Demon King's Most Precious

The trip

As my body was forced still by the shackles, I could only listen to the galloping of the horses' hoofs. I could count the changes of day and night by observing the changes in the amount of light let through by the curtain. 

I was cursing that man in my head. If he was going to carry me to be killed by the Demon King, the least he could do is let me see the sights. For me, who has never traveled outside of my home country, it would provide good entertainment. 

The only thing I could do was count the days, hours, and minutes as time went by. We stopped once a day. During that very brief stop, I was allowed to leave the carriage for necessary bodily functions. 

I also got to witness the wonder that is magic. It was genuinely mysterious, and as soon as a guard used magic to lit torches or create water, I watched with genuine interest. I wondered how it worked. It seems like there was a process of chanting, but I couldn't quite grasp whether there was unity in those chants. I wonder if there is some logic in forming chants or if you have to memorize them?

I saw the guards sip on a bottle of blue liquid after performing magic from time to time. I wonder if that is the so-called mana potion. I had encountered those in many games and fantasy novels. In short, they recovered mana or magical power that is consumed by the body when using magic. It would seem like there is something similar to mana in this world and that liquid most likely recovers it. Still, it would seem like these guards don't have a lot of magical power or mana if they have to recover it after creating a small fire.

The magic truly is wonderous. I'm slightly sad that I will not get to try it. Well, I probably wouldn't even be able to use it as I will most likely starve before we even reach our destination. 

After all, There was no food given to me. The portions were limited, and that man took most of them. After the guards and he ate, there was nothing left for me. As hours become days, I could feel my body wither and starve. After two days of travel, I could no longer feel the hunger, but it became a feeling of constant weakness. I doubted whether I would survive till we arrived.

Luckily the guard captain who had previously fixed my dress had some humanity and provided me water regularly. He also apologized profusely at every opportunity given. It seems like he didn't want to torture me like this. Well, it's not like I can blame him. If he went against that man's orders, it would be his life at stake and not mine. I don't blame him; at least he shows me decency.

It was also that guard captain that, from time to time, quietly talked to me. He told me that that man was a Baron in a human kingdom called Lulux. From what I have put together from the things I have heard here and there and how he acts, it would seem like he has an inferiority complex.

His father was a low-ranking noble, and he inherited his Baron title. He has no real authority apart from the small piece of land he governs. He can't attend court, and he isn't that good with business. His wealth has been dwindling for some time due to his overconsumption and greed, leading to him overtaxing people. In turn, over-taxation led to people who could, moving away. 

Indeed a stereotypical and stupid story. It would seem like the King was smart enough to restrict him to a small piece of land, not letting him gain influence. I'm sure there are reasons as to why he hasn't been stripped of his title yet. For one, I wouldn't look at such poor management if I was in charge. Leading a country is, after all, is like managing a huge company. If one screw comes loose, the whole thing smashes down to its face.

It seems like this deal with the demon King is his last straw to gain influence. After he becomes more powerful, he wishes to invade the kingdom of Lulux. I genuinely wonder if there are maggots in place of his brain as his plans are genuinely not so well thought out. I'm sure the kingdom has enough battle strength to subjugate one overgrown baby even if the Demong King slightly pumped him up with extra power.