v-rustl

#984 The Demon Prince’s Farm Study

Added 2024-07-10 14:36:18 +0000 UTC

“By the way, have you seen the human girl who’s clearing land as fast as those orcs?”

“Huh?!”

When I, Goetia, the demon prince, look closely, I notice someone kicking up a dust storm like an orc, but it’s clear they aren’t one.

Even from a distance, I can tell it’s a human girl.

No, wait. A mere human girl doing the work of a super-charged orc is mildly terrifying...

“That’s Letasreit. She’s the former princess of the old Human Kingdom that was destroyed.”

“Old Human Kingdom?!”

Not the newly risen Human Kingdom?!

Weren’t all the royals from that country executed?!

“She survived. Officially, she’s dead, but she’s been hiding out here.”

“Who defied the Demon King’s orders and let the enemy live?! That’s treason!”

“It was the Demon King’s command.”

“Father’s?!”

If Father ordered it, is it still treason? ...Is it?

“The Demon King is merciful. And he figured once you, Prince Goetia, started working on the farm, it’d be impossible to keep it hidden, so he decided to tell you upfront. ...Now that’s one thing checked off the list.”

It can’t be... My perfect father, making such a compromise in secret?!

“Discovering hidden sides of your parents can be shocking. But hey, it’s better than an affair, right? ...Wait, does the Demon King have affairs? As long as both are recognized as wives, it’s fine, I guess?”

Keeping an enemy royal alive might lead to revenge later.

History is full of examples of those who made that mistake and paid the price.

The person before me is a potential threat to our Demon King family!!!

I, the future Demon King, must eliminate this threat! Uoooooooooooh!

“Ah, just a heads-up, don’t pick a fight with Princess Letasreit. She can crush you in half a second.”

“Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch!!!”

What the heck?!

I, the demon prince, got crushed with one finger?!

Aren’t princesses supposed to be delicate?!

“Don’t judge by princess standards. Judge by farm standards. The beings living here are on a whole different level.”

“Ah, so this is the Demon King’s son we’ve been hearing about. Unlike his father, he seems a bit clumsy, doesn’t he?”

“Indeed, he resembles Lady Astres more.”

Ugh, how dare they! Saying I don’t resemble Father?! Is that an indirect insult?!

“No, saying he resembles Lady Astres is more of an insult.”

“You’ve become quite bold now, Belena. But I’ve met this kid before, haven’t I? Wast it when he was a baby? I have no memory of it...!”

“Well, you never interacted with anyone back then, princess. When the Demon King visited, you were probably busy with your bean field.”

“Was I already into beans back then? ...I was.”

Even while talking, this human princess has me completely immobilized with just one finger?!

Damn it! What kind of strength is this?!

How did we, the Demon King’s Army, ever win with such a powerful princess around?!

“...Kiddo, thinking you know the farm after this little experience is too naive.”

“I think it’s weird for you to be the farm spokesperson.”

“Let me show you there are even stronger beings here. Hey, Holly!”

Who’s she calling?!

A woman descends from the sky!

Do women usually fly?!

“Yes, Letasreit?”

And this woman has wings growing from her back!

What species is she?!

“Holly, if you show your strength, this kid will eat as much natto as you want.”

“Hey!”

Huh? Me?

Belena is really agitated. What kind of promise did she make on her own accord?

“If natto is involved, any task is easy. I’ll show you efforts worth a thousand pounds of natto.”

“That’s a deadly amount!”

“But one can’t fight alone. Let’s call a sparring partner. Lady Veil, Lady Veillll.”

More people keep showing up!

Now...a dragon has appeared?!

“Ahhh... Bird girl, you called? I’m not eating natto until I feel like it again.”

“Natto can be eaten anytime. Besides, don’t you want a good fight? I occasionally feel like utterly defeating you.”

“What was that? When have you ever beaten me? Coincidentally, I just got the urge to crush you too!!!”

Wait, wait, wait...!

Is that winged woman planning to fight a dragon?!

