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Dungeon Defense (Korean Novel) - Volume 5 Chapter 2 - Disimprison (Part 2)
Volume 5 Chapter 2 – Disimprison (Part 2)
▯The King of Peasants, Rank 71st, Dantalian
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 11
Polles, Bruno Plains, Army of the Crescent Alliance
How long did the silence last, I wonder?
There was a color to people’s emotions. There was also a fragrance. As it was the color of their voice, it was the fragrance of their heart. Ivar Lodbrok trembled with his entire body while his voice exuded his heart.
“······This one’s hope, this one’s life aspiration, is to solely work for the Crescent Alliance. This one does not understand why Your Highness would reprimand this old soul. Please be more mindful, Your Highness.”
If you quibble over purely the time, then Ivar Lodbrok most likely panicked for no more than 1 minute. He was able to compose himself after the unexpected attack. To that extent, he was worthy of appraisal.
Regardless, it was unfortunate for him. My surprise attack had yet to even begin. Ivar Lodbrok, at most, all you had experienced just now was similar to having listened to the faint sound of horns starting to be blown on a battlefield.
I opened my mouth.
“Have you been secretly communicating with Demon Lord Sitri?”
“······.”
Flinch.
The vampire, who was trying to do whatever he could to continue speaking, stopped moving. However, the only thing that had frozen in place was his visible movements. The color of his breath became hazier. The fragrance of his heart became thicker.
I stood up and approached Ivar Lodbrok. Then, as if I were appreciating a piece of art that consisted of color and scent, I slowly walked towards the chair that the vampire was seated in. As if I were putting a wooden fence around the vampire with the sound of my footsteps. As if I were creating a boundary and trying to trap him inside.
I enunciated with a voice that contained noble affection.
“Ivar Lodbrok. Starting from yesterday, I shall tell you what you had done before coming here today. Do listen carefully.”
“······.”
Press.
I raised my thumb and gently pressed down on the exact center of Lodbrok’s shoulders. His shoulder flesh, which was covered by his mantle, felt softer than it did firm, and it was crunchier than it was soft. To be exact, his shoulders possessed the same softness and crunchiness of an apple. If broken up well, then a thick-scented juice would most likely flow out.
“You were most likely bewildered when the purge began yesterday evening. Following after that, you moved around hastily because you did not know what exactly was going on. This is obvious. As the life of a merchant depends on how fast you can obtain information, there is no one out there who knows this better than you.”
“That is······.”
“But oh dear. There was a big problem. Who could you possibly go to in order to ask for the truth? Will you go to Her Excellency Barbatos and ask her? Darn.”
Press.
I raised my pinky on top the vampire’s shoulders.
“No, you could not do that. Barbatos is a terrifying Demon Lord. She also has the tendency of valuing farmers more than merchants. Normally, you would laugh at this sort of person and call them outdated for being behind the times, but the situation changes when that outdated person has an executioner’s blade in their hand. Naturally, your desire to laugh would go right back in. Aha, it is a problem. It is a problem.”
“······Your Highness.”
“Now what could you do? Even if you approached the low-ranking Demon Lords, they would most likely claim that they did not know what was happening, and in truth, they truly did not know. Oh dear, what could you do in this situation? Should you just run up to Her Highness Paimon and ask her? Darn.”
Press.
Continuing from my thumb and pinky, I pressed my ring fingers down on his shoulders.
Similar to how a spider steps on its webs. Not too strong or too weak.
“No, you could not do this either. By all means, this was something which you surely could not do. With what face could you possibly request for a personal audience with Her Highness Paimon and ask her about the ulterior motives behind the purge? Her Highness had yet to even forgive you, this old vampire. If you were to infuriate Her Highness because of a slip of the tongue, then it would make matters into an even bigger issue.”
“······.”
“Aha, it is a problem. It is a problem. It cannot be helped. Barbatos is a woman who would even keep a secret from her own close aides. Paimon is also a discreet Demon Lord. ‘However’, is what you must have then thought. Paimon may be a discreet woman, but is she not open to a single person, her close aide and pet, Sitri?”
“······.”
Press.
I added my middle fingers.
“You then contemplated. Were you not also longtime associates with Demon Lord Sitri? The two of you have a relationship where you would exchange miscellaneous requests with one another. Surely she would share this information with you······.”
I chuckled.
“Your prediction was on the mark. It was probably thanks to that long relationship of yours. Sitri provided you with the information about the purge as if she were paying back an obvious debt. Your brain must have then operated busily. Aah. Would things not become quite busy?”
“······.”
“A purge had ended up occurring. It was obvious that the demon continent was going to be thrown into a state of chaos in the near future. It was an important issue. Will you utilize this confusion and profit heavily off of it, or will you not? If you are going to do business, then how will you go about doing so? It was truly an important issue······. And, while you were in the middle of your thoughts, Demon Lord Sitri had spoken to you.”
In a tone that sounded as if she had just remembered something.
While putting her unique smile on top of it.
I tenuously attempted to speak in a falsetto. I was not particularly used to this, but this was simply an extra effort in order to provide entertainment for the opposition. I could not refuse something like this. Let’s see, would it not have been this sort of tone?
Oh right.
Now that I think about it, you also hate the Demon Lord known as Dantalian, right?
The vampire’s complexion was ingrained in the breath he was letting out.
“Just, how······ no, what is Your Highness saying······?”
I saw this as a natural course of action. This person’s trap was a maw that had drained a tremendous amount of blood from others throughout the passage of time. He was simply breathing out the fragrance which he had swallowed until now.
