Chapter 349
Like this, I went to Dark Land during summer vacation, and I ended up going to Dark Land even now during winter vacation.
Of course, the companion went from Ellen, the next hero, to the princess and the continent’s first sword.
And the place Ellen and I headed to is also the beginning of the Dark Land.
The demon castle we have to go to this time is located deep in the Dark Land. The allied forces had been advancing in the form of a one-point breakthrough, so they attacked the demon castle and succeeded in doing so, but the search around the marching route was not done at all.
The Dark Land pioneering business is being led by adventurers, but even so, it is not possible to search a very wide area.
There were only three people leaving, me, Saviolin Tana, and Charlotte. There was no need for more escorts or attendants, and it was because mobilizing a large force would only cause a commotion.
“You will have to go through the warp gate quite a bit, Your Highness.”
“yes.”
As the allied forces advanced due to supply problems, they supplemented the supply by constructing warp gates at certain distances. Of course, during the war, the warp gate would have been a major interception point for the Demon King’s army.
They plan to reach the Eggsian advance base by way of a super-large warp gate, and then go straight to the Demon Castle by way of the allied army’s advance route.
It would take some time to activate the dormant gate, but it was said that the warp gate was installed right in front of the demon castle before and after, so the actual movement was not too much.
Charlotte looked nervous.
For Charlotte, the castle must have been a hellish place.
I go back to a place I never want to go back to, hoping to find a clue to solve my condition.
That’s why Charlotte must be feeling complicated right now, and I was the same.
* * *
At this point, the Demon Castle is occupied by the Imperial Army. Although they robbed the castle, the work of searching and searching the entire castle was not over yet.
After passing through the Eggsian outpost, my party moved quickly through the warp gates, and reached the front of the Demon Castle at a speed that made me wonder if it was possible to arrive so quickly.
“… … .”
“… … .”
Charlotte and I were at a loss for words when we saw the lonely appearance of the demon castle.
A huge gray castle under a deep blue winter sky.
Traces of the fires of war swept through the castle remained.
There were traces of countless magic and siege weapons on the walls.
“here… … . Is it the Demon King?”
Saviolin Tana, who was unable to participate in the Pandemonium War, is seeing the Demon Castle for the first time. I didn’t know what kind of inspiration she was looking at the traces left by the great victory of humans.
Even if it was something that Bertus would find out anyway, I had no intention of advertising our arrival. It’s obvious that if big figures appear in the garrison for no reason, there will be an annoying commotion.
That’s why the three of us arrived at the Devil’s Castle and put on our robes.
“Meet Your Highness. I am Count Alfred, who is serving as the commander-in-chief of the garrison of the demon castle.”
Also, only the commander, who must have been informed of our arrival, was alone to greet us.
I could feel that Charlotte and Saviolin Tana were careful not to cause unnecessary fuss.
“Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, Count Alfred.”
Bertus must have a sense that Charlotte’s power is related to the demon king. It’s just that I’m not using it as a weapon.
That’s why Charlotte came in the name of inspecting the Devil’s Castle Garrison. Charlotte whispered to me and explained.
It’s not always active, but there’s a warp gate here, so the garrison’s supply situation looked very good. It wasn’t a tent, but proper buildings were built around the castle, and the military seemed to be focusing on search and research rather than fighting.
Following the lead of Commander Earl Alfryd, we headed for the garrison headquarters.
Our visit was not overt, if not top-secret. The fact that we were coming today must have been known only to the Commander and the few in the garrison.
Count Alfred seemed to think of me as a mere attendant.
After a short meal with the commander, he took us to the headquarters’ guidance room.
Charlotte’s ostensible purpose is to check the situation of the demon castle investigation.
On the table in the middle of the map room, there was an architectural model of the castle, and on the wall, there were a lot of pictures of what appeared to be aiming guns of the castle.
“The Demon Castle is very huge as it is the place where the Demon King resided. So, the search is still not over.”
“… … Is that enough?”
“yes.”
In the architectural model, even the collapsed castle of the demon castle was expressed in detail.
In fact, the scale of Mawangseong was very large.
Just as the scale of the imperial castle Emperatos was very large, the demon castle was no different.
Unlike the imperial castle, which had one palace each in the east, west, south, and north, the demon castle had a very large demon palace in the center, and numerous annex buildings were built on a formidable scale.
“In fact, there are areas where traps are still in operation, so we will be more cautious in exploring them to prevent human casualties before we fully understand them… … .”
Charlotte’s words must have sounded like scolding, asking if she hadn’t done this yet, and the commander muttered with a troubled expression.
“It’s not an urgent matter, so I think it’s right to proceed cautiously. It wasn’t a criticism, Commander.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The scale of the castle is so huge that the search has not yet been properly completed.
The reason is that there are areas where traps are still active.
As for the exterior, the model has been built so you can make it as you see it, but that’s why you can see that there are still undisclosed parts left in the aiming map.
Still, the commander started to explain what was revealed, pointing to the aiming chart and the three-dimensional model.
An annex building as huge as the palace was the barracks.
