228
Reunion
‘···at las.’
The eldest son couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at the huge flames that filled the space in front of him.
The laughter that started small grew in size and soon reverberated throughout the room.
‘I’m finally dead!’
The first son could instinctively know.
That his brother, the master of the sword, was dead.
Who on earth killed that monster? The first thing that came to mind was the Emperor. No, the hypocrite behind the Emperor. There was no one else.
The eldest son took a deep breath, feeling refreshed for the first time in a long time.
It was a shame that I couldn’t kill him directly, but I let out a deep breath at the freedom I felt for the first time in a long time.
Then, the flames parted and a familiar face appeared.
The crown prince… no, the emperor.
“Long time no see. Jealousy.”
‘It hasn’t stabilized yet.’
The eldest son nodded at the bastard.
It seemed like it had not been long since I had moved.
It was the time when he was at his weakest.
However, the eldest son could not touch him.
That guy must have appeared so confidently because he knew him. He was a guy who valued his life more than anyone else.
‘Even something like that is considered a god.’
The eldest son clicked his tongue and stood up.
He couldn’t kill him, but he had no way to stop himself either, since the sword’s master was dead.
But that doesn’t mean the main body will move.
That was his last resort.
“I brought a gift.”
He spoke in his characteristically sweet voice.
The first eldest son suppressed his thumping heart. It was quite difficult because he was so full of hypocrisy, but he was able to shake it off thanks to the guy’s somewhat weak strength.
The eldest son didn’t answer and just stared at the bastard. His face was expressionless, as if he had no emotions.
He snapped his fingers. Then two knights approached from behind. A foul smell filled the air.
The eldest son sighed without realizing it when he saw what they were holding in their hands.
‘He’s really dead.’
It was the owner of the sword who had become very horribly shaped. Although he had not been dead for long, his corpse had rotted to the point that it gave off a foul smell.
“Yeah, do you like it?”
The eldest son just stared at the bastard quietly.
It was clear what he wanted. He wanted to find a replacement for the sword’s owner.
He never gave up his influence, even though he could not leave the capital.
It was an offer that was hard to refuse, even though I knew it was a swamp.
He was the eldest son who suffered from an inferiority complex towards the master of the sword his entire life. He even gambled his life to receive one more mark for him.
Such deep feelings of inferiority and jealousy did not dissipate even after the sword’s master died.
Rather, I became stronger. Now, I know that no matter what I do, I will never be able to overcome it.
No, there was still one way. If he could make the sword master, who was both transcendent and the strongest, into his own doll-.
‘Then, he wouldn’t be the problem either.’
The eldest son looked at Hyeseon and licked his lips. However, Hyeseon was not stupid. No, he was more clever than anyone else.
“···What are the conditions?”
The eldest son asked, trying hard to hide his excitement.
“No. Would I put any conditions on feeding a human who is no different from my own child?”
He said something out of the blue. There were no conditions. That couldn’t be true. There had to be something.
Humans are no different from their children. What kind of parent would eat their own child to survive? It was absurd, but I couldn’t refuse the bastard’s offer.
“Son, eat as much as you want.”
Although the bastard’s tone was somewhat irritating, the eldest son was already eating his older brother’s corpse.
Suddenly, I remembered what the sword master had said about transcendence, but I couldn’t remember the content.
After eating everything, I was sucking my finger in regret when a rough throbbing came from inside me. My insides were burning as if I had swallowed fire.
The eldest son tried to suppress it by twisting his body, but it was not to the extent that he could handle it.
The flames that had been burning inside him spread throughout his body. The first eldest son croaked in excruciating pain that shook his mind.
“It will hurt quite a bit.”
The bastard’s voice was heard from above. The last thing I saw in my burning vision was still expressionless.
Then, a sharp pain came over him. His transcendence, which he had designed to share the token, was tearing off his arm.
No, I was mistaken.
It wasn’t me who dealt with him until now-.
‘···This guy was waiting for his moment.’
Red blood spurted from the bastard’s quivering skin. The bastard’s face twisted and his mouth gaped open. Those huge fangs slowly drew closer and-.
