Chapter 207
Chapter 207
The place where the Calamity had turned to dust.I lay down in the middle of it and exhaled the sigh I’d been holding in.
“…Did I finish it off?”
Maybe it was because I suddenly remembered Elizabeth’s resurrection spell—but a laugh slipped out of me without meaning to.
Of course, the already-dead Calamity of Death didn’t come back to life or anything.
“As expected of a final boss… that was disgustingly tough.”
Suddenly, my legs lost all strength.So did the hand that had been gripping its throat.
It felt almost the same as that mana-drain crash I’d suffered before—the price of using a power far beyond my limits.I couldn’t even twitch on the ground.
“Well, at least I didn’t lose consciousness… but this way I can’t even get outside.”
I needed to report my survival—and the fact that I’d slain a Calamity.
“Urgh… nope, not happening.”
No matter how I strained my limbs, all I got back was pain and exhaustion.It felt like they weren’t my arms and legs anymore.
Reinforce the body with mana?Enhance the muscles with aura?
All of that had been squeezed dry in the battle just now.
I was even debating whether I should crawl out like a caterpillar,when a proper savior showed up.
Long ears.Short silver hair down to her shoulders.
“Hans…?”“Oh—Freesia!”
The sturdy guard who’d protected the Saintess through the first two phases—and though I hadn’t seen it myself, surely she’d pulled her weight in the third as well—our eyes met.
“Guess dying and coming back makes you appreciate seeing someone again. What about the others?”“Ah, haha… about that.”
Freesia scratched her cheek, embarrassed.She’d come in alone.
“What, are you insane? This is a Calamity’s domain! One wrong move and you’d never make it out alive!”
From the doting divine archer father who adored her,to the elves of her village who’d spent centuries by her side,and even the new friends she’d made at the Academy—
Knowing how sociable she was, I could picture it easily.
If she’d seen the illusions that the Calamity of Death laid out,she wouldn’t have endured them. Not a chance.
It was sheer luck I’d awakened first and ended it.Otherwise, she’d have been the next sacrifice, all wrapped up and ready.
“I couldn’t just stand by! It was bleeding and running away, how could I let that go? Besides…”
She glanced at me from the corner of her eye—and even without seeing her expression, I could guess what she was thinking.
Her trembling ears gave away everything.
“…Enough scolding. Seems the World Tree hasn’t completely abandoned us after all. We met again before everything went wrong.”“…You don’t even believe in the World Tree, and you say that?”“Sure. Atheism just means I’m free to believe in anything, doesn’t it?”“You’re literally a Calamity cultist.”“Just because people revere something doesn’t mean I’m obliged to.”
Pointless chatter—but effective.
The anxious tremor of her ears subsided; they began to flick in their usual rhythm.Freesia was back to normal.
Seeing that innocent joy from her made the tension in me ease away, too.
“…Still, I’m glad you’re safe.”“Of course. You think I could die before finishing our deal?”“Our deal?”
She tilted her head, and I grinned.
“You’ve tasted the warm sands of the West; next, you need to see the broad seas of the East and the white snows of the North.”“…‘Warm’ isn’t the word I’d use after all that chaos.”
Smiling wryly, she started walking.
“Come on, let’s go. Everyone’s waiting.”“Hold up! You forgot something, didn’t you?”“Hm?”
I’m a patient here—can’t move an inch.
“As you can see, I’m completely immobilized. May I borrow your back?”“……”
A look of pure disbelief flickered across her graceful face.
“You—you mean piggyback?”“How blunt. You could call it ‘transporting the injured,’ or ‘manual therapy,’ you know.”“…You don’t look injured to me. You’ve still got that smart mouth.”
With a sigh, she turned her back to me.
“Still, for someone who got kidnapped by a Calamity, you seem oddly cheerful.”“Oh, you noticed? Heh…”
Weakest or not, it was still a final boss.The Calamity of Death had been terrifyingly strong.
But the bitter the process, the sweeter the result.
[Reward settlement in progress.]
Only visible to me—a single line of text floating before my eyes.My lips twitched up involuntarily.
Let’s see what I earned for all that suffering.
Since I’d accomplished mountains of things in the West,the reward list went on and on.
[Objective exceeded!][You severed the curse placed upon the Nameless King of the West and granted him peaceful rest.][Reward: All treasures within the Nameless King’s Tomb]
Not bad.
I recalled that solid-gold audience-chamber door—and the vault packed with rarer gems and relics.If I searched carefully, maybe I’d even find another relic on par with the Tuthna Staff.
“At least I won’t be strapped for cash buying information for a while.”“…Information?”“My primary resource. The source of my strategy.”“Hmm… interesting. Introduce me sometime.”
From her back, I chuckled.
“I could, but… it’s not cheap.”
Even my attendant’s salary barely covered it.And there was no way a newly ennobled baron’s daughter could afford such fees—
…No, wait. With her monthly allowance, maybe she could.
