Chapter 103: The Ice Dragon Nia, Arriving at the Demon Territory
Inside the carriage moving through the Mystic Mountains, everyone's attention was completely captured by the adorable little Leest.
Surrounded by a group of people radiating such terrifying auras, little Leest huddled deep within Shiro's embrace, trembling uncontrollably. *S-So scary... sob sob, I want to go home.*
Sensing the sheer terror of the little sprout in her arms, Shiro reached out to gently pat her head, softly squeezing out a few words: "One of us."
Leest raised her head, looking up at her timidly. "R-Really?"
"Mm." Shiro offered a gentle smile, practically radiating a warm, maternal glow.
Leest was instantly comforted.
Meanwhile, the mischievous Fiel seemed to have discovered an incredibly fun new toy. She stared at the little goblin with a deeply speculative glint in her eyes.
"Sister, training," she muttered, stepping closer. She felt that this new toy was simply too weak and desperately needed a thorough, rigorous upbringing–just like the one they gave Sophia.
*WHACK!*
The eldest sister, Ael, immediately delivered a swift chop to the back of her head, forcing her to behave. Goblins were fundamentally fragile creatures; there was no way her tiny body could survive the absolute devastation of their "elite education" regime.
"Ow~!" Fiel covered her head, glaring at Ael with tear-filled eyes. Ael completely ignored her, dragging her away without paying the slightest bit of attention to her sister's tearful expression.
Witnessing this rather "heartwarming" dynamic, Leest's internal terror eased significantly, though she still maintained a thoroughly timid, submissive posture.
Outside the carriage, the biting wind howled furiously. The deeper they ventured into the mountain range, the colder the cascading snowflakes became.
"Up ahead is the territory of the Ice Dragon, Nia. That woman has a bit of a nasty personality, so keep your guard up," Ariel said, sticking her head back into the carriage to alert the group. "Shiro~ it's so cold, give me a hug~"
With that, Ariel began to shamelessly snuggle closer to Shiro's side.
Shirazawa glanced down at her, offering a flat, monotone reply: "Mm."
Ariel was absolutely thrilled. As expected, Shiro treated her the absolute best.
Shirazawa, however, stared at this pint-sized Demon Lord who had forcefully hijacked his personal "furnace," his brows knitting in slight irritation. *You are the literal Demon Lord, how on earth are you even feeling cold?*
Faced with Shirazawa's silent judgment, Ariel completely ignored him, continuing to happily cuddle and snuggle against Shiro without a care in the world. Seeing this, Shirazawa didn't bother to bicker with her. After all, he got to hold his wife to sleep every single night, so he wasn't jealous at all.
"ROAR!"
Just as Shirazawa was about to close his eyes to rest, a thunderous dragon roar pierced his ears. Merazophis forcefully pulled the Earth Dragon to a halt, shifting into a highly alert stance as he stared at the massive shadow looming directly ahead.
A colossal Ice Dragon, her entire form covered in shimmering, blue crystal-like scales, descended elegantly right in front of their path. Her giant physical build was incredibly graceful, and her crystalline scales radiated a blinding, brilliant blue light. Circling high above her silhouette were over a dozen high-tier Ice Dragons, serving as a protective vanguard for their Queen.
*Who goes there?*
A mature, seductive voice echoed directly within everyone's minds via Telepathy. Ariel led the party as they calmly stepped out from the carriage.
"Tsk~ you're asking when you already know the answer."
A wave of pure Demon Lord pressure exploded from Ariel's frame, clashing head-on with the Ice Dragon Nia's aura.
*Oh, my. And here I was wondering who it could be. Turns out it's just the little Demon Lord girl.*
Niya's voice was thoroughly enchanting, possessing a velvety smoothness that practically sent a pleasant shiver down one's spine. She paced forward with slow, deliberate strides, her slender dragon torso swaying beautifully. Every single inch of her scales looked as though it had been meticulously carved from pure crystal, rendering her exceptionally breathtaking to behold.
*Speak. What brings you to my territory?* Nia's eyes swept across Shirazawa and the rest of the party. Her tone carried a trace of laziness, yet underneath lay a dense layer of absolute vigilance and hostility.
"Just passing through to reach the Demon Territory. We aren't here for you," Ariel stated plainly, completely skipping any useless pleasantries to go straight to the point.
*Merely passing through?* Nia narrowed her fox-like eyes, analyzing their composition. Suddenly, she let out a soft, melodious giggle, her vocal texture incredibly alluring. *Since you aren't here for me, I won't waste your time. Take care.*
To be perfectly honest, looking at the sheer weight of the group's lineup, Nia had initially assumed they were a high-tier dragon-slaying vanguard. Six Myth-tier powerhouses stacked alongside the literal Demon Lord–anyone with a brain would want to avoid that fight.
Ariel was just about to breathe a sigh of relief, thinking she could bypass a troublesome skirmish and save some operational energy.
Regrettably, she spoke too soon.
Nia's gaze happened to catch sight of the massive wine barrels strapped to the rear of the carriage. Her forward stride instantly locked up, a deeply mischievous glint pooling within her eyes.
*On second thought... this is technically my domain, after all. If I just let you pass through without leaving anything behind, it would make me look terribly weak, wouldn't it?*
"Uh..." The group was temporarily rendered entirely speechless.
