Chapter 327: (Mid-rank) Now, Make a Comeback, Deogandai!

(Mid-rank) Now, Make a Comeback, Deogandai!

* * *

Gorogoro, Gorororo……

Today, the sky of the Dark Continent Sardisann is covered with black clouds, and an eerie thunderclap echoes.

“Kukakaka……!”

But this man, the mid-ranking commander of the Demon Lord’s army, Deogandai, was in high spirits without even minding such an eerie sound.

So much so that he unintentionally let out a laugh.

Pishaaaaaaan!

Lightning struck near the Demon Lord’s castle where Deogandai’s office was located, making a roaring sound.

And that light illuminated his laughing figure.

Currently, he has a deformed appearance with dragon-like wings and a tail, horns, and huge, sharp hands covered in scales, along with similar feet.

The sight of him shrouded in a deep shadow as he was bathed in the light of thunder must have looked truly villainous and terrifying to Maqueterra, the former nobleman of the Ashgo Kingdom on the other end of the video call.

“…… Now, beep, and……”

After confirming that the communication was cut off on Maqueterra’s side, Deogandai also got up and moved around, turning off the switch of the communication device.

Leaving it on unnecessarily would be a waste of magical power.

These kinds of magical tools consume energy called standby magical power just by being turned on.

Turn off the switch frequently to reduce utility costs.

The proper financial situation of the Demon Lord’s army is supported by these daily efforts.

“Kukaka! It’s been almost 2 years since the failure of the Liheid conquest……! It seems that luck is finally turning in my favor.”

Sitting roughly in a chair with a thud, Deogandai muttered to himself with a grin.

…… While muttering to himself, he slightly raised his hips, sat back down, raised his hips, sat back down…… repeating this.

He has a thick, dragon-like tail now, making it difficult to sit.

Finding the right position for his butt is also a hassle.

Now, putting aside Deogandai’s butt situation, since his defeat in Liheid, he has been completely removed from the front lines of the battle against humans.

The tasks assigned to him were things like creating base camps in magical realms, surveying the ecology of magical beasts in areas planned for invasion…… all mundane tasks.

He understands the importance of those tasks, but he, who seeks glorious military achievements, was never satisfied with the current situation.

He will definitely return to the front lines.

And show his power to the higher-ups of the Demon Lord’s army.

Yes, Deogandai had been secretly burning with fighting spirit and aiming for that opportunity.

“And the opportunity that has finally arrived…… the retaliatory attack mission on Ashgo…… Kukaka.”

Deogandai laughed and tried to lean back on the chair’s backrest…… but once straightened his back, tried to lean back again, and once again straightened his back…… repeating this action.

He has dragon-like wings on his back now, making it difficult to use the backrest.

Sitting comfortably in a chair in a good posture is also a hassle.

By the way, since the wings on his back are quite large, he has to turn sideways every time he goes through a doorway, and he can’t sleep on his back because of his tail and wings.

He can’t even sleep with his head turned to the side because of the horns growing from his temples.

Now, putting aside Deogandai’s inconvenient daily life, he was plotting to use this newly assigned mission to gain military achievements and make a comeback to the front lines.

Originally, the higher-ups did not expect such a grand result as destroying the royal capital from this mission, recognizing it as nothing more than harassment against humans.

This is because, although many members of the Demon Lord’s army including Deogandai don’t know this, the next main attack target of the Demon Lord’s army is already the cities of the Fantasy Continent.

The reason is that, although there was an unexplained period of delay, the hero Torch has already crossed over to the Fantasy Continent and started his adventure there.

For the Evil God and the Holy God, no matter what, the demon race is nothing more than a pawn to make the hero stand out, an enemy role.

The place where the hero is, is the front line and the stage of the war.

Well, putting aside the circumstances from the perspective of the gods, the mission given to Deogandai is to launch a harassment-level attack on the Ashgo Kingdom, which defeated Dodecabombo, a mid-ranking commander like him, together with the hero, as retaliation.

After all, it’s just harassment, so the budget given is small.

It’s clear that they are not expecting a result like the destruction of the royal capital.

But that’s exactly why.

If the royal capital can be destroyed in this situation.

…… That glorious military achievement has the power to bring Deogandai back to the front line stage!

“Kukaka…… Kukakakaka!”

Deogandai’s eyes shone brightly with ambition as he took a pen in his hand to finish the report on the habitat survey of magical beasts that he had been working on until he received the call from Maqueterra.

Snap!

Perhaps because he put too much force, the pen easily broke.

“…………”

Deogandai’s face immediately turned serious, and he reached out his dragon-like, rugged right hand to pick up a new pen from the pen holder, but……

He failed.

He crushed the new pen again.

