138
I Killed the Demon King. It was a mistake.
Chapter 138
Messio, that bastard, I really didn't want to see his face, but on the battlefield, he was no less than an angel.
To the extent that even his ugly face looked handsome.
When Messio reached out his hand towards Caesar, Caesar firmly grabbed his hand and climbed onto the back of the guy.
Messio swung a halbert like an extension of his own body, splitting the river made of Orcs hordes.
Messio's horse 'White' was also a monster.
White just pushed through orcs with his body and crushed them under his feet without losing momentum.
The reason he can produce such monstrous power is that this guy is not an ordinary horse, but a combat horse improved at Cork Magic Tower.
As far as I know, it's normally just an average horse, but when given a specific 'stimulant', its body becomes as hard as a tank-type knight, and its strength dramatically increases.
That's why Messio cherishes him so much.
"Why are you so late, you bastard!"
"I came as quickly as possible! Hahahahaha!"
Caesar glanced at Raven.
Whitey was also running after Messio.
How would this look from Raven's perspective?
Like a giant green river split by a spear blade.
Yes, this is the charm of forming a cavalry unit!
How long had they been riding?
The Orc creatures that had filled all directions had disappeared, revealing an open plain.
The scene was indescribably beautiful and refreshing.
"Let's go! The magic is about to fall here soon."
"Has 30 minutes already passed?"
"Yes! All thanks to Lord Caesar capturing the Orcs!"
At that moment, Whitey descended from the sky.
"Caesar!"
It was Raven.
Raven reached out her hand towards Caesar.
"Hurry up and get on... Ugh!"
Raven was about to vomit.
Messio screamed.
"No! Don't throw up here...!"
Caesar jumped and landed on Whitey's back.
Then he moved behind Raven and grabbed the reins.
Caesar turned the reins and escaped from the assault formation.
And Raven turned her head to the side and spewed everything in her stomach.
"Bleeeegh!"
Raven's liquid droplets scattered over the Orcs' heads.
Caesar laughed while patting Raven's lower back.
"How did you manage to endure being alone for 30 minutes?"
"That's not the important thing."
"What do you mean?"
"Just run away. The magic is about to manifest!"
"Huh?"
Kwaaaaaaang!
A massive explosion sound came from behind.
Caesar looked back.
The wizards' explosion magic fell directly on the Orcs' heads.
Then, fragments of flesh and blood from the Orcs flew towards Whitey's side.
"Crazy...!"
"Let's run away!"
Raven used a shield, and Caesar strongly shook the reins.
"Let's go, Whitey! Before becoming the most expensive horse meat steak in the world!"
Whitey vigorously flapped his wings.
***
Caesar looked back.
He never expected to see the magic bombardment from this angle again.
Caesar stared at the explosion magic bursting over the heads of the 80,000 Orcs hordes.
It wasn't cannonballs or fireballs flying, but magic rapidly gathering at the coordinates and then exploding in a chain reaction - even seeing it again, it was a spectacular sight.
"Incredible."
Raven wiped her mouth and said.
"Let's return to the headquarters. I'm so tired I could die."
"Can't we stay and watch a bit more?"
"Just kill me instead."
She's making such a whining sound.
Looking at how she was vomiting earlier, it seems she had a tough time.
Caesar gently drove Whitey towards headquarters.
"Yes. We're going."
Raven stared blankly at the sky and then spoke.
"I know you're a guy with many secrets."
That's right.
There were still unresolved issues between them.
Caesar felt slightly tense.
"...Indeed."
"But I'll ask you just one thing."
Raven wasn't looking at Caesar.
"Barre is alive, right?"
Raven's back touched Caesar's heart.
Caesar could feel Raven's heartbeat through his lower back.
It seemed he couldn't avoid answering this question.
"Yes."
"Then that's fine."
Caesar used psychometry.
- It's not good to confuse Caesar's mind with my personal affairs on the battlefield.
- I'm really curious about where Barre is and what he's doing, but if he's alive, I'll see him someday.
- Just... I'll tell you when we meet again.
- I want to be with you.
Caesar and Raven flew silently in the sky until they reached headquarters, without exchanging any words.
***
Caesar's military achievements spread throughout the demon realm.
"Did you hear? He repelled 80,000 Orcs at the Eagle valley?"
