Chapter 184 : Woodrock (3)
Woodrock (3)
The small kingdom of Woodrock, located in the southeast of the continent.
In the past, it had been a powerful nation that occupied half the continent and threatened the Imperial Court, but in an instant, it had fallen to the status of a mere small country.
In reality, it was more like a city-state, and so its scale paled in comparison to the Imperial Court.
Moreover, since it was located near the demon realm, where the 7th Legion was stationed, it was called the smallest yet most dangerous country in the empire.
"Are you telling me to trust your words?"
Though the nation was small, a very dignified king sat within the castle.
King Lao Khan of Woodrock frowned at the words of a young man kneeling before him.
"That's right. Currently, the 7th Legion is having a hard time due to the unstable expansion of the demon realm. Isn't now exactly the right opportunity?"
Hearing the young man's proposal to seize control of the 7th Legion, he had wondered if it was utter madness.
Naturally, as the king, Lao Khan couldn't help but scowl.
"No matter how weak they've become, our opponent is the 7th Legion of the Imperial Court. Do you really think Woodrock's troops can handle them?"
It was like making a chick challenge a swan.
Just saying such an absurd thing in front of the king warranted severe punishment.
But Lao Khan felt a sense of doubt as he looked at the young man's face.
"To begin with, I don't know why you're here. The news was that a few years ago, you were captured by the empire and dragged off to the 7th Legion, wasn't it? Crown Prince of the Imperial Court."
Lao Khan knew that face well.
"No, you're Orbel, the rebel of the empire."
From the first moment he saw his face, Lao Khan had felt deep wariness.
Orbel was very famous across the continent.
Once known as the finest mage born of royal blood.
But all of that had only been made possible through a contract with a great devil; in truth, he was nothing more than the only powerless fool of royal descent.
A man born with such good family, yet without any kind of talent to speak of.
Was there anyone more deserving of ridicule?
"How is it that you, after being captured, are here? Aren't you afraid of the 7th Legion's torture spell?"
There was no longer any need to address him politely as Crown Prince.
Still, Lao Khan's heart raced—since it was unthinkable that Orbel could even appear here.
"If I inform the empire right now, you'll be more than just dragged away—you'll be executed on the spot. So what sort of nerve brings you here so boldly anyway?"
Despite Lao Khan's threat, Orbel smiled nonchalantly.
"Then why haven't you already informed them, instead of delaying like this?"
"......."
Lao Khan couldn't refute that question.
Above all, the inside of the castle was strangely quiet.
If a suspicious person like Orbel were wandering the castle, the guards would never just stand by.
There's no way they'd let someone like Orbel have an audience with the king.
"Why don't you simply tell the truth?"
The reason for that silence was simple.
"Can you really claim you haven't felt tempted by my proposal?"
In fact, Orbel hadn't forced his way into the castle by breaking through the guards.
He had used a special method, arriving here as naturally and silently as a ghost.
"And when you first saw me, you didn't even make a sound?"
If someone invaded before the king, normally there would be a loud cry for the guards.
But Lao Khan had chosen not to do so.
"Why do you think that is?"
"......."
Orbel could easily see through what was in Lao Khan's heart.
"I still can't trust you. A sudden visit and a ridiculous proposal—how can I just believe it? However..."
But Lao Khan, too, had seen through Orbel.
"You. You're not Orbel, the Crown Prince, are you?"
Hearing those words, the person in Orbel's body laughed slightly.
"See? You were tempted."
His proposal was obviously nonsense, but the reasons for distrust were only out of wariness.
In reality, Lao Khan harbored greed stronger than anyone.
"As king of Woodrock, you must know your own country's history. Though now you're a mere small nation... in the past, you were strong enough to threaten the Imperial Court."
A nation so vast it fought with the Imperial Court over half the continent.
For Woodrock and the empire, war was a constant—they waged wars at every opportunity.
At that time, there were more and fiercer humans than monsters.
Kings were obsessed with swallowing each other's territory—only those with real power survived.
"Especially, the king of Woodrock wielded the greatest strength. His sword, charged with his own blood, unleashed slashes that could cut the sky and cleave mountains."
The Imperial Court could not overcome the strength of such a monstrous king.
That's why the Emperor sought even stronger power. He was obsessed with crushing Woodrock.
Of course, Woodrock's king felt the same way.
"But even with such strength, the king couldn't conquer the empire. So he wanted even more power. Enough to sell his soul to a devil."
Enraptured by war, the king crossed a line that should never have been crossed.
No, in fact, he had already dabbled in such things from the start.
"The king had already borrowed power from a devil. Thanks to that, he gained tremendous might, but in seeking yet more, the price was predictable."
After hearing his wish, the devil granted it to him by giving even more power to the Emperor.
Not only to the Emperor, but he even bestowed it upon the soldiers and citizens of Woodrock.
"The devil granted the king's wish. But do you know what the side effect was?"
Everyone's strength increased explosively.
Even children at play could smash boulders with a headbutt, and even the dying elderly could lift entire buildings.
Of course, the regular soldiers' strength increased further.
In the end, all the military strength of Woodrock soared just as the king had wished.
At the same time, with their newfound strength, the people of Woodrock lost their lives as "humans".
"They all became monsters."
At some point, a strange phenomenon occurred in Woodrock.
The previously mighty soldiers of Woodrock turned into monsters and started attacking people.
"But the devil had simply granted their wish."
The king's wish had quite literally been realized.
He had gotten exactly the power he wanted.
It hadn't been said that they would become monsters, but the deal had been struck, so there it was.
