Episode 269: The Nephew (1)
After everything, Damian had to clean up the mess.
Where someone dies, remnants of their thoughts linger. Dark sorcerers could extract various pieces of information from these remnants.
When investigators from Pandemonium eventually arrived, these remnants could pose a significant problem.
The remnants left by “Victor the Woodcutter” were harmless, even beneficial. Damian had come here to sow chaos in Pandemonium, after all.
But the remnants left by Damian Haxen were a different story.
So, Damian erased all traces left by the deaths of the Weapon Master and Akilo.
Only then did he prepare to leave the city of Hammerstrike.
“So, I’m thinking of heading out now…”
Damian asked, his face a mix of disbelief and annoyance.
“Why are you still here?”
-You ungrateful wretch! Is that any way to greet someone?
Kilo shouted, his voice booming. Behind him stood ten more dwarves.
Naturally, all eleven were dead. They were conversing with Damian in their spirit forms.
“Weren’t you supposed to leave with the other dwarves?”
-We were, but we changed our minds. We owe you too much to just leave.
Kilo thumped his chest with his fist.
-Our Hammerstrike clan can’t live with debts hanging over us! We’ll stay by your side and repay what we owe!
“I don’t need it. Get lost.”
Damian immediately refused. Kilo’s expression went blank, clearly not expecting such a reaction.
-Think it over again! Aren’t you tempted by our knowledge and skills?
“You should be the ones reconsidering. Do you even know what it means to follow me? It means becoming undead.”
Damian’s voice grew sharper.
“Becoming undead means becoming a slave to a dark sorcerer. And you want to follow me? Are you out of your minds…?”
-We are perfectly sane.
Kilo replied firmly.
-I told you, our Hammerstrike dwarves can’t live with debts. We owe you, and we owe the dark sorcerers.
Kilo clenched his fists.
-Pandemonium. Those bastards destroyed our clan and city. We can’t return without settling this debt.
The dwarves behind Kilo nodded in agreement.
-Damian, you killed the Weapon Master. You plan to keep fighting Pandemonium, right? We want to join you in your revenge.
Damian was at a loss for words.
He knew he should send them back.
But he couldn’t help but empathize with their anger. He felt the same way.
“Even so, you want to rely on a dark sorcerer like me?”
-You’re different from the others.
“Different?”
-If you were like other dark sorcerers, you wouldn’t have freed our clan’s souls.
Indeed.
The souls of the dwarves bound to the furnace numbered in the tens of thousands.
Gathering them would have granted an immense amount of dark magic.
Even without the dark magic, the rare souls of dwarves had countless uses.
Yet Damian had freed them without hesitation.
-We trust you. Please, take us in.
Kilo looked at Damian with unwavering eyes.
It wasn’t just Kilo. The ten dwarves behind him shared the same resolve.
Damian took a deep breath.
Honestly, it was a hard offer to refuse. The Hammerstrike clan was exceptional even among dwarves.
Having them by his side would be a tremendous asset.
”…Damn it. This is on you. Don’t regret it later.”
Damian cursed as he extended his hand. Kilo grinned and grasped it firmly.
-Master, we look forward to working with you.
In a dimly lit room, something moved beneath the lone flickering lamp.
“Heh, heh, ha ha ha! Yes! It’s coming to me again! Knowledge is pouring in!”
A figure, small despite the voluminous robe, was frantically dissecting a corpse with a knife.
“This is madness! It’s like someone’s flooding my mind with knowledge! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha!”
Blood splattered across the figure’s face and clothes with each cut, but the maniac paid no mind, as if every second was precious.
“I’ve finally grasped it! This is it! With this knowledge, I can create more!”
The maniac raised his blood-soaked hands to the sky, shouting in triumph.
At that moment, he sensed someone approaching from behind. A small man hurried over to the maniac.
“Master Dorgo, I apologize for interrupting your research.”
His voice was not just polite but reverent.
The maniac, Dorgo, removed the hood covering his head, revealing a skull.
“Genak, what is it?”
“We haven’t received any response from the Weapon Master.”
“Again?”
Dorgo’s expression twisted. The skull moved, forming a semblance of a frown.
“How many times has it been?”
“This is the third time. It’s been a week since we last heard from him.”
“Strange. He wouldn’t be plotting anything against me.”
“I agree. Could something have happened to him…?”
“Something happened? Ha ha ha! That’s amusing.”
Dorgo laughed loudly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, though no tears fell.
“There are few in this world who could harm him. And I’ve kept tabs on all of them.”
“You’re truly remarkable!”
“I’m not saying this to fish for compliments. I’m saying there’s no way anything’s happened to him.”
“Then why…?”
Dorgo stroked his chin, deep in thought.
”…Could he really be planning to betray me?”
“That’s impossible! No one would dare harbor such thoughts…”
“One can never truly know another’s heart. We should verify it.”
Dorgo looked up. Something was hanging from the high ceiling.
“Iota. I need you to step in.”
Dorgo spoke to it. The thing moved.
It unfurled its wings and descended to the ground.
Standing nearly three meters tall, with unusually long limbs and bat-like wings.
“Gulp.”
Genak swallowed dryly at Iota’s appearance.
It wasn’t Iota’s form that intimidated him. It was the immense pressure emanating from Iota.
He had felt something similar before.
When he met the Weapon Master, Sla, and the Ruler of Flames.
The pillars of Pandemonium.
