Chapter 196: Long Night(1)
“──?! Wh, what!?”
At the sudden vibration, Evie, who was startled, shouted.
Although not as startled as Evie, the other companions also instinctively felt that sothing unusual had happened, and everyone jumped up from their seats.
And sure enough.
“──Everyone!”
Before long, the guard who had guided us here burst open the door and shouted.
“Wh, what happened?”
She was clearly flustered, to the point anyone could see it, and for a mont, she seed to ponder how she should answer Miki’s question.
“Could you… follow for a mont?”
In the end, she gave up on explaining and made a request first.
In the place we followed her to, accepting that request, were Lilith and Lily together.
Lily, too, had a very flustered expression, no less than the other companions.
“You’ve co.”
Perhaps trying to calm our anxiety, Lilith spoke in a deliberately calm tone.
“What is going on?”
“…It’s the Demon King’s army.”
“What?”
“They say troops led by a Corps Commander are currently gathering in front of the castle.”
“What?”
“A Corps Commander, what in the world…”
“Then the vibration just now was…?”
It’s the aftermath of 「Teleport」.
It was a vibration caused by large ‘weapons’ appearing near the castle as if summoned.
Though Lilith seed unable to answer as she hadn't seen it herself and only heard it through reports, so she wasn't certain yet.
Still, she had an expression that showed she clearly knew what she had to do.
“For now, I will go out first and assess the situation.”
To keep Lily, and us who ca with Lily, safe.
“Chris. Please take care of these people.”
“…Yes, Your Highness.”
Like that, Lilith left a calm request to the guard who brought us──Chris, and then left the spot.
Lily quietly watched Lilith’s retreating figure with worried eyes.
***
What Lilith saw when she ca out to the castle balcony was hundreds of soldiers lined up as if setting up camp in front of the castle before she knew it.
And at the head of them.
“──Long ti no see, Corps Commander Lilith.”
There was a man smirking while looking up at Lilith.
“Your beauty is very radiant today as well.”
“…What is the intention of this?”
Although he was offering complints with polite words, the mockery was too blatant, so Lilith retorted as if shooting back coldly.
“Yes? I was just giving you a complint that you are beautiful like the Queen of the Night today as well?”
“Cut the nonsense, Alzar.”
Towards Alzar, the 2nd Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army.
“I am asking the reason why you committed the disrespect of barging into my territory leading troops like this without permission.”
With these words, Lilith slightly turned her gaze towards the troops behind Alzar.
Not only cavalryn mounted on horses fully equipped with gear, but also infantryn following that formation.
And behind them stood huge Trolls capable of ridiculously throwing rocks with one hand, and obvious ‘siege weapons’ including catapults made to launch those rocks in the first place.
Anyone could see that these were ‘guests’ with a composition that made it imdiately clear they hadn't co for a friendly purpose.
“Ah, did I?”
Alzar, who led those guests, feigned innocence atop a chariot as large as the siege weapons behind him.
“I thought your bad old habit of getting offended even when complinted on being pretty had popped out again.”
While leisurely stroking his own body, which was as huge as the Trolls and occupied the entire space of that chariot alone, with one hand.
“Answer straight, Alzar.”
Lilith clicked her tongue loudly enough for even Alzar to hear, saying ‘Tsk’.
“Depending on the answer, I will take it as an act of invasion violating the non-aggression pact, and you will pay the corresponding price.”
“Non-aggression pact?”
At these words, Alzar answered by smirking again.
“Haha. Don’t be so scary, O Queen of the Night. We only ca to do a job upon receiving the Demon King’s order.”
“…His Majesty’s?”
“Yees. ──Excuse , but intelligence ca in that the invaders who crossed the Wall and killed Etian have hidden in the Queen’s castle.”
Lilith almost swallowed her breath for an instant, but spoke while hiding that agitation as much as possible.
“You are talking nonsense.”
“Indeed, it really is nonsense. Isn’t it clearly disinformation trying to drive a wedge between us?”
Alzar giggled leisurely as if he knew everything no matter how much she tried to hide it.
“Still, since intelligence has co in, we have to check it once, so we will just do a simple search once and return. Since it is the Demon King’s royal command, there is nothing I can do either.”
“Search?”
Lilith scoffed.
While once again glancing over the mbers who looked full of intention to ‘occupy’ rather than ‘search’ no matter where you looked.
“Say sothing that makes sense, Alzar. Are you planning to bring down my castle and search even the rubble?”
“Surely not.”
“Leave right now.”
Lilith declared firmly.
“Unless the Demon King cos here himself, there will be no instance of letting you and that rude gang into my castle because of such nonsensical framing.”
“Are you saying you will go against the Demon King’s will right now?”
“Do you even have proof that it is really the Demon King’s will? Even passing Imps would know the fact that you have coveted and my castle.”
“…Aren’t you bringing up sothing from too long ago?”
“And even if it is the Demon King’s will, I have served him all this ti because he respected . If he doesn’t respect in this way, I also have no reason to dedicate my loyalty anymore.”
“Why are you making this so difficult? It would end if you just open the gate so we can do a search just once.”
“Go back. This is the last warning.”
At this firm single remark from Lilith, Alzar raised the corners of his mouth in a grin as if he had been waiting for it.
“Can I take those words as aning you are hostile to the Demon King?”
“If you set foot in my castle without permission, as the owner of the castle and the Queen of the Night, I will make you pay the due price for that rudeness.”
With these words, Lilith turned her back sharply and left the balcony.
Alzar, who was looking up at her retreating figure.
“You heard her, right?”
