It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

33. It’s mostly humans and elves who are bad.

───It seems that the dragon people were wiped out by humans and elves. Ah, again, it’s those guys… The demon tribe, followed by the dragon people… It’s mostly elves and humans who are doing bad things.

“What are the characteristics of the dragon people?”

“They have a mixed appearance of humans and dragons. They have wings and tails like dragons, and their skin is covered in scales. There are individual differences, but they have a strong defense.”

“Is the ‘Red Dragon’ Drake, one of the demon tribe’s Four Heavenly Kings, a dragon person?”

“I haven’t seen it myself, but its appearance matches that of a dragon person.”

The demon tribe, who were oppressed and rebelled against humans and elves, and the dragon people, who were wiped out by humans and elves. Their interests align, so they might be fighting together. Maybe the dragon people were once slaves, just like the demon tribe?

“Were the dragon people also slaves?”

“No, they weren’t. They weren’t a weak race that could be made into slaves.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The dragon people had magical powers rivaling those of elves and could handle various types of magic. They also had wings, which made their mobility top-notch. The scales covering their bodies were not just for decoration; they were extremely strong and could withstand even the strongest swords.”

Durandal’s explanation makes it clear that the dragon people couldn’t be made into slaves. Their specs are just too high. Compared to other races, the dragon people stand out.

How did humans and elves back then manage to destroy this monstrous species? That’s what I’m curious about.

“Just listening to that, I don’t get the image of destruction. Did something happen?”

“To be honest, we dragons picked a fight with the gods. We thought we were the ones who should rule this world. As a result, we made humans and elves who believed in the gods our enemies and got destroyed.”

“I don’t think humans and elves could have defeated us, though…”

“The numbers were just too different. Dragons may have high specs, but our numbers only reached around 300. On the other hand, humans and elves had a powerful alliance of 10 million back then. It’s no wonder we lost. War is all about numbers, Master!”

The latter part sounds a bit annoying. It’s clear that Takashi’s influence is showing.

But anyway, the dragons got too cocky and picked a fight with the gods. As a result, we made humans and elves our enemies and lost due to an overwhelming difference in military power.

Isn’t that just karma? Aren’t humans and elves innocent?

“In other words, was it the dragons’ own doing?”

“The initial trigger was indeed the dragons.”

“What was the trigger?”

“Yes. There was no need to destroy them, Master. I thought the gods would just get a little hurt.”

“But they did get destroyed, didn’t they?”

“At first, we started fighting because we picked a fight with the gods, but then we discovered the existence of magic crystals within our bodies. From then on, the magic crystals became our target.”

Whoa, things just took a dark turn. Magic crystals, huh? I’m pretty sure they’re crystallized magic stones. They contain hundreds of times more magical power than regular magic stones and can be used for various purposes, like moving large objects that can’t be moved with magic. They’re not something individuals can handle; only countries or nobles have access to them. Since they’re rare, they don’t circulate openly.

“Why did dragons have magic crystals in their bodies?”

“Dragons are different from other species. They can fly using their wings and breathe fire. They use magic to fly and breathe fire, of course. Naturally, they use up a lot of magic.”

“I’ve heard that they don’t have more magic than elves, though.”

“That’s right. So, they tried to store excess magic from other sources to use for their wings and breath. They started storing excess magic from a young age and managed to keep it within their bodies by incorporating magic stones. The accumulated magic over the years turned into magic crystals.”

“Can humans and elves also create magic crystals if they store magic?”

“In theory, yes. But it’s not something I’d recommend. You’d have to eat magic stones, and your body would recognize them as foreign objects and expel them.”

I won’t say it out loud, but it’s probably like excreting waste. Eating magic stones? Even small ones are around 5cm in size. They’re hard and stone-like, just like their name suggests. It’s not something you’d think of eating.

“Maybe the dragons’ internal organs were closer to those of dragons. Dragons eat magic stones to store magic within their bodies and become stronger individuals.”

“That’s why you can get magic crystals by defeating dragons. It’s because they eat magic stones. The same goes for dragons, but individual differences make them stronger, and they’re not weak monsters that can be easily defeated.”

“That’s correct. But dragons’ body structure was closer to that of humans. They also had similar weaknesses. Unlike dragons, they were also vulnerable to poison, which made them easier to defeat.”

Dragons and humans are similar in that they store magic crystals within their bodies, making them easier to hunt. I think it’s like how extinct animals were hunted for their materials in my previous life.

The magic crystals that could be used for national development were probably something they desperately wanted. As a result, they were destroyed by humans and elves due to their desire for magic crystals. Desire is indeed terrifying.

It’s still not the humans’ and elves’ fault, though.

“Let’s get back to the story. Rondalgear was a rare half-breed born between a dragon and a demon.”

“He had the dark attribute magic used by demons and the characteristics of dragons, making him the strongest magic king in history.”

“If he had the strengths of both species, then it’s no wonder he was strong. Could he use magic besides dark attribute magic?”

“I think it’s because he was a half-breed. Like dragons, he could use various types of magic. He used magic from all six attributes except for holy.”

Just as I suspected. It seems that half-breeds with demonic blood can use magic from other attributes. Sasha, who’s suspected of being the magic king, also needs to be watched. It’s either Tor or Sasha who’s the magic king…

Anyway, Rondalgear was a hybrid that took the good qualities of both demons and dragons. It’s no wonder he’s considered the strongest in history.

The 4th generation hero, Lloyd, who defeated him, must have been amazing. Takashi must have played a significant role as well.

“How did you defeat him?”

“I realized that a direct attack wouldn’t work, so I took a gamble. Hero Lloyd threw the holy sword, and when Rondalgear dodged it, our previous master used all his magical power to unleash a secret technique.”

“What secret technique?”

” 『Otaku God Sword, Comiket Warrior’s Passionate Slash』, isn’t it?”

Lame.

“It’s a supermassive magical slash that uses all the magical power accumulated by the previous Master.”

“Is it my 『Flying Swallow』?”

“Yes. The Holy Sword couldn’t dodge it, and 『Otaku God Sword, Comiket Warrior’s Passionate Slash』 struck Rondalgiea directly, dealing massive damage. The brave warrior Lloyd managed to defeat him by beheading him while he was stunned.”

The name of the ultimate technique is ridiculously lame, but it was thanks to Takeshi’s efforts that they achieved victory.

The combination of brave warrior Lloyd and Takeshi was also amazing. Were they bound by a strong bond?

I joined the party late, but there were only two men, so we naturally became close. I also wanted male companions in the party, but it turned out Tras was a woman.

“Takeshi’s performance was impressive.”

“Yes! But if the ultimate technique had been blocked or dodged, it would have been bad. The previous Master wasn’t that strong, so…”

That’s why it was a gamble. Rondalgiea was so strong that they had to take a huge risk to defeat him. What about the 5th generation Demon King?

Even the previous brave warrior couldn’t defeat him and had to seal him away. It’s possible that the 5th generation Demon King is stronger than Rondalgiea.

Is there any clue?

“Is there a connection between the 5th generation Demon King and Rondalgiea?”

“I apologize, but I don’t know much about the 5th generation Demon King.”

“Tell me what you know, Durandal.”

“I heard that the Demon King loves dragon meat.”

───That information is useless.