Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: 92. Tyrant's Record (6)
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"No."
Yuri curled up the corner of his mouth.
"You think you can just die because you want to? You need to spit something out first."
There was no hint of agitation on his face.
His voice was so chilling that even Jared looked at Yuri in surprise.
"Kill me..."
The King of Conzed begged, gasping for breath, but Yuri shook his head.
"Did you think I'd just kill you because you asked? Give me some information worth making me want to kill you. Anything will do."
His appearance was so grotesque that Jared didn't have the courage to get close to his face, but Yuri leaned in toward the King of Conzed without a care.
"Or just keep living like this."
The King of Conzed struggled to open his eyes buried in his flesh.
His pupils were covered in a translucent film, making them look nothing like human eyes.
He stared at Yuri with those cloudy eyes.
"You... Yuri of Brioll..."
"That's right."
"I heard you were coming..."
His voice sounded eerie, caught somewhere between human and beast.
"Tell me."
"I..."
"Just the key points. Did the Empire do this to you? With black magic?"
"Ah..."
His pupils contracted. Though his gaze was fixed on Yuri, it seemed unfocused, as if looking beyond him at something else.
The King of Conzed began to speak, exhaling ragged breaths.
"I-I'll tell you everything..."
He explained what had happened.
A few years ago, as his royal authority wavered, the King of Conzed faced the threat of losing his throne. That's when an emissary from the Empire arrived with a secret deal, which he accepted without hesitation.
Afterward, the King of Conzed fell under the sway of the Empire's dark powers.
Before long, he became addicted to black magic. Through repeated bizarre rituals, his body began to mutate, gradually transforming him into a monster.
To suppress the side effects, the King relied on drugs sent from the Empire, and in the end, the entire kingdom became subjugated to them.
But only the King of Conzed and a few select ministers knew the truth.
"When the Tyrant's Record began, I contacted the Empire... and they sent a single knight..."
The knight from the Empire looked unwell. Black magic lingered within him.
The knight died shortly after arriving in Conzed, but the black magic inside him transferred to another knight's body, changing hosts to preserve its existence.
The Empire ordered them to send that possessed knight into the Tyrant's Record.
They calculated he could at least kill a couple of the weaker ones.
"But you saw through it all..."
Yuri listened quietly to his words.
"I-it's my fault..."
The King of Conzed let out a long breath. A foul stench spread with it.
Yuri asked,
"Besides you, are there other small kingdoms in the alliance colluding with the Empire?"
"I don't know..."
"Anything you've overheard?"
"They never mentioned anything else. That's all I know. Now, kill me..."
"Useless bastard."
But Yuri showed him no pity.
"To have changed this much means you've delved deep into black magic."
He sneered down at the King of Conzed.
"Don't play the victim. Do you think I can't guess how many lives you've taken? Easily double digits."
"..."
"Human sacrifices, right? You deserve more suffering."
Yuri turned away. The King of Conzed groaned in agony, but he ignored it.
A dying voice caught Yuri's steps.
"K-kill me..."
"You want death."
Yuri spoke from a distance, gazing at the king's hideous form.
"The Empire didn't tell you one thing. You think dying will bring peace? Those tainted by black magic can't find peace even in death. You'll suffer far worse than now. Remember that. Your soul won't be saved."
The King of Conzed blinked.
"Suffer eternally."
With those words, Yuri left.
A beastly wail echoed behind him, but he never looked back.
The two left the king's chambers and returned to their lodgings by scaling the outer wall once more.
Jared scratched his head.
"Is it really okay to just leave like this?"
"No need to cause a scene."
"But was that true? About not finding peace even in death..."
"Yes."
Those tainted by black magic don't find peace after death; they become part of the demons' grimoire, bound eternally in hellish madness and torment.
It was a curse in the truest sense.
But there was an exception: severing the black magic with the sword energy of Heart-Soul Severing. That's how Yuri had granted Sibylla peace.
Yuri's very existence was the natural enemy—and salvation—of black magic.
"It's too early for the King of Conzed to rest. Someday, when we destroy the demons' grimoire, he'll be free of his chains."
In the end, all this tragedy stemmed from that cursed book.
Eliminate Cedric and destroy the demons' grimoire he possessed, and the souls trapped within would be liberated from endless suffering.
"I see."
Jared nodded gravely, shocked that the demons' grimoire could even steal the peace of death.
"What about that king then?"
"I'll sneak in and kill him tomorrow."
"Pardon?"
"Just stab him with a knife, of course. No mercy."
Jared looked at Yuri.
"He's basically an Empire lackey. Better off gone."
"What about what you said earlier?"
"Just scaring him. Annoying, right? And if he dies while we're here, it'll be a hassle. Easier if he goes after we leave."
Jared nodded.
"What about that Rail guy? Connected too?"
"Seems he knows the king's secret, but hasn't used black magic himself. Who'd want to after seeing the king like that?"
"Fair point."
"We'll keep doing what we've been doing."
Yuri grinned.
"So rest easy tonight."
Word spread that the King of Conzed had died, but since he'd been out of sight for so long due to illness, there was no real uproar.
The funeral was quiet, and his son ascended the throne.
People cared more about the Revenge Knights than the king's death.
