205
Declaration of candidacy
“That kid… doesn’t he look like a stone-thrower? His mask is weird too. The way he sets the mood is also like that….”
The very angry weasel kept grumbling.
The weasel’s slitted eyes became sharper, filled with discontent.
It seemed like what he heard from the so-called prophet was quite irritating.
‘It seems like he’s a wizard, but…’
I scratched the ball and thought of the bastard.
From what he had shown at the Brothers’ Meeting, he must have been a strong man, but given that he was unarmed and did not give off a sweet scent, he was most likely a wizard.
‘You came to see me… What is your purpose?’
I took a sip of the water bottle. It contained water mixed with fruit juice, not alcohol.
There was no way the bastard was a street vendor prophet, so he must have been waiting for me.
Despite all that effort, the conversation didn’t have much substance.
The weasel that had been grumbling for a long time tilted its head up and stared at me.
“But what did you ask, brother?”
The weasel’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.
“weather.”
“······Huh? You mean the weather?”
“Yeah, they said it was going to rain.”
I muttered while looking out the window.
The sky was clear enough to see something even though it was dark after the sun had set.
There wasn’t even the slightest sign of rain.
The weasel, whose eyes had been wide open for a moment, nodded his head vigorously.
“That’s a total idiot! The sky is so clear, why is it raining? And it doesn’t rain in the capital! Hehehe-!”
The weasel grinned and made a goblin-like noise. I clicked my tongue at the stupidity of it.
As the weasel said, there was little rain in the capital.
But it’s supposed to rain heavily-.
‘That’s ridiculous.’
The prophecy wasn’t important in the first place.
I wondered why he had come looking for me, and all I could find was that strangely burdensome look in his eyes and that familiar voice.
‘I don’t think he was from my brother’s side.’
When he first appeared, it was clear that he was not a brother figure, considering that everyone except the eldest one showed antipathy towards him.
“You little bastard-.”
Then the weasel started to wiggle its butt and sing a strange song.
As I watched that foolish sight, I couldn’t help but laugh. For a while, the guy hummed a strange tune that went, ‘There’s nothing he can’t do.’
“Do you want to avoid me like that?”
Then, when I asked, the weasel laughed awkwardly.
“That wasn’t you, hyung… Ah! It was about Kel! Kel!”
I shook my fist at the guy who was trying to evade me, and he closed his mouth with a stinging face.
As I was smiling at him, the guy who had caught my eye cautiously opened his mouth.
“···I mean, I think you’ll get rid of everything one day. I have that feeling.”
Suddenly, the weasel started muttering with a serious face.
He was so serious, he sounded like a prophet.
He smiled faintly at him, and the weasel grinned back.
“If I ignore that kind of brother, wouldn’t I be leaving everything behind?”
The eyes of the weasel who spoke like that twinkled in a way that did not suit him.
It was like the eyes of a child who was confident that he would become a knight. I coughed and laughed in disbelief at the innocent eyes that did not match the guy.
‘He’s really an amazing kid.’
If I hit you, no matter how stubborn you are, you’ll give up after two attempts. But even though the weasel had been hit quite a few times, it still thought about getting rid of me.
“······Just kidding! Just kidding! How could I possibly ignore you, big brother! Didn’t I promise to help you all the way to hell! Hehe-.”
The weasel, who had been watching my reaction, hurriedly changed the subject.
When I laughed at that, the weasel awkwardly laughed along.
[Aaron, you snore weakly.]
After a brief moment of that subtle laughter, an old voice came to mind.
“Watch for me to snore.”
As I spoke while putting away the water bottle I had just finished drinking from, the bastard’s eyes widened.
At that moment, a subtle sensation came from the ring on my finger.
“Then I’ll go to bed, so stand guard.”
I patted Dylan on the shoulder and got up.
“When you snore… When you snore….”
I laughed again at the guy mumbling behind me as if he was reciting it.
***
‘It’s clearer than before. Is it because the distance is closer?’
I locked the door tightly and pressed the ring, and my view changed.
I looked around and waved my hands.
It was a space with nothing.
I couldn’t feel anything, including touch.
‘It’s not that the entity has moved, but it’s simply an illusion.’
He muttered, caressing the mask on his face.
Even though we know each other’s identities, we still wear masks…
It was a useless effort.
“You came.”
