Chapter 118
Reidrun was in anguish.
Where had the honor of the demon race gone?
What had he been fighting for until now?
It felt like his 150 years of life had been completely denied.
‘Why did you make such a choice…’
He dared to resent the Demon King.
Though he knew it was an irreverent thought, he couldn’t help it.
Demons and humans cannot coexist.
One side must perish for the other to survive.
These two propositions are absolute truths that all demons learn from birth.
This was also why wars had continued for hundreds of years.
‘That’s why demons have fought.’
No demon ever questioned these self-evident facts.
The same was true for Reidrun.
Until he saw this document sent by Hemis.
*rustle*
Reidrun unfolded the parchment.
He had read it dozens of times already and could recite its contents without looking.
Nevertheless, Reidrun read through the contents once again.
Wondering if he might have missed something.
The document written in Hemis’s own hand began like this:
Reidrun. I believe you’ll understand because you’re a clever child.
Reidrun slowly read through the document.
No demon knows the past. Because we don’t leave records.
Where we came from, why we’re fighting humans on this continent.
There are probably very few demons who know that now.
Perhaps only the Demon King and I remain.
Even for demons, 500 years is an unbearably long time.
Hemis’s story began by going back quite far into the past.
Actually, we are fugitives. The Demon King fled to this land leading us who were defeated in our original world.
From this point, Reidrun doubted his own eyes.
A story no one had ever told.
The first demons never passed this story down to later generations.
It was because of the Demon King’s orders.
Therefore, no demon knows this fact now.
Even if they did know, they wouldn’t speak of it.
Because it was a story that could shake the very foundations of demonkind.
And so the Demon King made a pact, and the war became fixed for a hundred years.
As time passed, the story reached recent events.
The Demon King making a secret agreement with the Human Alliance.
The Demon King’s Army Corps Commander and human commanders moved their soldiers like chess pieces to intentionally maintain the front lines.
And Hemis being exiled to the Black Giant Star for not following such orders.
While not every detail was written, there was enough to understand the overall flow.
What you must do is clear.
The Holy Empire Gatren.
Find and kill the hero they are raising.
The following content was equally shocking.
The Holy Empire Gatren is secretly raising a hero.
Using extremely inhumane methods at that.
Hemis tried to root them out but failed.
The Holy Empire Gatren’s goal isn’t simply to eliminate demons.
It’s to rule the entire continent.
The hero has the power to make that possible.
Never ignore them.
Always be vigilant, and crush any signs as soon as they appear.
For a while, the explanation about Gatren’s secret weapon continued.
Then it reached the end of the document.
First, you must grow stronger.
For now, someone else will take the position of 3rd Corps Commander.
But I’m sure you’ll reclaim that position.
That’s when you must make your move.
But remember, there isn’t much time.
Just before the story ended.
She added as if she had momentarily forgotten.
Ah, don’t worry too much about Choi Hyun-seok.
I’ve already explained to Frisch what needs to be done, so follow that.
Though it’s a dangerous situation in many ways, won’t Choi Hyun-seok survive somehow?
Hemis’s story ended with the content about Choi Hyun-seok.
Reidrun read the sentence written at the very end of the document.
“Thanks to you, the 100 years I spent trapped in the Black Giant Star weren’t boring. Thank you.”
Reidrun read the last sentence over and over again.
Soon after, he carefully folded the parchment and placed it deep within his clothes.
“…”
Looking out the window, the sun was already rising.
Although he had stayed up all night, Reidrun’s eyes were sharper than ever.
As he left the office, Vice Commander Roiger, who had been waiting, approached.
“Has everyone gathered?”
“Yes. The preparations are complete.”
Reidrun immediately went up onto the castle walls.
At the entrance of Gardrak Castle.
Over ten thousand demon race soldiers had gathered on the vast plain.
These were the soldiers of the 8th Division, gathered for the air raid that would begin today.
Suddenly, Reidrun’s expression darkened as he looked at the soldiers.
‘Many will die.’
Even if the battle wouldn’t last long, the casualties would be great.
Perhaps the majority of the soldiers gathered here would die.
That was what the Demon King wanted.
Because wars had been continuously scaled down over the past 100 years, the demon race had become too numerous.
One of the hidden objectives of this war was to thin out the demon race that was overcrowding the narrow territory.
‘Their deaths right now have no meaning.’
Reidrun thinks.
That in this false world, their deaths hold no value.
It’s merely false devotion to maintain a falsehood.
Meaningless death and sacrifice.
‘This isn’t right.’
Reidrun made a vow.
‘I will make your deaths worthwhile, make them have value.’
Reidrun took a deep breath.
His chest swelled as if about to burst.
He shouted as if expelling everything.
“Listen, all of you!”
The shout filled with demonic energy echoed across the vast plain.
The soldiers swallowed hard and listened intently at the force in his voice.
“We are the demon race! Warriors born to fight!”
Reidrun thrust his hand out forcefully.
“Fight! Die! Like true demons! For the honor of the demon race!”
The soldiers would die anyway.
If they had to die anyway, he wanted them to die as honorably as possible.
So they could face their moment of death with dignity.
“Prove to yourselves that you are demons!”
“Waaaaaah-!”
Ten thousand soldiers screamed like madmen.
Even if they didn’t fully understand what Reidrun had said.
The will and spirit contained within was enough to make everyone’s hearts race.
“…”
Leaving the enormous roar behind him, Reidrun turned around.
As he descended the castle wall with a hardened face, he muttered in a determined voice.
“I will remember you all.”
He made a vow.