-Sha ha, did you call for me, Mother?
Iota asked with a strange laugh. Dorgo frowned.
“I told you to call me Master.”
-Don’t be so stiff. I was born from your soul, wasn’t I? Doesn’t that make us like parent and child?
“Tsk, I made you too cheeky.”
-Sha ha, can’t help it. It’s how I was born.
Watching Iota converse so casually with Dorgo, Genak couldn’t help but feel awe.
Iota was one of Dorgo’s secret weapons, crafted over centuries.
Despite the effort, Iota had remained a lifeless shell in the lab.
Dorgo had succeeded in creating Iota’s body but failed to craft a suitable soul.
Dorgo had been despondent, thinking it would take decades more to complete.
But just days ago, Dorgo had succeeded in finishing Iota.
Thanks to the “strange inspiration” that kept descending upon him.
-So, what do you need me to do?
“Go to the Harkmak Mountains and find the Weapon Master. Convey my message to him.”
-Should I kill him if I find him?
Dorgo shook his head immediately.
“No. The Weapon Master is crucial for the War of Annihilation.”
-Aw, that’s boring. What if he attacks me first?
“Even then, no. Subdue him and bring him to me.”
-Awwwwww.
Iota stretched out the last word in dissatisfaction.
“Under no circumstances should you kill him. Not the Weapon Master, and especially not Akilo.”
-The dwarf? Why him?
“Akilo’s knowledge and skills are indispensable to me. There’s no one else who can replace him.”
-Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.
Iota spread its wings. Dark magic surged around it.
Simultaneously, the ceiling distorted, opening a portal of swirling colors.
-See you later!
Iota flew into the portal, which vanished as soon as it swallowed him.
“Whew…”
With Iota gone, the crushing pressure dissipated. Genak wiped the sweat from his brow, sighing in relief.
“Iota is always impressive.”
“Of course. Who do you think created that undead?”
Dorgo replied with a smug smile to Genak’s admiration.
“Master Dorgo, I know it’s not my place, but… isn’t it time to stop hesitating about the war with the Empire?”
Iota wasn’t the only secret weapon Dorgo had painstakingly crafted over centuries.
There were three more undead, just like Iota, who had recently gained consciousness.
“If Lord Dolgo were to unleash the Four Great Demon Lords, wouldn’t the empire crumble in no time?”
Genyak spoke with genuine conviction.
From his perspective, the power of the Four Great Demon Lords was on par with the empire’s might.
And if they added Pandemonium to the mix, the empire’s downfall wasn’t out of reach.
“What nonsense are you spouting? It’s not enough. Nowhere near enough.”
But Dolgo dismissed Genyak’s words without a moment’s hesitation.
“Don’t judge the empire by what you can see. They’re a far bigger monster than you think.”
Dolgo’s face had lost its smile.
“You think it’s over once we deal with them? We also have to contend with the Holy Order, the Fafnir Mercenaries, and other kingdoms. Our forces are nowhere near sufficient.”
“I see…”
Genyak trailed off, sounding disappointed.
If his master said it wasn’t possible, he had no choice but to accept it. After all, his master was thousands of times wiser than his own dull self.
“Yes… it’s lacking… something… something more is needed…”
Dolgo began muttering to himself, gnawing on his knuckles.
“I know something’s missing, but I can’t figure out what. What do we need to bring down the empire… to destroy humanity…?”
After a long pause, Dolgo turned to Genyak.
“By the way, what happened with that person I asked you to capture?”
“Do you mean… Damian Haxen?”
“Yes, him. I want to see him with my own eyes.”
“One of our major operatives is on the move. We’ve discovered his family is in the Apple Kingdom, so we’ll soon take action…”
Just then, a hole opened in the ceiling, and Iota burst through.
-Mother! It’s a disaster! A huge disaster!
“I told you to call me Master.”
-That’s not important right now!
Iota exclaimed, panic etched on his face.
-They’re dead!
“What are you talking about?”
-I’m telling you, they’re dead! The Weapon Master! His disciples! Akilo! They’re all dead!
Dolgo frowned at the news.
“I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
-It’s no joke! It’s true! I’ve brought the memories; see for yourself!
Iota extended a finger towards Dolgo, where condensed memories hovered at the tip.
Dolgo absorbed the memories Iota offered.
Moments later, he gritted his teeth.
“Genyak, cancel the plan to kidnap Damian Haxen.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Yes, something is very wrong. Some bastard is interfering with my plans!”
Dolgo’s eyes flashed, flames erupting from his skull.
“Victor the Woodcutter! Bring him to me immediately! Make him kneel before me!”
After leaving the Hercumak Mountains, Damian returned to his family home in the Apple Kingdom.
“They’re going to be so mad…”
Before entering, Damian couldn’t help but feel anxious.
He’d been away for an especially long time this time, without even sending a single letter.
No doubt his family, especially his father, would be furious.
“Ha ha ha! Damian, you’re back! It’s so good to see your face after so long!”
But contrary to Damian’s expectations, his father wasn’t angry at all.
Puzzled, Damian turned to his mother.
“Mother, what’s going on with him?”
“Oh, well, he’s just become a grandfather.”
For a moment, Damian couldn’t process his mother’s words.
“A grandfather…?”
“Your sister’s pregnant.”
Damian’s face registered shock at the news.
His mother gave him a playful smile.
“Why so surprised? You’re an uncle now.”