Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Lidocaine's Children
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Lidocaine's Children.
A devil-worshipping group that had been operating out of the eastern region for about ten years.
The ignorant Empire viewed us as perverse beings, but the Children, united by their faith in the great Duke of Hell, Lidocaine, did not yield.
Of course, faith alone couldn't sustain an organization. Over the years, Lidocaine's Children had taken on various shadowy tasks for the Empire.
Though the Arnecian Plan, into which they had invested considerable resources just a few months ago, had failed, the organization remained steadfast.
We had faith. When the end times came, the Lord of Hell would save us.
That was what they believed.
"All of you, everyone!! Take up your weapons!! Lidocaine is watching over us!!"
"Enemies are swarming from all entrances! It seems our location has been exposed!!"
"Lidocaine, protect us!!"
"This is punishment! It's because we haven't offered sacrifices for months!!"
A subjugation force composed of mages, knights, and mercenaries raided their hideout. Though few in number, each one was a highly skilled individual.
"Haa, haa… These guys aren't just fanatics?"
"They're better trained than expected. If these bastards had erupted later, just imagining it is horrifying."
Even the subjugation force, which had anticipated an easy hunt, changed their minds as the battle dragged on. As Damian had said, the resistance was fierce.
Still, the outcome didn't change. The mercenaries and knights herded the devil worshippers into a corner, and then flames, lightning, and storms crushed them.
"That one's it!! That's Damian Renekht!"
"The one who killed Priest Kellin at Arnecian Lake. We have to kill that bastard at least!!"
But without a doubt, Damian racked up the overwhelming achievements.
Devil worshippers burned by Hellfire and pierced by Stone Scales didn't even leave proper corpses behind.
He granted them death with the very power of Hell they so desired.
"What's wrong, Agnes? Is something the matter?"
"N-No, Sir Damian."
Agnes moved alongside Damian. She guarded his side, intercepting those who burst through green flames and strange rocks.
"…"
She had known of Damian's skills for some time. Honestly, no one had observed his battles up close as much as Agnes had.
But Damian, calmly continuing the fight amid the enemies' screams, somehow felt unfamiliar.
She didn't remember the feast clearly due to heavy drinking, but even in the mental world, he had seemed quite accustomed to such situations.
'It's not just familiarity with battle.'
He seemed even more accustomed to something far more brutal, like war itself.
Agnes knew nothing of war. Her knowledge was based only on the horrific stories her father had told her as a child.
Perhaps because of that, Damian felt distant to her today.
They were clearly standing in the same time and place. Yet it felt like an invisible glass wall stood between them.
A face hailed as the Empire's greatest beauty. Even Agnes, who paid little attention to appearances, couldn't deny Damian's allure.
Today, that face carried a hint of melancholy.
* * *
Lidocaine's Children vanished into the dustbin of history. There were no prisoners. No one surrendered, and those captured took their own lives.
To protect their faith in a nonexistent devil. Such madness no longer elicited even a scoff.
"Ugh!! Urk!!"
"These human scum bastards…"
The subjugation force's work wasn't over. They had to secure the items the cultists had stored in the hideout and recover the victims.
A massive altar stained with blood. Scattered atop and around it were countless corpses, regardless of age or gender.
The mysterious disappearances in the east over the years. Here lay the truth.
"S-Sir Damian, there's no need for you to do this yourself!"
Though Agnes tried to stop him, Damian personally sorted the victims' bodies.
'Back then, I couldn't do it for them.'
In his previous regression, when Damian had come here, he had no leeway.
Having to face Lidocaine's Children alone, he had no time to tend to them.
All he could manage was cremating them with Hellfire.
This time would be different. Not all, but he would return them to their families' arms.
"Sir Damian!"
Agnes drew her sword and shouted. One worshipper remained hidden among the corpses.
The subjugation force had searched every inch, and Damian had scanned the entire hideout with black magic—Observation.
Yet he had concealed his presence, undoubtedly using some magical artifact.
"Die!!"
He was already gravely wounded. Mutual destruction with Damian was his only remaining goal.
Crack. But it didn't happen.
Damian's sword pierced the man's heart, and the last of Lidocaine's Children breathed his final breath.
He saw no need to use black magic unnecessarily. He didn't want to damage the surrounding corpses further.
With that, the first subjugation ended. Emerging outside once more, a long sunset stretched across the sky.
The battle, begun the previous night, had lasted nearly a full day.
The subjugation force returned to the forward base camp. Tomorrow would be for rest and scouting only, with the second subjugation the day after.
"May we join you?"
Late in the evening, Anton and Lien approached the spot where Damian and Agnes sat.
"Of course."
"I thought nobles disliked mingling with commoners. This is unexpected."
Lien tilted her head as she spoke.
It wasn't wrong.
In fact, Boris, Erewin, and Rubia ate dinner separately in their own tents. Naturally, with their personal chefs.
