"Lord Gabiru, you're finally awake. We were so worried about you."
Gabiru groaned softly, rubbing the back of his head as he slowly regained consciousness. His eyes blinked open, clouded with confusion.
"What... happened to me?"
"Lord Gabiru, you were defeated!"
One of his lizardman followers responded hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. The surrounding lizardmen all bowed their heads, expressions filled with disappointment.
Seeing their low morale, Gabiru quickly stood up, shaking off the daze. He scanned the faces of his men, then straightened his posture with renewed pride.
"It was just a momentary lapse in judgment. I let my guard down while dodging—and that ridiculous-looking goblin ambushed me."
"Hmph! There's no way I would lose to a mere goblin otherwise. Don't be deceived by appearances."
At his confident declaration, the lizardmen finally looked up. A glimmer of hope returned to their eyes.
"Lord Gabiru, how were we deceived?"
A follower asked, still puzzled.
"From my personal combat experience, I can tell—the goblin must be the true master of that place. He used some kind of illusion to cloud my vision... Truly underhanded!"
Gabiru spoke with conviction, and his words lit a fire in his followers' hearts.
"Yes! Despicable trickery!"
"Lord Gabiru is invincible! They only won through deceit!"
"Amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
One follower even broke into enthusiastic applause.
The lizardmen had no doubt in their lord's explanation and were quick to shower him with praise. Gabiru basked in the compliments, his chest puffed up with pride and satisfaction.
But then—a strange voice rang out, out of place among the flattery.
"Hello, hmm, amazing, so amazing!"
Gabiru froze. The tone was mocking, yet lighthearted. He turned toward the source of the voice—and his expression instantly hardened.
Standing casually among the lizardmen was a strange figure wearing a clown mask. The masked man clapped lightly, as if amused by the entire scene.
Gabiru's instincts screamed danger.
Who is this guy? How did he get so close without anyone noticing?
"Who are you?"
Gabiru demanded, raising his weapon and aiming it at the mysterious intruder. The lizardmen responded quickly, drawing their own weapons and surrounding the masked figure.
Despite the tension, the masked majin remained unnervingly calm. Instead of panicking, he bowed gracefully and introduced himself with a theatrical flourish.
"Hello, hello, no need to get so worked up. My name is Laplace."
"Laplace?"
Gabiru narrowed his eyes, repeating the name as if trying to recall it.
Laplace continued cheerfully, unbothered by the hostile stares.
"I'm a messenger sent by Lord Gelmud. I'm here to deliver a little warning!"
The clown-masked majin lifted his head slyly, revealing one uncovered eye. His tone was relaxed, almost playful, as though none of this concerned him.
"What?! Lord Gelmud..."
Gabiru's eyes widened with surprise.
Nearby, a lizardman whispered to his comrade in confusion.
"Who's Lord Gelmud? Lord Gabiru looked like he recognized the name..."
"I haven't met him either, but I think His Highness mentioned him once. He's the higher demon who gave Lord Gabiru his name."
"Ohh, I see..."
Gabiru quickly sheathed his weapon and signaled his soldiers to stand down.
"Thank you for coming all this way. What warning does Lord Gelmud have for us?"
Laplace struck another exaggerated pose, squinting at Gabiru as if performing for an audience.
"Actually, I came to tell you... the orc army you're facing? It's being led by the Orc Lord!"
The lizardmen blinked in confusion.
"Orc Lord?"
Even Gabiru's expression remained unchanged, face blank with indifference.
Laplace was taken aback.
What kind of reactions are these? Do they not even know what an Orc Lord is?
He stared at their unbothered faces, especially Gabiru's, and felt completely dumbfounded.
Seriously? These guys have no idea...
He muttered under his breath, struggling not to facepalm.
"Where did Gelmud find this simpleton? I brewed up all those emotions for nothing."
If not for the fact that he had to sacrifice this guy for the plan… Hmph! Otherwise, he wouldn't have bothered making this trip!
"Although the leader of you lizardmen is a remarkable figure, he is already old, after all…"
Laplace suppressed the irritation in his heart, forced a smile, and continued in a persuasive tone.
"And I heard that you're up against the Orc Lord's army this time. Honestly, it would be too difficult for your father to handle. Why not let you take charge…"
Gabiru clearly understood the implication in the clown-masked majin's words. He narrowed his eyes, and a trace of temptation appeared on his face.
"Originally, I planned to inherit the position of chieftain after driving off the orc army… but now it seems that may be too late."
Gabiru began in a low voice, then gritted his teeth and made up his mind.
"That's right, that's right! Only someone young and strong like you can lead the lizardmen, repel the orcs, and become the savior of the entire Jura Forest!"
Laplace watched Gabiru's reaction with satisfaction, showering him with praise.
He silently rejoiced—everything was progressing just as planned.
High up in a tree not far away, a figure stood with arms crossed, silently observing the scene below.
"Lord Granstar, as you instructed, I used a clone to follow the lizardman envoy. Just as you predicted, I spotted a mastermind wearing a clown mask…"
Souei knelt on one knee, reporting everything to Granesta.
Granesta listened without expression. But deep within his ice-blue eyes was a glint of cold calculation.
"Get up. Don't kneel when reporting—how many times have I told you I dislike that?"
"Yes, my lord."
Souei rose immediately, though his expression remained rigid.
"Continue using the clone to monitor the movements of that masked majin. Also, gather detailed intel on the orc army as soon as possible."
"Understood."
"And be careful. If anything dangerous happens, report to me immediately."
As Granesta finished his last sentence, Souei's shadow melted silently into the darkness.
"Heh… so Clayman, huh? That bastard's already set his sights on this forest… Is he a Demon Lord now?"
The chilling words echoed through the icy halls of the sculpture-like castle.
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