Gonna Be a Demon King!
Chapter 68: A “Taste” of Hospitality

Chapter 68: A “Taste” of Hospitality

Dark Elves—just as the name suggested—were a breed of Elves distinguished by their naturally darker skin.

Their traits were roughly 70% similar to those of Light Elves, with their differences, such as their higher magic resistances, making up the remaining 30%.

On this planet—Zorix 1I, as Xaren had come to know—dark elves naturally existed, and, much like on many other worlds, they were at odds with light elves.

Their conflicts had many causes, but as far as Xaren was concerned, the number one reason was that both race breeds tended to be incredibly racist.

The nearest Dark Elven settlement in the Cinder Region of the Ohlion Continent lay to the west—on the opposite side of the map from the light elves, for rather obvious reasons.

And that was exactly where Xaren, Ilya, and fourteen other demons were headed today.

Like their light-elf counterparts, dark elf built their settlements within forests, making vehicular travel impossible. As a result, the group had to traverse the terrain on horseback.

Xaren had horse-riding experience from his past life, so he had no trouble, and the other fourteen demons—being more experienced with levels above 150—handled their mounts with ease.

He assumed Ilya would struggle, yet the girl merely observed the others mounting their horses before near-perfectly mimicking their movements on the first try.

Her Instinct skill was at work again, though Xaren remained unaware of this and simply concluded that she was some kind of prodigy who could excel at anything she put her mind to.

Couldn’t really blame him for thinking that, especially after witnessing her use a spear to defeat a demon who actually possessed the Spearmanship Skill during their wing training.

For context, Ilya had zero Weapon Skills.

The fifteen of them were accompanying their Captain Vollm to the dark elf settlement as part of a diplomatic mission to enlist their aid in the war.

As they rode toward their destination, Vollm briefed them on the plan—essentially, to pit the dark elves against their light elf counterparts so the demons could focus on dealing with the angels and humans.

Their squad was just one of many being sent to various Dark Elven settlements for this purpose.

Under Captain Vollm’s command, their squad consisted of a Lieutenant, a Staff Sergeant, two Corporals, and eleven Private First Classes.

Xaren figured they were just along for the ride, while the Captain and his Lieutenant would handle all the talking.

With random thoughts like that in his mind, they arrived at the forest where the target settlement was located.

The forest was humid and heavy, with high trees lined up like a wall. Their branches were intertwined, forming a dense canopy that blocked out the sky.

As their horses advanced, Xaren glanced around, noting rotting branches and browning leaves scattered throughout the forest.

He spread out his magic power, focusing on detecting any ’Gravities’ beyond those of the demons around him. It wasn’t long before he picked up faint distortions in the trees.

’It’s coming together nicely...’

Xaren was working on a perception technique to sense areas where gravity was actively acting on something within range. It would be invaluable for detecting targets not on the ground—like the elves currently surrounding them.

Captain Vollm and the others had also noticed the elves but rode forward without comment. This continued until they reached a barricade, where about a dozen elves, led by one on horseback, awaited them.

As the demons slowed their horses, the dark elves tensed, gripping their weapons as they observed the approaching group with wary eyes.

The elf on horseback at the front raised a hand, signalling his men to remain on guard.

"That’s far enough," he called out. "State your purpose."

Captain Vollm pulled his reins slightly, bringing his horse to a stop as he calmly responded.

"I am ’Captain’ Vollm of the Demon Army, and I’ve come to speak with the leader of your settlement."

At the mention of his rank, the lead dark elf’s expression darkened. Vollm’s rank was far higher than his initial assumption.

His grip tightened on his reins before he spoke. "I’ll send word to our leader."

Vollm’s expression remained unchanged, but his tone was a bit colder as he spoke.

"Make it quick

A tense silence settled over the group as the dark elf messenger rode off. The remaining elves kept a close eye on the demons, hands never straying far from their weapons.

Minutes passed, each one stretching the tension further.

Finally, the messenger returned, riding up to the lead elf and whispering something in his ear. The dark elf leader nodded silently before turning his gaze back to Vollm.

"Our Village Head has agreed to see you. I’ll lead you to the Village House."

They rode further into the settlement, passing another barricade before the first signs of the village came into view.

The entire settlement was composed of tree houses, their wooden structures blending seamlessly with the dense forest surroundings.

Dark elves watched them with wary eyes, their gazes sharp and unwelcoming. Even the children peeked out from behind trees, their small faces half-hidden as they curiously observed the demon visitors.

The demons, unfazed by the scrutiny, looked around with mild interest as they took in the village’s unique architecture. Eventually, they arrived at a large house enclosed by wooden fences.

Dismounting, they stepped through the gates, coming face to face with a massive structure surrounded by a spacious yard.

’It’s crazy how they still cover a house this big with branches.’

Xaren mused to himself as they entered the main hall, where they were greeted by an elf who appeared middle-aged—a clear sign that he was quite old, even by elven standards.

"You have troubled yourselves by coming this far. I’m Sullam, the head of this Village."

The man waved a hand after speaking, and servants appeared, setting down chairs and silver cups filled with wine, a silent invitation for the demons to sit and quench their thirst after their long journey.

Vollm introduced himself formally, his tone noticeably different from the cold one he had used with the gate guard, but still firm.

As the demons took their seats, Xaren’s gaze glanced at the cups placed before them, the sweet aroma of grapes wafting into his nose.

While Vollm and the dark elf leader, Sullam, quickly delved into discussion, Xaren picked up his cup, intending to take a sip.

He wasn’t the only one—several of the other demons did the same.

However, just as the rim of the cup neared his lips, Danger Sense blared an alarm in his head.

’?!’

Xaren froze. The instant he did, he felt a gaze flick toward him from across the room, and he quickly schooled his expression.

It wasn’t hard to figure out why Danger Sense had gone off.

Xaren subtly nudged Ilya beside him, and when she turned to him in confusion, he gave his wine cup a small shake in his right hand before switching it to his left.

Then, he called out to one of the servants.

"Excuse me! This tastes weird. Mind checking it?"

His loud voice drew immediate attention, momentarily halting the other demons who were about to drink their wine.

They shot him incredulous looks, their expressions screamed their unspoken question—was he insane for speaking up while their Captain was in the middle of discussions?

The Lieutenant frowned and rose to reprimand him, while Vollm’s expression darkened in disapproval—until something caught his attention.

’Hmm? What is she...?’

Beside Xaren, Ilya sniffed her cup and frowned before her right hand subtly moved toward her sword.

Vollm also noticed Xaren’s hand inching toward the weapon on his waist while the servant he spoke to servant stiffened before shaking their head, their voice laced with nervous politeness as they refused his request.

"I... I don’t dare drink something meant for a guest," they said, voice strained, refusing to take the cup from Xaren’s outstretched hand.

Xaren watched as their body tensed even more when he brought the cup close to their nose, their flinch so visible it confirmed everything he needed to know.

"Private, what are you doing?!"

The Lieutenant barked, irritation lacing his tone, but Xaren ignored him entirely, instead proceeding to shock everyone in the room—by flinging the contents of his cup directly into the servant’s face.

A sharp, strangled scream tore from the elf’s throat as they staggered back, frantically using their sleeves to wipe the liquid from their face while spitting desperately, trying to purge any that had made its way into their mouth.

The entire room froze at the unexpected reaction, eyes darting between the panicked servant and Xaren, who was now gripping his sword.

Tilting his head slightly, Xaren asked.

"I only splashed you with a little wine. Why’d you react so much?"