217
birthday
“Phew···.”
As I exhaled softly, a long stream of black blood burst out from my stomach.
It was the spot where I had been stabbed earlier. As I clicked my tongue and put strength into my stomach, the wound slowly healed.
‘What a monster.’
The image of the imperial knights shouting in astonishment lingered in my mind.
That was true. Which human being would heal a wound by putting strength into their stomach?
The erosion that had occurred did not subside no matter how hard I tried. Instead, it felt more natural. As if it were mine.
– Do you like it?
The tenant’s muttering was somewhat closer. As the erosion changed, so did the distance between him and the guy.
If before it felt like it was getting closer and closer from the outside, now···.
‘It sounds like you’re talking from inside.’
– It’s a little warmer here.
The bastard chuckled. It was the devil’s laughter, but when I listened closely, it also sounded like my own voice.
I felt like I should go to the abbot right away and get baptized, but I couldn’t do that.
It was the best weapon I had at the time, so I had a lot of uses for it.
‘The Demon of Despair Lives,’
I thought the demon of despair was dead.
Because I was the one who pushed the royal knights all the way to the forest where that guy was.
No matter how vicious and powerful the demon was, there was no way he could defeat that many imperial knights.
However, the Demon of Despair survived. Avery had done it, and was now under the palace.
Even without having to hear an explanation, the meaning was clear.
‘···The Demon of Despair was also the work of the Empire.’
At the time, the Empire wanted to maintain the front line, and Byzant’s prime star was thought to be raising a demon of despair to counter it.
That’s why I leaked information about the devil to the Empire and led them there. It actually worked.
‘Then Selena···.’
The name ‘Selena’ that came out of Avery’s mouth continued to linger in my head.
Avery said Selena put the demon of despair in her.
In addition, they said that sending our mercenary force to the west was a hindrance and that they had them eaten by demons.
Probably, that’s true.
Even Aisha said it was true.
‘Selena, Selena, Selena.’
He muttered softly.
I couldn’t believe it at all, because she treated me with such sincerity.
It wasn’t a betrayal. She met me after the fact. I was just one of the things she dealt with.
So that’s why you helped me-.
My head was spinning with thoughts that were rapidly flowing.
Selena was strangely nice to me.
I asked him that.
Why are you being so nice to me?
At that time, Selena-.
***
“···Why are you being so nice to me?”
I asked without realizing it, looking into those transparent green eyes filled with kindness.
Why are you being so terribly affectionate towards someone you’ve only known for a short time?
Of course, there was a famous saying about elves.
Elves experience an extremely romantic love once in their lives. They consider it fate.
Even so, is it true that you have eyes like that because of a weird joke about having cold sores?
Since I didn’t understand at all, eventually questions arose.
After asking, I suddenly came to my senses.
What the hell did I do just now?
I have to somehow catch that damned demon with the help of that innocent elf, and I have to cut off the head of that star bastard who dared to betray us.
I have to take revenge, the only thing left for me to do, but you are pouring cold water on me instead.
However, he did not go back on his words.
Funny enough, I felt guilty.
I felt a sense of guilt that I had killed so many people that I no longer felt even when I cut off their heads while looking into their eyes. I felt it as I looked into those clear eyes and whispered words of love.
It seemed like it was left behind because it was lacking.
“Do you know the difference between humans and elves?”
Then Selena gently stroked my head and asked.
The way her eyes looked at me was warmer than Udra’s, and it even felt fanatic.
I looked at her and pondered her question.
The difference between elves and humans.
“···Perfectly beautiful?”
“oh.”
Selena’s face turned red in an instant and she covered her face.
My heart became even heavier.
It seemed like it would be better to kill five people instead. I pretended not to see and said something else.
“Or are your ears pointy?”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
This time Selena glared pointedly. I laughed awkwardly at her inappropriate antics.
Then, Selena returned to her gentle smile and slowly opened her beautiful lips.
“Humans continue to search for reasons. In love too-.”
Selena whispered in a somewhat excited voice.
The cold scent of grass spread deeply.
It was a natural air freshener. Is this how it’s done…? I muttered quietly.
