Prologue: The Demon King Ur.
Kaiton flew fast, his black satin cape fluttering behind him. It was early in the night, but the southern border village was eerily quiet. There were no people on the streets, and not a single light leaked out of the houses. The village was holding its breath. It was because yesterday was the day everyone feared. That day.
Once every six years, a star of calamity rose in the kingdom. On that day, darkness swallowed everything. Light vanished from the world, and the blessing of magic disappeared. Only demons revelled in it, and spread their wings in joy. It was only one day, but people cowered in fear of the darkness. They quietly held their breath, waiting for the demons’ energy to wane. For Kaiton, who had to move in secret, it was a golden opportunity.
Only one house in the village was lit up. It was the place where an unlucky man, who, while having been blessed with great Pacio, was born into an insignificant family without many prospects lived, wasting his talents. What was his name again? Li… something like that. Kaiton briefly tried to recall the man’s name, then gave up. Because it didn’t matter who he was.
Kaiton had come to the man to get what was his back. If the man was lucky, he would die tonight. If not…
“He’ll become a demon.”
Knock. Knock.
Who could it be on a night like this?
The man, who Kaiton had been trying to recall the name of, was startled by the unexpected knocking at his door. It wasn’t late, but it also wasn’t a time for visitors. Liam very cautiously opened the old wooden door.
“Who is it? On this night of mourning, of all days.”
Liam, with his mind preoccupied with the task of completing his magic circle quickly, opened the door without checking who the other person was, and was then frozen in surprise.
He thought a demon had come to his doorstep. As the smooth, glossy black mask moved towards his face, a shiver ran down his spine.
“I have come to get back what I lent you.”
The only thing visible through the black mask were pitch-black eyes.
That sharp, piercing gaze definitely seemed like it would fit a demon, but what he’d heard just now was a human voice. When he took another look, he found that the fluttering black cape definitely belonged to a human.
However, Liam needed a considerable amount of time to accept that the cold eyes, devoid of warmth, were the eyes of a fellow human.
“The… item you lent me? Whatever do you mean? I haven’t received anything from you, Sir. Did you perhaps get the wrong person?”
Kaiton confidently strode into the narrow house and stood in front of a small desk. On the desk was the magic circle Liam had been working on.
“It’s pretty impressive. It’s a shame you won’t be able to complete it.”
There was no way he could have grasped the complex three-tier compound magic circle with four intricately intertwined spells in that short moment. Liam thought that the stranger had come to steal his masterpiece.
“Uh… why would you say such a thing? I’m about to complete it. I don’t know who you are, but I cannot invite a stranger to be my guest on a night like this. It’s unlucky. Please go back.”
Liam opened the door and waited for Kaiton to leave. Then, unable to resist, he discreetly put his hand into the worn vest pocket. Only when the broken piece of the fragmented bead poke his hand did he feel relieved.
The reason Liam was able to draw the three-tier compound magic circle that would become his life’s masterpiece was all thanks to that bead fragment. It was just a small piece of a shattered bead, but its power was tremendous.
The fragment amplified his magic power explosively, allowing Liam to draw a magic circle with four overlapping spells at the third tier. It required a tremendous amount of sacrifice in terms of mana, but it was worth it. He considered obtaining the fragment to be the greatest stroke of luck in his life.
“Aren’t you leaving? Should I call the guards?”
“I told you I came to retrieve what is mine, didn’t I?”
Through the eerie mask, a pair of pitch-black eyes flashed. They were darker and colder than the darkness of the night the star of calamity rose.
“Mine…! What on earth did I borrow from you…!”
Liam desperately tried to deny the thought that came to mind.
It can’t be true… It can’t possibly be…
Kaiton, who noticed Liam’s realization, chuckled and nodded.
“That’s right. I’ve come to find the fragment of Ur that you hold dearly in your pocket.”
“!”
Liam writhed as if struck by lightning.
“Th-the fragment of Ur! Wh-what are you talking about? I have never… I have never touched such a thing. I can swear by the light that bends over the kingdom… and Sharan and the three guardians who protect the kingdom!”
Liam stammered, moving his stiff tongue. He tried hard to pretend that he was calm, though his heart was pounding like crazy.
“You swear on Sharan… why didn’t you swear on my name? If you had, I would’ve at least shown you the mercy of taking your life.”
Kaiton smiled bitterly at the man who was turning paler by the second. He hadn’t expected him to give up easily, but having to hear the names of those unpleasant people in that false oath irked him again.
Whoosh-
As if to represent Kaiton’s mood, a chilling wind blew and grazed Liam’s arms. The shoddy windows of the old house could not keep out the fierce wind of this quiet night.
“Really… y-you… are you saying you’re him?”
