Chapter 297
Chapter 297
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 297
Chapter Title: Obstacle (3)
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“As expected, you plan to retreat.”
Hela Fallen muttered briefly as she eavesdropped on the conversation between the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman and the Ruler of Myriad Flames.
The two were at a vast distance, but Hela could hear their conversation with ease.
It wasn’t for nothing that she was recognized as the head of Pandemonium.
“With the prisoner nearby, he can’t fight. Eos, you still possess that feeble mind.”
“Incomprehensible. Why spare the weak? It is not the action of a strong one.”
The man beside Hela spoke.
The man’s head was swollen like a balloon. But it didn’t seem light. It felt like he was carrying a mass of solid muscle on his head.
“Lambda, it’s natural that you can’t understand. You were perfect from birth, after all.”
“Then that man? Imperfect?”
“Imperfect. Born as a strong one, yet harboring the heart of the weak. But don’t let your guard down. That man’s skill surpasses even mine.”
Contrary to her appearance, Hela was far older than the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman.
But the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman had caught up to her in an instant, and now he was far stronger than her. It was talent so astonishing it was terrifying.
That was why Hela harbored jealousy toward the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman. At the same time, she felt a possessiveness toward him.
She wanted to hold that brilliant genius’s head in her hands and toy with it.
“I want that head so badly.”
Hela murmured as she gazed at the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman. Her eyes gleamed with greed.
At that moment, flames erupted in the air. Soon after, a man burst out from within them.
“Darling, you’re back.”
Hela asked in a welcoming tone. But the Ruler of Myriad Flames responded with an unpleasant expression.
“Didn’t I tell you to drop that nickname? I said I respect you as the head of Pandemonium, but I have no intention of tolerating that nonsense.”
“Darling, you must be quite upset. I’m sorry.”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames glared at Hela with fierce eyes. He let out a deep sigh and waved his hand dismissively.
“Whatever. Dealing with you just gives me a headache.”
“Darling, you’re so wise. You held back well earlier too. If you had fought right there, the plan would have gone badly awry.”
“That damn plan, plan, plan! I’m getting sick of hearing it. Why are you so afraid of him? You’re a Grand Master just like him!”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames demanded. Hela smiled and replied.
“Darling, the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman is strong. To a degree even I can’t gauge. To catch a monster like that, we need a thorough plan.”
“You’re not scared of him, are you?”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames sneered.
But Hela didn’t get angry. She was past the age of getting mad at such childish provocations.
“Darling, have you forgotten? This is Elfheim. If the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman fights us, the World Tree will use all its power to aid him. Do you have confidence in defeating the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman, wrapped layer upon layer in the World Tree’s blessings?”
At Hela’s question, the Ruler of Myriad Flames fell silent.
His head had cooled, and he realized how absurd his words had been.
“Let’s head back for now. He’s calling us.”
“Don’t refer to him so casually.”
“That’s up to me. Lambda, could you open the door?”
Lambda formed a triangle with his hands. Light poured from the triangle, cracking the dimension.
Among the four great demon kings created by Dorgo, only Lambda and Iota could perform dimensional travel.
Because of that, Lambda always had to stick close to Hela.
Hela was Dorgo’s most powerful ally, after all.
“Then let’s go in.”
As the three passed through the dimensional gate, a vast, enormous cave appeared.
Inside the cave, countless black mages were busily moving about.
They held hammers and chisels, engraving magic circles into the stone floor.
The three headed to the center of the magic circle. There stood a large altar.
Atop the altar, someone in a black robe was overseeing the work site.
“Dorgo, I’m here.”
At Hela’s greeting, the robed figure turned. A skeletal head came into view.
“Hela, Leos… where have you both been?”
“There was a minor clash. We nearly fought the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman.”
At those words, Dorgo’s eyes flickered.
“The Empire’s Greatest Swordsman? I’ve emphasized countless times that the time isn’t right yet?”
“Don’t worry. We didn’t fight. Your plan won’t face any issues.”
“Hela! You don’t think you can brush it off with words again? What I asked of you was to eliminate all variables until the day of the promise! And you can’t even keep that simple condition?”
“Dorgo, you should think before you speak.”
