Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Harvest Festival
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‘It worked.’
Now I can eliminate that damned Demon Realm noble.
It was a shame to drive my subordinates to their deaths as the price.
‘But it’s merely a stepping stone for a greater victory.’
Subordinates could be replenished at any time.
Opportunities to remove both the Demon Realm noble and the emperor didn’t come easily.
‘Send in the Dark Knights and the imperial elites to Mokoro Kingdom and Slav Kingdom.’
After that, when the dimensional gate opens in the capital?
‘Kill the emperor.’
I’d scrapped the plan to slowly erode his imperial authority by luring him into abandoning the capital like before.
‘Dragging things out is dangerous now that the Dark Knights and Charles XIII have joined forces.’
The Dark Knights’ achievements had now become the emperor’s.
‘The Demon Realm noble being hunted by the Dark Knights has no chance of winning.’
My sacrificial subordinates, meant to be discarded like stones, wouldn’t win either.
Then?
‘The Dark Knights will claim the merit of repelling the Demon Realm noble and the Demon King’s minions.’
If I failed to kill the emperor?
This plan would backfire instead.
It wasn’t enough to settle for just killing one pesky thorn like that Demon Realm noble.
‘The stakes are too high now.’
The one silver lining?
‘Count Rimonshitz takes the front lines.’
Pouring in massive forces through the dimensional gate.
‘He said three Demon Realm nobles would be deployed.’
One viscount and two barons.
That was enough.
‘Even if the Dark Knights and imperial elites stay in the capital, it’s a winnable fight.’
Still, I couldn’t claim a hundred percent victory.
Decisively.
‘I have no idea the extent of the Dark Knights’ hidden reserves.’
After all, they’d suddenly mobilized over ten thousand elite players.
‘After taking out Charles XIII, have my allies and comrades stage a show of repelling the undead horde led by the Demon Realm noble?’
I could seize control of the regime in one stroke.
What’s more, those Demon Realm nobles and undead horde, known to the world as annihilated in the show?
‘I can use them whenever I need.’
To eliminate political rivals.
‘Or deploy them in the war against the Rokto Empire.’
Marquis Marius’s eyes began to gleam with madness.
* * *
‘Idiots can’t be helped.’
Kang Hyun-soo had crushed the Kabalgil guild, former minions of the Demon King, and leaked information about the dangers of contracts with demons and demonization.
Naturally, that intel had spread beyond the Rokto Empire all the way to the Saclant Empire.
Yet.
‘Why won’t these thick-headed fools believe people?’
Contract with a demon and receive its power?
Undergo demonization in the body?
Become a puppet under the contracted demon’s control—he’d screamed it until his throat was raw.
But these guys, paranoid or whatever, refused to believe a word.
‘If not that, then they’re just that desperate for power and immortality.’
Those who contracted with demons were often the power-hungry or those with little time left.
‘If words don’t work, nothing will.’
Smashing their thick skulls with a club was the only lesson he could give these wannabe Demon King minions.
And today was the day.
‘The perfect chance to show them exactly what happens to the Demon King’s minions in the end.’
Marquis Marius’s plan had kicked off.
Kang Hyun-soo had leaked just the right amount of info to Charles XIII in advance via Doppelganger King Taliman.
But not everything.
‘Can’t have word leaking and them calling off the plan.’
Thanks to Doppelganger King Taliman’s fine handling of Charles XIII?
The plan proceeded as scheduled.
The Demon King’s minions and Doppelganger No. 1 arrived at the designated spot.
-Can you control it without any civilian casualties?
At Kang Hyun-soo’s question.
-I’ll handle the control myself.
Doppelganger King Taliman replied.
‘The regimental commander’s reliable.’
Back when even brigade commander-level intelligence was a godsend.
Now?
‘Handing it to a brigade commander-level intellect feels uneasy.’
Anything less than regimental commander level wasn’t trustworthy.
‘Intelligence scaling up would be nice.’
Combat power had risen via the demon bead.
But intelligence stayed the same.
That’s why he desperately wanted to promote Doppelganger No. 1 to regimental commander.
‘Can’t waste it needlessly.’
The regimental commander slot was already earmarked for a new summon of his—a Demon Realm noble.
-Then let’s begin.
-Yes.
The plan launched at Kang Hyun-soo’s command.
* * *
“Demons!”
“Demons have appeared!”
Doppelganger No. 1, following orders from Doppelganger King Taliman, revealed itself, oozing demonic energy.
Naturally, Slav Kingdom’s regular army and guild elites swarmed out like bees.
“You filthy humans! Die!”
Battle erupted between Doppelganger No. 1, under Doppelganger King Taliman’s orders, and Slav Kingdom’s regular troops and guild players.
Slav Kingdom’s regulars and guild players resisted with all they had.
But blocking Doppelganger No. 1 with forces from just one city was impossible.
“Request reinforcements now!”
“Already done!”
“What about the Saclant Empire?”
“Yes!”
Reinforcement requests naturally went out to Slav Kingdom’s royals and the Saclant Empire’s court.
And.
“Buy as much time as you can!”
Slav Kingdom’s regulars and guild players fought the demons, steeling themselves for death.
But the demons were too strong.
Bam!
“Gah!”
One player tumbled to the ground, covered in blood.
He looked dead on the surface.
But he was still breathing.
“I’m alive! Heal! Heal!”
The healers poured on the heals.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
But more players were getting battered and hitting the dirt faster than the number returning to the fight after treatment.
The tide was turning against them.
Yet, miraculously, not a single fatality.
At the same time.
“Let’s move now.”
