Chapter 332: translated
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 332
Luca looked at his fallen comrades.
"......Impossible."
Mila was screaming with her right arm bent backwards. Yo-heum was crawling on the ground with both sturdy legs severed, And Nivia had long skewers pierced through both arms and legs, making struggling her best option.
"How on earth did you......"
"Why? Surprised that the guy who was screaming his head off at the hospital after becoming a goddamn saint is still alive?"
The three horns on his head and dark purple skin were certainly alien, but his squinted eyes and the baptism sword attached to his right hand told the story.
"Nel, why on earth did you betray us?!"
Nel had to spend his life in a wheelchair after his spine was broken by Caesar. But Nel, now a devil, had become powerful enough to take on all four of the baptized ones, including Luca.
"Betrayal... That hurts my feelings when you put it that way."
Nel kicked Luca in the chest. Only after being kicked by Nel did Luca realize he had been struck.
"Gack...!"
Luca curled up and trembled, unable to breathe. Nevertheless, his gaze remained fixed on Nel.
"We're swords serving His Holiness the Pope, right? So we should raise our swords for His Holiness Alexander. So it's you who betrayed us."
"Even if Alexander has become a devil...?!"
"A devil?"
Nel caressed his own horns.
"This is a blessing. It can make even a physically disabled human walk again, never age, and never tire. Isn't the fact that you're all squirming before me proof of that?"
"Luca, why are you in such a state?"
A chilling baritone voice came from behind. Following the voice, a devil in white papal robes was approaching, leaning on a staff. The devil wore the pure white robes symbolizing the Pope, and instead of the triregnum, four horns coiled like a crown on his head, with Fleming's staff in his right hand.
"Alexander...!"
Alexander approached Luca with a benevolent smile. Luca instinctively swung Balsan. However, when Alexander raised a finger, the sword stopped at Alexander's nape.
"What is this...!"
Luca tried to move Balsan somehow, but it remained as immovable as if stuck in a block of wood.
"Nel, didn't I tell you to capture him without causing too much injury?"
Nel scratched his head and said.
"While testing the power you gave me, Your Holiness Alexander... I seem to have used a bit too much force."
Luca threw a punch toward the Pope.
But Nel rushed in and blocked Luca's fist. Luca couldn't believe it. He could understand Nel being fast, but not strong enough to block Luca's punch. Yet Nel went beyond just blocking Luca's fist...
"Gack!"
He subdued Luca and forced him to kneel.
Luca's gaze fell on Balsan suspended in midair. He felt his connection with Balsan, which had always been in sync with him, had been severed.
Alexander caressed Luca's cheek with the back of his hand. It felt like a snake stroking his face with its tongue, making him shudder involuntarily.
"Oh, Luca. Why are you trembling like this? Are you worried I might harm you?"
"...Shut up, devil."
Though his words were harsh, Alexander could tell from Luca's skin that he was terrified.
"Yes. I understand your fear. Even if I were you, I would be very afraid."
Alexander spoke while raising Fleming's staff.
"You know, Luca, you made me a devil with this staff."
"...!"
Alexander laughed at Luca's frozen expression.
"You might think that if someone you pushed into the valley of despair somehow crawls back up and stands before you, that person would only feel anger and vengeance. But don't worry. I am much more benevolent than you think."
Alexander stood up and raised his staff toward Luca. Sweat involuntarily ran down Luca's spine.
"I will go beyond forgiving you to loving you. I will also save you from the pit of despair in which you have fallen."
"Don't do it...!"
"Oh, Luca. Do not be afraid."
Alexander placed the staff on Luca's right shoulder with a more benevolent smile than ever before.
The shoulder touched by the staff began turning purple.
"Aaaaarrrrggghhh!"
"Newness is always frightening. But don't be too afraid of being reborn. Soon you will realize that heaven is not in the sky but here on this earth."
Alexander smiled even more deeply as he watched Luca transforming into a devil.
"And you will also realize that the only one who can sit on the throne of that heaven is me."
***
The area in front of Giggs' forge was filled with terrified citizens.
"It's been over two days since Lord Luca hasn't returned."
"There's no news at all. Did Lord Luca succeed in the operation?"
"Shouldn't we send an investigation team?"
Everyone spoke while looking at Giggs.
"Mr. Giggs! What should we do?"
Giggs closed his eyes with his mouth shut.