‘Ah, what is transcendence···.’
The eldest son collapsed in dull regret.
“Come on in. Jealousy.”
As if answering him, a low, heavy breathing sound echoed.
“It doesn’t look good.”
As he said that, a light enveloped the ugly monster.
A brilliant light enveloped her melting, dirty skin like clothing, and ten huge wings sprouted from her back.
What was once a terrible monster was transformed into a warrior descending from the sky.
Hyesun nodded in satisfaction as she looked at him.
I lost my hunting dog unexpectedly, but I just had to make it again.
More powerful and-.
As someone who listens better.
“You are the apostle who will judge those who dare to reveal their teeth to their father.”
The bastard licked Hyeseon’s hand while whining. Hyeseon stroked the white leash around the bastard’s neck.
“The king of demons.”
Hypocrisy laughed at their stupidity.
To believe a story made up lightly like that – he really was human.
Thanks to this, they will be grouped together for easy supply.
“We’ve used a lot of blood, so let’s harvest a lot this time.”
It was certainly time to sort out those numbers.
***
“So like this! Like this! Add some magic!”
“Come on! Come on!”
Kanna, who was standing on Vivian’s shoulder, stabbed with a long sword. I couldn’t understand why Vivian was getting angry as Kanna stabbed with the sword, but since it was Vivian, I just let it go.
Dylan was standing next to him, checking his posture. He was a decent swordsman, so it wasn’t bad.
“No, you have to bend your wrist more there.”
“Hey-. When hitting the back of the head, it’s more effective to hold it like this. The cervical spine is strong-.”
I clicked my tongue and pointed it out. Dylan shook his head in rebuttal. When I thought about it, it made sense. He and I were in different weight classes.
“Me? Me!”
At that moment, Vivian raised her hand and asked. When I looked at her, I saw Vivian was doing something diligently. When I looked closely, I saw that it was swordsmanship.
“······Is what you saw and learned correct?”
“But if you stab them, it will hurt them!”
I opened my mouth for a moment at the stupid answer. If that was the case, then why on earth did you say you were going to learn it?
However, I couldn’t say anything to that bright, smiling face. Well, what good would it do to learn how to kill people?
When I gave her a thumbs up, Vivian ran over with a big smile.
Kanna, who was above Vivian, raised her hand, and behind her, a long layer of ice that resembled me was laid out.
I clicked my tongue and took out the piece. I tried eleven, but it wasn’t enough.
“Sir, did you hear that? It was Kel. Well, it was her daughter.”
Berman said with a smile on his face. I clicked my tongue slightly at that. Kel, who had promised to name it after me, why did it have to be my daughter?
“But I chose Aaron. Come to think of it, isn’t it a name that suits a girl quite well?”
Kel gave a cool smile and gave a thumbs up. Aaron was definitely a common name, and I had seen it a few times for women.
“Yeah, not bad.”
“But Berman, when are you going to have a baby? You live with a woman and you still haven’t heard from me? Are you not good at night shifts? Let me tell you.”
“Shut up, Kel. What do you know?”
Kel and Berman started bickering again. Wayne was there to calm them down. When Wayne showed up, Berman and Kel joined forces to demand the money they had lost in the last dice game.
Brick was drinking beer with Scar and some other married guys next to him. Gorgai toasted that marriage was death.
The pool was on the other side. He was with the kids at the top, and it seemed like he was doing some business or something. When Nova, who was there, made eye contact with me, he rolled up his sleeves and approached me.
Nova’s eyes were wide open and quite large.
“You, be honest. Did you have an accident in the capital?”
“Quick-witted orange-.”
“Don’t beat around the bush! Then I’ll listen to you!”
I hesitated for a moment after hearing Nova’s question. Perhaps, this was the biggest accident I’d ever been in.
“I hit you! I hit you! How come every time I go out-!”
Nova continued to nag for a long time. He picked up the pieces again to the rhythm of his nagging.
“You’re saying you’ll join the rebellion?”
“So tell me. What should I do!”
