Chương 11: The Underestimated

Heinkel took notice of the others listening to the baron's instructions. He seized the moment and turned away from them, hiding behind the lord's grey carriage. The young lad reached into his pouch and pulled out the small brown bag. The remnants of his pastry was slightly crumbled, but he didn't care. He partook in all of it. The sweetness hit his tongue, and he momentarily forgot that this was a battlefield.

From a distance, he could see the approaching ogres cresting over a hill, and then he saw the goblins beneath them. Adventurers and guards stood at the ready. They shouted orders, and he even saw Kaila's group of barbarians leading the charge. If all goes well, then this matter will be taken care of swiftly.

"So, that's what you've been doing with your payment?" Kaila asked, her voice cutting in through the background noise. It was like a dagger thrust into Heinkel's back when he heard it. The young man struggled to stuff it back in his pouch, but her hand grabbed his. She gave a small laugh.

"There is no need to hide it. I saw." His cheeks reddened, and his eyes flickered towards the battlefield.

"Shouldn't we be over there?"

"Alright, but I want to say before we go, there is no need to be ashamed of eating pastries, you know?" Kaila ran off ahead of him, flipping out a dagger from her waist. She moved fast with her magic spell, [The Blessing of Wind]. The cat woman traversed the distance from the carriage to the troop in what felt like an instant. Heinkel stood stunned, his gaze moving to the baron and Lady Emerald. Those green eyes bore into him as if she could sense it.

The feeling of shame was replaced by something else, and for a moment, it was a blessing. However, after a second of looking into those emerald eyes, he felt sweat dripping down his forehead. His heart pounded in a way that made him feel guilty. It was as if he was looking at a monster far more terrifying than the ones approaching. The feeling had followed him during the carriage ride. Something within his being disagreed profoundly with looking at the elf or her maid straight in the eyes.

It was as if his soul was marred by the gaze of a vicious predator. Heinkel often relied on his gut instincts in situations where his mind failed him, but he was starting to have doubts. He saw the elf shrug and give a faint smile, easing his heart. The young man shook his head and gripped the hilt of his sword. At the very least, I can leave her with this duty. Heinkel unsheathed his sword and ran after Kaila. His eyes scanned the battlefield, observing the carnage.

It looks like our side is winning, but if what Esmeralda said about a demon is true... He'd never seen a demon before in the flesh, but he'd heard about adventurers who'd faced them and their cultists in combat. It was said that even a lesser demon was something to be feared. One of those could twist the will of a guard in a city and cause them to turn on their comrades. Heinkel hated the thought of them. They operated like rodents, despite having strong powers themselves.

Then again, I guess I am not that much different. He felt the weight of magic items in his pocket even now as he ran. Though, that was when he noticed how strange the goblins were acting. There were many of them, but they charged forwards and died like lambs to the slaughter. The swings of their makeshift weapons were wild. It was true that the creatures were not very skilled inherently. While they were dangerous in groups, they'd never hope to be able to harm a large group of soldiers.

No, their intelligence was always a bit higher than that. He reached a goblin and the creature shrieked wildly and swung a club towards Heinkel's head. It was an attack that left so many openings. What's more, there was a glimmer of insanity in those beady green eyes. He dodged to the side to see what the goblin would do, but the goblin's swing continued. In the creature's madness he slammed the club into the ground hard, dirt flying into the air.

The goblin made another unintelligible noise and turned on his heel back to Heinkel. Something is not right. He's stricken with madness. I almost feel bad for the poor soul.

"[Battle Art: Focus]," Heinkel said, and he felt his mind sharpening. He watched the creature's club swing, and he could hear the heavy footsteps of approaching orcs and ogres. He swung his sword at the same time he dodged. Heinkel cut off the head of the poor sod in front of him. Green blood spilled onto the mud, some of it clinging to the young lad's shoes. He whipped around and caught a glimmer of Kaila rushing towards an orc. The same story repeated itself. An orcish spear swung wildly, missing in a wide arc.

It sliced uselessly above her head as she ducked, and her dagger, with the a wind spell, sliced his leg clean off. Even as he fell to the ground, the orc was still swinging chaotically, but she ended his life with a clean stab through his head. His red brain matter splattered onto the ground below. This is definitely not right. The feeling of danger surged strongly inside of Heinkel again. It was screaming from within him like a caged prisoner. The shouts were loud and triumphed over his battle art.

That's when he heard the laughter. The world around the clearing grew dark, a dark red dome spreading over the entire battlefield.

"[Hell-Tainted Ground]," three voices said together. The sound grated on Heinkel's ears. His heart throbbed even louder in his chest, and the feeling that he was going to die spread across his entire body. All eyes shot to the voices that were not of this world. Three demons flapped their wings above two ogres. Their wands sparkled red with the ending of their spell, and all attention gathered to them and their tattered wings. No, that can't be. Three imps? What kind of powerful mad man would summon three of them?

