Chapter 498: The Hero and the Magical Devilish Being

Magic of Jewels.

That was what people called Leu’s actions. She turned living things into jewels, and the jewels into living things again. No one would have thought that this splendid magic, so beautiful, could be the power of a magical devilish being.

Hundreds of jewels rolled out of Leu’s hand and transformed into soldiers on the spot. The soldiers looked confused for a moment but quickly began to form their ranks on the spot. Caria had explained such magic to them before the spell was cast, but they never had imagined that it would be possible to move in such an instant.

…Yes, from their perspective, this action happened in the blink of an eye.

Jewels transcended over time, recording, storing, and sealing their appearances. Jewels refused to deteriorate in any way.

It would be difficult for Leu, who had borrowed those powers, to keep it for such a long time, but Agathos, as the main dweller, kept that power running, exactly as it was.

Yes, refusing to deteriorate them. This was the true value of Jewel Agathos.

Bernard stared in amazement as a small unit was forming in a corner of the road. Goosebumps rose up in his spine and he felt his common sense being rewritten.

Was this what magic was all about? What Bernard felt here wasn’t the joy of having gotten behind the demon army. What filled his heart was something much deeper. Yes, both caution and awe towards the power of magic.

Leu acted as if it was no big deal. If there were just a few people who could use powers like Leu, then all tactical theories in the world would be easily overturned.

Soldiers could be moved around easily, whole units in fact. There was no need for military roads or even logistics. If such a thing were to become common knowledge, all nations would fight endlessly in fear, wondering when and where the enemy army would attack.

It would be a case of overwriting all accumulated wisdom. For the Heraldic believers, who were devotees of knowledge and technology, this was an unbelievable and striking sight.

Looking back, this could’ve been Bernard’s turning point. But at the time, he was only vaguely thinking about it.

…The Heraldic Order had to create something comparable to this.

「…The soldiers’ restoration is complete. Please take command, Sir Bernard. 」

Leu spoke to Bernard in a tone that even seemed childish. She didn’t seem to care one bit about the paranormal powers she had used.

Her words made Bernard’s lips and eyebrows frown for a moment.

It was the first time Bernard had heard that a unit was being formed here, or that he would be asked to take command. The only instructions given were to bring Leu to this place.

The reason it had been kept secret until now was probably because Caria hated the idea of ​​even the slightest information being leaked.

Caria also had the strange stinginess typical of the knight class. She gave orders but always kept them to a minimum.

In other words, it was as if she was saying that there was no need for him to know beforehand since he wouldn’t be able to understand, as if he were incompetent.

Bernard furrowed his eyebrows, shining his wavy blade in the sunlight, and spoke.

「We will now attack the rear of the enemy force. This is no longer a battle. It is merely a process to increase the enemy corpses. 」

—

In the central highway. The battlefield where the human army led by Mastigius and the main force of the demon army battled each other with dignity.

Though the demon army had overwhelming numbers, the number of troops capable of fighting on a highway was limited. Furthermore, the human side had even gone so far as to form camps and prepare for an offensive strike.

Therefore, for a time, the two sides were at a stalemate. Or so it should’ve been.

…The human army had the upper hand one hour after the start of the battle.

This was likely due to Mastigius’ familiarity with dealing with the demon army and his skillful use of warfare. The soldiers changed positions each time the demon army charged and managed to survive with minimal damage.

However, the main reason was probably not that, but a certain emotion harbored by the demon army.

Namely, their fear of the Sorcerer General Mastigius and the magical devilish being Lugis.

Before their long-awaited arrival of Poisonous Junelva, the demon army had been thoroughly hurt by Mastigius’ magic, and they understood just how much of a threat this being was. Their movements became sluggish, as they were demonic beasts that acted by instinct.

A moment’s hesitation during the charge gave the humans the strength to fight back.

