36. Meeting the new order (4)
“I will refuse that.”
“Almighty Bracelet and Servant of the Stars. “With those two, they can even beat a god.”
“Is it because of your arrogance that you’ve been trapped underground for hundreds of centuries and still haven’t changed your habits? Rather, Signi.”
“Your brother.”
“The fighting is becoming more frequent and the number of injured is increasing. It may be difficult, but please. “Teaching children
may not be easy.”
“Do not worry. “The children at the church are now playing a significant part.”
Zeke then turned his eyes to Lakhe.
“How about the western frontier?”
“Thirteen.”
“Isn’t it easy?”
“Because that’s Mandarake too. The power should be considered equal. I’m controlling a giant ant to collect food. “In terms of efficiency, I would say it’s a little better than this one.”
Nezar suddenly intervened.
“Because there are a lot of military families to feed here.”
It was just as Nezar said. There were many military families in Neuekahn. The number of those fighting is around 2,000 at most. The remaining 8,000 were non-combatants.
Zeke received Nezar’s words.
“You can’t call them military family. “Thanks to them, we can still be human.”
“It seems like they are not helpful in the fight.”
“The old man and the child. men and women.
The diligent and the lazy. Only when everyone mixes together does it become a society. If it weren’t for them, this would not be a city but a barracks. “I wouldn’t have been able to last 10 years.”
“Anyway, I can’t keep up with your way of thinking, Master. If suffering is enjoyable, you will enjoy it alone. Attack the weakest part of the kingdom below and become king. “He could become a great king with hundreds of millions of subjects, not just ten thousand.”
“I am not the king of this place. “A warrior is someone who helps others, not someone who rules
.”
“Do you think it would be cool? I should have followed that guy instead. By now…
Zeke’s expression hardened. Nezar, who did not know how to read the atmosphere, was annoyed.
“Enjoy the freedom given to you, a slave. “Do not lose even that through self-indulgence.”
Nezar pouted his lips and muttered.
It sounded like an insult, but it wasn’t modern language so I couldn’t understand it.
Zeke sighed briefly and turned his attention to Lakhe again.
“Just make sure they can’t invade inside the west gate wall. “If dialogue works, I don’t think it would be a bad idea to decide the border through diplomacy.”
“Young people are so passionate that it’s hard to communicate well. Still, I’ll give it a try.”
It seemed that the conversation on the current issue had come to an end.
Zeke gestured toward Katran.
“Please come this way.”
“Four four!”
The boy warrior, who had been staring at them blankly,
approached the tactical table with an expression on his face as if he had just woken up from a dream.
“Lord Hollygham.”
“Please feel free to call me Katran.”
“Then Mr. Katran.”
“yes. ah! Please take this first.”
Katran searched her bag and found Seonghwangcheong’s personal letter.
Zeke opened the letter on the spot.
After scanning it with my eyes, I put it down on the tactical table.
Lich King Sadimus looked at his expression and opened his mouth.
“I guess that’s what it’s always about.”
“yes. “They are telling us to hand over Signi’s recruits and wait for the Holy Emperor’s disposition.”
“I guess I never get tired of it. “I know that I cannot accept such conditions.”
“Fuck you.”
Zeke laughed at Nezar’s swearing.
“You definitely have more to say. I am the one who sinned. Even if I hear more, I have nothing to say. “I just feel sorry for not being able
to listen to the Holy Emperor’s orders .”
SIGNI came over and held Zeke’s hand tightly.
Katran was quite shocked by the appearance of such a dark hero.
The world dismissed him as a servant of the devil who betrayed the Holy Emperor.
An anti-hero who abandons human morality due to the temptation of the witch Signi.
But the Zeke in front of me was a completely different person.
“Mr. Katran, I have definitely received a personal letter from Seonghwangcheong. “Please tell Seonghwangcheong that I am sorry for not being able to follow your instructions
.”
“All right.”
“As I said before, it will be difficult to safely descend the mountain with the remaining troops. “A group of caravans bound for land are scheduled to depart in a few days, so you can join us then.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“In the meantime, feel free to stay in Neuekan. However, it is dangerous here. Monster attacks are a daily occurrence. “It would be best not to go near the walls.”
Neuekan’s Jugi Sa Jusak, who brought Katrun, said with a smile.
“We have already made a great contribution to the South Gate Tower.”
“You mean a ball? “It was a shameful experience.”
Zeke bowed his head to Katran.
“On behalf of the citizens of Neuekahn, I would like to thank the warrior for his actions.”
“No, really, I…
Katran’s cheeks turned red.
He glanced at Signy. I was curious what kind of face SIGNI was making
right now .
When I glanced at her, she was barely able to smile, although the worry from before had not gone away.
My heart started pounding again when I saw that sight.
To put it bluntly, Signi was more beautiful than any woman Katron had ever seen.
When we returned to the barracks, a priest from Seonghwangcheong called Katrun over.
“Have you encountered demons?” He lowered his voice and asked in a whisper
.
The priest’s name was Archdeacon Aker. He was a man who was Bishop George’s right hand man.
