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I Killed the Demon King. It was a Mistake.
Chapter 275
When Caesar opened his eyes, he felt surprisingly refreshed.
'...What's this?'
Should he describe it as the feeling of waking up after a pleasant nap after lunch? He clearly remembered engaging in a fierce battle with the Dragon knight until he passed out, but his body felt amazingly refreshed.
'Shouldn't there be aftereffects from using Storm’s Eve?'
There's no awakening skill without consequences. Normally, his body should be in pain as if splitting apart at the cellular level, but strangely, he felt fine, which was actually concerning.
'If anything, my body seems to feel better?'
Caesar got up and assessed the situation around him. First, there was one Dragon knight with its neck cut off.
And beside it, another Dragon knight leaning against the wall, asleep...?
"Huh?"
That one looked familiar. Caesar carefully picked up Thunder that had fallen to the ground. Then he cautiously approached to check the face.
"@#$%&."
Caesar flinched. The creature had definitely spoken.
Although it was in a voice as faint as a crawling mosquito.
Eventually, its eyes opened and stared directly at Caesar. Only then did Caesar realize it was the Dragon knight who had been hanging in the prison. The creature painfully tapped the stake pierced through its chest and said:
"@&%#&."
Though Caesar couldn't understand what it was saying, from its gestures, it seemed to be asking him to pull out the stake.
Apparently, this Dragon knight had saved Caesar...
'I shouldn't just pull it out without knowing what it's thinking.'
He needed to get closer and use psychometry to read what was going through the creature's mind.
Clink!
Just then, Caesar's foot hit something. It was an extremely fancy empty bottle he hadn't seen before.
Caesar picked up the bottle. A fragrant scent tickled his nose, and a very small amount of golden liquid remained inside, as if it had been used recently.
'Did it use this?'
If the creature had used this on Caesar, there must have been a reason. Caesar used psychometry on the bottle.
-This is an elixir...?
-If I use it on myself, I might survive…
-But... I would only just survive.
-Better for that person blessed by Lord Grezawa, who avenged me, to use it rather than me.
Caesar was shocked to learn that the potion used on him was an elixir.
The elixir is a legendary medicine that has only appeared in legends in the Valent Saga, never actually seen. A miraculous medicine that can revive the dead and allow one to overcome the limitations of their species when consumed.
'... She used this on me?'
He had thought his body felt unusually light, but never dreamed that such a miraculous medicine would be used on him. Caesar approached the creature and used psychometry.
-Who exactly are you?
-Did Lord Grezawa send you to save me?
-Can you not understand what I'm saying?
-If only I could use a communication spell...
'A communication spell, huh.'
Unfortunately, none of the artifacts Caesar possessed included a communication spell.
And the creature's condition wasn't good either. Like someone who had stayed awake for three days and nights, its consciousness kept fading in and out.
'It would be nice if I could learn dragon language magic, but...'
If that had been possible earlier, Arch Duke wouldn't have been racking his brains over the devil outbreak problem.
They say it's not even a language system comprehensible to the human mind, and it's impossible to pronounce with human oral structure.
-I don't know what relationship you have with Lord Grezawa.
-But seeing that you killed Pyrodontia, you must not be related to that vile evil dragon Sturungarden.
-So I ask you this.
-Protect Lord Grezawa.
The creature seemed unaware of what had happened to Grezawa.
Grezawa, the Betrayal Dragon, was already dead.
Even recorded in the history books of the Eileen Empire, Grezawa officially died fighting alongside humans against Smaurne, the Storm Dragon.
However, according to the founding myth of the Eileen Empire, the first Emperor drove away Smaurne with the Penetrating Spear and established peace in this land.
Of course, there might be some exaggerations for national pride, but Grezawa's death was certain.
Granted, the location of the body was never revealed.
But the first Emperor and the original 12 knights all confirmed the death, and if Grezawa had been alive, there should have been some trace of it, but there was nothing at all.
Caesar had no idea what to do for the creature making such a heartfelt request to protect a master who was already dead. The creature tapped the stake with its hand.
-Pull it out now.
-I have nothing more I can do.
If the stake is pulled out, the creature will die.
The dragon language inscribed on the stake meant ‘restraint.’
When explained in human language it's ‘restraint,’ but in dragon language, it's closer to ‘maintenance.’
The reason this creature survived in the bitter cold until now, despite other Dragon knights dying, was because of the power of the dragon language pierced through its heart.
-I haven't been able to sleep for too long.
-I am destined to die anyway.
The reason the creature didn't use the elixir on itself was simple.
