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Chapter 257
Chapter 257
Chapter 257
We didn’t know why or how this situation had come to be.
But we could tell what was going on. Ellen had attacked Aaron Mede, and he’d tried to escape through the secret exit, only to encounter me just as I was about to go in.
But that wasn’t all.
Eleris knew Ellen, but Sarkegar did not.
Ellen wielded Lament in her right hand. Sarkegar wasn’t as brutish as Loyar, and was capable of understanding the implications.
I needed to get Ellen out of here quickly, before Sarkegar figured something out.
“We’ll talk later.”
“... Okay.”
Right now, dealing with Aaron Mede was the top priority.
I stripped him of his robe, taking away every scroll he had hidden away.
He couldn’t teleport on his own. I didn’t know all the details, but I had heard enough.
“You came with Harriet?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“Bring her here.”
“... It’s dangerous to leave you. I should stay here and—”
“Bring her here,” I repeated, cutting her off in a commanding tone.
Ellen looked at me quietly.
Bringing Harriet over wasn’t the issue. I didn’t want Ellen to hear what I was about to say.
“Okay. Be careful.”
Ellen re-entered the secret passage, leaving me alone with Aaron Mede. Though he couldn’t see them, Eleris and Sarkegar were nearby.
“H-Hey... no, it’s all a misunderstanding. I don’t know what’s going on, but this is all a mistake.”
Aaron Mede seemed to realize he was screwed and tried to cover it all up with nonsense that he knew I wouldn’t believe.
I grabbed his collar and smiled. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a misunderstanding. It doesn’t change the fact that you deserve to die, whether you tried to kill me or not.”
Aaron Mede was certainly the culprit; and even if he wasn’t, he was a mad scientist who deserved death regardless.
I made sure Ellen was far enough away. I had to keep her away to prevent him from blurting out anything about a talking sparrow. That could complicate matters.
I had questions to ask, so Aaron Mede’s desperate attempt to flee was a stroke of luck.
Had Ellen killed him instantly, we would have missed out on crucial information.
“There’s one thing I need to know: how do I contact the Black Order?”
He stared blankly back at me. “What...?”
“Answer quickly. If you don’t say anything by the time my friend returns, I’ll make sure you die in the most excruciating way possible.”
The Black Order...
Since magic was likely the cause of the Gate Incident, it was crucial to understand the location and intentions of the various secret magic societies out there, as they might very well be behind the incident.
Unknown magic societies certainly existed, and it was essential to learn whatever I could about those I was already aware of.
I didn’t know everything about the magic societies since I did not write about them extensively, but I had some knowledge.
The Black Order was the first one of them, and thankfully, I had some information about the Black Order.
Aaron Mede was astounded to not only find me waiting at his escape point, but also knowing about the Black Order.
“You... Who... who are you?”
He began to realize I was a significant figure, one beyond his own understanding.
He was right.
“That’s not for you to know.”
I tightened my grip on his collar, flashing a sinister smile.
“Do you think I’ll kill you? No, I won’t. If you don’t talk, I won’t kill you. I’ll hand you over to Cantus Magna.”
One of the few things I knew about the Black Order was their connection with the magic society known as the Forbidden Spell Hunters.
Their true name was Cantus Magna.
Cantus Magna, the Forbidden Spell Hunters, and the Black Order, the wielders of numerous forbidden spells...
The Black Order and Cantus Magna were eternal enemies.
Handing this guy over to Cantus Magna would be a fate worse than death.
His face turned deathly pale.
An ordinary person might recognize the term “Forbidden Spell Hunters”, but they wouldn’t know about the organization Cantus Magna.
The fact that I knew it shocked him even more.
Knowing not only about the Black Order but also their relationship with Cantus Magna would certainly make him see me in an even stranger light.
“L-Let me go, and I’ll connect you with the Black Order! I can introduce you to a member! Anything you want! You could even become a member of the Order if you want—!”
Thwack!
With a sudden explosion, Aaron Mede’s head burst open.
Quite literally, without any warning.
“...”
I stared in a daze at the headless body, blood spurting from the neck like a fountain.
In all my life, I thought I had seen it all.
I could guess what had happened.
Turning around, I saw a mage in a black robe calmly staring at me. Nothing was visible under that black hood.
