Whirring!
As the energy gathered from the wind struck the skeleton precisely, cracks formed in the bones, causing them to shatter.
I quickly surveyed the surrounding situation.
The Royal Guard was defeating the skeletons one by one with precision.
“It’s been a while since I fought on the front lines, so my body feels a bit sluggish!”
One of the Royal Guards lamented their own laziness as they smashed a skeleton.
“You should smash it beautifully; what’s with that?”
Snap!
As I flicked my fingers, one skeleton froze as if it had been encased in ice.
After several cuts from my sword, the skeleton was severed joint by joint.
I wondered if it was a tremendous loss for the empire to have such skilled fighters simply following the Demon King, blocking the path of others.
Watching us silently defeat the skeletons one by one, the giant skeleton seemed somewhat flustered and clacked its jaw.
“Why, you insignificant creatures! Clack!”
“You’re already dead; why are you crawling out?”
One of the Royal Guards shouted loudly, causing the giant skeleton to bend slightly at the waist.
“To announce the end of the world, we are the Legion of Doom.”
“You talk like it’s the end!”
The Demon King slashed down at the giant skeleton’s head.
Bang!
What seemed like a light blow carried tremendous force, driving the skeleton’s head directly into the ground.
As the giant skeleton lifted its head, a crack appeared in the middle of its forehead.
“Urgh… You knocked me down in one blow!”
“Hmph. I have no interest in your name.”
The talking skeleton had a name.
The Demon King was standing on top of the skull of the named skeleton, Gira.
“Get out of the way! I can’t get up because of you…. Why!”
“Try standing up.”
The skeleton Gira seemed very flustered as it desperately tried to lift its head.
It swatted at the Demon King with its hands, but the skeleton’s strikes had no effect and rebounded off.
I could see the skeleton’s head gradually embedding deeper into the ground.
Realizing it couldn’t handle the situation alone, it summoned its skeletal minions.
As dozens of skeletons gathered around the Demon King, a few Royal Guards charged in.
“It’s been a while since we coordinated like this.”
“Indeed.”
The Royal Guards wielding swords and spears swung their weapons simultaneously.
The skeletons clinging to the surroundings fell off in droves due to the swords and spears.
Skeleton Gira struggled to break free from the Demon King, displaying a grotesque sight.
With a clear and sweet sound, the skeleton’s head and body separated from each other.
Leading its minions, it fled quickly across the plains, leaving its head behind.
The remaining head was bound by the Royal Guards with chains for easy transport.
“Let’s call it a day.”
That Gira would surely return to reclaim its head.
Meanwhile, the Demon King said they would study the undead’s head, placing the skeleton into a pocket dimension.
Having obtained Gira’s head as a trophy, we returned to the Royal Guard headquarters.
It seemed that the Emergency Response Committee Headquarters had subtly started calling itself the Royal Guard Headquarters.
“So, shall we gather here again tomorrow?”
“We’ll report on the situation as we return in teams.”
“Yes!”
Though the numbers weren’t large, they felt more reassuring than any other organization.
I took a seat in the car returning to the hotel with the Demon King.
The driver silently began to drive without a word.
The evening glow quietly began to spill into the car as we returned.
“Where did you bring those people from?”
“I picked them up. Off the street.”
Many among the Royal Guards said that if it weren’t for the Demon King, they would have been dead.
“I brought a few back when I was bored once, and they grew up on their own like that.”
“Did you raise them all at the castle?”
“No, not at the castle. In the capital.”
The most recent child brought back by the Demon King was Aila.
Though she was adopted, the one who discovered and took her in was the Demon King.
“What foolish beasts. They abandon their own way out and come to follow me.”
Although the tone was cold, her expression seemed quite gentle and warm.
Upon arriving at the hotel, we got out of the car.
Before heading to the top floor, the Demon King stopped by a room on the lower floor and released her transformation.
“Alright, we’re done. Let’s go.”
“Excuse me, which is your real form?”
“Where do you think it is?”
Logically speaking, it didn’t make sense for someone who had lived for hundreds of years to still have the appearance of a child.
Naturally, I assumed that the adult form would be her original appearance.
“The adult version?”
“Wrong~ That form is something I created from my imagination.”
Considering how well she had created it, it had a surprisingly natural appearance.
It didn’t look artificially beautiful in any way.
“Of course, it was based on a real model.”
As we went up to the top floor, Tenji was waiting outside the door.
“Is something the matter?”
“Oh, there was a commotion in the city earlier. I was on standby just in case.”
Tenji was executing the Demon King’s orders very well.
Now that we had returned, there was no longer a need to guard the door.
As we entered the room, Isabel was looking down from the window.
“Did a fight break out somewhere?”
“I guess it stopped the recent invasion of the chaotic monsters.”
