Chapter 12 (1/2)

12、Pillaging (B-side)

”Pillaging?”

”Yes, Between the villages in the forest and Alnach, for the last couple days.”

”......That’s strange.”

Venon the <clairvoyant> felt a twinge of uneasiness.

He was in his estate in the center of his castle town of Alnach over which he presided.

Originally, it was a stone building of simple make with few possessions way out in the Outlands, but Venon's hobby was to slowly decorate it over time.

The area surrounding the castle town was in <the red=”” forest=”” of=”” jonan=””> in the Outlands, and very obviously so. In times of old it was known as a remarkable barbarian princ.i.p.ality.

That said, the public order in the area wasn't bad at all. Any small time criminals that appeared were soon crushed.

”Oh, I see. That reminds me...”

Thinking that far, Venon suddenly figured out the cause.

Lu Gan.

The hobgoblin commander <half-faced> Lu Gan, who alone was dispatched to carry out a secret mission.

Up until now the 300 elite soldiers Lu Gan commanded had trained by hunting down criminals.

Without the criminal hunting leader Lu Gan, while it wasn't open season for criminals, it wasn't strange that the ones that had been lurking in the shadows were now resuming their 'business'.

”Nevertheless, that worthless Lu Gan...did he fail?”

It had already been 10 days since Lu Gan was sent out with his 300 soldiers and 500 hired mercenaries.

That he had not been informed of Lu Gan' success likely meant that...

”To be defeated by a mere 200 wounded soldiers. I guess a 'mutt' will always be a 'mutt'.”

Venon was a Goblin Shaman Demon Lord.

From the wise Goblin Venon's point of view, Lu Gan was just another Hobgoblin.

Even though Lu Gan was the one that always quashed the troublesome problems.

”Trouble was just waiting for him to be gone, how annoying...”

However.

Could it be that the pillaging is being done by the <dethroned crown=”” prince=””> Drake whom he tried to kill?

It was laughable to think of,  but not impossible. After all, it was that <dethroned crown=”” prince=””> Drake. He couldn't recall Drake partic.i.p.ating in any reckless battles, and he had rallied 190,000 soldiers against <the northern=”” overlord=””>. Moreover, the battle was even in terms of skill until halfway through, and he had mostly other Demon Lords and excellent soldiers at his disposal.

That being the case, the <dethroned crown=”” prince=””> could very well be hiding the remnants of his army near Alnach, and storing stolen provisions.

”It's not impossible. Rather, the chance is high.”