Liam struggled to pronounce the name of the calamity that had come for him as his mouth dried up like sand.
“The Demon King, Ur.”
“Yeah, I inherited that damned name.”
***
Liam desperately ran along the windy southern border.
He couldn’t afford to rest for even a moment because the Demon King was right on his heels.
From the moment he got his hands on a fragment of Ur, he knew that a day like this would come. Either he would be discovered by Sharan and sentenced to death, deplete all of his Pacio and turn into a demon, or be hunted down by the Demon King Ur.
But he had never imagined that the Demon was human.
No, could someone with eyes like that be called human? Wasn’t it a cruel joke?
Liam quickly fled and cast attack magic at the pursuing Demon King.
Considering they were both human, he thought it was worth a try. Besides, he had Ur’s fragment with him. It was ironic to defeat the Demon king with his own power, but as he amplified his magic and unleashed his attacks, it seemed like even Ur was having trouble dealing with them.
However, this was all Liam’s great illusion.
Kaiton was simply slowly pushing him, making sure Liam expelled all of his Pacio to the last drop. Attacking moderately enough for him to avoid, chasing him just enough so he wouldn’t lose hope. The more magic Liam used, the more Pacio would gather in the fragment.
In the end, Liam, who was running to the southern desert, clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground. His teeth trembled as if it was cold, and his face turned white like a sheet. It was proof that his Pacio had almost run out.
“It’s time to end this.”
Kaiton, who had been leisurely pursuing him, swiftly bound Liam’s shadow. Liam resisted frantically, but it was no use, for Kaiton had no intention of playing with him anymore.
“Don’t come any closer! Don’t!”
Liam poured his magic towards the looming Demon king, but unlike before, he failed to land a single blow. It was because Kaiton no longer allowed it. It was then that Liam realized he’d been completely toyed with all this time.
“What the hell are you…? Are you really human?”
“Yeah, that’s right. Callahan Ur is like the great-great-great-great-grandfather of my great-great-great-grandfather.”
“Callahan Ur was… human? Ha…! The identity of that Demon King who threw the world into chaos was human? Don’t make me laugh. Then what the hell is this? If this immense power isn’t the power of a Demon, then what is it?”
Liam opened his blood-soaked hand and looked at Ur’s fragment. There were claims that the bead was the heart of the Demon King Callahan Ur, and that it was the embodiment of the Demon King. It was said that if you offered Pacio to the bead, you would be able to borrow the power of the Demon.
Liam had personally confirmed it. The power of the Demon King Ur absorbed his Pacio and lent him tremendous power. However, the fact that the Demon King was human was hard to believe.
“The fragment of Ur is the Pacio of Callahan Ur.”
“Ha…! Are you making fun of me? That can’t be true.”
Pacio was a symbol of humanity.
The only ones who possessed Pacio in this world were humans.
Pacio was said to be the breath of the gods, allowing weak humans to borrow the divine energy called mana. Thanks to God’s breath, which warmed their hearts, humans could use magic.
If Ur truly was the Demon King, the ruler of the demons, he would have been able to freely use mana by itself, so there would be no Pacio.
“You’re free to believe it or not.”
Kaiton shrugged and chuckled, then pulled away the fragment from Liam’s hand while he was still bound to the shadow. It was easier than taking candy from a child. The fragment glowed, and Pacio flowed into Kaiton.
“Hmm…”
Kaiton let his shoulders and back muscles relax as he sighed in satisfaction. The fearless Liam had accumulated an incredible amount of Pacio in the fragment. With this much, it seemed like even if he destroyed a castle, there would still be an abundant amount left.
“You’ve collected it diligently. Alright, I’ll give you a chance. Try running far away. By now, Sharan’s pursuit team must be after you, but if you’re lucky, you just might survive.”
Liam, who’d been freed from his restraints, grabbed Kaiton’s arm instead of running away.
“You think I’ll just let the Demon King go? When Sharan’s pursuit team comes, I’ll hand you over.”
“Hah… how impressive.”
“Hmph, you want me to run away? I don’t even have any Pacio left anymore. My life is over! If I capture the Demon King and hand him over, I might get credit. Maybe I’ll even get a reward.”
“You’re incredibly foolish.”
Kaiton frowned as he looked at the foolish wizard who did not notice who Sharan’s pursuit team was running towards. He hated, incompetent, and stupid people most.
“How about this? Try telling Sharan who I am.”
Kaiton slowly removed the mask from his face.
Liam’s eyes widened in astonishment when he saw Kaiton’s beautiful yet mad smile.
