Rasperda Fortress.

　It's an important base for the Demon King's Army.
　Not only is it on the boundary between the spheres of influence of the human and demon races, but it's also the most important headquarters of each camp....

　If it's the human race, it's the center guild headquarters.
　The Demon King's Castle in the case of the Demon race.

　This fortress was built in the middle of connecting these two points.

　The brave must break through this fortress in order to attack the Demon King, and for the demons, this is their final line of defense.
　If they can get past this point, they will have to attack the heroes in the demon territory.

　Hence, this land is absolutely non-negotiable for the demon tribe.

　That's why the fortress was always equipped with the strongest fighting force of the demon king's army.

◆

...Kukku Kukku, Droyer.
"Hm.
Is the water group ready?
"Mm.

　Droyer, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army, "The Fertile Ground", waits for the heroes to come to his fortress today as well.
　He can't relax for a moment because he doesn't know when the enemy will attack.

　I'm going to be able to take my meals on the rooftop where I can see the whole surroundings.

''...Hey, Bezelia.
What is it?
Is it because you always make a water group because of the water attribute, after all?
Kukkuk, if you like, I can provide you with boiled vegetables, water buns, sudachi, sudachi, etc.?
No, no...

　The question of how the Four Heavenly Kings could prepare a meal by themselves in the first place has long since faded away.

　Of course, there are many other soldier mages packed into the Rasperda Fortress, but the center and the pinnacle of the fortress is the two tops of the Four Heavenly Kings, Droyer and Bezellia.

　It can be said that the fortress is currently being protected by these two signs.

''.........''
Hmm?　What's going on?
What's that spice?
What?
What's that thing you're sloshing around in your bowl right now?
No, no?　It's just a spicy spice, okay?　I mean, you said you didn't like it spicy, so I thought I'd adjust the flavor of the sauce to suit you.　I prefer it spicier, so this is how I spice it up, you know?
I want one.
No, wait?　That's why you don't like spicy food, right?　You know it hurts when I hang this up?
I know!

　Snatching the spice bottle from Bezelia, Droyer snatches the spice bottle and shakes the gwangwang over his own bowl of water troupe.
　And the bright red powder that dances down.

''Awwww........?''

　While Bezelia looks on in shivers, Droyer takes a sip of the water bowl whose surface has turned all red.

''It's hot!
''That's why I said it!

　I don't like spicy food, so why try to add spiciness to it.
　You will be able to get the most out of it.

''.........What am I doing?''
Totally.　That's funny, what you're doing?

　Bezelia was right to be stubbornly concerned, and Droyer's emotional instability had been more than visible lately.
　When he had scraped up a water troupe and became full, Droyer once again shouted loudly from the top of the fortress.

''I wish the brave man would come soon!

　That is what it was all about.
　Bezelia made a reluctant face as she cleaned up the dishes she had finished eating.

''........can you stop raising that strange voice?　The guards are anxious to see you?
Why?
"I suspect my commander is distraught...?

　There's a reason they are holed up in a fortress.
　They are holed up in their fortress for one reason and one reason only.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

　It is the role of the demon king's army to stop the savage heroes who are trying to kill the demon king with all their might.
　Droyer, who stands at the top of the army, is on the defensive because he knows that the brave men will surely come here...

　Recently, the brave men have stopped coming.
　That's a problem in itself.

　It was only in the beginning that I was able to prevent the brave party and make them retreat several times.
　Although he was not able to defeat them due to his lack of ability, Droyer was proud that he was able to keep his face as the Four Heavenly Kings.

　But after a certain time, he stopped coming.
　A brave man.

　It's their job to intercept the brave men, so if the brave men don't attack, they won't be able to do anything and their defenders will be untouched.
　However, the possibility of the brave attacker has not disappeared, so we can't let down our guard, we can only wait tensely and time is passing uselessly.

　That kind of time unexpectedly eats away at the mind.
　You can prevent the wear and tear on your mind if you take a proper breather, but Doroye, whose roots are serious, was unable to demonstrate such dexterity and was steadily wreaking havoc on his mind.

