Chapter 273: Winter (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 273: Winter (3)
After Karon, who had been in charge of reporting, departed, Arthur, the commander of the Outer God Knights, took his place.
Arthur was the very picture of a model knight, which was perhaps why he insisted on wearing full heavy armor even indoors. Having spent a few days with him, Kang Geomma had gained a decent grasp of his character.
Put nicely, he was steadfastly loyal; put bluntly, he was a knight lacking in flexibility. Still, thanks to that stubborn lack of flexibility, his reporting was swift and reliable. He skipped useless pleasantries altogether.
“The Academy Principal and the All-Power are here as well, I see. I shall prioritize my report to the Heavenly Sword before greeting the two of you separately.”
Such a trait shone in emergencies like this. Kang Geomma thought highly of Arthur for that reason. It was a great merit that offset his frustrating rigidity.
“To read the telegram verbatim—”
Arthur bowed his head deeply toward Kang Geomma once more. As if granting an audience to an emperor, he avoided making eye contact with me as much as possible.
“—‘We have spotted Hero Leon von Reinhardt in the heart of the Demon Realm.’ This was the final telegram sent by the Auditore.”
Arthur swallowed his complex emotions and concluded his report.
“We have continued trying to contact them since then, but to no avail. Given the vastly different environments between Gehenna and the Human Realm, it could be a simple communication issue... However, given the severity of the matter, there is a strong possibility that something has occurred.”
Having heard the entire story, Kang Geomma showed fewer facial expressions than one might expect. However, a whirlwind of thoughts raged inside his mind.
‘The day of the Joaquin Terror... Leon was dallying with that demon bitch then.’
Kang Geomma gently rubbed his forehead, recalling that day.
The Majin who had been talking to Leon... That Majin definitely resembled Kuarne, the 2nd Corps Commander. I had wondered if it might be Kuarne's avatar. But the more I recalled, the more different the aura felt between that bastard and Kuarne.
‘Even for an avatar, it lacked the pressure Kuarne exuded.’
Above all, if it had really been him, he wouldn't have gone down in a single hit.
‘What matters right now isn't whether that bastard was Kuarne or not.’
I shook my head briskly. My thoughts were veering off in an odd direction.
What mattered most here wasn't who Leon had met, but why he had met them. While hospitalized, Leon had flatly refused to see anyone. So when I visited again on the day he was scheduled for discharge, the attending nurse told me he had already been discharged two days prior. He had fled the Academy as if running away.
Tracking his whereabouts proved fruitless. Calling the number listed on his personal profile yielded no response. His supposed family residing in Germany were complete strangers from the start. In short, everything linked to Leon was a lie. A heavy sense of déjà vu washed over me.
There was only one person I knew who had virtually no background like this.
Me—Kang Geomma.
And Kang Geomma...
‘The owner of the body you took upon coming to this world is Lycan, the true Sword Demon.’
Kang Geomma's identity was Lycan, the 1st Corps Commander of the Demon King's Army. Therefore, his family background, original residence, and everything else had been cleanly erased.
Naturally, I had no choice but to project Kang Geomma's case onto Leon. If all his origins in the Human Realm were fake, circumstances pointed to only one possibility.
‘Leon, like Kang Geomma, is closely connected to the demons.’
However, I didn't think his physical body was a demon's like mine. It wasn't for any particular reason—just pure gut feeling—but I trusted my intuition. At the very least, Leon wasn't a demon like me.
“Heavenly Sword, please give us your command.”
Arthur, Commander of the Templar Knights, raised only his chin while remaining on his knees. Stray thoughts could wait. I sorted out the situation first.
“Keep this matter strictly confidential. Ensure nothing leaks out as much as possible.”
“Understood, Heavenly Sword.”
“And once you leave this office, contact the troops stationed in Hawaii. Tell them under no circumstances should they go near the Gate, let alone enter it.”
Arthur stared, his eyes widening. Are we not going to the Demon Realm to rescue the Auditore? His gaze seemed to ask.
I understood. My current demeanor might make me look like a cold-blooded bastard.
But my warning was grounded in solid logic.
I spoke up. With an inflexible person, you had to clear up misunderstandings on the spot.
“The environment of Gehenna is infinitely harmful to humans. Anyone who hasn't undergone specific training could return with an incurable disease. You, Commander, should know that better than I do.”
“A-Ah. Yes.”