The smile vanished from Hela’s face. The atmosphere changed completely.
“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not your underling. I’m cooperating only because I want something.”
The gentleness disappeared, replaced by a chilling killing intent that swept through. The Ruler of Myriad Flames standing beside her trembled in fear.
“You insolent bitch! How dare you turn the tables!”
But Dorgo spat his rage undeterred by Hela’s killing intent.
“You’re the one constantly breaking promises! Keep this up, and I might void the contract!”
At Dorgo’s threat, Hela’s eyes narrowed. An uncomfortable silence stretched on.
“…I’ll be careful from now on.”
Surprisingly, Hela backed down first. She withdrew her killing intent and suppressed her black mana.
“You’d better keep your word this time!”
“I’ll keep it in mind. So, is the plan progressing well?”
At Hela’s question, Dorgo looked at the magic circle being drawn on the floor and said.
“Don’t worry needlessly. Everything is going smoothly. The demons’ essence has been sufficiently absorbed into the World Tree’s roots. Once the magic circle to activate the authority is complete, it’s all over.”
Hela stood beside Dorgo and gazed at the magic circle.
As a Dark Knight, she had only basic knowledge of black magic.
So she couldn’t understand what the magic circle was or how it worked just by looking at it.
But there was one thing she knew for sure.
This magic circle would fulfill her long-cherished wish.
“Empire’s Greatest Swordsman… finally, that child’s head will be in my hands.”
Just imagining it filled her chest with excitement. A smile forced its way up her throat.
Hela grinned, her mouth splitting wide from ear to ear. Seeing it, Dorgo made a disgusted face.
“You pervert. Don’t smile like that.”
“By the way, there’s something I’ve always been curious about.”
“What?”
“I’ve wanted the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman’s head for a long time, but… why are you so obsessed with that child?”
Summoning demons, invading Elfheim, building this massive facility underground.
All of it was to kill the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman.
Hela couldn’t comprehend it at all. Even if he was the Empire’s greatest force, was it worth this much effort?
“…I don’t know either.”
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. How I’ve been feeling lately.”
Dorgo tapped his orbital socket with his bony finger.
“Someone inside here is screaming. That if I stay still like this, danger looms, and everything will go wrong. But I don’t know what to do about it.”
Hela looked at Dorgo with a face that showed she didn’t understand.
Occasionally, black mages suffered from nightmares and hallucinations.
But that happened when novice black mages couldn’t withstand the curses of their victims.
She couldn’t imagine a black mage of Dorgo’s caliber falling to such petty curses.
“…At least I understand that your desire to kill the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman is genuine.”
Hela stared at the magic circle for a while. Then, suddenly, she remembered something she had forgotten.
“There’s a Demian Haksen on this island.”
At those words, Dorgo reflexively turned his head.
“…Demian Haksen is here? How?”
“I don’t know that much. Didn’t the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman bring him?”
Dorgo fell into thought. Stroking his chin, he repeated Demian Haksen’s name.
“Demian… Demian… Why does hearing that name make my emotions surge every time? What the hell is that guy… Ugh.”
Dorgo groaned and clutched his head with both hands.
“My head… my head hurts… It hurts so much I’m going mad… Demian… Demian Haksen… What the hell is that guy…”
“Isn’t it because you keep getting interrupted by him and it’s pissing you off?”
Dorgo paused and looked at Hela.
“…Is that it?”
“How many times has that guy interfered with you? That displeasure doesn’t fade easily.”
“That makes sense. So that’s why he’s been on my mind.”
Dorgo released his head. His expression was much more relaxed, as if the headache had vanished.
“Looks like your worry is resolved. Then I’ll take my leave.”
Hela said that and departed.
“Great One. I’ll take my leave as well.”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames also bowed to Dorgo. Dorgo casually asked him.
“Is the stake I gave you working well?”
“Perfectly. Thanks to it, I can control the Spirit King like a limb.”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames said with a bright smile. Dorgo smiled in satisfaction too.
The stake embedded in the Spirit King’s body was Dorgo’s creation.
It had been a rough concept at first, but occasional bursts of inspiration allowed him to complete it.
“If I give you more stakes, can you subjugate the remaining Spirit Kings too?”
