72
Chapter 72
While John struggled with Iroel's condition,
the situation in the western part of the Demon Beast Forest was becoming increasingly threatening.
It was a sort of two-power system. Under the conflict between Dragon King Endros, who was trying to awaken from a long slumber, and King of Humans John, who was already popular in the west, the Beasts of Slumber split into factions and fought.
It wasn't a full-scale war. Dragon King Endros had not yet fully escaped the beast of slumber, and John was preoccupied with Iroel.
However, it was undeniable that implicit factions had formed among the Beasts of Slumber under them. The monsters carefully weighed whether it would be more advantageous to side with the king of the old era or the king of the new generation.
They'd often trade cold glares when meeting opposing monsters on forest paths, or intentionally sabotage the other's hunting grounds. Or they'd subtly trespass into enemy territory, applying silent pressure.
Thus, while the conflict between the Dragon King's forces and the King of Humans' forces intensified,
an incident occurred.
"Woof! Woof woof!"
"Hmm? Scarface, what's wrong?"
"Woof woof!"
"...What?"
An incident that heralded the deepening of the conflict.
"An Orc troop was massacred? By those guys?"
"Woof woof!"
"This...! I've had enough! Aaaaagh!"
One of the Orc troops under John's power had been annihilated by a Griffon from the Dragon King's forces.
John was furious. No matter how much he had neglected them due to his focus on Iroel, the fact that an Orc troop under his command had lost their lives so helplessly was enough to justify his indignation.
"Woof woof woof!"
"I'll pay them back in kind! Grrrr...!"
John immediately searched for the Griffon, who would be resting somewhere in the west. By asking around among the monsters of his own faction, John was able to find the Griffon's hideout sooner than expected.
The Griffon, with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. Naturally, it was a powerhouse that an ordinary human couldn't even stand before, but a mere Griffon could not handle John, who had grown strong under Iroel's care.
On the day John found the Griffon, a monster that had been acting quite arrogant in the Demon Beast Forest died. From then on, the confrontation in the forest reached its peak. It was still not a war, but the two factions wounded each other with retaliation after retaliation.
Naturally, John, the King of Humans, was at the center of such conflict.
Iroel did not view John's actions favorably.
"John, please don't do that."
As usual, Iroel lay in bed, and John gently pressed her slender wrist. His fingers were nearly the same thickness as her wrist.
"Do what?"
"Revenge consumes you from within."
"But I can't just stay still. They think we're pushovers."
"What does it matter if they look down on us a little?"
"...."
"John, I'm asking you. Unless you have the power to overwhelmingly suppress the Dragon King, please do not engage in this conflict. Too much blood will be spilled."
Iroel's voice was quite faded. Whenever he was outside the hut, John would sharpen his nerves in the psychological war with the Dragon King's forces, but once he entered the hut, his heart would ache.
However, no matter how much John lived and died by Iroel's words,
"I can't."
"John..."
"The Orcs died. That's not all. The Trolls' hunting grounds were destroyed by fire magic, and old man Lenin even lost his only grandson."
"But they suffered many losses as well."
"The Dragon King's side started the fight. If I back down now, how can we be compensated for the damage we've taken?"
"Compensated... John, revenge is not something that can be carried out under such a name."
"...My phrasing was a bit odd. Regardless, this is a just retaliation. Since they attacked us first, we must inflict equivalent damage! Only then will the souls of those who died unfairly find peace!"
"Doing so won't make them stop. On the contrary, they'll be driven by malice and attack even more viciously. In the end, only indelible scars will remain."
"Even so, we can't be the only ones to suffer. If they harm others, they should be prepared to be crushed themselves!"
Having already carried out countless 'retributions' in the name of the King of Humans, John could not accept Iroel's dissuasion.
He had already come too far to stop now. He had stained his hands with blood that wouldn't be washed away even by a river. At least, that's what John believed.
"John."
"I said I don't want to."
Or—.
"You..."
"...Iroel, you pushed me away too."
It might have been the childish whims of a young boy who had not yet reached mental maturity.
"...."
Iroel did not accept John's confession of love. Or rather, she couldn't.
John did not understand the reason, and while he loved Iroel, he began to rebel against her words.
A sort of 'tantrum.' The only difference from a common tantrum was that its scale was enough to sway the western part of the Demon Beast Forest. It was a small revenge a boy could enact after being hurt by a rejected heart.
"How long do you think you can keep this up?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"You attack them, they attack you, and then you retaliate again... This is a fight that can only end unfavorably for you, John. Please, stop now."
"Haa... Iroel."
"That is the cycle of revenge. Unless one side gives up completely, the cycle will never stop."
"Then I'll just make the Dragon King give up."
"You're repeating the same thing as before. By the time you achieve that, you will have shed far too much blood. Not just you, but everything around you will be swept away by the Aftermath of Sin."
"...Why does it matter to you what happens to me?"
Squeeze—.
