Chapter 75

It was an unpleasant sensation. Like the bitter taste of medicine spreading through my veins and permeating my entire body.

“The hallucinations are gone, but this unpleasant feeling remains.”

Judging by the sensation of the poison, my physical abilities and reaction speed must have dropped to about 80% of normal.

For someone like me, already weakened by dragon poison, this was nothing short of a fatal blow.

“It must be due to sorcery. A hallucinogenic poison based on sorcery… It won’t stop until the caster is dead, right?”

“…The caster must be that queen.”

At the mention of the queen, Camilla frowned again. It was only natural, as Camilla also hated that queen.

When we fought her before, I couldn’t even leave a scratch on her and was utterly defeated. I lost the earring I gave her as a price for sparing my life.

We all knew the shame of being defeated by her at least once.

“Oh my~ You’re so weak. Do you really think you can kill me with just that? Come on, struggle a bit more. Who knows? Maybe you’ll actually manage to kill me?”

……Now my mood was ruined too.

“Kyle. What’s the situation?”

“Most of the people have collapsed from the rain. And the rainclouds are spreading further.”

This was the worst.

If the Dragon Queen is here, it means the other dragonkin are hiding nearby too.

With my body doubly poisoned, could I even handle them properly? Even if the other residents wake up, they wouldn’t be of much use.

In the end, the only effective forces were me, Camilla, and Kyle. In such a dire situation, I couldn’t afford to falter just because of some poison.

“Ah, we got a message from Penelope. Should I call this the worst timing? Or the best timing?”

As Camilla connected the communication magical tool, the face of Her Majesty the Empress, looking somewhat grim, began to appear.

“…Judging by your expression, it seems things aren’t going well on your end either, Your Majesty.”

“That’s right. It seems you’ve been attacked as well.”

“The Dragon Queen launched the attack.”

I told her everything, hoping that Her Majesty’s wisdom might improve the situation even slightly.

The nature of the poison we were hit with, the suspicious woman we saw earlier, the fact that the rainclouds were spreading further.

After listening to everything, Her Majesty bit her lip so hard it almost bled.

“…Let me tell you, things aren’t great here either.”

“I can tell just by your expression.”

“The Demon King has just destroyed a village near the capital. There’s no sign of an invasion yet… but it’s a warning. If we move away from the capital, he’ll destroy it immediately.”

If His Majesty or the Minister of War led an elite force, they could arrive in four days.

But the Demon King made it clear he would cut off that possibility. He won’t attack outright, but if we leave, he’ll destroy the capital as a silent warning.

“Judging by the sensation spreading through my body, ordinary humans will likely die within ten days.”

“That cunning bastard is using such cowardly tactics!!!”

“…And at the same time, it’s the most effective tactic.”

Suddenly, His Majesty appeared, fully armed unlike before.

“There’s no such thing as a cowardly tactic in war. Trying to fight monsters beyond human comprehension with human logic is a contradiction in itself. All we can do is fight to the death. There’s no such thing as a victory without sacrifice.”

“But Your Majesty…!”

“Cursing won’t change anything. The Demon King will be handled by me, the Empress, and the Minister of War. The King of Specters hasn’t shown himself yet, so we need to be wary of him too. The Dragon Queen will be left to Camilla and Raul.”

There was no trace of his usual playfulness in his voice.

It was the voice of a commander leading troops on the battlefield, giving us orders just as he did back then.

“Indeed, the current situation is the worst. You can’t expect support from me or the Minister of War, and nearby forces are incapacitated. You are the only meaningful force left. In such a situation, what would a normal commander say?”

“Given that the poison is spreading, it might be best to wait for Your Majesty to arrive after the Demon King retreats.”

“I’m not sure, but it might be best to observe the situation for now…”

“Good. Then what is your answer?”

“We will fight them head-on, right now.”

“Shall we shove a spear up that bitch’s crotch?”

This is who we are.

We possess bodies that defy common sense, fight beings beyond comprehension, and engage in battles that break all norms.

In the process, we’ve become monsters ourselves, earning the hatred of people.

“Good, that’s more like you! With you, that poison won’t even be a sandbag!”

His Majesty, though not without his frivolous side, was the best among us at commanding troops.

“By royal decree, slay the wicked dragon that is disrupting the Empire and restore the peace that is rightfully ours.”

“…I, Raul Berze, head of the Berze family, accept the royal decree.”

