Chapter 29
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29
What mattered was Swallow’s choice of words: he had come for a “retrieval,” not a “seizure.” Furthermore, he’d said, “Since this item has an owner, I will return it to its rightful owner.”
Swallow had come to reclaim Guillotine's Tooth on behalf of someone else.
Why would the Swallow personally make a move? Whatever the reason, it had to be important enough for him to leave the Primordial Core completely unguarded.
If reclaiming Guillotine's Tooth was his only goal, he would have used teleportation magic to leave Riaze the moment he had it.
But Swallow was still here. He had turned Survey Rose into a sea of fire and beaten Uin to the brink of death. Had he really stayed behind just to kill her?
Unlikely. Judging by the circumstances, Swallow hadn’t been the one to seek out Uin. It was far more probable that Uin had pursued him.
The fact that Swallow hasn't left Riaze...
It meant he wasn’t finished yet. There was something he’d wanted to handle quietly, something he still had to do even after retrieving Guillotine's Tooth. However, Uin's unexpected intervention had caused the quiet affair to spiral out of control, leading to the current disaster.
This was Ar’s deduction.
If he was right, and Swallow still had business in Riaze, then depending on what happened next, all of Riaze—no, the entire continent—could be turned into a sea of fire. With Bern Hishultz already dead, if they lost Uin as well, the Empire would collapse in an instant, even if their enemy wasn't Swallow. That, at the very least, had to be prevented.
"So, you're saying you'll help me, even without knowing what I'll do next?" Swallow asked. "What if I say I don't need anything? Or what if I say I just came here on a whim, retrieved Guillotine's Tooth for fun, and now I'm going to pass judgment on all of humanity? How will you handle the fallout then?"
"...If we're doomed either way, then we have nothing to lose."
Ar spoke with a playful smile, but his eyes were dead serious.
"And how, exactly, do you plan to help?"
"If the almighty Lord Swallow is facing difficulties, I humbly presume it is due to a lack of information. Though you possess everything, you have likely been guarding the Primordial Core and thus lack access to current intelligence. We will provide you with the highest quality information so you may proceed smoothly. If you require personnel, I promise as many as you need. Should you require knowledge we do not possess, we will uncover it, even if we have to raid the Imperial Palace's confidential archives. All we ask is that you spare Lady Uin and halt the destruction of the Empire."
Swallow let out a dry chuckle. The human named Ar had just laid all his cards on the table. If information was his only asset, there was no need to negotiate; Swallow could simply torture it out of him. Yet, this bold demand for a deal was also a declaration of unyielding will—that he would never give up the information by any means other than a proper transaction.
"Amusing words. Can you back them up?"
With a smirk, Swallow produced Guillotine's Tooth.
"Find out where the owner of this item is and what situation they are in. Right now. Do that, and I will grant your request."
At Swallow's demand, Ar turned his head and glanced at Garot.
Garot stepped toward Swallow. Stumbling slightly, as if struggling to keep her balance, she approached him and spoke.
"I cannot tell who the owner is or their current situation, but I can determine their general location."
"...Then find me that much."
"To determine the location, I must make contact with the object. May I examine Guillotine's Tooth for a moment to check the trace...?"
Acting completely unbothered, as if he had expected this, Swallow handed Guillotine's Tooth to her.
"Try any funny business, and it won't end with just an arm this time."
*
"Fine, take her. By the way, that woman, Uin, is a monster. An ordinary person would have died long ago."
"She may look it, but she is the 'Hope of the Empire.'"
Once permission was granted, several humans who had been standing tensely behind Ar ran toward Uin. A woman, still keeping a wary eye on Swallow, hoisted Uin onto her back and looked at Ar. After a brief exchange of glances, she nodded and quickly retreated. Swallow didn't even spare them a glance. He merely questioned Garot again.
"I'll ask one last time. Are you sure it's to the west?"
"The distance is too great to pinpoint an exact location, but I definitely felt the trace to the west."
"...Is that so."
A cryptic smile touched Swallow's lips as he looked around.
No more human reinforcements were coming.
Those cunning bastards must have ordered them to turn back while on their way here, hoping to prevent further casualties. He raised his head and looked toward the castle.
In the sky, blackened and hazy with smoke, only the castle wall—the final gateway to the Imperial Palace—cast a massive silhouette.
The pink-haired girl—Garot, was it?
She was a human with a fascinating ability. A 'Pursuer,' they called it? The power to track traces invisible to others. She was likely what people called a 'special constitution' or a 'mutant.'
Whether by coincidence or fate, she was also the only solution to his current problem.
“...There is one person with an overwhelmingly strong trace. That person, presumably the owner of the weapon, is located to the west of the Riaze Imperial Palace. However, the distance is too great. It's too far to gauge the exact location.”
West.
To the west of here lay Hastin. Of course, Hastin wasn't the only thing to the west, but it was the most likely place. Since he’d intended to go there anyway, he could simply resume his search for Rene from there.
Above all, if she was in the west, it meant one thing—she was alive.
Rene was alive.
That was enough.
He felt the guilt in his heart lighten considerably.
Letting out a sigh, Swallow scratched the back of his neck. He walked forward, heading toward where Ar stood. At his movement, the humans behind Ar drew their weapons, their eyes filled with wariness. Ar held up a hand to stop them.
"I owe you one," Swallow said half-heartedly, patting Ar on the shoulder as he passed.
"It is an honor to have been of help."
Ar bowed his head. Swallow ignored the response, simply walking forward, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Only when the black monster had walked far enough that his footsteps could no longer be heard did Ar raise his head. The human beside him nodded. Although Swallow had vanished from sight, a lingering, ominous energy still hung in the air.
