Internal Conflict (1)
“Wow.”
The boy reached out cautiously.
Squish—
An unfamiliar sensation met his fingertips.
At first, it felt as soft as the skin of a young animal, but with a little more pressure, his fingers sank in up to the first knuckle.
Yet, the inside was resilient, springing back to its original shape the moment he withdrew his hand.
“Whoa, that’s amazing.”
As he rubbed the demon’s skin, the boy’s eyes filled with curiosity.
He imagined it might feel like this if he could pluck a piece of cloud from the sky. Not the fluffy white clouds of a blue sky, but the dark, ominous storm clouds of night.
“Is it fun?”
“Uh, yeah… hehe.”
The boy laughed brightly, tapping the demon’s head. Dalen watched with a low chuckle.
The only one uncomfortable was the demon itself.
After all, it was a demon, and being treated like a teenager’s plaything was a blow to its pride.
But with Dalen watching, it couldn’t protest, only letting out a low, disgruntled hum.
“Aside from the scary eyes, it seems like a decent friend.”
“Hmm. So, you don’t like the eyes.”
Dalen nodded, giving the rope a tug to lift the demon.
“Ugh—!”
The watermelon-sized demon dangled in front of them. Dalen scratched his chin, staring intently into its eyes.
Though it had shrunk to the size of a watermelon, its appearance was similar to when it was a massive creature several meters tall.
A body like a lump of dark clay.
Short limbs that stretched like rubber bands.
And a mouth that looked like a split down the middle of its body, with two dark red eyes embedded above.
Those eyes were the most demon-like feature.
The black-red eyes, devoid of whites, flickered like flames when you looked deep into them, enough to send shivers down your spine.
“Hey.”
“Y-yes, master…”
The demon, which had been avoiding eye contact, looked up nervously.
Dalen grinned. “Can you change the color of your eyes?”
”…It’s possible.”
“Do it. Make them look a bit more… acceptable.”
The demon looked slightly displeased but didn’t hold the expression for long.
It brought its tiny hands to its eyes, rubbing them a few times.
Before long, the dark red eyes transformed into ordinary ones with whites and black pupils.
“Much better.”
Dalen lowered the rope, placing the demon beside the boy.
Parn, seeing the demon’s changed eyes, reached out and patted its head.
“Hehe, it’s cute now.”
”…Dalen, how did you even come up with this idea?”
Lucia murmured, still in disbelief at the scene before her.
Dalen shrugged. If you can’t kill it, beat it into submission. What other choice is there?
“It’s a method even the Holy Knights didn’t think of. That’s why they sealed it in a remote cave.”
“They probably thought of it.”
Dalen replied, and Lucia looked puzzled.
“The knights sealed the immortal demon during their prime, three hundred years ago, during the demon hunts, right? The Chains of Halman were lost a hundred years before that in the Blood Fiend War. The knights probably thought of it but lacked the sacred artifact to execute it.”
“Dalen, you sometimes know the strangest things. It’s so unlike you.”
Lucia mused, intrigued. Dalen paused, scratching his chin.
…What kind of image do I usually have, then?
Unaware of his thoughts, the holy knight twirled the reins of her horse, humming a tune.
“By the way, our schedule is delayed more than expected. We’ll have to wait a few more days for the knights.”
“I didn’t realize we couldn’t ride horses within the Empire’s territory.”
“Neither did I. It’s a culture I can’t get used to.”
It was the second day since they left the village of Rengleton.
The group was traveling on foot along the Empire’s main road.
The Empire, which ruled a third of the continent, was famous for its well-maintained roads.
Smooth stone slabs laid evenly, with drainage ditches on either side, regularly maintained by the Empire.
Surprisingly, the inconvenience was that not just anyone could ride a horse on these roads.
“Only members of noble families, knights, or messengers can ride horses? What kind of law is that?”
“It means the Empire is centered around the noble class.”
