Volume 2 - CH 455

Should I keep the [Old Tale] or change it to [Folk Tale]? also, I’m not really sure if Dacia is a man or woman, the raw is not really specific either. And also, I just realized this series has a manga that has been translated for 3 chapter.

10-41. A Tale from the Past 3: Sermon

Dacia and Hiwa were sitting in seiza (a traditional Japanese sitting posture).

In front of them, Hinata was scolding them with a smile.

It goes without saying how they ended up in this situation, but Hiwa wasn’t entirely satisfied with it. Dacia had attacked, and he had merely defended himself in return. So why was he also being scolded?

“Dacia-san? Do you have something to say?”

“…Well, it’s difficult to determine whether Hiwa is human just by appearance,”

“But does that mean you should point your sword at him immediately? If there’s a person among the oni who appears human, it’s normal to assume there’s a reason for it, right?”

“That itself isn’t normal you know!?”

“Don’t talk back!!”

Overwhelmed by the pressure, Hiwa took a step back. Hinata then turned to look at him.

“Hiwa-sama?”

“Why am I being scolded too?”

“Because the sword you sent flying cut the house! What kind of sword is that, Dacia-san?”

“A demonic sword.”

“You’d know if you saw it! It’s something with improved sharpness by imbuing it with magic. I tried to block the attack with all my magic, and it got sent flying.”

“Why are you waving around such a dangerous thing?! I could have been killed!”

“Coming from you, it’s not a joke, so stop it!!”

“Ugh, really both of them!”

Shouting at each other, they seemed to calm down slightly after taking a deep breath and exhaling. They decided to keep their mouths shut to prevent further arguments.

For the time being, no one was seriously injured in the incident. Only one house was split in two, but that was the extent of the damage. It could be rebuilt, and there weren’t any major issues.

“Phew… Hiwa-sama, don’t get so worked up just because you faced a strong opponent,” 

“It’s the heat for a moment..”

“What do you mean by that? Anyway, Dacia-san, what brings you here today?”

“I need iron. I came to see if we could do a barter exchange.”

“Oh? Didn’t we receive iron as a reward from you before?”

“It’s a pathetic story, but the human army has occupied the iron vein… So the supply has been cut off.”

“I see… Alright, I understand. I’ll call for Enma-sama.”

Hinata immediately left the room to call Enma.

Hiwa let out a sigh and loosened his posture.

Why did she have to be scolded right after arriving here?

Blaming this confusing situation on Hiwa, Dacia glared at him.

“…What?”

“You were that snake back then.”

“You noticed?”

“You said it was our second meeting. It’s interesting how monsters can take on human forms.”

“You devils are just as mysterious. Oni, devils… You’re all incomprehensible beings.”

“You sound very human-like.”

“Maybe so.”

Hiwa smiled faintly and then loosened his posture. It seemed like he had decided to hide the fact that he was once human.

After a short pause, Dacia spoke up.

“Why can you, a monster, do things like that? Your katana, for example. Also, the clothes and buildings. They  said you taught them that knowledge. Where did you learn it?”

“I… just tried to imitate what was done in the place where I originally lived. I got quite close to it, so I don’t need to add anything more.”

“Where were you?”

“Well… let’s just say it was a town where monsters like me lived.”

By avoiding the term “human,” it ended up like this. Probably because he thought some might react negatively to human knowledge.

Dacia wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but she felt that if she kept asking, she would be evaded again, so she decided to stop.

She sighed, feeling that she had acquired an odd fellow as a companion.

As she was thinking this, the sliding door opened with a sound. It wasn’t Enma or Hinata but Renma who appeared.

“Ohohoho! Hey there, troublesome kids! How’s it going? Hohoho!”

“Annoying. Leave.”

“Don’t say that, Hiwa! Or are you still angry about the haori incident?”

“That attire suits you well.”

“Maybe it does~ Alright then.”

Renma took off a large katana from his waist and placed it beside him as he sat down.

It was a different weapon from before. Did he make this one too?

“It’s been a while, Dacia. I heard from Hinata, but what are your plans from now on?”

“First, I want to gather our forces. Without weapons, we can’t win.”

“That’s true. How about your soldiers?”

“It’s my responsibility. We’ll manage with devils alone.”

“Well, I can’t say I’m impressed. If your soldiers die, you’ll face problems later. Moreover, you guys had a natural fortress with that mine of yours. Just relying on yourselves, you’ll be shot down before getting close.”

“But we devils are the quickest to act. We want to strike before the enemy prepares.”

“You’re not wrong, but can’t you wait for reinforcements? Fortunately, humans are slow. Don’t you have a bit more time?”

“Sigh, well…”

Dacia’s judgment was correct, and so was Renma’s.

It seemed to be a matter of whether Dacia would give in or not.

The geographical advantage was undoubtedly on the demons’ side. Utilizing it, there was a chance of winning.

But the opponents were humans.

With their expertise in magical attacks, there was a possibility of being taken down before getting close.

In that case, the chances of winning would rapidly diminish, and after losing, the humans would undoubtedly send reinforcements to the mine.

If that happened, it would no longer be a situation the demons could handle on their own.

However, the human army must have been fatigued from the fierce battle they just had. Dacia was confident about that.

At that moment, Hiwa, who had been lost in thought, spoke up.

“…Miss Devil.”

“It’s Dacia.”

“Dacia, how about a siege?”

“A siege…?”

Hiwa created several balls of water and let them float in the air. He shaped one into the form of a mountain range and used the others to create doll-like figures, placing them around the mountain range. Then, he created another doll in the form of a devil.

Finally, he placed a figure of a human soldier carrying supplies far away, completing the setup. Now, he was ready to explain.

“Before, you mentioned that oni didn’t like devil food. Is it the same for humans?”

“When we fed human prisoners, we did get similar reactions. They ate it with a very bitter expression.”

“Let’s assume that’s the case. The mine should have food, but it’s for devils. Humans probably won’t willingly eat it. They’ll rely only on the provisions they bring. Sustaining thousands of soldiers has its limits. So, supplies are bound to be sent. We need to stop those supplies by any means necessary.”

He skillfully manipulated the doll figures to make the explanation clear.

“I see,” one would be tempted to applaud, but then Renma chimed in.

“But Hiwa, it’s not like it’s inedible, right?”

“That’s correct. However… while the food made with infused magic tastes good, it doesn’t last long. But it has the advantage of being able to grow anywhere.”

“Oh, I see. Well, for devils who can fly and travel quickly, food may not be that necessary. It’s a day trip, right?”

“Yes.”

“Man, how envious.”

Ignoring Renma’s comment…

Indeed, with this plan, they could reduce casualties among demons and weaken the human forces.

However, the real challenge was how to destroy the incoming supplies.

If we sent devils to attack the supplies and they were counterattacked by human soldiers at the mine, it would be ineffective.

So, Hiwa asked how to handle this, and the response he received was unexpected.

“Just wait until the last moment.”

“…What do you mean?”

“We’ll ambush the supplies when they are within range but not yet close enough for the human soldiers at the mine to counterattack… In other words, we attack from a position where the enemy can’t see our attack coming.”