“We don’t look for reasons.”
Her hand gently ran through my hair. As she came closer, her eyes were so transparent-.
“There’s that woman.”
I did something stupid again.
Oh no. I muttered a curse under my breath.
What if I strike again at this moment?
I must fulfill the duty of the survivors, which is revenge…
At that moment, Selena’s eyes widened.
Selena tilted her head-.
“He’s dead, right?”
He asked as if he really didn’t know.
At those blunt words, I forgot the situation and muttered curses.
I had to explain to Selena for a long time that even though her lover was dead, her heart still ached.
“Then, you will be sad when I die later.”
Rather, I didn’t have the energy to explain any further to Selena, who nodded with satisfaction.
‘Okay, I agree.’
I patted her head and made some lame excuse.
I really didn’t like that fine hair, which was incomparable to Udra’s rough and sandy hair.
“That might be the case.”
I’m slowly getting used to raising the corners of my mouth.
***
Ugh!
My thoughts were broken by a strange noise.
When I raised my head, the first and fifth eldest sons were looking at each other.
The two were pointing at each other with their eyes, as if it was this kid who had just made the noise, not them. They looked like students tattling on their teacher.
‘What the hell are these kids doing?’
The thoughts that had been filling my head were crushed by the sight of the two of them being so stupid. Their behavior was so pathetic that it made my thoughts seem ridiculous.
‘Okay, one by one. One by one.’
He muttered softly. There was no need to hold on to Selena from now on.
Each step was as if it had been designed.
‘It’s by design···.’
I shook my head slightly. As expected, the most important thing was the Demon of Despair.
So, the only thing left to do was deal with the Demon of Despair first, and then go find Selena.
If Selena admits-.
I squinted my eyes. She helped me. Probably, without her, I would have died long ago.
Moreover, she gave me a chance to take revenge. Furthermore, she even cut off the Empire’s pursuit.
I imagined a two-armed scale, but the weight on the other side was much heavier.
‘First, the Demon of Despair.’
I tried hard to push away the word Selena.
“hey.”
I called out to the eldest boy who was having a snowball fight. Then they both turned around at the same time.
The eyes of those so-called devil’s eldest sons looking at me were filled with fear.
It was ridiculous, but I smiled bitterly because I saw myself reflected in their eyes.
“Do you know the Demon of Despair?”
“You ask the obvious. The Demon of Despair is the Seed of the West.”
The first one answered firmly, avoiding my gaze.
“Seeds?”
“Yes, it is the seed of the west.”
He answered arrogantly, but with a slightly trembling voice.
My brow furrowed at the word seed. They say that even a park head is a seed, but this time they say that the devil of despair is a seed.
What kind of seeds are these? These guys were clearly farmers.
“So what are seeds?”
“These are the seeds of the apocalypse. Those things that will later bring about the destruction of the empire are called seeds.”
The first one answered briskly. It was a similar story to what the weird masked guy had said.
The Masked One, some say, is the seed of the apocalypse or the seed of destruction, but he said that we do not know what its contents are until it sprouts.
A guy who wears a mask is more credible than someone who doesn’t even look at you in the eye and just talks back.
“But why didn’t you say anything?”
When I asked that, the first one opened his eyes wide. The one who had been smiling for a moment answered quietly.
“······I didn’t ask you?”
At that, I forced myself to laugh. As I giggled out loud, my heavy mind gradually became lighter.
‘The Demon of Despair is alive and well in the palace.’
It was only then that I realized what was happening. I don’t know how it came to this, but-.
I was truly, truly grateful that the bastard was alive.
Being alive means you can die soon.
Now he had the power to tear the bastard apart himself, and he even had an elevator to get him there.
‘Today was my birthday.’
I raised the corners of my mouth and looked around my body.
Although the condition was not good, it was moving.
As always, this was enough.
“Why are you heading to the Demon of Despair? It’s close to District 1, so it’s not hard to get there, but because of that incident before, the security there is particularly tight.”
The first one asked while looking at the elevator door.
“That incident?”
The first one turned around slightly at my question. His eyes seemed to say, ‘What kind of shameless kid is this?’