Damian didn't have a separate chef. Meals at the annex were handled by Anna, and at the magic tower, he ate Dillon's food.
Neither Damian nor Agnes were picky eaters. In fact, during campaigns, simple meals were preferable. It kept them alert.
'It also makes for a good excuse.'
Erewin had naturally invited Damian to join her, as expected.
But he declined for the reasons above. She didn't press, mindful of Agnes and Rubia.
"By the way, that swordsmanship you showed at the very end…"
Anton leaned in and asked in a low voice.
"It was the Iron Wolf's, wasn't it?"
"You figured it out from just that fleeting moment?"
He answered the question with another, but it was as good as an admission. There was no point hiding it from these two anyway.
"Keh heh heh. That old man's sword is so distinctive."
"He must have passed down a lifetime of honed swordsmanship to his successor. I wonder where he's recuperating comfortably now?"
He couldn't reveal the exact location, but he nodded in response.
"Heh heh heh. As I thought, my guess was right. I could smell one of our own on you, Sir Damian."
This was due to the Iron Wolf's influence, as well as what he'd received from the red bear before him.
Amid food and drinks, various stories flowed. From the red bear's tales of valor to the experiences of Damian and Agnes.
"I never imagined those were the true culprits behind the Arnecian incident."
"I was shocked too. It was a huge mistake to think they were just a fanatic group."
"The tales of your exploits there are spreading wildly among the mercenaries."
Perhaps due to the fierce battle they'd shared, familiarity grew quickly between them.
"You mentioned owing a debt to the Clarent family. Care to share?"
When Agnes broached the topic, the two faces darkened rapidly.
"You know of mana sclerosis, right?"
All living beings have mana flowing through them. It's essential for sustaining life, even without using it.
Mana sclerosis is a disease where the mana in the body gradually hardens. No proper treatment has been found to date.
It typically manifests in childhood, and victims rarely survive past five.
But Anton and Lien's child was still alive. They spent most days in bed but could still converse with family.
"Thanks to Lady Rubia."
The Clarents had long researched rare mana-related diseases. Anton and Lien had taken their child there too.
But the mages and healers there couldn't even diagnose the illness properly.
-May I take a look?
That was when young Rubia approached. Not only did she accurately diagnose the disease, but she also found a way to delay it as much as possible.
It was a monumental discovery. Mana sclerosis was rare to begin with, and since patients died young, no proper treatments had been researched.
Rubia achieved it. Her fame as the wielder of purple brain lightning soared even higher.
"I see…"
"Yes, we owe the Clarents and Lady Rubia a great debt. We don't know if our child will be fully cured, but we will repay it no matter what."
Lien's eyes even glistened with tears. Seeing this, Agnes's face filled with confusion.
The Rubia she'd met at the last welcoming banquet was a villain tormenting Damian. Yet to Anton and Lien, she was an unparalleled benefactor.
Were humans such contradictory beings? She couldn't help but wonder.
'…Listening to this is making me uncomfortable too.'
But Damian felt no such confusion. He knew the full truth of the matter.
'To begin with, it wasn't mana sclerosis.'
To be precise, Anton and Lien's child had a unique constitution. Rubia simply wanted to use it for her research.
So she gave a false diagnosis and induced symptoms similar to mana sclerosis. The red bear couple remained oblivious, viewing Rubia as their lifelong benefactor.
This connection persisted even into the civil war. Though renowned as top mercenaries, they fought in the war to decide the next emperor as Rubia's vassals.
-You must be Sir Damian. Looking forward to working with you.
-For the victory of Lady Rubia and Sir Michael.
They fit the guerrilla unit's criteria perfectly. With their child's life in Rubia's hands, betrayal was unthinkable.
They weren't as cheerful back then, but in fierce battles, they were outstanding warriors and Damian's advisors.
Beyond personal combat, he'd learned strategy, tactics, and optimal personnel placement from them.
Yet Damian hadn't repaid that help at the time. No, he chose not to.
-Well, that's how it turned out. Does it matter that much? Their child is still fine. Once the civil war ends, they'll return to their family, so don't worry too much.
Damian had stumbled upon the truth by chance while sorting documents.
In hindsight, Rubia must have deliberately let him find out. She enjoyed watching him suffer.
He couldn't bring himself to tell them. He couldn't predict what problems might arise afterward.
The civil war would end in victory for the reformists anyway. As long as he kept quiet, no issues would emerge.
'It was a vain hope.'
The result was betrayal. The red bear couple ended up decapitated alongside Damian in the square. Their child likely met no good end either.
"It was a good time. Let's give our all on the battlefield tomorrow too."
Damian said that and rose from his seat. Agnes followed.
"Sir Damian, is something bothering you? Your face looks stiff."
"Just… some old memories."
Agnes could only tilt her head. She couldn't guess what past Damian was recalling.
'What needs to be done is the same.'
He wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the past.
This time, he would tell them the truth.
And they would seek revenge together.