Chapter 128: The Secret Maneuvers of Certain Spies

◆A Certain Spy ◆

“Kuh, why did it come to this!”

I am a spy of the anti-Dragon Emperor faction who came from the Royal Capital.

That is my temporary guise; I am actually a Demon who has been lurking in this country for hundreds of years.

In other words, for humans, I can be called a spy in the truest sense.

Modern humans are fragile and powerless. By using magic to change my appearance, I can easily blend in with humans without worrying about my true identity being revealed.

The role given to me was to make this country lose the blood and techniques of the Dragon Knights.

Because even in this era where human civilization has weakened, the existence of dragons cannot be ignored.

And fortunately, due to the previous Great War, the Dragon Knights had been greatly weakened.

At first, I intentionally caused a plague to make the Dragon Knights appear to die of natural causes.

Humans of the past could have treated that plague, but humans whose medical technology had regressed died from the plague surprisingly easily.

Those who didn’t catch the disease were also lured out under the pretext of missions using the anti-Dragon Emperor faction and disposed of.

Thus, the blood of the Dragon Knights in this country was severed, and the teachings of the Dragon Knights left in books and such were disposed of one by one over time.

All that remained was to destroy this country from the inside with the uprising of my brethren…

“To think I would be captured by humans!”

I came to eliminate the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Princess said to have appeared in the town of Tatsutron under the pretext of the Dragon Emperor Rite, but I was captured by black knights who suddenly appeared one day, and it was no longer about that!

I, a Demon! Helplessly!

Well, sure, I am a spy not suited for combat.

But even so, there is no way I, whose body and magic power are overwhelmingly superior to humans, would lose to mere humans!

…No, well, I lost though.

Moreover, my power was sealed by a magic item, and I couldn’t even resist.

In the end, I was captured by the town’s vigilante corps and thrown into jail.

Ah… what humiliation.

To think I, a Demon, would be captured by humans…

However, an opportunity arose here.

Because the number of captured culprits was too large, the town’s jail became full.

However, since we are captured as the anti-Dragon Emperor faction, they can’t dispose of us poorly until we spill information.

So, as a desperate measure, the officials of this town decided to escort us to the Royal Capital.

This is a chance. The Royal Capital is controlled by the anti-Dragon Emperor faction.

Far from interrogation, release on the same day is not a dream.

“Hey, get in the carriage quickly! Let me tell you, don’t think your friends will save you in the Royal Capital! It seems the anti-Dragon Emperor faction in the Royal Capital has already been captured root and branch, and the Dragon Emperor faction is controlling the Royal Capital!”

“What did you say!?”

Then the knight loading us onto the escort carriage said such a thing with a triumphant face.

What a thing! To think the enemy’s hands have reached even the Royal Capital!!

With this, I cannot even ask for help from my brethren who were active in the Royal Capital!

Wh-What should I do!?

“Ah, thinking like this, the days of secret maneuvering in the Royal Capital, which I thought were boring, might have been fulfilling.”

While I was being shaken in the carriage with such a gloomy mood, suddenly I heard a horse neigh, and the carriage stopped.

“What is it!?”

“Could it be bandits!?”

Bandits, what bad luck… no, this might be good luck.

Unlike those black knights, if it’s human bandits, I can manage somehow!

…If only I can remove this seal.

But such worries were needless.

The door of the escort carriage was forcibly opened, and someone showed their face from outside.

“I came to save you.”

“Y-You are!?”

Yes, I recognized that face.

“Darjin, is that you!”

The one who came to save me was my brother Demon, Darjin.

“Mu? You were captured too, Azam?”

“A-Ah. I was attacked by knights of unbelievable strength. But why are you here? You were in the Royal Capital, right? Those black knights should have been attacking the anti-Dragon Emperor faction in the Royal Capital too.”

“I see, you were also attacked by those black knights. Indeed, that makes sense.”

As expected, those black knights were rampaging in the Royal Capital too.

I was safe because I went to the base.

Darjin speaks via telepathy so humans can’t hear.

The base in this case is not the one in the Royal Capital, but the decayed fortress near this town of Tatsutron.

Because we Demons use that place as a forward base to conquer Dragonia.

What? You went directly without using communication magic or the teleportation gate!?

We rarely go directly to the base so that its location is not revealed even by mistake.

It is to guard against detection by the dragons of Dragon Peak, not human tailing.

And when going to the base, we move using the teleportation gate installed in the Royal Capital.

Yet why go directly to the base?

Those who went to the base using the teleportation gate stopped returning. And after a while, the teleportation gate stopped activating. Probably the gate on the other side stopped functioning.