“Camilla Argos, eldest daughter of Duke Argos, accepts the royal decree.”

“Kyle Benson, adjutant to Raul Berze, accepts the royal decree.”

Camilla and Kyle took out a pill from a vial and chewed it.

It was a fast-acting enhancer, a drug that dramatically boosts physical abilities, permitted only to a select few.

Though it shortens one’s lifespan by about a month due to its side effects, its effectiveness is undeniable.

“…Well, if you’ve taken that, then there’s no problem.”

“It still tastes like crap.”

“…Honestly, it tastes like cockroach dung mixed with frog blood.”

“Next time, ask for a cherry flavor. And Empress, tell us the most effective strategy you’ve come up with.”

And so, Her Majesty asked us to buy time by fighting the Dragon Queen.

No matter how powerful the Dragon Queen is, it would be impossible for her to spread the rainclouds while fighting us. Her Majesty said she would use magic to come to our aid directly.

Her Majesty is one of the few mages in the Empire. With a day of preparation, she could teleport a small number of people.

“In the meantime, the Demon King will be handled by His Majesty and the trash… I mean, the Minister of War, taking turns to hit and run.”

“Your Majesty, that’s a bit…”

“I can also fight on my feet for a short time if I use a special drug. For the stability of the nation, I can’t afford to spare my lifespan.”

Her Majesty could also move like in her prime for a short time by using a special drug.

However, the burden was several times greater than the enhancer Camilla and Kyle took, making it a double-edged sword.

“Raul, your body can’t handle that anymore. I don’t want to see my friend overexerting himself.”

Though it pained me, I couldn’t refuse such consideration.

Just as I was about to humbly accept her offer, a messenger burst in with urgent news.

“Urgent report! Your Majesty! Something terrible has happened!”

“What is it that you dare to show such rudeness?”

“Some troops have ignored the Minister of War’s order to stand by and have launched an attack!!!”

“Fools hungry for military glory have done such a thing. Let them die. We can’t ruin our plans for such idiots. But what are their names?”

“Th-that is…”

“Speak the truth.”

The messenger, with a trembling voice, said some very familiar names.

“Lady Rosie Nevermore, who was in seclusion… and Lady Latri Berze, former knight commander and countess…”

I was speechless.

“Those idiots!”

“Damn it!”

“Useless in life!”

“Spaghetti-brained bitches!”

“…Sigh.”

I understood their motives.

Rosie, with her strong pride, couldn’t forgive the Demon King for deceiving her. Moreover, she was one of the culprits behind Layla’s death, so she must have launched the attack to avenge her.

And Mother… no, the Countess, couldn’t forgive the one who tarnished her beloved husband’s honor.

Of course, justification and survival are separate matters. The Demon King would surely kill them easily.

“Your Majesty and Her Majesty. It may be presumptuous, but could you save them?”

“We could, but doing so would disrupt our plans. Then you would also…”

“Isn’t it a problem I can solve by confronting the queen directly? Unlike Camilla, I have a good match-up against her.”

“That was when your body was relatively intact. With your body doubly poisoned…!”

“That’s also a simple problem.”

I snatched the vial from Kyle’s hand, took a pill, and chewed it.

It happened so fast that no one could stop me.

As I chewed the pill, I felt the uniquely disgusting taste, but I could endure that much bitterness.

“Now I can fight.”

Seeing this, everyone erupted in anger.

“You crazy bastard!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Kyle grabbed me by the collar and shook me.

“You idiot, what did you just eat! Spit it out!!!!!”

Camilla pounded my back, urging me to vomit.

“Raul, have you lost your mind! Stay right there! I’ll rip out your guts if I have to to make you spit it out!”

Her Majesty threatened to rip out my guts.

“……This is why I dislike the people around you.”

Only His Majesty remained calm, though the veins on his neck were starting to show.

“……It’s not for them.”

I didn’t sacrifice a precious month of my lifespan just for them.

“I’m a dead man walking anyway. I don’t want to leave Rizel alone. And Rosie has some abilities too. It would be a waste to let her die like that.”

That was the only reason.

“Raul! I’m going to give you a serious lecture after this is over, so be prepared!”

“Your Majesty, a lecture seems too harsh…”

Her Majesty’s lectures are more terrifying and painful than any torture to me.

“Harsh my ass. You’re going to die before your lifespan runs out if you keep this up.”

“…”

As the magical tool’s connection cut off, Kyle said.

“Honestly, it’s your own fault, Raul.”