Chapter 104

“Could you show me around some other town?”

It was close to noon when Lucifer suddenly brought this up.

“What kind of place would you prefer?”

“Let’s see… somewhere quiet, and different from this town.”

That was quite the difficult request. The royal capital is noisier than here, isn’t it?

“Come to think of it, we saw a walled city from that castle earlier. How about that?”

“It’s a fortified city. That could work. Shall we go there tomorrow?”

And so, we all decided to head to the fortified city. Incidentally, Peol—Belphegor—had returned to Hell temporarily. She seemed to have started preparations for her garden.

I came along with Belial, Lucifer, Equvar, Sevillino, and Encarna. Sevillino, despite having finished his business in the royal capital, still hadn’t returned to his usual duties. For some reason, he was working under Lucifer now.

As Belial mentioned, Sevillino seemed to have caught Lucifer’s favor, which made Encarna—and Belphegor, who had already left—look at him with jealous eyes.

By the way, the only one of us who couldn’t fly was Equvar, so he rode a wyvern. Encarna watched enviously. I wonder if it was because wyverns are adorable.

Now, speaking of the fortified city, I’ve never entered through the drawbridge before. I always slipped through inspections and flew over the walls. If they accused me of trespassing, I wouldn’t have much of a defense.

The only time I used the drawbridge was when I left the first time I visited. Leaving the city doesn’t seem to involve much; they only check the people they’ve flagged.

But this time, we had two kings of Hell with us. Keeping Lucifer waiting seemed like a bad idea.

While I was pondering if there was a way to slip through unnoticed, Sevillino offered to smooth things over and flew ahead.

When we arrived at the fortified city, Baraja and Sevillino were waiting for us and guided us directly inside.

In the square, Ranvalt  was waving at us. His golden-brown hair reflected the sunlight, and his white armor stood out immediately.

“Your group keeps growing,” he remarked, his gaze falling on Lucifer and Encarna.

“I am Encarna, dispatched from Egdoarum for the current incident,” Encarna introduced herself.

“Thank you for your efforts. I’m Ranvalt  Haegstedt, the commander of this city’s military.”

“And I’m Baraja! Nice to meet you!”

While the introductions were happening, Lucifer simply watched with a smile.

With these two, there’s no need to explain that they’re high-ranking nobles of Hell. Considering the city’s defense, it might be better for Ranvalt  to know, but he either trusted us enough or decided it was safer not to ask.

“Is there anything here that wasn’t in the previous town?”

“We have a swordsmanship dojo. I don’t think Renant had one.”

As expected of a fortified city, they had facilities for learning swordsmanship.

Ranvalt , the military commander, is well-regarded by the higher-ups in the army. Being introduced by him supposedly guarantees good treatment for recruits. As a result, many people hoping to catch his attention train at the dojo.

Others include adventurers who feel they lack strength.

There’s also a less formal setup for teaching amateurs, more like a hobby class.

The dojo was near the military facility. Soldiers sometimes came to instruct, and in return, dojo members who hoped to join the military helped with city patrols and emergency evacuations. It doubled as a way to secure manpower.

Of course, anyone cooperating with the military underwent a background check. Non-locals, in particular, couldn’t join without a verified identity.

The large dojo was surrounded by low walls, and we could hear voices and the clashing of wooden swords from inside.

From the gate to the entrance was a short distance, and inside were changing rooms, restrooms, guest rooms, and even a small kitchenette—far more equipped than I had imagined. I thought it’d just be a training space.

The dojo itself was spacious, with a smaller, separate room next to it. I wonder what that room is for.

“Excuse me.”

Ranvalt  opened the door to the training dojo as if he were used to it. A teacher-like figure approached us immediately.

“Ah, Commander! And the Chief Magician! You’ve brought quite the group today… Is this an inspection?”

At the word “inspection,” the students became visibly tense, sneaking glances at us.

I guess the ones training here are aspiring to join the military.

“Not quite. These are people we’re close with. May we watch?”

“Of course! Let me arrange some chairs.”

At Baraja’s request, the teacher instructed the students to bring enough chairs for everyone.

The students, eager to please, rushed to prepare. They probably wanted to make a good impression since Ranvalt  was present.

This is my first time watching something like this!

I’ve seen the Second Knights train for fighting monsters. That was mostly teamwork with magicians, fighting larger foes, or handling poisonous claws—very specialized skills.

Here, they practiced footwork before pairing up to go through basic forms, all moving in unison to a command.

Later, they switched partners and engaged in freer sparring.

“Hmm. You’re much stronger than them,” Lucifer said to Equvar, who wore a D-rank badge. The students shot curious glances our way, clearly skeptical.

Equvar… Oh, right. With the Chief Magician gone, he doesn’t need to hide anymore.

But he didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic. I thought he liked fighting.

“I wouldn’t mind sparring with you,” Lucifer said to Belial with a challenging grin. I had assumed Lucifer, being skilled in meteor-type spells and magical in appearance, wasn’t into swordplay. Could he actually be good with a blade?

“Lucifer’s swordsmanship! Oh, it must be so artistic… Please, I beg of you, show us!” Encarna exclaimed, clearly excited. In contrast, Belial looked strained.

“Forgive me, but you destroyed my palace the last time you said that,” Belial said, grimacing.

