〈 Unknown Threat (1) 〉
Representatives of two factions of similar size gathered together.
A very symbolic meeting that could shake up the entire current political situation in the demon world.
However, the atmosphere they gave off was so starkly different that it seemed awkward to be in the same place.
“nice to meet you! This is my first time seeing it in person like this. My name is Hela. Please take care of me?”
A beautiful woman who seemed to brighten the surroundings just by existing smiled friendly and greeted me.
The pair of long horns that extend above her head and her strange, strange eyes only seem to have a unique charm in the strange air current that surrounds her.
She waved her hand lightly and entered the room.
“Please sit down.”
On the other hand, the attitude of the person who was already seated was extremely calm.
No, it was more than just plain, it was radiating from its entire body a dullness that seemed to make the world colorless just by being there.
The hem of a pitch-black robe wrapped around his entire body hung down on the floor, and on his head was the skull of a mountain goat with a pair of horns bent downward.
On the outside, it looks so gloomy that you can tell the immortal king to go away.
At that, an inexplicable feeling of competition began to creep up inside Hela.
‘The visual is just right. And if you look closely, that’s not even a mask, right? ‘It’s just that my hair looked like that!’
There are human-type devils and beast-type devils, so it would not be strange to say that there are undead-type devils.
In the first place, the existence of the undead itself had a very strong negative side, so they got along well with demons.
‘But no matter how you look at it, it doesn’t look like you’re just an ordinary undead.’
Not only was he well-versed in the undead world, but it was no exaggeration to say that he was the best in the world. There was no way he could go wrong.
Pieta, the Duke of Darkness, maintained an unusual condition in which only part of his body, including his head, was undead, while other parts functioned relatively well.
‘that’s interesting. The undead body and living tissue coexist in one entity.’
Something like that would have been possible because they were demons and not ordinary creatures.
Hela looked around at him, her eyes shining with intellectual curiosity.
It’s been quite a while since she came to the demon world, but this was her first time encountering such an unusual being.
“…I think it’s rude to look at someone like that at first sight.”
Of course, such a gaze was bound to feel unpleasant to the person involved.
The Duke of Darkness couldn’t stand her rude attitude and blurted out a word.
“Oh, I’m sorry! “It was so amazing that I couldn’t control my curiosity.”
“I understand. Demi-Corpse are rare even in the demon world.”
“Thank you for understanding. But that hair is really cool! “Honestly, it’s really my style.”
“…Thank you for that.”
“I’m not just saying this out of courtesy. In fact, if I feel like it, right now…”
Stop.
Hela, who had been praising as much as she could, trailed off.
Didn’t you almost feel like you wanted to rip that head out and hang it on the wall as a decoration?
Even though she did not pay attention to what others thought, she knew very well that those words were inappropriate in the current situation.
‘No, no, no.’ ‘I’m not here to fight now.’
It was not time to fight the opponent yet.
After making a fuss like that, she smiled again and spoke casually.
“…Oh! Look at my mind. This is Davidson. “Isn’t it very cute?”
“Kakakat!”
As if in agreement, the three heads opened their mouths wide, revealing their vicious teeth.
A bright red flame still glimmering deep in my throat.
Perhaps it was effective, as Pieta showed interest in Davidson without paying attention to Hella’s vague comments.
“That is hellfire. Could it be a variant of Cerberus? No, I think it’s closer to the chimera side…”
For him, whose main focus was the magic series, unknown beings were a good topic that could satisfy both his interest and desire for knowledge.
Moreover, isn’t that creature a formidable monster even at first glance?
If it weren’t for this situation, he would have done whatever it takes to use that creature as a test subject.
‘Of course, that’s what I’m really interested in.’
Pieta’s gaze, which had been observing Davidson with interest, turned to Hela, who was affectionately patting her pet monster’s back next to her.
No matter how many times I checked, the result was the same.
‘Of course. This is clearly the spirit of the devil. Moreover, the fact that his appearance is so similar to the 14th generation…’
As if it were a law, the unique force of the Demon King, who was set to reign over the members of the Demon World, put pressure on his spirit and body.
