Episode 297: Obstacles (3)
“So, you plan to retreat after all.”
Hella Forn muttered under her breath as she eavesdropped on the conversation between the Empire’s greatest swordsman and the Master of Flames. Despite the considerable distance between them, Hella had no trouble hearing their exchange. It was no wonder she was recognized as the leader of Pandemonium.
“With a hostage nearby, you can’t fight, can you? Eos, you still have that weak-mindedness.”
“Unfathomable. Why protect the weak? It’s not the behavior of a true strongman.”
The man beside Hella spoke. His head was swollen like a balloon, yet it didn’t seem light. It was as if he carried a solid mass of muscle on his shoulders.
“Lambda, it’s only natural you don’t understand. You were born perfect.”
“And that man? Imperfect?”
“Indeed, imperfect. Born strong, yet with the heart of the weak. But don’t underestimate him. Even I couldn’t surpass his skills.”
Despite appearances, Hella was much older than the Empire’s greatest swordsman. Yet, he had quickly caught up to her abilities and now far surpassed her. His talent was astonishing, almost terrifying.
Thus, Hella felt both envy and a possessive desire towards him. She longed to have that extraordinary genius under her control.
“I can’t wait to have that mind in my grasp.”
Hella murmured, her eyes glinting with greed as she gazed at the swordsman. Just then, flames erupted in the air, and a man emerged from them.
“Ah, you’re back.”
Hella greeted him warmly, but the Master of Flames responded with a scowl.
“I told you to drop that nickname, didn’t I? I respect you as the leader of Pandemonium, but I won’t tolerate such titles.”
“Ah, you seem quite upset. My apologies.”
The Master of Flames glared at Hella with a fierce look, then sighed deeply and waved his hand dismissively.
“Forget it. Dealing with you only gives me a headache.”
“You’re wise, as always. You showed great restraint earlier. If you had fought then, our plans would have been severely disrupted.”
“Plans, plans, plans! I’m getting sick of hearing about them. Why are you so afraid of him? You’re a Grandmaster too!”
The Master of Flames demanded, but Hella just laughed.
“Ah, the Empire’s greatest swordsman is strong. So strong that even I can’t measure his power. To capture such a monster, we need meticulous planning.”
“You’re not just scared of him, are you?”
The Master of Flames sneered, but Hella didn’t take offense. She was long past the age of being provoked by such childish taunts.
“Have you forgotten? This is Elfheim. If the Empire’s greatest swordsman fights us here, the World Tree will use all its powers to aid him. Do you think you can defeat him when he’s wrapped in the World Tree’s blessings?”
The Master of Flames fell silent at Hella’s question. Once his head cooled, he realized how absurd his earlier words had been.
“Let’s head back. He’s calling for us.”
“Don’t speak of him so casually.”
“That’s my choice. Lambda, would you open the door?”
Lambda formed a triangle with his hands, and light emanated from it, creating a rift in the dimension. Among the four great demon lords created by Dorgo, only Lambda and Iota could perform dimensional travel. As a result, Lambda was always by Hella’s side, as she was Dorgo’s most powerful ally.
“Let’s go.”
As the three passed through the dimensional gate, a vast, cavernous space unfolded before them. Inside, numerous dark mages were bustling about, chiseling magical runes into the stone floor with hammers and chisels. The trio made their way to the center of the magic circle, where a large altar stood. Atop the altar, someone cloaked in a black robe was overseeing the work.
“Dorgo, I’m here.”
At Hella’s greeting, the robed figure turned, revealing a skull for a head.
“Hella, Leos… where have you both been?”
“There was a minor skirmish. We almost ended up fighting the Empire’s greatest swordsman.”
Dorgo’s eyes flickered at her words.
“The Empire’s greatest swordsman? I told you repeatedly that it’s not time yet.”
“Don’t worry. We didn’t fight. Your plan remains intact.”
“Hella! Are you trying to brush this off again? All I asked was for you to eliminate any variables until the appointed day! Can’t you even manage that small condition?”
“Dorgo, you might want to think before you speak.”
Hella’s smile vanished, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’m not your lackey. I’m cooperating because I have something to gain.”
The warmth disappeared, replaced by a chilling aura that made even the Master of Flames shiver with fear.
“You insolent woman! How dare you act so shamelessly!”
But Dorgo, unfazed by Hella’s killing intent, spat out his anger.
“You’re the one constantly breaking promises! Keep this up, and I’ll have no choice but to terminate our contract!”
At Dorgo’s threat, Hella’s eyes narrowed. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
”…I’ll be more careful from now on.”
Surprisingly, it was Hella who backed down first. She withdrew her killing intent and suppressed her dark magic.
“You’d better keep your word this time! So, is the plan progressing well?”
At Hella’s inquiry, Dorgo glanced at the magic circle being etched into the ground.
“Don’t worry. Everything is proceeding smoothly. The demonic energy has been sufficiently absorbed into the roots of the World Tree. Once the magic circle is complete, everything will be over.”
Hella stood beside Dorgo, gazing at the magic circle. As a dark knight, she had only basic knowledge of dark magic. Thus, she couldn’t comprehend what the circle was or how it functioned. But there was one thing she knew for sure: this magic circle would fulfill her long-held desire.
