Chapter 342: Evil God Subjugation — End (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 342: Evil God Subjugation — End (1)
Restoration work on the First Campus of Märchen Academy was in full swing.
Under the brilliant sun, countless workers labored alongside mages, utilizing intensive magic to rebuild. The campus was rapidly transforming, not just returning to its former glory, but becoming even more pristine than before.
It wasn't just Märchen Academy. The apocalypse wrought by the Evil God had scarred every corner of the globe. Restoration efforts were underway in every region where the void had consumed the land.
Isaac packed the Cloak of the Radiant Wolf along with the clothes Monon had given him during his stay at the hospital in South Korea, then returned through the gate Alice had opened.
The Evil God Slayers welcomed Isaac back with open arms. Kaya, Luce, Dorothy, and White threw themselves at him, sobbing with relief as they held him tight.
The names of every individual who fought in the Subjugation Force were engraved in records destined to become a permanent part of world history, their contributions honored for eternity. Isaac’s exploits, in particular, were broadcast across the globe. Every step he took was now the stuff of legend.
Emperor Carlos asked Isaac what he desired as a reward—even suggesting his own children, his fifth daughter, or Snow White—but Isaac requested nothing in particular.
In the wake of this, Emperor Carlos made a monumental decision: he chose to abdicate the throne.
Isaac was already the king of a nation and the undisputed pinnacle of humanity, having played the most pivotal role in subjugating the ultimate enemy that no one else could stop. It was the consensus of the world that the title of Emperor truly belonged to Isaac.
The fact that Isaac hadn't even asked for the position, yet it was being offered to him, led some officials within the Zelver Family to grumble, but their complaints were nothing more than background noise. Even the Elemental Kings, who had maintained the balance of power before Isaac’s ascent, were in unanimous agreement. No one could object.
As a result, Düpfendorf, once the Kingdom of Ice, was elevated to an Empire, ruling over several vassal states.
The Emperor of the Düpfendorf Empire.
That was Isaac’s new title.
*
“You’re safe.”
[Isaac!]
Isaac arrived at the site where the secret shop had once stood.
Though it had once been a dense forest, the 「Evil God Subjugation」 had turned the area into a wasteland. Now, a makeshift structure with a gabled roof of rough wooden planks stood in the clearing. It seemed even the secret shop hadn't escaped the aftermath of the war.
Still, it was a relief to see that Monon, the raccoon magic beast, was unharmed. The sight of him setting out a few items for sale was just as it had always been.
[That was an incredible monster! You defeated it, right? Amazing!] Monon marveled with exaggerated gestures.
I adjusted my glasses and responded with a thin smile. “Forget that. Why are you running the shop at a time like this?”
[The monster’s gone, so I have to get back to business.]
“Hmm.” I glanced at the magic items displayed on the shelf. “In that case, can you close up for a moment and give me some of your time?”
[Huh? Why all of a sudden?]
“There’s somewhere we need to go. It’ll be a quick trip.”
[…Okay, just a moment.]
“Dress warmly.”
Monon threw on a thick wizard’s robe as an overcoat. After leaving the shabby secret shop, we walked along the empty forest path for a while. This distance should be far enough.
“Come out, Hilde.”
Woooosh!!
The contract seal on my wrist pulsed with light, and a white dragon manifested, releasing a radiant aura of white mana.
The Frost Dragon Hilde. I estimated her level to be around 200 now—a familiar on par with an Archwizard. When she was summoned, an intense chill spread through the air, which was why we had walked so far to avoid damaging the shop.
Monon stared at the Frost Dragon in awe. [Oh! Awesome!]
[Huh?]
I grabbed Monon by the waist, leapt up, and mounted the dragon. Using [Rock Generation], I fashioned a stone ring that secured Monon to Hilde like a safety harness.
[Kaaah!]
Hilde let out a roar and spread her radiant white wings wide. With a powerful flap, she took to the skies, heading toward our destination.