It was only a little uncomfortable for a duke-level person, but if his unique ‘demonic nature’ was added to it, it would literally be the worst mental attack against a demon lower than a marquis.
Not only would the fight that I tried my best to not succeed in the first place, but just by being in the same space like that, I would be influenced and move on to the other side without even realizing it.
No, it is more dangerous to remain without showing it even though you have already been possessed.
In fact, its mere existence was nothing short of a fraudulent ability to completely block the intervention of subordinates.
‘That also makes his followers stronger. It’s extremely unfair. At that time, we barely managed to dispose of the 14th generation, so why did the successor appear again?’
His head was dizzy from all the thoughts that came to his mind without realizing it, but he suppressed them all in one place for now.
Because those aren’t the important things right now.
“Then let’s get to the point. “You want Helheim to inherit the alliance agreement between Demoniac and Abnormal?”
First of all, the priority was to solve the problems immediately faced.
Currently, the gap between Dark Nest and the other two factions has long widened to the point where direct competition is impossible.
Without close cooperation between them, they would have been eaten up by the overwhelming number one.
Therefore, reestablishing the relationship with the force that the captain had changed was a top priority in the current situation.
“I guess so, right? Otherwise, it will be too difficult to face the other side. “I’ve made it this far, but I don’t want it to fall apart so quickly.”
And the same applies to Helheim, which is growing rapidly in power.
However, it was not possible to suddenly devour Demoniac like it did with Abnormal.
Now that the advantage of surprise had completely disappeared, there was no way the Duke of Darkness would take it easy, and there was no way Dark Nest, which was looking for an opportunity, would just overlook the gap created by the confusion.
‘I tried it just in case, but as expected, the angle didn’t come out. I even brought Davidson with me to attack him when the opportunity arises.’
As there was a previous precedent with Duke Goeran, Pieta, Duke of Darkness, thoroughly planned this meeting.
So that you can ensure your own safety regardless of the variables.
In this situation, touching him hastily was like shaking hands that would only bring good things to the Dark Nest.
‘There’s nothing I can do about it. For now, all we have to do is strike a balance and look for opportunities.’
First of all, the intended goal of devouring Abnormal was achieved, so the current situation was not that bad.
There was no way this breathtaking structure would last long anyway.
“…As you may already know, the fatigue felt by soldiers on the battlefield is considerable due to the white monsters that are constantly being recruited from the Dark Nest. “If we leave it like this, there is a very high chance that it will collapse from exhaustion before it can fight back.”
What was needed to avoid such an awkward situation was close cooperation between the two factions ranked 2nd and 3rd.
Unlike the two dukes, who had been in an ill-fated relationship for a long time, Hela was also a rock that had broken all existing relationships.
With such interests aligned, the story about cooperation between the two factions went very smoothly.
The discussion was concluded quickly because it did not contain very complicated content in the first place, and most of the discussion was just to refrain from conflict among themselves until the Dark Nest collapsed.
“…Let’s just skip over the removal of those under Demoniac’s command for now. Both then and now are different positions and situations. But that’s it. If you reach out any further here…”
“Hmmmm! Don’t worry? “I have lived solely on faith and faith.”
There was a bit of a stabbing in the process, but in the real world, nothing is a problem until you get caught.
Hela shook Pieta’s hand, thinking that she should once again warn those who had already been appeased to remain calm.
‘But…’
‘If the opportunity comes at any time.’
Of course, that’s just a façade on the outside.
They had no intention of maintaining this relationship for a long time.
‘In the long run, it is a bigger threat than Dark Nest. ‘If you want to cut it in the bud before it becomes unusable, you should prepare now.’
‘It’s obvious what you’re thinking. ‘Because it’s a skeleton, you can’t see its expression.’
Pieta and Hella dream of different dreams.
“Kakakakat—!”
With a time bomb like that, you never know when it will explode.
Sleeping with a temporary enemy has begun.
***
Tarak, a large city located in the northern part of the Tulk Kingdom.
Faaaat—
Holy light emanated from the underground gate of the Temple of Tarak, where the number of visitors increased as the city grew.
Three figures appeared one by one from beyond.
