Dregu

Landing outside of the tall, brownish stone walls, it didn't take long until two armed creatures came up to us, readying their big axes while vigilantly seizing me and my group of winged comrades up.

The two beings were large-bodied, bald, and muscular creatures with skin that complemented the brownish color of the material they had used to build their village. Their bodies were covered by roughly tailored armor made out of animal hides, just another example that they at the bare minimum one step more developed than goblins.

However, the biggest sign of their intelligence was...

"Stop! Name your business!"

Yes, the orcs were able to speak normally, and although their voices sounded a bit rough and even grimy to an extent, there was still no problem understanding them.

Behind them, through the entrance to their village, I could see a cluster of orcs, big and small, males, females, and children, looking at us with a mix of curiosity and fear in their eyes. But I couldn't allow it to change my plans at all.

For now, there was but one path to my survival.

"I am here to speak to your village head."

"Why do you think you are qualified to speak to our leader? We don't even know who you are!"

'Ah right... I forgot to introduce myself...'

Subtly clearing my throat a bit, I prepared myself for the acting that I knew would have to take place. And that acting began by circulating dark magic around my body, which had no actual benefits except for looking quite cool as the misty darkness started enveloping my body.

Then, after that, I flared my two wings, to which both of the orcs took a step back, as sweat slowly started to creep down their beige foreheads.

"Who... I am?"

In response to them retreating a bit, I took a step forward.

"I am the master of this land. I am the one who is destined to rule over all."

"S-stand b-back!"

"I am the demon king Aldric! And if you do not want your puny little village to disperse into nothingness, I suggest you bring your village head here. Right now."

"S-s-shit! A-Alright... Just d-don't..."

"No need Yargol. I am here."

Making my entire acting completely unnecessary, another orc suddenly arrived, positioning himself between his two guards and me.

Unlike the guards who were wearing leathery armor, or the ones behind him wearing clothes made of leather, the orc that now showed himself was wearing a dark brown robe, with a staff in his hands.

His skin was wrinkled, and although I believed the staff to mainly be his weapon, I could also see that it now acted as support due to his age.

Just as on guard as his guards, the old orc's face was tense as he spoke, "I am Dregu, the village chief of our village, as well as the leader of our tribe. What's your purpose in coming here, demon king Aldric?"

Quickly reminding myself that I was a bad guy and that I had no choice but to act like one, it didn't take long until my mouth started moving, spewing complete and utter bullshit with the evilest smile I could muster.

"My purpose? My purpose is to give you and your kind a chance to survive!"

Reading my intent, Dregu's face darkened, realizing exactly what I was saying.

"Obey or be disposed of, is it...? What if we refuse?"

Once again allowing my wings to flare up, acting as if his words only made me more excited, as if I wanted nothing more than to see them struggle, I grinned, "Didn't you already say it yourself?"

With that, I turned my body around, showing him nothing but the bare back of the demon who absolutely wouldn't allow them to live unless they came under my banner.

"You have one week, Dregu. In one week, I will return. At that time, everyone who doesn't wish to join me shall die, while the ones who do will be allowed to see a whole new world, a world where we stand on the top. A world where I will conquer all."

'[Flight]'

"Stop!"

For some reason, one of the orc guards panicked as he saw me taking to the air, swinging his axe that for some reason started glowing with an orange hue. Though I could only see it in the corner of my eyes, my whole body screamed that if I didn't do something, things might get extremely bad.

Spinning around in the air, I was met by the sight of a pale-faced, panicking orc who had just swung his axe, and from it a ball of fire had been sent, coming straight toward me.

'Oh shit!'

If there was one thing I couldn't trust, then it was the durability of my body, as I was still extremely sure that I was incredibly frail. Therefore, I panicked just as much as the orc whose face told the story of someone who fucked up badly.

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!'

In the end, my body just moved on its own, bringing out my claws faster than I had ever done before, and... counterattacked?

'Shouldn't I move?!'

Instead of dodging the fireball that was threatening to burn me and my wings like a chicken, my unconscious decision had been to swing my arm while using the skill that I had more or less automated, sending out four, misty black lines of darkness.

What happened next was... less than optimal, but still pretty good.

Due to the difference in our firepower, the fireball was instantly dispersed by my attack, which then continued on its path down, ultimately ending up colliding with...

*Splat!*

"Arrgh!"

"Yargol!"

The orc guard name Yargol, who had also been the one who attacked me by accident fell to the ground with his body mutilated and gouged by my attack, bleeding so heavily that it was obvious that he would not survive.

At the same time, I could feel a warm sensation fill my body, signaling that I had finally managed to level up again. Which frankly felt very inappropriate given the situation at hand, where I had somehow managed to end up killing the orc by complete chance.

"Pii!"

"Crawh!"

All of my followers' eyes shone up in blind rage due to me getting attacked, as the giant birds showed their full wing span and the fairies, including Pi, started to channel their mana.

However, given that the other guard and the Dregu were now on their knees, holding Yargol in his last moments, I simply raised my hand, stopping my little troop from doing anything.

Afterward, with my head still spinning with confusion and stress from what had just happened, I allowed my mouth to simply say whatever, hoping that my talent in spouting bullshit was good enough to get me out of this precarious situation.

"Feel free to see this as a warning, Dregu. Because this is what will happen to all of you if you oppose us."

Looking up at me with tears in his eyes, the old orc's face twisted in frustration and sadness, biting his lips as he couldn't find any words to retort with. Nothing except for one word that he was somehow able to squeeze out through his clenched teeth.

"Demon..."

Turning around for the final time, I repeated the warning I had given him, while at the same time taking our leave, with Pi and the others following me.

"One week, Dregu."

****

[Selene's Pov]

"We will miss you, Beldroth!"

Standing just outside of the perimeters of Laowh, next to two wooden carriages decorated with intricate patterns in silver, the color which symbolized the longevity of the elf, it was time for us to leave this village.

Something that clearly made Harry extremely upset, seeing as he was now struggling to withhold his tears as he faced the one who had acted as our mentor during our stay here.

"I will miss you too, but there is no helping it. You still have to go to Estador, the capital of Esna, if you want to meet your friends. Also, even though you leave today, that doesn't mean we won't see each other in the future."

"Beldroth..."

To be honest, I also felt quite emotional about this, just like I had felt during our class selection, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel excited! Because we would finally get to meet everyone else, which I hoped would finally get rid of the stress that had made my head its home.

So even if it meant that we would have to leave Luprad and the beautifully vibrant forest around us, I comforted myself with the knowledge that, just as Beldroth said, we could always return in the future.

A fact that made me even more excited, thinking about how I could show this kind of scenery to... to... to whom?

The annoying sensation of having forgotten someone once again penetrated my head, as a nagging sensation in my stomach told me that something was wrong. Yet, as I couldn't figure out what it was, I had no choice but to ignore it as we entered the carriages.

'