The man wearing the black mask muttered softly. Judging from his stiff voice and upright posture, he was clearly one of the five elders.
“Are you still upset?”
“What the heck are you talking about… You didn’t forget what I said, did you?”
When I threw in a joke, the five elders answered with a serious look on their faces.
‘The King of Demons···.’
The five eldest sons asked me to act, but I had no intention of ending it there.
The brothers had a significant role to play in what would happen in the future. So I couldn’t just leave their inadequate attitude alone.
There was a need to hold on tight.
However, I nodded lightly because if I spoke now, the five elders would nag me again.
“I’ll make the first move···.”
As the five elders were recounting the shallow tricks they had used so many times, someone appeared with a swaying sound.
“I guess everyone is free?”
It was the second eldest son who had a strangely sharp point. The three hundred eyes visible through the white mask glared at me.
‘It looks like we might face some difficulties.’
I sighed softly at her attitude. It seemed like she hadn’t hit me as hard.
Starting with him, the surroundings were in turmoil.
“······.”
The fourth child was clearly the eldest, but unlike before, he was quiet.
finally-.
“Everyone is here.”
The first bastard, not the eldest son, appeared.
The first one who appeared with a bang was strangely turning his gaze away from me.
“Isn’t the eldest son coming? He must have mentioned the importance.”
The five eldest sons immediately shot back.
“I told you he’s dead. If he doesn’t show up even in this situation, then he’s definitely dead. Tsk.”
The second eldest son grumbled-.
“It’s meaningless. I’ll get out too.”
When the fourth eldest son was thinking of running away.
The space behind the first guy rippled greatly.
It was such a dazzling shimmer that it almost felt like the surrounding darkness was gathering.
Then, a heavy presence is revealed-.
The noisy guys shut their mouths.
As the clump of smoke parted, a small man appeared.
It was a physique that did not match the flashy appearance of a man who had gained considerable weight. The man’s face was not visible even though he was not wearing a mask.
The first one made a flashy entrance and quickly knelt down, and judging by the reactions of the others, it seemed like he was the eldest son.
‘The eldest son said he wouldn’t come.’
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the five eldest sons.
The eldest son, who appeared in a cool manner, looked around lightly as if looking down.
Then, the elders took a step back one by one due to the strange atmosphere.
Soon, his gaze was fixed on me.
An indescribable presence and atmosphere oppressed me.
‘Taking the initiative… Childishly.’
Judging from the reactions of the people around him, it seemed like it went down well with the other brothers.
This was the third.
“The latecomer is stiff.”
The third was direct.
As I spoke roughly, everyone’s gaze turned to me.
Although their faces were all covered by masks, it seemed as if they had astonished faces visible through them.
The pupils of the eyes visible through the actual masks were also large.
The best of them was the fifth eldest. Looking at his shaking pupils, he seemed to have an expression like a beaver whose house had collapsed.
I looked at the guy and gave him a thumbs up.
Ugh···.
Then the five elders made a gasping sound.
***
‘crazy······.’
The fourth eldest son opened his mouth wide.
I looked around, wondering if I had misheard, but everyone was speechless. It seemed like I had heard correctly.
Who is the firstborn?
Among them, he was the one who reigned like a king for a long time.
How dare you say such harsh words to the eldest son…
‘Even if this is the third······.’
The fourth swallowed his saliva, observing the atmosphere.
There was a long silence in the frozen atmosphere as the remark went out of its way.
Among them, the third one stood proudly.
It seemed as if he had no idea what he had just said.
The fourth bit his lip, thinking about the commotion that would occur next.
However, the silence lasted longer than expected.
‘······Balhar Khan is quiet.’
The cause was Balhar Khan.
It was an insulting remark to the eldest son, but surprisingly, the blind Balhar Khan remained silent.
Far from being angry, Balhar Khan simply lowered his head.
“Ahahahahahaha!!!”
At that moment, the second child’s loud laughter filled the space.
The second eldest son laughed wildly, his whole body shaking. He kept laughing as if he was bursting out of a long-held laugh.
“That’s right. That guy’s annoying habit has been known for a long time. Ahaha! He’s my little brother after all!”
The second one laughed, putting his arm around the third one’s shoulder.
The fourth’s eyes narrowed as he saw him.
‘···Second eldest son?’
Clearly, it was the second one who was running wild.
The second one is behaving so friendly with the third one…
The fourth head became complicated.
