277. Echoes of Shade (1)
277. Echoes of Shade (1)
- 1 -
The deep ocean had always been Wepar's place of rest.
A place where neither humans nor demons had yet properly reached.
Filled with colossal oceanic monsters and beasts, it was her spiritual homeland—a refuge she sought whenever the world pressed in on her.
But this tank, dark as the deep ocean's abyss, could never become a place of rest for her.
"Speak! What did he say!"
The mermaid queen's voice vibrated through the seawater.
In the instant of that fierce cry, a flash sparked from her eyes.
The reason for her shout was not anger or hatred.
What dwelled within her voice was a deeper, more desperate emotion.
Impatience.
Her tail sliced through the water, betraying her unsettled psyche, and beneath her cold skin covered in blue scales, mana wriggled in rhythm with her agitation.
"You know, don't you."
Libertas quietly looked up at her and whispered.
The expression of the Dungeon Lord in the black dress remained as gentle, noble, and dignified as ever.
"That messenger said nothing about you."
Libertas's voice was impassive.
With a tone as if merely stating a fact, she drove a stake into Wepar's chest.
"Lies!"
Wepar wanted to deny those words. No, she had to deny them.
A heart-rending pain constricted her chest.
Covering her ears, she slowly sank to the bottom of the tank.
As if watching the bubbles of hope pop one by one and rise to the surface.
Dantalion was not looking for her.
It felt as though the weight of the truth she had just learned was pressing down upon her, suffocating.
'Ha.'
Wepar let out a hollow laugh.
She had thought she knew.
That even though she shared a bed with Dantalion, there was no way he considered her special.
But that had been nothing but an illusion.
Seeing as how she was now reeling from a truth that felt like her heart was stopping.
"You deceived him."
Wepar's voice, echoing through the water, sounded like the dying groan of a whale.
But there was no certainty in those words.
"There was no need for that."
Libertas's tone was still soft.
"He would have already been suspicious of you. The fact that you were taken captive by me would have fanned those suspicions—the suspicion that you would betray him."
Coming a little closer, she placed her hand on the glass of the tank.
At that moment, the magic circles inscribed on the walls of the room where the tank was located shone brightly.
Mana briefly returned to Wepar's body.
Once a day, Libertas revitalized her in this way.
"You can no longer return to Dantalion. But to me, you are still a valuable existence."
Wepar tried to throw out a sneer, but swallowed the words that had risen to her throat.
Her calculating nature told her she had to accept Libertas's words.
Even if she returned to Dantalion, she would not be able to regain his trust.
He was a deeply suspicious individual, and those who once became the target of his suspicion could never escape that stigma.
"... What must I do?"
The strength had drained from Wepar's utterance.
She couldn't escape this place with her own power, and her 'former' lord had given up on her.
Unless she wanted to maintain a life revitalized just once a day thanks to Libertas's 'interest,' there was only one answer.
"First, tell me everything you know about Dantalion."
Wepar hesitated for a moment.
The trust and status she had received as a vassal of the one who bore the Name of Secrets flashed through her mind.
But all of those were things she had already lost.
Dantalion had already abandoned her.
"His Highness's... no, Dantalion's dungeon takes the form of an ice palace..."
Wepar's lips barely parted.
With just that, she felt as if her frozen heart was slowly beginning to melt.
Once she opened her mouth, it was easy to speak of everything she knew.
She began to spill the secrets of Dantalion's Demon Realm one by one.
The Demon Realm's defense system, the secret passage leading to the core, the design of his mana amplification device, even the list of key retainers.
She did not know everything, but she knew enough to be of sufficient help.
Every single word became a dagger betraying her past loyalty, stabbing into her chest.
Libertas listened quietly to her words.
Her expression held not the joy of victory, but a sober understanding.
"That is enough."
When Wepar's confession ended, Libertas raised her hand and dispersed the spell on the tank.
"I have heard you well. In the time to come, I shall use it to strike my enemy."
The vitality returning to her body was trust. Feeling it, Wepar's eyes wavered.
It was a kind of emotion she had never once felt since birth.
It was only natural that she could not hold back this question.
"Do you not think I might have told lies?"
Hearing her words, Libertas blinked slowly.
"A foolish question."
Shadows gathered around the tank.
Yuran, Shue, Evangeline... one by one, Libertas's close aides revealed themselves and looked at Wepar.
