Chapter 30
“You’re going to the neighboring Demon King’s territory?”
Once some urgent matters were handled, Ariella went to find Ludwig.
“Yes. Geru’s grave is there.”
“You’re planning to recruit someone who’s already dead?”
Since Ludwig had already heard the full reason during the recent executive meeting, he didn’t ask further.
Still, his expression didn’t look pleased.
Is he going to object?
This would be Ariella’s first time leaving the Demon King’s Domain. Ludwig might refuse, saying it was too dangerous.
So she spoke first.
“Richmond agreed to go with me.”
“…Is that so?”
Ludwig’s voice sounded doubtful.
“That place is ruled by Demon King Delac. Of all people… why him…”
Had something happened between Ludwig and this Delac?
Before Ariella could ask, Ludwig said,
“…Fine.”
The permission came surprisingly quickly.
She had prepared plenty of reasons to persuade him if he refused, but it turned out unnecessary.
Well, this is all for saving the domain anyway.
Both of them just wanted to survive—well, maybe living well could come later. Even if there was some danger, Ludwig couldn’t stop her outright.
Satisfied with skipping the long explanations, Ariella was about to leave when Ludwig said,
“Tell Richmond to prepare a carriage for three people. I heard there’s one lying around in the warehouse.”
“Three people?”
Ariella tilted her head.
“Are you planning to send a soldier with us?”
“No. I’ll be going too.”
“…What?”
That was unexpected.
“Aren’t you busy?”
Ludwig leaned back in his chair.
“The orcs have been strangely quiet these past few weeks.”
“I know.”
Whether by coincidence or not, ever since Bephar’s death, the orcs near the border had completely stopped causing trouble. They used to gather and cause panic, sometimes sneaking into the domain to attack and retreat—but now they were silent.
No one, not even Ludwig’s retainers, knew why.
He didn’t know when they’d start raiding again, but for now, Ludwig stayed in the castle, helping Ariella with various matters instead of patrolling.
“I think I can leave for now. If anything happens, I can return immediately.”
Ariella tilted her head.
“But wouldn’t it be better if at least one of us stayed behind?”
“If you go, I go. That’s my new rule.”
Since when was that a rule?
He’d never told her about this before.
“Are you saying you’ll follow me every single time I leave the domain? From now on, always?”
“Not just leaving the domain. I plan to follow you wherever you go.”
“…Why?”
When she first arrived in the Demon Realm, he had barely paid attention to her. And now, suddenly?
“I’m just keeping my promise.”
“What promise?”
“You told me to make sure you’re never in danger again.”
Ludwig insisted that the best way to protect Ariella was to be by her side at all times.
Hearing that, Ariella wasn’t exactly unhappy… but she felt a little burdened.
I like that he wants to protect me. But sticking to me like glue is a bit much.
Still, maybe the Bephar incident had affected him more than she thought. He now seemed determined to guard her with his life.
In a way, it meant he valued her highly. That was a good change.
“Alright. Let’s go together.”
The day came for the princess, the Demon King, and the lich to leave for the neighboring territory.
Creak!
A single carriage rolled up in front of them.
Ariella frowned without thinking.
“This thing still… works?”
It looked so old and worn that in a few more years, it would probably be classified as a relic rather than junk.
Gruve, the head butler who came to see them off, spoke in an embarrassed tone.
“This is the only carriage we have in the castle.”
It had been unused for so long that they struggled to oil and repair it in time.
“The previous Demon King never used a carriage?” Ariella asked.
“He preferred to ride his horse everywhere. On the day he passed away, he left the castle without guards…”
This was the first time Ariella had heard anything about the former Demon King’s end.
So he’s gone… But how? Surely it wasn’t because the sun went out.
She also wondered what happened to the horse. Did it run away? Or… was it buried with him?
Before she could ask, Richmond stepped forward.
“I’ll drive the carriage. I’ll sit on the driver’s bench outside, so you two can relax inside!”
At the time, Ariella thought he was just being considerate to his superiors.
But she realized the truth only after stepping inside the carriage.
The first thing to greet her was a stench she couldn’t even describe.
“Ugh! What is that smell?”
Gruve spoke apologetically.
“We’ve used cleaning magic over and over, but it simply won’t go away.”
Inside, cracks and damage covered the interior. Ariella felt like if they hit one big bump, the whole thing would fall apart while moving.
The seats were in terrible shape, with strange reddish-brown stains of unknown origin. She decided it was better not to know.
Then she sat down—only to sink so deep into the ruined cushion that she thought she might fall straight through to the floor.
Once they were seated, Richmond called out cheerfully from the driver’s bench, far away from the smell:
“If you’re both ready, let’s go!”
To reach Delac’s territory, they had to travel along a rough, twisting mountain road.
It wasn’t paved, and barely wide enough for a single carriage.
Ariella leaned out the window—only to see a sheer cliff dropping straight down right beside the wheels. Her head spun and she quickly pulled back.
“What if another carriage comes from the other side?”
There was no place for two to pass.
Ludwig dismissed her worry.
“Do you really think there’d be visitors? At this time, to our domain, in a carriage?”
It was a sad but logical answer.
“…Alright. Fair point.”
The mountain scenery swayed wildly as the carriage bounced along. The ride was, of course, terrible.
“This road is so long and winding. It doesn’t seem that far in a straight line.”
“You can’t just punch a straight tunnel through a steep mountain,” Ludwig replied.
The more Ariella saw of Ludwig’s domain, the more she realized how bad its location was. No wonder the Fedwick Trading Company rarely came here.
Not that I plan to deal with those crooks again. But any other merchant would probably turn around after seeing this road.
Roads were the lifeline of trade. Without them, development was almost impossible.
When am I supposed to find the money to fix this?
Adding “road reconstruction” to her mental to-do list, Ariella suddenly asked,
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask…”
“What?”
She desperately wanted to distract herself from the terrifying view outside and the disgusting smell inside.
“Why did you decide to become a Demon King? This place isn’t exactly… ideal.”
The only good thing about the domain was that it didn’t share a direct border with another Demon King’s land. Mountains blocked the north, making it defensible, and there was no territory below it to the south.
But that same geography meant the place was crawling with orc tribes instead—and the domain had been poor for generations.
So why would Ludwig choose to rule here?
He snorted.
“You think I planned this?”
“You didn’t know the situation? I figured it out right away.”
He didn’t mean it that way.
“I told you before—I wandered for a long time.”
“Yes.”
“A year ago, I ended up here while traveling aimlessly.”
“By chance?”
“Exactly. And like you said, the situation was bad even then. There wasn’t even a place to buy food.”
The locals barely had enough grain for themselves, so selling surplus to strangers was impossible.
“So I had to get my own food.”
“How?”
“You remember the river outside the outer walls? I fished there.”
She knew the place—where they’d tried and failed to build a bridge multiple times.
“I was sitting there fishing when a drunk demon on horseback suddenly picked a fight with me.”
Ludwig’s eyes turned distant, recalling the past.
“He kept coming at me, so eventually, I treated him like any other threat.”
Meaning—he cut him down and burned him.
“For all his loud talk, he was weak.”
Even though he’d won, Ludwig still regretted it.
“It was only after killing him that I learned… he was the Demon King of this land.”