At that time, the five eldest sons moved towards the third.
Then the weight tilted towards the third side.
The weight that had always been on the first side suddenly tilted to the opposite side.
‘···The third is thinking of rebelling. The second and fifth are thinking of following him.’
The fourth’s eyes grew wide at the conclusion he had just reached.
Thirdly, he was originally known for committing acts without thinking of the consequences, so it was natural for him to participate in the rebellion during the coronation.
The five eldest sons also maintained a hard-line stance from the beginning.
‘The second is the Grand Duke’s noble alliance. This time, the rumors of bad timing overlapped with the pressure…’
The situation of the Order was similar to that of the Noble Alliance due to rumors that the Knights of the Temple were attacking the Imperial Knights.
However, the fourth knew through the eldest son that even if the imperial family pressured the religious order, they would control the degree unlike the noble union.
When that’s over, the fourth’s status will rise.
That’s why this trend was not welcome.
“hmm.”
The first son’s soft, sobbing voice was heard low.
The atmosphere changed in an instant, as if the weight was being pulled back again.
A rapidly expanding presence.
The fourth one was shaken by the pressure.
‘As expected, the eldest son······.’
The fourth one hurriedly bowed his head.
He was the eldest son who had reigned over them from before.
He was of a different class from other elders.
“I’m sorry I’m late. My brother came to visit me.”
The atmosphere became unsettled by the following words.
The eldest son apologized – it was unprecedented.
‘···There’s something.’
The fourth one hurriedly rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t see their faces because they were all wearing masks.
There was definitely something going on. The eldest son had never done anything like bringing an apple to his mouth…
“It’s okay. I might be late.”
At that moment, the third one nodded heartily.
The third one nodded without thinking, but strangely enough, the third one accepted the first one’s apology.
The center has tilted subtly towards the third side again.
The eldest son brushed him aside and walked forward.
“Everyone, sit down.”
Before we knew it, there was a round table and chairs in the center.
The eldest son sat first, followed by the second, third, and fifth sons on the other side.
The fourth one sat in the middle after observing the atmosphere.
The fourth eldest son, who was not happy with the current situation, spoke first.
“Rumors of a rebellion at the coronation have spread to the ends of the continent. What do you plan to do?”
The fourth eldest son looked at the fifth eldest son and asked him, thinking of changing the flow.
It was clear that the five eldest sons were the ones who spread that rumor.
The other eldest sons adapted, but only the fifth eldest son was unable to give up his great undertaking.
If any of them had done such a thing, it was most likely one of the five eldest sons.
“The time for great undertakings has come.”
As expected, the five eldest sons accepted the words without denying them.
‘···You fool.’
The fourth one clicked his tongue slightly.
The coronation was clearly a clear opportunity to capture the emperor, but it was also the biggest trap.
They seemed unaware of the reason for holding the coronation ceremony in an easily accessible square, even though rebellions broke out every time there was a coronation.
“I agree. Those who are angry at the Empire are flocking from all over the continent. Where could there be a greater enemy than this?”
The second one added, nodding his head.
In the atmosphere flowing towards a great undertaking, the fourth hurriedly looked at the first.
The eldest son was just looking at the third son. The third son was also staring at the eldest son, and it seemed like they were having a staring contest.
‘This can’t go on!’
The fourth opened his mouth urgently.
“There is no Demon King yet! The prophecy clearly states that the Demon King will destroy the Empire! That means we are not ready yet!”
The fourth one looked around the room and shouted loudly.
Everyone let out a small sigh at that.
The fourth one was a little relieved.
‘How did I get to this point… A great undertaking? You guys have shit in your heads.’
The fourth nodded in the calm atmosphere.
Then, the third one suddenly raised his hand.
All eyes were drawn to his unexpected actions. No, ever since he spoke harshly to the eldest son, the third son had been in the center.
“I’ll do that.”
The third one spoke in a low voice, something unintelligible.
“What are you talking about?”
The eldest son asked briefly.
“for a moment···.”
The fifth eldest brother seemed about to say something, but the third brother waved his hand to stop him.
The fourth one became uneasy for no reason because of the strange flow.
The third one took a deep breath and grabbed his mask with his hand.
His hands were so big that he could completely cover the mask with one hand.
‘What are you doing…’
The guy didn’t seem to know what wearing a mask meant.
