For the Future
The moment I finished listening to Zenle's report, Arad and I headed down to the underground prison together with him. We still couldn't show the corpses to Elia, so we left her with Luina for the time being and rushed straight here.
And just as the report that had come up to Zenle described, the bodies of Benjamin and Sherda lay there—both dead with their upper torsos completely gone.
“Ugh……”
“Damn it… what the hell could have done this……”
“First, clear that side. After that… Ah, Your Majesty!”
The guards were retching at the utterly horrific sight even as they mopped up the pools of blood. The captain of the guard, who had been giving them orders, heard our approach and hurriedly set down his torch to salute.
“Y-Your Majesty, this is hardly a pleasant sight. There is truly no need for you to see it in person……”
“Step aside. I must see it for myself.”
“Yes, sir!”
The scene was so gruesome that the captain had tried to block Arad from entering out of concern, but a single gesture from the king forced him to yield. After all, Arad was a fierce general who had personally fought in the war against nobles challenging the royal authority and had cut down countless monsters. He was long accustomed to brutal scenes, so the captain’s worry had been unnecessary.
“Hmm… this is……”
Of course, the two corpses were more horrific than any he had seen before, so Arad briefly covered his mouth. But he soon stepped closer to examine them in detail. I followed behind him, and Zenle did the same, stepping into the iron-barred cell while treading through the blood.
Thanks to the torches hanging here and there, the state of the bodies was clearly visible. The upper halves had burst like balloons, splattering flesh and gore across the inner walls of the cell. Occasionally, chunks of meat would fall with a wet plop, triggering faint waves of nausea.
Forcing my eyes away from those, I studied the corpses again. The only clear fact was that they had died from an explosion. However, both had been restrained with mana-sealing devices that prevented them from even generating mana, and there were no signs of anyone entering or leaving the underground prison. It was an inexplicable explosion.
“Just who could have done something like this……”
“I cannot determine the cause at all.”
Arad and Zenle could only sigh at the deaths whose cause remained unknown. They offered no proper answer. But unlike them, I could see exactly what had caused it, so I quietly dipped my finger into the blood pooling on the floor.
“…There is demonic energy mixed in this blood.”
“Demonic energy, you say?”
Zenle whipped his head around in shock at my words. He clearly hadn’t expected to hear the term “demonic energy” again after the Human-Demon War had ended, and his face showed genuine surprise.
Arad, who had also turned to look at me, asked, “What do you mean by demonic energy? Can you explain more precisely?”
Since we were in a place with many guards present, Arad spoke in his formal tone as king. I nodded and answered.
“Of course, Your Majesty. Having participated in the Human-Demon War in the past, I know exactly what kind of energy the demons’ mana possesses. And right now, I can clearly sense that same demonic energy within these people’s blood.”
“Then, can you also tell why they died?”
The demonic energy mixed into Benjamin and Sherda’s blood was something I had seen while fighting them. To be more precise, it had appeared whenever their wounds healed. It was like an electrical circuit—normally inactive, but when damage occurred, part of it would activate to heal the injury. That was the prototype demon regeneration factor I had observed inside their bodies during the fight.
However, the demonic energy I sensed in their blood now wasn’t partially activated like yesterday. It was fully activated, as if it had caused an overload.
If so, what was the cause of their deaths? The answer was already obvious.
“The demonic energy within their blood went into a rampage. That is most likely the cause of death. And since contact with this blood could lead to demonic energy erosion if it enters the body, let us step outside first, Your Majesty.”
“Such a thing…! Captain! Remove all the guards at once! The investigation of the underground prison will be conducted later by deploying mages!”
It wasn’t a lie—if this blood accidentally entered through the nose, mouth, or an open wound, it could cause a disaster. So the moment he heard my words, Arad immediately ordered the guards to withdraw before even stepping back himself.
“U-understood! Everyone, exit the underground prison at once! Afterward, remove all armor and clothing stained with blood and collect them in sacks!”
“““Understood!!”””
