SWNOVELXO Chapter 518
Chapter 518. Blood Ties
In the center of the Demon Lord Army’s camp, a gigantic tent had been set up.
It was large enough to comfortably accommodate over fifty adults, displaying the Demon Lord Kingdom’s flag, a solid black banner, flanked on both sides by the Sauroe Tribe’s flag with a “white circle on a black field” and the Korvto Tribe’s flag with a “brown square on a black field.”
Needless to say, this was the forward command center for the northern front.
—As a side note, the tribal flags of the demon race are often extremely simple, typically consisting of a “black field” plus “some kind of pattern.”
For instance, the Reiju Tribe has three diagonal lines resembling claw marks (the origin of the Teleportation Spell’s mark) against a black background.
Originally, the demon race did not have a culture of “flags” (since fabric didn’t exist), but after venturing out of the “Sanctuary” and encountering outside civilizations, they eagerly began to copy whatever they found cool.
Sadly, at that time, the demon race lacked the cultural capital to come up with intricate designs, resulting in exceedingly simple patterns, leading the current younger generation to sometimes find their clan’s flags to be childish.
Moreover, the prevalence of a black background is attributed to the knowledge that in human and beastman nations, a “white flag” indicates surrender; hence, they interpreted the opposite—solid black—as a symbol of bravery!
The fact that the Demon Lord Kingdom’s flag is completely black is not unrelated, as it embodies the first Demon Lord’s philosophy of “our kingdom is for all demon races, and we will never favor a specific tribe.”
When Spinethiaentered the command center, it seemed the principal figures had already gathered.
“Hey, Spinethia! Have you had your fill?”
The one who spoke casually was a rugged demon man with striking copper hair, Marquis Sekihankus, the leader of the Sauroe Tribe.
“I haven’t had my fill since childhood, Uncle!”
Spinethia answered lightly. Sekihankus is indeed an easy company, being a direct relative as her mother’s brother.
“I think it will last until the meeting is over, at least.”
—As she turned around while saying this, Spinethia spotted Koshigin and a troop of attendants hauling mounds of food behind her, which visibly strained Sekihankus’s expression.
“Please, just don’t devour the army’s rations!”
“I hope it doesn’t come to that either. I’m counting on you, Uncle!”
With a dramatic munch, Spinethia swallowed a giant tart in one bite, prompting Sekihankus to sigh and rub his forehead. Keeping this hungry princess fed was no laughing matter…
“Ho ho ho! As always, watching you eat is a delightful sight!”
In response to their conversation, a white-haired, brown-haired, elderly demon chuckled cheerfully.
“Lord Panmoarus… you’ll only be able to laugh like this for now.”
“Ho ho ho! Well, Marquis Sekihankus, when the time comes, you might want to rely on us, as family. I’ll give you a discount.”
The name of the grinning old demon was Panmoarus. He was the leader of the Korvto Tribe and held the same rank as Sekihankus.
This time’s conquering army for the Feretoria Kingdom was mainly composed of the Sauroe Tribe and the Korvto Tribe (and their respective sub-tribes), with these two marquises as commanders.
However, since the Sauroe Tribe had a larger number of participants, it could be said that Sekihankus held the top position.
Additionally, the Sauroe Tribe was aligned with the first prince, Aiogias, while the Korvto Tribe supported the second prince, Rubyphia; thus, it wouldn’t be surprising if their relationship were more strained…
At least around Spinethia, things were quite harmonious.
“Wow, Spinethia has really grown up! It’s been so quick. I might just retire soon…”
Panmoarus mused, stroking his bushy brown beard. He had the demeanor of a kindly uncle, but in reality, he was one, as Spinethia’s maternal grandmother hailed from the Korvto Tribe and thus shared a blood tie.
Sekihankus had even inherited Korvto Tribe’s Earth Manipulation Spell and was a super-elite demon capable of utilizing the Sauroe Tribe’s formidable Hunting Domain, having risen to the rank of marquis at a young age, showcasing his obvious prowess.
“What’s with the weak attitude? Didn’t you say you’d remain active for life?”
“Well, while I’d like to rise to the rank of duke for the sake of memory… I must soon hand over my seat to the next generation. Is there anyone who wants to take my place as the leader?”