I was incapable of immediately seeing what sort of expression was on the vampire’s face right now because I was standing behind the chair which he was seated in.
Not yet. I cannot appreciate this person’s final expression yet. Fear had the same kind of charm as red wine. I had to wait patiently for the fragrance to flourish sufficiently.
“Indeed. Sitri has a pure charm by nature. She must have persuaded you like this.”
······No, it’s not much. Ehehe. It’s really a simple thing.
······Ei, really, Chief. You’re going to be like this despite our relationship? Hmm? If anything, this is close to being something you have to be the one to do, Chief. You have at least one method of urgently getting in contact with old man Marbas, right? Yeah?
“······.”
“You are the merchant who is in charge of His Excellency Marbas. Since that is the case, if an incident which needs to be hastily reported to His Excellency Marbas were to occur, then informing him of it would naturally be your duty.”
Like if a purge had occurred.
Like if a bunch of Demon Lords had died like a group of beggars.
Since it was an incident that was on the same level of a calamity.
······Informing him of things like this, Chief.
······Is this not your bounden duty?
These were not excessively incorrect words.
Because they were not excessively incorrect words, Ivar Lodbrok had done so.
There will be a great profit if the war lasts longer. That was it.
He did his duty as Marbas’ exclusive merchant. That was it.
He was able to deepen his personal connection with Demon Lord Sitri. That was it.
⎯⎯⎯The price for thinking ‘that was it’.
Although someone may be pierced in the chest and die by an arrow that had been casually shot by someone else, the person who simply believes that all they did was casually shoot an arrow despite that, must receive an appropriate punishment and pay the price.
That was so. Punishment and price. I have always insulted the beasts that have tried to bite at my neck light-heartedly.
Even if that beast were the Rank 9th Demon Lord, it would not change.
Even if that beast were the Rank 5th Demon Lord, it would still not change.
Even if that beast were the vampire who controlled the greatest firm on the demon continent, it would still not change at all.
I spoke the name of the beast that had fearlessly walked straight towards me today.
“Ivar Lodbrok.”
Press.
I then finally added my index fingers on top of the beast’s shoulders.
With my five fingers alone.
I divided my strength into five parts.
And pressed down on the bulky fruits that the vampire’s shoulders were harboring.
The things which reverberated after being flattened by my fingers were most likely his blood vessels, and the things which groaned after being pushed down by my hands were most likely his bones. The thing which I had pressed deeply inside and pushed aside was the elderly greed which this person had held onto and lived with until now. While grasping this person’s blood vessels, bones, and elderly greed with my five nets, I spoke.
“Are you aware of what you had done?”
Know thyself.
After reciting this old saying, I slowly whispered into his ear.
“You are a filthy traitor who had dropped the entire Crescent Alliance into a bottomless pit.”
“······.”
I gently grabbed Ivar Lodbrok’s chin. He endured by hunching up with a strength that was unbefitting of his old bones. Although he was hunched up, he was doing so while trembling. I forcefully turned the vampire’s head.
A gaze that appeared as if he were looking at the Devil was there.
Aah. I grinned in satisfaction.
I released the old man’s chin. Like a person who had taken a single bite out of an appetizing dessert and spat it back out.
“⎯⎯⎯Huuk, haa······ haa······.”
I wonder if he had been holding his breath until this moment? Once Ivar Lodbrok was released from my grasp, he exhaled roughly. I lightly tapped his shoulder.
“You will lose your neck, Chief. Is one’s necks not important? You should look after your own better from now on.”
Stillness.
I could hear the soft sound of Farnese and the witches’ breathing as they slept in a corner of the tent. In this very moment, that was most likely the only sign of life that was flowing through the tent. The crickets outside had also stopped crying, so it was silent all around us.
“······Proof.”
Ivar Lodbrok opened his mouth after a significant amount of time had passed.
“There is, no proof. This one is not in a position that is weak enough to be punished without proof.”
I laughed. Was this not nearly at the same level of a baby’s cute antics?
“What a surprising remark, Chief. It is an especially surprising remark for you to use as a method to defend yourself if you consider the current situation. Did the heads of seven Demon Lords not depart together on a group trip down the pathway to Hades just half a day ago? Her Excellency Barbatos and Her Highness Paimon had even sent them on that trip for free. No matter how I look at it, it seems that our honorable chief.”
I tapped the side of the vampire’s head.
“It seems that you are confident that your own single head is heavier than that of seven Demon Lords’, huh? I see that you calculate things with quite the amazing scale. Indeed, as one would expect from a big merchant, their scale is also incredibly special. Have your customers never complained to you that you should use proper weights?”
“······.”
“Yes. There is no evidence. But why would having evidence or not matter? Is this some formal court? Do you think that our two corps commanders would hold a special trial just for you, Chief? We are leading a purge, not a trial. Moreover, the reason why purges are purges is due to the fact that you are able to exterminate things simply because of your beliefs. Ah.”
I smiled slightly.
“Of course, the excuse that there is no evidence will last only momentarily. If we simply ask His Excellency Marbas whom he had heard the information about the purge from, then would the proof not be brazenly made? Ivar Lodbrok. Vampire who has built a tower out of blood-stained gold coins. Your position has become quite pitiful.”
“······This one has never sent a letter to His Highness Marbas. Your Highness can confirm this yourself. His Highness Marbas will also say that he does not know. Not only that. For Your Highness to say that this one had secret talks with Her Highness Sitri······. That is simply a forced deduction.”
