The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 58

◆◆◆

The winds of the Maristella Continent are peculiar.
When exposed to this wind, things decay.
Not a living being, of course, but inanimate objects like rocks decay rapidly.
It’s similar to the salt damage caused by sea winds, but the rate of erosion is incomparably faster.
Those with exceptional magical power can protect themselves from this decay, but for others, it can be a lethal wind.
Its cause traced back to the infamous Nezasia—known across the lands as the “Sea of Malice.”

But that nickname, “Sea of Malice,” held a double meaning.
One, in the sense of being terrifying, evil, and cursed.
The other, because the sea itself was saturated with overwhelming magical power.
And this magical power is particularly troublesome, acting like a toxin on all existence.
Some scholars speculate that something malevolent slumbers at the bottom of the sea, but the truth remains uncertain.

Since magical power can be both poison and medicine depending on the nature of its source, this might have prompted the scholar to propose such a theory.
That very wind now howls through Darkheim Fortress.
Normally, the ambient mana leaking from the many demons stationed within the walls would be enough to stave off the wind’s corrosive touch.
But soon… it was only a matter of time before Dalkheim, too, would return to the dust of Maristella.
Because a very, very evil villain’s son has wreaked havoc.

・
・
・

The wasteland before the fortress gates is littered with countless pieces of flesh and pools of bl00d, still faintly warm.
But Hein seems indifferent.

“Alright, let’s go. A fortress this size must have at least one or two commanders defending it.”

His leisurely footsteps echoed as he strode into the fortress.
Ouma followed behind Hein, snatching up the magic power leaking from him as he walked.
From the outside, he looked like an arrogant, villainous young master with a bunch of women around him.
There were many demons inside the fortress, and many of them were ready to attack with the determination to throw themselves at it.
There are many types of demons, including beastmen wielding large axes, giant demons, and little demons hiding in the shadows of doors and firing poisonous arrows.
But each time they attacked, Ouma devoured them whole.

“You can eat as you please, but try not to change forms too often inside the residence. Mother still thinks you’re some kind of female slime. If you suddenly transform into an Ogre, she’ll be terrified.”

『Y-Yes.』

From Ouma’s perspective, Helga wasn’t as captivating as Hein, but she recognized that she was someone his master cherished.
If she were to harm her in any way, the consequences would be far worse than mere annihilation.
And so, the repetitive work of consumption continued.
Before he knew it, there were no more soldiers daring to confront them head-on.
On the contrary, the demon fleeing in panic became more noticeable.
Yet surprisingly, Hein made no move to pursue them.
This wasn’t due to any semblance of mercy on his part.

For example, it was a well-known fact that there were many insects in the fields and mountains that were unpleasant to people, but would he go out into the mountains and kill them all?
Of course, if they were crawling around his feet or clinging to him, he might kill them.
In essence, that was the situation.

Hein continued onward.

He turned a corner in the corridor, opened an old door, and found himself in a large, dining hall-like space.
Long tables and chairs lined the room, with the remnants of a hearth at the far end.
An aged chandelier hung from the ceiling.
As he surveyed the hall, he noticed a female member of the Demon huddled in a corner. She trembled as she raised her face.
The woman removed her hood and gazed up at Hein in a posture close to prostration.
Her cheeks pale and teary eyes showed no trace of resistance.

“P-please help me! I won’t resist…”

The voice was obsequious, almost fawning.
Hein didn’t respond.
But just as he turned on his heel, deciding it didn’t matter, and began to leave the hall, the Demon woman started rambling about something no one had asked her.

“I… I have something I want to… to tell you…”

◆◆◆

“T-the Division Commander… Lord Faris… She was severely wounded in the raid a few days ago and is now in the infirmary…”

Faris—the name instantly brought Gramman’s words to Hein’s mind.

(“There’s a particularly tenacious Demon in the fortress. She calls herself Faris… It was a truly fierce battle! Time was short, so we ended in a draw, but if we ever meet again, I’d love to fight her to the death.”)