“Secure the retreat route properly.”
In Mokoro Kingdom, Marquis Marius’s Demon King minions underlings launched their assault.
“Gotta take out the regular army camps and guilds first.”
A Demon King minion drew up demonic energy and unleashed an AoE attack skill.
Boom!
Flames and lightning engulfed Mokoro Kingdom’s camps and guild houses.
Then.
Boom!
Players wielding massive shields appeared, blocking their attacks.
“What the hell are those guys?”
“How’d they block my attack so easily?”
As the Demon King minions panicked, players poured out of Mokoro Kingdom’s camps and guild houses like a swarm.
“Demonic energy!”
“Demons?”
“Could be Demon King minions.”
But whatever they were.
“Kill humanity’s enemies!”
“Waaah!”
They were the enemy, no doubt.
“Filthy vermin.”
The Demon King minions unleashed a barrage.
A brutally fierce melee ensued.
However.
Boom! Boom!
The massive-shield players were the problem.
They blocked every decisive strike.
But they only defended—never attacked.
“Guys who’ve gone all-in on defense skills?”
The Demon King minions were puzzled.
But the battle didn’t shift.
The minions held overwhelming superiority.
You couldn’t win a fight on defense alone.
If anything, to the minions, they were just perfect sandbags to pummel.
As the tide turned against them, the players naturally requested aid from Mokoro Kingdom’s royals and the Saclant Empire’s court.
* * *
‘The plan’s underway.’
Reports reached Saclant Empire’s Emperor Charles XIII: demons and Demon King minions had appeared in Slav and Mokoro Kingdoms.
“These scum have finally shown themselves! Subjugate the demons and Demon King minions at once!”
At Charles XIII’s command, the imperial elites mobilized.
That wasn’t all.
“Inform Dark Lord Archduke, head of the Dark Knights, and order him to spare no effort in saving Slav and Mokoro Kingdoms.”
Word reached the Dark Knights too, naturally.
‘Moving just as planned.’
A satisfied smile crept across Marquis Marius’s lips.
His biggest worry had been Charles XIII—scarred by the prior capital attack—playing it safe.
If he ignored the damage to his vassal states, Slav and Mokoro?
Instead of moving capital elites, leisurely pulling from or assembling provincial forces.
Or just dumping it all on the Dark Knights and washing his hands of it.
If things went that way?
Even with the dimensional gate open, odds of taking out Charles XIII plummeted.
Plus.
‘Count Rimonshitz wouldn’t stay quiet.’
He’d eat every curse in the book, for sure.
Maybe even...
‘Might not open the dimensional gate at all.’
Then the operation would fail before it even started.
Decisively.
‘That monster might come back alive.’
Demon Realm Viscount Karut would rampage again.
‘Truly fortunate.’
Charles XIII ordered all forces deployed except the palace guard knights and guards defending the palace.
He commanded the Dark Knights to go all-out too.
-Combat has begun in Slav Kingdom.
-Combat has begun in Mokoro Kingdom too.
Subordinate reports arrived.
-What’s the situation?
-Fierce. Even if word comes from the palace, pulling troops will be tough.
-Same here.
“Then it’s time to start. Contact him.”
Marquis Marius issued the order to his subordinate.
Moments later.
Crackle!
The sky above Saclant Empire’s capital—directly over the imperial palace—warped.
A massive dimensional gate slowly materialized.
“Your Majesty! Disaster!”
“You must evacuate immediately!”
The guard knights and ministers panicked.
A dimensional gate over the palace meant demons and monsters would pour out for sure.
“No need for concern, ministers. Dark Lord Archduke.”
Charles XIII suddenly called for the Dark Knights’ leader, Demon-Slaying Blood God, who should be clashing with Demon Realm Viscount Karut right now.
Whoosh!
Space rippled, and Demon-Slaying Blood God appeared.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You can hold them off?”
“Of course.”
Marquis Marius’s face hardened at Demon-Slaying Blood God’s arrival.
‘What the hell? Why’s Demon-Slaying Blood God here instead of Slav Kingdom?’
His mind reeled.
‘Did he just send his subordinates?’
Possible.
‘Even the Demon-Slaying Blood God is just one man.’
He’d tuck tail and flee at a single Demon Realm viscount.
Then.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Over ten thousand troops emerged from spots all over the palace, as if they’d been waiting.
‘What’s this?’
Marquis Marius wasn’t a fool.
That’s why he’d gotten reports via subordinates: imperial elites and presumed Dark Knights had moved through the dimensional gate.
Reports that they’d engaged too.
So why were over ten thousand Dark Knights appearing in the palace like they’d been lying in wait?
It didn’t end there.
Clack clack clack!
Saclant Empire’s finest elites arrived grandly via teleport gates.
‘What in the world?’
He’d just gotten reports of Dark Knights and imperial elites locked in fierce combat in Slav and Mokoro Kingdoms.
Word that they couldn’t pull out anytime soon.
So why were the Dark Knights and elites who should be there... here?
Cold sweat soaked Marquis Marius’s back.
-Why are Dark Knights and imperial elites here? Report the situation now!
He urgently pressed his subordinates.
Sadly.
No reply came.
‘No way!’
One possibility flashed in Marquis Marius’s mind.
‘A trap?’
That was the only answer.
Then.
“Marquis Marius.”
Charles XIII called his name, face lit with a playful grin.
“The Dark Knights and imperial elites have arrived, yet your expression seems darker than before they came. Got some worries?”
At Charles XIII’s question—bright smile belying eyes blazing with killing intent.
‘We’re done.’
Marquis Marius’s face drained white.