0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 19: Hidden Malice (2) (Part 1)

As night fell over the domain, the villagers, thankful that another hard day had come to an end, went to bed. It was another day just like any other, and they thought this peace would continue.

– Roarrrrrr!

But their peace was shattered. A monster roared. Children had fits, and adults hurriedly got out of bed to grab their weapons.

“What’s going on?”

“To arms, gather at the gate!”

Anyone who could wield a weapon gathered their gear and assembled at the gate, trembling with fear in their eyes, waiting for the enemy.

And then the day passed, and nothing happened.

“…What was that?”

“Damn.”

Men grumbled and put down their weapons. It must have been a mistake. Perhaps just the howling of a wolf. They harbored doubts but chose to ignore them, returning to their daily routines. And then, as the day ended again.

– Roarrrrrr!

The ghastly roar sounded again, causing another uproar in the village. Adults grabbed their weapons and gathered once more, but as daylight broke, nothing had happened.

Exhausted men realized their routine had been shattered and that these roars would continue.

From that day on, the roars continued every night. They would arm themselves, spend the night awake, and stumble into the morning. Nerves frayed, people began to quarrel over the slightest matters.

Boom!

“What in the world is going on!”

The plump lord spat angrily as his soldiers scrambled to assemble.

“We’re doing our best to figure it out.”

“Quiet! Find the cause now! What use are you if you can’t even do that!”

The lord spat harshly, spraying his advisor with spittle. The advisor bit his lip in frustration.

“It seems to be the cry of an ogre.”

“An ogre?”

The lord recoiled in fear.

Ogres were mythical monsters capable of smashing human barriers and pulverizing village gates with a single blow. Such creatures were unheard of in this rural domain.

“Why would one be here…”

“We’re still trying to determine that. It’s too dangerous to send out the guards recklessly…”

“What? You haven’t sent out the guards?”

The lord’s face contorted in anger. The advisor quickly tried to explain.

“If it truly is an ogre, the scouting party wouldn’t stand a chance. Moreover, goblin territories are intermingled. We need to proceed with utmost caution…”

“Silence! It’s the lord’s command! Go find any trace now!”

The lord’s voice boomed with red-faced fury. Faced with the threat of a real ogre, his sense of safety evaporated.

“…Understood.”

The advisor bit his lip. His own son was in the scouting party. He wanted to protest, but the lord was not a man to listen to reason. If it was the lord’s command, there was no choice but to obey.

As usual, after the night’s howling, a scouting party was dispatched. A dozen soldiers left the domain with grim faces.

“That damn lord!”

Someone cursed loudly. No one tried to stop them. Instead, murmurs of agreement echoed around.

“Is his life the only one that matters? Are we expendable?”

“Damn. Why did such a man become our lord…”

As they grumbled, moving forward, even the patrol leader, who should have ordered them back, pressed on without a word. When they reached the edge of the goblin territory, the leader raised his hand.

“Stop. This is goblin territory.”

“Do we really have to enter? Can’t we just retreat and say we found nothing…”

A soldier murmured fearfully. The leader scoffed. Though he understood their fears, especially since they were inexperienced in combat, they couldn’t just turn back.

“The lord’s command aside, we are the guard, sworn to protect the village from danger. Can we stand idly by while a beast that might be an ogre roars near our village? Think of our families at risk.”

“…”

The leader’s words steeled the soldiers’ resolve.

“Why did you join the guard? Was it not to protect your families? And now you want to back down?”

“Damn.”

“Alright, the leader is too exemplary.”

With grumbling acceptance, their fear dissipated. The leader lightened the mood.

“Don’t worry too much. Ogres leave big traces, so they’re easy to spot. Besides, when ogres move, goblins tend to stay put in their dens, so we shouldn’t be in danger.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. So move carefully and slowly.”

As they cautiously proceeded, they found no trace of the ogre even after wandering for thirty minutes.

“Shouldn’t we start heading back?”

“Umm…”

The leader hesitated. The roars had clearly come from this direction, but no trace was found. After a moment of deliberation, he signaled a retreat.

“Let’s head back. Any further and we risk…”

Suddenly, the leader collapsed, a long spear piercing his thigh. With his fall, ghastly screams filled the air.

“Kyaa!”

“Kiek!”

“Goblins!”

Screams erupted as a fight broke out.

After hours of non-stop battle, whether due to their effort or the goblins’ strangely passive behavior, they managed to repel the attack. There were no fatalities, but nearly half were injured.

At night, they returned, wounded and beaten. The village was filled with groans. Fathers and husbands had returned battered. The workforce was diminished. As the roars continued, the village slowly succumbed to darkness.

Dissatisfaction with the lord began to accumulate.

“It’s all because of the lord’s stubbornness.”

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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