Chapter 121 : You Promised
Chapter 121: You Promised!
What Berje witnessed upon arriving at the scene was a massive crater occupying the place where the gorge should have been.
Corpses were strewn everywhere, alongside battered imperial troops, and their wailing cries.
And beneath that crater, a Black Mage caught in the First Prince’s hand was choking, gasping for breath.
‘Vairif?’
He was already caught?
Of course, Berje had not thought Vairif would win.
But he had never imagined that everything would be shattered this quickly.
And it was not even with four imperial royals joining forces.
“...Balraf Dislode?”
At that moment, a voice mixed with rage slipped out from Rozel at his side.
Berje’s gaze followed hers. When it reached the hero standing guard beside the prince, he swallowed reflexively.
An immense presence. Stronger and more overwhelming than anyone standing here.
Balraf Dislode.
Among active heroes, the ten most brilliant were called Stars.
And among those ten Stars, the one held in the highest regard was Balraf Dislode.
The undisputed best, the strongest hero.
“I never thought I’d see that bastard’s face here?”
In the past, during the subjugation of the Beast’s Tower, his sudden withdrawal had provided the spark that led to the failure of the hero’s march.
Considering the damage Rozel Charnte had suffered because of that, her anger was justified.
But the present situation was not one she could recklessly step into.
“Stop.”
Wounded knights and soldiers blocked their path. The Second Prince’s knights drew their swords.
“Black Lion Knight Order, is it.”
The Second Prince confirmed the Black Lion emblem, faded by battle.
“Move aside.”
“We cannot.”
“Do I look like I’m asking right now?”
“It is the First Prince’s order.”
“So only my elder brother’s orders matter, and mine don’t? How wronged must I be to live like this!”
Floyan snarled.
“Well then, what a pity. I, too, have knights as loyal as you.”
The knights of the White Rose Knight Order, the symbol of the Bolderbof Marquis House and attendants of the Second Prince, revealed their killing intent.
“Knights who’d slaughter all of you and clear the path.”
At the heavy killing intent, the knights tensed.
Then—
“Open the way. This brother wants to see me, so shouldn’t I, as his brother, show my face?”
The knights slowly parted, opening a path. The Second Prince and the Third Prince stepped through.
“Only the princes may—.”
“You have both heroes and knights with you, and you want me to go alone? What do you think, Brother!”
The Second Prince shouted angrily.
“Just clear the way.”
“Yes, sir.”
The path opened. Dozens of people, including knights and heroes, descended into the crater.
Inside the crater were five people.
The First Prince and the First Princess—siblings who had joined hands just for this matter—two heroes standing as if guarding them, and a Black Mage struggling while his neck was held in the First Prince’s grip.
“That one is not a Star.”
Hillan whispered after confirming the First Princess’s hero.
“It’s been a while, Brother.”
“Brother.”
“Floyan, Martin. You came together.”
Rufus turned only his head while still gripping the Black Mage’s neck.
“Since you are together with Marlene, Brother, is there any reason I should not be together with my sibling as well?”
“So you just happened to meet?”
“Quite astonishingly, if that were the case?”
“When brothers reunite in a foreign place, it’s only natural to be glad. How about continuing to share that joy?”
“With the target right before our eyes, how could we?”
“But even if you come now, what will change?”
Rufus smiled.
“It’s already all over.”
“That one Black Mage?”
“The one and only.”
“That can’t be.”
“Did you see it?”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw it. I personally destroyed the undead as well.”
“So is that really it, then?”
Floyan’s gaze shifted to Martin. Martin, in turn, tilted his head toward Hillan.
“That can’t be.”
“Hillan Cargill.”
“The undead I saw numbered well over a thousand. It makes no sense that a single Black Mage could have summoned all of them.”
“You should have accepted my proposal back then. A truly foolish choice. So, how is it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Now that things have turned out this way, don’t you regret it?”
“....”
Hillan fell silent. Floyan abruptly cut in.
“Don’t change the subject. If what Sir Hillan says is true, how did a single Black Mage control over a thousand undead?”
“There is no need for me to bother persuading you.”
“Then we’ll hear it directly from him.”
“Now that it’s all over, you dare say you’ll take the fish I caught?”
“It isn’t over yet.”
Floyan revealed his killing intent. In response, Rufus’s knights drew their swords. Floyan’s knights snarled back at them.
‘What should I do?’
Berje subtly avoided Vairif’s eyes. Fortunately, Vairif had not realized that the Demon King who had bound him was Berje himself.
‘I can’t save him.’
Stepping forward here, where the empire’s elite forces and heroes were overflowing, would be tantamount to suicide.
‘Especially that bastard.’
Balraf Dislode. His reputation as a great hero was by no means an exaggeration. Including both his past life and his present one, he was the second strongest among all the heroes Berje had ever encountered.
The first was the Hero of the Red Sword who had pierced Berje’s heart. In other words, he was stronger even than Hillan Cargill, who had grown in his own way after devouring two Demon Kings.
‘Nothing ever goes the way I want.’
The First Prince’s performance had been more outstanding than expected, leaving no room for the Third Prince to shine.
And Vairif had been captured far too easily.
‘Don’t blame me. It’s your own weakness.’
In the end, Berje decided to abandon him. It was true that Vairif had his uses, but he was worth no more than that.
That was when it happened.
Vairif’s pupils dilated. His gaze locked onto a single point.
‘...Damn it.’
Realising that Hillan Cargill stood at the end of that gaze, Berje swallowed a groan.
Come to think of it, Berje had not been the only one who met Vairif.
‘Did Hillan Cargill wear a mask back then...?’
