7th Demon Prince Jilbagias' Chronicle of Demon Kingdom Toppling-Chapter 169: The 7th Demon Prince’s Departure

In front of the gate of the outer rampart of the Demon King Castle.

「――Preparation complete!」

Garounya came to report the situation.

The rows of skeleton carriages were filled with supplies.

Warriors of various races in battle attire and servants dressed in pitch-black formal wear all saluted in unison.

Everyone was ready to depart with no exception.

「Well then, father, mother.」

I turned around.

There, two demons standing next to each other at the top of the stairs――

The Demon King Gordesgias, and the Archduchess Platyfia.

「――Wish me luck.」

The day had come.

I, the 7th Demon Prince, Jilbagias Reiju, would depart to the frontline.

「Yeah.」

The Demon King nodded solemnly.

「At this point, there's no need to say some fancy words. Unleash your full might. I have high expectations for you.」

I bowed in silence to answer him.

「Jilbagias.」

Platy, dressed in an exceptionally extravagant gown, crossed her arms and smiled gracefully.

「I’ll be waiting for the good news from you… May the blessing of the God of Darkness be with you.」

Even though her 5 years old son was heading to the battlefield, she remained calm. If anything, she seems full of confidence, even proud. Well, I’d prefer that over being sent off in tears.

As for me..

「Yes. I will make my name known not only throughout the Demon Kingdom, but across the entire Alliance Territories as well.」

…I hid my true feelings behind the mask of a prince, I gave a brave nod and turned my back to the two of them.

As I made my way toward the carriage, I could feel various gazes on me.

My siblings might also be watching from somewhere on the upper floor.

At the edge of my vision, a group of demons clad in heavy armor appeared… They were members of the Dothrotos clan. Naturally, I also saw the figure of Gorillacia among them.

They watched over me with a somewhat dazed face. I nodded at them.

Among the night elves' hunters seeing me off, I spotted Shidar, who had casually blended in. He looked quite fitting in the role. According to him, he was a pretty skilled hunter before he became a warden himself.

「――――」

With every step I take, it feels as if I was reminiscent about the days I spent in the Demon King castle.

Though she couldn't appear here, I remember how incredibly worried Enma looked during our last necromancy class.

『Be careful. No matter how dangerous it gets, you mustn't give up. If push come to shove— I'll help you』 She said, which left me at a loss for how to respond to such an outrageous statement.

Apparently, even if I die, Enma would bring me back to life, as an undead. It was the ultimate safety net. I couldn’t help but remind myself that I absolutely couldn’t afford to die. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Claire was still as cold as ever, but when I really think about it, it was Enma's affection for a demon like me that was actually really abnormal. Claire's reaction was pretty normal as a former human girl.

Thanks to my careless question, the rift between us deepened, but on the other hand, she stopped pretending when she was around me 『It's complicated, for saying this as a former human… But, well, just do your best okay, Your Highness?』.

Naturally, she must've felt pretty complicated inside. Too bad for her though, I couldn't even afford to share my own complicated emotions with her…

I climbed into the carriage. Liliana and Lyla, who had boarded earlier, greeted me with serious expressions.

「…」

I might have a similar expression on my face — Through the crystal glass window, I silently nodded to the Demon King and Platy again.

The carriages glided smoothly as it started moving.

Once the Demon King and the others were completely out of sight, I heaved a sigh and leaned back against the seat, feeling drained.

Liliana looks uneasy, and Lyla seems to be at a loss for words.

I could only respond with a stiff smile… In just a few days of travel by carriage, we'd arrive at the frontline base. It feels like I'm being shipped off.

Since I couldn't take Liliana all the way to the frontlines, since there was a risk of her being reclaimed if the alliance army discovered her, she'd likely be left behind in a frontier city in the western part of the already occupied Defteros Kingdom, along with Lyla, Garounya, and the other guards.

To be honest, I wouldn’t really mind if she got reclaimed.

However, those around me would never allow it. By now, Liliana had become an immensely important figure within my faction. Even if I tried to let her go, the Night Elves would defend her to the death.

――I looked at the spectacle outside of the window.