Various emotions flickered in their eyes.
Wariness, curiosity, even pity.
"An owner naturally trusts her possession. For it is only natural that the possession fulfills its purpose. Likewise..."
But when looking at Libertas, only one emotion came to mind.
"A possession need only think about serving its master with all its heart."
Shining brilliantly—love and loyalty, emotions that could not stop laughing.
At that suffocating shift in emotion, Wepar let out a panting breath.
The seawater inside the tank bubbled, revealing her agitation.
"Wepar."
Libertas spoke again.
"You are now my subordinate. And you have an important mission."
Wepar raised her head.
Her eyes were full of questions, and Libertas slowly explained what she had to do.
As the tale progressed, shock and bewilderment filled the mermaid's pitch-black eyes.
But soon, Wepar nodded.
She had no other choice.
"... I swear my loyalty."
Facing the mermaid as she bowed her waist, Libertas slowly nodded.
As she bestowed upon her a sprig of rosemary blooming with a black flower.
"Ugh...!"
Feeling the rosemary burrow into the vicinity of her own heart, Wepar trembled.
When Libertas touched the petal, Wepar felt a thrill run through her entire body and her mana activate even further.
"Th-this is..."
"It is a simple gift. It will help your mana move more smoothly."
Libertas's eyes held a glimmer of light.
"From now on, sing for me. Miss Mermaid."
The consort of the Secret Duke had now become an echo resonating within the shadows.
- 2 -
The Northern Demon Realm, Dantalion's Ice Palace.
The vast crystal hall was filled with brilliant radiance.
The ice chandelier hanging from the ceiling caught the light and emitted a blinding brilliance.
The countless crystals engraved on the walls amplified that light even further. It was as if thousands of diamonds were shining at once.
The entire room was a landscape resembling a sea of light. Anyone who entered it would feel dizzy from the overwhelming beauty, enough to take their breath away.
Yet even within such a feast of light, Dantalion's face remained hidden in darkness.
The expression concealed behind the mask that reflected all light could not be read by anyone.
Just like his epithet, it was hidden beneath perfect secrecy.
- Now, how about you tell us, slowly, why you called us here?
He was not alone in the audience chamber of the crystal throne.
Right now, his audience chamber had been turned into a conference room, and across from him were three silhouettes.
- You called us at a busy time. I wondered what you had to say, and now I worry it might be a waste of time.
The first guest to open his mouth was the giant Agares with bluish-green scales.
He was the lord of the Southern Demon Realm, called the Duke of Corruption.
His long, huge snout was menacing, as if it would swallow anything before it at any moment, but his preferred method was not violence but poison and drugs.
When enemies deceived by his rough exterior approached, neutralized and weakened, he loved nothing more than to mock them with that huge snout and chew up their most precious things in one bite.
Even now, beneath the illusion his form conjured, countless humans and demons must have been serving him and groaning.
- It's an obvious matter. Isn't it because of worry about that little upstart noble who's been rising lately?
The next to continue speaking was a woman with pink horns floating above her head, leaving a strong impression.
If Libertas had seen her, she would have judged her as a 'typical' succubus in appearance.
- Fufufu. That child, she was quite cute.
But her power was not typical.
Even though her form was not properly revealed and only a silhouette was visible, the erotic aura was so strong that an ordinary person would not have been able to stop themselves from going into heat just by looking at her.
The Duke of Obsession who ruled the eastern sea, Astaroth.
She was the half-sister of the Demon Realm's Duke of Lust, and a Demon Realm Archduke possessing enchanting power comparable to hers.
- It is worth worrying about.
The last to speak calmly was the one who, among the three, most closely resembled Dantalion in appearance.
Though he wrapped his entire body in armor flickering with an ominous aura, his form was close to that of a human.
- That it is the reason my time is being wasted at a moment when I should be crushing even one more of those detestable Norn bastards.
The Duke of Violence, Eligos.
His overall appearance gave a vibe similar to Kimaris, but he was an existence standing at the opposite pole from Kimaris or Dantalion.
Unlike them, who were undead or beings who merely took a human-like form while no one knew the shape of their true bodies, Eligos was one who had contracted with a dungeon core in a human body to become a Lord.
Famous as a human more demon-like than demons, he was the one who, 50 years ago, had killed the Eastern Demon Realm Archduke and usurped his position.
"What you say is correct."
Dantalion nodded.