Would you look at this?
Is this his desperate struggle in order to hang onto the rope until the very end?
However, it wasn’t just the rotten rope. Even if my assumption were correct, just as the vampire had said, Marbas and Sitri would adamantly deny the charges. There was no evidence and there were no witnesses.
Although beheading people because of one’s beliefs alone was what purges were, as expected, it was nothing more than a purge. If one were to try and swallow a large group like the Keuncuska Firm in a single bite, then your jaw would nearly crack.
Therefore, I decided to open the mouth more.
“All right. I shall accept your excuse. By the way, Chief. There is something this great one has been curious about for the past couple of days.”
“······.”
“I heard from a spy that the speech which my acting general had given was made into a small booklet and is running rampant inside the army of the Crusaders. The common soldiers have been passing the booklets around among themselves, so this occurrence in itself is not suspicious.”
I gave Lapis a glance.
Lapis understood the meaning behind my look and took out a single booklet from within a pile of documents before handing it to me. It was a booklet with a gray cover. The book where my and Farnese’s speech was written down on. I received the booklet and tap, tap, I patted the vampire’s shoulder.
“This happened too fast.”
“······.”
“It has only been a few days. Within those mere few days, it had been made into a booklet and circulated. As the hungry soldiers do not have the surplus strength to do something like that, the poor harlots lack the money to do so even more. As long as the one behind this does not move systematically, would it not be difficult to pull off?”
“Would the people not have made a united effort in order to make them? Since the cover is ragged and the pages are pitiable······.”
“Still. It was much too fast.”
Ivar Lodbrok closed his mouth. Did he intend to plead the Fifth here? If I were his lawyer, then that was an action which I would have heavily advised against in a moment like this.
“I shall acknowledge something, Chief. I have been pushing myself forward too much for a while. I had pushed myself forward incredibly too much despite being someone who did not know much. However, after piecing together the information, I was able to see an outline.”
“······.”
“If one wishes to circulate the books this fast, then there needs to be a hole in the Crusaders. A massive hole. A massive hole that will not disappear even if one were to capture some common soldiers and procurers. Do you know what that is, Chief? If it were just a few days ago, then even I would not have been able to figure out what this was.”
The Republic of Batavia.
Not a country with a couple of spies planted here and there, but an entire country that was in the hands of a Demon Lord. Furthermore, not only was it the only republic in the human continent, but it was a land in the west that was secretly established by Demon Lord Paimon.
The words of the speech were copied down inside that country’s army, copies were printed, and they were then circulated. There was no need for them to hand the booklets out one by one either. All you had to do was simply dump a bunch of the booklets in some out-of-the-way corner of a tent. Similar to how the corpse of a beggar goes to another beggar, the discarded booklets would flow from the hand of one soldier to another.
Does this not naturally call upon sympathy? The leading members of the Crusaders will most likely huff and puff as they attempt to root out the source of the circulation, but their efforts would be pointless. Similar to how there were 7 traitorous Demon Lords in the Crescent Alliance, an entire nation was the joker in the army of the Crusaders.
I twisted the ends of my mouth.
“Have you still not grasped the meaning behind my words?”
“······Yes, Your Highness. This one truly does not know.”
“I heard that you are the consultant of quite the number of Demon Lords. Marbas, the leader of the Neutral Faction and the ranked 5th Demon Lord is one of them, and so is the person whom I hold in high esteem, Her Highness Paimon. Moreover, oh, would you look at this? Surprisingly, do you not also lead the greatest firm in the demon continent and carry out trades with each and every country? Of course, your firm is just great enough to print out something like a couple of booklets with ragged covers and pitiable pages as many times as you want.”
“······.”
The sound of Ivar Lodbrok’s breathing gradually died down.
It was simple. Since there was a massive hole somewhere in the army of the Crusaders, it was possible for the booklets to be distributed. This gap was undoubtedly the army of the Republic of Batavia. The monarch who had founded the republic was Demon Lord Paimon.
Adding to that, the vampire seated before me was the merchant who acted as Paimon’s exclusive consultant.
Was this not quite the impressive coincidence?
“Nevertheless, Chief. Is this not the rather strange occurrence? As I had said earlier, I had just returned from meeting with Her Excellency Barbatos and Her Highness Paimon⎯⎯⎯ and when I had questioned Her Highness Paimon about this matter, she stated that it was not her.”
The vampire trembled.
The trembling in his shadow was more intense than his actual body.
“Chief. Oh dear, Chief. Is this not strange? Is this not bizarre and peculiar? The location of where the seditious booklets are circulating from has been determined and the location of where the booklets are being printed from has been determined as well, but alas. How could this be? Only the person who had given the order for these booklets to be printed and circulated is nowhere to be found.”
“······.”
“Chief. I am a rational person. Even if a situation that does not make rational sense were to be pushed into my face, I am sensible enough to still deduce a rational answer. Chief Lodbrok, do you perhaps know what the rational reasoning would be in this sort of situation?”
“······.”
“Oh dear. It seems that you do not know. Your head is rather lacking despite being referred to as the ruler of the Great Keuncuska. How about you, Lapis? If it were you, Lapis, how would you infer the answer?”
Lapis answered briefly.
“There is most likely someone in the middle who has superseded control, Your Highness.”
“Oh my. How could this be? How could someone dare to supersede control from the leader of the Mountain Faction? How could there be such a wretched fellow? I see that my love is able to say quite the terrifying things.”
