Episode 271: The Nephew (3)
“Lady Agnes, what do you mean by a large-scale demon summoning ritual?”
Damian straightened up, his voice tense with disbelief. Agnes bit her lip before responding.
“The main order hasn’t fully grasped the situation yet. What we do know is that Pandemonium orchestrated it, and its scale is unprecedented in history.”
Even as she spoke, Agnes’s expression remained grim.
“Because of the ritual, over a third of the citizens of the Tart Kingdom have perished. Moreover, the southern region of Tart has already fallen to demon worshippers.”
Damian felt his blood boil.
If Agnes’s words were true, the southern part of Tart Kingdom had become a living hell.
Demons were monsters who relished human suffering, even more so than dark sorcerers.
“Is it true that Master Cheongyeom is missing?”
“Not just him. As soon as the incident occurred, we dispatched Master Cheongyeom and the highest-ranking paladins. But contact was lost the moment they arrived.”
Cheongyeom was no ordinary sage.
He was considered the greatest among the Five Sages, often mentioned alongside the Empire’s greatest swordsman as a candidate for humanity’s strongest.
For someone of his caliber to go missing upon arrival could only mean one thing.
“A high-ranking demon has been summoned.”
Demons, like humans, had a hierarchical system of ranks.
Some say humans copied demons, while others claim the opposite. What was certain was that demons adhered strictly to their hierarchy, and the danger they posed varied greatly with their rank.
“Yes, the main order believes at least a marquis-level demon has been summoned.”
Even a count-level demon could easily toy with several master-class warriors.
And a marquis-level demon was far more dangerous than a count-level one.
There was a time when a marquis-level demon was summoned, and historians later deemed it a continental crisis.
“The main order has decided to send Light and Green Wind as reinforcements.”
“You’re sending only two against a marquis-level demon?”
“It’s a principle that two of the Five Sages must always remain on standby. If all the sages leave, Pandemonium might seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack…”
It wasn’t an unreasonable precaution.
Though Damian had defeated Slaw and the Weapon Master, Pandemonium still harbored many monsters.
If the sages left their posts, the order could suffer significant losses if attacked.
“However, the main order feels uneasy with just Light and Green Wind.”
“Is that why you’ve come to me?”
”…I’m sorry to impose, but yes. Your assistance would be invaluable, Damian.”
Damian had single-handedly dealt with Slaw.
His status was no longer that of a promising new master-class warrior.
He had become a figure significant enough for a powerful organization like the Holy Order to formally request his help.
Damian pondered.
It wasn’t the burden of the Holy Order’s request that troubled him. It was the fact that such a demon summoning had never occurred in his previous life.
‘At this time, Dorgo should have been hiding…’
Dorgo was too weak to confront the Empire at this point, so he had been desperately concealing himself.
But with such a large-scale operation, he was bound to be exposed.
It wasn’t just Dorgo. The entire Pandemonium had surfaced.
‘Yet they went through with the demon summoning. Why? What are they after?’
The future had changed too much for him to deduce anything with certainty.
Further deliberation was pointless. There was only one course of action.
“I will assist the Holy Order.”
“Damian…! Thank you so much! The order will never forget this kindness…”
“No!”
A voice suddenly erupted from the corner of the drawing room.
His family stood at the door, having gathered unnoticed.
“A demon summoning? I can’t let you go to such a dangerous place!”
His father stormed into the room, his face flushed with anger.
Agnes quickly stood and bowed.
“Your Grace, I am Agnes, a paladin of the Holy Order.”
“No introductions needed! I can’t entertain guests any longer, so I ask you to leave my estate immediately!”
Agnes looked troubled, and Count Haxen’s face turned even redder.
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“Your Grace, if Sir Damian assists us, the order will provide appropriate compensation…”
“Compensation? You want me to send my child into danger for some reward?”
Count Haxen’s voice rose.
“I’m not an educated man, but I know how dangerous demons are! They wield powers beyond human comprehension!”
Demons were dangerous not just because they were stronger than humans.
It was their powers that made them truly fearsome.
Even a count-level demon could influence the world with its powers.
And a marquis-level demon could alter the world itself.
“Leave at once! Or is the Holy Order so incompetent that it can’t handle this on its own?”
Agnes knelt on the floor, as if to say she wouldn’t back down.
Count Haxen’s eyebrows shot up at her defiance.
“Father, please let me go.”
At that moment, Damian spoke to Count Haxen. His father, taken aback, shouted.
“Damian! What are you saying? Are you afraid of the Holy Order’s pressure? Don’t worry about that! I’m here!”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then why involve yourself in such a dangerous matter?”
Damian paused, understanding his father’s concern. What parent wouldn’t try to stop their child from going into danger?