His expression seemed relaxed, perhaps because his life had been disrupted by the death of his superior.
“The devil
“The devil. Aren’t there many stories in the world about someone fighting the devil and then becoming the devil himself?”
Katran didn’t respond to anything he said.
Archdeacon Aker
had no idea that he was going against his words.
Because it was common knowledge in the world that Zeke was a black hero.
“They are wicked people. The witch Signi has a magic sword crystal growing on her back. “The moment it is completed, the Black Hero will throw off his sword and become the new Demon King.”
“Signi was not such an evil woman.”
“You mean you? Katran Ball. Are you already possessed by her?”
“You’re spilling!”
“It’s artificial. “You made Lord Katrun, a pureblood, into confusion in
just one meeting .”
“I don’t think so…
“You have to hold on to the spirit of Lord Katran. “This place is in the middle of enemy territory.”
“Didn’t their help save your life? “I don’t think there’s any need to sell it like that.”
“Hehe, Lord Katran. Do you also want to be dismissed like the Black Hero gang?”
Dismissal from Seonghwangcheong. It
was the same as being sentenced to death
politically and socially in human society .
It is alive, but it cannot live, at least not within human society.
Vice Bishop Aker spoke again to him who was confused.
“Bong is still young. This may be rude, but you are young. “You probably don’t have enough experience to notice the devils’ clever plans, so I can understand even if you are deceived by them.”
“Aker, I’m not saying you were deceived by someone or anything like that. “Anyway,
wasn’t the person who saved us also a dark hero?”
“The devil’s main tactic is to make you think like that. In the first place, Mugwort’s monsters were servants released into this world by demons. He orders a servant to attack him, and his master gives him a favor. “It’s a tactic that despicable villains would use.”
Katran was confused.
However, if I had to choose a side, I felt that Zeke was more trustworthy.
It was natural for humans to feel more attracted to the
black dragon who made atonement rather than to the arrogant priest .
“Anyway, I have a good idea.”
“Is this a good idea?”
“They don’t seem to suspect us. A little while ago, a soldier came and told us that we could freely roam around the castle. “It’s about killing the witch when you see the opportunity.”
“that!”
“Look at this.”
Acher held up the large bishop’s ring worn on the middle finger of his right hand
.
When the decoration was turned, the lid opened, revealing a small vial.
“It’s poison. It is a deadly poison that can kill even a giant with just one drop. “They take the opportunity and inject this poison into the drink the witch drinks.”
“How can you do such a mean thing?”
“Lord Katran, do you plan to continue to side with the enemy? In that case, I have no choice but to officially report this matter to the Holy Hwangcheong Office.”
“Lord Acher!”
“Think of your dead comrades. Who killed Mr. Jefferson? Why did Bishop Jortain have to meet such a miserable end?”
Katrun closed his mouth.
“Think about it carefully. “This cannot be done without Lord Katrun.”
After saying these words, Acher left Katran’s room.
Katran, who was left alone, clenched her fists on her knees.
It was quite a starry night when Katran left the room again.
When passing Acher’s room, I even took my steps carefully. I didn’t want to run into him right now.
As she left the barracks and entered the streets, Katran forgot how to breathe for a moment.
Here, the castle town on the mountain lacked light.
Bonfires are burning at every strategic point along the walls.
The black silhouette of the mountain created the boundary between sky and earth.
And above it was full of stars.
It’s all stars.
What can I say looking at that scenery?
I just stare blankly and stare again.
My heart was shaken. Are the people living in this beautiful city really devils?
People’s voices were heard in the distance.
I walked along the road to follow the voice.
There is a small lantern hanging between the walls.
After passing through the narrow space, an empty space about 10 meters in all directions was revealed.
People’s voices were heard there.
We made eye contact with them. He gestured. Katran was led by them and sat down in one place.
There were a few people centered around a not very large table.
They were Signi, Lakhe, and Jushak of Hong, the main knight who guided him during the day.
And beyond that was Zeke.
“Please sit here.”
SIGNI
vacated the seat next to me with a smile.
Katran sat down looking around, wondering what was going on.
“Mr. Katran, you are lucky.”
Katrun tilted his head at Jushak’s words.
” yes?”
“Because you can taste the food that Lord Zeke himself made.”
“Cooking?”
Katran looked at Zeke with a puzzled expression.
Come to think of it, the side where Zeke was located had a furnace and a water tap installed.
He himself was wearing an apron and a hood.
“There are no foods to cover, right?”
In response to Zeke’s question, Katran could only say “ah.”
As if that was a sufficient answer, Zeke busily played with the wok.
“As for this wok, it was made by fairies using the bezoar that was inside the mugwort monster’s body.”
Katran looked at the wok with a surprised expression.
“Are you kidding?”
“Really. “It’s a wok given to me by the fairies in return for defeating the demon lord
.”
“Why•
“This is Mr. Scatul’s last mischievous gift. Mr. Skatul is a teacher of the fairy tribe who once taught me magic and swordsmanship.”
“ah! “Sword and magic to the Ender!”
“The ender! “It’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”
