This is the perspective of a Demon Kingdom intelligence officer.
Characters: Ifuls: A demon. The Magistrate of Shashato City.
The parade was progressing smoothly.
The report I received was clearly composed with a great deal of thought. It was a kind, thoughtful gesture that brought tears to my eyes. However, for the sake of the mission, I wished the reporting had been more accurate. Inaccurate reports inevitably led to flawed judgments.
My name is Gigibel Labelra. I was a member of the Intelligence Division, a department that existed quietly within the shadows of the Demon Kingdom. Technically, I oversaw a fair number of subordinates. My father was the chief who led all our intelligence officers, and my mother served as his staff officer. My younger brothers and sisters were also members of the division, serving as executives.
It might have looked like a family business, but there was a specific reason for that. For a very long time, the Demon Kingdom’s Intelligence Division had been treated with utter neglect.
"The Intelligence Division never gathers any useful information." "They don't work hard enough to justify their budget." "We should just hurry up and dissolve them already."
Such criticisms were voiced openly, without the slightest attempt at discretion. Personally, I had wanted to snap back that the problem lay with the commanders on the ground who didn't know how to utilize the information we gathered, or that we hadn't been given enough of a "budget" to even call it one. I wanted to tell them that they didn't need to dissolve us because we were already on the verge of collapsing from neglect. In fact, I did say those things, but nothing ever changed.
Fortunately, the Intelligence Division managed to survive under the protection of several nobles who understood the necessity of our work. Even so, our treatment didn't improve. We desperately sought results, believing that if we proved our worth, we would eventually be granted the funds and personnel we lacked. However, in the world of intelligence, numbers are power. No one wanted to join a neglected department, so we were forced to recruit our own relatives. That was the simple, sorry truth of how we became an "Intelligence Division Family."
I was one of those swept up in the family trade, though I had secretly dreamed of joining the Royal Guards and performing on a much more glorious stage.
Thankfully, things had changed recently. Count Chrome began investing significant funds into the Intelligence Division, allowing us to operate with newfound vigor. As our successes grew, the neglect finally began to fade. The workplace was gradually transforming into a much better environment, and I found myself forever indebted to Count Chrome.
At that moment, however, my duties as an intelligence officer had brought me to the outskirts of Shashato City. Huge crowds of spectators had swarmed the open area to catch a glimpse of the parade, and I was among those tasked with guiding them.
I knew what you were thinking: what about the intelligence work? I had wondered the same thing. A few days ago, the Parade Executive Committee had come to me in tears, begging for help because they were desperately short-staffed. Many of the civil officials currently on the committee had helped the Intelligence Division back during our years of neglect, so I couldn't bring myself to refuse. I had my own work to do, of course, but the world ran on mutual aid.
And so, I stood there, guiding the spectators as the parade moved forward. I had heard there was some minor confusion back in Village Five, but otherwise, everything seemed to be going well.
A massive number of Village Five residents had participated in their local leg of the parade, but the vast majority of them wouldn't be coming here to Shashato City. Managing such a crowd was a logistical impossibility. Simply moving them all through the Teleportation Gate would have taken several days, to say nothing of the nightmare of providing food and lodging. Consequently, the residents of Village Five participated only in their own village, and the residents of Shashato City would do the same.
The committee had informed me that this arrangement was the result of extensive negotiations. However, it seemed the Magistrate and other influential figures were expected to stay with the procession until the very end.
As I ruminated on these logistics, a massive vibration shook the ground. The dragons had arrived. I had heard they would fly here from Village Five instead of using the Teleportation Gate, so the impact of their landing didn't catch me off guard. Even so, their sheer scale and majestic presence were enough to take my breath away.
Suddenly, a group of Angels took flight from the dragons' backs. My hand reflexively went to my weapon, but I managed to restrain myself before I drew it. The Angels were participants in the parade—they were allies. I felt a flush of embarrassment for reacting so defensively despite being briefed on their arrival.
Wait, weren't the Angels supposed to use the Teleportation Gate? Looking closer, I noticed members of the Harpy Race riding on the dragons as well. I wondered if there had been trouble with the gate, but then realized it was likely the opposite: they had probably hitched a ride on the dragons specifically to avoid the congestion and potential trouble at the gate.
My theory seemed correct, as the Angels and Harpies immediately moved toward their pre-designated standby areas. There didn't seem to be any problem.
I realized I couldn't afford to stand around in a daze. The sudden appearance of dragons and Angels had sent the crowd into a minor panic. I raised my voice, directing the spectators and urging them to remain calm.
However, the crowd refused to settle down. This wasn't due to any failure on my part, but rather the dragons' next move. Instead of heading to their standby area, they did something entirely unexpected: they lined up in a single horizontal row, all of them facing directly toward Shashato City.
What were they doing? What did they intend? A cold dread pooled in my stomach.
Thump.
The dragons began to walk toward Shashato City. They moved in perfect unison, as if following a rhythmic count. I was horrified. Were they really going to march straight into the city? Were they going to ignore the parade route entirely?
I had a sudden, terrifying vision of Shashato City engulfed in flames—the entire city reduced to ash and rubble. Shashato was more than just a city; it was the economic heart of the Demon Kingdom. If it fell, the entire kingdom would be destabilized. And would the destruction even stop there? Would they march all the way to the Royal Capital?
My catastrophic thoughts were shattered by a series of loud, heavy rhythmic cracks.
Snap!
What was that sound? It was coming from the dragons. Specifically, it was the sound of their fingers. The dragons were marching toward Shashato City while snapping their fingers in perfect rhythm. Occasionally, a single dragon would step forward for a solo turn before returning to the line.
No... could it be? Was this a Snap Walk?
Good grief, what kind of joke was this? Were the dragons trying to perform a "Manners Check" on the people of Shashato City? As a noble of the Demon Kingdom, I understood exactly what the dragons were doing—and I knew exactly what was required in response. We had to stand before them and meet their challenge!
Yet, my body wouldn't move. Stand against those dragons? Who could possibly do such a thing? To my shame, I was rooted to the spot, paralyzed by sheer awe and terror.
Then, through the heavy rhythm of the dragons, a much lighter snapping sound reached my ears. It was small, but distinct.
It was the sound of a lone man’s fingers snapping as he stepped out to block the dragons' advance.
I recognized him instantly. He was the pride of Shashato City.
Magistrate Ifuls.
"I am a man of meager talent, but I shall meet your challenge," he declared. "Come, dragons!"
On the outskirts of Shashato City, the contest between the dragons and Magistrate Ifuls began. The spectators erupted into thunderous cheers. Before I knew it, my own arms were moving again, thrusting into the air as I joined the shouting.
"Do your best, Magistrate Ifuls!"