Episode 590

Mephistopheles watched Sieg and the haughty followers of the Arrogant Savior with a satisfied grin.

“Hahaha! I knew I was right!”

He gestured with his fan towards Lilith, now a shadow guardian behind Sieg.

“To turn that wretched harlot into a summon so easily. Impressive! Truly remarkable, Sieg Draker!”

Sieg met Mephistopheles’ reaction with a knowing look.

‘There’s no way he didn’t hear Lilith calling out to me.’

From the moment he first encountered Lilith, Sieg had been skeptical of her words.

If what Lilith said was true, Mephistopheles would never have allowed him entry here. It was clear he had feigned ignorance, curious to see how Sieg would react to meeting Lilith.

Sieg addressed Mephistopheles, “You’re not planning to interfere with me reclaiming the Arrogant Savior’s followers, are you?”

Mephistopheles chuckled and shook his head. “Haha! Of course not. In fact, I welcome it. We’re allies, after all. The stronger your forces grow, the better it is for me.”

Despite Mephistopheles’ friendly tone and the gleam in his violet eyes, Sieg instinctively sensed deceit.

‘He’s up to something.’

Though he couldn’t discern the true intentions of the contract demon, Mephistopheles, Sieg knew he had to remain cautious. For now, Mephistopheles seemed amicable, posing no immediate threat. But vigilance was necessary.

Sieg’s aim in gathering the Arrogant Savior’s former followers was to guard against the demons of the underworld and their minions.

‘You never know when they’ll stab you in the back.’

Keeping his thoughts hidden, Sieg spoke to Mephistopheles, “Now that we’ve settled that, it’s time you fulfill my second request.”

Mephistopheles narrowed his eyes at Sieg’s words. “Ah, yes. You asked for two things: to convene the council of lords and to reveal the hidden truth the Arrogant Savior spoke of.”

He nodded, continuing in a casual tone, “It’s not a difficult task.”

With a snap of his fingers, Mephistopheles changed their surroundings.

The scenery shifted, and Sieg found himself in an elegantly furnished room with Mephistopheles.

Mephistopheles lounged on a lavish bed, beckoning Sieg with a seductive smile. “Come, Sieg Draker. Lie here beside me.”

Sieg looked at him incredulously.

Mephistopheles shook his head, laughing. “No, no! Don’t get any strange ideas! Although, if you want… But not now.”

Reluctantly, Sieg lay down next to Mephistopheles, who took his hand.

“Now, what I’m about to show you is a very painful story. Brace yourself.”

Sieg furrowed his brow at Mephistopheles’ words. “What do you mean by that…?”

Before he could finish, the scenery changed again.

The world around him transformed into a surreal landscape, like a kaleidoscope of countless glass shards.

Sieg realized he had entered Mephistopheles’ unique domain.

Mephistopheles’ voice echoed in his ears. “Welcome to my domain, the Kaleidoscope.”

The Kaleidoscope had the power to show everything that ever existed.

‘So this is Mephistopheles’ domain. Incredible.’

Each shard of glass reflected events from all over the world, from the physical realm to the underworld.

“In this place, you can see not only current events but also revisit the past.”

Sieg, astonished, asked, “The past? Is the truth you want to reveal to me something from the past?”

“Yes, keep your eyes open and watch closely, Sieg Draker.”

With those words, the Kaleidoscope began to glow and shift.

The countless glass shards shimmered, and the scenery changed completely.

‘What is this…?’

Sieg found himself in a forest somewhere in the physical realm, not the underworld.

Everything felt vivid, as if he had truly traveled to this place.

‘Did I travel to the past? No, it doesn’t feel like I’ve crossed a timeline.’

Only the power of Chronos could transcend time. Though he had glimpsed fragments of the past before, he had never experienced anything this vivid and lifelike, leaving Sieg slightly unsettled.

Then, something moved in front of him.

Sieg quickly realized that the figures moving through the forest were members of the Draker’s Black Stage, and he was taken aback.

‘Is this related to the Black Stage?’

He couldn’t fathom what hidden truth the Arrogant Savior had mentioned that could be connected to the Black Stage, and his expression hardened. But for now, he needed to see for himself.

Since this was merely a reenactment of the past, the Black Stage members seemed unaware of Sieg’s presence.

He followed them as they stealthily searched for something deeper in the forest.

As Sieg surveyed the surroundings, he recognized the location.

‘This seems to be a mountain between Baranaon and the Troy Principality.’

He still couldn’t understand why the Black Stage members were searching here or how it related to him.

Then, one of the Black Stage members raised a hand, signaling they had found something significant.

They quickly followed the trail deeper into the forest.

Sieg followed them closely.

Soon, they stopped and pulled out an artifact, casting a blue light around them. An unusual shimmer appeared in one spot.

It seemed a magic circle was concealing an entrance.