After pondering the question for a moment, he opened his mouth. He said, “Just keep nagging me. That’s enough.”
“···But who is this person?”
At that moment, Nova pointed to the side. There, Selena was waving her hands with a bright smile. I quickly looked away.
Who are you?
“Abbot Emeritus Aaron, have you missed the service again? No matter how honorable you are, it’s unacceptable for an abbot to not attend the service!”
I let out a small sigh at the voice I heard next to me.
Even so, I was glad that they brought it all the way to Brighton. If it were now, I could have gone to church ten thousand times.
I realized then that I was crazy.
Nod nod.
Joanna nodded repeatedly as if she was right. The cake in her hand looked really delicious.
At that moment, the surroundings melted away in an instant.
I clicked my tongue and picked up the piece as the terrible silence returned.
-Why?
At that moment, Oman spoke for the first time in a long time.
It was a short word, but the bastard’s question was completely conveyed.
I’ve known for a long time that what’s here is a combination of that guy’s karma and mine.
The question would be why, knowing him, you continue to do so.
He thought about it for a moment, but in the first place, this was the only thing he had to do. What’s the use of complaining? He should just get rid of one more thing during that time.
“Okay, let’s tell a funny story.”
It was a long time before he opened his mouth again.
– The place you call the Ancient Kingdom. That is our home.
By then I was pulling out thirty pieces at a time.
– But, we are different from you. We were the beginning, and we were infinite. Until that happened.
By then I was taking out forty at a time, picking up speed.
I tried to find my own meaning in this space filled with nothingness.
He designated fifty of them as historic moments and called everyone together for a banquet.
After talking like that for a while, when they were holding fifty and struggling, Oh-man continued speaking.
– The youngest was weak since he was young. He almost died several times. Maybe it was because of that that his greed was so overwhelming.
I pulled out fifty and raised both hands. I shouted, “Have you seen this?” and “This is a historic moment,” but there was no one around.
It was fortunate that Oman was watching. I was going to show off to him, but I held back because of the size difference. I was thinking of pulling out a thousand at once and then I would be able to pick them up.
The guy’s next words came when I pulled out a hundred at once.
A hundred was such a monumental number that it called together everyone who could remember it.
– At first, we didn’t think much of it. At the time, we were busy planning the world. When we realized it, he had already killed our mother.
What a real brat.
I clicked my tongue and clenched my fists. A hundred pieces were like a mountain. Maybe I was overdoing it. The weight was extremely heavy.
However, I couldn’t back down because there were so many people gathered. Everyone was cheering loudly.
After struggling for a while, the pieces slowly began to move. I finally managed to pull out a hundred pieces at once.
They held him up and cheered, but there was no one around.
Except for the eyes of arrogance as huge as planets-.
I clicked my tongue slightly and took the next step. If I pulled out a thousand, it would be different.
– The bastard didn’t just kill his mother, he turned her around and used her as a weapon. If she died, we should have disappeared too, but he blocked her with his mother’s corpse. I think it was purely for his own benefit.
By then I was pulling out two hundred at a time. It was a monumental number, but I didn’t make a fuss about it.
This is basic organization. I just patted myself on the shoulder.
– When I noticed, most of them had already joined the guy. They suddenly said they were gods. All they did was stop them from coming up from below…
The empty laughter of the arrogant man shook the space. I told him to smile carefully. The man narrowed his eyes at that. It was a solar eclipse.
– But that was something only a mother could do. She couldn’t imitate him by turning her mask inside out.
I pulled out five hundred and raised both hands. A man of five hundred! The sound of his tongue clicking resonated through the world, but it didn’t matter. Rather, I felt quite happy. At least the fact that someone was looking out for him-.
– Eternity soon turned into a curse. We decayed and rotted away. Yes, as you said, we became devils.
By that time I was challenging the thousand. It was truly a historic moment.
After finishing the warm-up, I shouted out my challenge amidst everyone’s cheers.
I grabbed him and pushed with all my might. Thud – I even added a sound effect with my mouth on purpose. After pulling him out lightly, I raised both hands and shouted success.