“You… You’re definitely…! cough“
Blood poured from Liam’s mouth in shock as he recognized Kaiton’s face. Without reciting any long incantations or using any magic circles, Kaiton had effortlessly pierced Liam’s chest. It was magic so impressive that it was hard to believe it’d come from a human. Blood gushed from the gaping hole in Liam’s chest.
“I guess you have to make a choice. Bleed to death or cast a healing spell. But if your pacio runs out while casting the spell, you’ll become a demon.”
“Ugh… You’re definitely… Cough… K… Ka… working in the royal palace.. Kai Crawford!”
“Yes, that’s right. I’m living under that name now.”
Kaiton chuckled. To think that the Demon King Ur whom Sharan had been searching so hard for was a Court Wizard whom he saw everyday. If Sharan found out, he’d probably call for a warship.
“If you survive and tell Sharan who I am, that shitty blonde’s face might be worth seeing.”
A flicker of greed flashed in Liam’s eyes. He tightly held onto Kaiton’s arm to prevent him from escaping, and cast a healing spell on the gaping hole in his bleeding chest. He knew that he didn’t have much pacio left, but if he didn’t treat himself, he would die anyway.
The white light produced by the healing spell casted over the shadow on Kaiton’s face. The pale light shining under his chin illuminated the subtle muscles of his face as he formed a sinister smile.
“Oh… It seems it wasn’t enough after all.”
Kaiton pushed away the collapsing demon holding onto his hand. Liam eventually lost all of his Pacio and turned into a demon. The monstrous creature, with an appearance resembling a mass of white ashes, was an unpleasant sight at any time.
With a disdainful sneer, Kaiton picked up his mask, and disappeared into the darkness. Soon after, Sharan’s pursuit team arrived, but Kaiton was already gone, all his tracks concealed.
***
Kaiton retrieved another piece of Ur’s fragments and returned to the palace the next morning. The intense sunlight at dawn made it difficult to discern the identity of the person walking towards the main gate of the palace.
“Who goes there?”
The palace guard at the main gate asked.
As the imposing figure approached without answering, the guards drew their swords and prepared a stance to fight. Even though the man was merely approaching, the indescribable, mysteriously overwhelming aura he exuded put the guards on high alert.
“Mr. Crawford?”
One of the guards recognized Kaiton’s face and hastily greeted him, causing the other guards who had drawn their swords to awkwardly lower them.
“Good Morning.”
It was only when Kaiton calmly greeted them that the guards sheathed their swords. They also belatedly recognized him as Kai Crawford, the genius wizard who used all four types of magics, the first in the kingdom’s history.
However, the skeptical expressions on the guards’ faces were not easily erased. Even if they couldn’t recognize his face in the beginning, the aura they’d felt was real. But the person behind it was a court wizard who opened portals and conducted research within the palace. It was hard to understand why they felt a presence that made their hair stand from him.
“You seem quite tense this morning.”
“Apologies. The intense morning sun made us mistake you for someone else.”
“Who did you mistake me for? You were so frightened that I thought the Demon King Ur was coming behind me.”
The security guard scratched his head in embarrassment and let out an awkward laugh.
“Where did you go on the day of mourning?”
“Just briefly… I went to prepare to greet the Saint of the Oracle. It’s been 12 years since the last one.”
“Oh, I suppose the wizards are too busy to mourn. Isn’t it astonishing? Rovelia Dachini becoming a saint. It’s the first time in history, isn’t it? A daughter of one of the Guardian families being a saint.”
“She’s still just a candidate. There’s another person, isn’t there?”
Kaiton’s face, which was wearing a faint smile, quickly became cold when the blue-hair came to mind.
“Muriel Storm.”
“Oh, there was that young lady too.”
The guard nodded indifferent, as if the name garnered no interest, but Kaiton’s eyes flashed with anticipation. It was all because of the oracle that he had to go get the fragment of Ur in a hurry.
[The Next Saint will save the kingdom of Bulrion with the help of Sharan’s eyes.]
Although the appearance of a Saint should’ve been most unwelcome by Kaiton, who sought to destroy the kingdom, he had some quiet expectations.
What kind of expression will Muriel, who had a demeanor more sensitive and nervous than anyone else but only ever put on an indifferent face, make when she got her hands on Ur’s sculpture? The thought of seeing that pale face again sent shivers down Kaiton’s spine.
“I eagerly await the young ladies’ entrance to the palace. What kind of young lady will become a saint… I’m looking forward to finding out.”
I did it. I re-picked this project again. I picked it up to translate a few years ago and didn’t have a lot of experience back then, so I ended up doing a terrible job, but I’m proud to announce I can adequately translate it now (the difference in skill makes my mind swirl)
Let’s have fun!
I always imagined kaiton as the novel illustrations of Kim Dokja, btw. I feel like they fit his description perfectly.