The Black Stage members placed a metal plate inscribed with magical circuits in front of the magic circle, absorbing the flow of magic and revealing the hidden entrance.

One by one, they gestured and entered the entrance.

Sieg, watching from behind, followed them inside.

Beyond the entrance lay a hidden area.

‘What is this place?’

Ahead was a flat area like a courtyard, with a massive cave behind it.

In front of the cave stood a lone knight.

The Black Stage members drew their swords, ready for a confrontation.

Sieg was shocked to recognize the knight guarding the cave.

‘Decker?’

It was Decker, who had cared for Sieg since childhood. Seeing a younger Decker, unfamiliar to Sieg, was a strange experience.

Decker, once the captain of the Black Sword Knights and now the beleaguered mayor of Helly, had been a knight of the Draker family.

His duty was to protect Sieg’s mother, Laura Agamemnon.

‘Why is Decker here?’

As the Black Stage members closed in, Decker assumed a dragon-slaying stance, exuding a deadly aura.

He spoke quietly, “Come any closer, and I’ll cut you down.”

The blade of his sword flared with aura, proving his words were no idle threat.

The Black Stage members exchanged signals, spreading out to encircle the cave.

Moments later, they charged at Decker from all directions, wielding short swords.

Decker calmly unleashed his dragon-slaying technique.

With powerful swings of his sword, Decker’s determination to keep them out of the cave was palpable.

The Black Stage members, unable to deflect Decker’s aura-infused strikes, were sent flying.

“Ugh!”

Watching them fall like leaves in the wind, Sieg couldn’t help but admire Decker’s martial prowess in his youth.

‘He must have been a promising talent within the Draker family.’

Sieg thought that if Decker had continued as a knight of the Draker family, he would have surely earned the title of Guardian Knight.

“Haah.”

Decker exhaled, surveying the fallen Black Stage members around him.

Despite the dire situation, Decker had subdued them without taking a single life.

The Black Stage members, realizing Decker’s skills far exceeded their expectations, hesitated and began to retreat.

But then, a powerful presence approached from the entrance.

Crackling!

The concealment barrier shattered completely, revealing a figure.

Decker clenched his teeth as he saw the man approaching through the fallen Black Stage members.

It was none other than Arthur Draker, the head of the Draker family.

In the past, without his current beard, Arthur Draker’s features appeared much sharper.

He glanced at the fallen Black Stage members before addressing Decker, who stood guard at the cave.

“Decker Galahad. Watching your remarkable growth has been one of my greatest joys. But to see you disappoint me like this…”

Decker struggled to breathe under the immense pressure emanating from Arthur, each breath coming out in ragged gasps.

Arthur took a step closer to Decker, his voice calm yet piercing. “A knight of Draker raising a sword against the head of the family. Isn’t that a betrayal of your oath of loyalty?”

Decker, still panting heavily, met Arthur’s gaze. “I accept the disgrace of tarnishing my honor as a knight. But… I cannot let you pass.”

Arthur chuckled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You think you can stop me?”

As Arthur advanced another step, the pressure on Decker intensified, as if he were being crushed under a massive weight.

Sweat trickled down Decker’s face as he spoke, “I cannot forgive the head of the family for defying the natural order.”

Arthur’s eyes widened slightly, and in an instant, his trusted sword, Caliburn, was in his hand. He swung it toward Decker.

Boom!

With a single strike, Decker felt as though his entire body was being torn apart. Yet, he did not yield. He moved forward, meeting Arthur’s blade head-on.

Crash!

The impact of their swords sent Decker crashing to the ground, his body wracked with pain as if every bone had shattered.

“Ugh…”

His limbs felt broken, his body battered. Arthur, holding Caliburn, looked down at him. “I am beyond your judgment.”

Arthur’s voice echoed in Decker’s ears, filled with overwhelming authority.

And then it happened.

A deep rumble resonated from within the cave, followed by an unexpected sound.

A baby’s cry echoed clearly from inside.

Arthur’s expression shifted at the sound. Leaving Decker kneeling, he strode into the cave.

Decker tried desperately to move, but his body refused to obey. “Ugh…”

With great effort, he began to crawl toward the cave, inch by painful inch.

Zeke watched Decker’s struggle with a heavy heart, tears of blood in his eyes. ‘So this is what happened.’

He turned his gaze toward the source of the baby’s cries and slowly walked into the cave, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

At the end of the long tunnel, an unimaginable, horrific scene awaited him.

Thud!

Arthur’s Caliburn had pierced the heart of Laura Agamemnon.

Laura, blood trickling from her lips, looked at Arthur with a chilling smile. “Arthur Draker, no matter how you struggle… the wheel of fate will eventually break.”

Arthur frowned at her words, then swiftly withdrew his sword from her heart.

Thud!

Laura Agamemnon collapsed to the ground, blood pooling around her.