Everyone was cheering and rejoicing together, but there was an eerie silence.
– We, who became demons, needed the lives of others to survive.
By then I was challenging two thousand.
Now I was as big as his toes. The yellow eyes in his toes blinked. We had a staring contest, but I lost.
– In the end, that hypocrite put everyone under him. He was the youngest and at the bottom, so he was good at scheming. He was a mean kid.
That’s great praise. I muttered as I caught five thousand.
Five thousand! I raised both hands and cheered loudly. I invited everyone and held a banquet. I couldn’t resist Dylan’s request and followed him, shaking my butt.
– Some people couldn’t stand him and scattered on their own. What you call magic is the trace of that child.
‘Five thousand.’
I was about to hit a hump. I must have overdone it a bit, because it was quite heavy. I regained my composure and shook my hands.
It was quite heavy, so I had to change positions several times. Hendricks, the captain, and Gorgai were there with me, giving me various training. I straightened my back while listening to their cheers.
Oman’s huge eyes stared intently. I looked up at him and raised the corners of my mouth.
I twisted my waist and groaned, and a huge pressure gradually approached me. In response, the corners of my mouth rose even higher.
After wrestling with it for a long time-.
“Bam!”
I made a sound effect with my mouth and shook my palm. I grew taller. It was a growth period.
– That’s amazing.
I smiled faintly at his honest and unvarnished review and moved on to the next one.
“Don’t tell me boring stories. Tell me about your first love or something like that.”
Arrogance coughed loudly at my reprimand. It was so loud it sounded like the world was ending.
The guy who had been quiet for a while slowly opened his mouth.
– ······does not exist.
“devil.”
The guy threw a fit and got really angry, but I just ignored him and moved on.
How much time has passed like that?
The moment I finally pulled out ten thousand -.
What had felt like an endless infinity felt finite for the first time. I sat down and burst out laughing.
It was still a despair with no end in sight, but now I knew.
That everything has an end.
I shook my hands and took the next step.
***
“How dare you mock us, Baron. I didn’t see it that way, but it’s worse than I thought.”
“I said in the first place that it was sinister to build such a large wall and to lower taxes alone.”
Pulpouts turned a deaf ear to the nobles’ scolding remarks.
Their nagging wasn’t particularly threatening.
The most important one was the second son of Count Bechardt, who sat in the middle.
Although he had not yet been appointed by the Emperor, it was already a done deal, since the other two had gone missing.
Even the eldest son, who had a solid foundation, and the third son, who was said to have a good personality, eventually collapsed in front of the second son, who had prepared the most.
At that moment, the guy slowly opened his mouth. The other nobles who had been noisy became quiet. He was more resourceful than I thought.
‘Not good.’
Pulpouts exhaled softly.
“I don’t think Baron Fullfoot is that kind of person. There must have been some mistake.”
Contrary to what he said, the bastard’s eyes flashed like a snake’s. Pulpouts sipped his wine without answering.
“If that’s not it and you really wanted to tie us up and keep us down-”
The guy trailed off. Pulpouts snorted at the ridiculous threat. No matter what, he hadn’t been sitting down for long.
However, it was clear that it was still a threat.
Cassadic did not have the strength to launch a siege against them all.
Right now, it’s possible because they’re wary of each other, but if that guy gains more control…
At that moment, the door opened and Nova came in. It would be rude to enter the noble council without permission, but since it was Nova, I was curious.
There was a small commotion among the nobles, but Nova paid him no heed and approached Pulpouts. She was a remarkable woman.
“What is it?”
“Vivian is back.”
Pulpouts jumped up from his seat. He was a father before he was a lord, so he couldn’t stay still.
“······With the people of the church.”
Nova said, slightly raising the corners of her lips.
Pulpouts’ eyes grew even wider. If Nova was talking like that, then he must have enough troops to overcome the current situation.
‘···As expected, it’s Aaron.’
It seemed that troops had been sent just in time. Only then was Pulpouts able to breathe comfortably.
