Volume 2 - CH 254

Second day on Lacc.

We took a break only to eat and sleep, and the rest of the time was spent flying continuously.

Thankfully, Lacc’s stamina seemed to be inexhaustible, and it showed no signs of fatigue at all.

Or rather.

It looks like he’s having a lot of fun. ……

It looks like it’s been in that place for a long time apparently, and just look, It’s having fun flying freely like this.

It may be only for a short while, but since we are traveling together, it’s not wary of me anymore.

Although, it seems to me that it has been respecting me somehow.

I’ve managed to figure out how to ride him.

So now Lacc seems to be able to concentrate on flying without worrying about its back.

It’s so fast.

By the way, I heard that Lacc can go back to that place by itself, but it …… or rather the flying dragon itself said that it doesn’t want to go back to that place for a while ……, so we decided to stay with him for a while.

It seems that the place is too small for Lacc.

Well, it is supposed to be flying around in the sky like this, isn’t it?

No wonder that place is too small for it.

If it were a mounted dragon, this would not be the case, but there is a difference between flying and running.

For Lacc, that place must have been stressful.

So you had quite a bit of trouble in that place, huh ……?

“! Ouren!!”

“What -?!!”

“Look at that!!”

Houen, who was flying next to me, seemed to have found something.

Looking in the direction he was pointing, we found …….

In the distance, we could see a group of buildings that had lost their original shape.

I do know the place.

That big keep is a landmark, and I’ve been in that place a few times.

Zenki-village

That must have been where it was …….

“Lacc! Can you get down to that place?”

“Garua! (Affirmative!)”

It immediately changed direction and gilded diagonally downwards.

As we descended, we could see the detailed situation of the village.

Barely any buildings stood on their own.

All were crumpled, broken, and destroyed by falling over.

Rubble and lumber had been thrown into the fields, and the castle town had burned to the ground and was charred to blackened or ashes in many places.

Even the castle tower, the only one remaining in its original form, was burned black in some places.

The palace and the residence were completely destroyed.

It’s not in a state for anyone to live.

“What happened ……”

Lacc flew low and went straight around the castle town.

I thought it was going to be a good idea to get off, but before it could, Lacc spoke to me.

“Gururu. Grugarua. (It’s faster to fly)”

“Indeed. Thank you, Lacc. When you see anyone, get off there.”

“Guragua (Understood)”

“Houen! Let’s split up and look for them! Uchikage must be here!”

“Yea!”

Houen immediately changed his direction and flew off in a different direction.

I looked to my right and Alena to my left, looking for anyone.

Everywhere I looked there was nothing but wreckage.

Not a single person was around.

It was as if all the oni had vanished from this place.

In the first place, what is …… this destruction?

If it were an oni, it might be possible, but how can it be broken by pushing it down like this?

Somehow …… this is …….

It’s as if it was pressured from one direction,…… like Alena’s Heavy Weights. ……

“! That’s ……”

“It’s the sound of taiko drums!”

There must be a taiko drum tower somewhere.

I know this because I explored it when I was a snake.

It’s located …… southwest of the second fort. ……

“Maybe it’s broken. ……”

“Ouren! There’s someone over there!”

I looked in the direction Alena pointed and sure enough, someone was there.

At the top of the keep …….

Somebody was beating a taiko drum on the rim of the tower, and beating it hard and repeatedly.

I could tell by the way they were beating that they were desperately trying to get people to notice their presence.

I gave directions to Lacc and asked it to head toward the sound.

As we got closer, we realized who was beating the drum.

“Shimu!”

“Ouren-sama!! It’s really Ouren-sama!!”

When Shimu realized we were approaching, she stopped beating the drums and waved her hand wildly.

Lacc descends to the roof under the circular veranda to drop us off.

Shimu also jumped off the edge and came to the same place as us.

She seemed to be in a hurry, and although it was a bit risky, she managed to regain her position.

Shimu! What the hell happened! Why is this mess happening?”

“Ouren-sama!! Ouren-sama! The princess is …… Hisui is ……!”

“Calm down. Relax, it’s all right.”

She was so distraught that she couldn’t seem to hold a conversation.

She’s hyperventilating, desperately trying to hold back the urge to cry.

I have to wait until she calms down …….

Is something wrong with the …… princess ……?

There was certainly a concern that the princess might become an Spectre Oni .

Why …… now?

It couldn’t have been that long ago and I didn’t see any signs yet.

When I saw her, she seemed normal.

“Shimu. Did the princess do this?”

She shook her head.

Apparently not.

It was something I needed to make clear, but I was relieved that I was off the mark.

But then a new question surfaced.

If it wasn’t the princess, then what had destroyed this village?

And there must be a reason why the word ” the princess” came up.

What is it ……?

“Ou- ren-sama….!”

“Yes?”

“It’s …… the Spectre…….”

“…… The Spectre ……?”

“The Spectre Oni  is …… the Spectre Oni  is …… “

I heard that Spectre Oni are the race that Oni become after they have cried.

That is why the Oni here don’t cry no matter what.

…… wait.

I had never thought about it before, but …….

Where are the Oni that have turned into Spectre Oni ……?

It is because there were Oni who have cried that the existence of Spectre Oni is created.

If that were the case,…… there would have been oni who would have …… proved it.

They must have existed.

There must have been Oni who cried. (Oni May Cry)

But …… I don’t know where they are, …… I’ve never even heard of them.

We never asked them before.

Shimu looked at me and shouted as if she was trying to squeeze me out.

“The Spectre Oni  have …… taken the princess!”