Currently, all of the Holy Knights, without a single exception, had gone with Luca to carry out the operation. Most of the battalion commanders who led 15 battalions of regular knights were either missing or severely injured and bedridden.
That's why everyone rushed to Giggs, known as the wisest in Shalibi.
As Giggs remained silent and deep in thought, people began to voice their opinions.
"Wouldn't it be better to evacuate Shalibi even now?"
"Wait a moment. Then what about the injured patients who are hospitalized?"
"It's unfortunate, but this is a time when we must sacrifice the few for the many."
"Can you say such things in front of the knights who are bedridden?! They are people who went on the mission risking their lives for us. Abandoning them is unthinkable."
"Isn't it because Lady Sirina's father is currently injured?"
"......What? You're now......"
"Don't bring your personal issues into our collective problem. Aren't the people standing here what's important right now?"
Sirina was at a loss for words.
She wanted to snap back, but her lungs kept drawing in breath and her eyes were blocked with tears, making it hard to see clearly.
At that moment, a bloodied bandage flew toward the face of the man who had just snapped at Sirina.
Splash!
"Wha, what!"
"What do you mean what? That's the blood of knights who got injured trying to save your life."
People's gazes turned to the woman who had thrown the blood-stained bandage.
"Who are you!"
"I'm Olivia Vex. Daughter of the Vex Count family and daughter of the current Count Vex. Who are you to speak so informally to me?"
"Wh-what, Count Vex?"
The man was flustered by the unexpected appearance of a noble.
What kind of family was the Vex Count family?
Aren't they the power holders of Vex Province and the family that has a firm grip on the southwestern part of the continent?
"I'm asking who you are. Are you a noble? Or a cleric? Or are you even a knight?"
"Ahem...! I apologize for not recognizing you. I am Luins Alpheon, who runs the Alpheon Trading Company. But......"
Luins glanced at Olivia and said.
"Are you really Lady Olivia Vex? If the Lady had come to Shalibi, I wouldn't have missed it."
"Why? Do I need to prove it to you?"
"Well, if you had something like that... It would be nice."
"Ha!"
Olivia took out a ring from her bosom.
"Here, look. If your eyes aren't knotholes, you'll recognize that I'm real."
When Luins saw the family ring made of platinum, a chill ran down his spine.
Since Luins occasionally did business with the Vex Count family, he could instantly tell whether that seal was genuine or not. And he could quickly recall that the youngest daughter of the Vex Count family was a loudmouth who was disliked by Count Vex.
Luins glanced around discreetly. There was no one who looked like a knight from the Vex Count family.
Luins' eyes turned to Olivia. Olivia's hands and clothes were soaked with blood and sweat. If there had been even one person from the Vex family, Olivia wouldn't have rolled up her sleeves and engaged in such menial tasks.
In other words, Olivia was currently not under the protection of her family, and was more likely to have entered Shalibi for unfavorable reasons. Like a true merchant, Luins decided how to treat Olivia and smiled comfortably.
"Hmm! Well, that seems genuine. Then, Lady Olivia. What do you wish to do? Will you all die here together?"
Luins pointed to the people trembling with anxiety and said.
"Lady Olivia, can you take responsibility for these people's lives with your decision? Ah, perhaps the knights of Count Vex are coming?"
"That's not the case."
"Then doesn't that mean Lady Olivia has no plan and can't offer any help?"
Olivia's eyebrows twitched.
Unlike a person from the Vex family, Olivia couldn't handle a sword well and was treated as a parasite by her father.
Due to the loneliness that always accompanied her, she only hung around with women who liked to flatter her and live off Olivia's money and power.
In other words, she was younger than Luins, less experienced, and not particularly rational. If someone were to ask what Olivia lacked the most among all these deficiencies. It was manners.
Splash!
Luins was hit by a blood-soaked bandage that flew like a whip.
"What are you saying? Do you have a death wish, you mere merchant?"
"Wh-what?"
"Do you know you just insulted a noble? If this were Vex Province, your head would have been cut off immediately."
"Wh-what nonsense...!"
Splash!
When Luins was hit by another flying bandage, he couldn't hold back.
"You...! You little pipsqueak, why do you keep giving me this crap?!"
"A little pipsqueak? Are you done talking? You baldy?!"
"What, baldy? What do you mean I'm bald......"
When Luins saw the wig lying on the ground, his grip on reason snapped.
"You damn bitch!"