“That is precisely why the Auditore spent months undergoing Demon Realm adaptation training. Sending heroes as they are to save them... would be nothing short of a suicide charge.”
“This foolish servant failed to grasp the depth of your wisdom, Heavenly Sword. Forgive my interruption. Please, continue to bestow your valuable counsel.”
“It's hardly 'valuable counsel.'”
Arthur's manner of speech was as polished as the heavy armor he wore. You might say he played the knight a bit too hard.
“At any rate, the Auditore possess mobility that stands out even among heroes. Rushing in to rescue them is an incredibly rash judgment.”
At my lingering "However—", Arthur swallowed hard.
“...That doesn't mean I intend to leave the Auditore to their fate. They left on my orders. Taking responsibility is my duty as well.”
“You cannot!”
Arthur leapt to his feet with a loud clatter of armor.
“It is unthinkable for you to go personally, Heavenly Sword! If it comes to that, our Templar Knights shall go in your stead! Among our order, there are a few knights who have undergone Demon Realm adaptation training. Sending them to assess the situation before you depart would be—”
“Uh, I never said I was going?”
“...Pardon?”
Arthur looked thoroughly bewildered.
“Who knows the geography of the Demon Realm best?”
“Uh... I suppose it would be the demons...”
“Exactly. Then we just need to have a demon check on the Auditore's current situation.”
Arthur's deeply bewildered look quickly turned into a blank, foolish expression. Had his superior, the Pope, seen him now, he surely would have chided him for looking so dim-witted.
“A-Ah!”
After standing blankly for a long moment, an exclamation mark practically popped above Arthur's head.
“You wiped out the Dark Elves previously and detained them in the Association's prison! So what you mean, Heavenly Sword, is to send them as a search party!”
I occasionally heard updates about the Dark Elves from Manager Seong. Detained in the underground jail of the Association Headquarters, they were apparently living quite comfortably. In particular, the soy meat suited their palate so well that they had plumped up. On top of that, their murky complexions had turned fair and bright, transforming them from [Dark Elf ▷ Just an Elf].
“The Dark Elves won't do either.”
I shook my head.
“Dark Elves are inherently shady bastards. If we unleash them in the Demon Realm, they'll just run off. If we send guards along, they'll harm the guards first and then run off.”
Just because their skin brightened didn't mean their nature became good. I had halved their population. They undoubtedly harbored a grudge. They were probably biding their time inside that dreary cave, chewing on mugwort and garlic—just like Ungnyeo from the Dangun myth.
‘Besides, I have another job for the Dark Elves later.’
They ought to earn their keep, shouldn't they? Every single leaf going into those bastards' mouths was funded by taxpayers' money. Not that I'd eat it even if offered, but regardless.
“Or should I go instead?”
That was when Meain, who had been quietly sipping tea until now, spoke up.
“I spent decades in the Demon Realm, so my body developed a resistance to magic power. Plus, even if communication equipment is dead, I can manage basic contact.”
She lightly snapped her fingers. That gesture meant she could use magic.
“I can transmit my voice via Telepathic Transmission back to the Human Realm using magic power as a medium. Since Gehenna is rich in magic power, I can manage it.”
I stared quietly at Meain before replying.
“I appreciate the thought, Senior, but you can't go either. Not only would I feel terrible sending someone who just returned right back to the Demon Realm, but even taking the fastest route to Hawaii takes eight hours. Frankly, who knows what's happening to the Auditore at this very second? We can't afford to waste any more time.”
“Th-Then... what should we do?”
Arthur stomped his feet in anxiety where he stood.
“If neither the Templar Knights nor the Dark Elves can go, we have no one left to send.”
Leaving Arthur flustered behind me, I asked Meain:
“If magic power allows contact from the Demon Realm to the Human Realm, the reverse should be true as well, right?”
“Yeah. Anywhere else might be doubtful, but Joaquin Academy can do it. The Academy isn't famous for nothing; veins of magic power flow everywhere, not just beneath the Special Pavilion.”
I nodded and immediately grabbed my outerwear. Arthur shouted at my retreating back:
“Where are you going?!”
Without looking back, I dashed out of the office. Heading straight for Choi Seol-ah's place.
* * *
Grotesquely twisted ancient trees, a bleached wasteland, and a blood-red sky. A black sun casting pitch-dark light over such a world. The Demon Realm Gehenna laid bare its sheer peril through its environment alone. Even breathing was an ordeal, as the air, saturated with magic power, clung stickily to the lungs.
