The Central Continent was home to dense and lush forests that were mostly inaccessible to human beings. In other words, the winding paths within could only be traversed by monsters and beasts. However, one would be able to enter these forests through the Pallan Empire.
Trudge…
A black knight slowly moved forward with the support of the surrounding huge trees. At a single glance, one could tell that his situation was not that good. His sword-wielding hand had become useless, broken in half and crushed. Even his armor, which looked as if it had once been sturdy and tough, was broken in several places and revealed his hideous injuries.
Trudge… trudge…
Creak, creak, creak!!!
The silent knight stopped in his tracks upon spotting a small forest monster, a common goblin, that blocked his path.
A single goblin was not much of a threat, but they were vicious and hard to deal with when in a group. Realizing that the knight had fatal injuries, the goblin began measuring the distance between them. It was planning to attack.
The knight just stopped walking. He stared silently at the goblin.
—Kiiiiiiik!
Not long after, the goblin saw a gap that it could take advantage of. It immediately charged forward in a fierce attack.
The black knight raised his good arm toward the monster. His movement was so slow that it appeared almost impossible for him to reach the goblin in time.
Crack!!!
Suddenly accelerating his movement, the knight snatched the goblin’s head in an instant. Then, without any mercy, he slammed the monster into the giant tree next to him.
The goblin’s head exploded.
“Hoo… hoo…” the knight breathed roughly from underneath his helmet.
Grabbing his abdomen, he slowly collapsed to the forest floor. He was suffering from extremely grave injuries.
The knight gasped silently on the ground as he took off his helmet, revealing black hair that spilled out. He threw up a mouthful of blood. “Urk!”
The man looked very much like a human being, but his eyes were completely different from any regular human. His eyes were a bloody red, a trait of a demon. There was also a small horn protruding from his head, another trait of the demon race.
For the demon race, their horns were a symbol of power, and even such a small horn showed that the man was a high-ranking demon. This was unsurprising. With the exception of the Demon Lord, the largest horn that a demon could have would only reach up to an average finger-length at most. The man’s horn was already considered to be on the larger side.
“Milpieu,” the man mumbled as he slowly turned to the side.
The female vampire dressed in white watched the man, then commented, “Interesting. From what I can see, you have suffered fatal injuries that are far more than what a demon can handle.”
“Are you trying to analyze me?”
“Since we’re allies, I will make sure to be kind to you. I won’t hurt you.”
“Ha! The Alchemist Paracelsus used to be very wary of the demon race, but now it seems like you’ve become daring enough to try and speak of bringing harm to us, huh?”
“You’re an exception,” Milpieu retorted. “Why aren’t you furious? Anger and wrath are natural emotions that you should feel about now.”
“I have never asked for your help. I have more than enough ability to help myself.”
“But I can see a glaring red light that tells me your life is endangered.”
When the man remained silent, Milpieu said, “Lyndis Empire’s Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabella, a member of the beastfolk, is very strong.”
“That’s right. She’s really strong, but so was the little creature who joined her afterward.”
The man could not call that creature a human. After all, the creature had a ring floating above her head and a pair of wings on her back.
“Don’t touch her,” said Milpieu firmly.
The man looked at Milpieu suspiciously. “How come? I believe we have to deal with such a dangerous being before they become even more powerful. This is so your Lord can be resurrected completely, and so the Demon Lord can be reincarnated.”
“It won’t really be a problem. She’ll gradually grow stronger, yes, but it is not that simple a matter,” said Milpieu. When the man’s eyes narrowed at her words, she added, “If you dare to touch her, a human will make a move.”
“And that someone is…?”
“The one who killed Nyx. His name is Davey O’Rowane.”
After a moment of silence, the man said, “Do you mean the human Warrior? Only one human managed to get past me because of the Grand Duchess. It’s surprising that Nyx disappeared right after that.”
“Not the Warrior. The human is a boy who probably entered the area by completely deceiving your senses.”
Milpieu was stating that there was something or someone on the human side that the demons should absolutely not touch. The man decided to report it to their main forces. However, he found it very difficult to make contact with them at the moment.
