"What else would it be?"
Frey gazed at the group of bewildered old fools in the distance with a look that screamed they were idiots.
She lounged on her carriage, idly admiring her freshly manicured nails, not sparing the Tengu elders a shred of attention.
"You lot were never of any use to me."
"At best, you provided some scraps of intelligence."
But such dealings were nothing more than bribing an enemy to gain information.
The Tengu elders had aided the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia, but they'd also reaped plenty of benefits in return.
It was a transaction, plain and simple... where was the loyalty in that?
And Frey despised traitors above all else!
No, it was more than that.
No ruler in this world could stomach those who betrayed their own kin and defected to the enemy.
If you could turn on your own people, what guarantee was there you wouldn't betray her in the future?
Rather than keeping the Tengu elders around and constantly watching her back, it was far simpler to wipe them out and be done with it.
"They deserve it!"
Seeing Frey's stance toward traitors, Momiji and the other Tengu regarded the elders as nothing more than clowns.
Rise of the Tengu? What a joke!
Did they really think they were some grand figures?
"No, you can't do this!"
The hawkish elder cried out in horror. "Without us, this is an invasion!"
"Yes, an invasion! This is an invasion!"
"The Jura Great Forest is Veldora's territory. If you dare invade, the Demon Lords won't let you off!"
Clinging to their last shred of hope, the hawkish elder berated Frey, desperate to prove their importance.
"Oh?"
Frey only found it laughable.
She wasn't angered by the elder's words.
On the contrary, they finally piqued her interest enough to have a proper conversation.
"Done playing the fool?"
Frey smirked. "Too bad you don't understand the relationships between Demon Lords."
True, the Ten Great Demon Lords had an agreement not to encroach upon the unclaimed Jura Great Forest.
But Frey had no intention of occupying the forest.
All she needed was a foothold in the Kusha Mountain Range to launch an assault on the Sorcerous Dynasty of Sarion.
This plan wouldn't involve taking even an inch of Tengu land.
Even if the Demon Lords convened a Walpurgis, Frey was confident she could extricate herself from any blame.
"What?"
The elders, clueless about Frey's intentions, opened their mouths to speak again.
"Enough. You're useless now."
"Time to exit the stage!"
Frey, tired of their prattle, waved her hand dismissively.
Splurch!
The elders' bodies were sliced apart by invisible threads.
Before they could scream in agony, the space around them warped, swallowing their flesh and blood entirely in front of everyone.
This horrific scene left the Crow Tengu army dumbfounded.
"Ooooh!"
Meanwhile, the Harpies's morale soared at their queen's display of power.
"Is this the strength of Queen Frey?"
The Crow Tengu army, already awed by the Harpy Queendom of Fulbrosia's forces, now saw only darkness in their future after witnessing Frey's might.
"What do we do?"
"Kaede-sama told us to stand by and watch. Someone will act."
Such a response did little to calm the Crow Tengu.
Fortunately, they trusted Kaede and were satisfied with the powerful new generation, Momiji.
If this was their decision, it surely had its reasons.
"Time to show yourself, isn't it?"
Frey didn't order the Harpies to attack. Instead, she rose from her carriage, hovering above and peering down at the village below.
The Sky Queen's gaze pierced through layers of mist, landing on Damien, seated calmly in the courtyard.
Without a doubt, he was her true target this time.
"Newborn upstart!"
Frey's tone carried a hint of mockery.
But beneath it, there was curiosity.
She was dying to know where Damien got the audacity to cause such a stir in the Jura Great Forest.
'First subduing the Ogres, then the Goblins and Direwolves, and now even setting his sights on the Tengu.'
As Luchia's reports came in, Frey grew increasingly astonished.
This wasn't like the original story, where Rimuru's antics began after Veldora's aura vanished.
At Damien's pace, he was on track to claim the entire Jura Great Forest.
"Don't you know the Jura Great Forest is Veldora's territory?"
"By the Demon Lords' rules, no one is allowed to build a power base here."
By "no one." She meant outsiders, not the native inhabitants of the forest.
"And what's that got to do with me?"
Damien looked at Frey and said nonchalantly, "I am a Majin born and raised in the Jura Great Forest."
He wasn't lying.
His hometown lay in the western part of the forest.
The human village there had ties to the Kingdom of Falmuth.
But that was human business... what did it have to do with Damien, a majin?
Besides, by the map's divisions, his origin in the Jura Great Forest was indisputable.
"You're a forest majin?"
Frey realized her threats held no weight against Damien.
"What else would I be?"
Damien tilted his head up, feeling no sense of inferiority.
If anything, from this angle, he could better appreciate Frey's queenly aura.
Her striking figure, graceful form, pure white wings, and flawless, radiant skin, paired with that ascetic yet stunning face.
Truth be told, Frey was quite to Damien's taste.
Damien: Evil Frey, you need a serious lesson!
"He seems like a spirited one."
Unaware of Damien's thoughts, Frey assumed his confidence stemmed from his strength.
The queen didn't mind his attitude... strong individuals were entitled to their pride.
Just as she disliked Carrion's recklessness but had to acknowledge his power, Frey respected all who were strong.
"Your magicules are about on par with mine."
Frey's eyes gleamed with magical light as she appraised Damien.
"Not bad at all."
Suddenly, Frey's tone shifted. "How about joining forces with me?"
"Hm?"
Damien raised an eyebrow, looking at Frey with surprise. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The magicules Damien displayed were around 400,000, matching Frey's current level.
He deliberately kept his power in check to avoid scaring her off, ensuring she wouldn't flee outright.
***
If you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)