Knowing Arad’s character of always thinking of those beneath him first, the guards hurriedly left the underground prison at the captain’s command. Zenle then escorted Arad out as well.
After everyone had left, I remained alone in the underground prison.
Tadadak———
I clicked my tongue softly as I watched the blood on my hand evaporate and disappear, just like the torches burning on the wall.
“…What a terrifying bastard.”
To think he would kill even his own subordinates just to prevent information from leaking. I shook my head at the ruthlessness of that decision, far beyond what I had expected, and turned to leave. I would need to contact the owner of the Magic Tower—the person who would be needed at this scene more than anyone else right now.
Communication link with the Magic Tower established.
* * *
“I can no longer disagree. He truly seems to be a dangerous individual, just as Sir Kael said.”
The first words Arad spoke after returning from the underground prison were those. Even though I hadn’t yet properly explained all the information I knew, he already seemed to have reached the truth based solely on what I had told him down there.
“The one who killed those two criminals… it must have been the person currently trying to dominate the underworld by leading them.”
“Yeah, that’s right. I think so too.”
If two prisoners had exploded to death inside an underground prison that no one had entered, the cause had to have come from within. And if the cause was internal, then the only explanation was the demonic energy I had mentioned earlier—the one inside their blood. It must have been detonated remotely.
When asked why it had to be remote, the guards’ testimony that they had gone down after hearing the explosion and found both dead at the same time provided the answer. Therefore, if the demonic energy had exploded remotely, it could only have been the work of the unknown figure they followed—the one trying to seize control of the underworld.
“The judgment and execution to kill subordinates that strong is astonishing, but the fact that he injected demonic energy capable of remote control into human bodies already makes him a target that must be watched with utmost caution.”
“Indeed. Researching and using demonic energy is not something an ordinary person could ever do.”
When I had earlier told Arad that they possessed regenerative powers similar to demons, he probably hadn’t thought it was truly connected to the demons. He must have assumed it was some kind of artifact or magic related to regeneration.
But if my analogy was correct—if it was the result of researching demons and creating something with their demonic energy—then the story changed completely.
The Human-Demon War had been ended with great difficulty. Yet here was someone researching the demonic energy of the demons that had become a nightmare and even using it? From the kingdom’s perspective, this was an existence that could not be taken lightly.
Still, rushing in haste wouldn’t allow us to clean them up, so I spoke to Arad, who was pondering with a grave expression.
“Let me say this in advance: you must not try to catch them hastily. No matter how powerful the kingdom is, it cannot clean up the underworld in an instant. And if we move clumsily, they will definitely cut off their tail and flee.”
“…I understand. I also know when the right time to catch them would be.”
“Yes. Once those guys form an organization and grow large enough……”
“They won’t be able to cut off their tail and run. Until then, we must stay quiet, hold our breath, and only stay vigilant. That’s what you’re saying.”
Arad clenched his fist as if he understood but still found it unbearable. I could understand that feeling as well.
By the time Worst completely dominated the underworld and became a major player, it wouldn’t be strange if several small villages had already been completely destroyed. Entire cities could be half-destroyed or even obliterated.
Completely dominating the underworld meant being able to give direction to all the malice that had been stagnating within the fence called Lahman. So when they began to act after that, many citizens would die.
As king, Arad would naturally be furious at the damage he knew about but could not yet prevent.
And the only comfort I could offer him was one thing.
“Don’t worry. When it comes to catching and killing those bastards, I will stand at the very front.”
It was a promise that I would lead from the forefront and thoroughly uproot the villainous organization that would one day be called Worst.
Upon hearing my promise, Arad nodded heavily and slowly unclenched his fist.
“In that case, I will also do my utmost to ensure the kingdom supports Sir Kael with all its strength.”
It was the promise of assistance from Arad that I had wanted to receive someday. And having received it earlier than expected, only one thing remained for me to do.
‘I suppose it’s time to let my name be known once again.’
Kael, the war hero forgotten in the memories of many people. It was time to remind them once more of his greatness.