“At the very least, I don’t want you to die under his hands. Humans rarely visit this place. You won’t be found here until you recover.”
The man nodded quietly.
“Don’t die. You’re the only one I like among the demon race.”
Although the vampires and the demons were in an alliance, Milpieu’s words were very novel. After all, it came from the mouth of a half-vampire who had always been wary of the demon race. Milpieu might be a half-vampire, but she was indispensable to the vampires. And as a half, she was distinctly different from ordinary vampires.
The demon looked blankly at the sky above him after Milpieu turned into blood and disappeared from sight.
Since coming here from the other side of a spatial crack, the man had lost most of his power. However, the two beings who had stopped them from protecting Nyx’s seal were so powerful that he had almost failed to escape.
The man did not want to collapse here. He still needed to find the slumbering soul of their Demon Lord. He had to find it before those who were greedy for power found her and crushed her will.
Rustle…
At that moment, the shadow of a human appeared in the man’s peripheral vision.
No human was supposed to be in this place, so his eyes could not help but grow wide in shock. The man knew that he could not fight here. He was so weak that any battle could possibly end his life.
The man tried to gather his remaining strength somehow. However, his injuries were far too severe. Even his consciousness was slipping away from him.
“Huh? Hey, are you alright? Caldeiras! Lend me some of your holy mana!”
Before he lost consciousness, he saw the beautiful blonde girl in ragged clothes rushing toward him with a shocked and bewildered expression on her face.
***
Davey glanced at the two people who walked by his side along the dark road that led to his castle. They were none other than Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabella and the male beastfolk assassin, Vendique.
“Are you not going to sleep?”
“Reina…”
Davey silently handed Reina over to the male beastfolk who approached him. Then, he said, “She drank until she passed out.”
Vendique looked at Reina silently before turning to look at Davey. “Thank you for saving Reina.”
After showing an appreciative gesture, Davey promptly ignored Vendique and turned to Kathryn. He asked, “Grand Duchess Kathryn, how’s the guy who slipped past you?”
“It’s the first time in a long time that I thought I would lose my life in a battle. Well, all I can say is that he’s very different from the vampires.”
“The guy’s a demon. And from what I could tell, he’s also a high-ranking one.”
If he could access his full power, perhaps the demon man would be even more dangerous than Nyx. Of course, that was also assuming that the Abyss did not lend them any power.
“Hoo… It’s no wonder that he’s extremely strong,” Grand Duchess Kathryn said, nodding in understanding. “Your Highness, I’ll have to go back to the Imperial Palace right away.”
“Already?”
“Yes. I have to make an official report regarding this. Ah, Valkass Coastal City State has sent me a message asking me to thank you on their behalf. They said that they’re deeply indebted to you and your kindness, and that they would make sure to repay you properly.”
The city state of Valkass had almost been destroyed by a monster attack, so everyone there was clearly still shocked and frightened. This was also the reason why they were very grateful for Davey’s help.
When Grand Duchess Kathryn turned around to leave, Davey offered, “I’ll send you back.”
“It’s fine. I plan to enjoy my vacation since I am already away from the Imperial Palace. So, I’m going to take it slow on my way back,” Grand Duchess Kathryn said cheekily. As Davey stayed silent, she added, “I would appreciate it if you informed me of anything that involves him next time.”
Then, she disappeared in front of Davey.
Since Nyx’s issue had been dealt with, Grand Duchess Kathryn had nothing else to do here.
Only then did Davey turn to the silent Vendique, who was looking at him. He asked, “Do you have anything to say to me?”
“Reina’s life span…”
“One week. She has spent one whole day now, so there should be six days left.”
Reina’s life span couldn’t actually be predicted with much accuracy, but it was obvious that she did not have long to live.
“Can she…be saved?” Vendique asked with a miserable expression on his face.
Davey shook his head. “Everyone has their own time.”
“Can you…not save her?”
Davey said, “It’s not entirely impossible…”
“Yes?”
“At the very least, you can try and pray to the Goddess. You’ll never know, there’s a chance that the entire universe will move and make your desperate prayers come true.”
