Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: The Finest Feast (2)
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* * *
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov were the leaders of the Rokto Empire's subjugation force.
They bore the titles of Sovereign and Lord, so from the Rokto Empire's perspective, they had dispatched no fewer than two of their top experts.
Yet Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov were far from pleased.
‘To think I have to step up just to hunt a mere low-grade demon like a doppelganger.’
As both a noble and a knight, Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno had immense pride in himself.
That was why he felt his dignity wounded at being mobilized to capture a low-grade demon.
He considered it a mission unworthy of his station.
‘He's a demon noble, sure, but just a baron. And a doppelganger at that—how strong can he really be?’
Deep down, he didn't even want to go.
But he couldn't defy the command of his liege, Emperor Rodius I, so he had no choice but to take command of the subjugation force.
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov, on the other hand...
‘I must prevent other-dimensional players from being sacrificed unilaterally again.’
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov was an other-dimensional player himself, serving as the guild master of the massive Red Bear Guild.
During the subjugation of the Demonic Dragon Karas...
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov had been away on a long-distance expedition.
That was why he hadn't joined the fight against Demonic Dragon Karas.
In a way, it could be called good fortune.
All the named and ranker players who had participated in the Demonic Dragon Karas subjugation had been wiped out.
But Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov felt no joy at all.
On the contrary, his absence had allowed the battle to shift in a direction that sacrificed other-dimensional players.
And that was why...
‘They suffered total annihilation.’
What if Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov had joined the Demonic Dragon Karas subjugation force?
The operation that demanded heavy sacrifices from other-dimensional players never would have proceeded.
No matter how much they were Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign.
They couldn't have blindly pushed through a plan he opposed.
‘I can't let something like that happen again this time.’
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov had volunteered for this operation.
To prevent sacrifices among other-dimensional players.
Moreover...
‘I will demand just compensation from Dark Knight for the blood price paid that day.’
It was Dark Knight who had delivered the final blow to Demonic Dragon Karas.
But that battle hadn't been fought by Dark Knight alone.
‘Dark Knight could only fell Demonic Dragon Karas thanks to the sacrifices of hundreds in the subjugation force.’
Dark Knight's elites hadn't emerged from the battle against Demonic Dragon Karas unscathed, of course.
But their losses numbered fewer than twenty.
Naturally, then, the nations and guilds of the subjugation force—who had paid a far heavier price—deserved the lion's share of the spoils from the successful Demonic Dragon Karas raid.
‘But Dark Knight monopolized them all, without sharing even a fraction with the fallen.’
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov didn't deny Dark Knight's contributions outright.
However...
‘20% would be plenty.’
Generously, 30% at most.
‘Until now, we couldn't make a claim because we didn't know Dark Knight's location.’
But now the situation had changed.
There was just one nagging question.
‘The emperor seemed to be in ongoing contact with Dark Knight—why hasn't he demanded the spoils?’
It was possible he'd received them unofficially.
‘But the odds of that are low.’
Fist Emperor and Martial Sovereign had fallen to Demonic Dragon Karas's hand, and the subjugation force annihilated.
While evacuation orders blanketed the great city of Baran and a second subjugation force was being assembled...
‘The rumor spread that Dark Knight had slain Demonic Dragon Karas.’
Once that rumor proved true...
‘The Rokto Empire suffered a massive humiliation.’
Conversely, Dark Knight's prestige soared.
If the Rokto Empire had secured the spoils from Dark Knight?
‘They would have publicized it far and wide to salvage the empire's tarnished honor.’
They wouldn't have stayed silent like this.
The most likely explanation was...
‘The Rokto Empire made a magnanimous concession, aware of the importance of the information Dark Knight is hoarding.’
From the perspective of an emperor managing a vast empire, that was entirely plausible.
But...
‘That has nothing to do with me.’
Other-dimensional players had been forcibly dragged into the Atlantis dimension, risking their lives against monsters and demons.
At the very least...
‘They deserve proper compensation.’
Crimson Flame Lord planned to confront Dark Knight and demand the share of spoils owed to the other-dimensional players who had perished in the Demonic Dragon Karas raid.
Given all this...
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov paid no heed to the doppelgangers, despite being the subjugation force commanders.
Had they truly viewed the doppelgangers as a serious threat from the start?
They never would have split the force into parties for searches, even after receiving reports.
But...
Upon arriving at the site where the signal flare had gone up, Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov realized their grave mistake.
An immeasurable surge of demonic energy crushed down upon their bodies.
‘What is this?’
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno, who had dismissed the doppelganger as a low-grade demon...
‘That thing is a demon?’
He ground his teeth at the overwhelming presence of the demonic energy pressing on his entire body.
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov, who had ignored the doppelgangers entirely in favor of meeting Dark Knight to claim the spoils...
‘I might die right here.’
He was forced to confront the terror of death head-on.
The one silver lining...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A single player clad head to toe in jet-black armor was clashing evenly with the demon unleashing that tremendous demonic energy.
‘We have to help, quickly.’
‘If we don't kill it here, we're in deep trouble.’
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov pressed forward, traversing the quake-shaken earth and piercing the storm of demonic energy that flayed like blades.
At that moment.
“Where do you think you're going!”
With the shout of the player in jet-black armor came the sight of the demonic energy's master coiling its tail and fleeing.