It was quite strange to hear from the commander of the garrison what I, a demonic prince, did not know.
“It is estimated that a standing army was stationed in the barracks. However, no matter how large the scale is, it cannot accommodate all the numerous demons and monsters that fought against us during the Pandemonium War. So it is presumed that they were summoning demons living in other regions.”
“I guess so.”
For the defense battle, there were a number of troops that far exceeded the number of people that could be accommodated in the castle at the time.
The commander added that there wouldn’t have been that many troops in the Demon Castle during peacetime, not wartime.
“It has been confirmed that there are facilities for living, including restaurants and banquet halls, on the first floor of the ground floor of the Demon King’s Palace. Also, can you see the middle of the palace, the courtyard here?”
“yes.”
The middle of the palace was open, and there was a wide, open space there.
There were destroyed pillars and statues.
Everything, even the broken remains, was expressed in detail.
Although it is a model, it was felt that an unusual fight was taking place here on a tremendous scale.
“if… … . here.”
Charlotte looked at the commander, and he nodded.
“yes.”
A huge vacant lot in the Demon King’s Palace.
“This is the place where Lagann Artorius and the Demon King fought.”
The center of the Devil’s Castle, where the battle between the hero and the devil took place.
We didn’t see the battle, but Charlotte and I heard the roar of the world collapsing.
Charlotte shuddered slightly, and I swallowed softly.
Traces of the Demon King.
Charlotte was vaguely thinking that if she touched it, she might learn something or solve her condition.
“I want to go here.”
So, in a way, it was natural for Charlotte to say that.
* * *
Since the castle is very large, we each rode a horse to move.
I learned horseback riding at the temple, so I was at a level where I could ride a horse without difficulty.
Since the castle is an investigation area, there were no people living there except those with special missions.
That’s why it was in the form of a huge village called Garrison surrounding the Demon King’s Castle.
Originally, it is unknown whether there was a village of demons like the ecliptic in the vicinity of the demon castle. If it hadn’t been there, it wouldn’t have existed, and if there had been, it would have all been swept away during the war and even all traces of it would have disappeared.
“Where are the areas where safety has been properly secured so far?”
The commander answers Charlotte’s question.
“For now, it has been confirmed that all annex buildings are secure, and that there are no working traps in the Demon King Castle above ground. However, the underground is still dangerous, so you should refrain from walking. As long as you don’t head too deep underground, I don’t think there will be a big problem if you roam freely.”
That means that there is nothing to be salvaged from the ground level of the demon castle.
Whatever I need to know, do I have to go underground to find out? Charlotte asks again, riding her horse beside her commander.
“Are there many soldiers who fell into traps?”
“Are you just a soldier? Experienced rangers and knights, as well as wizards, are often beaten. It’s fortunate that it ends with injuries, but there are cases where those who fall under mental-type magic traps lose their minds. So, I tend to handle the underground search more carefully.”
“Um… … . Is that enough?”
It was not a dungeon in a corner of the village, but a trap in the castle of the devil.
Charlotte let out a sigh at the word that there are cases in which people can die if touched carelessly, or even become disabled.
Even after removing Bertus’ problem, the castle of demons is not that safe.
Several times, the commander told me not to go because the underground area was not properly identified.
But me, Charlotte, and Tana will all have the same thoughts. If anything, the clue must be underground.
We soon arrived at the entrance of the majestic and magnificent palace.
The girl who thought she was a pitiful hostage kidnapped in the castle was actually the princess, and the princess realized that she would die as soon as she was rescued.
Returning with Dyrus, obtaining the teleport scroll, he sprinted with all his might to escape from the clutches of the Knights of the Salarian family.
Without me, Charlotte would have died.
What will Charlotte think?
Are you thinking of the fear, pain, and terrible times?
“… … .”
However, Charlotte’s expression, which she glimpsed, was full of sadness. She didn’t seem to be thinking about anger and pain.
I know what you’re thinking without even asking.
You must be thinking about Bali.
He saved himself, but suddenly disappeared, and after contacting him for a while by letter, he cut off contact himself.
The one who now has to think in pain what the alternative identity was.
I am now by Charlotte’s side under the name of Reinhardt.
“Let’s go in.”
Charlotte, who got off her horse, said rather bravely.
* * *
The road to the courtyard of the Demon King’s Palace was not that complicated. It’s just that the scale is so huge that I had to pass through long and wide corridors and several halls.
Traces of the battle remained in the castle as it was.
“of course… … . Your Highness knows best, but… … . After the demon king died, all the demons surrendered.”
“I guess so.”
As the commander walked past the great halls inside the palace, he pointed out the signs of battle.
“So, most of the traces inside the palace can be regarded as those of the warriors.”
“Oh, I see.”
The gate of the demon castle was not captured until the death of the demon king.
And since all battles stopped after the surrender, there was no fight between the Demon King’s army and the allied forces inside the palace.
Traces such as broken objects and statues or collapsed walls were created by the demon army and warriors inside the palace.
The commander walked around the palace explaining various things.
There was something like pride in his tone.
