Forging A Demon Empire

Chapter 14

From the number of attacks that followed from the proclamation of Pieranato succession from the empire. It would seem if not the emperor, his subjects were paying attention. Each occurrence, however, was easily repelled. The adventurers had tried at one point to use it to their advantage, but failed miserably. A lesson I learned was never underestimate a villager and the network they had in place to track moving armies that were constantly ahead of them.

For the most part, every army sent at us were sitting ducks caught on the road. Disarmed, s*****d and sent home. Each time their leaders were taken and ransom backed, but the silver for now had little use. Most merchants avoided the town except for the occasional rogue ones, which brought much needed supplies at high markups. The villagers’ spirits were in high regard and most had moved from farming to training with Seth, Oliver, and Luna.

They had also given me the title of Mayor, and Luna was the assistant mayor, much to the disapproval of Caremila. They had made Oliver into the town treasury, Caremila a diplomat and Seth the town guard commander.

I had moved mother into the mayor’s residence along with father who showed no signs of recovery. For the most part, it was aggravating. I couldn’t leave at the moment because I wasn’t sure when an attack might come. The other part was that setting up the town was new and some people, even though they were chosen from the best of the villagers, were still not the best at what they did. I tried to include some of the townsfolk back into their regular life, but not all were accepting. The harshest ones I sent them on farm duty, at least they would know now what a villager had to do on a day.

I had read all the knowledge in the guild and had given most of it now to Caremila to read and pass on to villagers who she thinks had talent. Hopefully, with enough training I could get them into a standing army, but that would have to be seen.

Looking down from the mayor’s balcony, I oversaw the day’s current training. The villagers were committed, but they were all still weak, nothing more than a nuisance now to the size of what I came to know of the empire.

“Reno, can I talk to you for a moment?” I turned to see Seth behind me, as well as our mother.

“Seth ---.” I began before being interrupted.

“Reno, you will not have the time to go to the demi human town. Instead, let me handle it. He looked down. “It’s not fair for mom to wait this long and we don’t know if there are any long-term side effects like this.”

Mother stood quietly, holding on to the chair with tears in her eyes.

“I don’t know what danger might be there.”

“It’s always the same thing.”

“I will---.”

“You think I can’t do it!” Seth shouted. “I can, you know, I can.”

“No,” I paused. “It’s nothing of the sort.”

“Then what is it then? What is it really, Reno? How much do our parents have to suffer? I will do it even if you don’t allow it. I won’t stand around and do nothing and wait like everyone else for you to save me.”

So that’s what it is, Seth, but maybe I can solve two issues at once.

“Go then, the guild master is in the cell at the bottom of the residence.”

“You’re allowing it.”

 Yes, you are right but I only want one thing from you.”

“What is that?”

“Take Caremila with you as well as some villagers that can ride horse. Come back with either the cure or answers.”

“I will.”