The dragon race lives long but periodically takes extended rest periods, like hibernation, but this Dragon knight hadn't slept for hundreds of years.
Right now, the dragon language of restraint was barely holding onto the creature's sanity like a thread, but the moment it disappears, the backlash would destroy its mind.
Caesar thought for a moment, then lifted the creature up.
-...?
-What are you doing?
-Trying to save me?
-It's futile. I cannot be saved.
The creature had used all its strength to find the elixir and had no power left to resist.
Caesar headed toward the prison. He didn't forget to grab his spatial bag along the way. Caesar stopped at the center of the prison.
-Why here...?
Caesar pointed to two artifacts floating in the air. They were ‘Ruthless’ and ‘Stigma’.
"How do I get both of these?"
Why had Caesar fought the Dragon knight, bleeding in the process?
Wasn't it to obtain these two items?
Saving Caesar was one thing, but he still needed to get what he came for, right?
The creature immediately understood Caesar's words and stretched out its hand.
-Ah, you're thinking of taking Lord Grezawa's blessing.
-You don't seem to know how to take it.
The creature pointed to the stake.
-Pull it out. Then I'll give you Lord Grezawa's perfect blessing.
-Under the curse of restraint, there's nothing I can do.
Perfect blessing?
Caesar understood the creature's words through imagery. The creature was saying that those two artifacts were actually parts of a single dragon language relic.
Caesar grabbed the creature's stake.
The creature held up one finger to Caesar.
-You only have one chance.
-Take it immediately after pulling out the stake and leave right away.
-The moment you take the blessing, it will collapse.
Caesar understood the creature's words and nodded.
Then he pulled out the stake forcefully.
No blood leaked from the creature's chest, and not even a groan escaped its lips. Instead, the creature recited dragon language.
[Ruthless, reclaim your remorse.]
The blue ring, reminiscent of a cold winter sky, absorbed a water-like radiance.
[Stigma, reclaim your compassion.]
The same water-like light seeped into the ring that had been emitting an ominous purple glow.
The creature coughed up a handful of blood. But it didn't stop reciting the dragon language.
[Those who came from Grezawa, break free from your restraint.]
The cage surrounding the rings shattered, and the two rings began to merge into one.
[You shall become not those who bind, but those who release]
[You shall become not those who close, but those who open]
[Curse of irony. Your role ends here.]
A gem that couldn't be described as any specific color was embedded in the ring. It wasn't a sapphire, nor an amethyst, but an opal.
It was emitting various lights depending on the angle of the light.
The creature placed the opal-embedded ring in its hand. And spoke distinctly to Caesar:
"Storge."
-Love directed toward me.
Rumble!
The ceiling began to collapse. The creature handed the ring to Caesar.
-Go quickly.
Caesar immediately got up. He wanted to express gratitude but didn't know what to say.
Would they even understand each other's language?
But Caesar felt he needed to thank the creature to ease his mind.
"Thank you, Dremia."
Dremia's eyes opened slightly, seemingly surprised that Caesar knew its name. Caesar put Storge on his finger and ran.
Watching Caesar run away, Dremia quietly murmured:
-Thank you.
With that, Dremia closed its eyes along with its other comrades.
***
No one knows why the wilderness is barren.
Even when asking the Barbarians who have lived in the wilderness for a long time, most would simply say, ‘It's always been that way!’.
This is because Barbarians were more interested in how to eat well, drink well, excrete well, and fight well, rather than wondering why the wilderness was barren.
"...According to scholars and adventurers who had contact with ancient tribes, the wilderness was not originally a barren region. It is said that after the evil dragon Sturungarden burned down all the forests that filled the wilderness, the area became devastated."
The guide was talkative. He never seemed to stop talking for a moment. It's difficult to find water in the desolate wilderness.
Raven wanted to say that wasting moisture and energy by spraying saliva like that in such harsh land was not a good survival strategy, but since the guide's stories contained many interesting things, she just listened to them like a radio.
"Why did Sturungarden burn the forest? It's said he ordered the warriors of the forest, the Barbarians, to submit to him, but they refused. It is said that dragons were originally lazy and arrogant, preferring to command subordinates rather than move themselves."
"There's a story that the reason Barbarians have black hair and tanned skin is because they were blackened by the hot flames from Sturungarden's mouth."
The guide sniffed, smelling the air.
"We seem to be almost there."
Gloria said, removing her windproof hood. "How do you know that?"
"Don't you smell the faint sulfur in the wind? The 'Yorun Village' we're heading to is very famous for a mineral called 'cinnabar' that makes red pigment, and for sulfur. The red ink and the red windproof clothes you all are wearing were made with pigments from this place."
