The intense smell of gunpowder filled the nostrils to the point of throbbing.
The flames devoured the trees, and between them, the monster Hameln slowly began to approach with its massive body.
Could this place be hell itself?
The scene was so horrific that it made one stick out their tongue in disgust, yet surprisingly, calmness was easily maintained.
It was a situation that had become familiar. In other words, one had gained experience.
“Everyone, please step back. I will take on this demon alone.”
“What?”
The demon that appeared before us, Monster Hameln, had three horns protruding from its head.
The number of horns being a measure of power.
Clearly, a demon of the Tri-horn (三角) rank was undoubtedly the strongest entity they had ever encountered since birth.
The members and soldiers of ‘Closed Eyes’ were startled and looked this way upon hearing the declaration to face such a demon alone.
“Is that… are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes, please prepare to extinguish the fire once the extermination is complete.”
“But……”
“It will only get in the way.”
My cold and firm tone made the uneasy members nod.
“Understood. If we’re only going to be a hindrance… we will not participate in the combat, Sir Julian.”
The expression of the ‘Closed Eyes’ member who responded was quite complex.
Relieved that they did not have to face the Tri-horn demon, but at the same time, they felt bitter about their honed skills being denied.
Truthfully, I did not want to face Monster Hameln alone either. Even if the ‘fortress’ was gone, the creature was still a demon of the Tri-horn rank.
It was certainly a more powerful entity than the Bi-horn (二角) demons I had faced before.
‘But, those who cannot perfectly control their aura are nothing but good prey from Hameln’s perspective.’
It’s no coincidence that Hameln was nicknamed the ‘Dream Beast.’
Its trademark attack involves using pollen as a medium for psychic attacks.
Casting hypnosis or inducing seizures to make friend-or-foe identification impossible, creating confusion.
However, those powerful psychic attacks were useless in front of ‘Julian’s’ character traits.
Resisted Hameln’s psychic attack.
⇒ Presumptuous
⇒ Indifferent
Poker face…..
Because the character ‘Julian Crypart Frason’ was so arrogantly confident to the point of extreme faith, akin to unwavering belief.
In other words, a madman has no more madness left in him.
***
In an environment where constant disputes for power occur, there is neither blood, tears, recognition, nor consideration in the relationships between nobles.
However, Oronil had been through thick and thin with Hyrans, the head of the Hyrans family and his academy classmate, from a young age, and had established a solid mutual understanding.
Therefore, Oronil was busy hiding his displeasure when Julian showed his face at his mansion.
‘The Smiling Executioner’ of the empire that purged the family of his friend, the Hyrans.
Seeing that always smiling face, Oronil rejected all of Julian’s offers due to an indescribable intense anger deep in his heart.
Of course, there were other reasons as well, but that was only for a moment.
When he heard that his precious daughter had lost her mind due to a demon in the Pyrun Forest, Oronil had no choice but to set aside his displeasure and reluctantly seek Julian’s help.
**
“Thank you for your cooperation in the demon subjugation. The royal family will surely commend Sir Oronil’s swift decision.”
Living a life besmirched with all sorts of infamy, the foundation of that infamy is the overwhelming force that Julian possesses.
However, Oronil had not expected that the Tri-horn demon would be subjugated in less than a day.
“Has your daughter awoken?”
“Yes, she has, thanks to you dealing with the demon.”
“No, it’s all thanks to His Majesty’s grace.”
Oronil glanced at Julian’s face as he responded to his words.
Looking into the eyes during conversation to read emotions is an essential part of social interaction and negotiation.
However, it was nearly impossible to read any emotions from the squint-eyed Julian, leaving Oronil unable to guess what the man might be thinking.
‘He must vaguely know about the relationship between the Hyrans family and me. Surely, he’s sneering inside, seeing me like this. Standing before the person who killed my friend, and instead of seeking revenge, I’m thankful for saving my daughter.’
“Did you say your daughter’s name is Terina?”
Hmm?
Just as Oronil tried his best to hide his swelling sense of self-disgust, he was taken aback by Julian’s following question.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Could you please give this to Miss Terina?”
Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out a small necklace. It wasn’t very flashy, but the gemstone set in the center was noticeable.
“It’s made from Hameln’s pollen crystal. The fact that she reacted to his pollen first means that the mana blood formed inside her body is more abundant compared to her peers. It likely indicates that her talent as a wizard is exceptional compared to other children.”
“……So this is.”
“Wizards start dreaming from a young age by extracting mana from gems. This pollen crystal will be a great help if Terina wishes to learn magic later.”
Isn’t it?
Giving Terina this gift was an incomprehensible act, even if ‘Frason’ was not well-regarded within the Crypart family. Wasn’t he a noble? How does such a discordant act benefit him?
‘Why exactly?’
Moreover, the man before him was Julian, known as the Smiling Executioner. A man ruthless enough to threaten a child if they obstructed his path. There must be an intention behind his gift.
“What’s the reason?”
