1042. The process of coming out of the mouth and turning into a book
That’s a shame.
The demon known as the Father of All the Dead scoured the traces of the battle between Audin and the Promiser of Abundance.
Had he been just a little more diligent, he could have made two outstanding paladins his own Death Knights.
Then it would have become a good knife to use later.
Isn’t that a good tactic to show the Mad Knights when they finally appear before me? That is what I find most regrettable.
Yet, it would have been a waste to let those two die. So, I subtly prevented the White Destroyer from pursuing them.
If you were to ask why it was a waste, I would answer that it was because they were also weapons to strike down those competing to become the Ascendant by my side.
Of course, I would hide behind a shield of lies no matter who asked.
“It was an opportunity to reduce the enemy’s strength.”
“You called us mere mortals, yet now you are elevating us to the status of enemies? We are seekers. We must not acknowledge them as enemies. Since our goal is Ascension, we must not act petty.”
It was a desolate land. A single tree stood in the background. That tree had grown on the spot where the Promiser of Abundance died, simultaneously with the end of the sanctuary.
The tree, imbued with divinity, scattered the surrounding demonic energy. Without looking too far ahead, within a few years, this land would no longer even be called the Demon Realm.
Demons, including the Father of All the Dead, had all established their own domains, and all of them combined were called the Demon Realm. And now, the Promiser of Abundance had died, and his domain had vanished. For this reason, the place now called the Demon Realm had narrowed even further.
We lost our land, and two fellows died—I couldn’t tell if they were companions, enemies, or troublemakers.
The White Destroyer expressed dissatisfaction.
They are both low-class things.
The father of all the dead answered nonchalantly. He appeared to have no complaints whatsoever.
“I don’t know what you are thinking, but if those ridiculous mortals want war, it is right to give it to them. It is right to show them who they dare to pick a fight with!”
Pure white—it signifies purity. These are the words of a monarch who staked everything on fighting, battle, victory, and toasts.
Go ahead.
The Father of the Dead had no interest in what the Destroyer was saying. He wanted to at least pretend to clean his ears, but this was not the time for needless provocation.
The Promiser of Abundance is dead.
In that case, a warning must be left for them as well.
We must ask if they intended to get away with it unscathed after daring to touch the axis of the Demonic Realm.
“This can’t be helped, you crazy friends.”
The father of the dead thinks only to himself. In the place where they had departed, only a tree radiating vitality remained.
* * *
The children who survived the Mirror of Evil, including the giant child Jordanamund, had nowhere to return to.
Theresa could have left the children in the Village of the Erosors and waited for Audin’s body and her own to heal, but she did not.
If asked why, it was purely based on intuition and a premonition.
If you stop, you will die or be in danger.
Then what? We’ll go back to Border Guard. At least Ragnar is there.
Then Roman and the village chief provided the carriage, and two of the older children took their place as coachmen.
You have to follow.
This is what the beast child said. It was when Audin had fainted after finishing the battle.
It’s dangerous if you follow me.
Theresa tried to soothe him well, but the giant child in the lead said
Please don’t throw it away.
This place is close to the Demon Realm. The atmosphere has changed since the sanctuary was declared and the demons were killed, but it will take time for this land to return to normalcy.
Teresa was about to say that the threat was gone, but stopped.
To them, this place is still the border of the Demon Realm. Do they feel abandoned if left in a place like this?
Teresa looked back at her past self and also thought of the word “responsibility.”
“Okay, let’s go together.”
They took all the children with them, and they turned out to be more clever and determined than expected. It was only natural, as every single one of them had tenaciously fought to survive in harsh environments.
Children of giants, children of beastmen, children of dwarves—regardless of race—helped one another, and Audin, who briefly woke up while inside the carriage, simply smiled.
Everyone lives the way they want.
He just uttered these words and fainted again. Audin woke up when they were almost at the Border Guard.
He woke up two more times, and each time.
Well done. You must not stop.
He would say that.
How much further is it to the border guard?
After saying this, he slept again as if dead. After arriving at the Border Guard, the children clearly knew who had saved them.