"Well, with 300 wizards, it was naturally possible, right?"
"Really? But I heard that Viscount El Lindger defeated a devil Twin-Headed Ogre?"
"That's a bit unusual, but isn't that because Raven provided one-man support? Wouldn't most knights be capable of that?"
However, the evaluation of Caesar was extremely harsh.
The reason was very simple.
"Give me 300 wizards and see who can't do it. And Green Valley wizards? It would be strange if they couldn't win."
"Is it right to monopolize the wizards? The front lines are moving so urgently right now."
"Our side is also dealing with rampaging Orcs."
This was because they hadn't divided the command rights of the wizards.
The Emperor, considering the eyes of nearby nobles and power holders, had given Caesar the ‘command division’ privilege by changing laws. The intention was not for Caesar to rule over the wizard resources like an emperor, but to share them.
However, Caesar had ignored all the heartfelt ‘letters’ from division and regiment commanders.
Therefore, jealous generals seeking military merits couldn't see Caesar in a good light.
Of course, Caesar was not unaware of this fact...
"Cheers!!!"
Caesar enjoyed his victory, clinking glasses with his subordinates.
Distributing wizards was nonsense.
What if they died while distributing wizards amid sprouting rebel armies?
The worst-case scenario would be wizards becoming dissatisfied and instigating a rebellion.
Would I let that happen?
Messio, who was drinking, approached and asked,
"Lord Caesar, is this the horn of that devil Ogre at your waist?"
Caesar shook the horn and said,
"Yes. The Dre Order will be very pleased with this."
"When did you plan to collect it?"
"Even in urgent battlefield situations, you must collect what needs to be collected."
Caesar looked at Raven, who was glancing at him with curiosity.
Seems like she wants the horn.
Caesar stood and approached Raven, handing her one of the Twin-Headed Ogre's horns while Raven sipped wine.
"Here, take it."
"...Why are you giving this to me?"
"You worked hard. It's good to have something to commemorate."
Raven didn't like Caesar's kind smile.
He was somewhat like Mitchell, someone with different inner and outer appearances.
His intention to win Raven's goodwill was obvious, making Raven's eyebrows furrow.
"Compensation for supporting."
Like a cat, Raven swiftly snatched the horn and hid it in her robe.
She couldn't resist a horn from a devilized demon race.
Investigating this might reveal why only Succubi and the Demon King have horns among the demon races.
Caesar, seeing Raven take the horn like a cat, gave a fatherly smile and raised his wine glass.
"Well, shall we toast?"
Raven clinked her glass with Caesar's, pursing her lips.
At that moment, a new glass approached and clinked.
It was Gloria's glass.
"I'll toast too!"
Gloria's cheeks were flushed as if she had been touching her cheeks excessively, wondering when she had become so drunk.
"Hey! Hey, you should stop drinking."
"Nooo! I'll just have one more drink!"
"You're not joking around with drinking. Who is this? Who made her drink like this!"
Messio rolled his eyes, avoiding Caesar's gaze.
Damn talker.
Why are you giving alcohol to someone who can't handle it?
Caesar moved all the alcohol from Gloria's glass to his own.
"Go and rest."
"Ah, why! This was my first battle! I should be allowed to drink this much!"
Gloria collapsed, leaning against Caesar's shoulder.
This woman who's just talked is constantly making a scene in front of people.
People around are looking strange.
Is it because Gloria is clinging and leaning?
Caesar was pushed by Gloria's weight and accidentally sat next to Raven.
Raven seemed unconcerned about Gloria's drunken state, simply tilting her drink while gazing indifferently at the campfire.
Gloria muttered, leaning on Caesar's shoulder.
"...It was a bit scary."
Caesar paused at Gloria's words.
"...Maybe you were a bit scared?"
"Get away from me."
"Ah ah ah! Listen to me till the end, master!"
Caesar sighed and patted Gloria's shoulder.
"Okay. Tell me everything."
"Following Sir Gideon, I couldn't stop running. Everywhere were dead Orcs. The survivors were squirming... The smell of blood and gunpowder...... Ugh..."
"You're... not going to throw up, right?"
Gloria was starting to look uneasy.
"The real war felt different. They weren't human. They were scary precisely because they weren't human. Trolls had their waists broken but flesh was regenerating... Goblins were crawling to stab their daggers even while dying... I was just a mere executioner in front of them, cutting throats and piercing hearts."