Humanity’s great victory.
And the Demon Castle is like a museum recording that victory.
He seemed to think so, and he wasn’t too wrong with what he said.
Standing in front of a collapsed wall in a huge hall that probably used to be a restaurant, the commander says. He bowed suddenly in front of him.
A single white flower was placed where he bowed.
“The body of Ragdna Olfie was found here.”
The place where the body of one of the warriors was found.
After the demon king died, all the bodies would have been collected, so the bodies of the warriors would have been found in various places in the demon castle where the battle took place at the time.
As the bodies were collected, it would be all recorded where they were found.
“And the body of Archirion, one of the four heavenly kings, was found there.”
Ragdna Olfie.
The person in the party who was in charge of the ranger position.
Since the Four Heavenly Kings had never been set up, I had never heard of Archirion.
What I set up is that the party of warriors died one by one while defeating the Four Heavenly Kings.
And in the end, only Lagann Artorius remained to deal with the Demon King.
Defeating the Four Heavenly Kings one by one and dying one by one was my own cliché, so I just did it, but I had no idea.
The fact that the Four Heavenly Kings dealt with the warrior party one by one must have its own background.
It is unknown as of now.
Saviolin Tana and Charlotte followed the commander and bowed their heads in silence for a moment, and so did I.
You can’t call it sightseeing, but the commander guided us as if it were his duty.
This time it was not a hall, but a huge hallway. There was also a white flower that looked like it had been placed there for a while.
It seemed that there was someone who brought flowers every day.
Pillars in the hallway were collapsing, and somewhere among the collapsed pillars the commander was silent again.
“Mullern’s body was found here.”
Sorceress during the warrior party.
“With the corpse of Reina, the succubus queen, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
Succubus Queen Reina.
Irie’s mother.
It was a name I had heard before, so it was never a name that came with a sense of weight that was nothing.
The commander looks at the traces of the collapse and talks.
“Succubus Queen Reina was a very serious nuisance. On nights when she wielded her influence, tens of thousands of soldiers could not fall asleep for fear of being possessed by her dream magic, and in many cases, soldiers who fell asleep unable to overcome her drowsiness could not wake up forever.”
The true fear of the succubus queen, he emphasized several times, was that its true nature was that it was a dream horse.
It may not be possible to enter the minds of those with very strong will or those who have undergone anti-magic training, but an unspecified number of soldiers without such resistance fell victim to the dream demon helplessly.
“Actually, it was probably the Succubus Queen and her kin that killed the most Allied soldiers, aside from Larken Simonstite.”
Saviolin Tana flinched a little when she heard that she was Larken Simonstein.
Is it an illusion?
Saying so, the commander walked ahead again.
“Under the circumstances, wasn’t it a problem that he amplified his magical power beyond the limit to save the party from the Succubus Queen’s powerful enchanting magic… … . I am thinking.”
The commander, Count Alfred, then visited the places where the bodies of the warriors were found, one by one.
The original purpose was to go see the place where Lagan Artorius and Demon Lord Valie fought, but Charlotte didn’t say much.
As if the warriors had saved his life, so he had a duty to confirm it.
Passing through the place where the priest Shaydin died, and arriving at the place where Lagan Artorius and the magic swordsman Seizaria, who were supposed to have remained as the last two, died, the commander let out a silence.
“Here, the bodies of the Four Heavenly Kings, Larken Simonstite, and the magic swordsman Seizaria were found. Right after that, it is estimated that the battle between Lagann Artorius and the Demon King took place.”
Larken Simonstite.
I heard that Airi and I learned swordsmanship from him. I was a goofball and Airi was an honor student.
Of course, I don’t know much about him.
“… … .”
However, Saviolin Tana was still watching the scene where a tremendous battle must have taken place with a firm expression on her face.
“As much as he was, I wanted to kill him with my own hands.”
Saviolin Tana’s fingertips were trembling slightly.
Neither Charlotte nor the commander said anything. Like she already knew.
It’s clear that I’m the only one who doesn’t know why Saviolin Tana is saying that.
Perhaps feeling my doubts, she looked at me with a remorseful smile.
“He was my teacher.”
“… … yes!?”
I was stunned by the completely unexpected sound. To my astonishment, both Charlotte and the commander stared at me.
“no… … . Did you learn the sword from the demons?”
“… … ?”
“hmm?”
Saviolin Tana muttered quietly, arms crossed.
“I guess you didn’t know. Well, what can you not know… … . This can be happen. Larken Simonstein is a human being.”
That the first person among the four heavenly kings of the demon realm was actually a human?
No, isn’t it a bit big not knowing this? Fortunately, I’m from a beggar, so I feel like I’m just getting over it.
Mogol becomes soft.
“He was a traitor to the empire who deserved to be chewed to death.”
A quiet rage burned in Saviolin Tana’s eyes.
Come to think of it.
‘yes. The prince and the princess learned swordsmanship from Sir Larken Simonstein, the first four heavenly kings.’
title of honor.
If you think about it, isn’t it a fitting title for a knight?