With his mouth twisted, he slightly turned his head toward a subordinate nearby.
“Prepare.”
anwhile, Lilith ground her teeth, showing an expression where the leisurely air she had when leaving the balcony was nowhere to be found.
Walking with large strides in such hasty steps.
“──Everyone.”
When she stood in front of Lily again, she had returned to the calm and dignified expression she showed on the balcony a mont ago before anyone knew it, and spoke calmly.
“I apologize, but you will have to leave this place now.”
***
Lilith, who returned before long, spoke calmly.
“So what in the world is happening…?”
Then, at Evie’s question that she couldn't accept it, Lilith seed to ponder the answer for a mont, then perhaps realizing she couldn't beat around the bush, she answered with a short sigh.
“…Regrettably, it seems information that you are here has leaked to the Demon King’s army side.”
“What?”
“Yes!?”
The one who showed the most surprised reaction to those words was Lilith’s subordinate, Chris.
“In, information leaked, just who in the world…!”
That was because right now in this castle, Lilith had left only the minimum number of personnel she could truly ‘trust’.
Even seeing Lily who ca to the castle, they were people who wouldn’t bother to ask about her relationship with Lilith.
And they were people who would surely take Lily’s existence──the lord’s ‘secret’, to their graves.
At least Chris thought so, which is why she was showing a reaction of utter disbelief like now.
“Let’s figure out the cause of that later, and for now, let’s focus on evacuating these people safely first.”
But Lilith tried to calm Chris down, saying now wasn't the ti to dwell on that.
“Wa, wait a mont! Evacuation…!”
This ti Lily showed a reaction that she couldn't easily accept it, but.
“We also…!”
“The one outside right now is Alzar, the 2nd Corps Commander of the Demon King’s army.”
At this, Lilith spoke in a similarly firm, yet on the other hand slightly softer tone than just before.
To sohow [Persuade] Lily who couldn't accept it.
“And although it is only hundreds, he would have carefully selected elite soldiers one by one. …Realistically, it is a fight with no chance of winning.”
Didn’t she say it earlier?
That she left only the minimum number of personnel.
In other words, it ans she has beco even more vulnerable in a situation of being ‘attacked’ like this.
Because the absolute number of people is lacking.
A force of hundreds might be a very small number considering the entire Demon King’s army, but for the dozens remaining here now, it was already a sufficiently overwhelming number.
“Furthermore, since they ca to bring down this castle from the start, whatever happens, it is too dangerous to continue staying here, Lily.”
“But…!”
“And, no matter the circumstances, it is my failure that the information leaked.”
So she would take responsibility for it, Lilith said.
“I will buy ti, so escape from here in the anti. ──Chris?”
Then she looked back at Chris again and said.
“Please. Guide these people safely outside.”
“…….”
Chris still had an expression as if she had a lot to say, but eventually nodded quietly without refusing.
“No!”
Unlike Lily who shouted firmly.
“Don’t worry, Lily. I am the Succubus Queen.”
Lilith spoke in a deliberately leisurely tone as if to reassure such Lily.
“This is my castle. Those who set foot in here as they please without an invitation will pay the price.”
“Still…!”
Actually, it was sophistry that didn't add up.
Didn't she say there was no chance of winning just a mont ago, but now she is saying not to worry.
Probably, she herself must know well.
What kind of nonsense she is spouting.
“Only now…!”
Even so, Lilith smiled and pushed through with that sophistry.
“Only now, we finally t…!”
“…!”
To reassure her daughter even a little, who was saying words that made her inadvertently swallow her breath.
She showed a benevolent smile that closely resembled Lily’s, and.
“……Thank you, Lily.”
Gently placed one hand on Lily’s cheek.
“Really, thank you.”
Like that, she cast 「Sleep」 on Lily.
Then Lilith, who held Lily who almost collapsed powerlessly.
“…Everyone.”
Handed Lily to us, to , just like that.
“Please, take good care of this child from now on.”
While unable to completely hide her face that looked like she would burst into tears at any mont.
“Yes.”
Holding Lily who was handed over, I nodded and answered.
“Leave it to .”
The castle was already in a besieged situation.
But saying there was an underground passage, Chris offered to guide us there.
“…Hey.”
Not long after sending Lilith off, Evie suddenly spoke to cautiously.
“Is it really… okay like this?”
While doing so, Evie glanced at Lily’s face—whom she was carrying on her back because I handed her over since it was literally hard for to carry her—resting her chin on Evie’s shoulder while still asleep.
As if implying that although she went along with the atmosphere for now, she couldn't accept it at all.
“Of course it’s not okay.”
“As expected I…… Huh?”
“I said it’s not okay.”
Is there any way it would be okay.
“Isn’t that right, Ms. Chris?”
At my words, Chris, who was leading the way to guide us, stopped abruptly.
“Are you really okay with this? Leaving Ms. Lilith behind like this?”
“…….”
“No, dude. Then just now…”
“That was acting, Evie.”
The reason I obediently followed Lilith just now was because it was obvious that Lilith would try to prevent us from participating in this fight no matter what.
Literally, no matter what.
“We can’t waste our strength by arguing with her for no reason, right?”
Thinking about the opponent we will fight together from now on, there is no waste like that waste.
“──Ha.”
At my answer, Evie scoffed as if dumbfounded.
Then.
“That’s just like you.”
She showed a smile filled with conviction, distinctly different from a mont ago when she couldn't accept this ending.
“Let’s go do our hobby.”
I don't know if I should say it's fortunate or unfortunate for Lilith, but it just so happens that we have a hobby of defeating Corps Commanders.
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