CH 155

C155: INTO THE SECRET SANCTUARY

I am Shax, a demon merchant.

The events that happened during my recent business meeting with Queen Astres, which has become the norm for us lately, surprised me.

After wrapping up our main business that day, I requested from Her Majesty something that I’ve asked for time and again.

I wanted to know where and how those masterpieces that shake the entire capital are produced!

My position as a merchant is no longer relevant; I just can’t remain ignorant forever!

That’s why whenever I catch sight of Her Majesty, I repeatedly get down on my knees and plead to her, but she stubbornly keeps her lips sealed tight.

“It’s a promise I made to the other party to never reveal any information concerning them.”

A curt attitude.

Nonetheless, I still want to know.

If Her Majesty can’t tell me the place, she could at least tell me the designer’s identity…

But then, something happened.

Bang!

Someone opened the door and came in.

It was a young demoness.

This lass seems to lack the presence of mind to actually barge into the business meeting between the Queen and me without permission.

I was about to give her a scolding on behalf of Her Majesty, but before I could, she bowed her head.

“?!”

She lowered her head before she could get scolded?!

“I’m so sorry, Miss Astres!!!”

I don’t recognize her, but it looks like she’s related to the queen.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t barge in like this, right?

“I’m sorry, I gave it away! I told them that I’m the tailor behind the popular clothes!!!”

?!

I, who was listening from the side, was surprised by her statement.

By ‘popular clothes,’ does she mean the very same clothes that I sell through Her Majesty’s provisions?!

The answer to the mystery that I’ve been pining over for a while now came to me!

The maker of those clothes is actually this lass!

“I reunited with my old comrades shortly after I arrived at the capital. While we were merry over each other’s company, it just slipped off my tongue! I’m so sorry! That’s why I came here to report to you so we can devise a solution as soon as possible, Miss Astres!”

“…”

Her Majesty stands up and walks over to the lass apologizing for dear life, and…

Whack!

“Her Majesty hit her!!!”

But Her Majesty didn’t stop there!

2 hits, 3 hits, 4 hits, and five… Ten hits, twenty hits!!!

“Your Majesty, please! You’re expecting a baby, so please don’t move around too violently!”

“I’m already in my stable phase. It’s fine.”

That’s your excuse, Your Majesty?!

The impact of the beating has kept the lass on the floor for some time now.

Please stop, Your Majesty! The poor lass will die!

If she really is the creator of that mysterious brand, it won’t do us any good if she dies here!

“What a disgrace of an aide you are to cause Lord Saint trouble!”

The pregnant queen continues with a somersault!

The lass is sent flying and slams onto the wall, making a huge crack on it!

Even after being crowned as queen, Her Majesty, formerly known as “Astres the Wild” and “The Brutal General,” still hasn’t lost her savageness.

I was terrified just watching the scene from the side.

A few days later, I received an unexpected offer from Her Majesty.

“I’ve decided to take you with me.”

“Pardon?! Where to, Your Majesty? The execution site?!”

I haven’t even recovered from the terrifying experience I had last time.

“Of course not. We’re going to the place you’ve always wanted to go to.”

Could it be the paradise where those clothes and crafts are manufactured?!

Her Majesty kept denying my request all this time, so why the sudden change of heart?

It still makes me happy, though!

“The proprietor said so when we discussed branding. He said it would be rude if we didn’t show our trust to you after all that you’ve done for us.”

What generous words!

“That’s why you’re invited to go there. She’ll be your guide,” says Her Majesty as she points to the demoness standing beside her.

She’s not the same lass I met before, but her age and appearance are quite similar to her.

“My name is Belena. I’ll be using teleportation magic to guide you to Lord Saint’s farm.”

“Teleportation magic at such a young age? …Huh, why are you grabbing me by the shoulders? Are we going right now? But isn’t it too sudde-“

The next moment, however, Her Majesty’s suddenly disappeared from my sight.

Well, it’s the other way around, to be more precise.

I was the one who disappeared from Her Majesty’s sight, along with the lass named Belena.

“Is this the place?”

I’m brought to the seaside surrounded by rich nature.

Hearing the splash of the waves is soothing to the ears.

There’s no sign of anyone nearby, making the place seem like an uncivilized virgin land.

“Is this where they make those clothes and crafts?”

I don’t sense any such civilized activities here, though.

Belena, the demoness who brought me here, says, “Of course, the farm we’re based on is far from here, as an ironclad rule whenever we set up waypoints.”

“Fair enough.”

One must indeed place them far away from particular areas in case the coordinate codes are analyzed by an outsider.

I guess that means we’ll have to walk the rest of the distance to get to our destination.

Well, shucks… I’ve been working so much lately that I’ve gotten physically unfit for a short walk…

“Don’t worry. Your escort has arrived. Look…”

Huh?

I shift my gaze towards the direction she’s pointing, and sure enough, I see a group walking towards us.

Are they… Orcs?

As a businessman whose company also dabbles in providing the Demon King’s army with orcs from around the world, their race is one I’m already used to seeing.

…Wait, no.

They’re no ordinary orcs; they look more like the mutated Warrior Orcs.

They’re a variation of orcs that spawn in dungeons and mutate for very rare reasons.

Their abilities are dozens of times greater than the normal ones.

If one of them joins an army of a hundred orcs, their strategic value will increase tenfold.

I’ve only seen them a few times in my dealings… Hold on.

Are the five orcs heading this way… All Warrior Orcs?

Inconceivable…

Five of them is more than enough to take down an entire city!

There’s a limit to how many elites can be in one group.

However, my astonishment doesn’t end there.

An even extraordinary orc is among the five Warrior Orcs!

That one orc gave off an overwhelming vibe, making it seem much stronger than the mutated Warrior Orcs.

He’s riding a horse, appearing like a knight or general.

Even the horse he rides feels imposing, all clad in armor like that!

“Thank you for picking us up, Mr. Orkubo. You’re always right on time.”

“It is a duty given to me by My Lord. I cannot neglect it.”

Miss Belena is having a conversation with the orc!

Wait, how can he understand human speech and communicate with her?!

“Mr. Shax. This is Orkubo, the leader of the orcs working at Lord Saint’s farm. He’s a stage two mutated Legatus Orc, is smart and super strong!”

“My name is Orkubo, and My Lord has given me the duty to receive you. We hope you don’t mind getting on this shabby, improvised carriage pulled by my horse, Gigantorock.”

Stage Two Mutation?

Does such a thing even exist?

If a mutated Warrior Orc is a dozen times stronger than the average orc, then a Legatus Orcs would be… A hundred times stronger?

And then there’s this ‘Lord’ they obey…

My thoughts came to a stop, and my consciousness ceased to exist.