Published at 5th of July 2024 11:11 am

Chapter 501: Delusion (9)

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The Blade of Incarceration.

Gavid knew just how honorable of a title it was. He himself felt proud to carry it.

However, in a certain way, he also felt repelled by this title. To be more precise, he didn’t feel worthy of holding it.

After the end of the war, the Shield of Incarceration had never been reinstated. This was because any shield that had already been broken through once by an enemy had lost all of its meaning.

However, the Staff of Incarceration had been replaced. It wasn’t because of Blood Mary but because the purpose of the role of the Staff of Incarceration had changed.

It became a position that only the best human black wizards could ascend to, thus granting it great political significance. This told everyone that in the new Helmuth Empire, even the human black wizards could rise to higher positions. Unlike the other Demon Kings or demonfolk, the Demon King of Incarceration wouldn’t look down on the black wizards.

The war had just ended. Peace was born thanks to the Oath, but hatred for the Demon Kings, demonfolk, and black wizards had still been running rampant throughout the continent at that time. At the same time, many kingdoms were struggling to deal with the devastation left by the war, and countless people were left without any way to ensure their own livelihood.

That was the cradle from which the empire was born. The Demon King of Incarceration had guaranteed that exceptional black wizards could find a position as one of his closest confidants, and after accepting large numbers of human immigrants without any restrictions, he provided them with a level of welfare that made them never want to return to the continent ever again.

As for the Blade of Incarceration, that position was still left to Gavid Lindman.

The Shield had been broken and discarded. The Staff had been repurposed for political purposes. However, the role of the Blade didn’t go through such a change. No, instead, it was given even greater meaning than before.

The Blade of Incarceration was further entrusted with the rank of Archduke. This meant that, apart from the Demon King of Incarceration, no one in the entirety of this immense empire could claim to hold a higher position than Gavid.

The Blade of Incarceration also came to be regarded as the symbol of knighthood in Helmuth. Even when the Shield had broken, and the Staff had fallen, the Blade would not break and continued to protect its master. This loyal knight had fought for his lord without any regard for his own life.

In the three hundred years following the end of the war, the fact that the Blade of Incarceration hadn’t switched positions even once added an even greater halo to the name Gavid Lindman.

He held the record for the longest career as a knight in the entire history of the Empire. He had held the title of Blade of Incarceration for the longest time, and he was also the only close confidant of the Demon King to have served for such a large number of years.

—No.

Gavid couldn’t accept such high praises.

He hadn’t broken? He hadn’t fallen? That was all nonsense.

The Blade of Incarceration had already been broken three hundred years ago. The only reason the Blade hadn’t died like the Shield and the Staff had was that the Demon King of Incarceration hadn’t allowed him to die. And he continued to bear the title of the Blade of Incarceration despite this failure because the Demon King of Incarceration had rejected his attempt to return the title.

“A duel, you say,” the Demon King hummed thoughtfully.

The request Gavid had just made went directly against the will of the Demon King. The Demon King of Incarceration had already declared his intentions long ago to the entire continent as well as to all of the demonfolk of his empire — that he would be waiting in Babel for the Hero to climb up and face him.

If it were any other demonfolk, it would have been fine for them to make such a request. Whether it was for the sake of their personal feelings, material greed, a desire for fame, or hatred of the Hero, even if it was just to take revenge for an old grudge over something that happened three hundred years ago, it would have been acceptable. It didn’t even matter if there were some other hidden intentions motivating their desire to challenge the Hero.

Because, in the first place, the Demon King of Incarceration had been speaking as an individual and not as an Emperor when he made his declaration. He didn’t intend to enforce his decision on all of the demonfolk in Helmuth.

Therefore, if some other demonfolk did act on his own and managed to kill the Hero before Eugene could even reach the Demon King’s Castle, the Demon King wouldn’t even show the slightest trace of regret.

What the Demon King of Incarceration was patiently waiting for here in his Demon King’s Castle of Babel was the arrival of the true Hero.

He was waiting for the Hero who would truly challenge the Demon King. He was waiting for a Hero who could actually threaten the Demon King. If Eugene were to be killed by some ordinary demonfolk, that would mean he had always been just another insignificant person who didn’t deserve to be called the Hero.

However, the Blade of Incarceration was the only one not allowed to do such a thing. Just like the Demon King of Incarceration had said, a blade should simply follow the will of its wielder.

“Is it not enough to just kill him?” the Demon King asked with that same smile.

Although Gavid’s request went directly against the will of his lord, the Demon King of Incarceration didn’t seem to feel even the slightest trace of discomfort due to this. On the contrary, he was feeling such great amusement that he couldn’t keep it from showing in his expression.