They immediately exchanged greetings with the church members and then went outside to see a metropolis that had developed beyond recognition.
“It doesn’t seem like much time has passed since the last time I was here, but we’ve improved a lot in that time.”
Archmage Isea Pristine, a petite girl, looked around the city and expressed a soft exclamation.
This was her first time here since she killed the huge white giant that attacked the city.
At that time, not only was the entire city in chaos, but many parts were damaged in the aftermath of the big fight, but looking at the splendid view of the city now, it was impossible to recall what it was like then.
“It is truly spectacular. I thought it was a pretty big city back then, but it has developed so much in just over a year. “It would have been nice if the saint had come too.”
High elf Lydia Granwood, as if following in Isea’s footsteps, spoke with regret.
They had overcome all kinds of hardships together as the three women of the warrior’s party and had become very close in private, so Lydia was somewhat disappointed that the saintess had recently devoted herself to other work.
“The saint has a lot of work to do in many ways. Well, isn’t our coming here an extension of that?”
And after them.
A man wearing a loose robe spoke softly and slowly stepped forward.
Brilliant silver hair peeking out from under the hood and golden eyes that sparkle beautifully as if they contain the sun.
It was Heinrich Saint Landgard, the saint of the Main Church, the largest religion in Outerica.
“We are not yet sure exactly what the unknown threat the saint sensed is. So, let’s not lose our minds and continue our investigation while being as nervous as possible.”
“That makes sense.”
“I understand, saint.”
“Oh, let’s leave out that title of saint for now. Just in case, it would be better to hide your identity if you can. “Not many people will immediately think of a saint when they hear the name Heinrich, so please call me by that name from now on.”
The appearance of Saint Heinrich and the warrior party, who had already built a great reputation, could have become a big issue in the city in itself.
For a smooth investigation, it would be better to keep their identities hidden.
“If you’re planning on hiding your identity, you should cover your face more properly, right? Heinrich, covering your face with a hood is of no use.”
“Yes. Also, even though the hair is like that, the eyes are so intense…”
“Ahaha… “It’s not like I can hide this on my own.”
Heinrich laughed sheepishly at his colleagues’ comments.
Even in the dark, the darkness of the hood was not of much help to him, who glowed alone like a human lighthouse.
Of course, hair and eyes, which are imbued with God’s miracle, could not be covered with dye or lenses.
“…Hmm, I guess it would be best to get some regular full body armor and wear it.”
“You have to wear everything, including your helmet.”
Heinrich sighed softly at Lydia’s innocent comment.
There was no way it would be comfortable to wear ordinary full-body armor, even if it was the ‘Guardian of Glory’, the most luxurious armor given by the main religious order.
Still, in Tarak, which is also a strategic point connected to the northern mountain range, there were quite a few people walking around wearing full body armor, so there certainly seemed to be no better way to hide their identity.
‘It would be much better than having your face wrapped in something that looked suspiciously like cloth.’
Heinrich, who had been nodding his head in understanding, ate his appetite.
Suddenly, I felt like I should do something like this.
Although I told my companions not to relax, I myself was not nervous at all.
That’s right too.
Because he already had a good idea of what the ‘unknown threat’ the saintly woman sensed was.
‘He must have sensed the moment Hela appeared in Outerica. I hid it so thoroughly that I hid it. As expected, it’s amazing.’
And that meant that now that Hela had left for the demon world, there was nothing left here.
As Hubert Company began investing in the entire city, the hired hybrid vampires were deployed throughout the city, and the security rate also increased extremely.
‘Well… I guess I’ll just pretend I’m on vacation for a while.’
I’ve been busy lately, participating in every local war against the Immortal Army, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend a few days like this.
At this time, it would be a good idea to inspect Tarak’s progress instead of Hubert, who is only in the office.
“But Harley, what is that guy doing these days and I haven’t heard anything from him?”
“Since you are a mercenary king, wouldn’t you have received a secret request from somewhere?”
So the warrior party slowly entered the city.
It is one of the Outerica strongholds tightly controlled by the Hubert Company and a place where an unknown threat sensed by the saint lurks.