[Wow…] Monon looked down at the ground from the heights, his eyes sparkling with wonder. [This is my first time experiencing something like this!]
“Is that so?”
[But where are we going?]
“You’ll know when we get there.”
We arrived at a small village in the Zelver Kingdom. Fortunately, there were no people passing by. It was a relief; most people bowed so low at the sight of me these days that it felt like a burden.
“Good job, Hilde.”
[Take care, Master.]
After Monon and I dismounted, I reverse-summoned her. We made our way to a small house on the outskirts of the village. When I knocked, a middle-aged woman stepped out as if she had been expecting us.
“Welcome, Ice Sovereign.”
She wasn't surprised; she greeted us politely, having already been informed of our arrival. Monon tilted his head, looking puzzled.
“Please, come in.”
We entered the house. Sniff, sniff. Monon’s nose twitched. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening as they landed on an elderly man with graying hair lying in a bed.
The man was gaunt, his frame incredibly thin. The blanket dipped significantly where his right leg should have been.
“I’ve been looking for your master. Go to him.”
I had worried I might only find a grave if he had already passed. Luckily—or perhaps not—he was still clinging to life.
Stunned, Monon slowly approached the bedside. [Bilbo…?]
Hearing his name, the old man, Bilbo, opened his eyes with great effort and looked at Monon. His frail arm reached out, gently stroking Monon’s head.
Monon’s eyes welled with tears. He didn't look away from Bilbo for even a second.
[I remember now. I remember… Bilbo, I couldn’t remember your face, so I drew pictures every day, trying so hard to recall… I really tried. Yes, this was the face…]
Overjoyed, Monon caressed Bilbo’s hand with his small paws. He had said he would recognize him the moment they met.
The man before me was a far cry from the spirited young man Monon had once known. But in Monon’s eyes, he was still the master he had adventured with sixty years ago.
[I worked really hard, you know? I wanted to show off what I made, hoping one day you’d come back… Every time I heard the wind, I’d open the door, thinking maybe you’d returned… But at some point, I started feeling like you weren’t coming back, and I was so scared. I missed you so much…]
Bilbo seemed too weak to speak. He simply watched Monon in silence, his eyes clouded with guilt.
The middle-aged woman who had greeted us was Bilbo’s daughter. She explained the truth to us.
Bilbo had been a low-ranking adventurer for the Guild. He wasn't particularly skilled, his earnings were meager, and he had no companions, but he was a romantic who couldn't bring himself to quit.
One day, he took on a dangerous subjugation request. The result was tragic. He was struck by a venomous monster, losing his leg in the process. The poison claimed the affected area as its territory before spreading like a web; its final destination was death.
It could have been cured with quick detoxification, but Bilbo hadn't prepared an antidote, thinking they were too expensive. It was a careless mistake born of poverty and inexperience. By the time he returned, he couldn't afford the treatment.
In the end, Bilbo decided to give up both his career and his leg. He didn't want Monon, his only friend and familiar, to suffer alongside him. He believed keeping Monon by his side would only lead to misery.
Knowing Monon had been studying human language and had an interest in crafting, Bilbo lied. He told Monon he was retiring from adventuring to open a workshop. Then, he moved to a distant island where Monon wouldn't find him, set up a shabby shop, and left some books behind.
That "new path" for Monon was the secret shop.
Now that I think about it, that’s how it was.
I had assumed it was out of cold-heartedness or guilt. I was wrong. How could he have put so much care into a familiar he intended to "abandon"?
Bilbo had reassured Monon, saying he would finish an urgent task and return. He said that so Monon wouldn't follow, hoping that with time, the raccoon would simply forget him.
After that, Bilbo amputated his own leg where the poison had taken root. He survived, but the aftereffects left him bedridden and unable to move properly. Eventually, his daughter returned to their hometown, found him in his dying state, and took over his care.