''Well no, why don't you get some rest too?　I'm just being overly cautious, okay?　You're going to break down like that, okay?

　A medical condition that even the cynical Bezelia was concerned about.
　It was no longer possible for Droyer to reach his limit.

'Not so fast!　What do you think you'll do if a brave man attacks while I'm resting?
I'll protect you then...?
You've already proven that you can't hold off a party of heroes by yourself!　I have to be in this fortress!

Bezelia shuddered at the peculiar idea on the verge of burning out, ''I have to be there''.
　This may not be a moment's notice if this is not a moment's notice.

'But, but what?　You'd think a brave man would have given up after all this.　I guess that's what it means when you don't show up for a long time anymore, isn't it?
'That can't be true. The only reason for a brave man's existence is to harm the Demon King. How can you call yourself a brave man if you give that up?
"That's true, but........?

　So even if the brave man doesn't show his face at all, you won't lose your guard.
　I'm sure that one day, a brave man will definitely come back here.

".........

　At the very least, if that 'when' had been determined, we wouldn't be in such a harsh defensive situation.

　Currently, the movements of the brave men are unknown.
　The demon king's army is also sending out troops to investigate the enemy's situation, but they have yet to bring back a single useful piece of information.

　The reason for this is because the Demon King's Army's scouting skills are low.
　It hasn't reached a certain level.

　It wasn't originally so, but from a single trigger.

　Dariel, a dark soldier, used to single-handedly lead the Demon King's Army's intelligence field, and from his position as the Four Heavenly Kings' assistant, he had infiltrated the human race deep into the depths of the human race to seize useful information.

　However, after Dariel's dismissal, the Intelligence Division is now without a commander.
　Furthermore, because Bashbarza, who fancies himself the leader of the Four Heavenly Kings, has refused to pay any attention to the "lowly and unflattering" investigation, the old intelligence sector is now dysfunctional.

　The intelligence nets that have been released in various places to hide out have also lost contact with the headquarters, and now the Demon King's Army is fighting with its eyes blindfolded.

''Brave man........where is the brave man and what is he doing......?

　Right now, the person in question is in a state of blindfoldedness.
　If you can use inter-intelligence to figure out the movements of the brave, Droyer doesn't need to be nervous about the brave man's attack, wondering when he will come.

　Or, if she had other people to protect the fortress.

　It is true that Lasperda Fortress is well protected by the two Four Heavenly Kings, Droyer and Bezellia.
　It's impossible for the two of them alone to defend it forever without letting a single moment slip through the cracks.

　Normally, it would be in order to have at least two replacements and regularly switch defenses, but the current Four Heavenly Kings were so dysfunctional that it was impossible to make such a shift.

　Bashbarza, the Four Heavenly Kings of Fire.
　Zebiantes, the Four Heavenly Kings of the Wind.

　As long as these two were willing to work at all, the remaining two would have to work twice as hard.
　That uneven situation was about to reach its limit.



　After a pensive thought, Bezelia said.

'Let's get in touch with Bashbarza and Zebiantes. We need them to help defend the fortress too.
If they're the kind of people who say and listen, there's no way we haven't heard from them to this day. As for Zebiantes, we don't even know where he is.

　Immediately after its inception, the New Four Heavenly Kings were highly anticipated as up-and-comers, but now their fame had fallen to the ground.

　Bashbarza has only the bloodline to gain, and the Zebiantes are too free-spirited. Zeviantes was too free-spirited.

　The devastating reputation of the current Four Heavenly Kings was largely due to these two in particular.

''If they don't agree to cooperate, you must appeal directly to the Demon King and appeal for their dismissal. As a prelude to that, we can request it.
It's no good. We who have been entrusted by the Demon King with this mission have no shame in disposing of our own comrades. I'm not going to be the only one. That is the duty of the Four Heavenly Kings.

　This all too serious character of Droyer's was both her virtue and her vulnerability at the same time.

　But just a few days later, however, a sudden change in the situation came from an unexpected source.

　The death of the current Four Heavenly Kings, Bashbarza, was a death.