I chatted while intentionally acting as if I were frightened. It was a cheap performance. However, if there is an audience, then even a cheap performance would seemingly have a smidgen of value. Lapis played along with my antics and bowed.
“This one apologizes. This humble one has said something which she should not have.”
“No, it is okay. What is there to apologize for when all you had done was make an inference? In any case, this is strange. As Her Highness Paimon is not a fool, if there is a person superseding control in the middle, then would she not have noticed?”
“Yes. Her Highness would have realized without fail.”
“And yet, she has not.”
“That is the case.”
“What does this mean?”
“It means that the culprit is someone whom Her Highness Paimon trusts completely and entrusts with tasks.”
Lapis answered immediately.
“It is most likely a personage who Her Highness is at ease with, as she believes that they would not dare to supersede control and deceive her.”
Precisely.
In other words, Paimon’s close aide.
Rank 12th Demon Lord Sitri.
“Oho······.”
I lamented deeply.
“If such a personage does exist, then it would be quite scary and terrifying. Would that not truly mean that there is a person out there who is able to freely ridicule both the demon and human continents? For them to impudently utilize the intelligence network which Her Highness Paimon had constructed however they please and deride the Crusaders. Although their real intention may have possibly been to please Her Highness Paimon, since they had proceeded with the insurrection while keeping it as a secret from Her Highness, it is an immense ridicule and a substantial disloyalty. How is this different to covering both of Her Highness Paimon’s eyes and playing tricks? Alas. I am deeply concerned.”
“······.”
“Nevertheless, how were the traces of disloyalty not caught? Since the intelligence network which they had used is solely the intelligence network of Her Highness Paimon, the reason why the intelligence agents had listened to that person’s orders is most likely because they misunderstood that it was an order from Her Highness Paimon. If we were to summon the intelligence agents and question them, then the truth will easily be revealed. What type of person the culprit is, what name they have, and whom they had secret talks with, this will all be exhibited out in the open.”
I asked once more.
“Ivar Lodbrok.”
Similar to the act of stabbing a spear into a beast that was already bleeding from an arrow.
I, however, questioned him smoothly and with gentleness.
“Are you still unable to fathom a guess?”
“············.”
Finally.
The ruler of Keuncuska collapsed.
▯King’s Mistress, Mixed Blood, Lapis Lazuli
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 11
Polles, Bruno Plains, Army of the Crescent Alliance
······I see, this is the end.
I thought while gazing at the chief who had fallen into silence. The leading power of the Keuncuska was now done for. He may continue to live, but that will merely be a life of servitude as His Highness Dantalian’s slave.
Lord Dantalian chuckled.
“Quite the entertaining event will most likely occur if I were to tell Her Highness Paimon about my rational deduction.”
“······.”
The owner of the Keuncuska trembled his shoulders in silence.
“You had already abandoned Her Highness Paimon once back in the council chamber of Niflheim. Although the issue at that time was resolved because Her Highness was at fault as well, how do you intend to endure now? Ivar Lodbrok, will you stab yourself and take your own life like that goblin, Torukel, had done?”
“······Your Highness.”
“Now that I think about it, I should stop referring to you as a man, but as a girl. You are concealing your pretty little girl self with that appearance of an old man after all. Aha. Along with Sitri, since the two of you are miscellaneous things that no one knows whether you are a bastard or a bitch, birds of a feather flock together.”
Chief Lodbrok fell down.
He fell from his chair, collapsed to the floor, and finally, his body toppled. With his entire body, the vampire did his all to apologize to His Highness with the utmost desperation.
“This one, has never done anything that may be troublesome to the demon continent······. Her Highness Sitri has been the close aide of Her Highness Paimon for a very long time. How, how could this one have known that that was a fake command? Ever since Torukel had taken his own life, this one has been put in a state where this one could not possibly dare to refuse an order from Her Highness Paimon······.”
“An impressive excuse.”
Lord Dantalian grinned.
“Let us see if Her Highness Paimon also finds this to be as impressive as I have.”
“Your Highness······. This old man. This old bat beseeches Your Highness. Although the Keuncuska may be a group of humble merchants, it is a place that helps the rivers and streams of the demon continent connect and flow into a lifeline. Please, consider the five hundred years of service which we had done and grant us mercy······.”
Lord Dantalian smiled more softly.
“Since you have accumulated all of that gold from those five hundred years of prosperity, if we take that away, then our expedition funds will never fall short.”
“Your Highness, O Greater Being······.”
In the end, the chief broke down into tears.
While shedding an endless stream of tears, the chief kissed the top of His Highness’ foot.
“This one shall obey all of Your Highness’ commands. Please, bestow upon this one your royal grace, have mercy upon this one······.”
It is night.
I silently stared at a flickering candle in the tent. The flame continues to burn while completely oblivious to the fact that it was burning its own wick. On the floor where the wax drippings were falling, there was a single aged vampire.
Defeat is stigmatic and desecrating.
Because it has always been like that, that was what defeat was. If one is going to enter the gambling den of authority, then one must clearly know when to stop.
The gamblers who have had a peek at authority gamble whenever the sun has set and the night has begun. Betting their honor. Betting their wealth. The gamblers who have tossed their honor and wealth into gambling dens will, in the end, stake their own lives, but not only the life which they had lived until now, but the lives which they will continue to live from now on as well.
One day.
One day.
And then, one day, you realize that you no longer have any more days left to bet at the gambling den.
Until that day comes, Chief Ivar Lodbrok must devote the remainder of his life to His Highness Dantalian. That was the job which the chief had to carry out for the rest of his life.
