novelraw Chapter 202 : Chapter 202
Chapter 202 : Chapter 202
Chapter 202: Subjugation Battle (2)
“Damn it… that’s why? Just because of those Godoks who died over twenty years ago?”
Hearing the Lord’s words, the First Hydra shouted as if in a frenzy.
It was absurd.
Just because of the lives of pawns meant to be used and discarded.
Because of such trivial things, he continued to uphold the calamity’s rules, to pursue the legacy of the Ancient Assassin, to sacrifice all the calamity’s talents to fuel the growth of Harang and the other Godoks…
“Do you think that makes sense!”
“Why wouldn’t it?”
The Lord of Calamity tilted his head.
He genuinely didn’t understand. After a moment of thought, he responded to the First Hydra’s words.
“Uro, Kendal, Julia, Magnus… they were the most precious connections in my life. More than my son, Gael. More than my father and wife, even more than all of you worms combined.”
“That’s… absurd….”
“It’s my heart that decides what’s absurd or not. Anyway… I couldn’t possibly discard the rules and identity of the calamity, which those precious connections sacrificed themselves to protect, just for your convenience, could I?”
“You damned…!”
Crack-!
The Lord of Calamity, who had risen from his seat, crushed the First Hydra’s head underfoot.
In the end, he died without leaving any meaningful last words… and the only beings left in the area were the Lord of Calamity.
And the Red Magician, who had been quietly observing the battle.
“Do you want to fight me too, coming all the way here?”
“……No way.”
Rustle.
The Red Magician, emerging from the shadows, denied it.
But the Lord of Calamity didn’t believe him.
With a scoff, he looked at the Red Magician and spoke.
“At least you must have gauged my strength. If you were confident you could win by joining in, you would’ve lent a hand midway. Am I right? With the Village’s General Manager absent, this would’ve been the perfect opportunity.”
“…….”
“I understand. I’ve been pushing you a bit hard lately. The stress must’ve been considerable.”
“You do realize it, then.”
The Red Magician responded in a mocking tone.
His words were true.
To nurture Harang and a few other Godoks, he had expended significant resources. Especially the Bone Dragon he had deployed this time was one he cherished, so he couldn’t help but feel discontent with the Lord’s incessant demands.
The only reason the Red Magician had complied with all his requests was one thing.
‘Because I still don’t have the power to oppose the Lord of Calamity….’
Surpassing the limits of a Black Magician.
Surpassing the limits of the human race.
If he could be reborn as a true Demon, no one on the continent would scare him, but that was premature for now.
Still, he couldn’t suppress all his grievances.
What the Lord of Calamity wanted was the awakening of the Godoks.
To achieve that, he was ready to sacrifice everything, including his own subordinates, and that included the Red Magician himself. If this continued, he risked losing all his resources and falling into a dangerous position.
No, it was already happening.
Recently, due to causing too many incidents, the higher-ups of the Holy Kingdom had begun to take notice of him.
“You were the one who tipped them off about my stronghold’s location, weren’t you?”
“Tipped them off? What are you talking about… it just so happened that some information leaked. I’m sorry about that.”
“You have a knack for making the same thing sound more infuriating.”
“So what will you do? Are you going to fight me now?”
“I’m not so reckless as to try that. However….”
“However?”
“If you plan to keep using me, you should at least show some sincerity by offering a way out… that’s all I waited here to say.”
“A way out….”
The Lord of Calamity trailed off and cast his fishing rod again. Plop, the float settled on the water’s surface and didn’t move for a long time. It wasn’t even clear if there were fish in the pond to begin with.
It was a scene fitting the phrase ‘fishing for time.’
In it, the Red Magician patiently waited for the Lord’s next words, and about ten minutes passed.
Only then did the Lord speak, spilling words that were unexpected.
“This is the last time.”
“The last?”
“The Holy Kingdom’s Demon Inquisitors and some southern riffraff are likely gathering to subjugate you. Your recent actions have been too threatening to the continent to ignore… and naturally, Harang and the other Godoks will want to join in.”
“You set the stage.”
“Yes, I set the stage. After this, I won’t trouble you anymore.”
“……That’s very generous of you.”
Of course, it was sarcasm.
No matter how well-prepared the Red Magician’s stronghold was, the subjugation force led by the Holy Kingdom wasn’t something to take lightly.
Moreover, dealing with the Godoks just enough to let them survive and gain experience was undoubtedly going to be extremely tricky.
In other words, the Lord’s words were no different from an order to expend everything the Red Magician had.
But a moment later.
The Lord’s voice, coming a beat late, startled him.
“You don’t need to hold back for the Godoks.”
“……What does that mean?”
“I’m saying you can deal with them as you please. Kill them if you want, use them as research material, or turn them into Creatures… do whatever you like.”