These huge, dragon-like hands he acquired always exert monstrous strength.

These hands, which are reliable in battle, are unnecessary in daily life.

By the way, regarding his feet that have undergone similar changes, they also have increased output, but there is the disadvantage of not being able to wear shoes because they are too big.

Also, it’s difficult to walk.

“Aaaah…… damn it!”

Bam!

Out of frustration, Deogandai hit his desk!

Crack!

Then the desk split in two!

“Guaaaaah! Damn iiiiit! I’m so irritaaaated!!”

Deogandai stomped his feet!

It’s clear that if he stomps too hard here, the floor will break through, so he carefully, gently, stomped his feet!

…… It only adds to the stress!

“Hateful! So hateful! The humans who drove me into a corner and made me transform into this inconvenient 5th form, forcing me to live an inconvenient daily life…… I can’t stand how much I hate them!”

The flames of hatred and vengeance burn in Deogandai’s eyes!

“UOOOOOOOH!!”

And Deogandai howled meaninglessly!

But at that moment!

“Hey, Deogandai-san, you’re being noisy.”

Without even knocking, his direct subordinate, a short female demon, the low-ranking assistant Longinus, entered the room with documents in both arms.

“Ah, you broke your desk again…… Before complaining about saving magical power on magical tools, you should be more careful about that kind of thing, shouldn’t you?”

“Ah, yes, sorry……”

“Also, don’t turn the air conditioning on and off frequently. That consumes more magical power.”

“Eh, seriously?”

Deogandai bowed his head.

Since the failure of the Liheid conquest, he has completely lost his confidence in front of Longinus.

The reason is that it was Longinus who activated the emergency summoning magic and saved Deogandai’s life when he was about to be finished off by the hero.

Also, it was Longinus who took care of Deogandai when he was in tatters and bedridden.

Since then, Deogandai has changed his attitude towards Longinus, whom he had only seen as a shorty.

Rather than changing, he somehow became unable to act tough.

If he shows any tyrannical attitude, Longinus sends him a cold, scornful gaze, and that gaze, which never bothered him before, somehow gets to him……

“No! None of that matters! Longinus, are the preparations for the Dark Magic Wolves and Destroy Bunbun necessary for the attack on the royal capital of the Ashgo Kingdom ready!?”

However, since Deogandai is Longinus’s superior, he does act high and mighty.

Sitting back and looking down at the short Longinus.

…… And while helping with carrying documents.

“Yes, there are no problems. The preparations for the medium-scale transfer magic are also complete.”

“Very well!”

“However, this should be the first practical deployment of Destroy Bunbun. Will it be alright?”

“Kukaka…… There’s no problem. I am Deogandai the ‘Puppeteer’. I can control a single beetle with no issue.”

Destroy Bunbun is a giant beetle boasting the size of a light vehicle.

Big, hard, and powerful!

And it has 5 horns!

5 horns, 5 horns!

Even stag beetles only have 2 horns!

“That thing has an eye for honey. I’ve already learned how to control it to some extent, and I’ve also instructed to prepare honey as a final push. Kukaka, there’s no problem at all!”

Deogandai answered proudly.

The incomprehensible instruction to Maqueterra was a setup to make Destroy Bunbun charge at the castle walls and break through the defenses.

“Now, watch, humans…… This is revenge for Dodecabombo.”

Having finished carrying the documents, Deogandai muttered while looking out at the wilderness of the Dark Continent from the window.

Dodecabombo.

An excellent mid-ranking commander.

The man Deogandai (arbitrarily) saw as a rival.

They didn’t have many opportunities to exchange words (and it’s doubtful whether the other party even recognized Deogandai), but even so, Dodecabombo was a comrade in the Demon Lord’s army who competed for merits (or so Deogandai thinks).

When it comes to avenging him, Deogandai naturally puts strength into his shoulders.

“Now, be prepared, Ashgo!!”

Pishaaaaaaan! !

An even bigger lightning bolt than before struck, illuminating Deogandai’s spirited body in pure white!

“…………”

While looking at Deogandai’s back.

(Isn’t he getting a bit too fired up?) Longinus thought.

Somehow, that sight overlapped with how he looked right before the Liheid conquest.

(Just in case, I should prepare the emergency summoning magic this time too.)

Leaving Deogandai, who had started to indulge in his own world, Longinus left the office to process the preliminary application for that purpose.

【Longinus】

A low-ranking assistant in the Demon Lord’s army.

A petite female demon who is Deogandai’s subordinate.

Her combat ability is low, but her mental strength is high, and she used to brush off Deogandai’s sarcasm without minding it at all.

Recently, Deogandai’s attitude has softened, so it seems her impertinence has been polished.