The man in the rearguard asked Ar, "Captain, what should we do?"
Ar did not answer. He merely trembled, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
*
Swallow walked toward the street where the Teleportation Hub was located.
How long had it been since he told Melju he would follow shortly? At least twenty minutes must have passed. Having lived his life at a leisurely pace, his sense of time was rather poor. Still, the window for "shortly" had long since closed.
This was troublesome. Very troublesome.
His stride toward the Teleportation Hub was surprisingly brisk. The thought of Melju waiting for him made him walk faster, and Swallow inwardly marveled at his own diligence.
Look at me, I actually know how to walk fast. To think I had this side to me. Maybe I'm an incredibly diligent creature after all.
He walked with that thought for a few seconds before the fatigue rapidly accumulating in his legs forced him back to his usual sluggish trudge.
As he drew closer, the sight of scattered, mangled corpses became more frequent. Pools of blood stained the ground. Nearing his destination, Swallow turned the corner.
The Teleportation Hub came into view. And there, just as she’d promised, was Melju, guarding the entrance.
She was surrounded by dozens of human corpses.
"...Sir Swald."
The Teleportation Hub was partially damaged but still functional. In front of it stood Melju—battered, bruised, and pushed to her physical limits, holding her ground through sheer willpower alone. Beneath her feet, corpses were piled so thickly there was barely room to step.
Traces of a fierce battle were everywhere.
"Sir Swald... You are a bit late."
Melju's parched lips parted. Her cracking voice and unfocused gaze were clear proof that she was barely clinging to consciousness.
"I have kept my promise. ...Look, I have defended the Teleportation Hub splendidly."
"Ah, yes."
A bloom of red on her shoulder marked a piercing wound. Her once-beautiful purple hair was tangled and matted with dried, brown blood. Her pale skin spoke of the massive amount of blood she had lost. The mana that had once showcased her pride as a Demon King was gone; even as he drew close, he felt no flow of it from her. Melju was alive, but she was dying.
"With this... surely it is enough to say I have repaid my debt."
"You did well."
Offering a single, loaded phrase as her reward, Swallow approached. Through her hazy vision, Melju saw him coming and reached out her arms. Lacking the strength to stand, she collapsed forward, and the Demon King fell into the arms of the black monster.
"Thank you..."
Holding the unconscious Melju as if she were merely asleep, Swallow turned his gaze to the Teleportation Hub. Its inner workings weren't as complex as Melju had described. Perhaps she had even fulfilled his request to prepare it beforehand, as the coordinates for Hastin were already set.
After a simple manipulation, the interior of the Teleportation Hub began to glow with a blue light—the only color of its kind amidst the red flames engulfing Survey Rose.
An immense amount of mana radiating from the crystal flared intensely, as if burning itself out in an instant.
The bodies of Melju and Swallow floated gently into the air. Fully taking in the mystical atmosphere, Swallow closed his eyes.
It felt as if something cool and refreshing was settling over his body. The soft mana spun faster and faster, reaching a crescendo.
And then, the worst-case scenario he had considered became reality.
Crash!
"Ah."
Even without opening his eyes, he could tell the crystal connected to the Hub had just shattered spectacularly.
"...Damn it."
It was always like this. Almost every magic tool that interacted with his body ended up destroyed. The only things that held together were tools whose primary purpose was mana stabilization or suppression, like the Demeura that Patrick had given him. Still, he had thought the vast amount of mana stored in the crystal would be enough to hold out, especially since he’d successfully stabilized his Polymorph with the Demeura, which had boosted his confidence.
It wasn't entirely unexpected. It was more disappointing than devastating. His best option had simply failed. He still had a backup plan.
"...I feel bad for Melju now."
Having made up his mind, Swallow slowly looked up. The result of his actions was a half-burnt street and a situation that was now irrevocably screwed.
At this point, wouldn't it be acceptable to use his trump card out of 'sheer necessity'?
Having made his decision, Swallow unfastened his bracelet.
Taking a deep breath, he deactivated his Polymorph.
This was what Swallow considered his 'last resort.'
Ultimately, the reason Swallow's spells were such a mess was because he couldn't stabilize the surging mana within his body. It was also why his form occasionally fluctuated even while in Polymorph. Wearing the Demeura stabilized the flow of mana, allowing him to maintain a stable human form. However, the Demeura alone was only enough for that.
What if, he wondered, he directed all of the Demeura's mana-suppressing power toward teleportation magic instead? Wouldn't he be able to use it with some degree of stability?
He’d never tested it, so he couldn't be sure. Even if his hypothesis was correct, it was doubtful the Demeura could withstand the strain. Furthermore, to channel all of the Demeura's power into the spell, he had to undo his Polymorph. This would reveal his true presence to every living creature in the vicinity.
That was why he called it his last resort. His final option. He had wanted to avoid using it if at all possible, but...
Since everything is ruined anyway.
There was no clean ending to this anymore.
Sorry, Patrick.
His human shell ruptured, and a black form expanded from within. A substance that was neither solid, liquid, nor gas slithered out, growing larger and larger.
It expanded, and expanded, and then expanded again. It swelled without end. The air touching the black mass rotted and corrupted. It expanded again, and again, and again, and again.
Soon, it shrouded the vision of all who beheld it in absolute darkness. The black mass, emitting a mysterious violet glow, seemed to absorb light itself, stripping away all sense of depth. His shadowless body pushed aside the surrounding buildings, forests, and even the flames as it took shape.