At that moment, the guy slowly lowered his mask.
Then, a hideous face is revealed, and deep-set eyes that are impossible to read.
The growing presence was far beyond the fourth eldest son’s expectations.
‘How can this kind of energy······.’
The fourth eldest son stuck out his tongue.
If the first eldest son had a fierce aura, the third son’s aura was a rough aura that seemed to tear apart everything around him.
Soon, the man who had completely revealed himself looked around with sharp eyes.
The fourth one unconsciously averted his gaze at the wildness in the bastard’s eyes.
After a while, the guy slowly opened his mouth.
In a silence so deep that you can even hear breathing,
“The king of you guys.”
The guy’s mad words echoed.
Unlike before, there was no trace of laughter in his voice.
The fourth one realized too late that he had lowered his head, but he stayed there.
***
‘What is this kid doing?’
I looked at the five eldest sons and was impressed.
It was a time when he should have responded appropriately or tried to catch the wind, but he was just whining.
It seemed as if a stupid face was visible behind the mask.
“···The King of Demons?”
The first eldest son was making a fuss.
A stronger energy than before was emanating from him in streams.
‘You little shit. You’re so vicious.’
I nodded, trying to suppress the hunger that was rising due to the thickening scent.
“okay.”
The other guys just watched without saying anything.
The second one was on my side anyway since I had no other choice, and the fourth one had been just watching from afar.
The fifth one was on the same boat as me.
Now it seemed that all he had to do was convince the eldest son.
“That’s interesting.”
A strange answer came back from the eldest son.
Contrary to what he said, the guy’s voice was very hushed.
He seemed offended by my declaration of candidacy for King of Demons.
‘Why do you feel bad?’
I was troubled as I watched the guy adding to the pressure.
‘Either you wanted to maintain your position as the leader of this place, or you wanted to become the king of demons.’
Not only was he late, but he also seemed like he didn’t want to give up his original position as the leader.
I looked around. They looked confused, but the second and fifth were leaning towards me.
The fourth one seemed to be hesitating, but there were already more of them.
If you vote by majority rule in a modern, old-fashioned way, it’s clear that you’ll be elected with a high probability.
“···The King of Demons?”
The first one asked calmly.
“Yeah, the third one is really good.”
The third answered confidently.
“How come you are the king of demons?”
The guy asked as if he was really curious.
“How come I am not the king of demons?”
I answered as it was.
“How dare you play with words······.”
The one next to the eldest son growled.
He seemed to be very aggressive and demanding, but he was someone I had already dealt with last time.
Maybe it was different then, but now he wasn’t my opponent.
When the eldest son raised his hand, the guy stepped back.
He was a good listener.
“I see.”
The first eldest son looked around and muttered quietly.
The energy of the guy who had been pressing the space disappeared as if it had been washed away.
The guy then waved his hand gently.
The shimmer that had been covering his face disappeared.
I let out a sigh at the guy’s exposed face.
“The king of demons.”
The face of the guy who mumbles like that-.
“······Master of the sword?”
Because it closely resembles the master of the sword.
“The third one is always fun.”
The space grew distant along with the bastard’s muttering.
***
‘He’s just fucking with his dick.’
I took off the ring, muttering softly.
My head felt a bit heavy.
Knock knock.
When I opened the door to the angry knock, there were five elders with pale faces.
Behind him, Park’s head yawned deeply as if he had just woken up.
‘Oh, there are no windows here.’
The place I’m currently staying is the annex of Kua Ba Rou.
As it was the annex of the high-ranking magician, Kua Barou, the defenses were very tight. In addition, it didn’t cost any money and there were many interesting magic tools.
“This person is looking for Aaron! He’s my friend, right?!”
The yawning Park head politely pointed to the five elders and spoke.
“Who is this guy’s friend?”
“The child is very shy.”
I cut off the five elders’ sharp words and waved my hand. Then, Park’s head staggered and I headed towards my room.
“What are you thinking?”
“Oh my, how rude.”
I threw a joke at a really angry guy and his face crumpled up.
“The firstborn is different from the second or fourth. If you provoke him like this, there will be a problem······.”
The guy was rambling on and on about nothing.
I yawned and pressed down on the round magic tool on the desk.
Woof woof. With a small sound, hot water filled the cup. I borrowed it from Kuobarou, but it was a really convenient magic tool.