Just as Luins finally couldn't hold back and was about to strike Olivia...
Thup!
Aurora stepped in and grabbed Luins' wrist. Luins froze when he saw Aurora.
"A-Aurora?"
"You clearly said to leave the injured behind, didn't you?"
Aurora swept Luins' ankle.
Crack!
"Aaaaarrrrggghhh!"
Luins' ankle twisted 180 degrees. Aurora snorted at Luins rolling on the ground.
"Now you're injured too. Stay in Shalibi."
"Stop!"
When Giggs stepped in to stop it, Aurora obediently backed off.
Giggs tapped Luins' twisted ankle.
"Aaaaarrrrggghhh!"
"Someone take this fool to the infirmary. He's too noisy."
Only after people who appeared to be Luins' employees quickly take him away did the commotion finally stop.
Giggs looked at the people and said.
"We will remain in Shalibi and fight."
"But......"
"Of course, those who wish to leave may do so. I won't stop you. However, except for personal equipment, you cannot take any food or any public property."
People became solemn at Giggs' declaration.
They whispered among themselves, and then one person raised a hand.
"Are you waiting for reinforcements from nobles in other regions?"
"That's right. I've already requested help from the surrounding nobles since this place became isolated. It would be far better to resist here than to face devils in the open fields with tens of thousands of people."
"Then how do you plan to stop the devils? We don't have many knights available right now, do we?"
"Shalibi is a village of blacksmiths. Then we must fight using blacksmiths' methods."
People's gazes turned toward the sling launcher Theon was holding.
"Can we stop devils with that?"
"We can. There is a way to stop them."
The expressions of the people varied at Giggs words. Giggs is not just an ordinary blacksmith. He is the most respected person in Shalibi and the one who led Shalibi to its golden age.
When such a person made a bold claim, people nodded their heads.
"Understood. If Giggs says there's a way, then there must be. So what should we do?"
"We need to divide roles. Blacksmiths and technicians must be gathered as the highest priority."
Giggs looked at Olivia and said.
"It goes without saying, but this includes everyone with talent for handling machines. We're in a state of war now."
Olivia flinched and tried to step back, but Aurora blocked her.
"Lady Olivia. Go where you are needed. Isn't that what you came here to find?"
A place where she is needed.
Has there ever been a place that truly needed Olivia until now?
Olivia's heart began to race without her even realizing it.
***
Raven's mouth opened.
『Flame that Annihilates Devils』
As the spell words flowed from Raven's mouth, white flames bloomed from the tip of the wand.
Raven threw the white flames toward the devil rushing at her. The devil was flung backward when hit by the white flames.
"Kraaaaaaaaa!"
The white flames did not just repel the devil, but spread across its entire body.
Raven detached a bit of the white flame that was clinging to its body and hurled it at the devil targeting Gloria's back.
"Aaaahh!"
Gloria struck the neck of the devil rolling on the ground.
Baaaaaang!
Along with the effect of Blood Moon, the devil's body exploded and disappeared.
"Phew... thank you."
"Was that the last one?"
"Probably."
Gloria looked around.
"Where did Sir Caesar go?"
"He went to catch the ones that were escaping. He'll be back soon."
Gloria observed the white flames burning on the devil's blood.
"Those white flames look quite similar to the holy flames of Arch that Sir Caesar uses, don't they?"
"That's right. I was a bit surprised by that too."
Spell words are contracts with magic. When requesting to create flames that annihilate devils, magic understands Raven's words and organizes itself to produce the optimal flames for destroying devils.
But those flames were almost identical in structure and effect to the holy flames of Arch created by Noah.
"Honestly, it would be more accurate to say there's almost no difference. I do wonder how he created them."
At that moment, Caesar emerged walking through the undergrowth.
"You're back? What about the ones that escaped?"
"I eliminated them all. But it seems we have a somewhat troublesome situation."
"What is it?"
"Come and see."
Caesar led Raven and Gloria to the mountain peak.
Looking down from the mountaintop, the city landscape was revealed. Gloria couldn't possibly close her mouth. That was because the entire city was red like blood, and writhing masses of flesh could be seen everywhere.
Devils with similar shapes were being born from those masses of flesh.
"...Where is this place right now?"
"Sanctus Lumen."
The answer didn't come from Caesar. It came from a man who approached, using his sword as a cane.
"A city established by the corrupt Pope."
The man was Pio.