Editor: Yuu✨
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“Lord Giyu! Are you out of your mind?”
“Why are you so surprised? What did I say?”
“You just mentioned treason!”
“Treason, you say? That’s a serious accusation. I merely stated that I must correct the fallen order.”
Giyu tilted his head as he spoke. Vanderyl maintained a stern expression.
“That’s not what you meant!”
“But it is. As I mentioned earlier, leaving the situation as it is amounts to rebellion against the demon world.”
“…….”
Giyu, having set up the fallen cup, poured himself a drink.
“Above all, in this situation, the one who will suffer the most is undoubtedly you, Lord Vanderyl, isn’t it? I already know there’s discontent among the upper echelons of Sinfaras.”
Giyu’s words were undeniably true. Among the high-ranking nobles, there were those who had only consumed human blood. If this situation was not addressed, he would have to worry about his position as the High Lord.
“Do you still have hope that you can persuade the new king? His decision to retreat with the enemy’s capital in sight and the release of all those prisoners was undoubtedly because of that human woman. She must have asked for the war to stop as a condition for following the new king. He has no shame, proclaiming a human woman to be her queen. The war with the human won’t resume as long as he sits on the throne.”
“…….”
Vanderyl stared at Giyu with a rigid expression.
“…So?”
“What do you mean, so?”
“Are you really considering treason? I’m sure you’re well aware of how powerful His Majesty is.”
The appearance of the new king in the demon realm five years ago
He was searching for the former Demon King, Dioclyde, who disappeared over a decade ago. At first, everyone laughed when they saw a half-human boldly enter the demon realm on his own. They said he wouldn’t last a week and would end up as an addition to some high-ranking demon’s collection.
However, the new king mercilessly killed anyone attempting to block or harm his path, including renowned human hunters and warriors of the Demon Realm.
Eventually, a demon army was dispatched to kill him, but they too were annihilated by the new king single-handedly.
One day, seemingly having achieved his goal, he mysteriously vanished from the demon realm.
Returning about a year later, the new king challenged Nephelosys, who was the Demon King at the time.
While Nephelosys’ magical power couldn’t match the new king’s, he was well-versed in forbidden arts passed down through generations of his species.
Using the elixir of immortality, Nephelosys imprisoned the new king in the abyssal depths of the demon realm, where colossal monsters sealed since the birth of the demon realm resided.
Everyone believed the new king was dead, and Nephelosys had won. However, as if defying reality, the new king reappeared from the abyss about a year and a half later. Upon his return, it was said that the new king was covered in the blood of creatures of various colors.
Thus, the new king defeated Nephelosys and ascended to the throne.
“Even if all seven High Lords unite and prepare thoroughly, there’s no guarantee we can defeat His Majesty. Of course, if we’re lucky, we might be able to pull off a surprise attack. However, His Majesty possesses near-immortal regenerative abilities. How can you expect to defeat someone who has returned from the depths of the abyss?”
Giyu gazed at the swirling drink in his glass with narrowed eyes.
“There must be a way.”
“Such irresponsibility…!”
“The most crucial thing now is whether you, Lord Vanderyl, have the will to join me. Only then, even if we find a solution, can it be effective.”
“…….”
Vanderyl bit his lip, then firmly fixed his expression.
“This is not just a matter of my life. It could lead to the annihilation of all Sinfaras. I can’t take such a risky gamble without a clear guarantee.”
“…if things continue like this, there’s no future for Sinfaras, right?”
“No matter what you say, mere speculation won’t change my mind. Bring a plan that ensures success first. I will reveal my will after I hear it.”
Vanderyl pushed himself up from his seat.
“Rest assured. I won’t disclose today’s conversation to anyone until then.”
“…….”
After Vanderyl left the room, Giyu’s hand shattered the glass with a sharp sound. He stared at his blood-stained palm, marked by both alcohol and blood, with a grim expression.
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late at night, at the Rojasis Mansion.
Julion, who had secluded himself in the basement, ascended to the first floor.
He looked completely different, as if he were a different person.