“Oh, Vivian Youngae, isn’t she the woman famous for being the flower of the East? I wonder.”
At that moment, the second Behart spoke insolently. Pulpouts’s brow furrowed at the lustful look in his eyes.
The other nobles also joined in. Only Viscount Bonita quietly crossed his legs in the opposite direction.
Nova nodded as his eyes met Pulpouts’. Pulpouts didn’t know why, but he trusted Nova’s judgment.
“In the end, the members of the church also said they wanted to see the lord.”
As I nodded, the door opened wide. It seemed as if Nova had prepared it in advance.
“father!!”
Pullputs forgot the situation and ran towards Vivian, who was running towards him with a bright smile. Pullputs hurriedly looked at Vivian.
His complexion was better than before. There were no shadows on his face.
“···I feel completely better.”
Vivian nodded and smiled brightly, and Pulptu’s eyes filled with tears.
However, I tried to hold back my tears, thinking of the nobles next to me. Tears are a sign of weakness.
At that moment, strange men came in through the open door.
After hearing Nova’s explanation, it was clear that they were people from the church. But the reason why Pulpouts described them as strange people was-.
“No matter how dark it is, the light will shine again. Faith, belief-.”
It was because their eyes were so sharp. Like the monks of the Catholic Church after the arrival of the Abbot of Brighton.
No, it was more than that.
Moreover, the presence they gave off was extraordinary.
The armor wasn’t particularly good. No, it was more like poor armor. But it still gave off a more oppressive vibe than a heavily armed knight.
Now that he had developed a keen eye for it, Fullfoot could recognize him a little. The noble knights also stepped back slightly.
A familiar face appeared between them. It was the woman who had previously been called a Templar.
‘···Johelia Temple Knight? Why is a Temple Knight here? And the attire···.’
The furrow between Pulpouts’ eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the clothes that looked like they were completely ruined. Some of them moved in a similar way to the Johelia Temple Knights.
They came in naturally and surrounded the room. It was as if they were surrounding him, so Pulpouts swallowed without realizing it.
The nobles looked for the knights in confusion. The knights tried to step forward, but were quickly pushed back by their momentum.
Let’s go around the room like that-.
“Everyone is gathered here. That’s good, since it’s time for evening prayer.”
Brighton came in, his beard thick and his voice more upright than before.
The gazes of those surrounding him became much more intense. The nobles nodded their heads in excitement at the pressure.
Fullfoot felt that those surrounding him were very similar to Brighton. Fullfoot was speechless as if he was surrounded by many Brightons.
···What is this situation?
The situation was a bit strange, but I had been in contact with Brighton before, so it was clear that it would help.
‘Still, this is enough to suppress it.’
It felt a little strange, but I thought I could somehow manage the situation.
No, it felt like it was already being adjusted. Several nobles were already reading the Bible.
Considering all the previous good lucks, this was pretty good.
‘···It turned out that my worries were for nothing.’
Fullfoot, who had been feeling relieved, opened the Bible at Brighton’s suggestion.
Fullfoot felt that Brighton’s eyes looking at him were unusually stern.
For some reason, Vivian kept looking at Fullfoot and smiling brightly.
That’s what Vivian did when she did something wrong.
I felt strangely uneasy, but what could that good kid do wrong? It must have been a minor mistake.
······Probably so.
***
“Oh my… Thank you so much! How can I repay this favor-.”
An old man in shabby clothes kept bowing his head to the knight in shabby armor.
“I just did what I had to do. It’s okay.”
The knight was rather embarrassed and said it was okay, but the old man put Cooper in the knight’s hand before he backed off.
“······I told you it’s okay.”
“What’s okay about that! We’ve run out of money! Why are you refusing it! After all the trouble we’ve caused!”
His squire snatched the cooper from the knight’s hand with a shout.
The knight chuckled, knowing that the man who said that had kept his mouth shut when the man was there earlier.
“I didn’t get the money, but I got justice!”
“Oh my. Does justice feed you? Your stomach is stuck to your back! It’s stuck!”
The knight laughed loudly. Then the pouting seed also started to laugh quietly along.