After a while, the five elders started to grumble as if they had all been talking.
I opened my mouth as I looked at the guy whose eyes were shaking wildly.
“Those kids don’t plan on rebelling, do they?”
“···.”
The five elders did not answer.
“No, in the first place, is there anyone other than you who would think of undertaking something like this?”
After seeing the first eldest son, I had a definite feeling. The second son had no choice but to come over since they were tied together this time, and the fourth son seemed to be only thinking about running away.
These devil candies had no intention of doing anything great.
The reason could be found out from the fourth eldest son.
“Is it because of the prophecy about the king of demons?”
When I asked, recalling the fourth one’s words, the fifth eldest son nodded his head.
‘A prophecy… Anyway, they’re uncivilized.’
The prophecy of the king of demons, made by an unknown person, gave them hope, but at the same time, it became a leash.
The prophecy that the Demon King would destroy the empire also meant that the empire would not collapse without the Demon King.
‘The only reason they were lukewarm was because of the prophecy…’
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the five eldest sons with prickly faces.
“But the prophecy······.”
The fifth eldest son muttered, chewing his lips.
“Yeah, prophecy. That’s why.”
I cut him off and pressed the round magic tool again.
Warm water trickled down below.
I scooped up some water with my hands and roughly rubbed my face with it.
The scar felt shallow on the hand.
I wiped the moisture off with the cloth next to me and stared at the bastard.
The bastard’s eyes were still straight.
“I will do it. The King of Demons.”
I raised the corners of my mouth when I saw that guy.
“No, it’s not like you can just say you’ll do it···.”
“Then what should I do? Should I take a test or something?”
“······.”
The guy mumbled in response to my question.
He seemed like he wanted to say something, but he closed his mouth again, as if he had nothing to say.
The guy who had been like that for a while opened his mouth with a trembling face.
“No matter what, you’re the king······ That’s a bit······.”
I tried hard to ignore the bastard’s muttering.
***
haha···.
At the laughter heard from beyond the sky, the first Marshal Balhar Khan bowed his head deeply.
The laughter that had continued for a long time gradually died down.
“The king of demons···.”
“How dare you say something so outrageous… I will deal with that bastard.”
At the muttering beyond the sky, Balhar Khan hid his trembling fists behind him and shouted loudly.
“Do you have the strength to do that?”
Balhar Khan bowed his head deeply at the brief question.
I wanted to answer curiously, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie.
“Third, it’s a sign. It’s better than I thought.”
The judgement was distorted by the muttering that seemed to acknowledge the bastard.
Because it was a voice that Balhar Khan had never heard before.
“Enough. Okay, I’ll have to use him as a vessel.”
Balhar Khan did not respond to the following orders.
Because the sight I saw when he was possessed was still vivid.
It was engraved more deeply in Balhar Khan than in the master of the sword.
‘······That guy is dangerous.’
Balhar Khan opened his mouth to look at the long hanging cloth, but he could not take it out.
“yes.”
Balhar Khan simply bowed his head deeply and received the order.
***
Phew···.
Hans took a deep breath and stared straight ahead.
There, Selena was sitting upright with her eyes closed.
‘The seeds from the west have come, and the east has come too… so is only the north left?’
Since Aaron arrived in the capital, the future has been changing rapidly.
Even though I had no intention of calling the seeds, the seeds were gathering on their own.
Funny enough, it was a series of problems caused by one guy.
If he had not destroyed the palace, the Demon of Despair would not have come to the capital, and he would have brought the Seed of the East himself.
As for the North, it was still in a state of limbo, so it was unclear how they would react to rumors of a rebellion.
‘···Is the time here?’
The sight of the capital city during our meeting with Aaron was gruesome.
It was certainly on the level of what could be called the destruction of the empire, but it fell somewhat short of Hans’ expectations.
How much he must have been racking his brain over that sight… It was truly a joyful ignorance for Hans.
At that moment, Selena exhaled. The refreshing scent of the forest broke Hans’ thoughts.
As Selena slowly opened her eyes, light sparkled in those jewel-like green eyes.
“You met him?”
Hans nodded to Selena’s question.
It was annoying that he knew that even though I was paying the most attention, I couldn’t help it.
Because she was the director of the Central Administration.
“I guess I’ll be able to see you soon.”
The corners of the lips were raised and refreshingly cool.