That discomfort was no exception even for Al'tair, who had weathered all manner of trials. Yet, at this moment, the Head of the Auditore Family forgot that discomfort. More accurately, he had forgotten it because he felt a far deeper sense of revulsion.
“I believe... an explanation is required as to why you are here.”
He raised the S-rank Armament, Syndicate, pointing it forward. Contrary to his calm tone, the glimmer in the Head's eyes was murderous.
At the tip of his blade stood a boy. A boy with dazzling golden hair and brilliant blue eyes, looking completely detached from the Demon Realm.
“Leon von Reinhardt.”
Leon offered no reply, merely sweeping his gaze across all the Auditore members, including the Head. Just that alone made the Head's lips dry up. Leon's expressionless face put even the Head, who had devoted his life to asura-like battlefields, on edge.
Keeping his eyes fixed ahead, the Head asked Nox via Telepathic Transmission:
‘Did you send the telegram to the Heavenly Sword?’
‘Yes, Family Head. But further communication is impossible. It seems the network has gone dead.’
The Head gave a slight nod.
‘It matters not. I anticipated as much. Still, the message was sent. It seems unlikely the Hero will let us leave peacefully. Furthermore, this is the Demon Realm. Enemies could spring forth at any moment—so everyone except me, fall back.’
‘Family Head!’
The Auditore members raised their voices in unison. The Head scolded them with a stern gaze.
‘This is my order as Head of the Family. Disobey, and you shall be dealt with severely according to our rules.’
Even so, the Auditore did not budge. With grim expressions, they each drew their daggers.
“Did not the Heavenly Sword command us?”
Nox stepped up to stand alongside the Head.
“For all of us to return alive.”
He spoke aloud.
“And that includes you, Grandfather.”
At that instant, everyone instinctively snapped their heads upward.
“......!”
A pale white entity sat floating in midair, backlit by the black sun. The contrast between black and white sent ripples of dread through the hearts of those who witnessed it. Even highly trained assassins broke out in a cold sweat.
“A nest of rats has wandered in.”
The entity slowly opened its eyes. Its pupils were so transparently white that only their outlines were visible. That gaze turned toward Leon.
“It seems a clean-up is in order, Nephew.”
A death sentence was pronounced.
Leon's expression turned utterly grim. For a split second, a fierce inner turmoil raged within him. But he had no choice.
Schwing.
Drawn with a dull, ringing sound, Balmung was blotched with muddled purple and pure white. It looked as though mold had infected the blade.
Kuarne closed his eyes once more. A sneer hung at the corners of his mouth.
“I will dispose of all of you here.”
Leon spat the words out through a pained grimace. The Head retorted, incredulous:
“...Hero, do you even realize what you are doing right now?”
“Even if it isn't me, you will all die here anyway. Having crossed paths with that creature—with Kuarne—the outcome remains fixed. Just as it is pointless to demand reasons from a natural disaster.”
The Hero tightened his grip on Balmung.
“Family Head, rather than letting you be captured and tortured to death by him, I will cut you down painlessly myself.”
“Nonsense.”
The Head scoffed.
“How lightly you must hold us—hold the Auditore—to dare utter such reckless absurdity.”
A trailing wisp of demonfire spilled from the Head's left eye. The Auditore readied themselves for battle.
“So you insist...”
Just as Leon was about to snap back, he suddenly looked up. Kuarne, who had quietly closed his eyes, also contorted his expression, slitting his eyes open.
A flock glided in circles around the rim of the black sun. Creating a circular ring of shadow above Kuarne's head, they spiraled down toward the earth.
Whooosh.
A whirlwind stirred, driving back the heavy, sticky air. The sudden gust brought a brief breath of refreshment to the freezing, rigid humans.
Thud.
Soon, one figure from the group touched down. Until its feet hit the ground, it had taken the form of a colossal beast, but in the blink of an eye, it transformed into a human male.
The Head spoke on behalf of the family.
“...Who are you?”
“Valerion.”
Introducing himself curtly, the man turned his gaze to Kuarne.
“Why have you appeared here... Dragon Lord?”
Kuarne's voice trembled slightly as he suppressed his surging rage.
“I received a favor from my granddaughter.”
The Dragon Lord replied nonchalantly.
“I must keep these people alive.”