It was just like the time with the specter. The Demon King of Incarceration absolutely loved irregularities. He was thrilled whenever he saw something he hadn’t seen before during all of the many cycles he had experienced in the past. This was because all of these irregularities made him feel like this version of the world was something special and built up his expectations that it might truly be something unique.

“Gavid Lindman, I saw you try to kill Eugene Lionheart,” the Demon King revealed.

As he said this, the Demon King’s thoughts turned towards the specter. He felt some sorrow for the end of such a unique existence. Born without any inherent worth, the specter had found the meaning behind his own existence as he faced his final moments.

Until the very end, the specter didn’t have a name. Nor did he want one. Yet even so, the Demon King would always remember him. Even if the specter had died as a nameless being, the Demon King would forever remember the Death Knight that had been born from Hamel’s corpse, who had refused to don a name and instead called himself a specter.

That is, these memories would last forever so long as the Demon King of Incarceration did indeed continue to live forever.

“I won’t criticize any thoughts you might have had or what led you to act as you did at that moment,” the Demon King said absent-mindedly.

After learning a part of the truth, the specter had thought it over by himself and had reached his own conclusion. So the specter had chosen to test Eugene. That way, if he found that Eugene wasn’t qualified, the specter could kill him personally. By doing so, the specter could ensure that the opportunity for salvation would be carried on to the next era.

But was that the right thing to do? At that time, it was indeed the right choice, at least for the specter. And that was enough for the Demon King of Incarceration.

“...Why have you decided not to criticize me?” Gavid finally asked.

“Because you chose to do what you did out of your own free will,” the Demon King happily explained.

Just like how the Demon King of Incarceration had only ever done what he felt was right for himself, he believed that others should also have the right to do the same. The Demon King of Incarceration also believed in having a transparent and respectful management style when it came to his subordinates.

The Demon King continued, “And I’m sure that you would have also taken care of dealing with the aftermath.”

However, in return for the transparency and respect he gave his subordinates, he also required them to take responsibility for their actions.

“After killing Eugene Lionheart and executing everyone else who happened to be there, you would have surely taken your own life,” the Demon King said without the slightest doubt.

Without showing any surprise, Gavid Lindman calmly returned the Demon King’s gaze as he listened to this prediction.

Soon, a wry smile appeared on his face as he nodded, “Yes, my lord.”

“However, you withdrew your sword just before you could deliver the blow. You changed your mind,” the Demon King accused.

Such decisive action was befitting of Gavid as the Blade of Incarceration. If he had made his choice to kill Eugene from his perspective as the Archduke of Helmuth, the Demon King of Incarceration would have also respected Gavid’s choice.

However, he didn’t think he would feel as amused as he did now.

“Gavid Lindman, my most loyal knight,” the Demon King fondly began. “Although you have served me for such a long time, you have never once attempted to delve into the true intentions behind my orders. If you ever felt any doubts that you couldn’t find the answer to, you would always just abandon such thoughts at that point. This is the first time you have ever pushed open those closed doors, entered the palace without obtaining permission, and sought an answer from me.”

“Yes, that is true,” Gavid admitted.

“Right now, you seem truly desperate and eager. You have served me as the Blade of Incarceration for hundreds of years, but I have never once seen you so caught up in your own desires, have I?” the Demon King inquired.

“Never,” Gavid shook his head.

“So, is that how much....”

The Demon King of Incarceration rose from his throne mid-sentence. The countless, interwoven chains hovering behind the Demon King’s back rose with him.

“...you wish to fight Eugene Lionheart?”

“Yes, my lord,” Gavid confirmed once more.

“You said that you want to fight him using your full strength. If that’s the case, there’s no real need for it to be a duel, is there? That man, he will surely arrive at Babel eventually,” the Demon King argued.

“Your Majesty,” Gavid slowly lowered his head. “If I were to wait for Eugene Lionheart here in Babel, he... there is no way he could give it his all in a fight against me.”

“Hoh,” the Demon King guffawed at Gavid’s denial, his smile growing even wider.

His head still lowered, Gavid slowly continued speaking, “He will definitely try to preserve his strength during our fight. And he might not even choose to fight me on his own. If it comes down to it, I’m not sure if he will prioritize his fight with me over ensuring his future victory.”

The Blade of Incarceration must always stand guard in front of the royal palace. That was also how it had been three hundred years ago. After withdrawing from the Red Plains outside the castle, Gavid had readied the defenses and stationed himself in front of the palace.

