Chapter 56.2
The demon fortresses were built for siege. They were all designed to survive for long periods of time inside. Unlike ogre fortresses, whose motto was “short-term decisive battles,” or succubi and harpies, who had wings and didn’t think much about defense, these fortresses were specialized in defensive battles. Humans, who built similar fortresses, would say that it was natural because that’s how a fortress should be, but nonetheless, the fortresses built by the Seven Races Federation had their own characteristics, and the demons’ fortress was notable for its defense.
“I’ve heard rumors too, but it’s just an ordinary fortress, right? Why did Gediguz build it here? Maybe he planned to turn it into the Demon capital after the war ended?”
“Who knows. But there are houses. Maybe he intended to live here.”
Inside the Gije fortress, there were rows of stone houses. Of course, this was normal for a demon fortress. The buildings were arranged in a staggered manner, and the space between them was extremely narrow. Barricades could be built there to create a simple maze and easily slow down the enemy’s advance. The buildings could serve as obstacles for the enemy’s advance too, but it was better to use the houses than just build walls. That’s why the demon fortress could be called a city. Bash had visited them several times and remembered them as advanced, vibrant places full of life, making it hard to believe he was inside one now.
But this Gije fortress was neither full of life nor vibrant. The houses were mostly dark and quiet in the evening, although there were some lights. Though there were signs of people inside the houses, hardly anyone was outside. Even those who passed by occasionally walked with hoods on to hide their faces.
The city was dark and the air was stagnant. Although unlike the succubus nation, there was no sense of imminent doom. But there was something immobile, like mud, and a feeling of resignation mixed with sighs.
“Hm.” Suddenly, a woman passed by Bash and the others. A woman with blue skin and horns on the sides of her head. Her eyes were sharp, and her posture was not bad. Even through her winter clothing, her body was clearly visible and voluptuous. What caught his attention the most was her indescribable aroma, characteristic of demons. For demons, the scent was nothing out of the ordinary, but for orcs, it was the fragrance of a high-quality flower.
The woman snorted. She glanced at Bash, looked away, and walked past him. Bash stopped and looked back at her. The woman also glanced back at him but quickly turned her face away and walked away.
“Look at that. And she didn’t even say anything.”