The grip of John's fingers on Iroel's wrist tightened. A faint groan escaped through Iroel's delicate teeth.
"Hng...!"
No matter how angry he was, John never intended to hurt Iroel. Startled, the boy quickly released his grip.
"Ah! I-I'm sorry! Did it hurt... a lot?"
"No... I'm okay... John."
"Ugh... I'm really sorry... I just lost my temper for a moment..."
He hadn't even been that angry. He had just felt a flicker of heat, and a tiny bit of strength had leaked into his fingertips.
Yet, even that small amount of force caused Iroel pain. It was a stark reminder of how frail her body had become.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
"John, come closer."
"Yeah...?"
John kept bowing his head, not knowing what to do. Iroel gazed silently at the young boy, then smiled softly with her eyes and opened her arms. She pulled the boy into a warm embrace.
"My dearest, most lovely baby in the world."
"Why are you being like this..."
"Revenge... are you still not going to stop...?"
"...Yeah."
"I see, I see..."
Iroel's palm stroked the back of John's head. John loved that pleasant feeling.
*****
"Kuaaaaaagh-!!"
"John? John!"
"Those sons of bitches! I'll tear them to pieces!!"
John flung the door of the hut open and stormed inside. He was carrying a corpse in his hand.
Iroel, who was resting inside the hut, asked in a startled tone. John gripped a stone club from inside the hut and answered.
"Those Dragon King bastards! They killed Scarface!!"
"...!"
One could easily guess the rage John harbored from the tremor in his voice. This was no longer within the scope of a mere tantrum.
"They turned him into this!! Those goddamn sons of bitches!!"
John had considered his bond with Scarface to be nothing special.
He had simply been kind because Iroel had introduced them. He thought it was a passing connection that wouldn't matter if it disappeared.
However, affection is a terrifying thing. The bond formed by sharing food every day, occasionally petting a head, and having conversations was immense. Even John hadn't predicted such a violent wave of emotion.
"John..."
"Don't stop me! This time, I'll wipe out those bastards' entire bloodline! So they can never touch us again! I'll annihilate them all!"
John strode forward. Heat shimmered with every step he took. With bloodshot eyes, John headed toward Dragon King Endros's camp.
The frail Saint Iroel could only watch his retreating back. She knew that no matter what she said, John would not hear her now.
She quietly accepted the fate lying before her.
After leaving Scarface's body and the pups in the hut, John grabbed his stone club and headed straight for the forest occupied by the Dragon King's forces. Then, swinging his club, he began to devastate the landscape.
When the Orcs died, John killed the Griffon. He had claimed a price in blood equal to the blood spent.
However, it was different now.
Kieeeeeeek-!
"Oraaaah! Die! All of you, just die!!"
The Dragon King had not yet fully awakened. In other words, there was no creature capable of stopping John.
Kwakwakwakwakwa-!
John's club was practically a destructive tank. Everything that blocked its path had its flesh crushed and bones shattered.
A body rapidly developed through the nature of being the King of Humans and his growth period, and strength that had evolved several times while being healed by Iroel's holy power.
Tom Boar, who had pushed John back only a few months ago, was now nothing more than a beast that tumbled over just by John stomping his foot.
Koooom-!
John kicked off the earth with great force. He poured out the power he had suppressed to avoid shocking Iroel, now in an area where the aftermath would not reach her.
The ground John stepped on sank as if struck by a meteor. Simultaneously, the surrounding land surged upward, the ground twisted, and the earth began to split.
The power John held was on a different level. The monsters fell helplessly. Every now and then, Beasts of Slumber flying in the sky launched breaths at John, but.
Whoooong-!
As John gripped the club in one hand and swung it violently, their breaths became less than a mere breeze. The wind pressure generated by the club became a vortex that dominated the sky. A vortex that ruthlessly tore the wings off the winged monsters.
There were many Beasts of Slumber who thought they were elites, but there was only one peak. John was that peak.
Nothing could stop the rampaging John. The mountain, home to countless Beasts of Slumber, was blown to pieces by John's punches. The way the debris erupted in all directions reminded one of a volcanic eruption.
A massive river crossing the Demon Beast Forest. The river water, which served as the lifeblood for almost all Beasts of Slumber, was filled with blood. The red-stained water was no longer drinkable. Monster corpses floated by, and the bodies on land formed mountains.
This was all the result achieved by King of Humans John alone. Even John himself didn't know. He hadn't realized his power had reached this level.
If the Dragon King had been awake, the result might have been different.
"Kuaaaaagh!"
As John let out the roar of a victor, the terrified Beasts of Slumber abandoned the battlefield and fled. It was a perfect victory.
John felt a secret sense of pride after winning the battle. Just as he told Iroel, he had crushed them so they could never rise again. Now, he would no longer be exhausted by retaliation and would spend the rest of his life comfortably caring for Iroel.
If the Dragon King actually woke up later, conflict would arise again. He decided to think about that problem when the time came. For now, he wanted to enjoy this exaltation and satisfaction.