His Highness stroked the head of the groveling vampire.
“From this day forth.”
And he then recited to him his new livelihood.
“You now have to kill the ones whom I command you to kill. Even if I were to tell you to throw away that old body of a doll, which you are currently borrowing, then you must do so without hesitation.”
“······.”
“If there is someone whom I have ordered you to spare, then spare them. Sitri may have sent you here to spy on me, but I shall send you to do the exact opposite. You shall spy on Sitri and report back to me. Become a double-spy and follow my commands.”
“······.”
“I advise that you do not even dream of betraying me. If I meet an untimely demise, then a rather interesting last will will be sent to Her Excellency Barbatos and Her Highness Paimon. I was considerate enough to make it so that even you, Chief, will be able to enjoy yourself to the fullest along with everyone else. You will also gradually come to know of this, but despite my looks, I am quite the considerate man.”
“This one has no questions, Your Highness······.”
“Tonight, the Crescent Alliance will withdraw.”
Without a sound.
A drop of wax flowed down the side of a candle.
“This has already been decided.”
His Highness Dantalian was smiling broadly.
The light formed a yellow mask on His Highness’ royal visage and trembled.
“Since you had sent that letter to His Excellency Marbas so soon, our schedule has gone awry.”
“······.”
“At this rate, we will have to face against the main force of the Crusaders and the dispatched troops of the Neutral Faction at both our front and rear, but we do not have the time for this.”
“Then how will we persuade the Neutral Faction······?”
“Is there a reason for us to appease the Neutral Faction in a deliberately swift fashion?”
“Pardon?”
“Allow the Crusaders to chase after us from behind and also allow Marbas to be filled with wrath and try to interfere with our retreat.”
“······?”
I also tilted my head at the words His Highness had just spoken.
For him to say that we had no reason to appease the Neutral Faction in a deliberately swift fashion. What did this mean? His Highness made an ambiguous smile and turned to look at me.
“Lapis. How about you try answering instead?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Starting from now, try thinking from a different perspective. Our present situation appears urgent because we are trapped in our own shoes. Now consider the enemies’ points of view. Which side is currently in more of a rush?”
“······.”
I see.
“For Marbas, a purge had occurred in the main force during his absence. Would Marbas not be in a hurry due to this? For Elizabeth, she still does not know the intention behind our purge. Therefore, would Elizabeth not be in a rush?”
I could feel my eyes narrowing.
“Our forces are busy and their forces are busy as well, however, speed is always bound to be relative. Their forces are presumably more in a rush than our own.”
“That is correct. Lapis. In situations like this, what would be the appropriate way to act?”
I thought for a moment before answering.
“······Pacifying the Neutral Faction is, of course, important. However, it is not as important as pushing our enemies into a state of confusion. Persuasion is something that can be pushed aside for later. In our present situation, our forces must focus on throwing the situation further into chaos.”
This was it.
This is the answer that I had come to. In short, chaos.
Excluding our own forces, we have to impose a battle of speed in order to prevent any of the groups from recovering their senses. By doing so, we will cause a greater state of confusion. By withdrawing before even a day can pass after we had carried out our purge, and by crossing over the Black Mountains within several days after having decided the retreat, we will push ahead and stab all of the Demon Lords who had betrayed our kind.
An unprecedented battle of speed.
That was the sole thing which the Crescent Alliance should be aiming at achieving.
What Lord Dantalian had pointed out is correct. Both the Imperial Princess of the Empire and Marbas of the Neutral Faction had reacted faster than expected, but why does that matter?
There is no reason for us to be more panicked than necessary in our current plight. Essentially, the disconcerted side is theirs and not ours. We have the initiative. They will justly fear our latent energy as we were able to carry out our purge this quickly and this neatly.
We absolutely cannot lose this initiative.
In war, initiatives are secured solely through speed battles. The Imperial Princess of the Empire and Demon Lord Marbas are veterans. If we allow them to have even a moment of time, then they will immediately grasp the situation and attempt to steal the initiative. Time. It was solely a fight of time.
It was most likely because I had given the correct answer. His Highness grinned splendidly like a blooming poisonous plant.
“As expected of my love. That is so. Our forces will retreat immediately.”
I responded.
“As it so happens, the Imperial Princess had decided to clean out her own army, so a small panic has also occurred in the army of the Crusaders. The army which the Imperial Princess leads will become stronger. However, that is a strength that will come a day after. Our current situation is to deal with our aftermath, but this is actually an opportunity for us.”
Lord Dantalian then asked.
“Good. Truly remarkable. Lapis, what should be done in order for us to add a day onto the enemy and turn their one day into two?”
I answered.
“Shift the day which our forces are currently dealing with onto them. Our forces are currently executing the common soldiers of the seven Demon Lords, but it is troublesome. Killing is also a painstaking task. While sparing the common soldiers and leaving them behind in the military encampment, the rest of us shall leave.”
The candlelight swayed.
“Aha! For the Crusaders, this would be like a bunch of free exploits had fallen from the sky. An opportunity for them to obtain quite the number of enemy heads without having to shed a single drop of blood. During this war, if you exclude the Habsburg Empire, the Crusaders have fought quite pitifully. Would the other countries not be thirsty for exploits? This would be no different to a waterhole appearing before them while they are parched.”
The light flickered.