"Libertas's Demon Realm is growing too quickly. Is this not a problem for me alone?"
Dantalion's words were strategic candor, and he did not even intend to hide it.
This was because the emergence of other Demon Realm Archdukes had always been something the Six Surface Demon Archdukes responded to together.
But this time, the reaction to this 'Archduke Candidate' was different from before.
- Did you really call us here because of such a worry? How about asking me how to pick slaves at the market instead? That is my specialty, after all.
Agares spoke mockingly in a rough voice befitting his appearance.
Unlike the other two whose forms were faintly revealed, his laughter, with his glossy scales flashing openly, was exceedingly grotesque.
- Are you hoping we'll go with you to capture that little brat?
Eligos's voice also carried mockery.
Whether it was fortunate or not, among these four, only his reaction was the same as usual.
He had never really enjoyed 'punching down' in the first place.
Overwhelming the strong with even stronger force—that was the situation Eligos enjoyed most.
- ...
Astaroth said nothing and merely watched the three.
But Dantalion knew that this was tacit support for him.
She was simply keeping quiet because she had no reason to oppose the other two Archdukes.
"No. I simply wished to talk. It seemed clarifying each of your stances would be helpful."
At Dantalion's words, the two Archdukes sneered or shook their heads.
- What an excellent junior. Is she not continuing to bring me prey to feed on without forgetting?
- She's a target I want to kill with my own hands someday. You'd better not touch her.
"Right. Understood."
Dantalion's expression did not change even after hearing the two Archdukes' words. Because it was exactly the reaction he had expected.
What he needed was not agreement, but simply a statement of their positions.
After the two Demon Realm Archdukes left like that, Dantalion looked at Astaroth, who remained alone in her seat.
"Do you have something to say? Astaroth."
A hybrid of demon and incubus/succubus. The red eyes of the succubus with pink horns sparkled.
- I heard that the girl called Libertas is very pretty. Is that why you are obsessed with her?
At Astaroth's words, Dantalion frowned.
It was a preposterous misunderstanding.
And as soon as Dantalion frowned like that, a long smile appeared on Astaroth's lips.
- I know without you saying more. So I'll tell you now.
The business contained in her following voice was:
- Should you happen to be absent, I can at least take care of your Demon Realm for you.
It was an even more active declaration of support. Albeit indirect.
"... Well, thank you for that."
- Yes. Be sure to remember it.
Having heard Dantalion's answer, Astaroth vanished from the spot, still wearing a smiling expression.
The one who possessed the Name of Secrets furrowed his brow and pressed his forehead.
He had thought it might be like this, but...
'It truly was a waste of time.'
His eyes, letting out a sigh, sharpened keenly.
It was time to return to his own situation now.
'To drive out the hidden rabbit, I must set fire to the house.'
Libertas was hiding. But the region she was in was a human kingdom.
And Lords and dungeons, by their very nature, grew by devouring humans.
'Then I must change my methods as well.'
"If I plunge the entire area into chaos and suppress human activity..."
Then Libertas would have no choice but to reveal her whereabouts as well.
Thus, while Dantalion was formulating his plan in the audience chamber where he remained alone.
Tok-tok.
"Who is it."
At Dantalion's question, the person who opened the door and entered had been waiting, but delivered words he had not expected.
"Your Highness. Her Excellency, Marquis Wepar, has returned."
"... What did you say?"
The eyes behind the mask widened in surprise.
- 3 -
At the same time, in front of Hylash Royal Castle.
A historic moment was unfolding in the city's central plaza.
Yurena Hylash Hysen 'Gula' slowly stepped forward and ascended the platform.
Thousands of citizens had gathered in the plaza, waiting for her declaration.
"Today, I declare here and now that a new alliance has been formed!!"
Yurena's voice, amplified through mana, resonated across almost the entire city.
"I declare at this place that the Grakheisen Alliance has been born, and state that we shall endlessly strive as the leading power working for the peace and progress of the central Eastern Continent. I ask all of you to watch over us!!"
- Waaaaaah - !!
Behind her, a total of six flags fluttered in the wind.
Above the five flags representing the five nations, a larger flag unfurled, revealing its emblem.
The emblem representing the alliance was composed of a purple background and five black flowers.
Five different flowers. All dyed the same color.
Clap, clap, clap, clap...
Among the people clapping below,
the Countess Elskopf, known to be the current power behind Hysen, was smiling.