Episode 108
Beyond the Duchy of Sachsen, in the northern lands ruled by the Demon King.
The territory governed by the young Viscount Sachsen, acting as the proxy for his father, the Duke of Sachsen.
“We die where we stand, even in death!”
“Never break formation!”
Within the famed “unbreakable formation” of the Black Armor Company, one figure moved alone.
Facing an endless horde of ghouls, Viscount Sachsen—Dale—raised his head.
The lord of the Demon King’s domain.
The “Black Prince” snapped his fingers, and a surge of dark energy swirled at his feet. His “Shadow Cloak,” disguised as a black surcoat, fluttered, turning the area into a lake of darkness.
Just as the ghouls reached the tip of Dale’s nose.
“Kieeeek!”
From beneath the dark lake, a “Shadow Lurker” let out a chilling scream.
Swoosh!
The “Shadow Lurkers” unleashed their thorny tendrils in unison. The storm of tendrils tore through the ghouls’ flesh and bone, shredding them to pieces.
Even if an arm or leg was severed, these creatures, faster and stronger than ordinary undead, were relentless. Yet, even these formidable foes of the Demon King’s realm were helpless against the tendrils of the “Shadow Lurkers.”
It was as if they were thrown into a factory mixer, torn apart without leaving even the barest form needed to function.
People said the land of the Demon King was imbued with an unknown dark power. But even that darkness paled in comparison to the shadow wielded by the “Black Prince.”
A greater darkness that devours the dark.
The heavily armored infantry of the Black Armor Company watched in awe and fear.
“The commander has cleared the enemies!”
“Sweep away the remaining stragglers!”
“Never break formation! We die where we stand!”
The infantry roared in unison. This was their commander, the power of the “Black Prince” who ruled this land.
The labyrinth city of Labyrinthos.
Once a fortress built by the former Duke of Sachsen to stem the tide of the “Great Labyrinth,” its true scale unknown. As the new lord of the Demon King’s domain, Dale transformed and expanded it into a city, making it the capital of the Viscounty of Sachsen.
A crucial stronghold for the development of the Demon King’s realm, and the seat of Viscount Sachsen’s power.
Through the streets of this city, the “Viscount Sachsen” who had vanquished the ghouls walked. Accompanied by the Night Raven Knights, symbolizing the Sachsen family, and the heavily armored infantry of the Black Armor Company.
A young lord who had just turned fourteen. Known as the young Viscount Sachsen to distinguish him from his father, the Duke.
Yet, in the labyrinth city, none dared to underestimate Viscount Sachsen, or the “Black Prince.”
The Artifact Rush. Countless people flocked to the Demon King’s realm in pursuit of untold treasures, and such desires naturally bred lawlessness.
Yet, the labyrinth city of Labyrinthos maintained its own order for one reason alone.
The order of fear established by Dale, the lord of the Demon King’s realm.
As his father, the Duke of Sachsen, often said, fear guarantees loyalty.
The castle of Viscount Sachsen.
As the “Duke’s proxy,” Dale sat on the throne. Having left his father’s ducal castle, he now ruled the Demon King’s domain and served as the lord of Sachsen Castle.
Lined up on either side were those loyal to Viscount Sachsen, Dale’s trusted people.
By the throne stood his two loyal female knights.
Lady Black, the Sword Maiden Charlotte.
Lady Shadow, the Holy Maiden Aurelia.
Their identities hidden beneath black armor and helmets, ordinary people had no way of knowing who they were. And even if their armor hinted at feminine curves, none dared question their swords.
Everyone knew the fate of those drunken adventurers who once picked a fight, unaware they were “female knights.”
Above all, they were the swords that guarded the “Black Prince.” Only a fool would underestimate their prowess.
Moreover, Dale’s reliable retainers were present.
Always by Dale’s “closest side,” offering unwavering counsel, was the elf mage Sepia. Alongside Sir Veil of Baskerville, leading the Night Raven Knights loyal to Dale.
And it wasn’t just Dale who was growing.
Sir Veil had reached the level of an Aura Master, acquiring an avatar and becoming part of the “Grave Guard.” Yet, he remained one of Dale’s people, supporting the “Black Prince” alongside the Holy Maiden Aurelia.
Additionally, there was the deputy commander of the Black Armor Company, Sir Kenneth Yones.
With the development of the northern Demon King’s realm, the elite scouts, the “Winter Watchers,” took on the role of pioneers, carrying out their missions. The entire unit had become a direct intelligence force under Viscount Sachsen.
Lastly, though not officially visible by Dale’s side… there were the “Assassin’s Blades,” executing the “Black Prince’s” will from the shadows, unhesitant to dirty their hands.
The Shadow Court.
A judicial force whispered about among adventurers as an urban legend.
The Artifact Rush. The curtain of the “Northern Frontier Era” had risen, igniting adventurers’ desires, and the development of the Demon King’s realm proceeded smoothly under Dale’s order.
That early morning.
The night was deep, and Dale slipped out of the lord’s chamber alone.
