SWNOVELXO Chapter 517
Chapter 517. Gathering of the Army
Night.
Northern Front, Border Area.
On a small hill overlooking the mountains of the Dwarf Union, specifically the Feretoria Kingdom, numerous demon tents stood closely packed together.
The shouts of the demon race, cheerful singing, meaningless cries, and angry voices—mixed in with the sounds of servants and attendants rushing around, the creaking of skeletal wagon wheels, the crackling of campfires, bubbling pots, and the clinking of glasses—every possible sound of life filled the air, creating a chaotic yet vibrant atmosphere.
The Demon Lord’s army was gathering.
To showcase the might of the demon race both inside and out.
To carve out the territory of the Dwarf Union once more,
And to seize its fertile lands and resources—
“…Slow.”
Amidst the commotion of the common demons, stood a single female demon in front of a particularly lavish tent, wearing an irritable expression.
With gracefully curved horns and reddish-purple hair, her slender figure was adorned in a sensuous reddish-purple leather dress.
—Spinethia Sauroe.
She was the fifth prince of the Demon Lord’s Kingdom.
With her arms crossed, Spinethia tapped her toes uneasily against the ground, showing signs of annoyance—it felt like she was being chased by some sort of pressing ‘something.’
“…Lady!”
Her large, backpack-wearing beastman attendant came rushing from afar.
“You’re late, Koshigin! Hurry up!”
“I’m sorry for the wait!”
The attendant, named Koshigin, dashed towards Spinethia with all his might—
And presented her with a large meat pie.
In that moment, the front of Spinethia’s dress burst open with a loud bari sound.
It was a flashy sound, but it wasn’t torn; just the zipper of her hunger-controlling bon-dage had sprung open momentarily.
With a force that almost took Koshigin’s arm along with it, Spinethia snatched the meat pie from his hand without a hint of modesty, chomping down into it ferociously.
Washa! The pie crust was torn apart, disappearing into Spinethia’s stomach like water soaking into sand.
“Ha!”
“Gulp!”
“Yum!”
“Chomp!”
“Bite!”
“Munch!”
“Delicious!”
“Crunch!”
The rapid tempo at which Koshigin handed her food and the speed at which Spinethia stuffed it into her mouth—no, sucked it in—were in perfect sync, causing nearby demons to stop and gawk.
As Koshigin began to worry that his backpack was rapidly emptying, more attendants arrived with bags and boxes, shouting, “We’re late!” and “More food!!”
Naturally, the containers were packed full of dishes and sweets.
“…Phew. Finally settled down.”
Having just finished the food Koshigin brought, Spinethia rubbed her now slightly bloated stomach—it started to shrink rapidly.
“If you had taken any longer, I’d have eaten you too.”
“Yikes, please spare me! When you say that, it’s not funny at all!”
Koshigin trembled dramatically at Spinethia’s glare.
“Hey, have you gained a bit of weight? You look pretty filling.”
“I didn’t gain weight; I just got fluffier from taking a bath! I definitely wouldn’t taste good with my scraggly meat!”
“I prefer tender red meat over greasy fat anyway…”
“Yikes!”
With a serious face, Spinethia, and a fearful Koshigin, it was clear they were just messing around, despite the odd atmosphere.
…After all, it speaks volumes that a lowly beastman could casually chat with a Demon Prince.
“By the way, Lady, doesn’t your appetite seem to have sharpened even more lately? I can’t see your magic, but are you perhaps in your growth spurt?”
“…Maybe. I might be growing particularly well these days.”
In response to Koshigin’s astonished and impressed tone, Spinethia answered playfully with a laugh.
“I think it’s certain I’ll get promoted to Count after this battle, but I want to aim even higher.”
“Well, if you grow at this rate, the strategists will be happy yet scratching their heads, especially logistically!”
“Better than growth stopping, right?”
After waving her hand dismissively, Spinethia smirked ironically and held her hand up to the night sky.
“…I need to become even more significant.”
She swallowed the phrase about filling the void left by her deceased brother. The death of the Fourth Prince Emelgias had caused her a fair bit of trouble, even affecting her faction, the First Prince’s side. The current expedition of the Sauroe Tribe was just one of the repercussions.
Generally speaking, the Northern Front was not very popular, and each tribe was reluctant to participate. It wasn’t just the difficult mountainous terrain; the biggest issue was—
“I’ve heard those dwarves can be a real pain if they’re made enemies.”
Koshigin’s expression stiffened slightly as he gazed toward the mountains of the Feretoria Kingdom.
Dwarf Blacksmith Warriors.
Fully equipped with magical weapons, they were extremely strong in defense.
“Right. This is your first time participating in a battle against dwarves, isn’t it?”
“Yes! This is my first war in quite a while, too!”
“…You see those mountains, right?”
Pulling the spear embedded in the ground next to her, she used it like a pointer, tracing the air with its tip.
“I can see them! Climbing them looks rough!”
“Each of those is, quite literally, a dwarven fortress.”
“Huh?”
“Each one is a mountain castle.”
“Whoa!”
With a tap on Koshigin’s shoulder using the spear’s shaft, Spinethia sighed through her nose.
“The slopes are filled with traps, there are tunnels all over, and those dwarves can move like ghosts; the fortresses and watchtowers visible are all dwarf constructions. Trying to break through head-on is… quite the bonebreaker.”
“Yikes… that sounds scary…”
Since Koshigin had a role of delivering food to Spinethia, he generally didn’t participate in battles. So even during the explanation, he seemed to carry a somewhat detached air.
—However, regardless of how intense the battlefield was, Koshigin had to run and deliver food, so he could find himself in much danger even more than a poor combatant.
“Lady! It’s about time.”
At that moment, a demon man, Spinethia’s second-in-command, approached.
“The Korvuto Tribe representative has also arrived. The military conference is about to start.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Nodding after gulping down a bite of apple pie, Spinethia prepared herself.
—Now, representatives and notable figures from each clan would gather to discuss how to tackle that troublesome dwarven mountain castle.
How to take it down.