Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Disease Demon King
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Disease Demon King.
A Lesser Demon King ranked 88th.
I nodded briskly.
"His rank isn't that high, but he's even more ancient than the Deception Demon King. First appeared around 200 years ago, right?"
"You've butchered so many Demon Kings you've lost your sense of scale, but rank 88 is insanely high by normal standards. Average adventurers stake their lives just facing Quasi-Demon Kings outside the top 100."
"That holds for average adventurers. But we're not average."
"Don't sneak me into your category like that."
Rennel waved her hand dismissively and pressed on.
"Anyway, this Disease Demon King has a bizarre habit."
Every ten years, he selects one territory on the continent, shows up, and unleashes plagues.
That habit, steady since his debut 200 years back, followed a clear pattern.
Connect the territories he'd hit in order on a map, and a shape emerges.
Scribble scribble.
Rennel sketched lines across the map with her pen and held it up.
"What does this look like to you two?"
"An incomplete star."
"A shattered candy."
"...Sir Chris, what was that?"
"I said an incomplete star."
Rennel, ever wise, opted not to dwell on it.
"His path is blatantly tracing a star. He's done about half. Keep that up another 200 years, and it'll be a colossal star blanketing half the continent."
"No clue why that trajectory."
"......"
"Rennel?"
"Hm... Nah. Nothing."
I cocked my head but let it slide.
"Anyway, that path points to Bardrin territory next for the Disease Demon King. Saintess got dispatched to stop him."
"Wonder if it'll work out. Only 88th, but Papal Court couldn't nab him in 200 years. Normal Demon Kings get culled in 40-50 years post-spawn on average—he's one tough bastard."
"You just said 'only 88th'."
"Argh. Slipped!"
I turned to the window instead of snapping back.
Just as Rennel said, the Saintess fails this round against the Disease Demon King.
Not from any lack on her part.
The Disease Demon King has a unique edge that's tripped up every Saintess before her.
So this flop doesn't dent her prestige.
Still, her fervent prayers yield a revelation, drawing her to our party per its guidance.
Pre-regression, she'd recalled Bardrin while chatting with Chris.
I'd strained to eavesdrop, ears perked like I wasn't listening.
Back then, every tongue was Quad wrangle mush, so total focus was key to catching it.
-It was probably me. Couldn't track down the Disease Demon King.
-That's too harsh on yourself. No past Saintess pulled it off either.
-No... that's not it. Sorry for the weird talk.
She'd turned to me then.
Probably.
-Dai-il.
The Saintess (truth be told, the whole party) rarely approached me first, so I waited, primed and eager.
-Sorry.
-Sorry? For what?
-......
She did reply, for sure.
But so hushed even nearby party members missed it.
To me, versed only in Quad wrangle garble, zilch.
-Couldn't catch that. What'd you say?
She clammed up at my prod.
What was it?
What'd she regret to me?
Maybe trivial.
But I ached to glean a hint at our next meet.
Pre-regression, I'd no idea Rennel hunted an Arch Demon King.
Nor that Chris had a twin snatched by one.
Likely her "sorry" hid some secret.
This life, I'll unearth every hidden truth from my old crew.
To bind their hearts and slay the Erosion Demon King.
'Not just that.'
I shoved down the other emotion bubbling up.
Rennel's voice snapped my reverie.
"So, when's the Adventurer's Guild stop? Bardrin's half-hell now—recommend swinging other territories en route."
"Not stopping."
"Huh?"
"Why not?"
"'We'... feels heartless, and you bagged Deception Demon King. Gotta report for legit payout."
I crossed my arms.
"Only witnesses are us. Prove how? Guild won't pay on faith alone."
"......"
"They'll probe and verify. Nothing turns up? Rewards wait till five years demon-free."
"Gah! Why I said grab proof!"
"Nada on him ID'ing Deception Demon King."
"Shoulda skinned his face..."
Chris countered Rennel.
"Demon King corpses crumble to black ash in an hour or two postmortem. Common knowledge."
"'Common knowledge' from you stirs something profound."
"Sorry to Dai-il, but glad no subjugation report. God's Mirror shattered, Arch Demon King snags brother... nonstop summons would wreck me."
"......"
