Chapter 74 74 – A Melody Before The Storm

"That's why I'm still trying to find that woman." John, the shapeshifter who infiltrated the troops that were about to attack Vorn's base, kept running his mouth. "It seems that she is indeed pregnant with my child."

To be able to blend in, John often makes nonsense stories. Long trips for days were boring, so for the soldiers, this kind of thing was entertainment.

Once they became acquainted with John, the risk of suspicion for him was reduced.

One of his seven companions around a bonfire took a bite of dinner bread. "What if she's already with another man?"

John shrugged, putting his bowl of soup on the ground. "Well, at least I want to know whose child she's carrying."

"You want to do number two?" One of the other comrades asked as the shapeshifter stood up. "You really are like a bird, huh? After you eat, your feces come out immediately."

The soldiers laughed, and John answered as he walked away from them. "Well, I'm built different."

John kept walking, keeping an eye on his surroundings, making sure no one was stalking him. Behind a large tree, he concentrated on contacting Lord Vorn.

***

[Vorn's POV]

"Lady Phisovia is doing well, my lord." Ayre's voice rang in Vorn's ears. "We just gave her the boiled blood again."

"Good." I continued to wander around the camp of my troops. "How about you?"

"Well, I'm fine, still trying to learn magic from books."

"I see." I checked Robyn and Skeleton A, who was making a stew in a giant pot. "The point is that everything in there is safe, right?"

I need someone who can be trusted and has decent skills to lead the guard at the base. So, my choice fell to Ayre. She is one of my generals, and Lexi said her magic ability has grown a lot.

"Yes, everything is fine…." The shapeshifter was silent for a moment. "Ah, Lana asked about Ritor, your majesty."

I chuckled, finding Ritor lying on the grass with a blank stare at the night sky. "Well, tell her that while he's not with Lana, Ritor daydreams a lot. Maybe he really misses Lana."

And that's how it is. The minotaur seems often lost in thought on this trip.

"Very well, Your Majesty," Ayre responded to me again. "Is everything okay there…."

"Ah, there's a call from John." I found the call logo on my game UI flickering. "I've got to take this, Ayre. Thanks for the reports."

I patted the shoulder of Lexi, who was sitting on the grass yawning, then picked up the call from John. "Hey, John. Is there anything you can report to me?"

"Well, nothing special, my lord," John answered. "At this pace, they will reach Slivland Valley tomorrow afternoon and meet our troops."

"I see." I stopped walking to look at the undead army lined up outside the camp. "You still haven't found any sign of a Wyvern or the like?"

"I still haven't seen it, my lord. Today I've looked for it many times but to no avail."

"I see." I continued on my way. "Just keep an eye on them and report to me if anything is weird or different."

After John said goodbye, I hung up the call, and Emily walked up to me.

"All preparations for the undead army are complete, my lord." That woman smiled so wide. "With this, we can win."

I smiled back, then grabbed the undead general's hand. "Good work. I didn't think it would be finished so soon."

The two of us then walked around the camp again.

"After not doing it for hundreds of years, I realized I miss this situation: Long march to the battlefield," Emily muttered, looking at the demons who had lined up for food.

"Ah, you used to be a soldier, too, right?"

She sighed. "And after so many days, maybe we will be at war tomorrow. Honestly, I love fighting, but there will definitely be our comrades who don't make it on the battlefield. I've felt like I have a new family in the weeks of being with you and your comrades."

A chuckle escaped my mouth. "I didn't expect you to say something like that."

"Perhaps because for hundreds of years I was alone, so I can consider anyone here to be a friend, even an idiot like Ritor."

Once we got to the end of the camp, I found Xenora landed on the ground with several other succubi.

"You girls have dinner first." The substitute general ordered those who followed her, then she turned to the other five succubi who had gotten ready. "Now it's your turn. Good luck."

"I also want to have dinner, my lord," Emily muttered while exchanging glances with Xenora.

"Sure."

Well, hopefully, that's not a bad thing. I could have expected that a confrontation between my women would ensue, but I didn't want it to happen at a crucial time like this.

"You have become a great leader, Xenora." I smiled at the succubus while crossing my arms across my chest.

She sighed and shook her head. "No, I still can't beat Madam Phisovia, Your Majesty."

I can't entirely agree with her. Phisovia hasn't been shown to lead this many subordinates yet. In addition, I occasionally found some members of the other regiment gossiping about their superiors.

There are only two regimens that look solid. The first is the shapeshifters because they are really good at suppressing their emotions. The other one was the succubi. They never grumbled over their leader.

"We still haven't found the whereabouts of the wyverns, Your Majesty," Xenora reported.

"Is that so?" I rubbed my chin.

Wyverns were one of the superior weapons of the Durcia Kingdom. They should have taken them into any battle.

Could they be underestimating us?

"Well, you rest and eat, Xenora." I wrapped my arms around her waist, bringing her face closer to mine.

"I will do it later, my lord." She sighed again, giving a warm gust to my face. "Let them all eat first. I'm enough with leftovers."

"Well, that means we'll eat together later." I chuckled. "Then how about you sing to cheer them up? But please don't use the lyrics from that time again."

I'm not sure if a song about BDSM will raise their morale.

"But, haven't thought about the other lyrics yet." She replied.

I stopped in front of a large rock. "I guess humming from you is enough."

Xenora looked at me for a while, then climbed onto the rock. She took a deep breath and started humming.

The melodious tone from the succubus' mouth caught the attention of the soldiers who were eating.

I closed my eyes to enjoy her voice. It would be great if Ayre accompanied Xenora's voice with the lute, but this was enough to relax my heart a bit.