To reclaim and return the lost honor of the demon race.
***
The Demon Boundary.
This was the term referring to the frontline with the demon race that humans had maintained for the past hundred years.
Many slash-and-burn farmers lived near the Demon Boundary.
People who couldn’t live in normal territories for whatever reason.
Most were criminals or those who had escaped from slavery, but there were others who weren’t.
“Mr. Barzen. Are you going hunting again?”
“Yes. I think we’ll need meat.”
“Be careful. I know you’re skilled with a sword, Mr. Barzen. But there are rumors that the frontline isn’t looking good these days.”
The man continued in a worried voice.
“At times like these, demon beasts always come flooding in. Even for someone like you, Mr. Barzen, if you meet something like an ogre, that’s it!”
The man made a gesture of cutting his throat.
“So you must be careful.”
“Haha! I’ll keep that in mind.”
Barzen laughed heartily and continued walking.
“Mr. Barzen. Be careful! I hear there are a lot more demon beasts these days.”
“Oh, Mr. Barzen. Going hunting?”
People greeted him with recognition wherever he passed.
While it was partly due to the small population in the village, Barzen’s case was a bit more special.
This was because Barzen was essentially the guardian of this village.
A fallen nobleman by birth, they say he was once a renowned knight.
However, his family became implicated in treason.
In the end, he had no choice but to flee to the Demon’s Boundary and become a slash-and-burn farmer – this was the background of the man called Barzen.
During the five years Barzen lived in the village, no one doubted this background of his.
“This village is nice and quiet, but it’s too cramped, that’s the problem.”
Barzen muttered as he walked outside the village.
“There’s no proper place to practice… Should I just live alone?”
A location somewhat distant from the village.
Arriving before a steep cliff, Barzen drew his sword.
“Huu…”
Taking a light deep breath.
The sword in his hand begins to move slowly.
Whoosh!
The sword cut through the air.
An extremely ordinary slash.
However, the result was anything but ordinary.
Rumble rumble rumble…!
The massive cliff begins to collapse.
Cleanly cut along the sword’s path, the cliff was sliding down as if by magic.
A result impossible to believe was done by a human.
In fact, Barzen had a different real name.
The legend of the Drason Empire, Basel Scott.
He had been continuing his sword training alone, wandering through such remote places.
“Hmm… Not satisfactory.”
Just as Basel Scott frowned.
A beautiful voice rang out from behind him.
“Not satisfactory? That’s quite impressive as is. And using almost no magic at that.”
Basel Scott shook his head without turning around.
“My original target was the tree behind the cliff. I think I only managed to cut about half of it.”
Basel Scott’s words were not lies.
Indeed, on the opposite side of the cliff stood a massive tree, which had a wound as if cut by something sharp.
“Oho~ This is truly surprising! You’ve grown more than I expected.”
“Time has passed.”
“Indeed. Roughly 150 years?”
“To be precise, 153 years.”
Finally, Basel Scott turned around.
There stood a woman in a black dress with snow-white skin.
No, could she even be called a woman?
Her face had no eyes, nose, or other features.
Only enormous lips.
The Demon King Army’s 3rd Corps Commander, Hemis, faced Basel Scott.
“Oh my! How is it that you look even younger?”
Hemis said in a surprised voice while covering her lips.
To her eyes, Basel Scott appeared like a man in his 40s.
He seemed at least 20 years younger than when she last saw him.
“Where did your beard go? Though unsightly, it had its own charm.”
“It was troublesome to maintain.”
“That’s really too bad.”
Her voice conveyed no regret at all, contrary to her words.
“Anyway, it’s really amazing. Who would believe you’re a 300-year-old man?”
“You haven’t changed at all yourself. 150 years ago. You look exactly the same.”
“I take good care of my skin.”
Basel Scott’s eyebrow twitched for a moment.
“Is that a joke?”
“It is.”
“Your personality has changed.”
“Really? Well, I have become a bit brighter. Ohohoho!”
Hemis laughed in her characteristic high pitch.
Basel Scott shook his head with a hearty laugh.
“Ha, to think that awful laugh would feel welcome. I must be getting old.”
A laugh that was once so unbearable and frightening it caused PTSD.
However, over 150 years had made him forget the fear, and instead filled that space with fighting spirit.
“So. Have you come to finish our unresolved battle?”
“Hmm~ Something like that.”
Hemis grinned.
“More precisely, I’ve come to catch the coward who tucked tail and ran 150 years ago.”
“Someone might misunderstand. That wasn’t running away, it was a strategic retreat.”
“As always, these so-called legends are just full of pride. When you look closer, they’re nothing special.”
Hemis ran her tongue across her red lips.
“But this time should be quite fun.”
“Fun… So that was your purpose after all?”
“Do I need anything else?”
“You were always like that. You treated everything as mere entertainment.”
“…”
“Wars where lives fade away, battles fought for honor – to you, they were all just games.”
“Hmm~ I’m not particularly interested in hearing lectures.”
“Just my personal observation.”
Basel Scott continued.
“I thought about the reason. How could you be like that? Why are all battles mere entertainment to you? As I pondered, I suddenly realized.”
“My, how impressive to notice something even I don’t know. What is it?”
Basel Scott answered in a chilling voice.
“It’s because no one could pose a threat to you. Without fear, everything must have felt like just an amusing game to you.”
He raised his sword.
“Today, I’ll make you understand the emotion called fear. Then you’ll no longer spout nonsense about fun before battles where lives are at stake.”
“Fighting with words? These old folks just talk too much.”
As Hemis spoke, Basel Scott kicked off the ground.
