Chapter 11
Chapter 11
The carriage swayed slightly each time its wheels hit a patch of gravel. Lupus sat by the window, tail wagging, while Kanish across from her spoke in a serious tone.
“Lord Irgripa, are you listening?”
“Ah… yeah. This land seems fertile. Whatever you plant here would grow well.”
“…That’s not what I said at all.”
Kanish let out a small sigh.
It seemed frustrating for her that he wasn’t paying attention. But it wasn’t that he didn’t want to listen—he simply couldn’t understand what she was saying in the first place.
“Ugh… we’ve known your strength for a year now. We understand. But this is really important.”
“Oh… right, I see.”
“Quiet! Just listen properly!”
Kanish grabbed her head and sighed again.
“This isn’t just for our sake. This is dangerous for you too…”
It was the first time he had seen her like this in a year. After the incident with his face being ripped off, he thought she had calmed down, but apparently not.
So it was best to just listen quietly.
“Okay. I’ll listen properly.”
“Really? Don’t get distracted.”
“I won’t.”
Kanish narrowed her eyes, studying him carefully. Then she sighed and continued.
“The people we’re going to meet aren’t just strong.”
“Mm-hm.”
“There are many strong individuals on the continent, but these three… their influence is on another level.”
“They must be impressive people.”
“….”
Kanish stared at him, momentarily speechless, as if something deep in her mind was unraveling.
“Forget it… I’ll just continue.”
She cleared her throat and lowered her voice.
“First, Lord Asmodeus. The strongest in the south. In ancient times, during the Demon King’s era, he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“….”
He understood none of it.
First of all, who was this Demon King?
There were many nations on the continent, but in his limited knowledge, there was no country called “Ma.”
Let’s just listen, he decided.
If he interrupted, Kanish might rip out his cervical spine again. Not that it would be inconvenient, but it would be visually unpleasant.
“When he exhales, volcanoes erupt. When he flaps his wings, the terrain changes. Even after the Demon King’s army disbanded, many remnants still follow him.”
“Is that so.”
Volcanoes… I’ve heard volcanic soil is good for farming.
Maybe I should try it someday.
“…Next is Lord Harpas.”
Kanish closed her eyes briefly.
“He is the leader of the Eastern Alliance. Like Asmodeus, he was once part of the Demon King’s army, serving as a strategist.”
“Mm.”
“I honestly don’t like him. Even if he is one of the strongest, his cruelty is beyond measure.”
She frowned deeply.
“He enjoys torture. Every time we meet, he’s doing something disgusting. I don’t even know what goes through his head.”
At her trembling disgust, he felt a faint irritation toward this Harpas person.
If Kanish hadn’t told him to stay quiet, he would have gone and confronted him directly.
Finally, she exhaled deeply.
“And lastly… Lord Aedrion.”
She placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
Then Lupus suddenly jumped into her lap.
“I’ll explain Aedrion!”
“Lupus! Don’t suddenly—!”
Ignoring her sister’s protest, Lupus clung to Kanish’s neck, tail wagging wildly.
“He’s amazing! He appeared like a comet and froze the entire northern continent! They call him the ‘Ice Butcher,’ and some even say he’s the strongest in the world!”
She adjusted Irgripa’s mask excitedly.
“I’ve heard he’s strong, cool, and handsome! I really like him!”
“…I see.”
A strange pressure built in his right hand.
“Lupus… you seem to like this Aedrion quite a bit.”
“Yes! He’s strong and cool—and most of all, he’s handsome! I love him!”
The innocent smile on her face made something tighten inside him.
The moment he first met Lupus came to mind—how she used to follow him around, saying even his pickaxe looked cool.
And now, in just a year, she was drifting away.
Kanish must have warned him for a reason.
He turned to her calmly.
“Kanish, I understand.”
“Huh? Understand what?”
“I will devote everything I have… to eliminate Aedrion.”
“NO, THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO UNDERSTAND!!!”
It took Kanish an hour of frantic protest—and Lupus saying “I like Lord Irgripa more than Aedrion!”—for him to withdraw that statement.
Deep beneath Harpas’s Eastern Dungeon, a cold stone chamber vibrated with thick, bloody mana.
A human adventurer hung in chains, his body reduced to a battered mass of flesh.
“You… you monster… just kill me… just kill me already!”
His voice broke, but the figure in front of him only tilted his head.
“I can’t. I still have things to think about.”
He casually adjusted a bone saw in his hand.
“Should I start here? Or a bit higher? I still don’t know where the soul screams the loudest.”
The adventurer screamed again.
“Do you think you’ll get away with this?! The goddess will—!”
At that moment, a voice thundered from the entrance.
“HARPARAS!!!”
The chamber shook.
Chapter 11
A massive demonic figure stood at the entrance, radiating heat.
“Did I hear right?! You’re holding talks with the Green Dungeon?!”
The man called Harpas sighed faintly.
“What seems to be the problem?”
“Don’t play dumb! That’s an invasion! You should be attacking them!”
“…This is already a compromise.”
“I SAID DON’T CALL IT COMPROMISE!”
Harpas ignored him.
He returned to the adventurer.
With a wet slicing sound, the man’s abdomen split open.
Instead of organs, dozens of sewer rats spilled out, squeaking and flooding the floor.
Even the furious demon paused.
“…”
Harpas finally looked at him.
“Taragon… do you know why this man is in this condition?”
“What?”
“Because he’s incompetent. If he hadn’t irritated me when captured, I would have killed him quickly.”
He stepped forward, crushing rats beneath his boots.
“I don’t use you because you’re exceptional. I use you because you’re usable. Don’t misunderstand that.”
The temperature of the room dropped instantly.
Taragon lowered his head in silence.