The face of the troll, with its limbs severed, crAscheled down onto the ground.
"Ugh…"
Although it was still breathing, it was as good as dead.
I sat on the troll's head and cut through its neck.
– Ssssh!
The troll's body slumped like a rag, and a viscous green liquid flowed down my blade.
Despite the repulsive sight, I found myself absentmindedly licking it off.
"Ptooey!"
Disgustingly bitter.
They say medicine is bitter to the mouth, but isn't this a bit too much?
An unnaturally sour smell filled my nostrils, with intermittent hints of pungency.
[Is that little taste enough for you? A man would lift the head up high and take a big gulp!]
The head was repulsive; I opted to slice the wrist instead, creating an apt hole.
The blood of the troll trickled down from the sunken opening.
I closed my eyes tightly and sucked the blood into my mouth.
– Glug glug
The sharp scent rising up my throat made my skin crawl.
This was much more than I had anticipated.
"Is it edible?"
[…?]
Surprised by the unexpectedly good taste, I sliced off the other arm of the troll in the same way.
Questioning whether I had misjudged earlier, I took another sip. The taste was indeed intricate, far different from the blood of lower beasts.
The troll's wrist withered away in no time.
[You might as well be a devil…]
The expression of disdain on Ceyram's face was quite a sight.
It was my first time tasting the blood of a troll, but it seemed my taste buds were growing increasingly deranged.
Enough of the blood, what remained was disposal…
– Patter patter patter
"The damn rain shows no sign of stopping."
In this weather, without a fire mage, it would be difficult to burn the troll's corpse.
[Why? Can't you just leave it and go?]
"No need to leave such risks behind. No point in leaving a trail of trouble."
While I was pondering a solution,
– Roar
A familiar sound echoed in my ears, reminiscent of a powerful stream of water.
It made me consider the vicinity…
[Why not just throw it in the water then?]
That was it.
The 'Blood River' must be nearby.
With the rain pouring for so long, the current would be fierce.
Whether it settles on the riverbed or flows to the demon world, the raging current will take care of it.
Resolved, I sliced the troll's corpse into pieces that were easier to carry.
"It'll be hard to carry it all in one trip; I'll have to make two or three trips."
I slung the massive legs as thick as pillars over my shoulders.
Just the legs alone were already taller than me.
Combine the weight of the two legs, and it would be over 100kg, but after consuming demon blood, this was nothing to me.
– CrAschel crAschel
Following the sound for about three minutes,
I arrived at a low cliff with a red river flowing below it.
As expected, the water level had risen significantly due to the heavy rain.
Without hesitation, I hurled the two legs down the cliff, and they were quickly swept away by the rapid current.
[You said it was good, isn't it a waste to throw them out after just one taste?]
"There's no way to keep it, what can I do? Once you taste it, that's the end."
I regretted it, but there was no choice.
One by one, I threw the remaining pieces into the Blood River.
A burning would have been just as effective at disposing of the body.
Somehow, disposing of the body felt more troublesome than catching it.
I took a seat on the cliff for a short rest.
The monster was dealt with, leaving other thoughts to arise naturally.
Ceyram asked with a smile as he noticed my somewhat absent-minded face.
[Are you thinking about that princess? Worrying maybe?]
"Not really."
[You said she could become the empress, and now you are indifferent? Were you serious about what you said?]
"Well, it wasn't an empty talk at least."
I thought it was a much more valuable statement than 'become a princess who can help the empire.'
[Planning to be a kingmaker?]
"Not at all. I merely set the direction. Everything else is up to that woman."
Whether she becomes an empress who rules the empire or sits on the street as a beggar, it was up to her.
However, now that I know Aschel has taken an interest, I will have to keep an eye on her over the long term.
Still, I don't believe she will repeat the fate of a tragic princess as long as I'm watching.
Enough time has passed that the reinforcements should have joined by now.
If I stay in the vicinity, I could naturally join them.
As I was about to stand up and return to camp,
"...!"
An unfamiliar aura abruptly reached me, and my face instinctively turned in its direction.
My eyes flickered open and met a cliff somewhat higher than where I stood.
I felt like a starving predator abruptly turning toward the scent of prey.
I saw it.
In the swirling storm, a pair of brilliant purple, lustrous wings spread wide!
With sharp claws and a tail thrusting up as if a blade had been plunged in!
Unlike other beings that fed on the holy life force of the continent, it was a spiritual being that fed on the dark energy of the demon world!
"A, a dragon?"
It was the Devil Dragon, a rare behemoth-class monster of the demon world.
"..."
Although it wasn't fully grown by its size, the overwhelming demonic energy it emitted left no doubt it was a Devil Dragon.
Why was it, a creature that lives in the deepest parts of the demon world, seen in the Limea Valley?
Had it been separated from its group?
Even if it had, there was no reason to come this far.
Did it come following my scent?
It didn't seem particularly aggressive, though.
My mind was cluttered with myriad thoughts.
Calm down.
There's no need to think too hard.
I just needed to do what I could and should do now.
The Devil Dragon.
Although a growing specimen, it still was a behemoth-class monster.
It would possess high-quality blood incomparable to that of superior monsters.
In that case…
[Why did you suddenly stop talking, my master?]
Ceyram tapped my still figure, which had become mute as if drugged with honey, but I didn't budge.