I had anticipated this. I knew they’d be keeping an eye on this situation, even if they didn’t intervene. But they had chosen to intervene.
If I hadn’t known about the Order, they would have ignored me. But I had made a mention of it.
Eleris and Sarkegar did not act, but they would be on high alert.
The person in the black robe stood there, staring at me from within the deep darkness of their hood.
“...”
“If you’re suddenly going to show up like that, you could at least say something.”
“...”
Aaron Mede was a member of the Order, but of a lower rank.
The person before me had executed him immediately. This meant they were of a higher rank.
I had no idea who they were.
“Hey, I’m asking you to say something. Don’t just stare coldly at me.”
After a long silence, the person suddenly spoke up.
“Do you have information about Cantus Magna?”
I smiled inwardly. I never expected to establish contact with the Black Order through Aaron Mede, but I knew that mentioning Cantus Magna in front of a Black Order member would inevitably draw their attention to me.
Some of the details I did not know, but knew enough to recognize the outlines, and this was something I knew.
The two magical societies hated each other more than anything. Above all else, one of their primary goals was to eradicate the other.
It was only natural for them to be eager for information about each other.
An ordinary person wouldn’t even know the name of such a clandestine magic society, and so the fact that a student from the Temple had mentioned Cantus Magna alone would make them reach out to me.
“A trade requires an exchange of value, doesn’t it? I can’t just give you the information for free.”
“... What do you want, boy?”
I stared at the black-clad mage within the hood.
“Your knowledge.”
Forbidden spells... The countless forbidden spells held by the Black Order.
They might have been the reason behind the Gate Incident.
To prevent the Gate Incident, I had to walk across yet another dangerous tightrope.
To him, executing a worthless henchman meant nothing.
He didn’t appear because I had been threatening Aaron Mede, but because I had mentioned Cantus Magna.
“It better be accurate information, boy.”
“Do you even know enough to discern whether it is or not?”
“...”
The Black Order were wrongdoers, but they were not inherently evil.
They had their own principles, which were different from society’s norms.
Thus, he showed no reaction to my sarcastic remark.
“I will come to you in due time.”
“... To the Temple?”
“That won’t be difficult.”
Their reach extended even into the Temple. It was a sobering realization. I had begun to meddle with those untouchables. The tension made my skin tingle.
But what had to be done, had to be done.
“A boy who commands a Vampire Lord as a servant wouldn’t tell simple lies.”
Of course, he had already sensed Eleris, who was near to me, but under an invisibility spell. He would already know about the talking sparrow as well.
An enigmatic presence alone could inspire strange forms of trust.
The Black Order mage vanished like a mirage.
The chilling feeling that I was crossing a truly dangerous river ran down my spine.
I had to go as far as I could. Even if I collapsed midway, the only way was forward.
***
Ellen hurried back with Harriet, perhaps thinking I was in danger.
The Black Order mage had departed, and I moved Aaron Mede’s corpse aside.
Harriet looked deeply troubled, likely due to what she had witnessed along the way.
“What happened?”
“... Do I really need to say it?”
I pretended to hesitate, as if I didn’t want to admit that I had killed him, although I wasn’t the one who had killed Aaron Mede.
Considering the bloodstains all over me, they probably formulated their own ideas of what had happened.
Harriet hadn’t seen the body, but her pained expression suggested she assumed I had nonchalantly killed someone.
Her expression was not borne out of anger or fear, but sadness.
Sadness because I had become that kind of person.
“Let’s talk about what happened later. We need to deal with this issue first.”
We postponed any discussion of how they ended up at Aaron Mede’s estate, or why I had come alone.
We had effectively killed a Temple teacher.
Sorting this issue out was the immediate priority.
***
I sent Ellen and Harriet back first and assured them that I would handle things.
Both Ellen and Harriet seemed anxious and looked like they had a lot to say, but my resolute demeanor prevented them from forcing me to go back with them. I was angry that they had been there in the first place.
As we left Aaron Mede’s mansion and headed to the outskirts of the capital, Eleris dispelled her invisibility, and Sarkegar reverted from sparrow form into an ordinary-looking person, although he did not take the form of Count Argon Pontius. Instead, he appeared as an unremarkable adult woman.