Rumors began circulating that they were on the verge of completing the Tyrant's Record.
"They say they're about to complete the Tyrant's Record. You really not going?"
Cory asked Rolang.
The two were walking a remote mountain path, laden with gear.
"His Highness—no, Your Highness is in the small kingdom alliance right now..."
"Shut up."
Rolăng snapped irritably.
"Don't say another word."
When he grabbed Cory's collar threateningly, Cory immediately fell silent.
He used to be so gentle, but now he resorted to violence without hesitation.
Yet Cory didn't cower. Seeing Rolang's twisted face, he even smiled.
"Got it. If Sir Rolang doesn't want to, there must be a reason."
"Don't call me sir."
"Just Rolang then?"
"Don't call me at all."
They wandered the small kingdom alliance, taking on various commissions.
Always masking their faces, they were treated suspiciously, but their reliable work earned them trusted clients.
Now, having finished escorting a merchant, they were off to find the next job.
As Cory trailed Rolang, admiring the scenery, he spoke up again.
"What if we run into His Highness like this? Feels like it could happen. Then we could go back to Brioll..."
Rolang halted.
And swung his sword.
The blade grazed Cory's forehead in an instant, leaving a scratch.
Cory stammered,
"S-suddenly swinging a sword..."
"I told you to shut up."
"A-a sword..."
Blood trickled from Cory's forehead. He kept wiping it away.
"S-still, say it first..."
Rolăng showed no remorse. Instead, he growled even more ferociously.
"Stop following me and get lost."
"What?"
"You started tailing me first. I'm sick of you; I want you gone."
"B-but my magic's been helpful so far."
"Don't need it."
Rolăng sneered down at Cory.
"Cory. You think I don't know why you're following me?"
"What?"
"Don't play innocent. Now that I've become like you..."
Mid-sentence, Rolang suddenly turned.
Perplexed by the abrupt move, Cory belatedly noticed a group approaching them.
Five knights on horseback.
They didn't stop even upon seeing Rolang and Cory in the middle of the path.
As they drew closer, Rolang pointed his sword forward, and only then did the knights rein in.
The lead knight said,
"Move."
Rolang stared up at them impassively.
"I said move."
The knight warned again, but Rolang didn't budge. Cory tugged at his clothes.
"Q-quick, move. There are five knights..."
Rolăng shoved Cory away. Cory hit the ground.
"Ugh!"
Ignoring him, Rolang continued to the knights.
"You lot. From the Empire?"
"..."
The silent knights suddenly drew their weapons. Sunlight filtering through the leaves glinted off their blades.
Rolăng spoke with a mocking laugh.
"You reek of filth, so you're carrying that black magic crap too. Here to stop Brioll?"
The atmosphere turned hostile.
The knights dismounted in unison.
Their murderous intent was so intense that birds in the surrounding mountains took flight into the sky.
Rolăng kept chuckling.
"I don't want to help Yuri Brioll, but..."
As he raised his sword, dark energy flowed out.
After the Franchese incident, Rolang had lost his pure sword aura. All that remained was the same dark, ominous energy tainting the black magic knights.
"Seeing you makes me want to kill you so bad I can't stand it."
Rolăng advanced, unleashing ferocious sword energy.
The battle erupted.
Cory watched from behind.
Rolăng fought savagely. Once known for clean, precise swordsmanship, he now charged recklessly, heedless of his life, trading flesh for bone in brutal exchanges.
For every drop of his blood, the enemy spilled far more.
But even to Cory, the five knights were highly skilled. Rolang was holding his own, but it looked precarious.
"M-magic..."
Cory raised his hand to form seals.
But in that instant, the mana in the area froze.
"Wha..."
One knight behind him glared at Cory.
Though not mages, the black magic knights seemed able to use dispels and such.
As Cory panicked, the fight intensified.
Rolăng slashed one knight's chest, taking him out of commission, but lost an arm to a blade in the process, blood streaming down.
Yet Rolang laughed as if delighted.
Like a man begging for death.
Cory suddenly recalled Cruar's words.
'If you understand why words become magic, you might truly wield Dragon Words, Cory.'
Cory still hadn't mastered Divine Word of Power.
He knew there was a Dragon Word organ inside him, but he couldn't control it at will, nor did he grasp its principles.
Still, wanting to help Yuri, Cory had begged Cruar for her strongest Dragon Word.
'The strongest? There's no such thing. It depends on the user.'
'Then what's the strongest one you can use?'
'My strongest Dragon Word...'
'I want to learn that.'
Cruar said Dragon Words varied by individual, with limits to what each could awaken.
Despite that, after persistent pleading, Cruar taught Cory her most powerful one.
A merciless Dragon Word that annihilated life.
Cruar was immensely proud of it.
'Awakening this made me a genius among dragons. They probably feared me inwardly...'
Cory had never succeeded even once. But now, he desperately recalled it.
Set the intent, express it as a Dragon Word.
Watching Rolang surrounded by the five knights, Cory awakened the dormant Dragon Word organ within him.
A burning pain flared below his throat.
As Cruar taught, channel his will through the Dragon Word organ.
As Cory opened his mouth, a massive wave surged outward.
The air trembled, his will propagating through the vibration.