The Perfect Bait
[Adel. That bastard seems to be plotting something just as you said. Should I just kill him?]
Kalderet spoke while gazing at the hurriedly departing Black Spider's back.
“No. Let him go for now. It's actually good for us if he muddies the waters—he'll draw the other kingdoms' eyes away.”
[Hmm, will he really help? I wonder just how much mud one loach can stir up.]
“Even if he doesn't help, it's not bad to plant suspicions of an ancient god's resurrection in the other kingdoms first.”
[You've been hiding it until now, haven't you?]
“That was because it was inside the desert. But I can't stay in the desert forever. Now I need to build my power base outside it.”
His other brothers had already established their own bases and were growing their forces.
In truth, it's no exaggeration to say the desert has already solidified into forces following Brother Merka and Syrin.
That was why Adel believed he needed to build his influence somewhere beyond the desert.
“In terms of fame across the continent, I'm still far behind them. So stirring up a little chaos isn't a bad idea.”
[But will they believe the ravings of Ruinxen's scum?]
“They won't. That's why it's perfect. If a kingdom's knight or a mage from the Magic Council said it, the central nine kingdoms' forces would halt their wars to hunt for it.”
[So because it's the Black Spider from a lawless city, they'll dismiss it lightly.]
“Yeah. But leaving him be still feels a bit iffy and ambiguous. Just the right amount. Eyes and ears aren't only for kings and nobles, after all.”
Plazas where people gathered, marketplaces, taverns, and back alleys. The rumors would spread slowly there.
But faster than expected.
“Just the right amount. Time to prepare the stage for the rumor-monger's master to appear.”
[Kekeke... I can already feel the anticipation just hearing this.]
“The center isn't unified yet, and the nine kingdoms are at war, so even the Black Spider would think they lack the power to strike Ruinxen right away.”
[Then?]
“One of the forces outside the central nine kingdoms. The eastern alliance or southern duchies, maybe, but they have no reason to attack Ruinxen. If anything, they're quietly benefiting from it.”
History's progress required darkness wherever there was light.
The reason a lawless city like Ruinxen had endured until now was that not only the eastern alliance and southern duchies, but even the central nine kingdoms vying for continental hegemony, traded there for materials and other things they couldn't obtain legally.
“But there's one place that hates Ruinxen.”
[Ah, I see.]
Unlike the sealed Kalderet, Garon seemed to grasp Adel's words immediately.
“The Holy Kingdom.”
The land that worshipped the high god of the sun, Leart, was a force following the god of light alongside the Nell Church.
[Leart, huh... What a boring bastard to get tangled with.]
Kalderet clicked his tongue.
[Rifts are founded on destruction. Since the primordial emerged from the rift, that's why ancient gods are void and annihilation.]
“But people don't want destruction. They follow the light.”
[Yes. Creation arose from destruction, but they call destruction evil and deem light good, mere byproduct of destruction that it is.]
“Is that why the ancient gods were sealed?”
[Humans follow their beliefs, that's all. No need to judge right and wrong. They believed and acted that way, and victors and vanquished emerged, nothing more.]
He spoke as if it were nothing, but a hint of loneliness tinged Kalderet's voice.
The gods had undoubtedly created this world.
But ironically, gods also lived by the faith of the humans they birthed.
The more followers a god had, the stronger its power grew.
His words were fine, but Kalderet clearly struggled to accept his past of being sealed by the very humans he once believed in.
[But why not the Nell Church? The sun and pure blood follow the same lineage. In terms of divine rank, pure blood outranks the sun.]
“That's the result of lacking a high god. The Nell Church's power remains strong, but the Black Spider knows Ralka is Zippla's contractor.”
Even if a mid god, overpowering the god of corruption with its immense strength required a high god's power.
[Hmm, I see.]
Adel had already sensed the Black Spider's betrayal.
And that betrayal wasn't solely because of him.
The bastard betrayed Ralka in his previous life too. Of course, back then it wasn't like this—it was after the central civil war ended, when the Azal Kingdom unified the center and founded the empire, that he snitched.
People didn't change.
He knew that given the right trigger, the bastard would abandon Ruinxen without a second thought.
“With Nephrem vanished, the Holy Kingdom's lot claim Leart himself should be revered as an ancient god. If they learn of your resurrection? They'll leap at the chance, calling for a holy war.”
