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[There are a few requirements to make the best undead.]
A hypothetical had become a certainty.
Joshua’s eyes darkened as he walked. If what Lugia said was true, it would be possible to wield up to twelve superhumans like an extension of himself. Joshua didn’t have the whole story, but it was intriguing nonetheless.
[First, the caster. You need to find a magician who’s familiar with the death contract—but you don’t need to worry about this part. You’re in luck. I, Lugia, can do that!]
[Second, a vessel for the soul to reside in. Thanks to that big ignorant brute burying the body like it actually means something, we shouldn’t have a problem there. The best vessel is the soul’s original body,] Lugia triumphantly proclaimed.
[Magi… as far as I can tell, you’re fully capable of utilizing this demonic power. If I’m correct, your strong affinity with magi will smooth out any problems.]
[It’s been less than twenty-four hours since he died, and it’s a beautiful day… This is the perfect time.]
Even if everything is taken care of, what are you able to do with just your will? Joshua interjected.
[Oh? Now you’re interested. You’re actually pretty greedy, aren’t you?]
It’s just a legend, but everyone knows that you can’t form a Death Knight’s contract without the contractee’s permission.
[It wouldn’t be a Death Knight if it was.]
What? Joshua twitched.
[Like you said, I can’t make him a Death Knight through sheer force of will, even if I were the demon king. So why waste your time, right? You have to find a way around the problem. In this case, the solution isn’t the next best, it’s the best.]
Joshua didn’t reply, but Lugia’s words lingered in his mind.
[What I’m trying to make is a Dullahan, a myth even in the demon realms: the Lord of Dullahans.]
Joshua blinked in surprise.
[Of course, there’re a lot of requirements for making the legacy of the demon god, but…]
Lugia continued to speak, and each revelation saw Joshua’s eyes widening more and more.
“Master?” Cain gave Joshua a concerned look when he suddenly stopped walking. Almost everyone was already inside the gates; only Cain and Joshua, who were in the back, remained outside the castle.
“You go ahead.”
“Sorry?”
“My king?” Leo approached, his ears slightly red.
“I need to go out.”
“Right now?”
“It may take some time.”
“Then I—”
Joshua shook his head. “You two need to get to work immediately. For now, Cain?”
“I-I’m listening!”
“It’s not going to be easy, but the mission should be ready to depart at noon.”
“The mission?” Cain blinked.
“We’re headed to Eiden Gorge. We’ll leave the bare minimum garrison and move as quickly as possible.”
“U-Umm…”
“You intend to deal with Count Cox and the other traitors.”
“Icarus?” Cain flinched when the sapphire-eyed tactician came up beside him.
“If you don’t dig up the roots, the weeds could spring up at any moment. We don’t want that thorn in our foot.”
“Yeah?”
“There is a problem, though. There’s an extra way out of the basin right now.”
“I already sent someone there.”
“Someone…? Ah!” Icarus’s eyes lit up.
“I sent him to the Dennis River and told him to find them.”
“Who the hell is he? I don’t think I’ve heard his name yet—”
“That’ll come later,” Joshua murmured.
What’s the point? Icarus unconsciously clenched a fist in irritation.
Icarus’s attention was drawn elsewhere, however, when Cain began nodding sagely.
“Don’t worry, master. If that’s the case, then go ahead. I was worried you’d leave me behind. Also, I’ve decided that you can’t leave without my permission. I’m watching you for the next 24 hours, so don’t try to trick me.”
“What’s going on?” A sharp voice came from behind them.
Icarus and Cain both tossed a confused look over their shoulders.
“Oh, um…” Iceline suddenly found herself at the center of attention and blushed.
She still didn’t know what they were so excited about, but now everyone knew there was a woman under the cloak.
“Master…” Cain’s expression just barely managed to avoid looking angry. “Seriously, you have some problems…”
“Playboy,” Icarus spat.
For once, Cain and Icarus agreed on something.
Joshua sighed. “Leo.”
“Yes, my king. Please, speak.”
Joshua turned to face him and was immediately blindsided by the look of admiration in Leo’s eyes. It was worse than the look Leo gave him after he defeated the Mercenary King. Joshua coughed awkwardly and tried to ignore it.
“You take the Wilhelm Knights back to Reinhardt.”
“Yes, yes. We will also assist, of course—” Leo blinked. “You said Reinhardt, not Eiden Gorge?”
“Yeah.”
“But… why?”
Joshua turned to Icarus, who nodded.
“Reinhardt is in danger.”
“Huh?”
“EHHH?”
Leo and Cain were stupified.
“Reinhardt is the symbol of peace—but then suddenly appeared in the middle of the Avalon Empire. How do you think people are going to react?”
“But that wasn’t what it meant. We just—”
“It doesn’t matter what you think it means. People believe what they want to believe. This is Reinhardt we’re talking about. It’s powerful, well defended, and the only neutral city on the continent.” Icarus turned from Leo, who still looked confused, to Joshua. “To be honest, I still don’t get it. The Wilhelm Knights could only come here if His Majesty the Emperor allowed them to cross the border.”
“There’s not much to say. He let Marquis Crombell and the Mercenary King join forces,” Cain murmured.
“You don’t understand the Emperor.”
“In English, please, miss.”
“It’s plain as day: he wants to swallow up Reinhardt.”
“Really…” Cain shook his head. They called the Emperor mad for his warlike tendencies—it was no surprise he wanted to conquer Reinhardt.
“Since our hero won the Master Battle, he must have decided that now is the best time to take Reinhardt. The whole continent will change depending on how our master here acts.”
They were silent for a moment while that sank in.
“Right now, not much is happening. But whatever you, master, decide will drastically alter the fate of the continent.”
Cain shivered. It seemed like the whole world was made for his master. Would he have ever felt this way if he hadn’t sworn himself to Joshua Sanders?
“So.” Icarus’s eyes gleamed sharply in the moonlight. “What will you do next?”
Joshua was silent for a long moment.
“…I…”
The skies above the Black Forest were torn apart by a bestial roar as an enormous shadow tore through the canopy.
The Beast of Tripia directed its wrath at the ground.
Mighty man-eating ogres held their breaths, the nigh-unkillable trolls cowered in the shadows, and the orc hordes trembled.
A monster as large as a castle hovered over the dark trees. Its eyes were proud and golden, and its scales were black and impenetrable.
“Overwhelming” would be a hilarious understatement.
The dragon, the strongest creature in the world, roared.