Vendique was speechless, but he understood Davey’s words perfectly. In this case, hoping for a miracle was completely useless. However, instead of getting angry, Vendique tried to ask for other methods out of pure desperation.
“Is there really no other way? I’m willing to give my life in exchange for her.”
Thud!!!
Davey punched the male beastfolk in the stomach.
“Ugh…”
Although Davey did not put any strength into the punch, the beastfolk was only strong enough to withstand part of the blow.
“You want me, the Saint and God’s first servant, to desecrate a human body? Are you crazy?”
“…”
One thing was for sure. There was no way for Reina to extend her lifespan with how her physical body was right now.
“Then… Am I supposed to just let her go like that?!”
“Why should that be my business?”
“B-But…”
“If I were you, I would put my efforts into thinking of a way to send her off properly.”
Vendique fell silent.
“Think about what you can do for a stupid woman who has been fighting bloody battles for almost half of her life.”
The beastfolk’s desperate expression grew darker at his comment, but Davey simply walked away and left him behind.
People viewed the concept of salvation differently. Some thought that salvation was achieving happiness, while some thought that it was moving past regrets and lingering feelings.
Davey did not say anything until he disappeared from Vendique’s sight. Only after he completely left the man behind did he turn and call out, “Rinne?”
At Davey’s call, the silver-haired girl suddenly popped out from the bushes in a disguise. She had a head piece made of leaves and shrubs to camouflage her with the surroundings. In fact, she looked just like a soldier trying to camouflage and assimilate with her surroundings. If Davey were to be honest, she looked a bit funny.
***
Davey, who did not know why Rinne was hiding behind the bushes and watching him in disguise, just played along. Only after everything was done did he ask, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Rinne turned quiet for a moment. She looked like she was agonizing about how she would explain this. After a while, Rinne raised her head and said, “According to Rinne’s analysis, if Rinne did not do this, she would attract the attention of Sir Davey.”
“Where did you learn this useless thing?”
“Yuria Helishana. Rinne values Yuria’s sense of humor very highly.”
In other words, it was pure and utter nonsense.
“What’s the matter?”
“Rinne came to deliver Aina’s report.”
The relaxed and calm smile on Davey’s face immediately vanished.
“We have identified two high-ranking nobles and seven low-ranking nobles who have ties with the criminal syndicates and have made a move in the Heins Territory. Collection of evidence has been completed.”
“Is that what she said?”
“Rinne believes that she can handle it. Rinne values assassinations highly. Rinne can finish it quickly the moment you give your orders.”
‘What can’t you do?’
Davey immediately stopped himself from asking that question in his mind. He only said, “No. Turn over all of the evidence to His Majesty. Let’s leave this matter to Baris.”
“Rinne asks for the reason. Rinne’s thinking circuits cannot understand the meaning.”
“Baris will eventually be King. That’s why I have to slowly and gently let him make decisions regarding such matters.”
If the boy was going to be King, he had to ease his way into dealing with such matters.
—Stop joking around. You’re just more interested in that squirming flesh than dealing with that.
‘Oh. It seems I got caught.’
Even Rinne, who did not have contact with Perserque, seemed to feel the same way.
“That is a bit more urgent.”
Davey could kill his enemies anytime he wanted. However, if he did not thoroughly check and confirm what his enemies were capable of, then he would not be able to prepare properly.
Davey took out a small bottle containing the small flesh that was now twitching violently. Originally, the piece of flesh that Davey had ripped off was dozens of times larger than it was now. However, after receiving stimulation through magic, its size had reduced. It looked like it was pretending to be dead.
“Very efficient skin tissue. However, it is something that hurts beauty. Rinne evaluates this lowly.” Rinne immediately took a step back and pulled out the crowbar when Davey pushed the flesh-carrying bottle toward her. “Approach cautiously… Approach cautiously. Rinne evaluates this lowly!”
It seemed like the piece of flesh was a highly hated object.
***
Reina’s party had been with her through many life-and-death situations. Except for Vendique, the rest of her party had been assigned to her by the Holy Empire. However, the time that they had spent together had nurtured such affection between them that they could not believe the fact that Reina was already nearing her death.