Gloria also sniffed, smelling the pigment. There was a subtle sulfur smell among the faint dust scent.
"If you're thinking of gifts, buy red paint and ink here. They don't use common currency here, but trade with gold or silver, so keep that in mind. Ah, do you know why cinnabar is famous in this land? It is said that a giant worm lived in this land in the past. But then a brave Barbarian..."
Gloria didn't even want to think about how she would have walked this boring path without the guide.
It wasn't that things were awkward with Raven, but Raven was someone who preferred listening to talking, and Gloria wasn't enough of a chatterbox to satisfy Raven. Moreover, when they were ‘wandering’ like now, Gloria didn't feel like talking much either. While the guide was chattering, Gloria spoke quietly to Kos.
"This time it has to be the right place. Otherwise Raven said she's just going to leave."
Ding... Ding...?
Gloria had reached the point where she could understand what Kos was saying without Kos having to write it directly.
Should she say that she could somewhat perceive Kos' words even if she didn't know exactly what was being said? Kos probably just said something like:
This time it will be right... Maybe...?
Gloria sighed and shook her head. Eventually, Gloria and Raven arrived at the village. Certainly befitting a village famous for red pigment, it was a world of red. People not only wore red clothes but even applied it to their faces.
Gloria found enjoyment in being able to experience such a new culture.
"I'll find lodgings for us. Please wait here by the well."
Gloria and Raven looked at each other and moved to a secluded spot near the well. Then Raven immediately cast a 'perception interference' spell around them before speaking.
"Kos, is this the right place?"
Kos jumped out from Gloria's wrist and immediately wrote in a notebook.
[This is the right place. I'm absolutely certain.]
Raven looked at Kos with suspicious eyes.
"You said the last place was right too, and it wasn't. How do you know this place is certain?"
[See that well? It was there when I was here too. Ask anyone if that well was there 100 years ago.]
Raven sighed.
"Kos, you know we've wasted a lot of time because of you, right? Today marks a month already."
[I know... How could I have known the wilderness would change so much in just 100 years.]
"...Let's just stop talking about it."
In 100 years, the mountains and rivers change ten times over. Even in the wilderness inhabited by the conservative Barbarians, things change over 100 years of interaction with the Empire people.
Things like roads or buildings. She heard that some Barbarians had been drawn into the secular world and worked as mercenaries.
Gloria observed the people fetching water and doing laundry near the well.
"By the way, there really aren't any Barbarians here either."
Despite having come quite deep into the wilderness, Gloria could count on one hand the number of real Barbarians she had seen.
Nomads who lived as tribes or family units rather than forming villages, continuing their traditions without establishing a country, wandering the wilderness. It seems she had seen more bandits roaming the wilderness than meeting them.
"Real Barbarians were killed en masse by demons."
Wasn't that why Barre participated in the Demon Realm War, to avenge his tribespeople who were all massacred by demons?
"Is that really true?"
"...Well, that's how the Barbarians and the Imperial Province explained it."
At the time, Raven thought that the demons would have gone above and beyond to kill Barbarians.
Because vampires and succubi had wings. But thinking about it now, it was incredibly ironic.
Although the wilderness and the demon realm are connected by sea, they aren't close enough to go on foot by flying.
Even the closest point takes about three days by boat, and when flying, it takes at least four days round trip. If they needed blood or energy, the nearby Friedrich region was available, so why would demons need to go back and forth that distance and randomly massacre Barbarians? Especially right before the Demon Realm War broke out between the Empire and humans.
"According to the guide, until just before the Demon Realm War broke out, there was no intersection between demons and Barbarians
"At all."
"Right. That was a bit strange."
"Why on earth did the demons attack the Barbarians?"
"I don't know."
Raven's curiosity raised its head, but she quickly suppressed it when she saw the guide looking for her and Gloria by the well. If they investigated that too in the wilderness, it would be impossible to reach the City of Sin, Grezawa, within this year.…
Well, it was already quite late since today was November 7th. As Kos entered Gloria's bracelet, they deactivated the perception interference spell. Then the guide ran over with a bright smile.
"Fortunately, a good lodging just became vacant! Shall we go there?"
"That sounds good. But I'm curious about one thing."
"Yes. Please ask away."
"Was that well there 100 years ago too?"
The guide nodded.
"Yes, that's correct. They say it's a very old well. According to legend, it's said that the famous Living Armor washed itself by that well."
Raven and Gloria's eyes sparkled.
Ding...!
And Kos cried out as well. They had finally found it.