Chapter 220
Chapter 220
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: Famous Person (3)
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Great Evil.
Even within Pandemonium, where only the strongest could belong, these were the 'real' ones who had built their own factions.
The authority wielded by a single Great Evil rivaled that of a king of an entire nation.
"We've been tracking this Great Evil's location for some time and only recently pinned it down. Now all that's left is to take it out, and wouldn't you know it—just in time for that unfortunate incident."
He was referring to what had happened during the Helian Tournament.
"You can't imagine how furious His Majesty was over it. He said we must repay this humiliation no matter what."
So this time, the Empire intended to eliminate the Great Evil.
Demian fell into brief contemplation.
The Demon Extermination Unit was a secret armed force operated by the Empire. For them to step in meant this was a matter of utmost secrecy.
And yet, they were revealing it so casually to an outsider like him.
"You trust me?"
"Halfway."
The Sword Saint said as he downed his drink.
"You did kill that Pandemonium assassin, but that's not enough to earn my full trust. They might have sacrificed a Dark Knight just to plant you as a spy."
It wasn't a baseless suspicion, considering the kind of things black mages got up to.
There had even been cases where they sacrificed family members to infiltrate spies into the imperial palace.
"So I want to use this chance to confirm the other half. Plus, I get to see what you're capable of."
"What's the Great Evil's name?"
"Banexia of the Death Knot."
It was a Great Evil Demian had never heard of. Likely one that had vanished before the War of Ruin.
'Among the Great Evils, it must be one of the weaker ones.'
Not all Great Evils were equal. They were ranked by their innate power and influence.
Slah and the Weapon Master, for instance, were among the top powerhouses even among Great Evils.
"I'll join."
"Refreshing answer—I like it. But why not think it over one more time? This is a Great Evil we're talking about. You could lose your life."
The Sword Saint's voice grew serious. It was hard to believe he was drunk.
"Doesn't matter. I'm not going to die anyway."
"Uahaha! What an arrogant response!"
Pleased with the reply, the Sword Saint burst into laughter.
"Alright. Be at the north gate before sunrise tomorrow."
"Yes, underst— Wait, at dawn?"
"The operation kicks off tomorrow. So we need to move out as early as possible."
Demian looked at the Sword Saint with a somewhat incredulous expression.
"Even so, isn't this a bit too rushed?"
"That's how the world works. See you later."
With that, the Sword Saint left.
Even after he was gone, Demian stared at the door with a stunned look.
* * *
Demian gave the household a rough explanation of the situation.
They were thrown into disarray at the news that he had to leave first thing tomorrow.
Since the Demon Extermination Unit's activities were top secret, he couldn't tell them everything. He had to mix in some lies.
Afterward, Demian headed to his room. He pulled out the sword and armor he had brought from the imperial palace.
He examined the sword first.
It was about 1.2 meters long, with a blade that tapered to a sharp point.
The surface of the blade bore intricate patterns in rare metal. The crossguard and hilt were studded with countless small gems.
It was less a weapon and more a work of art. In truth, this sword hadn't been forged for battle.
It symbolized the Emperor's authority.
Originally, only the Emperor could wield it—except in rare cases when it was loaned to someone acting in his stead.
'To hand something this extraordinary over to me so readily... What could be the reason?'
If Demian misused this sword, it could plunge the Empire into chaos.
Yet the Emperor had offered it without the slightest hesitation.
'And why did he kneel to me? Why was he crying?'
No matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't figure it out.
He didn't know much about the Emperor to begin with. Including his past life, he'd only seen him twice.
'I caught a glimpse when Dorgo attacked the palace.'
Right after victory in the War of Ruin, Dorgo had assaulted the palace and captured the Emperor alive. That was the first time Demian saw him.
Even then, Demian had been busy reclaiming control of his body and exacting revenge on Dorgo, leaving no time to pay the Emperor any mind.
After his revenge, he had killed himself immediately and regressed, so he had no choice but to forget the Emperor existed.
'Was he that grateful for me upholding the Empire's honor at the Helian Tournament? Even so, handing over the sword doesn't make sense.'
He pondered long and hard, but no answers came. Demian set aside his worries and focused on what needed doing now.
He summoned Erebos and brought it close to the sword.
"Erebos, absorb it."
Black droplets began seeping from the sword's surface. A fragment hidden within the sword was reacting to Erebos.
The droplets clung to Erebos like magnets.
As it absorbed them, Erebos's blade grew longer. Now it was just a bit longer than an axe blade.
Demian swung it through the air. The cutting sensation was markedly improved.
"Now it can serve as a proper weapon."
The length was still a tad short, but it was usable as a sword.
Demian reverted Erebos to its tattoo form. He inspected the sword again.
"It's definitely weakened."
Having expelled Erebos's fragment, the sword's durability was far lower than before.
"Still, no one would notice just by looking."
Demian stored the sword in his subsapce.
He might need to borrow the Emperor's authority someday. He'd keep it for then.
Next, he examined the armor.
The sealed Hemera was a breastplate that covered only the torso.
"First, I need to unseal it."
Demian scraped together every last bit of black magic power left in the bracelet.
He hadn't recharged it since the last use, so only a tiny amount remained.
Fortunately, waking Hemera didn't require a massive quantity—just enough to stimulate it.