[Leart? That pathetic trash who couldn't even lift his head before me dares join the ancient gods' ranks...? Ridiculous.]
Kalderet scoffed.
“He's a god backed so fiercely that the entire kingdom, not just the church, worships as devotees. Right now, he's one of the strongest.”
[Let them come. I'll deal with them.]
Krrrng...
Kalderet bared his teeth in a sharp growl.
“Yeah. Exactly what I want. I hope the Holy Kingdom makes as much noise as possible. They'll go wild just sniffing the scent of the void.”
Adel nodded, lightly stroking Kalderet's mane.
“If the beasts' berserk state is the demons' doing, it means the demons are eyeing this world.”
The gods with the greatest power against demons were the sun and pure blood.
“With the Nell Church weakened, we'll need the Holy Kingdom's strength to face the demons.”
[What about your previous life? Did demons appear?]
Adel nodded at Kalderet's question.
“I can't say details, but demons did appear. It took a long time, though. Precursors kept happening in the meantime.”
The cataclysm of beast floods was one such precursor.
“Humans had to choose: ally with demons or fight them.”
[Your reticence suggests it didn't go well.]
Kalderet growled softly.
And rightly so—the god linked to demons was Rune'r, the god of annihilation who fled to the demon realm.
[Demons are nothing. Kill them as they come. But Rune'r reviving on demon power is unwelcome.]
“Same here. Preparing to prevent that is my goal now.”
Adel recalled his previous life's final moments.
Right before unifying the continent and founding the empire, Karon—the comrade and friend he trusted—tried to kill him.
Why? Was it truly fear of his strength?
His power. It was the void, and the one who feared it was clear.
The god of annihilation, Rune'r.
Karon... If you're truly in league with demons, I really can't let you be.
No more petty revenge.
He'd killed all who tried to kill him in his previous life anyway.
Besides, the him then and now were different.
But if demons were already tied to them, that changed everything.
[Demons will turn the continent into a barren land of death. They're the antithesis of creation.]
“I won't let that happen.”
[Leart has strong power, but relying on them alone could be trouble. Gods can't directly interfere in human affairs.]
“Of course. Since ancient times, to fight demons on the ground, there are those besides gods suited for it.”
[Yes. The ardragonkin.]
The three semi-human races inheriting dragon blood.
Adel nodded, gazing at the gauntlet on his arm.
“But first, I hope the Holy Kingdom rises. I just need their king to bite my bait properly.”
He spoke while peering through the corridor window at the Black Spider exiting the building.
“Lord Adel. The Queen Spider summons you. She says the task you ordered has been handled.”
“I'll go soon.”
True to Ruinxen's master, Ralka's work was swift.
There had been a brief uproar over the Black Spider's disappearance, but separately, tracking Mahal seemed perfectly complete.
“Ugh... Uuugh...”
Before even opening the warehouse door where Lu guided him, groans leaked out.
“You've come, contractor of the great one.”
As Adel appeared, Ralka knelt as if she'd been waiting.
Behind her were three: the familiar Galm, and the other two he recognized.
Ruinxen's administrators.
Faye, who ruled the western Dagger Harbor, and Hounds, manager of Widow's Street.
“An honor to meet you.”
“You're devotees of the god of corruption too.”
The two nodded at Adel's words.
“Unlike the Queen Spider, lowly ones like us only receive a low god's blessing.”
As Faye said, their aura of corruption was faint compared to Ralka's.
“Strive harder. Keep handling my orders well, and an ancient god's grace might descend.”
“Th-thank you!!!”
“We'll devote our bodies to it!”
At Adel's words, the two prostrated deeply, faces filled with emotion.
[I have no intention of accepting those kids.]
Just words.
Passing the two, Adel entered the warehouse under Ralka's guidance.
Gazing at Adel's back, Faye and Hounds remained bowed for a while, as if blessed.
“Mahal Arram of Chan Kingdom. Right?”
“Ugh... Uuugh...”
The badly swollen, wretched man lifted his head at Adel's voice.
Impressive. It's really him?
Adel frowned slightly at Mahal's face.
Younger than the face he knew, but definitely him.
The masked killer, Mahal.
But far from the murderer who shook the continent in his previous life.
Perhaps he hadn't yet awakened as one.
Even so, no mercy lingered.
Left alone, he'd slaughter countless brutally.
“Lucky.”
Adel nodded.
“A promising sprout. I can go all out.”