“…”
Bilbo had abandoned Monon, but his intention had been for Monon to find happiness. There surely must have been a better way, but questioning it now was meaningless.
The one-legged old man and the raccoon magic beast, once bound by a contract, held each other’s hands tightly. It looked like they had a lifetime of things to talk about, so I stepped outside to give them space.
*
In the end, Monon decided to continue running the workshop. That was Bilbo’s wish. He had grown attached to the craft and decided he would be satisfied by visiting Bilbo from time to time.
As we flew across the evening sky on Hilde, Monon thanked me. He confessed he thought he would never see his master again, but I had already suspected as much a while ago.
Now, for the main point.
“Hey, Monon.”
[Yes?]
“You don’t need to wait for him anymore, right?” I asked with a smile.
[That’s true, but…]
“Then it doesn’t need to be a ‘secret shop’ anymore, does it?”
[Huh?]
A look of confusion crossed Monon’s face. The story of him proudly opening a workshop in the Märchen Academy shopping district was a tale for next year.
*
Snow fell incessantly over the Whiteclark Duchy.
The scars of battle left by the Primordial Ice Sovereign, Veronica Aslius, had plunged this land into an eternal winter. I ventured deep into the snow-covered mountains and arrived at a secluded cave.
Passing through the entrance, I saw a crackling campfire. In front of it, a grotesque female demon lay under a blanket, struggling to breathe.
[…Is that you, Ice Sovereign?]
“Hello.”
It was Mephisto the Contractor. The demon looked at me with a pitiful expression.
Currently, my demonic detection spanned the entire world. I could see every demon as clearly as the palm of my hand, no matter where they hid. Finding Mephisto had been incredibly easy.
“What a ridiculous sight you’ve become,” I said nonchalantly, sitting across from her to warm myself by the fire.
I had come late because I wanted Mephisto to suffer just a little longer. Tiny minions of creation were slowly devouring her body—the work of Snow White’s night magic. She must have been in unspeakable agony. If the blanket were pulled back, her form would be horrific.
Upon closer inspection, I could see ash-gray powder trickling out of her like grains of sand.
Demons were beings composed of dark magic. That magic was their life force, provided by the Evil God. When the vital components of their matter failed, they disintegrated. That was why demons left behind ash instead of corpses.
Mephisto was slowly crumbling away. Soon, her life would be extinguished entirely.
[You came after all… How amusing. Did you come to mock me…?]
“Didn’t I tell you?” I gave her a kind, cold smile. “I’ll find you and kill you myself.”
I had no intention of letting her simply fade away. I wanted to end it with my own hands before she completely fell apart.
[That’s right… you did…] Mephisto’s faint laughter dissipated into the freezing air.
I stared at the campfire for a moment before speaking. “…Let me ask you one thing. Nephid seemed to want to create a world of demons and rule over it. What was the reason?”
[A question like that, now…?] Mephisto let out a bitter rasp.
Why did Nephid become the Demon Lord, and then the Evil God? Why did she try to destroy the world?
I had become curious about her motives. As the Evil God’s agent, Mephisto would know the answer.
Mephisto exhaled a trembling breath. [Lady Nephid… rejected the mission bestowed by the Creator and decided to live as she pleased…]
“…”
[That’s all…]
It was a simple, primal motive. She did it because she wanted to. That was clear enough.
“I see.”
My curiosity was satisfied. I stood up and loomed over Mephisto. She didn't even have the strength to move a finger. This campfire must have been her final effort.
I reached out toward her with my right hand, condensing ice mana.
Kwoooosh!!
Five-star ice magic: [Frost Explosion].
The shockwave shattered Mephisto’s torso and snuffed out the campfire instantly. Mephisto’s head bounced off the cave wall and rolled across the floor, a lingering, hollow emotion frozen in her eyes.
Soon, she turned into ash-gray powder and scattered into the swirling wind.
Inside the cave, now filled with nothing but darkness and the howling gale, I turned my back and walked away.