“That garish guest room needed a remodel. You should be grateful,” Lucifer replied nonchalantly. “Imagine how I felt being hosted in such a tacky room.”

Sword sparring… that destroyed a palace? Wouldn’t this dojo be reduced to rubble? The scale of these kings of Hell is on another level.

“Of course you did it on purpose! You’re as ruthless as ever. Is this some sort of payback?” Belial retorted.

“Payback? How rude. Aren’t we best friends? Right, Belial?” Lucifer smiled, dangerously sweet.

“You’re terrifying! Whenever you say such things, disaster follows!” Belial groaned.

Lucifer, when it comes to Belial, seems to go beyond merely being frank—he’s downright merciless. His affection seems to come with danger.

The students were whispering among themselves, no doubt bewildered by the absurd conversation. They couldn’t possibly recognize the kings of Hell but, given Ranvalt ’s presence, were likely trying to guess their status and strength.

At that moment, a loud voice from the direction of the gate reached our ears.

A man and woman were walking while conversing. The voice sounded familiar.

“Hey, Ranvalt , you’re here? I saw it—the incredible mark! Devils really are scary!!”

This guy has no sense of the atmosphere!

“Rainerio, brother!”

“I’m here too.”

Ranvalt ‘s eldest son and his sister, Irene!

It seems they’ve come to see the crater left by Lucifer after he destroyed the castle. They’re as fond of fighting as ever. They must be friends with Equvar.

“Oh? Equvar, you’re here to watch too?”

When Ranvalt  noticed Equvar sitting on a chair, he raised his hand lightly and approached.

“No, I’m just visiting the town.”

“You haven’t come to visit since then, huh!”

“Hahaha, I’ve been busy too.”

“Are you the friend of Rainerio, Lord Equvar?”

Irene’s long golden hair flowed gracefully. She had a cute pink ribbon in her hair.

“How lovely you are, my lady. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Equvar placed his hand on his chest and bowed, causing Irene to blush slightly. Stop! Don’t seduce minors!

“Nice to meet you. I’m Irene. My brother, Rainerio, often speaks of you. I’m so glad to see you’ve become kinder.”

“I’ve been advised by Lord Equvar to be kind to women.”

“Were you two already acquainted? And brother, have you changed your demeanor a bit…?”

Ranvalt , who was conversing with Rainerio in a friendly manner, asked with a puzzled expression.

“Actually, we met recently, and he gave me a little lesson. He’s strong, really strong!”

“Your brother…?”

“Bruno, your deputy, mentioned he was trained as a candidate for a high-ranking position in some country, but what’s the real story?”

Rainerio’s deputy Bruno’s observations were quite accurate. As expected. Equvar gave a wry smile and scratched his cheek with his index finger.

“Ah… I don’t think that person can be easily deceived.”

“You? You’re quite something. You’re such an outrageous dual personality.”

“…Are you joining the conversation just to insult me, Encarna?”

When Equvar glanced at her, Encarna deliberately turned her face away.

“Both she and I are soldiers of Egdualum. We’re here for this mission. She’s leaving soon, though.”

“What are you talking about!? I still want to stay with Lord Lucifer!!”

“…You should go back. It’s clear you won’t be able to focus on your work. We don’t need unnecessary people.”

“Ugh! Even if you treat me coldly, it doesn’t make me happy at all!!”

Equvar was cold toward Encarna, though she didn’t seem to mind being harshly spoken to. Maybe he has a particular type he likes?

“Ranvalt , Baraja! Are you here!?”

Now, two men came rushing in. Ranvalt , called by name, immediately headed for the entrance.

“What’s going on!?”

“It’s an ogre!! Several of them, each five times the size of a man, are approaching a caravan, and we’ve received a request for help!”

Ogres are huge, vicious demons that eat people. They are also called “ogres.”

Though some don’t eat, most consume both animals and humans. They can be very dangerous, often attacking in groups.

If a caravan is being targeted, even if adventurers are hired, it’s hard to deal with unless they’re high rank.

“That’s good! So, where are the targets?”

It was Belial. The tension broke immediately. But that’s just how demons are.

“…Huh? Oh, near the northern forest. It’s a caravan from the Wastent Republic, carrying salt from the salt lake, crafts, and food supplies…”

“Then what should we do? If Belial’s going, Iriya  will probably go too, right? I’ll join in as well…”

Baraja looked around at the group.

With Belial here, the military won’t need to be mobilized. In fact, too many people might reduce the prey or just get in the way.

“Master, I’ll go too.”

“Right! I’ll do my part, I’ll go. Is that okay, Equvar?”

It was Sevillino and Encarna. With members who can use flight magic, they’ll probably arrive quickly.

“Take care, Encarna. If you can’t fly, you’ll just slow us down. I’ll stay behind.”

“I’ll stay here too. Belial, don’t cause too much destruction.”

Equvar and Lucifer stayed behind. Ranvalt  and the rest of the Haegstett family stayed behind as well.

“I won’t destroy the castle, so don’t worry.”

“…I think I heard something.”

“It’s just your imagination!!!”

Not only did they lose verbally, but they should avoid unnecessary comments.

And now, off to hunt the ogres!

At the dojo, those who didn’t know the situation were asking Ranvalt  if they should send soldiers. But for now, it’s up to us to handle the ogre hunt.