“Did you see that kid say thank you? How cute-.”
The knight nodded vigorously at the seed’s muttering. This time, he rescued the child who had been kidnapped by the demon. It took quite a while because they were clever and there were many of them.
‘It’s something that should have been done in the empire…’
The knight clicked his tongue slightly. There were knights led by nobles, but there were knights capable of dealing with demons in the imperial court.
Since the taxes paid to the imperial family were high and the number of knights they could have was limited, when such a big devil appeared, the nobles in the frontier region had no recourse.
It is said that he requested this from the empire several times, but received no response.
‘There’s something strange about the Empire.’
I was sure that there was something seriously wrong with this article, as it had been around for quite some time.
“Why don’t you take this opportunity to offer me the offer?”
The knight shook his head at the seed’s subtle question. The knight, who had quite a reputation, received many different offers.
Among them were some high-ranking nobles, but the knight refused all their offers.
I had already made an oath.
“Where should we go next?”
I thought it was time to go back, but there were still many places that needed his help.
“I heard that if you go down a little further, there is an imperial official who imposes excessive taxes. He is very annoying-.”
The servant grumbled but knew his next destination. The knight laughed loudly at that.
At that moment, something became noisy somewhere.
The knight turned his head and scratched his cheek. Even though I was seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it.
The vast grassland that had been empty just a moment ago was now filled with people. Even the knight who had traveled all over the continent had never seen such a sight.
It was literally packed with people, with no room to even set foot. I don’t know if it would be possible to see this in the capital, but I never thought I’d see something like this in the east.
Seeing the knight’s gaze, the seed quickly ran towards him. It seemed as if he was trying to figure out the situation.
The knight stretched his tired body in preparation for any unexpected situation.
A little later the seed returned, its face looking strange.
“The······ capital of the empire has fallen.”
The article made the reporter gasp at the shocking news.
Then suddenly, I remembered the rumor that there would be a rebellion at the coronation. I wondered if the rebellion would be successful.
“The master of the sword was killed by the king of demons, and that king of demons is riding in that carriage. That procession is following that king of demons.”
“······King of Demons?”
The knight muttered and readjusted his sword.
“Wait a minute! What are you trying to do?”
“I said he’s the king of demons. We have to deal with him. We have to save those possessed people.”
The knight checked his physical condition. He was tired, but it didn’t matter. He had never fought in perfect condition in the first place.
“No, I’m not possessed! I’m just a group of people who believed in the prophecy!”
The seed blocked the knight’s path. The knight hesitated for a moment.
There were quite a few who harbored resentment towards the Empire. Even the knights were hesitant to attend the coronation ceremony.
No matter what, the name King of Demons bothered me.
“I have to check it myself.”
The seed let out a soft sigh at the knight’s firm voice.
You’re going to rush into that endless line alone?
It was clear that he was crazy, but that uncompromising attitude was also the reason why people followed him. It was also the reason why people followed him.
The knights who had scattered along with the remnants of the devil also returned just in time. The servant nodded after looking at them.
“Okay, I’ll do the talking instead.”
“thanks.”
As they approached the procession, men who appeared to be mercenaries stood in front of them, brandishing swords.
It didn’t seem like they were gathered simply out of resentment toward the empire. They might have just gathered more people because they were crowded together.
Plus, the word legend has always attracted people.
“Who are you?”
The mercenary’s expression changed as he looked at the knights standing behind the squire. His tone of speech was also unusually polite.
The servant took a stance and looked around the procession.
It was the seed’s favorite moment.
“······This is the person!!”
When I shouted loudly, everyone’s attention was drawn to me.
The seed pondered him for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“The people’s sword!! It’s Sir Ben!!”
The seed shouted so loudly that his throat almost burst.
“Sword of the people!!”
As expected, there was a violent reaction.
Knight Ben lowered his helmet and covered his burning face.
On the contrary, the hand holding the sword handle became stronger.
The king of demons-.
Since I knew that not all demons are evil, I would see for myself and judge for myself.
If you are wrong, I will not forgive you.