*Is this dragon a literal bandit? Demanding a toll fee right out in the open–why don't you just fly away?*
*The Demon Lord's aura was simply so overwhelming that it thoroughly terrified my dependents, rendering them completely unable to sleep. Surely you must compensate us with a bit of mental distress coverage,* Nia talked entirely to herself, completely unbothered by the rapidly darkening expression on Ariel's face.
No wonder Ariel had previously warned them that this individual possessed a terrible personality among the dragon race; she truly lived up to the reputation.
"Since you all love sleeping so much, how about I make sure none of you ever wake up again?" Ariel stepped right up to Nia, her face completely flat. This dragon was genuinely asking for a beating!
Nia looked down at her sideways, thoroughly unbothered. *Oh? You want to throw hands? Aren't you terrified of the grand lord backing my lineage coming to settle the score later?*
The moment those words left her mouth, the group experienced a intense wave of deja vu. If they recalled correctly, that ridiculous Wind Dragon back then had utilized the exact same rhetorical defense.
Good grief. So it turned out her absolute confidence stemmed entirely from her structural backing under Güliedistodiez.
"Sigh~"
Ariel instantly lost all internal motivation to fight. She casually tossed a few large barrels of premium liquor toward Nia to quickly dismiss her.
Nia blinked in brief surprise, her eyes lighting up instantly. Snatching the barrels, she executed a perfect dragon-vacuum inhale, chugging the contents in a single breath.
*Wow~ how many centuries has it been since I last tasted alcohol this wonderfully sweet?* Her eyes grew hazy, her face overflowing with absolute satisfaction. She then defensively wrapped her massive claws around the remaining barrels, clutching them tightly to her chest as if terrified Ariel might suddenly regret the transaction.
Witnessing Nia's completely ridiculous, comical behavior, the group couldn't help but crack a smile.
*Ahem. I have always prided myself on my supreme hospitality. Take your time, everyone, and you are absolutely welcome to visit again next time~* Nia quickly re-stabilized her expression, waving her massive claw in a formal parting gesture.
The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. This dragon was truly... a piece of work.
Bidding farewell to Nia, the caravan resumed its journey. Along the way, they encountered a decent number of aggressive monsters, all of which were systematically converted into casual side dishes by Ariel. The remainder of the trek was entirely smooth, secure, and packed with non-stop eating and drinking.
Finally, a full month later, they successfully crossed the threshold into the Demon Territory.
The howling blizzard gradually receded, revealing a wonderfully cozy, structured town right before their eyes. This settlement sat right along the border of the Demon Territory; though it lacked grand, bustling prosperity, it operated with flawless, organized efficiency. Street vendors navigated the pathways, their vocal advertisements echoing through the air.
Sophia stood on her tiptoes, pushing the carriage window open to poke her head out, surveying the layout with deep curiosity.
"How is this so completely different from what I envisioned?" she wondered aloud. "Shouldn't this place be a thoroughly grim, terrifying, and ominous demonic wasteland?"
Shirazawa delivered a light, corrective tap to her forehead. "What kind of absolute nonsense are you cooking up in that head of yours now?"
"Ow~ it hurts, hurts~" She immediately covered her forehead, murmuring under her breath, "Why do you have to be so incredibly strict?"
"If you trigger another tactical disaster going forward, I am flatly refusing to bail you out next time." Shirazawa stared at her with absolute seriousness, causing her to instantly lose all her bravado.
"Oh... I understand~ Master~" she conceded, her lips puckering into a deeply aggrieved pout.
"Heh." Shirazawa let out a faint snort, shifting his focus away from her to analyze the town.
The surrounding citizens looked absolutely no different from standard humans–ordinary, simple people living their lives. The warm sunlight blanketed the town, weaving an incredibly cozy, familiar atmosphere that felt deeply welcoming.
A wave of profound surprise and disbelief settled across everyone's faces.
"Hehehe, well? Quite unexpected, isn't it?"
Throughout their long journey, Ariel had meticulously instructed the group in the structure of the Demon tongue, yet she had intentionally kept completely quiet regarding the actual socioeconomic reality of the Demon race. Her singular objective was to witness the exact blank, dumbfounded expressions currently plastered across their faces.
It was honestly impressive that she had managed to hold it in for so long; a standard person would have definitely blabbed about it weeks ago.
*As expected of a long-lived grandma, her baseline patience is truly phenomenal,* Shiro silently noted within her mind.
Almost as if she could actively perceive the internal commentary running through her brain, Ariel leaned close with a thoroughly mischievous grin. "Shiro, were you just thinking about something incredibly rude regarding my character?"
"..." Shiro blinked, her smile freezing instantly as she opted to maintain absolute, dead silence.
Sometimes, silence truly was the ultimate tool to neutralize a conversation.
"Hmph~" Ariel turned her head away with an adorable pout, choosing not to press the issue further. "Let's go. First, we need to locate a proper establishment to settle down."
The group nodded in unison, trailing closely behind her steps as they entered the town to hunt for a suitable inn.
The exact second they crossed the threshold of the gates, the local sentries instantly detected the colossal, distinctive aura of the Demon Lord. While the party walked away, the border soldiers immediately mobilized to transmit an emergency dispatch to the higher echelons of command.
The Demon Lord, who had been completely missing from action for years... had officially returned.
---
[100 Ps = 1 Bonus Chapter.]
[20 total review = 1 Bonus Chapter.]
[50 Advanced Chapters (Patreon) + 32 Chs left to be posted till end.]
[] Patreon:
➔ Unlock advanced chapters & exclusive supporter roles in discord!
➔ For 50 adv chapters. [email protected]/Prince_of_LanLi