Episode 278
“Huh?”
“A contract?”
Everyone looked surprised at the sudden confession.
That is how perplexing the story was regarding a contract between royalty and a demon.
Of course, Hanbit, who knew the inside story, pretended not to know and asked a question.
“If you say they have been contractors for generations, are you referring to the very beginning of the nation’s founding?”
“Yes. It all started with the first Livray. I hate to admit it, but if it weren’t for the demons, this country might not have existed.”
Hundreds of years ago,
the first Livray, the leader of a nomadic tribe, settled on this land after being chased by monsters.
However, crops did not grow properly in the arid and harsh environment, and neither beasts nor water were abundant.
They were scorned by neighboring nations that had established themselves long ago and became targets of invasion and slave hunting.
One day, while living in such despair,
a purple moon rose in the deep night sky.
“The first Livray thought it was a curse, or a sign of destruction. One would inevitably feel terror upon witnessing the sight of the earth and sky mixing up and flowing backward.”
The King calmly recounted the story passed down from his predecessors.
It was no illusion that there was a hint of sorrow in his voice.
“Amidst that chaos, something appeared. It resembled a human, yet its skin was incredibly pale and white. Its eyes appeared to be a blend of several colors, and its ordinary smile was somehow unnatural and chilling. And the most striking feature was the black-stained wings that bloomed on its back. That was the Devil.”
His voice grew increasingly emotional.
It appeared as though he were recounting a situation he had experienced firsthand, rather than simply telling a story he had heard.
“The first Livray showed interest in the Devil, and the Devil, in turn, showed interest in humans. In particular, Livray’s dream of leaving behind a beautiful legacy became the center of our conversation.”
Livray, who had been in deep pain, nurtured a dream within his heart.
To escape from a terrible and barren reality and build a nation where people lived beautiful and meaningful lives. This
was also the reason why this country had become a nation of art.
“While we were talking for quite a while, the demon made a proposal. He said he would grant our dreams if we gave our bodies to his House of Belzenor. He stated that a contract, not coercion, was necessary for their unique cuisine.”
“What? That’s just telling us to die!”
Elencia, listening to the story, could not hold back her anger and spoke in a voice of rage. To be asked
to sacrifice one’s life in exchange for a dream—
it was a difficult request to accept.
However, the King continued speaking calmly.
“To the first Livray, his own life was of no importance. No, he desired the realization of the dream by sacrificing not only his own but the lives of future generations as well. The despair and yearning he felt were that deep. Enough to forge a contract spanning hundreds, even thousands of years.”
“The lives of future generations? Then…”
“Yes. All Livray, including the first, offered their bodies to the demons of the House of Belzenor. The contract imprinted in their blood was unavoidable. In return, they borrowed the demons’ power and have safely ensured the nation’s continued existence.”
“Wait, just a moment. So, Father, you mean I must offer my body as well?”
Startled, Elencia sprang to her feet.
Even though he was her adoptive father, he was a parent who cherished and loved her.
She could not possibly accept such an absurd death.
The King, who surely understood her feelings, lowered his gaze and said,
“My death… I do not know.”
“What? You say you do not know?”
When she questioned him again, the King fell silent for a moment.
After a brief pause, he raised his head and looked at Elencia.
“Your mother, Setianne, was consumed by evil energy and lost her life. Having given birth to a demon’s child in a human body, she could not withstand the aftermath.”
“…I have often thought it might be because of me. Did she conceive me because of the demon’s oppression?”
“No, I swear that is not it. Because she gave birth to me out of true love. That relationship is what saved my life, which should have ended in death.”
Twenty-three years ago.
The demon appeared before the King and attempted to take his body as per the contract.
However, Setianne stood in her way, and the demon took an interest in her.
I heard directly from my younger sibling how that connection blossomed into love and bore fruit.
Her sparkling eyes looked like those of someone truly in love.
“Asperas, the demon who appeared to take my body, stayed with Setianne unseen by anyone. And a few days before you were born, he suddenly vanished.”
“He… vanished?”
“With the power of a demon, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to disappear suddenly. However, he was not someone who would stop protecting Setianne. Even to human eyes, his sincere heart was clearly visible. To the point where he even slaughtered every single monster in the southern region just in case.”
“Then why on earth…?”
Asperas, the demon who had shown endless sincerity toward Setianne.
He was a man who, despite having come to this land for the first time as a member of the clan, turned his back on the contract and clung to his love. Yet,
such a man vanished without staying by his consort's side.
It was completely unknown when, where, or how he had disappeared.
“We searched in secret, but we couldn’t find even a trace. Setianne, who had smiled and said she was fine, ultimately lost her life due to the evil energy. If Asperas had been here, my brother, your mother, would never have met such a fate.”
The King’s tightly clenched fists trembled.
It was anger toward the demon who had vanished irresponsibly and toward himself for being powerless to do anything.
“…….”
Elencia, having heard the entire story, could not say a word.
Her mind felt as if it were about to explode, from the true nature of the royal family to her mother’s past.