Oronil couldn’t help asking about his intentions, but the sly smile on Julian’s face sparked fear deep within him.
“Haha. It’s my sincerity.”
Oronil took another look at Julian’s face. Despite the usual chilling vibe, Julian appeared differently in a strange way.
“Sincerity……?”
“Yes, while it was for the demon hunt, didn’t half of the Pyrun Forest end up as ashes?”
At Julian’s words, Oronil sighed softly.
“It’s a small token of my consideration for the hardships Sir Oronil will face in the future.”
Consideration. Coming from him, the word seemed absurd to Oronil.
“Is that really all?”
“Yes.”
Presumptuous
It was a response unfit for a man known to regard no one else. Oronil looked at Julian with a stunned expression, convinced there must be another motive.
“Then, I shall take my leave, Sir Oronil. Thank you for your cooperation in the hunt.”
Putting on his hat as if he had no further business, Julian left with a gentle smile. To Oronil, it was a terrifyingly eerie smile, but it proved harmless.
****
With Terina being treated, the demon subdued, and even though half of the Pyrun Forest was burned, peace returned to the mansion. Oronil watched Julian’s departing figure. The gift given to Terina was not meaningless, regardless of its value.
“Dear.”
“Is Terina okay?”
“Yes, she’s recovered enough to move around now.”
With a deep sigh, Oronil reached out to his wife, who then handed him a pen and a rolled scroll. “I must draft a letter to the chairman of the Noble Elders’ Council.”
“What will you do?”
Julian Crypart Frason.
The Noble Elders’ Council had already heard that he was coming to the border city of Berniden for a subjugation mission.
Currently, the council’s aim, specifically that of the chairman, Oden Crypart, was to remove the family’s tumor, Julian.
“Didn’t the council ask for your cooperation to delay the subjugation schedule a bit, for Julian’s restraint?”
“I had no choice. It was a matter concerning Terina’s life.”
After scribbling on the letter, Oronil sealed it with his stamp and began to roll it up again.
Then, calling a servant who was waiting outside, he handed it over for delivery.
“Deliver this to Sir Herand staying in Berniden. Tell him that cooperation will be difficult from now on.”
The servant nodded and began to move. Watching his retreating figure, Oronil sighed again.
‘Forgive me for choosing the peace of my family over the revenge of a friend.’
Thinking this, Oronil remembered Julian’s words just before he left, which still left a sense of dissonance, yet one fact was clear enough.
That inside the body of the monster known as the ‘Laughing Guillotine’, flows the same red blood as his.
***
On the way back to the capital.
Back on the train, I reached for the jewelry box I had purchased from the jeweler before leaving.
Click!
Inside the small jewelry box was a soul stone, obtainable only from demons of a certain level, containing the heart of the monstrous Hameln, shimmering with a dim red light.
“It’s redundant to say, but this is utterly unpleasant.”
The most coveted item by the Dawn Society.
At the same time, an ingredient capable of awakening the ‘Demon God’, the source of all evil, in the narrative of <Let’s Kill the Demon Lord Now>.
Upon opening the jewelry box, it began to emanate a tremendous aura, asserting its presence so powerfully that an ordinary person touching it could lose consciousness from the overwhelming energy.
‘Now it gets real.’
Delivering this soul stone would undoubtedly earn the trust of the Dawn Society.
Well,
Given that Archbishop Tenellon oddly favored ‘Julian’, one might wonder if there was really any need to do so, but,
“It’s necessary to gain some recognition from the other bishops, after all.”
My goal is to either eradicate the Dawn Society or, at the very least, bring them under my control.
Gaining the trust of the other bishops is just as important as earning Tenellon’s trust.
‘But if I hand over the soulstone, I would be contributing to the resurrection of the Demon God. It also means that I could strengthen Tenellon’s power even further…………… So, what should I do with this soulstone? There might be another option rather than just handing it over to the Dawn Society.
‘If there is another option, what is it? No………… It might not be wise to make a hasty decision.’
As I was deep in thought, I felt the train gradually slowing down.
[We will be stopping at Londrian Station.]
The announcement of the stop came as the train approached, likely a station we pass through on our way to the capital. The trains of this era, which use resonating stones as fuel, are incredibly inefficient and must stop several times to refuel. This results in quite a number of stations. However, the number of passengers is limited.
‘What about the Hayden Reich side? Can I keep hiding that I have joined the Dawn Society until the end?’
The deeper I get involved with the Dawn Society, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the chances of confronting the Sword Saint would increase.
‘Let’s think about that later, for now, I’ll try to keep it as hidden as possible……………’
Lost in deep thought, I suddenly felt someone approaching and turned my head outside the compartment.
“Room 114 is………….. Ah, here…………”
Muttering to herself, someone opened the door to my compartment. A familiar face, a woman.
Linne Londebell
The appearance of her, the disciple of the Sword Saint Hayden Reich, caught my eye, and I quickly closed the jewelry box containing the soulstone.
Cliche Novel 