Roy to stay low. With a subtle gesture, I directed him to follow me, and we moved forward in the direction pointed out by the devil.
''We have reached the place''
I came to a halt, raising my hand to signal Roy to stay low. With a subtle gesture, I directed him to follow me, and we moved forward in the direction pointed out by the devil.
I scanned the surroundings, observing only trees stretching out in all directions. Baalkaroth's claim of thousands of monsters nearby seemed puzzling, as there was no visible sign of any threat.
''Hey mortal, moves some of the leaves you are stepping on , I wanna make sure of something...''
Confused, I knelt down and brushed away a layer of leaves, revealing the ground beneath. To my horror, I discovered inscriptions made in black chalk , a material used to inscribe mana circles . The chalk markings were so big that the entire magic circle must have expanded through the entire land.
Fear crept in as the realization hit me , we were standing on a massive illusion that concealed the entrance to the dungeon . The monsters Baalkaroth sensed were likely lurking in the unseen depths beneath our feet or maybe there were simply near and hiding .
"Oi, Roy," I began, meeting his gaze with a steady look, "I'm about to tell you something. Keep your cool, and whatever you do, don't scream or panic. I want you to bend down and move some leaves. Just remember, stay calm."
Roy looked at me with confusion etched on his face, but he followed my instructions, kneeling down and cautiously brushing away the leaves. As the chalk inscriptions beneath became visible, the color drained from the knight's face.
"Easy now, Roy," I spoke calmly, "raise slowly, and let's walk back the way we came—calm and steady."
Walking alongside Roy, we made our way back into the forest with an air of casual calmness, as if we hadn't discovered anything unusual. The leaves rustled beneath our boots, masking the tension that lingered in us . We continued this façade for about half an hour, maintaining a steady pace through the forest's shadows.
Finally, breaking the silence, I quietly spoke to Roy seeing that Baalkaroth confirmed to me that we were alone , "We're far enough now."
"Young master... what the hell was that? Why was there a big mana circle in the forest?" Roy asked, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and concern.
"Are you really asking that, Sir? Have I not told you enough?" I replied, a hint of frustration in my tone. "It was normal that the dungeon passed unseen for who knows how long. There was a big fucking illusion hiding the entrance."
"W--what are we going to do? Are you sure that there are thousands of monsters inside?" Roy questioned, the worry evident in his eyes.
"I am sure," I affirmed, looking at him with determination. "What are we going to do? We'll inform my father and let the crown know about this. We need a proper army to destroy this."
Roy nodded in agreement, his resolve firm despite the gravity of the situation. As he took a step forward, I reached out, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to face me. There was a sternness in my expression as I spoke'
"What the fuck do you think you're doing? Do you really simply want to go to the lord and tell him we found a big mana circle inside the forest?" I exclaimed, my frustration evident.
"Of course, young master, he needs to know..." Roy responded, not fully grasping the implications of my concerns.
"You fucking fool," I retorted sharply. "The moment a second group of humans finds the place, the dungeon master will understand that something happened and they were discovered. They'll raid and pillage the land, bringing their plan forward. What we need is one big attack to the heart of it."
"What are you proposing, then?" Roy inquired, seeking clarification.
"We will tell them that we entered the dungeon ourselves and found thousands of monsters inside. We went further inside, taking advantage of lax defenses, where we saw breeding structures for monsters. Now, I know we're going to lie, but I can assure you that whatever needs thousands of fucking monsters to protect it is nothing more than a breeding place to create an army for the demon king to use as soon as the war starts, now they have few thousands, in some years they will have tens of thousand..... They'll hit the capital before the king know what the hell hit him...."
I could see Roy hesitating , his sense of loyalty conflicting with the fact he would have to lie to his lords, seems like words can't get to him... Seeing his indecision, I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. Without further contemplation, I slapped him across the face. The sharp sound echoed in the forest.
I took my dagger and pressed it against his neck, a subtle threat that spoke louder than words. "It's either that, or I swear I will make you and your family's life a living hell, you can either be praised as the hero who saved the county together with the young lord or you can bleed here in the forest with me telling your family that you died saving me , even if you escape I just need to invent some fucking lie to my father and have you banish you, then which noble will take you in?"
Roy looked at me with a mixture of fear and disbelief. I raised the dagger and gave him a solid hit on the forehead with the hilt making him fall . "Now get the fuck up and obey me,I will not ask again " I ordered, the tension in the air palpable.
Roy gave me a nod, rubbing his bleeding forehead like I just woke him up from a bad dream. He didn't say anything, just followed me, probably wondering how he got himself into this mess. The trees closed in around us as we headed back to the mansion, carrying with us the twisted story that would allow the count and the entire kingdom to survive. Allowing me to breathe some air , knowing that I just made sure that whatever that fucker of the demon king planned , would go into dust....