88
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 88
Hudson recalled Hilos's orders.
-Observe every single move Caesar makes during this operation.
-Not just his actions, but his habits, what he eats, what he likes.
-And report it to me secretly.
Hudson didn't ask why he had to do this.
Hudson is a Dawn Knight who has sworn to protect and follow the royal bloodline.
Questions were not given to him.
However, he couldn't say he was completely without personal interest in carrying out this task.
After all, Hudson had also wanted to thoroughly investigate Caesar for a while.
'Clearly, Caesar wasn't affected by the charm magic during the Eileen River attack incident.'
Of course, one might think he was momentarily affected by charm magic when he ambushed Hudson.
However, it's not at all easy to concentrate enough power to knock out a knight with precise targeting while under the influence of charm magic.
How could someone under charm magic execute such precise aura control?
If it were possible, why was Hudson still alive?
Why did most of the Imperial knights and soldiers survive, while the knights and soldiers of the Dior Kingdom died?
But one thing was certain...
'Caesar is hiding something.'
The reason Hudson doesn't show his suspicions to Caesar is because Caesar is currently an essential figure for the Imperial family.
Since the emergence of Homigraph and Sapientia, there has never been a case where a human almost unrelated to Arch Duke wielded such influence over the two cities.
The fact that a politically neutral power player was actively operating in what was essentially Arch Duke's iron fortress.
From the Imperial family's perspective, who wanted to control and wield mages like knights, it was clear that there would never be another figure as attractive as Caesar.
That's why he received Hilos's orders.
He planned to accompany Caesar from now on and uncover everything about him.
However...
"...His combat power can't even be measured."
Hudson blankly stared at the corpses strewn about.
Caesar's wind axe technique was both precise and sharp.
Every time Caesar swung his axe, dozens of sharp wind blades would scatter, and these blades were sufficient to carve through human flesh.
There were even corpses where the bones had been cleanly cut through.
What's even more frightening was that he could control these winds as freely as his own hands and feet.
Was he a technique type?
But if so, Caesar didn't even get a scratch when hit by bullets.
Then was he a tank type?
Had there ever been a tank-type knight who showed such precise aura control?
Just what kind of body did he have?
Hudson had never seen this type of knight in his life.
Caesar spoke while roughly wiping the blood off his axe with a cloth.
"Looks like everything's been cleaned up."
Hudson, not wanting to be caught observing Caesar, beheaded an unfortunate cult member.
"No. Commander Freakshow hasn't been seen for a while."
"Ah, now that you mention it, that's true."
Caesar spoke while looking at the trembling mutants around them.
"Do you know where the commander went?"
"Ru-run away. We must run..."
The mutants, seemingly in a state of panic, kept trying to flee despite falling due to the shackles on their feet.
Caesar grabbed one of the fleeing mutants and said:
"You must not have seen the newspaper, but we're here to save you. Tell me where he went. Also tell me where the injured comrades or children are."
"Th-that's not it. We must run away quickly."
Caesar tilted his head and used psychometry.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Ah, devil."
The black figure that the person had seen penetrated Caesar's mind.
"Th-the commander tamed a devil. Qu-quickly, run...!"
KWAAANG-!
A black figure burst out from a collapsed wooden building.
Despite having chains on its neck, legs, and arms, and its back being hunched like a hunchback, it was so large it appeared to be almost 3 meters tall.
There was a horn embedded in the head of that massive figure.
It was clearly a devil.
A fat man appeared from behind and climbed up the devil's back onto its shoulder.
"Ha, hahaha! You're all dead!"
The commander slapped the devil's smooth head. TAK! TAK!
"This is my greatest masterpiece that I've tamed! The great Barre!"
Caesar couldn't believe his ears.
"What? Barre?"
"That's right! I'm saying I turned Barre the Barbarian Knight, companion of Hero Yan, into a devil! If you don't want to die, you'd better run away right now!"
The devil beat its chest and roared.
"UWOOOOO-!"
Caesar was so dumbfounded he couldn't even sigh.
"That's supposed to be Barre?"