Only someone like a Lifeless King, one of the World’s Two Greatest Calamities, can fight a dragon one-on-one!

I learned in class that when a dragon appears near the Demon Capital... even a Lesser Dragon means a state of emergency, and the Demon King himself leads the army to respond.

The entire city defense force mobilizes, but even then, there’s no guarantee they can fend it off.

Even my tutors said, ‘When His Highness becomes the Demon King, he must risk his life to face the dragon!’

And now, facing such a dragon...

“It’s my turn, draw!”

“I end my turn with two cards facedown.”

Is that winged woman actually fighting on equal footing?!

I don’t understand their battle cries, but it’s a regular slugfest, with spells flying around!

“It’s been a while since Horkosfon and Lady Veil have sparred like this, hasn’t it?”

“They’ve both powered up a lot since then. Considering the collateral damage, they can’t just go all out willy-nilly.”

Ahhhhhh!

The wind pressure! It’s blowing my body awayyyyyyyyyyyyy?!

....Ah. Did the human princess grab me by the scruff of my neck just in time to stop me from flying away?

But still! The constant shockwaves are making my whole body tingle! My bones are creaking! The fight’s aftermath alone is crushing me!

The dragon’s breathing fire—hot, hot, hot!

I’m so far from the flames, but it feels like I’m roasting!

And the booming noise from that winged person’s spell attacks feels like it’s directly pounding my eardrums!

No, my whole body is shaking!

Stop it already! Help meeeeeeeeeee!

“I must say, Veil has gotten really good at handling agile opponents. Not a single opening.”

“She used to get outmaneuvered by Horkosfon a lot. That’s why their matches have become rare, as they can’t settle easily anymore.”

“If they have this much free time, they should focus on making natto or ramen.”

How can the human princess and Belena be so calm when giving a commentary?!

They’re not even flinching in this stormy space!

The dragon and whatever that is are evenly matched. Just the fallout from their fight is enough to pulverize everything nearby.

Ordinary people or beasts would be smashed to bits.

The fact that these two can stand there calmly watching proves they’re no ordinary strong people, right?!

“Argh! I’m bored! Fighting you is always so dull!”

“It’s basically a stalemate. Once all the moves are played out, it’s just a boring slog. I’d rather watch my natto ferment than waste time here.”

“I’d rather be tasting my gonkotsu broth! I’m out! Clean up the mess!”

“Since I called you today, I’ll handle the cleanup.”

“Good!”

The dragon left.

I thought I’d be blown away by the wind pressure this time for sure.

But finally, the chaotic storm subsided…

The tumult that was like a simultaneous hurricane, tsunami, wildfire, and lightning strike calmed down, and an eerie silence enveloped the area.

...Was the world always this quiet? I never noticed before...

“...So, how did you enjoy the mock battle between our farm’s pride, the mobile angel Horkosfon, and our strongest dragon, Veil?”

I could only nod at the winged person who descended, flapping her wings.

The dragon was impressive, but what about this woman?

How can she fight on par with that gigantic dragon with such a small frame...?!

“Just to clarify, Lady Veil is an exceptionally strong dragon, even among dragons. She alone is worth several dozen regular dragons. So, don’t expect other dragons you meet to be like her; it would be unfair.”

...U-Understood.

But I don’t plan on meeting other dragons, and even if I did, I wouldn’t have any expectations...

No, if that dragon is far stronger than other dragons...

Doesn’t that mean the Saint’s Farm is even more incredible for having her?!

They already have excellent demons, mutated monsters, and, for some reason, the strongest human princess with overwhelming power...

On top of that, there’s that dragon and a winged person who can match her.

Just how powerful is the Saint’s Farm’s fighting force?!

“Well then...”

“Huh?”

Before I knew it, the winged person had snuck up behind me.

She’s holding a small bowl. Something is inside...

“As promised, you’ll be eating natto. Don’t worry. The smell is just a momentary thing. Soon, you’ll get addicted to it and enjoy it...”