“Yes. They will undoubtedly become blinded. Although the Imperial Princess may see through the fact that this is all a trap, it does not matter. The Imperial Princess is the one who had obtained a monopoly of all of the glory by using the troops of the other nations. The other commanders are without a doubt jealous of the Imperial Princess. The time for them to pay the price for jealousy has now come.”
His Highness met his lips with mine.
“The enemy will become divided.” (Dantalian)
I met my gaze with His Highness’.
“The enemy will become weaker.” (Lapis Lazuli)
His Highness and I, for a long moment, overlapped our breaths with the sound of the other’s breathing. Lips slipped on lips and a moan went obliquely astray. Within the air where the candlelight was swaying, we held our breaths for some time. A senile vampire was staring at us, but it did not particularly matter. If a couple were to be concerned about the watchful eyes of their slave, then how would they possibly sleep together?
His Highness and I whispered to one another as if we were fornicating with our voices.
“Since our forces will have to push ahead, it will not be an easy path.”
“Our soldiers will have to march as lightly as possible.”
“How should we handle the provisions? I am not sure who, but would it not be difficult for you if we do not have a separate person to handle the supplies?”
“Yes. Although this one is not sure who.”
And then.
Without the need to say who was first.
His Highness and I turned our heads and looked down at the vampire who was kneeling on the floor. We stared at the top chief who had the most important role whenever the supply lines of the entire Crescent Alliance are pillaged. We gazed, at the person who had just recently become His Highness’ slave.
“······.”
The vampire received my and His Highness’ gaze in silence. Even though he had witnessed the sight of one of the most sacred individuals in all of demonkind mix together with one of the lowliest, the vampire solely had a wretched complexion. It is most likely because he understands his position.
Chief Lodbrok lowered himself even further and yielded with a voice that the defeated had to have.
“Give this one your command, Your Highness. This one shall obey.”
It is late in the night.
The candlelight spread a crimson color over the low breathing sound of the witches, and the sound of Lady Farnese sleeping with gentle gasps flared out faintly.
While listening to the breathing of the shadows flowing in the night, I believed that this will be a long night.
▯The King of Peasants, Rank 71st, Dantalian
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 11
Polles, Bruno Plains, Army of the Crescent Alliance
Witch. Illegitimate child. Outcast.
They are all I have. I am all they have. Since a place where the only thing everyone had was the people around them, was a place that was strong on the inside, there was no way that it could fall apart. Similar to a flame that burned as a single mass no matter how many times you broke it apart, we were one. In the end, all we needed was a small pile of wood. And a certain amount of darkness.
Elizabeth. Sitri. Marbas. They were all obstacles that were complicated to deal with. Dealing with them one person at a time would be endless and boundless.
Therefore, let us burn them all at once.
“Are you done with your preparations?”
It was the end of the night before dawn could completely approach.
I put on my coat and exited the tent. In the wide open space where the executions had been taking place, Barbatos was standing there while chewing on an apple.
It wasn’t just Barbatos.
There was also a bunch from the Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction who had avoided the purge······. There were no traitors here. Everyone here was either loyal to the blaze known as Barbatos or dedicated to the flame known as Paimon.
They roared at their units and lined them up.
— Stop making a racket, you punks. If you were ordered to do something, then do it. What’s with all these complaints? Don’t make me whip your buttocks······.
— Are you hungry for breakfast? All right. If someone finishes their preparations slower than the Mountain Faction, then I will behead that person and personally perform an ancestral rite for them, so if you wish to eat memorial service food, then keep whining······.
The soldiers had wound up moving before dawn could arrive, so they were sluggish here and there. However, I could see with my own eyes that their limbs were gradually becoming swifter. Everything was proceeding smoothly.
I spoke.
“Your Excellency. My unit has finished preparations.”
“Good.”
Barbatos grinned.
“Our Sir Dantalian, whose profound plot and lofty stratagem can cause both the heaven and earth to tremble, I acknowledge your annoyingness and somewhat acknowledge the brightness of your noggin. However, military affairs isn’t something that can be easily managed with just your head. We will now be marching vigorously for an entire week. In the end, will deadwood like you be able to follow us without getting exhausted?”
I shrugged.
“I have already experienced this sort of rigorous marching back when I was coming to Your Excellency’s rescue, but it turned out to be nothing special.”
“See? He’s an annoying son of a bitch.”
Barbatos burst into laughter.
Beside her, Paimon was covering her mouth with her fan. As these two Demon Lords respectively had pure, silvery white hair and red hair that was as crimson as blood, their figures could be clearly distinguished even during the night.
At that moment, a crow cried out from somewhere and flew up into the pitch black night sky. The crow flapped its wings above the area where the torches of the military camp could reach.
I let out an ‘Ah’ sound and spoke towards Barbatos.
“Your Excellency.”
“Hm?”
“Please kill that crow.”
Barbatos munched on her apple.
“Why?”
“It is a trifling creature which a spy had sent.”
Snap.
Barbatos snapped her fingers the moment I had finished that sentence. The sound of the air itself being split grew distant in an instant before lightly brushing through the air the crow was in. The crow sprayed black blood as it fell somewhere. Barbatos gave an order to her Royal Guards.
“Find it and bring it here.”
The soldiers brought the corpse of the crow and presented it to us around the time Barbatos had finished eating her apple and had tossed the core. There was nothing tied around the crow’s ankles. Barbatos looked at me.
“There’s nothing?”
I took out a dagger and cut its belly open. Brown and blue colors were mixed together in its entrails. I dug through it and cut its stomach open. There was something inside of the stomach. I grabbed it with my fingers and showed it to the two corps commanders.
