Before the Hero's Comrade: The Desperate Warrior's Pact
Before becoming the comrade of the warrior hero Kail, who dreamed of saving his cursed tribe...
The memories from that time, filled with nothing but desperation and despair, vividly unfolded before his eyes. He had gone to the Harennes Holy Kingdom, which had long allied itself with the Demon King and the Seven Demon Lords. There, he had to kneel and beg for a deal.
In the deepest underground sanctuary of the Harennes Holy Kingdom, where no light penetrated.
There stood the true betrayers, who had thoroughly conspired with demons in the shadows to uphold the kingdom's filthy roots.
The four cardinals bearing the titles of Silver Shadow, Black Blood, Oath, and Annihilation. And supporting them were the Silent Archbishop Karen, the Hypocrite Archbishop Raman, and others, all gazing indifferently down at the massive figure prostrated on the floor.
The great warrior who once commanded the northern continent slammed his forehead against the stone floor.
"I will gladly contribute to the future you desire... to bringing down that fake hero Kail you fear. So please, save our Diben tribe."
Having long discarded his pride and warrior's honor, it was a plea so wretched, so utterly desperate.
As the man, who loomed like a towering mountain, bashed his head against the ground until blood flowed and begged, satisfied smirks curled on the lips of the cardinals standing atop the dais.
"Hmmm..."
Then, the Cardinal of Black Blood approached, dragging his black priestly robes, and gently placed his hand on the broad shoulder of the prostrated Daren.
"God's embrace is always merciful. However, first, you must prove your loyalty."
"I'll do anything."
"For starters, capture all those arrogant royals of the Dire Dion Kingdom who defy the Holy Kingdom's will and build their own forces. If possible, slaughter the kingdom's people as well and offer them as sacrifices to the Lord of Progeny."
The cardinal's grip tightened as he continued.
"He is the one who once filled his power with the flesh of ancient barbarians. If you personally show him proper sincerity, he will surely eradicate even the shallow curse taking root again in your Diben tribe."
"..."
Stunned by the cardinal's shocking command, he could only grit his teeth at first, unable to respond. It was a natural reaction. No matter how much the Diben—and he himself—were the last descendants of those great barbarians, they were essentially no different from ordinary humans. As fellow humans, he couldn't sacrifice innocent people to a demon lord.
But that hesitation lasted only a moment. Having come this far, his path was set. So Daren clenched his teeth until they threatened to shatter and forced out a single word.
"Thank you... for giving me this opportunity."
From that day, human blood—not demon—began to cake the great warrior's hands thickly.
The fall of the Dire Dion Kingdom was merely the beginning.
Even during the perilous journey into the demon realm alongside the hero party and Kail, Daren would slip away alone for a day or two, evading Kail's gaze. To replenish the demon forces dwindling in the blink of an eye and prepare sacrifices for the Lord of Progeny and other lords.
From small mountain villages to nameless bands of wanderers. Those steadfast arms that shielded his party with a massive shield...
By night, they became horrific tools of massacre, crushing innocent civilians' skulls and tearing limbs to feed the demons' maws. Each time screams and the stench of blood overwhelmed his senses, Daren simply closed his eyes and pictured his children's faces. Despite pouring out efforts bordering on frenzy, devouring his humanity in the process... fate mocked him to the end.
The fake hero Kail, leading the party and endlessly growing stronger, was overwhelmingly powerful—even beyond what the Lord of Progeny could handle.
So before the flames of White Purification could consume the lord, Daren planned to persuade him somehow. But the Lord of Progeny, unable to show his back to a mere human—let alone a fake hero—slammed Daren himself into the walls of the Demon King's castle. Then he fought Kail one-on-one and ultimately perished.
"Ah... Aaaah..."
It was the moment the only sure path to lifting his tribe's curse vanished forever.
Before the lord's remains burning white, Daren barely suppressed the impulse to kill Kail right then.
Rage boiled up, urging him to smash the hero's skull with his fist, but instead of unleashing it, he maintained his composure and pressed on. With the Lord of Progeny dead, his last hope was the Holy Kingdom's saintess, who could even purify the Demon King's demonic energy.
'If I fail here, all my efforts so far will be for nothing...'
That night, after the lord's death, Daren secretly sent a message to the Harennes Holy Kingdom, desperately requesting they dispatch the saintess to the Diben tribe.
But the Holy Kingdom's reply was, as always, arrogant and ruthless.