Demian infused black magic power into Hemera. At first, nothing happened. But moments later, it took on a red hue.
-Ah... Aah...
A voice emanated from Hemera.
-So... ul... Offer...
Unlike other demon swords, Hemera couldn't speak properly. This stemmed from its past.
The demon who created Hemera was a duke-class demon—one of the strongest in Hell, second only to the 'kings.'
But that duke-class demon was murdered right after forging Hemera.
In its dying moments, it poured all its power and soul into Hemera.
In essence, Hemera was the duke-class demon itself.
-You... soul... offer...
The problem was that the shock of its murder had badly damaged its soul, leaving Hemera with intelligence lower than a beast's.
And that was where the trouble began.
Like demon swords, demon armors were originally extensions created by demons to exert influence on the mortal plane.
That was why they didn't destroy their wielders outright but kept them alive as long as possible.
But Hemera, with its deficient intellect, couldn't make that judgment.
To become Hemera's owner required offering one's soul. Yet its impaired mind lacked restraint.
Unlike other demon armors, it didn't spare its followers—it absorbed their souls completely.
That was why even Dorgo couldn't make proper use of Hemera. Anyone who wore it died on the spot.
"First, I need to subdue it."
Subduing Hemera was simple.
Demian spread his mana to fill the room. This was to conceal the commotion about to ensue.
"Hemera, from now on, I am your master."
-So... ul... Offer...
Demian raised his fist. He charged it with mana, then slammed it down on the armor.
A thunderous boom rang out, denting Hemera. The mana Demian had pre-spread absorbed the sound entirely.
-...Guh.
Hemera spat out its agony, unable to withstand the impact. Demian clenched his fist again.
"From now on, I am your master."
-Ah... Pa... It hurts...
Demian struck Hemera again. Another boom, and the armor dented further.
"I am your master."
-M-Master... Soul... Soouul...
Demian brought his fist down once more. This time, he didn't stop after one blow.
He kept pounding until Hemera was little more than scrap.
-Mas... Master! Master!
In the end, Hemera surrendered first. Its slurred speech cleared up completely.
-Master! I acknowledge you! Master!
The moment it acknowledged him as master, Hemera's form shifted. It became a necklace and fell to the ground.
Demian hung it around his neck, a satisfied look on his face.
"Humans or demons, when they won't listen, you just have to beat them."
* * *
The Emperor stood by the window, gazing at the night sky. There was no better way to sort out a turbulent mind.
'Why on earth did I put on such a disgraceful display?'
The one disturbing the Emperor's heart now was none other than Demian Haksen.
Today, he had knelt before Demian Haksen, a knight from another nation. And not only that—he had shed tears.
He had no idea why.
Unlike when he had seen him in the Colosseum, facing him directly had unleashed a torrent of emotions from his chest.
Unable to withstand the flood, he had dropped to his knees. Tears had flowed before he could even try to hold them back.
When Demian Haksen withdrew, the Emperor reflected on his actions in shock.
He wasn't the only one stunned.
The palace physicians, mages, and priests had all swarmed to examine him.
They suspected Demian Haksen might have cast some mental magic on him.
The verdict: nothing amiss. If anything, that only deepened the Emperor's confusion.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
His guard captain asked with a worried expression. The Emperor nodded slowly.
"It's not too late even now. Shall I send someone to retrieve the sword?"
"No, it's fine."
"But that sword symbolizes Your Majesty's authority. If Demian Haksen misuses it..."
The sword's value was immense.
Even if Demian used it to kill a high noble, he would face no punishment. That was the nature of the blade.
"Enough. Leave it be."
Despite knowing this full well, the Emperor felt no desire to reclaim the sword from Demian Haksen.
It simply didn't matter.
Even if Demian Haksen abused the sword, it wouldn't matter.
If anything, the Emperor wanted to give him more.
Anything and everything. He wanted to empty the palace treasury of its most precious treasures and heap them upon him.
No—beyond that, he wanted to offer the Empire itself.
'I've lost my mind. Utterly mad.'
To harbor such feelings for some knight he'd never properly met before. He must be senile.
'I need to keep a clear head, especially now.'
He was the one leading the Empire. He couldn't be swayed by some inexplicable emotion.
"Your Majesty, there's a vicious rumor circulating in the streets right now."
"A rumor?"
"That Demian Haksen... might be Your Majesty's illegitimate son..."
The Emperor burst into loud laughter at that. As absurd as rumors got, an illegitimate son?
He swore to the heavens he had sired no bastards. He had only one Empress.
"...Wait."
The illegitimate son rumor was nonsense.
But... the possibility of some blood connection, however distant, couldn't be dismissed outright.
Among past Emperors, or perhaps from a branch of the imperial family—could their bloodline have reached Demian Haksen?
If so... if that were truly the case...
"Look into it."
The guard captain's eyes widened at the order.
"N-No way... It can't be... a real illegitimate son...?"
"What nonsense is that?"
The Emperor furrowed his brow.
"I'm telling you to investigate if any imperial blood touches the Haksen Viscountcy."
"Y-Yes, understood."
The Emperor gazed at the night sky once more.
What if Demian Haksen truly carried imperial blood? What then?
"...Shall I adopt him?"
He muttered absently, then startled himself.