“Ah, that time.”
Judging from his expression, he seemed to be talking about the story of the palace collapsing after pulling out the demon tentacles last time. What kind of a guy has such a long aftertaste? I clicked my tongue and nodded.
“Yes. The security is so tight that two groups of imperial knights take turns guarding the place.”
The first one, who turned his gaze forward again, muttered lowly as if warning.
‘When you say it like that, it makes me want to do it even more.’
I opened my mouth with a bitter laugh.
“today?”
“·········.”
The first one let out a low, hushed voice in response to my question.
The sound of sneezing was prolonged, as if he had been hit in the head.
“There will be. ······Probably.”
“Maybe not.”
The guy didn’t answer and just turned his body completely towards the elevator. He seemed upset. Anyway, he was a narrow-minded bastard.
“Why are you looking for the Demon of Despair?”
The five elders looked at me clearly and asked.
However, their gazes were strangely misaligned. Their pupils were gathered together. When I looked closely, it seemed as if they were looking at the tip of their noses, not my eyes.
It was a total mess, pair-wise.
I pondered that question for a moment.
What are we going to do with that guy?
It was a question that made the corners of my mouth go up.
What should I do? The best thing is of course.
“I will eat.”
I tried to speak calmly, but my voice was a bit loud.
I swallowed the saliva that had gathered in my mouth. The elevator was quiet, so the sound was loud.
The eyes of the five elders widened. The eyes of the five elders slowly turned to the side. They crossed their arms and slightly covered their bodies.
First, his back started shaking violently and he slammed into the elevator door. If anyone saw him, he looked like he was being punished.
– That sounds good.
The tenant’s hunger was palpable. No, I was hungry too. I couldn’t tell if this hunger was his or mine.
If not, it’s already the same.
‘Fall a little.’
– Are you embarrassed?
I clicked my tongue at his unfunny joke. It was even worse when I heard it in my own voice.
“······The Demon of Despair is strong. The blood it has fed to it from the West alone has exceeded a thousand, and I heard that the Imperial Family has also fed it additional demons to replace the lost supply.”
The eldest one muttered, his face buried in the elevator door. It was difficult to hear because his pronunciation was muffled, as if he had buried his mouth in it as well.
“That looks delicious.”
I swallowed my saliva without realizing it.
The backs of the two flinched greatly. Before they knew it, the five eldest sons were also burying their faces next to the bastard. It was unbelievable how the two had become so close.
At that moment, the elevator slowly came to a stop.
“First of all… there will be a lot of royal knights… do you understand?”
The first one spoke without looking back. His pronunciation was slurred and seemed somewhat absent.
It seemed like he was asking for some encouragement since he had a lot of subordinates.
‘If it was like that from the beginning···.’
I clicked my tongue and put the helmet I had packed back on.
Finally the door opens-.
Imperial knights were seen moving diligently.
However, contrary to what he said, there were not that many imperial knights.
The total number of people added up was not even ten, and even they were waiting for the elevator.
“Follow me.”
The eldest, with a stern expression again, walked with confidence.
“Who is that kid? His arm is fucked-.”
I burst out laughing at the muttering I heard next to me.
***
‘You want to eat it-! Damn it! The way you look at me is so strange!’
First, Balhar Khan swallowed dry saliva and glanced back.
Among the imperial knights, the third one was walking very calmly.
However, the pressure emanating from him still had a hold on the surroundings.
Balhar Khan’s back, as he walked behind him, was already soaked with sweat.
Balhar Khan, not knowing the third’s intentions, placed the first-class imperial knights on the path to him. There were as many as forty of them.
Even when I faced that guy, he was confident…
I don’t know if he knew it or not, but he kept subtly deviating from that path.
It was the same with going straight to the Eastern Management Office, saying that he had a stomachache, and now he suddenly changed his route, saying that he would meet the Devil of Despair.
All the things I had prepared in advance became useless in the face of that absurd outrage.
I could have taken him to him, saying that it was the path to the devil of despair-.
‘I think he knows.’
I couldn’t do that because of the stinging gaze on my back.