Above all, he wanted to tell Iroel this happy news immediately.
John ran hurriedly with thumping steps. Toward the hut where Iroel would be lying. Since the revenge for Scarface had been more than enough even by his own standards, no regrets remained.
However, the hut he arrived at with such joyful steps was.
"...Eh?"
Wheeeee-.
Only the traces of something having exploded remained.
To the point where one couldn't even imagine a hut had once stood there.
Along with the 'contents' inside, it had become a handful of ash.
"Iroel."
His thoughts stopped. His reasoning, his brain, and his words ceased to function.
Step, he took one step toward the remains of the explosion. The given situation felt like a dream, not reality.
"Iroel. Iroel. Iroel. Iroel."
Tap, tap, tap, tap! John's pace grew faster. Before he knew it, the boy was running. The 'remnants' in the boy's sight grew larger.
"Iroel!!!"
Thud-!
Finally, arriving right in front of the 'remnants', John fell to his knees.
The 'remnants' painfully lifted their head and gazed at John's face, which was filled with panic.
"John... you came..."
"N-no... this, this isn't right...!"
"Still, being able to see you... is a relief..."
"Why, why! How! How did this happen!"
John embraced the 'remnants' with both arms. It was such a, such a tiny remnant.
Perhaps swept away by the explosion that occurred here, the lower body was gone.
Even the upper body had one arm missing, barely holding onto a breath that was about to snap.
Iroel....
"Aaaaaaaaagh!!"
He let out a scream that sounded like a howl. Within John's shaking vision, a few corpses of massive insects were spotted.
Giant Bomb Beetles.
A type of monster that had sided with the Dragon King. Ones capable of causing massive explosions.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, John's brain instantly processed the reality of what had happened here.
From the very beginning, the Dragon King's monsters had targeted this place. They knew he always stayed here and cherished a frail human being.
They killed Scarface to lure him away, and in the meantime, deployed Giant Bomb Beetles to blow up the hut and the human.
He had been perfectly manipulated.
Even though they, too, had suffered losses bordering on total annihilation.
But what did that matter?
He had lost the most precious thing in the world.
It was all his fault.
"I'm sorry...!"
"John..."
"I should have listened to you, Iroel...! I'm so sorry...!"
Hot tears flowed from John's eyes.
"When you told me not to seek revenge, when you said everything around me would be eaten away, I should have listened...!! I'm so sorry...!"
"It's in the past..."
"But! Look what happened to you...!!"
John tightly hugged Iroel, of whom only the upper body remained. It should have been painful, yet Iroel merely wore a faint smile and embraced John back.
"It's alright."
"Everyone makes mistakes."
"Just use this experience to grow even more, John. You knew that I wouldn't be able to live much longer anyway."
The words Iroel whispered with such care pierced through John's ears.
"Ugh, uuugh...!"
"Do you understand, John...?"
"I... I can't...! Of course, it was my fault for not listening to you, but I will avenge you! Those vermins! I'll kill every last one of them! Everyone involved!"
"John, that's not it."
Iroel's hand moved slowly, reaching for an object that had somehow survived the explosion.
The object was a silver cross.
"You said it yourself—that revenge is for soothing the souls of victims who died unfairly."
"T-that's why I have to avenge you...!"
"No, John, you've already finished all the revenges that needed to be done. Even Scarface's. And I'll tell you clearly right here. If you seek revenge for me, I'll be truly sad."
"...!"
"I will stand at the end of the cycle. Is that enough? I don't want you to avenge me. The way to soothe my soul is for you to stop this revenge and live happily. Happier than anyone in the world. Can you do that?"
Iroel asked softly, wearing a smile of absolute purity and clarity.
Who could possibly refuse the wish of a dying person?
"H-huuuh...!"
"John, please answer me. There's not much time left..."
The ground was hot. Blood, tears, and bodily fluids mingled, staining the earth.
"But... how can I be happy in a world without you!"
"It's okay. Don't worry. Time is the cure for all wounds. A day will come when you forget me, John."
"No! It won't! I'll never forget you! If it seems like I'm forgetting, I'll just kill myself! How could I ever forget you!"
"Thank you for saying that..."
Her breathing grew fainter. Iroel's chest became damp with the tears John shed.
The boy wailed, burying his face in the woman's cleavage.
The woman moved her trembling left hand to stroke the back of the boy's head.
With her right hand, she pressed the silver cross into the boy's large palm.
"John, my dearest, most lovely baby in the world."
"Now, please put an end to this meaningless revenge."
"May you always be happy. May you enjoy simple happiness in a bright field of flowers. May the benevolent Lord's Blessings be with you."
After praying thus,
Iroel closed her eyes, which had remained open by sheer will.
Eternal rest descended upon the woman's body.
Cradling that body in his arms, the young savage boy broke into sobbing heaving breaths.
The sound of crying continued for a long time.