Both Eleris and Sarkegar seemed to have much to say.
Eleris likely wanted to know why I sought to contact the Black Order. Her demeanor had grown colder, since she was understandably wary of my intentions.
But Sarkegar’s demeanor needed to be addressed.
“Your Highness, unless my eyes deceive me, it seemed one of the two children aiding you was wielding Lament.”
Sarkegar naturally had questions over Ellen. His eyes, which were always full of obedience, now seemed different.
He was staring at me with an expressionless face.
His face might have been that of an ordinary person, but the intensity of his gaze was chilling.
The dreadfiend... A demon of terror.
Sarkegar didn’t waste many words.
The Moon God’s Sword, Lament, was known alongside Alsbringer as one of the swords wielded by Ragan Artorius. It had vanished without a trace, and was never used in the Great War.
Now, though, a girl had appeared wielding it. A girl with unnaturally immense power for her age.
Sarkegar was speculating, and he was likely close to the truth.
Sarkegar stared at me.
His blank, wide-eyed gaze, his sclera visible, was enough to send chills down my spine.
“Your Highness. Even if you choose not to tell me now, there are many ways I can find out. Please, tell me everything now.”
Sarkegar, ever loyal, never sought money, praise, or any other form of reward.
His only motivation was his commitment to the reconstruction of the Demon Realm.
For that alone, Sarkegar would lay down his life for me. But if I lacked that resolve, he would do whatever it took to instill it in me.
Ellen’s life was in danger.
If I said nothing, Sarkegar would discover on his own that Ellen was indeed Ellen Artorius.
The one thing Sarkegar likely hated most in this world was undoubtedly the hero who slew the Demon King: Ragan Artorius.
His sister was growing into a monster within the Temple, and Sarkegar wouldn’t leave that unchecked.
If I didn’t speak now... If I couldn’t persuade Sarkegar otherwise, Ellen would die.
If Sarkegar decided to kill Ellen, there was no way I could stop him.
“Yes. That’s right. She possesses Lament.”
“...”
“And, her name is Ellen Artorius. She is Ragan Artorius’s younger sister.”
Sarkegar’s eyes widened at my words.
“Your Highness, why on earth would you, of all people, form a bond with the blood of that accursed hero?!”
Not only were Sarkegar’s eyes bloodshot, but his whole skin was turning shades of blue and red.
It seemed his anger was causing him to lose control of his body. Eleris also appeared tense, her fingers twitching with agitation.
Eleris likely had doubts about my intentions to contact the Black Order as well.
Sarkegar, who thirsted for war, and Eleris, who desired peace... both of them currently viewed me with suspicion.
But the one I needed to persuade first was the enraged Sarkegar.
He was furious that I hadn’t told him about Ellen, and the fact that I was close enough to her that she was willing to risk her life to save me.
One wrong word, one incorrect statement and it wouldn’t be me who lost my life, but Ellen. I might suffer a fate worse than death.
Just as Eleris was dangerous despite being on my side, Sarkegar was also dangerous while being on my side.
I could feel that in my very skin.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I said.
“What is obvious?”
“Why wouldn’t I get close to Ragan Artorius’s younger sister?”
“...”
“Is the reconstruction of the Demon Realm merely an emotional issue for you, borne out of a desire for revenge?”
Sarkegar’s expression didn’t improve.
“Who suggested I attend the Temple to learn human methods to defeat humans with their own weapons? Wasn’t that you?”
“...”
“Your Highness, attend the Temple and learn their methods thoroughly! Defeating them with their own weapons is the truest form of revenge!”
Sarkegar had been the one most vehemently in favor of sending me to the Temple.
Wasn’t this just an extension of his logic?
“Ragan Artorius’s younger sister, a weapon that humans will surely consider their most powerful one, is risking her life to save mine. Why are you angry about this?”
“...”
“I did not plan the events of today, but I thought you’d at least be pleased to know this.”
Sarkegar nodded slowly.
“You are saying, Your Highness, that you are using the bloodline of that damned hero. Is that correct?”
“Precisely.”
Sarkegar studied me intensely.
He moved a step closer, bringing his face right up to mine, our noses were almost touching.
“Your Highness, you’re terrible at lying.”
“...”