After my thoughts had cleared, I grasped Ceyram and whispered softly.
"Dark Mist 9th Form: Demonic Sword Manifestation…"
[Eh? What's going on all of a sudden!?]
Before he got flustered, Ceyram turned into mist and was absorbed into my body with no time to be astonished.
Ceyram's shouts echoed, asking why, but I completely ignored him.
There was only one thought in my mind…
"I have to catch… no, I need to eat that dragon!"
* * *
"Kuaaak!"
The menacing troll charged forward without fear.
It was met with the sacred light-filled blade of a guardian knight.
– Sssh
With the light's power imbued in the strike, the troll collapsed weakly.
The knights finished it off with a final blow, and the superior monster was dealt with easily.
"That's the fifth one…"
The hunt was going smoothly, but Duke Velt's face remained grim.
Five superior monsters encountered in a short period of time.
It couldn't be a coincidence when these beings, who were usually seen maybe once a month, were encountered in such large numbers so quickly.
"We need to hurry, Willius."
The emperor, too, felt the urgency.
As he thought of his daughter, who might be surrounded by monsters, there was no time for hesitation. He was just hoping she was safe when,
"...!"
Footsteps, not from the front but from a side path, approached hastily.
It wasn't a single person but several.
The knights, preparing to march forward, turned they attention, and beacon lights floating in the air revealed the owners of the footsteps.
"Arin?"
Among the knights of the imperial army bearing the empire's insignia was a young girl at their center.
It was Princess Arin, whom everyone believed to be at the camp.
"Your Majesty, we greet you!"
The knights recognized the emperor and kneeled before him immediately.
A maid, who had been hiding among them, now came into view.
"Why is father here?"
Although she asked herself, Princess Arin soon realized the emperor, her father, had come to this place because of her.
As a princess and daughter, it was a grave fault to cause concern.
"I apologize, father!"
The princess knelt quickly and asked for forgiveness.
"It's alright, as long as you are safe."
The emperor consoled her, skipping any reprimands.
"..."
As Emily stood awkwardly by, overwhelmed by the emperor's presence, she could not help but feel an immense pressure. Unsure if it was rainwater or sweat pouring down her body, she tentatively tried to lift her head when,
Right in front of her, she came face to face with an unfamiliar person.
"Eek!"
It was none other than Duke Velt.
Startled, Emily fell backward.
"Weren't you the maid with Sian?"
"Ye-Yes, Duke! I am Emily, serving Master Sian!"
Having seen her frequently at the manor, the duke surely recognized her face.
Yet curiously, the maid's master was nowhere in sight.
An overwhelming anxiety gripped the duke, preventing him from continuing.
"We… We have to save him!"
The princess's desperate plea focused everyone's attention.
"Who are you talking about, my lady?"
"Master Sian! He sent us to safety and then disappeared, saying he would distract the monsters on his own! We have to go help him right away!"
Tears or raindrops shimmered in the corners of her eyes.
In her distress, she looked nothing like a princess but a scared young girl.
"..."
Feeling shock and trepidation, Duke Velt's right hand shook uncontrollably.
Taking over from the silent duke, the emperor asked,
"Which way did he flee?"
"We know the direction! If you command, we can go save that young master!"
The guardian knights who escorted the princess showed their determination to go back and rescue him.
"What are we waiting for, Willius? Shouldn't we save your son?"
The duke remained silent.
Unable to stand it longer, the emperor was about to step in when,
"The operation continues as planned."
It was a small voice, clear enough for everyone to hear.
Everyone, including the emperor, was astonished at that moment.
"Willius, are you serious?"
"Right now, dozens of lives at the camp are on the brink. I can't deploy a large force to search for one uncertain individual, my own child. It's enough that he escorted the princess to safety; he's done his duty."
Even the emperor couldn't object to the cold decision of this guardian of the continent.
With the duke's unwavering resolve confirmed, the emperor turned his head.
"Move out, all troops continue the operation!"
The knights resumed the march towards the camp.
As Arin watched the unfolding scene, she clasped her mouth in disbelief.
"Why? Why this…?"
Her life was tossed aside for the mere reason of her being a princess.
At that moment, there was nothing she could do to save him.
"Father! No matter how you think about it, this is wrong! We don't have time! We need to save him now!"
Arin pleaded earnestly, but the emperor coldly turned away from her.
"What are you doing? Take the princess away."
What came back was an indifferent command.
The harsh reality left her in despair.
The incompetence of doing nothing.
It seemed all too meaningless, to the point where she questioned her own existence.
'You wouldn't be able to save a beggar lying in the street in that state.'
A statement she couldn't counter, no matter how precisely it fit the situation.
A princess unable to save anyone; that was the current reality of 'Arin Sebelrus'.
– Whoosh!
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew from somewhere.
Not only the princess but also the advancing knights bent down instinctively.
Along with the wind, the rain intensified, and a daunting shadow suddenly cast over the dark sky.
Arin slowly looked towards the direction the wind was coming from.
"...!"
A mysterious creature filled her sight.
A noble figure with grand wings spread wide open, incomparable to ordinary monsters.
As everyone gazed up at this entity, the princess suddenly noticed a figure hanging from the tip of its extended foot.
"Si-Sian?"
Her heart teetered between shock and relief.