Side Story – The Reconnaissance of the Human-Demon Race

The Demon Lord’s domain is known as the “Land of Death.”

The common belief is that the name comes from the idea that anyone who steps into it dies, but in truth, it’s called that because the land itself is literally dead.

Crops can’t be grown; only weeds survive.
As a result, demons and monsters—who require food to live—survive by eating animals or other edible monsters.

However, even animals and edible monsters need crops for feed, so food shortages have led to a steady decline in the demon population year after year.

In response to this crisis, a Demon Lord—the first in hundreds of years—was born. To survive, the Demon Lord decided to invade human lands and steal food.
If land can be seized, crops can be grown. So now, with clear intent, the Demon Lord has begun expanding their territory.

Even within the Demon Lord’s domain—the so-called Land of Death—the northwest region is especially barren.
This is due to a lack of rainfall, and the land is so cracked and dry that not even weeds grow properly.

Still, there’s a demon-inhabited city in the northwest: Tirgancia.
It’s home to various demon races such as the Oni-demons, Phantom-demons, and Beast-demons, and it’s ruled by the Abascal family—a clan of Human-Demons.

This powerful family has governed Tirgancia for about 300 years, since the time of the previous Demon Lord.
Although the land is dead, several mineral-rich areas lie nearby. By exporting gold, silver, gemstones, and iron, the city has remained relatively prosperous.

But in recent years, the widespread food crisis across the Demon Lord’s territory has affected Tirgancia as well.
Even offering valuable ores as payment no longer guarantees food in return.

This has led to growing voices calling for a halt to mining and a shift toward self-sustained agriculture, leaving the Abascal family increasingly troubled.

“Hey, Pops! There’s been another boycott at the northern mine!”

“Another one? I suppose it’s inevitable since we can’t provide enough food… but at this rate, we’ll run out of resources too. …Father, what do you plan to do?”

“…I’m thinking. Quiet for a moment.”

“What do you mean ‘quiet’? If this keeps up, the city’s gonna fall apart! I say we join the Demon Lord’s army. Forget mining—let’s form a military unit and sign up!”

“I used to be against it, but now I agree with Zepaul. From what I hear, the Demon Lord’s army and allied towns and villages are given food as a priority. Since we can’t sustain ourselves, I think joining them is the only way.”

“…Tch. Milagros, what do you think?”

Father didn’t ask my loud brother or sister for their opinion—he turned to me, who hadn’t spoken a word so far.
In our strategy meetings—more like family meetings—when Father calls on me, it usually means he wants someone to shoot down the current idea.

“I don’t like it. I don’t want to fight, and maybe the Demon Lord is impressive, but I don’t think his army can win.”

“How can you say that? We’re fighting humans, you know? No way we’d lose to them.”

“True, we might win on an individual level. But humans have too many numbers. On top of that, the difference between strong and weak individuals is extreme. If we only look at the weak majority, we’ll get caught off guard.”

“I’m sure the Demon Lord has taken that into account. Still, like Zepaul said, the odds of winning are higher.”

“If the odds were really that high, how come we’ve never beaten humans in recorded history? I think we’re more likely to lose this time too.”

“I understand your opinion, Milagros. Let me consider this more carefully.”

Normally, I just read Father’s intentions and offer a counterargument, but this time I truly meant it.
There are even rumors that the humans have summoned a Hero. If that’s true, our chances of winning drop even further.

“Pops… Sitting here talking isn’t gonna settle anything.”

“…Fine. Then, Milagros, since you’re against the idea, I’ll assign you a task. In human territory, there’s a mountain called Mount Edelgius, home of the dragonfolk. I want you to find out which side the dragonfolk will support if war breaks out.
If they side with humans, we’ll stay out of the war. But if they side with the Demon Lord, we’ll join his army.
…Anyone opposed?”

No one—including my brother and sister—objected to Father’s statement.

I wanted to ask why it had to be me going, but I missed my timing, and before I knew it, I’d been assigned to go to Mount Edelgius.

We couldn’t afford to bring much food, and traveling with a large group would only increase the risk of detection, so I was sent alone to Mount Edelgius.

Among all of Tirgancia, I’m the most skilled in stealth, but still—this was my first time stepping foot into human lands, and doing so alone made me extremely anxious.

Even though the stress was enough to make my hair fall out, I somehow managed to cross the border and enter human territory.

So far, I’d avoided detection, but the border area was swarming with human guards. I could be discovered at any moment.

There were even a few humans scattered throughout who radiated an aura of overwhelming danger—
If I’m found, I’ll be dead on the spot.

I moved with extreme caution, and it took me three whole days just to slip past the heavily guarded border.

I had assumed that once past the border, things would be relatively safer. But humans were everywhere—far more than demons. No matter which path I took, I constantly sensed human presence.

I fled into forests, circled wide around any sign of life, and finally… I reached Mount Edelgius, just as it was marked on my map.

At last, I felt like I could breathe.

I thought I was in the clear and approached one of the dragonfolk stationed at the entrance to speak with them—

“Huh? Is that… a demon? There’s a demon here!”

“We’re under attack! A demon is invading! Call for reinforcements immediately!”

The demons are hated by the dragonkin.

Unaware of that fact, I ended up being chased by dragonkin soldiers for three whole days and nights.

Though I somehow managed to escape, I had already run out of stamina.

My mind had long since been worn out, and I had run out of food the day before reaching Mount Edelgius.

I had assumed the dragonkin would provide food, so that three-day chase became the final blow for me.

I had strayed far off course during the chase, so much so that even my map was useless—I no longer had any idea where I was.

With no strength, no mental will, and no food left, I was sure I was going to die here.

If I was going to starve to death, maybe it would’ve been easier to be killed by the dragonkin soldiers.

Cursing myself for fleeing purely on instinct, I lay there and looked up at the sky.

“…I don’t want to die.”

As I looked up at the bright, beautiful blue sky, the words slipped from my mouth.

Tears welled up and blurred my vision.

I cursed my father for sending me to Mount Edelgius, and I cursed my older brother and sister for telling me to join the Demon Lord’s army.

“…Damn it. Damn it all!”

Using up the last of my strength, I shouted my curses into the beautiful sky.

I could no longer even make a sound.

Just as I was certain of my death through my hazy vision, something appeared before me—an object like a reddish-black liquid.

A… slime?

Slimes are said to be the weakest of all monsters, but they’re also known for eating absolutely anything.

It must’ve heard my final cries and thought I was food, which is why it came closer.

So, this is it—eaten by the weakest slime in the end.

What a pathetic way to go.

I wanted to run, but I no longer had the strength. I couldn’t even call for help.

Even if I did, only humans would come, and either way, it would be hopeless.

As I was lost in thought, the strangely colored slime came right up to me.

Then, without hesitation, it swallowed me whole.

And just like that, my short life came to an abrupt and meaningless end.

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