The streets of the castle town blur past as if they're flying by.

「Yes. I will make my name known not only throughout the Demon Kingdom, but across the entire Alliance Territories as well.」

Earlier, I made that declaration, and there was no falsehood in those words.

I've decided to be as merciless as possible in the coming battlefield.

The soldiers of the alliance, the heroes, the priests, the sword saints, and the fist saints, if I encounter any of them, I would kill them all.

I mean, they were going to be killed by the other darklings even if I spared their life anyway.

In that case, I might as well take them for my nourishment.

In that way, I got military merit, raising my status within the Demon Kingdom, and using it as a stepping stone toward its' downfall.

I’ve decided to make the most of this opportunity to break taboos and gain even more power.

Naturally, as long as I saw an opening――

I would reduce the number of the demons as well.

No time for hesitation… Nor could I afford to do that.

「Woof…」

Liliana's ears drooped in a dejected manner, came over to my side and rubbed her head against me.

「… Dear.」

After hesitating for a moment, Lyla took my hand.

「…」

Normally, I think I could have smiled and said something a bit more thoughtful.

However, I really didn't have the leeway to do that today.

My face was stiff, as if it had been coated in plaster, and I couldn’t even manage to squeeze a voice out from my throat.

Like a statue――

Even so, the skeleton carriage continued on, indifferent and merciless.

It carried us toward the frontline.

†††

「… They've already departed.」

Gordesgias murmured wistfully at the procession of the skeleton carriages as they sped away.

「… Yes.」

Platyfia nodded lightly in agreement.

「What a brave child he is. Normally, they'd show a more… Anxious expression on their first battle. But that doesn’t seem to apply to him.」

「Yes… It's just as you say.」

Jilbagias— Though his look was stiffer than usual — showed nothing but unwavering resolve and determination, there wasn't even a hint of fear or weakness on his visage.

While feeling reassured and proud of it, there was also a hint of loneliness.

「… There's a time when I think that there's something strange about our son, about Jilbagias. oops, I don't mean in bad way.」

Gordesgias spoke with a light tone.

「My father was also an incredible oddball, but from what I overheard of his childhood stories, he was much more well-behaved than our son. As for me, my own childhood was much… Well, more ordinary. I believe the strength in my character as Jilbagias comes from the blood of Platy, though.」

「I see… I suppose so. Compared to that child, I am just an ordinary demon, after all.」

Platy revealed a troubled smile as she spoke.

「It might be the blood of Dothrotos in his veins. When Jilbagias first became aware of the world around him, he was incredibly competitive and had an overwhelming willpower. …However, since returning from the Hell, it seems like his personality has undergone a fundamental transformation, not just in appearance, but in his very nature.」

"The way he grew up was almost terrifying, wasn't it?" Platyfia also teased back at her husband, as if joking.

「Indeed.」

The Demon King nodded in agreement as he replied with a calm voice, gently placing his hand on Platyfia's shoulder.

「… That's why that boy will be okay. No need to worry.」

Hearing those words, Platyfia widened her eyes and gave a wry smile, as if admitting she couldn't argue.

She realized that her husband, Gordesgias, noticed it.

He noticed that Platyfia's fingers were trying to hide her fingers that trembling non-stop from anxiety――

The Demon King gently tapped his horn against Platyfia's, a rare display of affection in public. It was an unusually intimate gesture.

「… Yes.」

Platyfia replied with a more relaxed voice than before.

After that—Though reluctant to part—the Demon King had official duties to attend to, so they said their goodbye to each other right there.

Platyfia returned to her room with her chest held high. Along the way, the mothers of the other demon princes appeared, casting glaring looks her way, but when she calmly met their gazes without saying a word, they all silently withdrew.

Once Platyfia entered her room, she didn't sit on the sofa as usual. Instead, she knelt down directly on the floor by the window.

She looked up at the night sky.

At the moon that become the symbol of the Gods of Darkness――

「Please… Gods of Darkness…」

Eyes closed tight, Platyfia clasped her hands together.

「Please… return my child… Jilbagias… safely..」

And wholeheartedly prayed for the safe return of her son.

And remained to do so.

For the rest of the night…

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