"Yes! If you don't run away right now...!"
HUNG!
Caesar's Thunder flew through the air.
While the commander couldn't react, the devil did respond and blocked it with the handcuffs bound to both hands.
However...
CHULPUK!
As its two arms were severed, Thunder embedded itself in the devil's chest.
PAJIJIJIK!
"AAAAARGHHHH!"
The devil couldn't regain its senses due to the current flowing from Thunder.
The commander was also simultaneously electrocuted from the aftermath, and he fell to the ground without even being able to scream.
Meanwhile, Hudson rushed in.
With incredibly nimble movements, Hudson stepped on the knee of the devil that couldn't regain its senses, climbed up in one go, and cut its neck.
CRUNCH-!
The devil collapsed while spurting a fountain of blood.
Caesar crushed the severed devil's head with his left hand and then looked at its fallen body.
He did this because there was a possibility it might have regenerative abilities even with its head cut off.
However, the devil only gushed hot blood without showing any signs of regeneration.
"Whew."
A devil, all of a sudden.
Even Caesar hadn't expected this.
He had been focused on Hudson since Hudson kept observing and monitoring him.
If the Freakshow members had really tamed a devil, they wouldn't have been so careless.
Hudson grabbed the collar of the commander who was still trembling.
"What was that? How did you people tame a devil?"
But the commander hadn't regained consciousness.
Caesar tapped Hudson's shoulder and said:
"Will he be able to talk like that?"
Caesar slapped the commander's cheek.
Slap!
His head turned and he immediately regained consciousness.
"AAAAARGH! Mo-monsters!"
"You're the monster."
Caesar grabbed his hair and placed the axe against his neck.
"How did you tame the devil? What was that?"
"Im-impossible. This is... Huh?"
The commander's face gradually turned purple and started to swell.
Caesar quickly grabbed his collar and threw him toward the forest.
PUK-!
The commander's body exploded while flying through the air.
Blood and flesh splattered onto Caesar's shoes.
Caesar immediately took off his shoes and threw them away.
"Damn it."
"Sir Caesar! Are you alright?!"
"Stay back."
Caesar kept Hudson at a distance.
Caesar's shoes began to melt while emitting white smoke.
The same happened to nearby carriages and temporary tents.
Just in case, Caesar took out the 'Moonflower' he had kept with him.
He then carefully examined his feet and body.
Fortunately, there were no traces of magic.
But when he shifted his gaze toward where the commander's body had exploded,
He noticed what appeared to be a dark purple magic circle.
Although Caesar was nearly ignorant about magic, he wasn't unaware that only 'devils' used such dark purple magic circles.
"Damn devil bastards."
Caesar put the Moonflower back into his pocket.
"It's safe now."
"What was that just now?"
"What else could it be? It must be devil magic."
"Do you think it was done by that one-horned devil we saw earlier?"
Caesar used psychometry on Hudson.
-Caesar knows more about devils than I expected.
-Let's see just how much he knows.
This bastard Hudson is testing me while having some knowledge himself.
He's quite cunning too.
"Probably not. It must be another devil's doing."
"What makes you think so?"
"Just by looking, there's no way that seemingly stupid devil could use such high-level magic. Well, more importantly, I can tell now that this Freakshow situation is more serious than we thought."
Hudson also clearly felt that this problem was more serious than expected.
If these guys know how to tame devils...
No, if the method of taming devils has spread, then other Freakshow circus members might also be controlling devils.
"Were there no devils in the Dior Kingdom?"
"I've never seen devils tamed by humans like that."
Of course, that was half wrong.
Such devil-taming humans appeared when they entered the 'Demon Flood' scenario after passing through the 'Warring State' scenario.
Especially those 'devils' who teach humans how to control devils are called 'Prophets', and they have at least four horns on their heads, requiring serious preparation if one wants to hunt them.
For such monsters to appear at the beginning of the Warring States scenario.
The storyline really seems to have gotten twisted.
"For now, there are two urgent matters. First, we need to inform the Empire and get support from the Dre Order's holy knights."