In response to Panmoarus’s call, the Korvto Tribe members around him raised their hands with varying responses of “me!” “sure,” and “if I could.”
“Hahaha!”
Sekihankus burst out laughing, primarily because the Korvto Tribe’s show of hands was so sparse. In contrast, had it been from other tribes, young and old alike would have clamored to raise their hands raucously.
However, as for the Korvto Tribe… they had a relaxed air as if to suggest, “whoever wants to do it, can.” It’s likely they could sustain themselves with just Earth Manipulation work, but one might say their unusually gentle demeanor for demons indicates they weren’t overly fond of war.
“Well, since we’ve been entrusted by the Demon Lord Majesty, I can’t just hand it over on a whim.”
As Panmoarus shrugged, a shout of “Then don’t ask!” came from the crowd.
“If one could ascend a title without going to battle, that would be the easiest path…”
Panmoarus began to grumble, prompting Sekihankus to stifle a chuckle.
What a leisurely atmosphere. It was hard to think of such statements as being made by demons.
(Well… considering that girl is here…)
Spinethia also smiled in disbelief. Next to Panmoarus, her sister, the sixth prince Topazia, was peacefully dozing. It seemed she was initially not supposed to attend, but ultimately had been brought along. And since she was technically a princess of the Korvto Tribe, it made sense that she was dragged into the meeting, though she was nothing more than a decorative piece.
With the leisurely commanders, the unenthusiastic youths, and the princess napping, the Korvto Tribe could easily be seen as a gathering of slackers, but—
—In reality, they excelled in field fortification, could collapse enemy footholds in an instant, impale foes with stone spears, and shower their enemies with rocks to shatter barriers; when they chose to fight, they were terrifyingly strong.
Moreover, although the Korvto Tribe wasn’t particularly fond of war, they weren’t opposed to it either; if someone insulted their kin, they would easily become enraged.
There were indeed those who once mocked and belittled the Korvto Tribe—
But throughout the history of demons, such individuals have been weeded out.
Thus, in modern times, they did not exist.
“…Now, have we all gathered?”
As the atmosphere finally softened, Sekihankus surveyed the tent.
The primary warriors of the Sauroe and Korvto Tribes, along with representatives from their subordinate tribes, were all united. While their ranks and magical powers varied, they were all at least of the viscount tier.
—By the way, Topazia remained a squire rank because she had never made any notable achievements in battle, but her status as a princess and her adequate magical prowess brought her to this gathering.
Spinethia, having reached the rank of viscount but with potential nearing that of a count, would likely be promoted unless she did something dramatically wrong this time. Everyone noticed her as a capable individual nearing count status by her twenties—
However, in the Demon Lord Kingdom, ability was paramount, and despite being a child of the Demon Lord, the highest rank among them in this situation was still Marquis Sekihankus from the Sauroe Tribe.
(And as for me…)
Spinethia herself knew she couldn’t afford to get carried away when aware of a certain monster who “rose to the rank of marquis at a single-digit age and was mysteriously assigned a top-secret national project by the Demon Lord, ultimately returning in a counterattack against her equally ranked brother with almost solely her own forces.”
“Koshigin, from here on out.”
“Ah, understood!”
As Spinethia fell into thought, the attendants, led by her aide, Koshigin, began placing down their bags of food and exiting.
It wasn’t just Spinethia’s attendants; the other servants and aides standing against the wall followed suit.
Left behind were influential demons and a very small number of night elves—
“Thank you all for gathering.”
Sekihankus looked over the warriors seated in a circle and stood up to start the meeting.
The atmosphere tightened. Even the Korvto Tribe members felt it.
From here on out, discussions directly tied into who would seize honor and glory and who would live or die—this was nothing less than a battle without crossed spears.
“So then—Lord Panmoarus.”
“Indeed.”
While still seated, Panmoarus tapped the ground with his toes.
—Magical energy surged.
The ground in the center of Spinethia and the rest of the circle began to rise.
A miniature landscape reflecting the surrounding terrain was generated in an instant—mountainous hallows, a road zigzagging through the woods, and a towering fortress of dwarves—
“Now, we will deliberate on the strategies for conquering the Feretoria Kingdom led by the Sauroe Tribe, Korvto Tribe, and allied tribes.”