After successfully crossing through the plains, there were still many trials lying ahead for the Hero and his companions upon invading Babel.

All of the demonfolk found within the castle could be considered true elites carefully selected from the entire population of demonfolk; they were all genuine powerhouses with strength that didn’t match their outer appearance or rank. They had gained such strength through measures that disregarded their health and even broke several taboos, leaving them all extremely short-lived.

Apart from these guards, there was also the deadly and persistent array of traps, with the Shield and the Staff serving as the penultimate line of defense.

Only by overcoming all of these tribulations could they finally arrive in front of the royal palace. Three hundred years ago, Hamel had died while they were attempting to surmount all of these obstacles. Even a Saint’s miracles couldn’t be all-powerful or infinite in number. Continuous use of such miracles would leave even a Saint exhausted. Likewise, an Archwizard’s mana wasn’t infinite either, and the stamina of any warrior also had its limits.

Three hundred years ago, among the group of humans who made it to the royal palace, everyone except Vermouth had been nearing their limit.

This was all part of the plan. With victory as the goal, regardless of the process, there was no reason for Gavid to face them from the very beginning. For the sake of victory, the right thing to do was to tire out the enemy as much as possible.

Though Gavid was still defeated in the end, that era wasn’t an age in which one could complain that their opponent was a coward for doing what he needed to do in order to win.

The same thing applied to the humans, and the Hero as well.

Since he wanted to win, there was no way Vermouth could fight all on his own. Vermouth always had his comrades with him. Fighting together, the five of them managed to slay three Demon Kings before eventually reaching Bable.

“That seems to be the case,” the Demon King agreed with a smile. “After entering the Demon King’s Castle, the Hero has to kill the Demon King no matter what. Once he has stepped into the castle, we cannot simply allow him to leave or get a chance to rest.”

When Eugene eventually attempted to climb Babel, he would need to overcome many trials just to reach the entrance of the palace.

“Eugene Lionheart has already surpassed the strength that Vermouth possessed three hundred years ago. He alone could have slain Carnage, Cruelty, and Fury, and even if the strength of Vermouth, Sienna, Anise, Molon, and Hamel were all combined, he would still have been stronger than them,” the Demon King said in an amused tone.

There wasn’t a single bit of exaggeration in those claims. Gavid also accepted the Demon King’s evaluation without showing any surprise.

“Allow me to assure you, Eugene Lionheart is the strongest hero I have ever seen. Moreover, he has yet to finish growing. When he eventually attempts to climb Babel, he will surely be able to reach the entrance to my palace without receiving any serious injuries,” the Demon King predicted.

The Demon King of Incarceration slowly descended to the floor. The chains connecting him to his throne floated behind him like a cloak.

“At that point, I wonder how the battle between you two will turn out,” the Demon King mused curiously.

“He will surely refrain from using Ignition,” Gavid replied confidently. “He is also able to draw out a mysterious... sword of light from his chest. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but what is clear is that it is something that he can’t use more than a few times in succession. So I believe that he will also refrain from using that sword.”

If Eugene managed to defeat Gavid, he would immediately have to enter the throne room. As such, it would be absurd for him to use Ignition in his fight against Gavid, as the technique required him to take a few days of rest after every use. He also wouldn’t be able to wait for his divine power to recover after consuming all his uses of the Divine Sword.

The Demon King of Incarceration would only continue to show his mercy while they were still outside of his castle. There was no way that the Demon King would grant them any reprieve once they had invaded his castle.

“So that means he won’t be able to fight me with all his strength. He will surely receive some help from Sienna, and he might also accept the aid of the Saint. He might even bring other companions with him,” Gavid surmised.

Gavid was thinking of Molon of Terror, who was currently guarding Lehainjar. That monstrous human had also managed to stay alive over these long three hundred years following the era of war, and he had become much stronger.

Molon wasn’t the only one who might show up as one of Eugene’s comrades. Gavid recalled the many heroes born during the present era he had seen in the desert. If they all accompanied Eugene together, then....

“I don’t want my fight with him to be under such circumstances,” Gavid said, shaking his head.

He wanted a fight with Eugene like the one the specter had gotten. With Eugene rejecting the help of his companions, Gavid wanted to pit himself against Eugene purely as a knight, warrior, and demonfolk versus another knight, warrior, and human. Without any thought of the consequences, he wanted to be able to fight Eugene with only the immediate thought of winning the fight in their minds.

Gavid wanted to be capable of forcing Eugene to use Ignition. He also wanted to make Eugene swing that mysterious sword at him without restraint.

That kind of fight couldn’t take place here in Babel, the Demon King’s Castle.