It seemed that undead creatures were also appearing near the city.
“Oh, right. I met someone who talks today.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It was a massive one.”
The Demon King took out the head of the skeleton they had put in the pocket dimension.
“It can’t speak right now.”
“Why did you bring that?”
“To study it.”
Upon hearing this from the Demon King, Tenji grimaced but didn’t say much more.
“If it’s separated from its body, it can’t move, right?”
“There’s no core in its head.”
Since it had to flee, it was only natural that an important part was left out.
“The fact that it spoke means it can lead a group. Soon, we’ll see such creatures arise.”
Undead that began to receive leadership were certainly more challenging than those merely wandering around.
Of course, they didn’t stand a chance against skilled fighters, but when it came to sheer numbers, they were formidable.
“I suppose I need to let them know to hurry a bit.”
“Where are you going?”
“Let them know to prepare.”
Though night was falling, it wasn’t that late yet.
The Demon King gestured for me to follow her.
When we stepped out of the hotel, the Demon King shifted back into her adult form.
I didn’t know where we were going, but she led us toward the city center of Raden.
The place we arrived at was a shabby tavern.
The lower floor was a hall for receiving customers, and the upper floor had accommodations.
As we entered the shop with the Demon King, I felt the gazes of the surrounding people.
Objectively speaking, the Demon King in her adult form was a stunning beauty that attracted the attention of men.
As we entered, the previously boisterous atmosphere of the tavern quieted down significantly.
The shop owner greeted us from behind the counter.
“What would you like to order?”
“Number five.”
I stared blankly as the Demon King ordered casually.
A moment later, the shop owner discreetly handed over a large bottle of liquor along with a key.
The Demon King didn’t pour the liquor but took the entire bottle and headed upstairs.
As we ascended the stairs, the space became increasingly narrow and dark.
We reached the fifth floor after passing the second and third floors.
The noisy sounds from the lower level faintly echoed up the stairs.
It wasn’t a concern that voices would easily drift downwards.
There were only two rooms on the fifth-floor corridor.
Both doors were locked, but we had received a key from below.
As I inserted the key into the door that fit, a dark room revealed itself.
A small candle was lit, allowing us to glimpse the interior slightly.
It appeared someone was lying on the bed, but it was too dark to see well.
“This isn’t a place for just anyone to open a guest room,”
As I looked around to find the owner of the voice that echoed from within the room, I couldn’t see anyone.
As the Demon King presented the bottle of liquor she brought from downstairs, a black figure suddenly dropped from the ceiling.
The shadow accepted the bottle and, after uncorking it, took a sip.
“Please close the door.”
After I closed the door and stepped inside, the Demon King sat on the bed as if she was familiar with the place.
“I’ll give up the chair to the guest.”
She offered me the chair in front of the desk and plopped down onto the floor.
Removing her hood to reveal her face was nearly hidden by the darkness.
“Could you hand me the candle?”
As I picked up the candle from the desk and handed it over, I was finally able to see her face clearly.
She was a woman with bronze skin and indiscernible tattoos etched into her skin.
“I am Number Five. And you are?”
“Ririan.”
The person I was supposed to meet with Tenji in the southern Filon.
“You’re certainly the person we were supposed to meet in the south.”
“If you find me in the south, you should meet Number Five in the south.”
“Are different people assigned to each region?”
“No, it’s just divided by my abilities.”
As I looked at Number Five with a puzzled expression, the Demon King snapped her fingers.
“Like this.”
The Demon King, who had been sitting on the bed, split into two.
One of them even had the appearance of a child before her transformation.
“Is this magic?”
“It is magic, but it’s quite high-level magic.”
The Demon King began to explain the magic in question.
“Generally, there’s a magic known as clone magic. However, that merely creates fakes.”
“Then what about the magic you used now?”
“This is both me. Whatever either side sees, hears, or feels will be transmitted to the main body when the magic is dispelled.”
For reference, either side could be the main body.
In other words, if there were clones on the east and west ends, she could choose which side to move to.
“It’s on a different level than regular clones.”
“So, you’re a skilled magician, then?”
As I looked at Number Five while talking, she scratched her head awkwardly and opened her mouth.
“Actually, this is the only magic I’m really good at. The rest is just ordinary.”
The special magic she was particularly good at happened to be this clone magic.
This was similar to how my lightning magic was advantageous.
The Demon King began to dismiss her clones and got to the main point.
“So, there’s something I need to convey.”
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
The Demon King explained what she wanted to convey to Number Five.
“Is that all I need to convey?”
“Yeah.”
Number Five closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them and replied that it was finished.
“What’s finished?”
“My clone is also in the capital.”
I thought Number Five’s abilities suited the Intelligence Department perfectly.