Sarkegar’s unyielding gaze bore into me.
“You think I do not know that you genuinely care for that child?”
When Ellen had suddenly appeared, I had lost my composure. I had been genuinely flustered. It had been such an unexpected situation, and Sarkegar had seen right through my reaction.
‘I will use Ellen. I’ll make her my ally and utilize her.’
Sarkegar couldn’t possibly believe such cold words. My own reactions had betrayed me, revealing Ellen’s importance to me. Just as Ellen thought of me as precious, I thought the same of her.
Sarkegar had already perceived that.
I met Sarkegar’s intense gaze head-on. I was terrified, but could not back down.
“So what if I do?”
“... Pardon?”
My bold statement left Sarkegar astonished, and even Eleris seemed taken aback by my words.
“For God’s sake, it was Ragan Artorius who killed my father, the former Demon King, not Ellen!”
“Pardon me?”
“Can’t I like a human for once? Is that such a great sin?”
Sarkegar’s eyes widened in a different kind of shock at my sudden outburst of profanity.
“Your Highness! Ragan Artorius is the archenemy who murdered the former Demon King! You should be eradicating the entire Artorius bloodline! How can you treasure someone with such vile and filthy blood? This is unacceptable!”
“I don’t care, you bastard. Yes, I plan to use her, and yes, she’s important to me. So what?!”
“Your Highness!”
“Bloody hell, you twit. Hey. Is it your place to question what the Demon King does?”
“...”
I narrowed my eyes, causing Sarkegar to take a step back. I shook my head as I watched him retreat.
“You know what, this won’t work.”
“Y-Your Highness... Wh-What do you mean it won’t work...?”
“You be the Demon King.”
“Sorry?”
“You heard me. You be the Demon King. If you’re going to question everything I do, then you might as well take the role. Isn’t that right? Just do it, you son of a bitch. Transform into an Archdemon and take over!”
“Your Highness! You know that’s not my intention, nor could I ever assume such a role!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
I stepped closer to Sarkegar, and with each step forward that I took, he took one backwards.
“Then shut up and do as I say. Just do the tasks I entrust you with. What’s it matter to you if I act like an asshole or if I do something incomprehensible? So what if I’m friends with the hero’s sister or deeply involved with her? What will you do if you can’t understand my actions?”
“...”
“I am the only Archdemon!”
I leaned my face close to Sarkegar’s. “Whether or not you understand or agree with my actions, you have no other choice but me.”
“...”
“Leave Ellen alone,” I said, and Sarkegar’s eyes wavered. “Unless you want the Archdemon’s corpse in your hands. Do you understand me?”
‘To die for you... I never intended to prove that sentiment here, but...’
Here I was, in a place without Ellen beside me, risking my life to intimidate my subordinate. I could see clearly the fear, anger, and sorrow in Sarkegar’s eyes.
After a long moment, tears eventually flowed from Sarkegar’s intense eyes. “Your Highness. This cannot be. The child knows nothing, does she?”
“...”
“Although I do not understand... You may accept her, Your Highness, but she will never accept you.”
Sarkegar’s tears were, in the end, tears of genuine concern for me.
“Your Highness, this is dangerous,” he pleaded tearfully. “It is far too dangerous a relationship, and a gamble you should not be taking.”
Eleris had also said she hoped our relationship would not end tragically.
Just because I was able to cherish someone from the bloodline of the one who had killed my father didn’t mean Ellen could accept someone from the bloodline of the one who had killed her brother.
I wasn’t merely a simple enemy. I was both a scion of the bloodline of her enemy, and the seed of a significant conflict.
It would be impossible for Ellen to accept me.
I understood Sarkegar’s tears, his worries, his anxieties, and his words. I understood them all, but understanding them did not mean I would heed them.
“Shut up. I don’t care about anything else, but if you so much as touch a hair on Ellen’s head, the entire Demon Realm and everything else with it will be gone.”
“...”
“That’s the one thing you need to remember. Got it?”
“Your Highness... please.”
“Answer me.”
“This cannot be. Please, anything but this...”
“Answer me, now.”
Sarkegar, sobbing uncontrollably, finally nodded.
“Yes... Your Highness.”
I hadn’t managed to convince him, but I had succeeded in making him submit.