“Now you say that? After blowing away seventy percent of the calamity’s forces for this project, you’re suddenly throwing it into the gutter? What are you thinking?”
The Red Magician asked, slightly agitated.
It was only natural.
The Godoks had been nurtured at the cost of slaughtering the core forces of the calamity.
But now, the Lord’s order was no different from abandoning those cherished Godoks at the very end.
‘Does he think their current strength is enough to surpass me?’
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he shook his head.
If he truly believed that, the Lord of Calamity would be insane.
No matter how immense the potential of Harang and the others was… they were still just novices.
But such doubts were irrelevant to the Lord of Calamity.
He said.
“Whether you like it or not doesn’t matter. Just carry out my final request… haha, even for someone as shameless as me, that’s a bit much. Fine, my final order. Execute it flawlessly. That’s all that matters.”
“…….”
“After that, as I said… I won’t pressure you for my own selfish desires anymore. I swear it on the honor of the calamity.”
“Can you swear it on the names of Uro, Kendal, Julia, and Magnus?”
“…….”
At the Red Magician’s provocative words, the Lord of Calamity flinched.
At the same time, a creeping killing intent emerged.
It was so thick, dreadful, and potent that even the great Red Magician briefly regretted it…
But whoosh-!
It subsided as if it had never been, and the Lord nodded nonchalantly.
“I swear on their names.”
“……Understood. I’ll do my best to suppress the subjugation force and the Godoks. For my sake, not yours.”
That was the end of it.
With a puff, the Red Magician vanished into black mist. The Lord of Calamity glanced at him and cast his fishing rod again. Plop, the float, without even bait, floated back to the surface.
It was boring.
Even if he could catch a fish, he probably wouldn’t have felt any thrill.
Since passing the village’s test by standing atop the bodies of his peers over twenty years ago… the Lord of Calamity hadn’t felt such emotions even once.
***
The entire southern continent was gripped by unease.
The reason was obvious. It was because of the Red Magician. He had always caused trouble everywhere, but now he had gone so far as to target an entire city, an utterly insane act.
“Didn’t he show up at the Crove Kingdom’s ball just recently and kill nobles and merchants indiscriminately?”
“That’s what I heard. Horrifying…”
“He caused a ruckus at the Seton Swordsmanship Hall’s tournament too.”
“Well, that’s more recent. And yet the Seton Swordsmanship Hall hasn’t taken any action…”
“Even the Seton Swordsmanship Hall is just standing by. How are we supposed to handle this situation…?”
People’s worries pierced the heavens.
The public opinion that the Red Magician’s escalating atrocities could no longer be ignored was overwhelming.
Of course, the higher-ups of each nation had no choice but to turn a deaf ear to the people’s voices.
The Red Magician.
Not just any lowlife Black Magician, but one said to possess the power of several Sword Masters.
How nice would it be if they could subjugate such a natural disaster at will?
‘Our capabilities are insufficient!’
That was the common sentiment among all the rulers representing the southern continent.
But then.
A savior appeared.
Beings who tirelessly worked for the peace and safety of the entire continent.
Some found their high-handed attitude distasteful, but no one could say so to their faces… beings armed with absolute strength and faith.
The vice-commander of the Holy Kingdom’s knight order, the White Knight Order, Durand Verhagen, had set out for the south.
***
‘Damn it, damn it….’
Duke Muel, the Sword Master representing the Sorbe Kingdom, surveyed the meeting hall.
There was only one other person besides himself. The wandering knight and renowned master, Rough Schroeder, was that person.
Catching his eye, Rough responded with a friendly smile, and Duke Muel smiled back. But he couldn’t help the bitter taste in his mouth.
‘They gathered people to subjugate the Red Magician! What can we do with just two Sword Masters!’
Of course, he knew there weren’t many Sword Masters in the southern continent to begin with.
At best, seven or eight if you scraped them all together?
Among them were kings of nations and those who had retired due to old age, so it was expected that not all would gather.
‘But… at least five should have shown up to make this feasible!’
Who was the Red Magician?
A lawless, unmatched figure, one of the top in the entire continent, not just the south. To face him, Duke Muel believed they needed at least five, no, seven forces surpassing master level.
But the meeting hall had only himself and Rough Schroeder.
Even with Durand Verhagen, a top-tier Demon Inquisitor and vice-commander of the White Knight Order, joining them, that made only three.
What could they possibly achieve with such a meager force…
Click-!
It was while he was thinking this.
With a click, the door to the meeting hall opened, and naturally, Duke Muel and Rough Schroeder’s eyes turned toward it.
And they were shocked.
Not because of Durand Verhagen, the vice-commander of the White Knight Order, standing at the forefront.
Duke Muel, scanning the figures behind him, opened his mouth in disbelief.