"The king was satisfied."
Even though they became monsters, incredibly, their human minds remained.
Giving up their lives as humans? That meant nothing to them.
As long as they could destroy and conquer their enemy, everything else could be sacrificed.
"As you say, my ancestor was insane."
"Of course, the Imperial Court couldn't just sit back and suffer. They, too, became desperate to obtain power."
"That's news to me."
"Of course. What I'm about to tell you doesn't appear in any history book."
Curious, Lao Khan leaned in to listen.
"Chaos Dragon. Do you know what that is?"
The moment he heard those words, Lao Khan tensed up.
"Who wouldn't?"
That name was terrifying for the people of Woodrock.
"It's because that very being reduced our Woodrock—empowered to such strength as monsters—to a mere small country."
A sudden, massive calamity.
Appearing in the midst of war, the monster known as Chaos Dragon swept away the troops of both sides single-handedly.
Like a great white shark among goldfish, all the soldiers were cut down by its claws.
"At that time, Woodrock was unlucky. The Chaos Dragon happened to target it."
The Chaos Dragon, having locked onto Woodrock, not only destroyed its army but devastated the entire land.
By randomly unleashing fire, wind, ice, poison, and the energy of earth, everything was left scorched.
Naturally, all the powerless people were wiped out, and the monstrous people, driven by fear of the Chaos Dragon, fled to the edges of the continent.
That edge would later become what is now known as the demon realm.
"It's said the Chaos Dragon fell into a temporary slumber after facing Woodrock, but... are you frightened just hearing of it?"
"Do you really need to ask?"
Lao Khan flinched.
Even though he was not from that generation, his fear was palpable.
"Of course you would be. Even though you weren't born then, the royal blood of Woodrock's kings is inherited from the devil-contracted king—including his mind."
That king had received much from the devil.
Its effects passed on to later generations, inheriting his very psyche.
"You have inherited that king's spirit. Why not agree to my proposal?"
Taking control of the 7th Legion, that is.
At those words, Lao Khan gave a hollow laugh.
"Don't be ridiculous. No matter how greedy I am, I wouldn't do something that reckless..."
It was like an ant jumping into a waterfall.
It was in the moment the king moved to refuse.
"What would you do if the Chaos Dragon still existed in the present day?"
"......!!"
With those words, Lao Khan's face changed abruptly.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying the Chaos Dragon hasn't disappeared."
"How can you be sure of that?"
"Nonsense..."
"Even if it isn't true, you have plenty of ambition. If you could achieve it with power, what would you do?"
At that instant, the door of the audience hall swung open.
All the soldiers guarding the door had collapsed.
"Who are those people?"
Anyone could see they must be invaders intent on destroying the castle, but that was not their intention.
"Do you know who these people are?"
Orbel tore the clothes of the burly man standing at the head of the group.
On the man's chest was the stigma of the 7th Legion.
"A soldier of the 7th Legion?"
How could a soldier who shouldn't be here be in this place?
"Then I'll show you."
Orbel sprinkled some sort of potion onto the man's chest.
As the vial opened and the potion wet his chest, Lao Khan's eyes widened.
The apparent stigma of the 7th Legion, thought to be impossible to erase, vanished before his eyes.
"What do you think?"
"How could this be..."
What on earth had he done?
Lao Khan's curiosity was endless.
Of all the questions, he asked the one he most wanted answered.
"Who are you, really?"
To that, the one in Orbel's form finally opened his mouth.
****
"Ummm... Who are those old men?"
The orphanage for elves behind the mountains of Seifert Village.
The elf children were curious about the two old men who had arrived, whom they were seeing for the first time.
"Hey kids, didn't your big sis Silia tell you about us?"
When Andrew asked, one of the children exclaimed in surprise.
"Ah! Are you the grandpas who came to look after us?"
"That's right! We're going to raise you from now on, so you'd better be grateful!"
At those words, the children looked sullen.
"What can you old grandpas even do?"
"You're just a pair of old grandpa fools!"
"We much prefer big sis Silia and big bro Louis!"
As the children cast suspicious glances, Laika became flushed with anger.
"Hmmm... Should I hit one of them to start things off?"
"Calm down."
As Laika whispered into his ear, Andrew smiled and spoke.
"Kids, do you know where your big sis went?"
"I'm not sure? She said she went to a place called Woodrock or something."
"Haha... So she left you in our care."
Andrew suddenly picked up a branch and changed the subject.
"What are your dreams, kids?"
"Our dreams?"
"I mean, what do you want to be when you grow up?"
What would you do when you became an adult?
As expected, the children's replies were brimming with imagination.
"A knight!"
"An adventurer!"
"Someone strong like big sis and big bro!"
The answers were almost all the same.
Mostly fighting professions—a bit much for ordinary kids to dream of.
But these children had always grown up watching the backs of the special task force.
It was only natural that they admired them and yearned for such dreams.
"Is that really your dream?"
"Yes!"
"At least, old men like us could never become anything like that, you know?"
As the children laughed at him again, Laika's pride was deeply wounded.
To get this kind of talk from kids—how did it come to this?
"We can make your dreams come true."
"What??"
How?
The kids stared at Andrew as if they were mocking him.
At that moment, Andrew swung the branch at a rock nearby.
Crrraaaack!!―
With a loud noise, the children's laughter stopped.
With just one strike of the branch, the big boulder had been sliced like an apple.
"Kids."
Andrew spoke to the children again.
"If you listen well to your grandpas, you'll be able to do this too."
Having lost their own chance to grow, the old men decided to become the children's new role models.