"And the other is finding out how they tamed these devils. If there's someone teaching them how to tame devils, this could become more serious than we thought."
Caesar pointed at the commander and said:
"I'll clean up here, so please go to a nearby village with a telephone and report this. Time is of the essence right now."
Hudson nodded.
"Understood. Then I'll leave the cleanup to you."
After Hudson disappeared, Caesar turned his attention to the mutants.
The mutants were all huddled in a corner, trembling, not even thinking about escaping.
Caesar approached them.
As Caesar approached, the mutants' fear grew even greater.
"Pl-please spare us. Sir Knight. Please... We di-didn't do anything... Huh?"
Caesar took out a biscuit from his pocket and handed it to them.
"Why would I kill you?"
A mutant with only three fingers uncertainly accepted Caesar's biscuit.
"Tell me how the commander tamed the devil. I'll reward you."
Caesar used psychometry.
***
An elderly man with neatly arranged hair stepped down from the carriage.
A knight greeted the elderly man.
"Are you Mayor of Sodom?"
Andras looked the knight up and down and nodded.
"That's correct."
"Prince Denver is looking for you."
Andras followed the knight into the royal palace.
Past the winding maze-like palace paths was an administrative facility where civil servants were busily working.
Andras stood in front of a massive office located on the first floor.
When the knight and Andras stood in front of the office, the secretary knocked on the door.
Knock knock!
"Your Highness. The Mayor of Sodom has arrived."
-Tell him to come in.
When the door opened, Andras entered the office with the knight while keeping his back straight.
Prince Denver was inside the office.
Denver was a very handsome man in his early 30s, and he had emerald-colored hair as proof that he inherited the blood of the Dior royal family.
Prince Denver signed a document with his fountain pen and handed it to his secretary.
"Julia. Process this as is."
"Understood."
The secretary left the office, leaving only Andras and the knight.
Prince Denver spoke while closing the cap of his fountain pen.
"Let's get straight to the point."
Andras and the knight immediately knelt and said.
"We await your orders, King of Niflheim."
Denver's eyes turned purple.
"The destruction of Sodom was part of the demon race's rescue operation. So, Andras."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"This is your incompetence. You couldn't control a single baron, and he spread rumors everywhere about conducting a freak show targeting demons..."
Andras felt his breath becoming increasingly constricted.
"It's only natural that Sodom burned and your subordinates died, if you think about it."
Andras gritted his teeth.
"...I apologize."
"The problem is that because of this incident, the Eileen Empire has identified the perpetrators of the devil attack as the freak show and corrupt officials. Because of that..."
Denver's gaze turned to the knight.
"Count Eligos, this has caused complications in the plan you're pursuing."
Denver lightly tapped his fountain pen on the desk.
Thud-!
With that, Andras's head was slammed into the floor.
Andras's body trembled.
"How should we handle this, Andras?"
"...I will take responsibility and finish it."
"How can I trust you? An incompetent fool who can't even properly manage that small piece of land."
The tip of the fountain pen slowly dug into the desk.
As it did, Andras's head began to gradually cave in.
However, Andras endured the pain without making a single sound of agony.
"Eligos. If the prophets reveal themselves this early, that senile emperor will use fear as a weapon to unite the empire as one. Naturally, that cannot happen."
Eligos opened his mouth.
"I will evacuate all the prophets."
"Of course you should. Andras, help Eligos ensure the prophets evacuate safely. It's not time yet, so we must retreat."
Denver pulled the fountain pen out of the desk.
"Andras, I'll overlook your incompetence just this once."
When Denver waved his finger, the fountain pen tip and the hole in the desk were restored.
It was magic.
"You may leave."
"...Thank you."
Andras and Eligos stood up and left the office.
As soon as they left the office, Andras spoke to Eligos.
"This matter, I will..."
"No, Andras. Just focus on rebuilding Sodom quietly."
Eligos turned away from Andras.
"It would be troublesome if you mess things up again. Don't try to get involved."
With those final words, Eligos quietly disappeared, and Andras trembled with clenched fists.
"Damn it."