Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Eternal Return
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"Eternal Return."
It was the moment the taboo name slipped from Yustina's lips.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hidden Quest: Purge the Daroa Empire's Black Curtain.] [The heretical cult plaguing the Daroa Empire, Eternal Return, has been detected.] [They are plotting to plunge the entire continent into chaos.] 'Eternal Return? I've heard that name somewhere...'
A fleeting memory flashed through Darcor's mind.
In the latter half of the original novel, a heretical religious group mentioned only in passing.
'Why's it showing up here?'
It had no real weight in the original story...
Whether due to the possession effect or the causal changes from Darcor's interventions, it seemed the board had grown larger.
"Starting from the reign of the previous emperor... those bastards slowly infiltrated the imperial family."
"At first, they solved problems whenever they arose, gradually expanding their influence. And we never even realized it was all their doing."
Yustina rolled up her sleeve with trembling hands.
On her wrist, dark red veins writhed in a bizarre pattern.
"By the time I noticed and ascended the throne, the imperial family was already in their grasp."
It was a curse.
A vicious black magic brand that slowly devoured its host and bound their will.
"I was a puppet. If I didn't do as they commanded, I'd suffer bone-melting agony and nightmares every night. Even the war... they ordered that too..."
Despair seeped into her voice.
The truth that the Daroa Empire's empress had been manipulated by a heretical cult into starting a war.
The air around them grew heavy.
Varkas, who had been hanging his head, finally spoke.
"Her Majesty's words are true."
Once Daroa's general and grand magus, now reduced to Darcor's porter and cook.
Gripping his tongs, he declared solemnly.
"They amplify humanity's deepest desires. To Tower Master Arman, they promised truth; to me, infinite power."
Sizzle.
The sound of meat cooking rang out especially mournfully.
"Arman was deluded by the ancient texts they provided, and the result—as you know—was the descent of Jörmungandr."
"I too succumbed to power and committed the grave sin of challenging Emperor Darcor."
Varkas's fist trembled around the tongs.
The surroundings fell into solemn silence,
but Darcor's impression was entirely different.
'So, to sum it up.'
Darcor thought as he watched the sizzling meat.
'Got high as hell, got a reality check from me, and sobered up.'
The dangers of drug abuse were terrifying indeed.
Darcor shot Varkas a pitiful look.
"So all that rampaging without knowing your place was just you high on drugs?"
"I... I have no excuses."
"Feeling clearer now that the drug's worn off? No withdrawal symptoms?"
It was just Darcor venting frustration at the culprits behind this mess,
but Varkas interpreted the words in his own way.
'Ah... a lesson that fake power from drug dependency isn't true strength.'
'As expected, His Majesty sees right to the essence.'
Varkas's eyes reddened with emotion.
Moved, he began grilling the meat with even greater care.
'Why's he like that?'
Darcor shook his head in disbelief.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Hidden Quest: Purge the Daroa Empire's Black Curtain.] Darcor stared at the quest window floating before him, lost in thought once more.
Given the rewards from past hidden quests,
this one was sure to be substantial too.
'Wonder what it'll give this time?'
Darcor shifted in his seat and asked,
"So, where's their main base? Their rat hole."
Yustina shook her head weakly.
"I don't know. They've never once exposed their headquarters."
"Then how do you contact them?"
"Every fortnight..."
Yustina's voice quivered faintly.
"Every fortnight, an emissary comes. Delivers orders and takes the tribute."
"Tribute?"
"Vast sums of money and humans for their experiments."
It was a horrific tale.
Propping up the empress as a puppet while offering up the people like livestock.
Bam!
Eris slammed the table in fury, reminded of her ailing mother.
"B-bad guys. I won't forgive them!"
[Anyway, sneaky bastards are always shady, past or present. Kiddo, let's chop 'em all down.] The Holy Sword Excalibur buzzed in agreement.
Darcor furrowed his brow and asked Yustina,
"So when do these emissaries come?"
Yustina hesitated before answering.
"In... in two days. They'll enter the palace to collect the tribute."
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 [Phase 1 Goal: Follow Their Trail]
📍 Content: Eliminate the cult's watchers hiding in the capital's hideout and secure clues.
🎁 Reward: Map to the cult's base / Massive increase in Madness Burst proficiency.
'Massive proficiency boost, huh...'
Darcor's lips curled into a sly grin,
and he shot to his feet.
'Meaning I can get stronger and rampage more?'
"Y-Your Majesty?"
Chloe tilted her head quizzically.
"Two days from now... that's when the big rat shows up. How about we handle the small fry first?"