「…The left wing and the front row are going well. It feels like the right wing is under attack. Is it okay? If the right wing is taken down, the demon army will get behind us. 」

Doha Surah, the demon-eyed beast accompanying Lugis, spoke with his arms folded.

There was no hesitation in his words, and also no mistake. Looking at the city from afar wasn’t much effort for him, who had demon eyes.

Lugis sat down in his chair, stretching his legs out, and opened his eyes to the front line before speaking.

「Hey, you. What have you heard about that fella, Mastigius? 」

Doha Surah shook his head. Doha Surah had no particular interest in humans, with the exception of a few. In that respect, he was truly devilish.

「All I know is that he’s a skilled fighter. He must be fine. Or maybe he’s not that fine considering the scale of the battle. If you’re curious about him, why don’t you go there. 」

「No way. We need to keep our surroundings safe! I can only be under the protection of a strong person! 」

Shadraput puffed out her chest and yelled, and Doha Surah felt a certain envy. It seemed easy for an idiot to avoid the trouble of thinking too much.

In fact, the area around Lugis was supposed to be the most dangerous.

It felt as if he stepped into a deadly place with his own feet. The time when Lugis invaded the enemy prison Beulah alone was still fresh in Doha Surah’s memory.

But Lugis right now didn’t seem to have any of those feelings. When Doha Surah casually asked why he wouldn’t lend his hand to help, Lugis shrugged his shoulders and said the following words.

「Don’t be stupid, Doha Surah. Your words are an insult to those who are fighting right now. Are they so weak that they need my protection? Or are they so weak-willed that they cannot walk without guidance? 」

Lugis said no more, still resting on his elbows.

With those words, Doha Surah realized the biggest difference between his original self and his demonic self. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

When he was human, Lugis didn’t trust humans at all; it was the foundation of his core. His independent actions and frequent arbitrary decisions was due to his distrust of humans.

On the other hand, ironically, the magical devilish being Lugis trusted humanity with the innocence of a child.

It was ridiculous. It all should be the other way around. Humans trusted humans, and demons didn’t trust humans. However, it was only after Lugis had gone from being human to being a demon, in other words, losing his memories, that he was able to truly trust humans for the first time.

Doha Surah’s demonic eyes rippled as he showed a shred of interest in Lugis. What was his past that had led him to give up on humans to that extent?

It certainly wasn’t due to one event. There must have been various situations, factors, and many different triggers.

Just like Altia had been in the past.

「Even so, would you really let those humans deal with the magical devilish beings Poisonous and Gear if they came across them? That would be a bit much…」

「…You’d better not do that. 」

Shadraput ate Doha Surah’s words without letting him finish. Doha Surh’s eyelids suddenly rose without him realizing it.

This was Shadraput’s unusual behavior. She just followed someone around, usually. She got scared or screamed like an idiot, but it was rare for her to express her own opinion.

Doha Surah also felt that her voice sounded more orderly than usual.

「If either of them came out to fight, it would be Junelva. And he’s not something that humans can kill. Even though he was degraded to being the King of poisonous birds, he was originally the God of the sun and wind, you know. 」

In an instant, Doha Surah’s eyes changed.

A long time ago, when this current world was still an extension of a myth. Even Doha Surah, who had defeated magical devilish beings and demons together with Altia, had never heard of such story spoken by Shadraput.

If there was ever a time when magical devilish beings reigned as gods, then it would’ve been the era of the original myths before the Great Demons appeared. How did she know about such time?

Lugis spoke before Doha Surah could ask.

「What, you seem to know a lot about that brainless bird. How do you know him? 」

「I wouldn’t say we’re just acquaintances, since we were once comrades. We’ve fought together against Great Demons. 」

Doha Surah spat something out of his mouth right after Shadraput spoke. Shadraput, on the other hand, looked as if she was wondering if it was really okay to say that.

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Shadraput is truly a dumb character, isn’t she? I hope there’s more to her than what we’re seeing so far.

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