Perhaps it was that very reason that made them come to Davey, asking for his help. As for Vendique, he was now missing.
They came to see Davey after witnessing how Reina had to nurse a terrible hangover early in the morning. However, they all ended up throwing in the towel.
Just like what Davey had told Vendique, for them to try to save Reina at this point would deprive her of her last chance of entering the cycle of reincarnation. Simply put, once she died, Reina would be completely forgotten by everyone.
Meanwhile, Davey continued his experiment with the tentacle that he had ripped off. He found out that the listless tentacles that had been separated from its main body would multiply and grow on their own with the help of a certain catalyst.
The tentacles were also inherently attracted to Perseque for some reason. Wherever Perserque was at the moment, they would immediately charge toward her upon securing their safety.
[Shock]
However, they flinched even from Davey casting a weak spell on them.
Of course, the spell that Davey used was not a simple 1st Circle shock spell. It was a 1st Circle shock spell that had the effect of a 4th Circle one.
For Davey, it was necessary to determine all of the risks involved with the tentacles. He needed to distinguish the factors that were harmful to Perserque and the ones that were not.
“Since I’m going to make something for you, then I need to check its synergy with you, right?”
Perserque peeked out from Davey’s pocket only to be greeted by the tentacles banging against the container walls that they were trapped in. Then, Perserque rested her elbows on the lining of Davey’s pocket before calmly and leisurely saying…
—You just want to see me freak out. I’m sorry, but I won’t let you do whatever you want. So, you better wake up and stop whatever you’re doing.
“Ah. You’re very cold-hearted.”
—…
Perserque was rendered speechless after hearing Davey’s blunt answer.
Snatch!!!
Once Perserque was off-guard, Davey immediately grabbed her before solemnly saying, “I don’t think you’re aware of the seriousness of this matter yet. I don’t know anything about the other side. Do you know what this means?”
—If you’re going to say that you don’t know how to prepare for it in advance, then you can stop. I already know.
Perserque nodded with a grave expression on her face.
“That’s right. I do not intend to lose you. I also do not intend to resurrect you as the Demon Lord nor do I intend to respond and play along with whatever strange things those black bastards are saying.”
That was why this sample was very important to Davey. He silently activated a pre-prepared magic circle on the lump of flesh and injected his mana.
Twitch… twitch…
The moment Davey’s mana entered the flesh of the Abyss, it began to twitch violently.
—Davey…
“Trust me.”
Perserque avoided Davey’s gaze as she blushed, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She flew up and landed on top of his head. Then…
Clang!!!
A bunch of tentacles popped out quickly and roughly out of the small bottle, actively searching for Perserque’s soul form.
Noticing how Perserque’s expression immediately turned pale at the slimy tentacles’ sudden activation, Davey asked, “You still can’t get used to it?”
—This… This is a natural reaction. It’s disgusting. I really want to avoid it as much as physically possible…
Seeing how the tentacles reacted violently after having mana injected into them, Davey thought they were very dangerous. He had not expected that they would react in such a manner to mana.
Davey, who was watching the unexpected situation closely, found something which promptly made his expression turn rigid and stiff.
“Ah. Don’t tell me this…”
At the same time, the tentacles, which were moving actively, suddenly spasmed and contracted as if they were being crushed by the magic that Davey had cast. In the end, the tentacles’ movements slowly subsided. However, the expression on Davey’s face did not ease.
“This is a bit more serious than what I initially thought…”
—Don’t take the Abyss like it’s a joke. The Abyss can do what it pleases and is much more dangerous than you think.
Perserque was anxious, since this was her first time seeing such a solemn expression on Davey’s face.
The changes that Davey was witnessing had grown far beyond what he had expected. However, he never meant to make the woman worry over something unnecessary.
“The range of activity is too spicy. Let’s adjust it and turn it into a mild one.”
Just then, small hands suddenly started to pull at Davey’s hair.
Even though he was joking around, Davey was watching the changes made by his mana in the lump of flesh closely and accurately. From what he could see, it was immune to the physical and non-physical laws of this world.
The finding was so shocking that Davey felt dizzy for a moment.
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