“Before God, all humans are equal. Whether it’s the Emperor of the Empire or a serf bound to the land, in the eyes of God, they’re all mere mortals.”
Dalen scratched his head. If a passing Imperial soldier heard that, they’d tie her up on the spot.
“Yet, it’s okay to ride other animals or carriages. It’s incomprehensible.”
Lucia grumbled.
Dalen somewhat agreed. The Empire had more of these absurd laws than one might think.
If a noble approached from the opposite direction, you had to step off the road.
If a noble stayed at an inn, the rooms on either side had to be vacated.
This was partly because the Empire’s culture was centered around nobility, and partly because there were simply too many nobles and knights.
With over a hundred barons alone, and hundreds more higher-ranking nobles.
Including their family members, the number easily exceeded thousands.
Adding in the knights, who were practically quasi-nobles, the number would surpass ten thousand.
Amazingly, this was a significantly reduced number compared to the past.
The previous Emperor had been keen on centralizing power, eliminating unnecessary positions, and cutting off many noble bloodlines.
Rumor had it that the number of nobles purged by his hand reached the hundreds.
‘In the end, the Emperor’s power grew several times stronger. And nearly half of the disasters in the latter half were due to that bloated imperial power and the war-mongering Emperor’s impulsive actions.’
Fortunately, there were no rumors of war yet.
But the fact remained that the end was approaching faster than expected.
Perhaps the days of peacefully setting foot on this land were numbered, Dalen thought as he walked slowly along the Empire’s road.
The three humans and one demon continued moving southwest.
Along the way, they encountered groups of knights and soldiers several times a day.
The reason was obvious.
As the end approached, monsters were stirring across the continent.
The Empire was no exception, and its army was likely busy subduing monsters, orcs, and bandits displaced by them.
Judging by the wounded soldiers with various injuries, even the Empire, known for its formidable military, found the subjugation challenging.
However, thanks to their efforts, the area near the road remained peaceful for several days.
Aside from meeting a merchant caravan and buying some clothes and food, Dalen and his companions continued without incident.
On the fifth day since leaving Rengleton, the three humans and one demon finally reached the border.
“There it is.”
Dalen said, pointing to the checkpoint where people lined up.
The checkpoint was at the bridge crossing the river.
The Estra River flowed from north to south, becoming a waterfall at the rift.
The Empire’s western border, leading to the Kingdom of Noria, naturally followed the river.
“Wow, there are so many people.”
Parn said.
The sharp-eyed boy could see the tiny figures at the distant bridge checkpoint.
Dalen, who could see just as well, nodded nonchalantly.
“They really have tightened security. Looks like they’re inspecting all the goods.”
“That bearded merchant we bought meat and vegetables from mentioned it, right?”
“Yes, that bearded merchant.”
Dalen replied with a smile, shifting his backpack.
The clinking sound and the heavy weight were unmistakable.
Having had no reason to spend it, the gold coins in his bag had accumulated to over two hundred.
‘If we’re not careful, they might charge us a toll in gold coins.’
Dalen stroked his chin, looking down at the demon. He spoke.
“Hey.”
”…Yes, master.”
The demon, now accustomed to calling him master, looked up with a half-dazed expression.
Dalen tugged on the rope, continuing.
“You have a pocket dimension, right?”
”…I do.”
“I’m going to need to borrow it. How do I open it?”
The demon hesitated at Dalen’s words.
Scratching its eyes with its stubby arms, it replied.
“Because you drained my magic while beating me… I can’t open additional portals beyond the fixed one.”
“Where’s the fixed portal?”
The demon raised a hand, pointing to its mouth.
“Here…”
“Alright. Open wide.”
“Ugh…”
Dalen promptly removed his bag and shoved it into the demon’s mouth. There was no need to overthink it.
The immortal demon was an amorphous being. It didn’t eat like humans, and thus had no internal organs.
In other words, its mouth was merely the entrance to its pocket dimension.
“Ugh… cough! Cough!”
The demon, having swallowed the bag, coughed repeatedly.