It seemed as if he knew the layout of the palace well, as he went straight to the Eastern Management Office and waited there.
Strangely, it seemed as if he knew what I was thinking, as he continued to deviate from the path.
That’s why I had no choice but to lead him to the devil of despair, just as he wanted.
The things he had done at the Eastern Management Office were still vivid in my mind.
Balhar Khan chewed his lip. How could he defeat twelve imperial knights alone?
It was an impossible task for him as well. That meant being equal to him or-.
Balhar Khan shook his head, shaking off the blasphemous thoughts.
It was clear that I was still not up to him. I felt an instinctive fear of him, but I would not be enough for him. It had to be that way.
However, it seemed that facing twelve imperial knights was a bit too much for him, and his condition didn’t look too good.
Even though I had clearly been washed by a wizard, black blood was still flowing out through the cracks.
However, even though his condition was not good, it was clear that he was stronger than him. Moreover, the five elder brothers next to him seemed to be on his side.
It was clear that if something went wrong here, he would not be able to carry out his orders.
‘You want to eat the devil of despair?’
Balhar Khan muttered, glancing behind him.
After destroying the Eastern Administration, he plans to take the Seed of Despair from the West.
The voice of the guy who said he would eat the devil of despair was so sticky that it made my throat go cold for no reason.
The bastard answered, swallowing thick saliva like a person who has starved for several days talking about food.
If he really took up the Demon of Despair, that would surely help him too.
He just believed in him. He helped him with his work because he thought it would help him. That was all.
At that moment, ding ding ding- a sharp sound rang out repeatedly.
“An attack has occurred at the Eastern Administration Bureau. Those currently remaining in the palace are to apply to the Eastern Administration Bureau.”
Urgent voices echoed through the hallway.
‘Looks like someone found it.’
Balhar Khan guessed the situation. It was a bit late for someone who had remained in the Eastern Administration to report it. Someone else must have reported it.
The few imperial knights around him hurriedly ran to the elevator.
The last incident revealed that the palace was less competent and familiar with internal affairs than expected.
It had to be that way. What kind of crazy person would dare to crawl into the palace and cause trouble? However, there was such a crazy person, and because of him, everyone realized the problem.
Since then, the entire Imperial Knights have undergone quite rigorous training. That’s why they are able to respond so quickly.
but-.
“Everyone is busy.”
This ended up opening the way for the one who actually caused the problem.
‘···Did you plan it?’
Balhar Khan shuddered at the calm reaction, as if he had expected it.
‘So the original intention was to be a demon of despair, and the Eastern Management Bureau did that to divert attention?’
Balhar Khan’s mind became even more complicated. To simply divert attention, he had committed such a terrible atrocity.
Gulp.
“This way.”
Balhar Khan, who had reached his own conclusion, became a little more polite.
***
‘The Demon of Despair.’
The closer I got, the more I could feel its energy.
If I had felt it with my senses when we first met before, now I could feel it with my skin.
I tried to control my rising spirit. Excitement was not good. However, this time, it was difficult to calm down.
I still vividly remember him shaking Udra, Gorgai, Wayne, and the captain in front of my eyes.
Because of that guy, I lose sleep every night.
Suddenly.
I clenched my teeth so hard that my jaw hurt.
“We… are almost there! Just get through that door!”
The first one, startled, jumped up and pointed ahead.
I could tell even without him saying anything.
The stench of the thing was permeating the room through the huge stone doors in front, covered in strange language.
He was definitely over there.
The corners of my mouth went up on their own without me having to adjust them.
I never thought I’d be this happy that he’s alive.
I laughed without hiding it. No, the laughter just came out on its own. The laughter grew louder and turned into a roar of laughter.
I laughed so hard I almost cried.
“···Who are you!”
At that moment, a voice was heard from the front. Eight imperial knights were guarding the stone gate, and they all seemed to be singing a song.
When he looked around, the five eldest sons and the eldest son were far away.
“Wait a minute! I’ll handle it!”
The first one, startled, ran out quickly.
He took a deep breath.
It wasn’t good to get excited.
“···Balhar Khan? Why are you here?”
