Saga of Slime and Devil (Remake)

Vol 3 | Chapter 1 | Kushia

The shining sun provided a gentle warmth along the mountainside, countered by the cool breeze plowing against the towering spikes of stone that pierced the cloud above. The mountains only got colder the further they climbed, but the demon was unphased.

The view of the open fields and forests below was a beautiful sight, enough for some to justify heading this far just to see it. Tanya wasn't among those people, but even she could recognize the natural beauty the location had.

The mountains she was climbing were tall and mighty, beasts of stone and dirt that stretched a shadow over the lands below during sunset. The mountains were a vital location, bordering many nations which Tempest had not yet swayed to its side. Nations that were seemingly non-threats for now, but could become serious problems if left unchecked.

If any one of those nations managed to align the people within the Kusha Mountains, it would become a problem. If Tanya could get them to her side instead then she would have a vast mountain range as a first line of defense to the south. The ultimate fortifications, the 'Natural Borders' of the Federation.

The problem, however, came with the Tengu people. They were a strong and resilient race, one that surpassed the former Ogre village in strength and had proven themselves capable of resisting forced attempts at subjugation.

The Sorcerer's Dynasty had been held back, the Demon Lord Frey had time and time again been defeated, Raja and Veldora had never bothered to try. Had the Orc Lord attempted an invasion, there was a good chance that the Orcish armies would be nearly decimated as soon as they tried to walk up the trails that led up the mountain.

Tanya knew little of the Tengu people, supposedly Lycanthrope-like in nature or descent, but very different in terms of magical prowess and origin. In short, they were an unknown and generally unpredictable factor. If nothing else, Tanya wanted to know more about what they were dealing with on their southern border. In an optimal scenario, she would have the region join as the state of Kushia outright.

To do that, she needed to handle this meeting well. She had traveled this far up the tallest mountain to find their village, supposedly deep within the 'sacred mountain' as they called it. She knew she no longer had Rimuru to rely on, he was out doing who-knows-what at who-knows-where, so the former 'friendly King, terrifying Chancellor' dynamic the two had developed wouldn't work here.

She had chosen to come alone, originally contemplating bringing one or two people as 'guards' with her, but it would be quite obvious to even the Tengu that such was not needed. Her goal wasn't to intimidate, not until she needed to at least. Her goal was diplomacy. The Tengu would serve much better as faithful allies than enslaved enemies.

Nearing the higher portions of the mountain, she finally saw what she believed to be the entrance to the Tengu Village above. Before she could approach though she found herself stopped by two armed guards readying their swords. Looking at them it was immediately obvious where the lycanthrope similarities could be seen. Both guards had dog-like ears and a tail, though in contrast to lycanthropes had a massive pair of wings out of their backs as well.

'Angelic influence, perhaps? I've learned a bit about angels, but not much, unfortunately. I do know that Demons have a natural advantage against them. That mixed with my numerous counters to holy magic should mean that I'm in a good position.'

Tanya mused to herself as the guards took a step forward, commanding, "State your name and your business, human."

Tanya had made sure to take on a more friendly appearance than her usual form. Her demonic appearance could scare people into instigating conflicts prematurely. Demons unfortunately had a poor reputation, after all. Her appearance now was hardly different than her usual demonic one, simply with blonde hair and glistening normal blue eyes like she had once had before.