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< 38 : The Demon (3) >
A small village in the southeast of the empire.
Hans was born and raised in such a small village, and lived as a farmer until he reached middle age.
The village was located in a remote mountainous area, where outsiders rarely visited.
Only occasionally, tax collectors or officials would come to the village to impose taxes.
It was rare for Hans to see unfamiliar faces in his village.
That’s why the village he knew was always quiet and peaceful.
At least until yesterday.
“What’s that noise?”
Boom!
A heavy collision sound echoed in Hans’ ears as he was returning home.
From the mountain where the sound came from, a huge smoke rose into the air.
He didn’t know exactly what had happened, but judging by the smoke, it was not a good sign.
Hans felt uneasy as he watched the smoke from afar, and then he started to move towards the source of the smoke.
It could be a situation that could affect the village.
Someone had to check the scene.
“What on earth happened here?”
A sound that he only heard when lightning struck echoed from the mountain.
Something bad had happened in the mountain, there was no doubt about it.
Hans quickly moved along the familiar mountain path, and soon he was able to see the cause of the noise.
In the middle of a forest hidden by dense trees.
There was something with a huge body lying there.
“Th-this is…!”
-Grrrrrrrrr.
The black mass twitched slightly.
The tentacles that extended from the mass acted as legs to move its body.
Boom! Thud!
The mass with tentacles was slowly advancing with a heavy sound.
Every time the huge thing moved forward, the trees around it were twisted and fell down.
Hans covered his mouth as he saw the moving body in front of him.
“…”
What Hans saw was a monster.
A monster that looked like it came out of somewhere in hell, not this world.
Hans realized for the first time in his life that he had met a being that fit the word monster best.
The ground shook and the forest collapsed just by moving.
The body that he had to look up at with a headache was so big that it seemed like it wouldn’t budge even if he stabbed it with a sword.
It was a disaster-like being.
It was not a being that a mere human could face and survive.
‘I have to go back.’
Hans realized the seriousness of the situation and started to back away slowly.
He shouldn’t have met such a dangerous being.
The best thing to do was to get away from there as quickly as possible.
He also had to evacuate the people in the village.
To deal with such a thing, the lord who ruled the region had to come up with a solution himself.
As residents of a small village, there was nothing they could do.
Hans finished his judgment of the situation and tried to leave the place.
At that moment.
An eye popped out from the back of the monster that was walking towards the opposite side.
-Grrrrrrrrr.
“Hu-huh…!”
Hans’ body stiffened as he met the monster’s eye.
A huge eye that popped out from the mass stared at Hans.
He was caught.
That was the only thought left in Hans’ mind.
Thud! Boom!
The monster that met Hans immediately started to run towards him.
The noise echoed one after another, and the distance between Hans and the monster quickly narrowed.
-“What are you?”
The monster brought its large eye closer to Hans, who had closed the gap.
At the same time as the monster’s eye approached, an unfamiliar voice echoed in Hans’ head.
It was not a language that Hans knew.
Yet he could understand its meaning.
The monster was asking him a question.
A question about Hans’ identity.
Hans answered his name to the monster with a trembling voice.
“Ha-Hans…”
-“Hans? Is that what you call your life forms?”
“What do you mean…?”
-“Are those things gathered over there all life forms called Hans?”
A tentacle that stretched out from the darkness pointed in the direction of the village.
It was a question asking if everyone in the village was Hans.
It seemed that he was not asking for his name, but rather for the concept of being human.
Hans’ answer itself was wrong.
He corrected his answer again.
“We… we call ourselves humans.”
-“Humans. That is your name.”
“Yes, yes. What are you…?”
-“I am the Lord of the Abyss, Cuebaerg. I came here by the call of the Great One.”
The Lord of the Abyss, Cuebaerg.
It was a name that Hans had never heard before.
Of course, even if there was a more impressive name, a mere farmer from a rural village would not know it.
Thud. Rumble.
Cuebaerg’s eyes came closer to Hans as he finished speaking.
-“And the Great One desires the souls of humans.”
“Wha…?”
-“Humans, become one with the Abyss.”
A thick tentacle stretched out from the darkness and grabbed Hans’ body.
Hans’ panicked eyes looked at Cuebaerg.
Below the giant eyes that were staring at Hans.
There, a large mouth revealed itself.
The huge mouth opened wide, and beyond it, an endless abyss welcomed Hans.
As Cuebaerg moved himself towards his mouth, Hans struggled and screamed.
“Wa, wait! Spare me!”
-Grrrrr.
“I don’t want to die like this! Save me! Please! No!”
Despite his pleas, Cuebaerg’s tentacle did not stop.
The slowly moving tentacle stopped at the top of the open mouth.
The tentacle that was wrapped around Hans’ body started to loosen its grip.
Hans tried to grab the tentacle that was slipping away from him to avoid falling down.
But Cuebaerg’s tentacle refused his touch and dispersed like mist.
Hans’ body fell towards Cuebaerg’s huge mouth as he lost his hold.