Watching her, Ibella placed an old, tattered book on the table and spoke.
It was the very book Elencia had retrieved from the secret archive.
“Then who wrote this? Although much has been lost, there were records of witnessing a demon.”
“He is one of the previous kings. It was a text written while recalling the memory of facing the demon that had come to reclaim his father’s body. The lost records at the back… were confessions of terror and fear he spewed out while awaiting his day of death. Sentences begging to be spared were repeated endlessly.”
“…So that is what it was about.”
Ivela nodded and looked down at the tattered cover of the book.
Then, sensing something odd, she spoke.
“Wait, if demons have appeared generation after generation, why aren’t they recorded in other records? There must be more than one witness to the purple moon and the strange phenomena.”
“They say that when they reported their fear of the changes, the demon created a barrier across the entire South. Now, they can confirm the signs using the central clock.”
“The clock… so it was received from the demon.”
The blue crystal clock hanging on the kingdom’s highest tower.
Ivela finally realized why it had been forbidden to be touched, considering it a royal treasure.
Sighing, she asked the question again.
“What happens when a demon appears?”
“Light emanates from the clock’s crystal, coloring the inside of the kingdom’s castle walls. To be precise, it is not that a demon is appearing, but rather that a rift in the space connected to it is opening.”
“It seems they kindly paid attention to the aesthetics as well.”
Ibella let out a hollow laugh and turned her gaze out the window.
The power of the demon was utterly inscrutable.
It was difficult to judge anything until seeing it in person.
“…I must find it after all.”
Just then, Elencia, who had been silent, raised her head and spoke.
The light in her eyes as she looked at the King was even more intense than before.
“I will go to the Demon Realm and look for that demon.”
“I cannot allow it. If I lose you, I will have no face to show Setianne, and furthermore, there is no way to find the place known as the Demon Realm.”
“Father, this is a destiny given to me since my body began to gradually change. And I have also obtained a clue regarding the place known as the Demon Realm.”
“A clue?”
The King looked puzzled at this unfamiliar story.
Elencia placed the note and key she had retrieved from the room onto the table.
“I apologize for telling you so late. These are clues about demons obtained on Feria Island. I think they are the method to open the entrance.”
“To think so…”
At this belated confession, the King clutched his forehead.
He then sighed and began examining the clues.
“The Purple Moon and the Sea of Backflows, perhaps?”
Pointing to key words, he shifted his gaze to the key.
The blackened key seemed to exude an even more ominous aura.
“…Investigation Team, what do you think? Is reaching the demon's territory truly the right thing to do?”
The King, deep in thought, asked his members.
Demons, whose mere existence had brought about tremendous change.
If the entrance leading to their stronghold were opened, destruction was inevitable.
“I know it is dangerous, but we must do our job. Finding Erfort is the destiny of the world. Besides, we cannot rule out the possibility that the demons might cause harm first.”
“Even so, it might be right to postpone it until the very last moment. After all, demons are that dangerous. Wouldn’t it be advisable not to make an issue of it when there is no problem?”
“I understand your desire to dissuade me, but Your Majesty, you tried to find that demon named Asperas yourself, didn’t you? This might be your chance.”
The King, who had struggled to find the demon who had abandoned his daughter.
Yet now, he showed a determination to avoid involvement at all costs.
Something had changed in his heart.
“My rage remains, but I must protect my family and my people. Rather than stirring up a hornet’s nest and letting the evil bees fly out, I hope he comes secretly to Livray and takes only my body. I intend to bid farewell to the demon who appears then, ending the contract with me. If Asperas returns… I do not know what will happen.”
The King hoped that this tragic contract would be broken in his generation.
He wanted to ensure that the same thing would not happen again, just as he had lost his younger sister.
“No, absolutely not.”
However, Elencia firmly rejected that future.
Rising to her feet, she continued speaking with an angry expression, looking as if she were about to snort away.
“I will bring an end to this contract with my own hands. I do not desire peace gained by losing Father. To have my family taken away by the devil again? I absolutely refuse.”
Elencia, who usually maintained her composure, now poured out pure anger like a child.
The King watched her with a bitter expression and said,
“Sometimes, there is sorrow that must be endured. You just need to forget about the devil and live happily. I told the truth to the investigation team members here because I wanted you to deal with any potential dangers or anomalies. For your sake and for the Kingdom of Livray.”
“Such happiness…”
*Pow!*
Just then, an intense blue light suddenly poured through the window.
“Ugh!”
The tremendous radiance blinded everyone present.
However, only two people wore expressions of shock.
“The Devil… why now…!”
The King, realizing the meaning of the light, was flustered.
Hanbit was in the same boat.
'It’s opening now?'
This light was emanating from the Tower’s crystal clock.
In other words, it meant that a rift connecting to the Devil’s realm had opened.
The timing was much sooner than expected, which was certainly odd. The light that had been emitting a whoosh quickly faded.
Hanbit , who had been watching out the window, spoke in a heavy voice. “Do not move. The Devil is coming.”