It was a note that was folded many times over.
“Heeh······.”
“Oh dear.”
Barbatos and Paimon both leaned in to look at the note with interested looks on their faces. The note was small, so it only contained a single line. The handwriting was ugly so it was clear that the writer had written this desperately.
Month 4, Day 11. Midnight. Crescent Alliance, preparing to withdraw.
Barbatos smirked.
“We’ve taken care of the traitors, but now it’s spies. The state of this person’s army must be quite remarkable. Haa, I have no idea what hope I’m trying to bask in by going to war with these things.”
“A monarch is an ocean, Barbatos. You have to indiscriminately accept even the murky streams of the people.”
“Just like your crotch?”
“Are those actually the only words that have been inputted into your brain?”
“I don’t know. Fuck. What do you expect me to do when curses come out all on their own whenever I see your face? Either change your face or take responsibility for my death. I know. You can’t do either, right? Just take the curses.”
Even while Barbatos and Paimon were spitting out the dawn air into the heart of the night, the troops had started to gradually become more in line. The sound of metal and footsteps pushed their way into the air. The banners that represented each respective Demon Lord swayed in an orderly manner. Rank 12th Sitri, Rank 13th Beleth, Rank 16th Zepar······.
Paimon spoke.
“This lady cannot believe that there was even once a time where she had had intercourse with you. With what belief did this lady ever consider you to be even remotely charming······.”
“What a coincidence. The same goes for me too.”
A couple of servants brought a bottle of wine and a pair of wine glasses to Barbatos. Barbatos poured a single glass and handed it to Paimon. Red wine. Before going to a large war, Demon Lords would always drink wine that is as red as blood in order to substitute formalities.
“So let’s go together, you fucking bitch.”
In the center of the troops. Barbatos’ Royal Guards raised their banners. In the sky, where the sun had yet to sprout, the torches acted in the sun’s stead and released a small gleam of light, and in that spot where the light illuminated was the maxim which Barbatos had formerly written fluttering in the wind.
Cultivate with my blood.
Befitting the supreme ruler who had declared she would present extensive plains to demonkind, it was arrogant. Barbatos was holding out the glass to Paimon.
Paimon lowered her fan and let out a sigh. She received the glass and slightly lowered her back. She then linked arms with Barbatos and⎯⎯⎯held the wine in her mouth. The two Demon Lords who had once vowed that they would live solely as enemies and die solely as enemies have, at this very moment, shared a glass that signified their renewed blood alliance.
I wonder if they had awaited solely this vow. The single group of flag bearers that followed Paimon raised their banners high.
Glory.
Perpetuity.
Eternity.
Make glory perpetual and bask in eternity.
Befitting the supreme ruler who had promised the demon continent eternal peace, it was a haughty maxim. Once Barbatos and Paimon had raised their banners, similar to when a signal fire is lit and the other signal fires on a mountain range follow suit, the other Demon Lords raised their banners wholly according to their ranks.
Our devotion is for her······
My wrath is larger than your fear······
Thou shall ask after the enemy······
All at once, the soldiers threw their torches on the ground and extinguished them. Darkness enveloped the world. It was still deep in the night, and as all of the flames to kindle the deep night had been extinguished, everything became silent. The instant the flames had disappeared, the maxims which the banners were proudly displaying were all plunged into darkness. The banners were extinguished and only their outlines remained in the darkness.
And then, after several dozen banners.
Since my banner was the final signal fire, it was the final banner to waver as an outline. It was deep in the night. Since it was shrouded in darkness, I had no way to see the words written on my banner. However, why would that matter?
During this war, I have constantly faced against things that I could not see. As long as this war was my war, this world was also my world, and that banner will command this and that side of the Black Mountains as solely my banner. Similar to how I am able to figure out many things despite being unable to see them, I knew the words that were fixated there.
Authority for blood.
Blood for authority.
Like a fire that burned as a single flame even if it were separated into many parts.
Even when Barbatos and Paimon argued heavily, the expedition of the Crescent Alliance continued. There was no need to even say it now since they have joined hands. We were strong. And we shall burn even stronger.
Barbatos spoke as she sipped the wine.
“One day, one of us will probably die.”
Paimon spoke.
“We will die eventually anyway. This is an undeniable fact.”
“Did you know? The way you or I will die has roughly been determined. If you die, then you will do so by my hands, and if I die, then I will do so by your hands. We have a relationship that has determined how the other will die.”
“So what? That is similar to the line which you had said to this lady 500 years ago when you had confessed to me.”
“No, I was just curious. As I said, if we die, then we will do so by each other’s hands, and as you had said, we’re going to die anyway. If that’s the case, then think about it. If I end up being the one to remain, then wouldn’t that mean I’ll be killed by someone other than you? Who would that be?”
Barbatos smiled.
“If it’s not you, then I wonder who’s going to end up killing me. I can’t imagine myself being killed by anyone other than you. The fact that it can’t be imagined, the fact that it can’t be predicted. Isn’t this the biggest problem for people like us? Hey. Paimon. Can you imagine it?”
Paimon beamed.
“Stop talking bullsh*t and just drink the alcohol.”
“Haa, bitch. We don’t understand each other.”
Slowly.
The two Demon Lords emptied their wine glasses.
The Demon Lords threw their glasses on the ground and shattered them at the same time. The glass broke into a million pieces and scattered. Boisterously. Irreversibly. The wine which represented blood will go into their respective prayers and linger. Since the glasses were shattered and they had lost their way back, the vow was eternal.
