Chapter 38
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Demonic Beast (3)
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A small village located in the southeastern part of the Empire.
Hans was a man born and raised in such a small village, who had lived his whole life as a farmer into his middle age.
The village was situated at the foot of a remote mountain, not often visited by outsiders.
Occasionally, a tax collector would come to the village to levy taxes.
It was rare for a stranger to visit Hans's village for any other reason.
That's why the village Hans knew was always quiet and peaceful.
At least, it was until yesterday.
"What is that sound?"
CRUUUUNCH!
A heavy crash echoed in Hans's ears as he was heading home.
A tremendous amount of smoke was rising from the mountain where the sound originated.
He didn't know exactly what had happened, but judging by the smoke, something unusual had certainly occurred.
Watching the smoke rise from a distance, Hans felt a sense of unease and soon began to move toward the source of the smoke.
It was a situation that could potentially cause trouble for the village.
Someone had to check the scene.
"What in the world happened?"
A sound one would only hear during a lightning storm echoed from within the mountain.
Something unusual had to have happened there.
Moving quickly along the familiar mountain path, it wasn't long before Hans could identify the source of the roar.
In the middle of the forest, hidden by dense trees.
There, something with a gigantic body existed.
"Th-this is!"
- Guoooooooh.
The black mass squirmed slightly.
Tentacles extending from the mass served as legs to move its body.
Thud! Thump!
The mass, extending its tentacles, was slowly advancing with heavy sounds.
Each time the giant thing moved forward, the surrounding trees were swept away and fell.
Hans clamped his hand over his mouth at the sight of the colossus moving before him.
"..."
Before Hans's eyes was a monster.
And it was a monster that looked as if it had sprung from some corner of hell, not from this world.
For the first time in his life, Hans realized he had met a being that perfectly fit the word "monster."
The ground trembled and the forest collapsed just from its movement.
Its body was so large he had to crane his neck back to see it all, and it looked as if a sword would do nothing to it.
That thing was no different from a catastrophe.
It was not a being that a mere human could confront and survive.
'I have to go back.'
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hans began to slowly back away.
He must not encounter such a dangerous being.
The best course of action was to get away as quickly as possible.
The people in the village must be evacuated as well.
To deal with something like that, the lord who governed the region would have to come up with a solution himself.
There was nothing the residents of a small village could do.
Just as Hans finished his assessment of the situation and was about to leave.
An eyeball popped out from the back of the monster, which had been walking in the opposite direction.
- Guoooooooh.
"H-huh!"
Hans's body froze as he met the monster's gaze.
A massive eyeball that had emerged from the mass was staring at him.
He'd been spotted.
That was the only thought that remained in Hans's mind.
Thump! CRUNCH!
The monster, having locked eyes with Hans, immediately began to run toward him.
A series of roars echoed as the distance between Hans and the monster closed in an instant.
- "What are you?"
The monster, having closed the distance, brought its massive eye close to him.
As the monster's eye drew near, a strange voice echoed in Hans's mind.
It was not a language Hans knew.
And yet, he could understand its meaning.
The monster was asking Hans a question.
A question about his own identity.
With a trembling voice, Hans answered the monster with his name.
"H-Hans"
- "Hans? Is that what you are called?"
"What do you mean by that?"
- "Are all those things gathered over there called Hans?"
A tentacle extending from the darkness pointed toward the village.
It was asking if all the villagers were named Hans.
It seemed it wasn't asking for his name, but about the concept of being human.
Hans's answer itself had been wrong.
He corrected his response.
"We call ourselves humans."
- "Human. So that is your designation."
"Y-yes. What in the world are you?"
- "I am Kueberberg, Lord of the Abyss. I have come to this place at the call of the great one."
Kueberberg, Lord of the Abyss.
It was a name Hans had never heard before.
Of course, even if it were a more magnificent name, a mere village farmer would have no way of knowing it.
Thump. Thud.
Having spoken, Kueberberg's eye moved even closer to Hans.
- "And that great one desires the souls of humans."
"Uh?"
- "Humans. Become one with the Abyss."
A thick tentacle shot out from the darkness and snatched Hans's body.
Hans's panicked gaze turned to Kueberberg.
Below the giant eye that was watching him.
A massive mouth revealed itself.
The huge mouth gaped open, and a bottomless abyss beyond it welcomed Hans.
Hans struggled and screamed at the sight of Kueberberg moving him toward its mouth.
"W-wait! Help me!"
- Guoooooooh.
"I don't want to die like this! Help me! Please! No!"
Despite his pleas, Kueberberg's tentacle did not stop.
The slowly moving tentacle came to a halt just above the open mouth.
The grip of the tentacle wrapped around Hans's body slowly began to loosen.
Hans tried to grab onto the tentacle as it released him, trying not to fall.
But Kueberberg's tentacle dissolved into mist, refusing Hans's grasp.
With nothing left to hold onto, Hans's body fell toward Kueberberg's massive mouth.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Crunch.
With a gruesome sound, Hans's consciousness was severed.
Loan Hebriss, the one and only Archbishop of the Order, watched the door as his guest began to enter.