“And what if you kill Eugene Lionheart?” the Demon King questioned Gavid.

Gavid vowed, “If so, I shall pay the price for disobeying your will, Your Majesty.”

“Even if that requires you to pay for your mistake with your life?” the Demon King asked as he landed in front of Gavid. “If you are defeated by Eugene Lionheart, you will surely be slain. Whichever one of you dies, your station in front of my palace will still be emptied. The Empire will suddenly lose its Archduke, and the Black Fog will also lose their commander. Have you given any thought to what would happen in that situation?”

Gavid Lindman occupied a critical role in the functioning of the Helmuth Empire. If Gavid were to die, Pandemonium’s entire administrative system would be paralyzed.

“I will start planning for that now,” Gavid promised.

Such words might seem irresponsible of him, but Gavid still said them without hesitation. To think he would actually end up hearing such selfish words from someone like Gavid Lindman – such a reply only caused the Demon King of Incarceration to feel an even greater amusement.

“First, I will need to appoint and train my successor,” Gavid murmured to himself.

The first person that came to mind was Gavid’s vice-commander in the Black Fog. Not only was he excellent at his current job, but he also possessed exceptional fighting skills, so he should be able to fill Gavid’s role, even if it were only temporarily.

“No,” the Demon King of Incarceration shook his head. “There is no need for you to worry about your successor.”

Gavid hesitated, “But—”

“There is also no need for you to return the Demoneye of Divine Glory or the Demon Sword Glory to me either,” the Demon King spoke over Gavid’s attempted protest.

Gavid’s cheeks twitched as he held back his words.

A duel with Eugene was something that was solely motivated by Gavid’s selfish desires. As the Blade of Incarceration, or as the Archduke of Helmuth, it wasn’t something he should be aiming for. So whether he won or lost, either way, Gavid was willing to give his life for it.

As such, Gavid had intended to give up the title of Blade of Incarceration before committing to such a folly. He had also been planning on returning the Demon Sword Glory as well as the Demoneye of Divine Glory.

“Aren’t you being a bit too arrogant?” the Demon King asked with a snort, raising an empty hand into the air.

The hilt of a sword appeared in his empty hand. It was the hilt of the Demon Sword Glory, which Gavid had left in his office.

“Without your Demoneye or Glory, do you really think you could duel a Hero with just your body alone?” the Demon King asked skeptically.

Gavid couldn’t respond.

“You are the Blade of Incarceration,” the Demon King reminded him as he slowly lowered Glory until the sword was touching Gavid’s shoulder.

Gavid bowed his head deeply, “I understand, Your Majesty.”

The Demon King nodded in approval before saying, “You’ll need to take some time and adjust your state.”

“Yes, after all, it’s been a long time since I was last in a duel,” Gavid readily agreed.

“Allow me to give you some help,” the Demon King offered.

Clicliclink.

One of the chains hanging behind him lifted its head. The Demon King of Incarceration tore the whole chain off at its root. The chain shook wildly in front of Gavid, then twisted itself in coils until a heavy bundle of chains was left floating in front of Gavid.

“Use this once you return to your mansion,” the Demon King instructed.

“Yes, my lord.” Gavid politely accepted the gift with both hands, not asking any questions about the true purpose of the chain.

Without saying anything more, the Demon King of Incarceration simply let go of Glory. As he did so, Glory reappeared on Gavid’s waist as if it had been hanging there from the very beginning.

“Are you hoping that I win, Your Majesty?” Gavid suddenly lifted his head and asked.

He watched as the Demon King of Incarceration floated back into the night sky, almost appearing as if he was being dragged upwards by his chains as he returned to his throne.

“No,” the Demon King of Incarceration answered him truthfully. “I hope that you are defeated and slain. Only then will the Hero be able to attempt the climb up Babel.”

Gavid didn’t feel displeased or disappointed by such an answer. Instead, he actually smiled brightly out of a sense of relief.

“Understood, my lord.” The moment Gavid finished his response, the darkness around him suddenly withdrew.

Gavid had just been standing in front of the royal palace, but he now found himself somewhere completely different. He wasn’t in his usual office either.

He was standing at the front door of a mansion, which gave him an unfamiliar feeling. This was actually Gavid’s personal mansion, which he rarely ever used. Gavid let out a snort and turned his head. Not far away, he could see Babel towering up into the air, looking as if it was supporting the entire night sky.

“I didn’t get the chance to ask him about his true intentions,” Gavid muttered.

But that was just how the Demon King was. With a chuckle, Gavid opened up the front door and headed inside.

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