“Leave it to me!”
“Good attitude. I’ll count on you.”
The Ruler of Myriad Flames expressed his gratitude repeatedly before leaving.
“Demian, Demian Haksen… Demian…”
Still bothered, Dorgo continued muttering Demian Haksen’s name even after the Ruler of Myriad Flames had gone.
-Mother, we’re back!
At that moment, a noisy voice rang out. Iota and Sita were approaching where Dorgo was.
“Why have you two been away until now? I told you to always stand by.”
Dorgo said with a face full of anger. But Iota giggled and began massaging Dorgo’s shoulders.
-Mother, why get so mad? We just took a quick tour of the island. We even found some elves for a snack on the way.
At Iota’s massage, Dorgo’s expression softened slightly. He spoke as if there was no helping it.
“…From next time, make sure to tell me your whereabouts.”
-Got it!
Dorgo’s soul fragments had gone into creating the four great demon kings.
In a way, the four great demon kings were no different from his children.
That was why, unlike with other subordinates, Dorgo couldn’t help but soften toward the four great demon kings.
“Sita, you remember too… Your clothes are different from this morning?”
At Dorgo’s question, Sita flinched.
“…I tore them during sword training and changed.”
“Is that so? Don’t overdo it. Your true power isn’t that.”
“…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll follow Mother’s words.”
Sita answered briefly.
Her eyes gleamed with defiance.
* * *
“…A half-elf, you say?”
Demian reflexively asked again, too shocked.
During his Death Knight days, Demian had clashed frequently with the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman.
Because of that, Demian knew a great deal about the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman.
But hearing that the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman was a half-elf was news to him. Completely new information.
“It’s understandable you wouldn’t believe it. I inherited almost none of the elven traits. At best, my dynamic vision is a bit better, my senses a bit sharper, and my stamina recovers faster in forests.”
“Those are the important traits, though.”
When knights spoke of elves, those three things were what they envied most.
Elven swordsmen had superior dynamic vision compared to human swordsmen, sharper senses, and were like iron men in forests.
“You could see it that way. But I didn’t inherit the most important one.”
“You mean spirit arts?”
“You hit it right on the head.”
To elves, spirits were inseparable existences.
Lifelong companions. The most reliable friends, the most powerful weapons.
Even outside of battle, ways to utilize spirits were endless.
“And the same went for my younger brother.”
Come to think of it, the Ruler of Myriad Flames had an unusual obsession with spirits.
In his previous life, he had tried to forcibly subjugate a Spirit King and ended up losing half his body to a grievous injury.
He was probably tormented by an inferiority complex as a half-elf unable to handle spirits.
“Is that why you came to help Elfheim as a half-elf? And why is your brother with Pandemonium? Why does he hold hostility toward you?”
“That’s…”
The Empire’s Greatest Swordsman opened his mouth but trailed off, glancing toward Elfheim.
“It’s about time to head back.”
“Huh? But the answer first…”
“Let’s go quickly. If we don’t leave now, something big will happen. I sense that fate.”
The Empire’s Greatest Swordsman strode toward Elfheim. Demian clicked his tongue briefly.
“Let’s follow.”
Demian said to the elves. Then Cynthia asked Demian.
“What do you plan to do with those humans?”
Cynthia pointed to Bantadi and the other Dark Knights and black mages.
Demian pointed at Bantadi.
“Bantadi.”
“Ahh… Lord Demian Haksen calls me! Now I can die without regrets!”
“Shut up. I’ll give orders now. You lot, wait around here appropriately.”
They had arrived at Elfheim, but the job wasn’t done.
They still needed to kill Dorgo and drive out Pandemonium.
These guys would be quite useful in the fight against Pandemonium. It’d be a waste to discard them now.
“We’ll obey the orders!”
Bantadi replied loudly. After hearing it, Demian entered Elfheim’s royal castle with the elves.
“Demian Haksen, this way.”
Demian followed the Empire’s Greatest Swordsman to the most important place in Elfheim.
The heart of the World Tree.
Upon arriving, a familiar face appeared.
“Demian Haksen, we meet again.”
The elf from the port.
Milenue greeted Demian.