Loan was currently in a mansion he had borrowed from the merchant guild master, Shulon.
It had been borrowed for the purpose of being used by Loan and his companions from the Order.
And the guest who had come to this mansion was the very person he was targeting.
Rex Maier, the eldest son of the Count Maier family.
He had stepped inside the mansion with his sole escort.
"So this is the mansion where the daughter of Viscount Eisalia is staying."
As Rex and Palios stepped into the mansion, Peter, who had greeted them, closed the door again.
Thud.
As the sound of the door closing echoed, Palios glanced at Loan.
But he soon spotted Yutenia and followed Rex, who was moving toward her.
Tap. Tap.
Rex walked toward Yutenia and found his seat opposite her.
He then offered Yutenia a graceful noble's greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Lady Eisalia."
Yutenia, receiving the greeting from Rex, looked at him with an innocent smile.
Rex's cheeks flushed red as he met Yutenia's gaze.
Rex stared at Yutenia for a moment before awkwardly taking a seat in the chair opposite her.
As Rex, who had come to see Yutenia, sat down, her gentle voice echoed through the hall.
"Are you Rex?"
"...Pardon?"
"Answer."
"I am indeed Rex Maier, but for a first meeting, aren't you being a bit rude"
It was clearly a rude attitude for the daughter of a viscount from a neighboring country to display.
Palios, who was escorting Rex, was also frowning as he looked at Yutenia.
But Loan, watching the scene, couldn't suppress his emerging smile and twisted his lips.
To point out rude behavior to Yutenia.
Thinking about what was to come, it was a scene that naturally brought a smile to his face.
"That's all I need."
"What did you just say?"
"Loan. I've set up a barrier in the mansion, so you can do as you please now."
Yutenia said as she opened the book that had been resting on her lap.
At Yutenia's words indicating his turn had come, Loan, who had been observing the situation, rose from his seat.
From now on, it was a matter for Loan to handle.
Shing.
Upon hearing the word "barrier," Palios immediately drew his sword.
It seemed he had noticed that the situation was taking an unusual turn.
However, in Loan's opinion, it was an overly late response.
From the moment they stepped into the barrier of the First Apostle, Yutenia, it was utterly impossible for them to get out.
"A barrier? What are you trying to pull?"
"Sir Palios?"
"My lord, be careful. It seems they've set a trap targeting you."
Palios, with his sword drawn, stepped in front of Rex and began to survey his surroundings.
He appeared to be wary of Loan and Yutenia's movements.
Peter, receiving Palios's murderous glare, instinctively flinched.
But Loan had a plan prepared to subdue the knight brought along to protect Rex.
Among the Apostles of the Order, there was an individual specialized in subduing opponents.
Loan lifted his head and looked at the mansion's ceiling.
"Sir Evan. It is your turn to move."
"Is it that time already?"
The moment a voice came from the ceiling, just as Palios was about to raise his sword.
A blue flash shot down toward the floor, and Evan revealed himself.
Crackle. Sizzle.
Evan, who appeared amidst the lightning, reached out his hand toward Palios.
Since Evan, riding the current, had appeared behind Palios, Palios was unable to properly react and had to expose his back.
"You bastard, when did you get there!"
"Astrape."
A powerful spark flew from Evan's hand as he grabbed Palios's head.
BZZZZZZT!
An electric current flowed through the gauntlet as Evan's lightning strike poured into Palios.
The blue flash that shot out from Astrape instantly enveloped Palios's body.
Struck directly by Evan's lightning at point-blank range, Palios let out a scream of agony.
"Kuaaaaaaaah!"
"Sir Palios!"
"Ughaaaaaah! Ugh"
Palios, who had been screaming from the lightning coursing through his body, went limp.
At the sight of Palios, who had fainted with his eyes rolled back, Rex stared at Evan with eyes full of fear.
However, Evan ignored Rex, simply grabbing Palios by the scruff of his neck and starting to drag him away.
Rex could only sit there, stunned, watching Palios being dragged away.
Evan, moving past Rex, looked at Loan and spoke.
"Is this one enough?"
"Of course, Apostle. Thank you for your hard work."
"Call me when the situation is resolved."
"I will do so."
After a brief exchange, Evan disappeared somewhere in the mansion with Palios.
With Palios, who had been protecting Rex's side, gone, Loan finally approached Rex.
The gazes of a terrified Rex and Loan met in mid-air.
There was no one left to protect Rex anymore.
Left alone, Rex, with trembling hands, uttered a threat toward Loan.
"You-you people, do you know who I am! If I disappear, the Count's family will surely make a move."
"Is that so?"
"Yes! If you don't want big trouble, you'd better release me right now!"
"How unfortunate. Because a big incident has already occurred."
"What did you say?"
Loan leaned his face in toward the questioning Rex.
As Loan's face drew closer, Rex's pupils began to dilate.
And at the moment Rex's pupils had expanded to their limit.
The smiling face of the black magician completely filled the vision of the young, still-immature nobleman.
"Because we are here, aren't we?"