His “Shadow Cloak,” usually in the form of a black surcoat, had transformed into a black robe to conceal his identity.
A shadow fell beneath his hood, and the man in the black robe left the castle. Without a single guard, he exited Sachsen Castle and headed into the streets of the labyrinth city.
Despite the late hour, the city’s lights never dimmed. Mercenaries, having finished their work, were boisterously shouting in taverns, while others, seeking “instant fortune,” ventured into the Great Labyrinth.
In the labyrinth city of Labyrinthos, the distinction between day and night was blurred. The flames that lit the city at night never went out, and the darkness within the labyrinth was as deep and dark as night.
But during the day, Dale had to fulfill his “duties as lord,” and only after completing those tasks and finding solitude could he begin his own adventure, stepping into the darkness of the Great Labyrinth.
The “Faceless.”
In the labyrinth city of Labyrinthos, there was no one who didn’t know the name.
An adventurer who appeared out of nowhere, suddenly becoming one of the city’s top adventurers.
It took only a few weeks for him to obtain an adventurer’s license from the city’s “Adventurer’s Guild” and reach the highest rank, S-rank.
Without forming a party, he delved into the depths of the labyrinth, hunting high-level monsters one by one, and never returning without at least one artifact—a legendary tale.
The Faceless One.
A shadow beneath the hood, no one had ever seen beyond it, hence the name.
Some believed he was one of the Seven Swords of the continent, hiding his identity, while others thought he was one of the renowned “monster hunters.”
The people of the labyrinth city each had their own theories about the “Faceless,” and surprisingly, some had guessed correctly.
But whenever they voiced their suspicions, they were met with ridicule—could the “Black Prince” really enter the labyrinth without a guard?
It was indeed that “impossible.”
Little is known about the “Great Labyrinth.”
Once thought to be merely an underground fortress built by the Demon King Balor, it was only after the hero defeated the Demon King that the Empire realized it was not just a structure of demons.
Even the hero and the Empire’s strongest could not conquer the Great Labyrinth.
Seventy percent of the failure was due to the political situation entangled with it. The Empire, which had to rely on the Duke of Sachsen’s resources, did not welcome the eradication of the darkness in this area.
But thirty percent was due to the threats lurking there, enough to pose a risk even to the hero.
Even now, across the continent, labyrinths of various sizes, though incomparable to the Great Labyrinth, continue to emerge.
The most widely accepted theory is that labyrinths are “structures built by ancient demons,” and that their entrances are revealed through tectonic upheavals, leading to the speculation of labyrinth formation.
Enthusiasts still speak fearfully of an “ancient demon” with power surpassing the Demon King, sleeping in the depths of the labyrinth or the darkest lands.
There was a monster.
In the depths of the labyrinth, a monster wandered aimlessly through the darkness.
These creatures had no proper names. Like mysterious deep-sea fish dwelling in the ocean’s depths, their forms varied wildly, and it was rare to encounter two of the same kind.
Monsters in the truest sense of the word, each grotesque and bizarre in appearance.
Here, hunting even a single monster required every ounce of effort, but fortunately, they did not travel in packs.
This particular creature resembled an Asura from Buddhist lore, with six arms, each wielding a different weapon.
Facing it, the S-rank adventurer known as “Faceless” drew his sword.
It was an unremarkable knight’s sword, yet the power it held was anything but ordinary.
The sword of a hero, Peacemaker.
Clang!
The Asura’s six arms swung in a chaotic rhythm, each weapon striking out in a dissonant harmony.
Sixfold Slash.
Simultaneously, the Peacemaker’s power twisted the laws of physics in the area, rendering the Asura’s attacks ineffective against “Faceless.” This was the power of the “Enforced Peace,” which nullified all assaults.
However, this power only lasted for a fleeting moment.
Clang!
The sixfold slash shattered the “Enforced Peace” that enveloped the area. The Asura countered the sword’s transcendent power with its own mysterious force.
‘This is it.’
While demons were categorized as monsters, not all monsters were demons. The term “demon” referred to creatures with a certain level of intelligence, not a specific species.
This creature, however, lacked intelligence. It did not form societies or employ tactics like orcs, nor did it exhibit any organic strategy.
Yet, it possessed a power that far surpassed that of an ordinary demon, wandering the labyrinth as an enigmatic presence.
As the Peacemaker’s power faded, a spark of interest lit up in “Faceless”—Dale’s—eyes.
This was it.
‘The mysterious power these beings possess.’
And the secret hidden within the labyrinth.
The reason why the heir of the Saxon family, the viscount’s son, ventured into the labyrinth alone, without a single guard.
He recalled memories from his days as a hero, reflecting on the ‘strangely familiar’ feeling these mindless destroyers evoked.
Whoosh!
As the six weapons swung toward him, Dale’s Peacemaker met them head-on. With each clash, a long-dormant memory stirred within him.
It wasn’t the memory of a hero. It was something older, buried deep in the recesses of his subconscious. A sensation so faint it should have been forgotten, yet it was coming back to life.
The original power that had made Dale, and the hero he once was, possible.
The power of the “Monster Hunter.”