The creature’s body stretched and contracted like a rubber band as it swallowed a backpack several times its size.
”…”
”…”
Parn and Lucia watched with wide eyes from the sidelines.
Parn was amazed at how such a large backpack could fit into that small body.
Lucia, on the other hand, was taken aback by Dalen’s casual treatment of the demon, as if it were a mere servant.
Dalen, however, paid no mind to their reactions. He stuffed a pouch of gold coins into the demon’s pocket dimension and ordered it to hide there. Unfortunately, he couldn’t place the holy sword in the pocket dimension. The sword, once imbued with powerful divine energy, could cause unforeseen consequences if stored there.
‘You hear me? If even a single coin goes missing, you’ll be paying it back from the circus.’
[…Yes.]
While mentally scolding the demon, Dalen effortlessly took on Parn’s luggage. They reached the distant checkpoint just as the sun began to set.
The guard, looking weary from a long day, stepped forward to block their path.
“Halt. We need to conduct a brief inspection.”
The guard, with a thick beard and an eagle emblem embossed on his armor, yawned as he extended his hand. He was a knight.
“Are you the leader of this group?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Do you have any identification?”
Dalen handed over his mercenary badge. The knight’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the gold badge.
The knight scrutinized Dalen from head to toe, his tone shifting to a more respectful one.
“Are there just the three of you?”
“Yes.”
Dalen nodded. Technically, there was one more, but since it wasn’t human, saying three wasn’t exactly a lie.
“Where are you coming from?”
“From Revivach. We’re headed to the main headquarters of the Holy Knights.”
“The main headquarters?”
The knight tilted his head. Dalen gestured for Parn to step forward.
“This is my half-brother. A Holy Knight recognized his potential as a knight, so I’m taking him there.”
The knight’s sleepy eyes widened in surprise, first at the notion of the young boy being Dalen’s brother, and then again at the sight of the robed beauty beside them being a Holy Knight.
Lucia slightly parted her robe to reveal the emblem of the Holy Knights on her armor.
The knight cleared his throat and bowed his head.
“My apologies. With all the rumors about necromancers lately, we’ve been conducting thorough inspections.”
“It’s no trouble. We all must work together to combat evil. Thank you for your diligence.”
The knight scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. He then turned to Parn, showering him with praise.
“Well, young man, you’ve been through quite a lot at such a young age. To have caught the eye of a Holy Knight, you must be quite talented.”
“He’s blessed by the gods. The order will forge that blessing into a fine sword.”
“May Powell watch over you.”
“May the god of war be with you.”
The Holy Knight and the knight exchanged formal pleasantries. Dalen felt the small shoulder under his hand swell with pride.
The knight only collected the standard toll from the group, skipping any baggage inspection. It wouldn’t do to offend a Holy Knight of the realm.
Just as they were about to pass through the checkpoint without incident, a commotion arose from across the bridge.
Hoofbeats echoed on the bridge as a man rode towards them at full speed.
“Halt! This is imperial territory! Dismount your horse…”
“Messenger! I’m a messenger!”
The man shouted, pulling his horse to a stop right in front of the guard, thrusting a large badge and a document at him.
The knight furrowed his brow as he examined them.
Lucia suddenly called out to the man.
“Oklan?”
“Lady Lucia!”
The man exclaimed in surprise, quickly dismounting and approaching.
‘A crusader?’
Dalen swiftly assessed the man’s attire.
A dark robe, leather armor bearing the Holy Knights’ emblem, fresh bloodstains, and small wounds on his hands and neck.
He was a crusader, and one who had recently seen battle.
A sense of foreboding crept over Dalen. Something was amiss.
The man, without delay, approached Lucia and whispered urgently in her ear.
“Lady Lucia, the commander has instructed you and your companions to flee.”
Lucia frowned, silently questioning what he meant.
The crusader took a deep breath, his expression growing more grave.
“The Holy Knights have split. There’s a civil war.”