It was during the time when Audin had pretended to be dead to tease his comrades, fallen back asleep, dreamed, woke up, and focused on recovery. In other words, he was resting in bed without getting out.
“What, you dummy? Are you still sleeping?”
To reiterate, the children knew who had saved them. So when this barbarian approached and said something pointless.
“What about you, sir?”
“Your eyes look nasty.”
“You must have lived alone your whole life.”
Several children blocked the door of Audin’s quarters and spoke. Were they fearless? Or was their devotion to Audin profound? It was both.
The giant’s child gritted his teeth but trembled his legs.
“Well, I can’t even beat him up.”
Rem muttered.
“Hit him.”
“But not my uncle.”
“That’s right. We’ll stop him.”
It is a matter of knowing where to lie down before stretching. Children are even quicker at reading the room.
You won’t die here. There is no threat. It was because he felt that sense of security that he was acting this way, despite being scared.
Seeing the forced intensity in his eyes, Rem could not bring himself to speak.
Making those children back away? Intimidation isn’t even necessary. A few words would suffice. But they are just kids. If he persecuted them here, what would Ayul say to him later?
“Are you going around bringing shame to the West all by yourself? Who was that fugitive bastard from before? Why didn’t you just act like a dog-faced bastard, like the Madman of Immortality did? Then who would have cared how many kids you insulted and intimidated?”
That’s terrible.
That’s it.
Rem gave up and withdrew. Ragna didn’t even attempt to approach them. The children acted as if they were royal guards protecting the royal family.
Although they looked decent after being washed, fed, and put to sleep, the signs of their suffering were evident, including scratches all over their bodies.
One child arrived with a broken finger. A cultist had broken it for disobedience before the child was imprisoned. Didn’t he say
he held back his tears because they threatened to kill both his mother and father if he cried?
Anne felt her blood boil as she listened to this story while treating the child.
“I see.”
Still, I held back. Instead, I just told Ragnar this later.
“Make sure you kill all those bastards.”
“Okay.”
Ragnar answered again as if it were the most natural thing in the world. That looked cute. Anne cared for and treated the children for a few days, and also checked on Audin’s condition.
“I won’t ask what you’ve done. You guys are always doing crazy things. But you must not do it a second time. To put it simply, there are strands that make up your muscles, and they’ve all been severed throughout your entire body. You will recover, but it is dangerous. If you push yourself even a little, you’ll end up unable to walk, let alone run, for the rest of your life. So please, don’t do it a second time.”
“I will.”
“I swear to God?”
Audin answered with a laugh.
They will likely listen to the Captain rather than me.
Anne said that and left. Declaring a sanctuary was by nature not something two paladins could handle alone, but thanks to that, didn’t Audin gain his own bodyguard?
“We’ll protect it.”
“Protect it, Uncle.”
Watching the children speak like that, Audin’s heart fluttered. It was inevitable that he would keep thinking of Fildin, the child he had failed to protect.
Certain events of the past leave unforgettable scars. However, those scars would surely fade.
For a new hand was patting them.
It had been a somewhat reckless fight, but the result was good. Audin smiled. Because one demon was dead—no, because the children were alive.
* * *
Theresa treated them really well. Had they stayed there, everyone, including the Village of the Erosioners, would have perished. Two weakened Paladins, and two madmen at that, who had repeatedly clashed with them. Any Lord of the Mirror World would have coveted them. They could have killed them without a second thought, or they would have brought a means to turn them to their side.
Kreis leaned back in his chair and spoke. He and Enkrid were the only two people in the spacious drawing room. The room was wide, so his voice echoed slightly.
This big-eyed genius was right. The demon of the Mirror of Evil had targeted the two of them, but ultimately missed them.
“If all the monsters and beasts swarm into the vicinity of the Demon Realm, we will be forced to prepare for war.”
Kreis moved the pieces on the table as he spoke. They resembled chess pawns, all the same color, without any markings, and with round heads.
He picked one up and placed it here and there. Encred wouldn’t notice, but various thoughts must be racing through his mind.
No, he must have called him because he had reached a conclusion to some extent.