One of the reasons that demon sightings were so rare in the mortal realm was the fact that they usually required an immense number of sacrifices. To summon three, how many people had to die for that?

"Confused?" One asked, looking at Heinkel specifically.

"Afraid?" Another one asked to the group as a whole.

"Despair," the third one said. Then their voices joined together in a cacophony.

"This is the recipe for the spell." Heinkel grasped his sword tightly with one hand, and with his other, he reached for a magic item in his pouch. It was a powerful [Dispelling Orb] that could destroy barriers up to a certain level. The white thing glimmered in his grasp like a pearl. He felt another pulse of danger surge within him, but he was too slow.

"[Dark Binding]," one of the demon's said, and before Heinkel could throw the orb, he was hoisted from the ground and into the air. Tendrils grasped his neck and hoisted him into the air. The red whip burned hot around his throat, making him feel like he was on fire. Oh fuck, it burns. He tried to yell out, but the sound died in his throat. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Heinkel!" Kaila shouted. Her shout was answered by insane laughter from the very demon binding him.

"Ah, how cute, how wonderful, how dazzling, how spectacular, how amazing, my mind weeps for such love." It laughed again, echoing maliciously like an army of insects.

"Let him go, you bastard!" The head of the baron's guard shouted and charged forwards, joined by several others. Adventurers started readying their spells in tandem, creating a united attack. The feeling once again spiked in Heinkel's chest. No, don't! A demon grinned, and his wand sparked to life.

"[Tainted Ground: Hellfire]" Black flames erupted from beneath soldiers and adventurers alike. Their screams filled the air as their skin burned hot. Heinkel could only watch helplessly as peopled melted like hot metal in a forge. Laughter poured from that same demon's mouth.

"Ignorant fools, you should bow and listen when your betters talk. Don't you know? Anyone that dies in the [Hell-Tainted Ground] is unable to find their place among the gods. To hell you go, the lot of you." Kaila rushed beneath him as the demon seemed distracted. She ran for the orb, using her wind to carry her swiftly through the air. No, don't! Another demon laughed, and Heinkel heard a sound like shattering glass. ///"That pastry boy is interesting, isn't he?" Lady Shadow asked. Rela stared at her in confusion.

Is this a test? Is there something I am missing? She stared at his back as he ran into battle, but she could not find anything. But She asked me. There must be meaning here that I am not seeing.

"I am sorry, My Lady. I cannot see anything interesting. I only see another weakling, running helplessly towards his doom." Lady Shadow took a deep breath and placed her hand on Rela's shoulder. The feeling sent a tingle of joy through Rela's spine. Being touched and looked at by her queen was a special feeling like no other. It cooled the Envy that usually touched her heart, especially when the queen chose to interact with others over her.

"Your strength blinds you when it comes to humans. You failed to noticed that the pastry boy carries with him a unique skill." Rela's purple eyes widened.

"A unique skill, Lady Shadow? Does someone of his caliber really have something like that?" Lady Shadow nodded and a small untraceable amount of shadow magic hovered above her finger. She pointed towards him and smiled, her voice betraying her interest.

"He has a danger sensing skill. Do you remember when we first saw them at the inn? I didn't take note of him then, but he was the one who tried to hide that cat girl. It is called [Impending Doom], and it allows the user to sense dangers that would pose a threat to their life. Quite a strong skill to have for someone low leveled."

"Wait, My Lady, doesn't that make him a threat? Maybe we should kill him while the others have their guard lowered to us? We could simply strengthen a lesser demon or one of those ogres. It would look natural." The lady smiled and shook her head. She reached over and placed her hand on top of Rela's head, petting the maid's smooth midnight hair. The feeling was even more electrifying than the one before, and warmth spread through Rela's body.

Ever since she'd come into this world, she kept experiencing more joy than she'd ever felt before. Rela had always wanted to reach out to her mistress, to touch her, to know what it was like to feel close to the queen. She'd longed for their companionship. Her emotions had been dull for so long. The queen used her for minor tasks sometimes like farming for important items, and Rela had always felt a small sense of joy to be of use. However, that feeling was like a tiny candle flame, burning in infinite darkness.

What she felt now was completely different. It was more like the ignition of a star, shining brightly across all corners of her heart. She was sure that the others had also begun to feel it, but she wanted it to herself. Rela wanted to hoard this feeling like all of the treasures beneath the Shadowspill Castle. She glanced upwards towards the queen's tender lips, and she bit her own bottom lip.