His beard was untrimmed, giving him a rugged appearance, and his eye area was filled with dark circles. Yet the shape of his cheekbones was prominently defined.
Although he seemed like he would collapse at any moment, there was one place that was different—his pupils were shining brightly.
Julion climbed the stairs slowly and went to his workshop.
He spread out the scrolls and chanted a spell. A blue light illusion emerged from the magic circle on the scroll.
It was the head of the secret organization, Twilight Moon.
“I have a request.”
— Speak.
“I’m going to the underworld to assassinate the Demon King and rescue my daughter. I need you to organize a special operation unit.”
The leader remained silent for a moment, devoid of any words or movement. One could almost suspect a momentary glitch in the communication magic.
— Are you being serious?
“Do I look like someone who would joke about this?”
— I can’t help but think you are.
“I’m serious. More so than ever before.”
— What are you going to do about the toxicity of the air in the Demon Realm?
“I’ve developed a magical device that detoxifies the air in real-time. Enough for ten people.”
— Mana doesn’t exist in the Demon Realm. Surely you’re aware that no magical device functions properly there.
“We can use mana batteries.”
— …What did you say?
“A magical device that can store and preserve mana. I developed it alongside the gas mask. With that, we can carry out operations lasting up to two weeks without issues.”
— …….
These were inventions Julion had been working on in his laboratory for months.
Aslan was right. Julion had never once given up on the idea of reclaiming Eila. Now, he had finally completed all the necessary preparations.
“All the performance is reliable. If you have doubts, I’ll demonstrate before the actual operation.”
— ……That’s not the issue. It’s too risky.
“I know. That’s why I’ve commissioned the twilight moon.”
— The Demon Realm is uncharted territory. We don’t know what dangers lurk within. Even the survival rate is probably less than 20% at best, not to mention the success rate.
“My calculations are different.”
— Duke Rojasis
“I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
— It’s not a question of money. We can’t send our organization’s members on such a risky and uncertain mission.
The leader said it firmly.
Julion asked quietly.
“Would you be okay with your organization’s existence being known to the world?”
— …Excuse me?
“If you don’t accept this request, I’ll expose everything your members have violated against imperial law. I have all the evidence, just in case.”
— Are you threatening the Twilight Moon now?
The leader asked in a low voice.
“It’s just a hypothetical scenario. It won’t happen if you accept my request.”
— Well, the Duke won’t be safe if it gets out.
“It doesn’t matter. If I can’t save Eila, I have nothing more to lose.”
— …….
“I’ll destroy all the evidence I’ve gathered when I return from the Demon Realm, right before your eyes.”
— …….
After a moment of silence, the leader finally spoke.
— You said earlier that the Duke’s calculations were different. What do you think the success rate is?
“At least 70%.”
— And the survival rate?
“For the Twilight Moon members excluding me, 90%.”
— No one in the Twilight Moon has the power to kill the demon king. You’re aware of that, right?
“Of course. I will be the one to kill the Demon King. The magic capable of killing him is known only to me in this world. You just need to protect me until then and safely rescue Eila.”
Julion’s voice was calm but full of confidence. If he could assert this much, it meant he had substantial evidence.
Assuming, of course, that this was the same Julion Rojasis that the world knew.
After another long silence, the leader spoke.
— I’ll accept compensation 50 times the amount of the last commission. It will be paid in advance and in full. Can you do that?
“No problem.”
— And this will be the last commission we receive from the Duke. After this, all communication channels will be discarded. If the twilight moon’s existence were to be revealed through Duke Rojasis, we would mobilize the organization’s full strength to make you pay the price. Do you understand?
“Yeah, I understand.”
A faint sigh was heard from the illusion.
— …Please explain the detailed plan.
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Happy Holidays!
*sigh* I cannot la with this bapak. Why ek tak boleh accept kenyataan. Terima je la kenyataan bukannya anak tu saje² buat begitu. Halah² bapaknya pun tak tau la nak cakap macam mana lagi
Honestly disappointing… I get it but didn’t Julion already previously acknowledge that Elia went on her own accord?