"On the day we crush the thorn in our side, the Failer Empire, and become the continent's undisputed hegemon. Then we shall dispatch the saintess."
A conditional promise. And it became the perfect catalyst, absolving Daren of any need to feel guilt toward Kail.
On the day Kail was exiled to the Tarnas Ice Plains, Daren contributed to his downfall without a shred of hesitation. Guilt was featherlight compared to the weight of his tribe's survival.
It was the same even when the Holy Kingdom's ugly truth was exposed across the continent, sparking a massive war.
To aid Harennes, he ruthlessly crushed and exterminated the northern minority tribes attempting to join the Failer Empire.
When he came to his senses, his massive hands and shield were stained with indelible crimson blood. A butcher who had torn apart more humans than any mid-tier demon legion commander could claim.
The hero party's sturdiest shield had become the Holy Kingdom's sharpest, most vicious sword—rotten to the core—and was marching toward his own end.
"..."
Blinking once brought Daren back to the cruel reality. He kneaded his right leg, numb to all sensation.
Recent intel from informants. He'd already secured details on the Failer Empire and Kail. The man exiled to the ice plains had reemerged. Even Crown Princess Heria Isis Failer of the Failer Empire had joined his party to support him fully.
'I've heard the news, Kail...'
Daren quietly stared south beyond the dark forest, where the imperial army would advance. His shadowed eyes held no guilt, fear, or anger anymore.
"Probably... within a week at latest, we'll meet again."
He murmured so softly even his wife beside him couldn't hear, adding,
"That day will be my end."
"We're almost there, I think."
Gazing out the window toward the northern continent where the Diben tribe dwelled, as the faint outlines of Forta came into view. Raysilla spoke up to break the awkward silence, glancing at Selina, who fiddled with her nails like a criminal with her head bowed, and Adelin, who rolled a ruby-sapphire gem in her palm.
She still didn't know what they had discussed with her brother four days ago. But since then, the two women—already steeped in guilt and self-loathing upon reunion—had barely spoken a word in four days.
And the same went for... Raysilla's only family, Kail.
He too, since that day, only occasionally chatted with Princess Heria Isis Failer about swordsmanship. He spared not a glance for Selina or Adelin Aynis.
The anger of her sole family member, the one she could rely on most in the world. Yes, Raysilla understood that deep, dark emotion better than anyone.
So she could fully accept why he continued to push the two women away, refusing to accept them.
But even so, Raysilla hoped her brother would forgive them, if only a little—for his own sake.
Intense hatred, distrust, and sharp rejection toward others would ultimately gnaw cruelly at him. Watching him wither alone in hatred until his final moments would break her heart too.
'Please, during this journey, regain even a bit of your old self.'
Raysilla gazed quietly at Kail's profile, staring blankly out the opposite window with wistful, sad eyes.
'My head hurts...'
I thought four days would calm it down a bit, but now it's confusing.
This sticky discomfort, growing stronger instead of fading in a corner of my chest as time passed.
Was it because of those two women moping in front of me over the pond incident? Or because of Daren, the worst criminal and betrayer no different from the Harennes Holy Kingdom? I couldn't even tell myself.
Or maybe it wasn't right for my own emotions to spiral this out of control. Mine, yet I can't rein them in.
'...Well, whatever. We'll meet soon enough.'
Facing that guy's mug then would reveal the root of this nauseating feeling—and its consequences.
"Hoo."
I took in the scenery outside and let out a small sigh. The carriage would stop soon.
"Time to prepare to get out..."
That was when I opened my mouth.
Kwaaang—!
Before I could finish, a massive explosion shattered the carriage window right beside me.
Sharp glass shards flew everywhere as a tremendous shockwave engulfed the interior.
A sudden ambush in an instant. But before the fragments could touch anyone,
The despondent Adelin Aynis, head bowed for four days straight, reacted first. The moment the attack began, she instinctively extended her hand, enveloping the entire carriage interior in a transparent, diamond-hard barrier.
Kakang, kang!
Shards and unidentified projectiles bounced harmlessly off the diamond wall. Even with her mind elsewhere, her body reacted first—befitting a grand mage. After confirming Raysilla was unharmed, I thrust my head out through the completely wrecked window frame beyond her shield.
To identify our bold attacker. And the moment I saw the massive silhouette standing firm in the distance, blocking our path,
I froze solid.
"Daren...?"
The great warrior Daren, who always stood only against demons... was blocking our way.