In truth, Damian didn’t want to go either.
Not because he feared demons. He was enjoying precious time with his family and didn’t want to give up this happiness.
“Father, dark sorcerers are like a plague.”
Yet Damian had to go.
“You can’t be complacent just because they’re far away. If you take your eyes off them for a moment, they’ll spread everywhere, eventually reaching us.”
A plague must be stopped early. If not, it spreads rapidly, causing immense damage.
“Moreover, this situation is unprecedented. If left unchecked, who knows what might happen.”
In his previous life, such a massive demon summoning had never occurred.
Damian couldn’t ignore this crisis. He had to uncover their intentions and stop them.
“That’s why I’m going. Whatever the dark sorcerers are planning, we need to deal with it now to ensure everyone’s safety.”
“Damian…”
“So please, let me go.”
Count Haxen looked at Damian with a face on the verge of tears. But Damian didn’t waver.
“Do you remember the promise you made to me yesterday?”
“Yes, I will return safely.”
“You fool.”
Count Haxen turned away, as if he couldn’t bear to look at him. Damian gave a wry smile.
He then faced his family, starting with his mother.
“Mother, I’ll be back.”
“Damian…”
Her eyes were already brimming with tears.
Damian turned away, approaching Abel.
“Abel, take care of the family.”
“Brother, do you really have to go? Can’t you just stay with us…”
“I’m sorry.”
Finally, Damian approached Louise.
“Sister, I’m sorry I have to leave so soon after seeing you.”
Louise gave a bittersweet smile at his words.
“Promise me you won’t get hurt.”
“I promise.”
After bidding farewell to his family, Damian stepped outside with Agnes.
Outside, familiar faces awaited them. Light and Green Wind were there, ready to depart.
“Sir Damian, it’s been a while.”
Unlike the warm greeting from Light, Green Wind looked surprised.
“See, Green Wind? I told you Sir Damian wouldn’t turn a blind eye to this.”
“You were right, sister. I was too narrow-minded.”
Green Wind approached Damian, placing a hand over her heart.
“Thank you for your help. The Bound Wind will never forget this.”
Damian couldn’t help but be surprised.
The last time he visited the Holy Order, Green Wind had constantly criticized his actions.
“We’d love to chat more, but the situation is urgent. Can we leave immediately?”
“I was about to ask the same.”
“Oh my, did you hear that, Green Wind? That’s why I like Sir Damian. He’s so decisive.”
Light nudged Green Wind with her elbow. Green Wind glared at her, rubbing her shoulder.
“Sister, please be careful with your words. Someone might misunderstand.”
With that, Green Wind summoned her divine power. A strong wind enveloped the four of them.
The paladins of the Bound Wind could transform their bodies into wind for travel.
Green Wind could transform not only herself but others as well.
“Sister, let’s go.”
“Alright.”
Light activated her divine power, and a radiant light merged into Green Wind’s body.
Light’s power of radiant pain was ‘enhancement.’
She could enhance anything, be it cutting power, gravity, or more.
It seemed Light intended to enhance Green Wind’s power for faster travel.
“Then let’s depart.”
The fierce wind swirling around the four figures intensified, and soon, they vanished without a trace.
In their place, a single, powerful storm soared high into the sky.
As soon as they disappeared, a window in Spring Castle swung open.
”…Damian,” Count Haxen murmured anxiously, gazing up at the sky.
Boom! Crash!
Under the clear blue sky, a terrifying noise echoed relentlessly.
The source of the sound was an old man. Each time he struck the opaque barrier with his fist, the air reverberated with a tremendous crash.
Yet, no matter how hard he pounded, the barrier remained unbroken.
“Master Cheongyeom, perhaps it’s time to rest,” suggested the young men seated behind him, all clad in white armor.
The sacred emblem of the Holy Order was emblazoned on the chest of their armor.
Cheongyeom, the old man, paused his relentless assault and glared at the barrier with fierce determination. “How can I stop? We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”
The translucent barrier covered the ground like a pot lid, trapping Cheongyeom and the holy knights inside.
“Damn it, who would’ve thought they’d hide something like this,” Cheongyeom cursed under his breath.
They had come to the Kingdom of Tart to resolve the demon summoning crisis, only to find themselves ensnared by this barrier upon arrival.
No matter how fiercely Cheongyeom attacked, the barrier didn’t budge.
“I understand your frustration, but it might be wise to conserve your strength, just in case,” one of the knights advised.
Cheongyeom shook his head stubbornly. “No, I can’t just sit here. We have to break through this and warn the main order.”
He gritted his teeth, determination burning in his eyes. “No one should come here. Anyone who does will meet a senseless death!”