“Well, whatever. Now then······.”
Barbatos took out a piece of parchment. It was the letter that was sent by Marbas. Once Barbatos held the letter tightly in one hand, a wavering that was like a pure white blizzard burst out and reduced the piece of parchment to ashes in an instant.
Yes.
We are simply going to ignore this letter.
Whether Elizabeth pursues us or Marbas blocks our path, let them do what they want. We shall ignore them all and return deep into the Black Mountains. Pursue us and try to block us as much as you want.
Demon Lord Barbatos, the girl who always lived as the fiercest flame grinned.
“⎯⎯⎯Shall we go home, you dogs?”
Now then.
Let us dance.
▯Kinslayer, Imperial Princess of the Empire, Elizabeth von Habsburg
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 11
Polles, Bruno Plains, Army of the Crusaders
Our military encampment had become disorderly at night and we had beheaded twenty-two harlots. Seven small-fry administrators were made to disembowel themselves and two hundred forty-seven soldiers were burned alive. Once we had captured the two common soldiers who had escaped and dismembered them, the disorder in our army had vanished. A late spring fog had settled at dawn.
“······.”
It was quiet.
It was excessively silent.
Since a purge had started yesterday evening in the army of the Crescent Alliance, it was only appropriate for a couple of crows to have flown over here by now and given us the news about the aftermath. However, the only sound that could be heard was from the birds that lived in the wild. There was not even a single crow flying over from the other side of the Bruno Plains.
On the open ground where the heads of the harlots were hung and the soldiers were burned to death, the priests sang all at once.
— Forgive them. Forgive them. O Goddess of All who resides in the clearest of skies, please do not toss away these deeply sinful children even if they rise up. We shall look into their deep sins and devote our lives to allowing their souls to pass on. Watch over the heavens with mercy and magnanimity. Please forgive them, please forgive them. Please take in the souls of heaven with the mercy of heaven······.
All of a sudden, the silence felt ominous.
When it is silent on all four sides and you are unable to grasp anything, there are people who favor that silence and there are people who are hostile towards it. I am a personage who always prefers the latter.
I ordered my commanders.
“Send in our scouts. Send them close. Since the morning fog is thick, it will be difficult to carry out espionage. Reconnoiter closely, but do so while crawling on the floor and not on horseback.”
“What should we tell them to scout for?”
“Anything.”
Once the time it takes to have a single meal had passed, the scouts returned.
“We could not see anything, Your Highness. Loud shouting and screams could occasionally be heard, but we could not hear anything more than that. Although we could not see properly due to the fog, it appears that the enemy’s camp and wooden fences are still sound.”
“How close did you go to scout?”
“We had crawled just close enough to be barely in the firing range of the enemy crossbows.”
“Go further. Go further in and report back to me.”
Another feeling of unease was added onto my heart. The scouts returned after taking twice the amount of time than previously.
“Your Highness. We could not see anything. There are no enemy guards in their watchtowers. There are torches burning in each watchtower, but there is no enemy soldier looking after the fire, so it is extremely bizarre. The fog is indeed severe, but once we peered between the narrow gaps of the wooden fences, we were somewhat able to make out the enemy’s border area. There was no one wandering around the outskirts.”
“Were there even no patrols?”
“Yes.”
“Were you still able to hear the shouts and screams?”
“Yes.”
“Go in further. Climb over the fences and scout even the enemy camp. If it feels as if there are no obstacles, then go in deeply and take a look around. I shall allow you to go on horseback. I shall leave it to you guys, so move at your own discretion.”
The ominous feeling continued to stack and stack until it eventually blackened my heart.
The sound of Demon Lord Dantalian laughing softly attached to that blackness like a scab. ······Did that man. Did they. Around the time an ember had sparked and was about to engulf my heart in flames, the scouts returned after a very long period of time.
“Your Highness. In the center of the enemy camp, there were corpses lined up and common soldiers, the numbers of which reach up to nearly the thousands, bound in either chains or tied up by ropes. They were all groaning as they had fallen into a pit. They are not prisoners from our side, but solely demonkind. We had gone through a couple of the enemy quarters, but there was no one. There were several scarecrows awkwardly looming over the wooden fences and the torches were all burning, but that was it. Other than that, there was some tower of skulls that was piled up high, but other than that, nothing else could be seen.”
“Is there truly nothing at all?”
“Yes.”
The commanders looked at each other with perplexed faces. It was then that the ominous feeling which was licking at only my heart had seeped out and flowed into the mouths of the commanders. The commanders carefully glanced at me.
“Your Highness. We cannot lower our guards. The enemy may be using a deceitful tactic in order to draw us in······.”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“They have run away.”
“······.”
“Inform the other armies of the fact that the enemy has retreated. We must tell them quickly. Inform them that the Imperial Princess of Habsburg wishes to have a conference with them.”
The group of priests was still performing their memorial service within the military encampment. While ringing their handbells, they conveyed their hymn past the fog which the eyes of the people could not see through. Since the deaths of humans were an urgent situation to the priests, it seems they had to notify the world of it with their hymn and bells.
— Forgive them, please forgive them. Even if these children do not know the depths of their sins, please do not cast them away. We shall bury these children, so, O Goddess of All, if there is a soul which we were unable to entomb, then please nurse them in Heaven. Please bestow upon us your benevolence. Forgive them, please forgive them······.
Empire Calendar: Year 1506, Month 4, Day 11.
The army of the Crescent Alliance is retreating.
Ο