The knight with the horns on his helmet shouted in a loud voice.
I habitually looked at the guy. The horns on his helmet looked like a handle. If I grab him and pull him out…
“Marshal Benoit, this is your command.”
“···The captain himself?”
The eldest son, who had returned with his usual solemn face, spoke in a very low voice. The knight asked back, trembling.
“Yes. Get out of the way quickly.”
The eldest, who was in high spirits, spoke softly. The knight looked at me with a low, drooling voice.
“Impossible. This is not under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Knights, but under the Central Administration.”
The woman’s voice was firm. The first one frowned.
“Are you saying you will refuse the captain’s orders now?”
“Is there any evidence that it was the captain’s order?”
The first one closed his mouth at the other person’s calm rebuttal.
The first one looked back at me. The expression on his face was truly a sight to behold.
‘The Demon of Despair belongs to the Central Management Agency…’
The fragments rose again.
Didn’t Selena know him?
No, that couldn’t have been the case. The reason I faced her in the first place was because of the Demon of Despair.
At that moment, a refreshing voice came to my disorganized mind.
[If you were to receive a gift, what would it be?]
She asked a lot of questions like a person who is awkward with reason. Or maybe it was her occupational disease.
It was a bit annoying, and the question above was one of them.
I should have said something like a fancy sword or a bundle of gold coins, but I forgot the context and answered ‘revenge’, which was out of context.
She looked sad for a moment, then smiled brightly and said, “Okay.”
At the time, I didn’t know the reason for that subtle expression, but-.
‘Oh, so that’s what happened.’
I sighed softly and stepped forward.
The five elders took hold of my arm. Their eyes were still closed. Now they seemed to be looking at the seams of my helmet.
However, the eyes were still straight. They were annoying eyes that didn’t bend but broke.
“I’ll handle this.”
The five elders spoke, twisting their fingers. Looking at their serious eyes, it seemed as if they were planning to rush at them at any moment.
“What about processing… You ignorant brat.”
I clicked my tongue and pushed his hand away.
As we stepped forward, the eldest, with a pale face, took five steps back.
The knight looked up at me. Honest eyes were visible through the gap in his helmet. His eyelashes were thick.
“What are you?”
I exhaled deeply at the question, full of annoyance.
If she really intends to give me revenge-.
“I have come by order of Central Management Director Selena.”
“What’s your name?”
“This is Aaron.”
As he said that, the knight’s eyes widened.
No. I had a weak thought that it would be better if it weren’t so. However, the knight nodded and stepped aside.
“Aaron, you go in alone.”
The knight gestured behind him. Then the stone moved sideways with a heavy sound.
The dark passage that was revealed was a cave.
It was very dark, creepy, and filled with a sweet smell… It looked like it would lead to hell.
It was exactly the place for me.
‘It’s a gift···.’
I muttered and walked forward.
***
‘Ningiri… Where are the ten pups?’
Dylan kept shaking his head, muttering curses.
Because of the coronation, the capital was teeming with people. No, overflowing would be an understatement. It was truly teeming with people.
However, the atmosphere was unusual.
‘Why are you all holding knives? So bloody-.’
As he glanced around, his eyes met with those of a bald kid. Dylan licked the dagger with his tongue. The bald kid, who had been frowning, quickly looked away.
‘He’s nothing special…’
Dylan, feeling a little more invigorated, straightened his shoulders and looked around again.
It was already stuffy because there were so many people, and it was even pouring down rain. The capital is famous for not having much rain, but it suddenly started pouring down like a torrential downpour.
So everyone was even more defenseless against the rain and got soaked. The smell of sweat and the smell of water mixed together was really- terrible.
Dylan headed to the main square first. The main square was the peak of crowds.
The plaza was so vast that its end was almost invisible, and the vast space was packed with people.
How can you find a cub in this crowded place!
“You little shit-! You little shit-!”
As I was walking around shouting so loudly, I found a place where a lot of high-class people were gathered.
They were a bunch of punks who enjoyed a wide open space all to themselves in a crowded place.