‘Can't let it escape!’
‘Damn it!’
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov inwardly screamed at the demon's ascent into the sky.
But...
There was nothing they could do.
“Is that the Rokto Empire's subjugation force?”
The voice of the player in jet-black armor reached their ears.
“I am Marquis Ragno, leading the Rokto Empire's subjugation force. Might I ask who you are?”
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno brimmed with pride in his own abilities.
Thus, he always proudly declared his title of Sword Slaughter Sovereign when introducing himself.
And save for his liege, Emperor Rodius I of the Rokto Empire, he bowed to no one.
But this time was different.
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno bowed his head politely, revealed his identity.
And inquired about the other's with utmost caution.
For one simple reason.
‘Definitely a divine-grade player.’
He had pegged the other as a player bearing a divine-grade title.
It was only natural.
The only beings capable of contending evenly with the colossal demonic energy's master—which even dwarfed a Sword Slaughter Sovereign like himself...
Were players with divine-grade titles.
“I am Dark Knight.”
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno's jaw dropped at the reply from the player in jet-black armor.
‘Dark Knight? Dark Knight had powerhouses like this?’
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno had received some intelligence on Dark Knight from his liege, Emperor Rodius I of the Rokto Empire.
He had also been ordered to collaborate with Dark Knight to exterminate the doppelgangers in the Terra Kingdom.
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno had interpreted that as instructions to properly direct Dark Knight in handling the doppelgangers.
But that was...
‘My mistake.’
If Dark Knight had powerhouses of this caliber?
Forget directing them.
‘We should all be prostrating ourselves, placing the entire subjugation force under Dark Knight's command.’
Looking back now...
Emperor Rodius I's order to collaborate with Dark Knight felt like mere lip service.
An emperor couldn't very well command his vassal to grovel before Dark Knight, after all.
‘That's why he sent me and Crimson Flame Lord.’
Sending lower-grade players?
They'd be utterly speechless before Dark Knight.
Only by dispatching titleholders of Sovereign and Lord rank as overall commanders...
Could the Rokto Empire subjugation force maintain some dignity.
And assert themselves to a degree before Dark Knight.
Well, the doppelganger he'd dismissed as low-grade demon had turned out monstrously strong, too.
“Ah, I see. His Majesty the Emperor of the Rokto Empire commanded the subjugation force to collaborate with Dark Knight in eliminating the doppelgangers. Are you aware of this?”
“I am. But you're a bit late. A little quicker, and I could have ended that thing.”
“My apologies. It won't happen again.”
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno bowed his head once more.
“Understood. For now, let's clean up and plan our next steps.”
“Yes!”
Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno responded briskly to the words of Dark Knight, clad head to toe in jet-black armor.
Meanwhile, Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov, who shared command of the subjugation force with Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno...
‘We nearly had a disaster.’
He let out a silent sigh of relief.
‘I made a huge miscalculation.’
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov had planned to demand the spoils owed to the other-dimensional players slain in the Demonic Dragon Karas raid.
Because he believed they had played a major role, enabling Dark Knight's raid success.
But now he saw...
‘That wasn't the case.’
Having faced a demon directly, he understood.
‘Demons are strong.’
If a low-grade demon noble doppelganger was this formidable...
How overwhelming must a top-tier demon noble like the Demonic Dragon been?
Moreover, Demonic Dragon Karas had brought tens of thousands of dragonkin monsters along.
‘The other-dimensional players weren't much help.’
They hadn't been utterly useless, of course.
‘But they didn't sway the tide.’
Knowing that fact...
‘The Rokto imperial family never claimed rights to the spoils.’
He had thought it mere political maneuvering.
Apparently not.
“You look pretty strong. Who are you?”
Then Dark Knight addressed Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov.
“I'm Dorchov, guild master of Red Bear Guild.”
“Crimson Flame Lord?”
“That's what they call me.”
“I'll drop by sometime.”
“Pardon?”
“You against it?”
“No. I'd be honored.”
Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov swallowed dryly in response to Dark Knight's question.
But his mind was a whirlwind.
‘Why seek me out? Good intentions, or bad?’
“See you later.”
Dark Knight left the bewildered Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov behind and approached the players from Balhae Guild and Goryeo Guild.
* * *
‘Perfect.’
Kang Hyun-soo's mouth stretched into a grin beneath his helm.
The timing was impeccable.
Had the fight dragged on?
He couldn't have put on such a display just now.
But...
‘Those two don't know that.’
Moreover, Sword Slaughter Sovereign Ragno and Crimson Flame Lord Dorchov had no inkling that Kang Hyun-soo had only matched Baron Taliman evenly thanks to item advantages.
Especially the cheat item limited to demons: Goddess's Tear.
That was why the Rokto Empire's subjugation force...
Mistook Kang Hyun-soo's power for that of a divine-grade titleholder.
‘I'm nowhere near that yet.’
But his actual current level didn't matter right now.
‘What matters is that the Rokto Empire's subjugation force believes it.’
Once word of this spreads?
Dark Knight's prestige will skyrocket.
Moreover, the Rokto Empire's subjugation force...
‘Will report every detail to Rodius I.’
Then Emperor Rodius I, too...
‘Will have no choice but to change his attitude toward Dark Knight.’
Moreover...
The weight of Dark Knight's words would carry far more authority from here on.