“Aaaaaahhhhh!”
Crunch.
With a gruesome sound, Hans’ consciousness was cut off.
***
The only archbishop of the Order, Roan Hebris, looked at the door where the guest started to enter.
Roan was currently in a mansion that he rented from the lord of Shuron.
He rented it for the purpose of using it for himself and the Order’s party.
And the guest who came to the mansion was the person he was aiming for.
The first prince of the Count of Meyer, Rex Meyer.
He entered the mansion with his only escort.
“This is the mansion where Lady Eysalia stays.”
As Rex and Palios stepped into the mansion, Peter, who greeted them, closed the door again.
Thud.
The sound of the door closing echoed and Palios glanced at Roan.
But he soon moved his steps to follow Rex as he found Eutenia.
Tap. Tap.
Rex walked towards Eutenia and found his seat opposite her.
Then he gracefully greeted her with a noble’s salute.
“Nice to meet you, Lady Eysalia.”
Eutenia smiled innocently at him as she received his greeting.
Rex’s cheeks turned red as he faced Eutenia.
He stared at her for a moment, then sat down awkwardly on the chair opposite her.
As Rex, who came to see Eutenia, sat down, Eutenia’s sweet voice rang out in the hall.
“Are you Rex?”
“…Yes?”
“Answer.”
“I am Rex Meyer, but you are being too rude for a first meeting…”
It was a rude attitude for anyone to see a viscountess from a neighboring country.
Palios, who escorted Rex, also frowned at Eutenia.
But Roan, who watched that scene, couldn’t help but curl his lips with a smile that leaked out.
It was funny to point out the rude attitude of Eutenia.
If he thought about what would happen next, it was a scene that made him laugh naturally.
“That’s enough.”
“What did you say…?”
“Roan. I’ve set up a barrier in the mansion, so you can do whatever you want now.”
Eutenia opened the book that was on her lap and spoke.
As Eutenia said that it was her turn, Roan, who was watching the situation, got up from his seat.
It was now Roan’s job to solve it.
Swoosh.
As soon as Palios heard the word barrier, he drew his sword.
He seemed to have noticed that the situation was turning bad.
But in Roan’s opinion, it was too late to react.
From the moment they entered the barrier of the First Apostle Eutenia, it was impossible for them to get out.
“A barrier? What are you trying to do?”
“Sir Palios?”
“Your Highness, be careful. It seems that they have set a trap for you.”
Palios, who drew his sword, stepped in front of Rex and started to guard around.
He seemed to be wary of Roan and Eutenia’s movements.
Peter, who received Palios’ sharp gaze, flinched reflexively.
But Roan had already prepared a plan to subdue the knight who stood up to protect Rex.
Among the apostles of the Order, there was a person who specialized in subduing opponents.
Roan looked up at the ceiling of the mansion.
“Sir Evan. It’s your turn to move.”
“Is it already time for that?”
At the voice that came from the ceiling, Palios raised his sword in an instant.
A blue flash struck down towards the floor and Evan revealed himself.
Crackle. Sparkle.
Evan, who appeared in a lightning strike, reached out to Palios.
Evan came down on a current and appeared behind Palios, so Palios had no choice but to give up his back without being able to respond properly.
“You bastard, when did you get there…!”
“——Astraphe.”
A strong spark flew from Evan’s hand that grabbed Palios’ head.
Zap!
The current flowed through the gauntlet and Evan’s lightning strike poured out towards Palios.
The blue flash that came out of Astraphe covered Palios’ body in an instant.
Palios, who was hit by Evan’s lightning strike in contact, screamed in pain.
“Aaaahhh…!”
“Sir Palios!”
“Aaaahhh! Ugh…”
Palios, who screamed from the current flowing through his body, collapsed.
Rex looked at Evan with fear-filled eyes as he saw Palios’ eyes roll back and faint.
But Evan ignored Rex and just grabbed Palios’ neck and dragged him away.
Rex could only sit blankly and watch Palios being dragged away.
Evan, who passed by Rex and moved, looked at Roan and spoke.
“Is this one enough?”
“Of course, Apostle. You did well.”
“Call me when the situation is settled.”
“I will.”
After a brief conversation, Evan took Palios with him and disappeared somewhere in the mansion.
With Palios gone, who had been guarding Rex’s side, Roan finally approached Rex.
The eyes of Rex, who was terrified, and Roan, who was calm, met in the air.
There was no one left to protect Rex anymore.
Rex, who was left alone, trembled his hand and threatened Roan.
“Do you, do you know who I am? If I disappear, the count’s family will surely take action.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes! If you don’t want to get in trouble, you better let me go right now!”
“What a pity. The trouble has already happened.”
“What do you mean…?”
Roan leaned his face towards Rex, who was puzzled.
As Roan’s face got closer, Rex’s pupils began to widen.
And at the moment when Rex’s pupils expanded to the limit.
The face of the black mage with a playful smile filled the sight of the young nobleman who couldn’t hide his surprise.