Gloria took a deep breath.
"And there were so many. Really many. 80,000... Even stabbing and cutting all day took too long. I even encountered trolls that had completely regenerated, was ambushed by goblins playing dead, and the surviving orc groups rushing to die together... It was too brutal."
Gloria looked at the red moon and stars.
"Now I understand why this isn't called the Great Continent but the Demon Realm. This isn't a world meant for humans. Even the sky is a different color... How could humans live here? Only demons should live here."
Gloria had become extremely sentimental.
Well, that's understandable.
Who could maintain their sanity after a war?
In fact, Gloria's aftermath is relatively mild.
"Will this war ever end? They said there's a ceasefire, but the war isn't completely over, right? What can we possibly gain here? In a land that rejects people so much..."
Gloria's eyes were gradually closing.
"I don't know...... After fighting directly, I know even less. Is the magic stone worth spilling this much blood on the ground? I don't know anything... Anymore."
Gloria fell asleep just like that.
Caesar silently patted Gloria's shoulder.
This question is not just Gloria's alone.
Isn't this the common question of generals who died beneath this land, soldiers and knights who died beneath this land, and all soldiers who are surviving like now?
At that moment, Raven opened her mouth.
"I understand."
"What?"
Caesar looked at Raven.
Would Raven know the reason for the war?
Or was she about to start another drunken ramble?
But that wasn't the case.
"I think I know why the Orcs suddenly became devils."
Oh, that topic.
I thought I was focused on Gloria's story.
Caesar decided to go along with the conversation.
"Isn't it just because the Orcs were oversaturated with magic?"
"That might be true, but I know why these creatures have suddenly started appearing in such numbers."
Raven used a strange magic toward the devil horns.
Then they began to emit a deep purple color.
"Actually, I've been feeling it since entering the Demon Realm. The current Demon Realm is a bit strange."
"What do you mean?"
"The magic concentration in the air is abnormally high. Other wizards will likely be feeling this too."
"But the Demon Realm has always had a much higher magic concentration than the continent."
"That's not what I'm saying. It has increased more than two-fold since I first set foot in the Demon Realm."
Caesar tilted his drink casually before speaking.
"What phenomena would occur if that happens?"
"Demon races are naturally very magic-friendly. That's why Orcs are orb users from birth, and succubi, vampires, and beastmen naturally wield magic. For dopplegangers... There are no samples, but they are undoubtedly life forms highly compatible with magic. Perhaps they naturally developed these abilities while adapting to this realm."
Raven threw away her drink and stood up.
"If it continues to increase, the number of devils will definitely have increased among the soldiers working in the Demon Realm. This would be true for soldiers in barren situations like mines or those stationed on the frontlines."
"Where are you going?"
"I need to meet some people from the Dre Order. The situation on the Demon Realm front might be more serious than expected. Perhaps the rebellion leader could even be a devil."
Raven recognized the situation as serious enough to discard her beloved wine.
While Caesar couldn't stop her, he couldn't let her go.
"No. Please stay here for now."
"Why?"
"It's dangerous to go alone. Since I've already requested to dispatch paladins, let's talk with those paladins."
"Would they know the current situation? Going to the Demon King's Castle with the Demon Realm diocese would provide more accurate information."
"The paladins who will soon arrive and are fighting devils on the frontlines, not the Demon Realm diocese, will have the most relevant information. It's not bad to hear their story first."
Raven thought for a moment before nodding.
"That makes sense."
"But what will you do if the Demon Realm situation becomes more serious?"
"We must absolutely tell everyone to leave the Demon Realm. If it increases two times... No, at least four times, the Demon Realm will become a den of devils."
Caesar tilted his drink.
"We can only hope that doesn't happen."
But Caesar already knew.
From the moment the Demon King died, the magic concentration would increase fourfold in two years, eightfold in three years, and sixteen fold in four years.
After that, the Demon Realm's range would expand beyond the Friedrich border to the Springfield area, becoming a den of devils and transforming into the territory of 'Niflheim'.
And when Niflheim fully occupies the Dior Kingdom and establishes a new kingdom in the Demon Realm...
That would be the beginning of the Devil overflow scenario.
TL/NOTE: Changing demon flood to devil flood.