At that moment—
“Demon King!”
Vairif, his neck still clutched, screamed as if thrashing in desperation.
* * *
Vairif could not believe the reality before him.
He had accepted the damage and detonated all the undead.
He was confident he could kill everyone. Even if not, he believed that at the very least the survivors would be so gravely wounded that they would be unable to move.
That was not the case.
Was it because he had used too much demonic energy controlling the undead lesser dragon, or because the empire’s true strength was greater than he had expected?
There were far more survivors than he thought, and in particular, the hero who had butchered his masterpiece did not stop there.
He had burrowed straight into the ground and completely destroyed Vairif’s dungeon.
Grabbing him by the neck, he dragged him up to the surface and threw him to an imperial prince.
What he faced were hundreds of surviving imperial soldiers.
Rage that scorched the air, and killing intent that seemed ready to slaughter him.
“So it was you. It was you.”
The prince’s rough grip closed around his neck. He tried to resist, but had no strength. Thrashing, he barely managed to keep breathing.
“Where are the others?”
Did he think there were others?
Vairif understood. Who would believe that undead painstakingly built up over decades had been accomplished by one person alone? Anyone but himself.
It was the worst possible situation, yet he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.
He had been defeated, but it felt as though his achievements were being acknowledged.
And so, he spat.
Tuh—
There was no particular meaning to it.
It was simply because he disliked the prince’s face, which was far too clean and refined.
“How dare this bastard!”
“Your Highness!”
The knights were aghast. The prince stopped them. He casually wiped away the yellow phlegm.
“How amusing.”
He laughed. But that laughter was anything but benevolent.
Vairif felt a chill crawl up his spine. Even so, he forced himself to appear calm. In truth, there was no need to be afraid. No matter what happened, the Demon King would save him.
“You don’t seem afraid?”
As if seeking an answer, the strength around his neck eased slightly.
“I am a Black Mage. Death has always been by my side.”
“You misunderstand.”
Crunch—
“Why would I?”
Strength was applied again. Vairif’s face flushed red. He gasped roughly for breath.
You killed my soldiers.
You put my knights to sleep.
You humiliated my mage—me.
“Did you think I’d let you die easily?”
“...It doesn’t matter. Foolish imperial prince.”
It truly didn’t matter. No matter how great the prince’s rage was, no matter what he intended to do to him.
“The great....”
The Demon King would save him.
Having sworn upon the First Demon Emperor and the Standard, he surely would.
That was when it happened. A knight hurriedly descended into the crater.
“Your Highness.”
“Speak.”
“The Second Prince and the Third Prince have arrived just nearby.”
“Those wretches?”
No sooner had he spoken than a commotion erupted from above the crater.
“Open the way!”
‘This is bad....’
His faith in the Demon King had not vanished. But if the imperial forces increased, if the vigilance tightened, would the Demon King truly be able to save him intact?
‘Demon King, if not now, there may be no chance!’
Despite his silent outcry, the Demon King did not appear. Instead, other princes arrived. Along with more knights and mages.
“So you just happened to meet?”
“Quite astonishingly, if that were the case?”
Perhaps relations were poor, because the princes’ voices rose in confrontation.
‘...Huh?’
And then Vairif spotted the Demon King among the newly arrived group. No—he was not the Demon King.
At least, his appearance suggested it, but not the slightest trace of demonic energy could be felt. Instead, he was brimming with pure mana to the point of being nauseating.
But it was not because of that human resembling the Demon King that he felt hope. It was because of one hero standing beside him.
‘That’s him, without a doubt.’
The hero who had come with the Demon King to find him.
If so, then the Demon King must certainly be nearby as well.
‘Where are you, Demon King? Are you watching me?’
Taking advantage of the chaos, he looked around. But he could not sense the Demon King’s presence at all.
‘If you’re going to save me, now is the time. While they’re fighting among themselves like this!’
He prayed desperately. He hoped that the Demon King, whose soul was bound to his, would hear his wish and appear.
But no matter how fierce the princes’ dispute grew, no matter how the sparks of it made the threat to his life feel ever more real, the Demon King did not emerge.
In the end, he had no choice but to shout toward wherever in the gorge the Demon King might be watching him from.
“Demon King!”
He screamed until his voice tore.
“Your servant is here! Please, keep your promise!”
His voice echoed.
“Demon King? Ah, so that’s it. That’s why you can act so arrogantly.”
Everyone’s gaze converged on him.
“Go on, try calling him.”
The First Prince mocked him.
“I’m curious to see the face of that vermin demon who dared support you and scatter ashes upon the empire.”
He looked down at him arrogantly.
“Hurry.”
He struck his cheek.
“I said, call him.”
“Demon King!”
His throat split. Blood came out. But there was no answer.
“T-this can’t be....”
“Could it be that you were abandoned by the Demon King?”
“N-no. That can’t be!”
He had sworn upon the First Demon Emperor and the Standard. There was no way the Demon King would break that oath.
“Hurry and save me! You promised to at least spare my life!”
“Yes, hurry and save him. Isn’t your subordinate becoming far too unsightly!”
Despite the prince’s mockery, there was still no reply.
By then, Vairif realized that something was wrong.
That the Demon King had no intention of keeping his promise, and that he was going to die here.
“N-no...!”
I can’t die here.
“Save me! Hurry, save me!”
He screamed.
“Demon King of Dark Flame, you bastard!”
You promised! You promised you’d save me—you swore it on the Standard and the First Demon Emperor!
His final cry was swallowed by tears, but the first scream that had already burst forth—
“...Demon King of Dark Flame?”
It showed the imperial royals exactly where to direct their fury.