Is it an emergency!?

Yeah, so I went directly, but…

What happened!?

Darjin makes a bitter face.

As soon as I approached the base, I was attacked.

Who is the enemy!? Those black knights!?

No, not humans. The fortress’s defense mechanism.

What!? That fortress is decayed, and all functions should have been dead!?

Unbelievable! That fortress was completely decayed and showed no sign of moving until now!?

I don’t know the reason. But actually, the fortress’s defense mechanism is active. Probably our brethren were also done in by that. The teleportation gate must have been destroyed by it too.

What a thing.

To think such a thing happened while I was captured…

In this case, the Dragon Emperor’s resurrection must be true. He sensed our secret maneuvers as Demons, sealed the communication route, and then wiped us out along with the human anti-Dragon Emperor faction.

I see! The crackdown on the anti-Dragon Emperor faction was a cover to capture us!

Yeah, for humans, we Demons are legendary existences. The judgment was probably that explaining it as capturing the anti-Dragon Emperor faction would be less likely to invite backlash against forceful crackdowns than explaining it as capturing us.

A bold judgment…

Eliminating two enemy forces at once, killing two birds with one stone… no, demonstrating the Dragon Emperor‘s power too, so killing three birds with one stone…

But there was a miscalculation for the enemy too. Because I went directly to the base and was away from the town, I could escape the human attack.

Mu, true. Thanks to that, I was saved too.

The main base is also unable to contact the base. Many brethren were there. Once preparations are complete, troops to suppress the base will likely move. Before that, if we don’t achieve some kind of merit, we might be branded as incompetents.

But is there any way? Those black knights are frustratingly strong, you know?

I know. Therefore, a single point breakthrough. First, let the Dragon Emperor Rite proceed as is.

What meaning is there in that?

Probably the Dragon Emperor’s aim is to declare his accession along with the end of the Dragon Emperor Rite. The rite is perfect for showing off ability worthy of a Dragon Knight to the people. That means, as we aim, the true identity of the real Dragon Emperor will be revealed. After that, if we just eliminate the Dragon Emperor, the Dragon Knights will be confused and unable to fight. Then we just use the anti-Dragon Emperor faction bunch as decoys and escape.

Will it go that well? Breaking through those black knights’ defense is difficult, you know?

Then Darjin, floating a smirk, took out an old box from his pocket.

And when he opened the box, a shining gem appeared from inside.

We use this.

That is?

A magic item humans created in the past called Mana Breaker. It continues to absorb surrounding magic power, and when it exceeds the limit, it causes a tremendous explosion.

Mu, now that he mentions it, there is a sensation of magic power being absorbed.

Or rather…

Hey hey, can we trust something that we don’t know when it will explode?

Relax, if kept in this special box, it won’t absorb magic power. As long as the lid is closed.

I see, so just take it out when using it.

Moreover, this Mana Breaker’s power to absorb magic increases the more magic it absorbs. In other words, at the moment of explosion, it is impossible to protect oneself because it absorbs even the magic power of defense magic.

That is again a troublesome and terrifying magic item.

Nullifying defense magic; it’s a weapon extremely troublesome for the enemy.

However, at the same time, that means we won’t get off scot-free if it explodes at close range.

Also, this is my guess, but I think those black knights’ equipment consists of magic items.

What are you talking about suddenly?

We have continued activities so that humans would lose the Dragon Knight techniques. Therefore, I believe the Dragon Emperor’s war potential is not complete either. Then, what do you think is the source of those black knights’ strength?

You mean magic items?

Yeah, I deduce the Dragon Emperor found a large number of magic items by some means. Probably sought alternative war potential for the lost techniques.

Fumu, that is a plausible story.

And the Dragon Emperor and his group started acting because they gathered a sufficient number of magic items.

But what does that have to do with anything? Who cares about the humans’ financial situation?

I told you, didn’t I? This Mana Breaker absorbs magic power. In other words, even the magic power that moves those black knights’ magic items.

I see! If it’s the Mana Breaker, those black knights will also be caught in one fell swoop!

Exactly! Then if we drop this from the sky, the whole town goes BOOM before the humans even know what happened!

BOOM, is it!

Yes, BOOM! And even if there are survivors by any chance, if we attack with the remaining forces of the anti-Dragon Emperor faction gathered from other towns, we catch them all in one fell swoop!

“Hahahahahahahahaha!!”

This is good! It’s regrettable that we can’t see the humans’ surprised faces from the sky, but we’ll see fun fireworks!

Kukuku, I will definitely clear the humiliation of capturing me!

Haaahahahahaha!!