"I want you to protect him if it looks like he is about to die. I even authorize you to use your Envy authority if you want to. Though, I suppose that lesser demons will be nothing to you." Rela killed her longing in her chest and bowed.

"It will be done, My Lady. And what of the beastkin?" Lady Shadow sighed.

"Protect her as well." The queen ended her privacy spell, and the sounds all around them grew more vibrant. A red dome started spreading, and it was one that Rela was very familiar with. This [Hell-Tainted Ground] is nothing compared to the one Luscious makes. And yet, the baron is already screaming as if he's gone mad. Rela wanted to laugh at how pathetic he was. How could everyone follow a lord who was so weak that he screamed at the sight of demons? Humans are so pathetic.

Even those soldiers have started groveling. Oh? Looks like that Pastry Boy is gonna try something. She watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a shiny magic trinket. For once, Rela was genuinely surprised. The way the orb glowed, she could tell that its powers were at least on par with the barrier around them. More soldiers rushed forwards as the boy was grabbed into the air, but it was too late. Rela could already see the outcome.

Black flames spread across many of the human's skin, and their bodies melted into the ground. They're no different than those goblins. A flock of helpless birds that are doomed to be eaten by those who are stronger. Rela clicked her tongue when she saw the cat girl running towards the orb on the ground. Foolish mortal, I will make you repay Her grace when this is over. Magic pooled beneath the maid's feet, and she bolted forwards with a low level [Flicker Movement] spell.

Yet, it was enough to arrive at the orb before the cat could die. Not only that, but she had the time to pick up a rock along the way. She held the rock in one hand, and the orb in the other.

"[Envy: Mimicry]," she said, her voice laced with authority. The rules of the world bent to her will. They knelt for Rela and offered her what she wanted without protest. The stone in her other hand changed composition, becoming exactly the same as the item in her other hand. I see, so this is a [Dispelling Orb]. Her gaze flickered towards the demon who barely noticed her. Finally taken notice, have you? Let's see if this thing is worth it.

She crushed the copycat [Dispelling Orb] in her hand, and its magic shot out in a pulse of white. The red barrier around them shattered like pieces of glass struck with a hammer. The tainted region fell to the ground uselessly, and Rela managed a grin. I will keep the real one. The demon's spell finished, and his intended target stood behind Envy. A fireball rifled towards Rela, and she didn't dodge. She remained like a wall and put out her hand to meet it. The flame died on impact with her white skin.

"Not bad for a lesser demon. I suppose that means, you get a passing grade."

"What?" The demon shouted, its voice like nails on a chalkboard.

"No mortal can take a fireball of a demon!" Rela didn't correct him. She reached deep within her for magic that she was less familiar with. There was no way she'd showcase her shadows to lowly scoundrels. Forgive me, Ampherea, I am not nearly as good at lightning magic as you, but this will suffice.

"[Lightning Bolt]." Her bolt of lightning rippled through the air and tore through the imp's [Dark Binding]. The pastry boy fell to the ground, but the spell continued through the whip as if the thing was a lightning rod. The demon tried to drop it at the last second, but the purple bolt rippled through his body. In an instant, he was turned to nothing more than a pile of ashes. Return to your homeland and be reborn as something better than a whelp if you wish to stand before Her Majesty again.

"I can't wait to punish Tyralith for this insolence," she said, her hands clapping together and forming lightning once again.

"Pause!" The voice of the queen stopped Rela in her tracks, and she canceled her upcoming spell.

"Don't forget your purpose is only to protect those two. Also, if you did that, you would have definitely obliterated half of the forest behind them!" Rela felt heat rushing to her cheeks as she realized her mistake.

"O-of course, My Lady."

"Good, let me handle the rest." The queen, disguised as an elf, rushed forwards elegantly. She held her brown bow like a true elven warrior and leapt into the air. Before the demons could react to Rela's canceled spell, four white-feathered arrows launched through the air. Two of them rippled through the eyes of the ogres, and the other two found the chest's of the demons. The two hell creatures started laughing and pointing down at the arrows lodged in their chests.

Rela shook her head, pitying them in their last moments. I think I am starting to understand what My Lady means. These demons will pay for their arrogance. The arrows started to turn into green stems and bloomed into white flowers. Screams of the demons echoed across the clearing as more and more white flowers bloomed from their skin. It was like the two of them had become the soil of potted plants. The new life eroded their lives from the inside, until their screams eventually stopped.

All that was left of the demons and the ogres was nothing but white daisy petals blowing on the wind. (This story is only published on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, NovelCult, Blobium, Webnovel, Fenrir Realm, and Patreon. All rights are reserved to Kurayami or KurayamiWN on RR respectively. If you see it published elsewhere, it has been stolen.)