“But they won’t do that. Even if they fight, we have to strike first for it to start. To put it simply, over there are five kings—no, actually, four now. Let’s say there are two merchants leading a guild, and their opinions are at odds. One wants to go east, while the other insists on going west. Well, with just two, they might reach an agreement occasionally and move forward. But over there, there are four. And what they have isn’t a merchant guild.”
It means that it is difficult for the four rulers of the Demon Realm to be of one mind and will because they intend to follow different paths. Moreover, their goal is ascension, and they view the rest as competitors.
“But what if all the monsters and beasts near the Demonic Mirror gather inside? What if they pool all their available forces? That would mean they have united their intentions, so at that point, they would use everything they have prepared. However, I don’t think that will happen. On the contrary, I suspect there might be some who would actually be glad that one side is gone. Looking at what they have done so far, that’s the impression I get. So, what we need to do now is prepare for ambush, and.……”
Encred snatched the words from him and finished it.
“I suppose you mean I should just do what I’ve been doing.”
“Yes. Well, that’s right. I’d like to quit here and hide away somewhere.”
“Go ahead.”
“Are you sure you want to?”
“Nurat will come with you, right? Should I slip him some gold coins? He must have earned a considerable amount of Crona at the Border Guard. Put a pocket on your back. Gather up as much as you can and run.”
“……It really annoys me that you’re acting like this knowing I can’t escape, Captain.”
“I said go.”
“Stop it. Please?”
Encred spoke without a hint of a smile.
“If you drop out, who is going to build the supply lines and prepare for the future? Kreis, was opening a saloon your dream? You didn’t expect the devil to come as a guest, did you? It’s not like you make meat pies out of human flesh or drink blood instead of wine, is it?”
In the end, Kreis’s dream is the same as mine. For the salon he dreams of requires an end to the war.
You can tell by the way he takes control of his surroundings, starting with the safety road. He desires peace.
“Yes, I lost. Still, I’ll be able to sleep soundly for a few days. It’s just a guess, but the less the demon does anything, the more divided our side will become. They will start by debating whether striking the demon was truly the right thing to do.”
“That’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“Krang will handle it.”
Gathering the power of the intelligent race, including humans, is not my job. It is the job of my friend and the King.
That’s true.
Kreis nodded vigorously. He felt very at ease since it wasn’t his business.
“Then I’ll see you later.”
“Where are you going?”
“To check if Frog, who’s stuck in his room, has forgotten me.”
“Ah.”
Encreed left the drawing room and headed straight for Luagarné’s laboratory. She glanced at him to see he had returned, told him to come back when he was ready, and did not come out again.
Her room was filled with the smell of ink. Papers were scattered haphazardly all around. There were papers heavily stained with ink, as well as torn-up pieces that had been discarded.
“Did you decide to waste paper and ink instead of writing a book?”
“Ah, you’ve come. You’ve never written before, have you? Welcome. This is the writer’s workshop.”
“That’s a bit much.”
“Alright, let’s hear it now. What did you realize next? Can you explain it in a way I can understand? If you speak like that bastard Rem, scenes like this will continue for a while.”
“Is that a threat?”
The two laughed for a moment. It was a situation where jokes were being exchanged.
Luagarne had now returned to being a scholar rather than a combatant. The funny thing was, this suited her better. Frock’s expression was brighter than before.
Gurgle.
Encred gave a firm answer to Luagarine’s puffed-out words.
“And who are you comparing me to?”
Even so, comparing her to Rem is crossing the line.
Enkrid began to speak. She had realized a great deal this time, learning from the Knight of the Empire and mastering things from the Boatman in her dreams.
In particular, she learned a great deal about how to convey what she knows to others.
She learned from Jitte, from observing Shion, and through Climahild, she learned how to understand things from the other person’s perspective.
If she explained it to Luagarne, she would turn it into a book even more easily.
Enkrid found this time as enjoyable as swinging a sword. It was a process in which the five steps she had created and conceived came out of her mouth and transformed into a book.
Awareness, circulation, accumulation, change, renewal.
Luagarne ruminated on the words describing the five stages over and over again. It took three days just to explain them.
It was a time spent sleeping and eating.