If anyone could recognize a high elf’s worth, it’d be Wolbaek, the sly guildmaster.He might even try to rope her in with his usual “information fee” excuses.
Well, that’d be Freesia’s problem.Dealing with a seasoned branch chief of a thieves’ guild wasn’t my job.
For now, I flicked through the rest of the status window.
[Objective exceeded!][You captured Duke Roberc, leader of the Western rebellion, alive!][The next Iron-Blooded Duke, Camilla Roberc, will never forget those who aided her.]
Reward:Reputation across the West increased.Relationship with House Roberc fixed to Alliance.Affection of Camilla Roberc toward Hans Byron and Frost Mane fixed at maximum.
…I figured as much, but seeing it in writing still feels complicated.
The biggest problem was that Camilla was one of the few people who knew I was a demon.And in this land, demons were seen as monsters from beyond the Northern Wastes.
And yet she likes me anyway… great. That’s trouble.
I shook my head to clear it.Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that—there were too many threats left.For now, I’d treat her as an ally who wouldn’t betray Luciana.
“Hans?”“Yes, milady?”“You’re awfully quiet, which isn’t like you.”
I must’ve let that seriousness show.Freesia looked back at me, worry in her eyes.
“Don’t worry. I can’t feel a trace of the Calamity anymore.”“…That’s not what I was thinking, but thanks for the concern.”
Then, leaning close to her ear, I whispered:
“Rest easy. As you said, there’s no Calamity left here.”“You never know. That’s why I’m staying alert, just in case—”“Because the Calamity of Death—I killed it myself.”
Twitch, twitch—
Those long elven ears twitched in a way that made me grin.
“How?!”“I’ll explain once we meet up with the others.”
They’d surely be waiting anxiously.
* * *
“When we were about to charge in, the Nameless King suddenly reverted to a normal skeleton, so we thought—what happened?”
Relief and surprise mingled in Camilla’s violet eyes.
“You mean you dealt with the Calamity? Alone?”“Of course. Thanks to that, the curse broke, and His Majesty could finally rest.”
After receiving some focused healing from Rene, I could move my arm again, so I shrugged.
“How…? We couldn’t even scratch it except for the King’s final strike.”“Well, I am a demon. I had a few tricks you didn’t know about.”
Most of those present already knew that fact.Only Rene didn’t.
—Demon? Brother, are you conning those poor noble girls again?
Her telepathic voice reached me, sharper than ever after her own growth.
Conning?You expect me to believe you’re actually a demon?Not exactly, but when a lie convinces enough people, it becomes reality.
Even if I wasn’t truly a demon—so long as others saw me as one, I had to play the part.
She snorted through the link.
Sounds like you just got eaten by your own bit.Coming from you, that’s rich. Your saint act makes me nauseous.Excuse me! I’m literally possessed by a saint, thank you. You’re the weird one here!
I tuned out her bickering and faced Camilla again.
“In any case, the West is free of Calamities now.”
There was plenty of proof.The Nameless King’s bleached bones, now at peace—and above all, the unmistakable message before my eyes:
[You have defeated a Calamity.][Reward settlement in progress.][Acquired: Mental Domain][??? : ??? Calamity]
Some parts were still blurred out, unreadable.But its power was overwhelming.
[You can emulate the Calamity of Death.][Locked][Locked][Locked]
An evolved form of my unique magic—a truly outrageous ability, given that Calamities normally required divine blessings to face.
[Cooldown: 1 month][Consumes 100 % of user’s mana and aura; natural recovery disabled.][Applies “Paralysis” and “Exhaustion,” with a small chance of “Unconsciousness.”][Status effects last for one day.][…]
As if to balance the scales, the penalties were piled high.
Still… I can think of a few times it’d be worth it.
The Death Calamity’s poison alone had crippled even the Iron-Blooded Duke.Worth the cost, easily.
“For now… let’s return to the duchy. The succession must be formalized.”
Camilla’s cold tone was directed at the man in shackles—the former Iron-Blooded Duke himself.
He gave a short, dry laugh.
“So you’ve caught me. Planning to usurp my seat, then?”“…Father.”“Heh. No need for formality. The victor has the right to take all from the vanquished… but…”
He drew a deep breath, then spoke words that froze the dungeon once more.
“What you’ll inherit isn’t the throne or the title of traitor, Camilla.”“…What do you mean?”“The troops are already on their way to the Central Province.”
At the same time, the crystal orb in my pocket began to vibrate.
—Master!“Opaln? What’s going on?”—It’s bad! Soldiers have stormed the Academy! They’re taking everyone hostage! The student council building’s holding for now, but…
Even before he finished,the Duke burst into wild laughter.
“Ha-ha-ha! So it’s begun! This kingdom’s true ruler will be Roberc, not Manhet!“
His voice echoed through the chamber.