"Least till we pin the brother-nabbing Arch Demon King. Want quiet moves."
Rennel looked sold, but regret lingered.
Catching her kaleidoscope of faces, I muttered.
"Expected it, but your expressions are wildly expressive. You."
"What?"
"Money worries? Don't. Demon King hunts banked me plenty. Covers our trip easy."
"Your cash. Next meal's iffy for me..."
"I'll front all your expenses too."
Rennel jolted like lightning-struck, quivering.
Shock-mute, Chris piped up.
"Really okay? We'll repay, of course."
"Nah. No need."
"No. We will. Compound interest."
"Whatever."
"Truly grateful."
Chris bowed, voice lighter.
"Only bummer's stalled rank tweaks. Though Dai-il's S-grade skill makes it moot."
"Not S-grade."
"Eh? Highest rank, no?"
I mulled instead of replying.
Folks say S-grade crumbles vs. Arch Demon Kings.
Yet I soloed Absence Demon King, 11th.
Mutual kill, technically.
'If naming it.'
Absence Demon King's parting word resurfaced.
Plus regression's final voice.
I blurted.
"Call it Hero-grade."
Rennel, shock-faded, shot back.
"What's Hero?"
Rennel's "half-hell" Bardrin take was off.
It was full living hell.
Outskirts already.
"Uwaaa! Son, open your eyes! Please!"
"Mercy, save our child! Please!"
"Mom, it itches, it itches."
"Waaah! Dad, it hurts so much..."
Despairing agony screams everywhere.
Pandemonium barely covered it; carriage halted.
"Folks, can't go on. End of line."
"Paid up front. Handsomely."
"Life trumps gold for me."
Rennel tilted her head.
"Contradictory. Money is life?"
"Your worldview needs a sit-down."
"Now works."
"No sweat regardless, coachman. You won't catch it."
He nodded.
"Fair. Disease Demon King's due soon. Bardrin prime spot, yeah."
I eyed someone blank on coachman-tier basics.
Chris gazed distant peaks.
I told coachman.
"Then zero issue. His plagues ain't standard contagion. No catch risk for us."
"Demon King there is issue. No plague needed—a glare drops normies like me with heart failure."
"Knew that contracting, no?"
"Regrets now. Bardrin reached anyway. Outskirts count."
Fair, I shrugged.
"Get it, but we need wheels. Fine, dismount and bail. Horses and carriage ours."
He blew up, predictably.
"What drivel! Outrage!"
"Buy, meant. Long haul ahead; scouting replacements soon. Your team's sturdy, swift—noted inbound."
"Hah! Childhood blood-sweat family. No sale, billions be damned..."
"This do?"
My funds? Top 1% adventurers, easy.
Demon King gigs pay obscene; cherry-picked years.
Clink.
Peeked pouch, he said.
"Safe travels, folks."
Snatched pouch, gear, bolted.
No farewell to "family."
Rennel nodded, pleased.
"Finally human."
"......"
"Dai-il, rein in splurges. Triple market, looked like."
"Won't probe carriage-hater's price savvy. But pouch-unpeeped sum guess?"
"Jangle screamed it."
"...Anyway, Chris. Reins favor?"
"Yes. Anytime."
Chris hopped driver's perch, handled pro.
Asked.
"Inn first?"
"This early?"
"Then..."
"Lord's place. Here for Saintess—high odds she's mansion-bound."
"Dai-il. That's core."
Gravest face.
"Outskirts crawling patients. Core? Don't know, but plagues boom in crowds. Common sense."
"You, common sense..."
"Core denser, duh. Planless dive spells doom."
Rennel, I exchanged looks.
Eye-talk:
-You spill.
-You.
Stare-down loss: Rennel sighed.
"Coachman chat—hear it? Disease Demon King plagues differ. Pros, cons."
"Pardon?"
"Pro: spawns myriad plagues at once. Normals one strain; he dumps colds to convulsions simultaneous."
"......"
"Con: flops hard post-15. All 200-year victims? Kids under 15."
Teaching Chris? Drains me.
Backup Rennel.
"Else why'd she ride silent?"
"Why drag me?"
Chris bought it.
Distant peaks again.
Awkward chuckle.
"Heh. You two scholars."
Common sense.