I wonder if I have gold wrapped around my body, or if I use up a large space while pushing other people away – it’s just a dog’s errand…
‘···Aren’t those Swallows?’
Dylan’s eyes widened. He was wearing an unusually luxurious robe, but it was clear that he was wearing Swallows.
There couldn’t be another guy as uniquely ugly as that. Dylan swayed his hips and headed in that direction.
“Get out.”
A knight with thick eyebrows blocked Dylan’s path. Dylan was slightly intimidated by this, but quickly fixed his expression.
“Ha, you know who I am!”
Dylan raised his voice instead. The knight tried to swing his fist at him. Dylan, who instinctively wanted to draw his dagger, held himself back and pointed inward.
“I’m the brother and sister of those Swallows!”
The knight’s fist stopped just before Dylan’s nose. Dylan gulped as he looked at the hairy, ugly fist.
“···You will have to take responsibility for those words.”
The knight growled, but he was like a chick compared to the ten pups.
Dylan said, putting his face against the fist instead.
“You are the one.”
The knight’s face stiffened somewhat. It made me feel relieved.
The knight sent someone inside, and the Swallows jumped out.
Dylan grumbled slightly as he saw the Swallows looking extremely disappointed. Perhaps they were expecting a dozen pups.
Why are you all looking for me like that and cursing at me behind my back?
Then, realizing that Dylan himself had crawled here looking for the pups, he shouted, “Ningiri!”
“Is it true that you are Swallows’ younger brother?”
The knight asked with unprecedented politeness. It seemed to me that Swallows was a more successful man than I had thought.
Even so, he was in a situation where he was beaten by a bunch of kids like himself.
“···Brother? First of all, you are part of the group. Let me in.”
“All right.”
The knight stepped aside with a shit-eating face. Dylan said, “Good luck,” and quickly ran to the Swallows.
It was really nice to come inside. This is why people have to succeed. My butt just wiggled.
“Why are you here? You must have gone with Vivian, right? Is something going on?”
The Swallows, soaking wet and uglier than usual, asked quickly.
“The two of them went first. I guess it’s because I felt bad about leaving my eldest brother behind. I’m Simbuk, right? Simbuk.”
“···He must be your confidant. Do you think you can be of any help to him?”
Dylan clenched his fists for a moment at Swallows’ crumpled face, then unclenched them.
I don’t know why, but I had a feeling that I could win now. However, there were a lot of eyes around me.
“I’m a good fighter. I can even beat knights and royal knights.”
Dylan was dumbfounded by the ugly guy’s indifference.
The guys he had chosen had been the ones who had been doing it all along. There was no reason for him to be ignored by such an ugly and gloomy wizard.
And his subordinates were higher in rank than him.
“That makes sense… Anyway, you came here to find Aaron. I have a feeling he’s going to do something, so I’m worried. There’s no way someone who cares about Kanna that much would send her away first.”
Dylan’s eyebrows furrowed at the Swallows’ ignorance. He could tolerate everything from parental insults to childish insults, but he couldn’t stand being ignored.
“Oh my god… I’m telling you, I told you! I told you not to!”
Dylan shouted, forgetting the situation. He took out the dagger and spun it around in his hand. The rainwater made the dagger spin beautifully.
“Okay, I got it. Let’s find that guy first. What’s going on….”
Dylan felt frustrated at the tone of voice that seemed to show complete disbelief while nodding.
at that time-.
Drumroll.
The heavy sound of drums filled the space.
It was a heavy sound so loud that the noisy plaza suddenly became quiet.
“The coronation ceremony has begun.”
Dylan gulped at the Swallows’ muttering.
It seems that the ten pups will be able to see the face of the emperor they are going to conquer.
Dylan began to feel his heart pounding.
At that moment, the imperial knights in front parted, and a handsome young man walked out slowly.
He was a very handsome young man, and he was clearly the crown prince, as he was wearing golden clothes.
Dylan realized at once why he had been so reluctant to come to the capital.
From the young man who was called the Crown Prince and would soon become the Emperor-.
I really didn’t feel anything.
As if it weren’t allowed.
Dylan quietly hid behind the Swallows.