“So this Faris is bedridden somewhere in the fortress, and you wanted to tell me that?”

The woman nodded frantically, her expression desperate.

“Y-yes! That’s right! She was said to be beyond recovery, but the Demon healing magic somehow kept her alive… She probably still can’t move her body… So, therefore…”

“So what?”

Hein cut in coldly, and the woman’s face grew even more panicked.

“I-I’ll cooperate with you! Look, I don’t just have this small piece of information. I can tell you about the movements of other Division Commanders, all sorts of things! So please, just spare my life…”

Her voice trailed off abruptly.
Hein had his palm facing the woman.
As his hand slowly closed into a fist, her body began to collapse inward, as if crushed by an invisible suit of armor. Her limbs twisted inward, and tears streamed from her eyes.

“W-Why…?”

A voiceless scream escaped as a bloody gasp.
Hein spoke calmly, as if explaining a self-evident truth.

“Why? Do you believe it’s acceptable to betray your comrades? You provided me with useful information, making you my ally. But if I were to truly trust you, I’d fear your betrayal. That’s why I’m betraying you first and disposing of you.”

The woman’s mouth parted slightly, as if to protest, but no sound came. She collapsed into a mangled heap of flesh.

◆◆◆

“Might as well take a look at her face. Let’s go, Ouma.”

The two left the ravaged dining hall and ventured deeper into Darkheim Fortress.
Along the way, they encountered fewer and fewer demons.
After all, it was hardly surprising that the demons had thinned out after a hundred or two had been devoured.
In the corner of the corridor, a straggler soldier cowered, but neither Hein nor Ouma paid him any attention.

“Gramman called her the Ice Dragon. The magical power of such an inferior lizard makes my nose curl, but… her ‘scent’ is drifting over here.”

They descended the stairs into another corridor and continued onward.
At the end of the passage was a small room.
Stepping inside, they found a bed with a woman lying asleep upon it.

“…So this is Faris.”

Silver-blue hair framed a face marred by a thick bandage wrapped around her right eye. Fresh scars crisscrossed her cheeks, and the bandages covering her body were stained with dark, reddish-black seepage.
This must be Division Commander Faris, the sole survivor of the earlier assault.
Her injuries were clearly severe, but she seemed to be out of immediate danger.
Ouma glanced at Faris, a gleeful smile spreading across her face, and reached out a hand. Hein shook his head slightly, stopping her.

“Stop it. I hear she’s Gramman’s favorite. If you lay a hand on her, you might put him in a foul mood. Then he’ll start droning on about etiquette and all that nonsense. Once Gramman gets like that, no one can stop him. Even Mother will start saying, ‘Listen carefully to what Gramman says.'”

Ouma looked crestfallen but couldn’t ignore Hein’s order. She withdrew her outstretched arm, contenting herself with a hungry gaze at Faris.
Faris remained motionless, her shallow breathing unchanged, oblivious to the clamor outside.
Hein glanced at her once before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

“Time to wrap this up… I don’t want to keep Mother waiting too long.”

He makes his way back toward the fortress entrance, tossing off casual remarks.

“Alright, let’s go home.”

At Hein’s words, Ouma’s form melted into a grotesque dragon shape.

“I could have used a few more kills, but it can’t be helped—”

He was muttering to himself when the sky suddenly trembled.
A roar like thunder reverberated across the Maristella Continent.

“…?”

Hein raised his gaze.
A colossal figure materialized in the deep, overcast sky.
Its form was unmistakably that of a dragon.
Adorned with jet-black scales, its tail bristled with claw-like spikes.
Though both were described as black dragons, this creature was clearly distinct from Ouma.

“Oh, my…”

Hein seemed almost delighted—but.

“Huh?”

In the next instant, his expectations were utterly dashed.
The majestic black dragon, after circling above Darkheim Fortress, inexplicably fled westward into the sky.
Hein hesitated for a moment, then murmured with a hint of disappointment, “Well, it’s just a lesser one…” as he watched the retreating dragon disappear into the distance.