"Pardon? What do you mean..."
"Varkas."
"Y-yes, speak."
"The hole where those bastards are hiding in this safehouse. You know where, right?"
Varkas flinched in surprise.
'How does he...?'
Aside from the fortnightly emissaries,
there was a secret rendezvous point in the capital for urgent contacts with the cult.
He had no idea how Darcor knew, but Varkas hurriedly replied anyway.
"Th-there is a secret meeting spot they use... but you're going now?"
"You wanna go later?"
"I-it's late at night, are you sure?"
"Rats are best caught at night."
'Timing's perfect. Let's go collect early.'
Darcor turned back casually and said,
"Saintess. They say the gold coins piled up by those evil heretics there are like a mountain."
"Really? You should've said so sooner... Of-of course we must go. Judging heretics is the saintess's duty!"
Chloe's eyes gleamed with greed.
She tossed aside her fork, which she'd been elegantly using to cut her steak, and jumped up.
The vain saintess's action speed upon smelling money was faster than light.
"Me too! Gonna teach the baddies a lesson!"
[H-hey, kiddo. Teaching lessons is fine... but wipe off that grease first. It's sticky!] Eris and the holy sword bickered as they tagged along.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Ugh... the smell's so foul. Makes me wanna puke."
Chloe whined, wrinkling her nose.
The back alleys leading to the hideout were floored with filthy sewage and reeked of rot.
"Quiet, Saintess. If you're here to make money, suck it up."
Darcor strode ahead, stepping through the muck like it was nothing.
Living as a tyrant had made such environments second nature.
To the point where the palace felt more stifling.
"This is the place."
Varkas stopped in front of a rundown antique shop.
The sign was half-fallen, and the windows crammed with dusty junk.
[Warning: High Concentration Mana Reaction.] [Barrier: Perception hindrance and magic block detected.] The system blared loudly in Darcor's head.
A fortress disguised as an old shop.
Varkas whispered tensely, sweat beading on his brow.
"Be careful. The entrance has multiple layered barriers—outsiders approaching triggers an alarm..."
Boom!
Before Varkas could finish,
Darcor kicked the door with all his might.
With a deafening crash, not just the door but the dusty windows shattered entirely.
Crash!
Dust clouds billowed as the barrier crumbled.
"Hm?"
Varkas froze, mouth agape.
This barrier had been crafted over days by Daroa's top black mages.
And he shattered it in one go?
'His Majesty's power... how far does it go...'
Leaving the awestruck Varkas behind,
Darcor brushed off the dust nonchalantly and stepped inside.
"Cough, cough... Wh-who's there? Who the hell are you bastards!"
Figures in black robes crawled out from the rubble.
The surveillance agents of the heretical cult, Eternal Return.
Panicked by the sudden raid, they hastily aimed their staves and shouted.
"D-do you know what this place is? How dare you cause a scene!"
"Who else."
Thud. Thud.
Darcor emerged through the swirling dust cloud.
In the darkness, his eyes flickered red,
and a chilling smile played on his lips.
"The rat catcher."
His party followed, grimacing.
"Ugh... what the hell is that smell."
"I-I don't see the bad guys!"
"Deeper inside, and they'll show."
Saintess Chloe, hero Eris,
and Daroa's former general and grand magus Varkas.
Darcor's group all radiated immense auras.
"I wondered who was bold enough to eye my turf..."
Darcor's gaze, at the front,
locked onto the cult's watchers.
"It was you lot."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Phase 1 Goal: Follow Their Trail has begun.] [Eliminate the cult's watchers and secure clues.] "Let's get started. A hundred gold per rat."
No sooner had Darcor spoken
than Eris cheered and leaped forward.
"Yay, a h-hundred gold!"
[Kiddo, let's slice 'em up good!] Clang.
Each swing of the holy sword turned watchers to dust.
"Wh-what the hell are these monsters!"
The watchers couldn't even mount a proper resistance.
Their black magic was nullified by Chloe's holy power,
and escape attempts were blocked by Eris.
But the most terrifying presence was someone else.
Splat.
"Gahk."
Darcor's fist sank into a watcher's solar plexus.
The sensation of ribs crunching.
As blood poured from the watcher's mouth,
for some reason, the metallic scent cleared Darcor's mind.
'This is it.'
The refreshing rush as Madness washed away.
His cluttered thoughts untangled with one punch.
"Sp-spare... Aaaagh!"
Darcor unleashed a full-force punch at the last remaining watcher.
His jaw spun, body soaring high into the air.
Only then did a satisfied smile spread across Darcor's face.
"Yep, people really need to work out their bodies."