“The Empire’s greatest swordsman… soon, his mind will be mine.”
The mere thought filled her with exhilaration, and a smile crept up her throat. Hella grinned widely, her lips stretching from ear to ear, a sight that made Dorgo grimace in disgust.
“You twisted woman. Don’t smile like that.”
“By the way, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve long wanted the Empire’s greatest swordsman’s head, but… why are you so obsessed with him?”
Dorgo had summoned demons, invaded Elfheim, and constructed this massive underground facility—all to kill the Empire’s greatest swordsman. Hella couldn’t fathom why. Even if he was the Empire’s greatest asset, was he worth all this trouble?
”…I don’t know.”
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. You wouldn’t know what it’s like to live with these feelings lately.”
Dorgo tapped his temple with his bony fingers.
“Someone inside is screaming. Saying that if I stay still, everything will go wrong. But I have no idea what to do.”
Hella looked at Dorgo, puzzled. Occasionally, dark mages suffered from nightmares and hallucinations. But such cases occurred when novice dark mages couldn’t withstand the curses of their victims. She couldn’t imagine a dark mage of Dorgo’s caliber succumbing to such trivial curses.
”…At least I understand that your desire to kill the Empire’s greatest swordsman is genuine.”
Hella stared at the magic circle for a while, then suddenly remembered something she’d forgotten.
“Damian Haxen is on this island.”
At her words, Dorgo turned his head reflexively.
”…Damian Haxen is here? How?”
“I don’t know either. Didn’t the Empire’s greatest swordsman summon him?”
Dorgo fell into thought, resting his chin on his hand as he repeated Damian Haxen’s name.
“Damian… Damian… Why does hearing that name stir such emotions? What is it about him… Ugh.”
Dorgo groaned, clutching his head with both hands.
“My head… it hurts… it feels like I’m going mad… Damian… Damian Haxen… what is it about him…”
“Isn’t it just frustration from being constantly thwarted?”
Dorgo paused, looking at Hella.
”…Is that so?”
“Hasn’t he interfered with you countless times? That irritation doesn’t fade easily.”
“That makes sense. That’s why he’s been on my mind.”
Dorgo released his grip on his head, his expression relaxing as the headache subsided.
“It seems your dilemma is resolved. I’ll be on my way then.”
With that, Hella left.
“Great one, I shall take my leave as well.”
The Master of Flames bowed to Dorgo, who asked him casually.
“Is the stake I gave you working well?”
“Perfectly. Thanks to it, I can control the Spirit King as if he were my own limbs.”
The Ruler of Flames spoke with a bright smile, and Dolgo chuckled in satisfaction.
The stake embedded in the Spirit King was Dolgo’s creation.
Originally, it was just a rough idea, but occasional bursts of inspiration allowed him to complete it.
“If we had more of those stakes, could we subdue the other Spirit Kings as well?”
“Leave it to me!”
“That’s the spirit. I’m counting on you.”
The Ruler of Flames expressed his gratitude several times before departing.
“Damian, Damian Haxen… Damian…”
Even after the Ruler of Flames had left, Dolgo couldn’t stop muttering Damian Haxen’s name, as if it still lingered in his mind.
A loud voice interrupted his thoughts. Iota and Sita were approaching Dolgo.
“Why have you two been absent for so long? I told you to always be on standby,” Dolgo scolded, his face full of irritation. But Iota just grinned and began massaging Dolgo’s shoulders.
Dolgo’s expression softened slightly under Iota’s massage. He sighed, resigned.
“Next time, make sure to tell me where you’re going.”
Creating the Four Demon Lords required fragments of Dolgo’s soul.
In a way, the Four Demon Lords were like Dolgo’s own children.
That’s why, unlike with his other subordinates, Dolgo couldn’t help but be lenient with them.
“Sita, you should remember that too… And I see you’ve changed your clothes since this morning?”
Sita flinched at Dolgo’s question.
”…I tore them during sword training, so I changed.”
“Really? Don’t get too obsessed with it. That’s not where your true strength lies.”
”…”
“Why aren’t you answering?”
“I will follow your advice, Mother.”
Sita replied curtly, her eyes glinting with defiance.
”…A half-elf, you say?”
Damian was so taken aback that he instinctively repeated the question.
During his time as a Death Knight, Damian often clashed with the Empire’s greatest swordsman.
He knew a lot about the swordsman, but he had never heard that the man was a half-elf. It was completely new information.
“It’s understandable you wouldn’t believe it. I didn’t inherit much from the elves. Just some keen eyesight, sharp senses, and quick recovery in the forest.”
“Those seem like the most important traits to me.”
When knights spoke of elves, those were the three traits they envied most.
Elven swordsmen had superior reflexes, heightened senses, and were nearly invincible in the forest compared to human swordsmen.
“You could see it that way. But I didn’t inherit the most crucial thing.”
“You’re talking about spirit magic?”
“Exactly.”
For elves, spirits were inseparable companions, trusted friends, and powerful weapons.
Even outside of battle, there were countless ways to utilize spirits.
“And my brother was the same.”
Thinking back, the Ruler of Flames had always been obsessed with spirits.
In a past life, he had even suffered a severe injury trying to forcibly subdue a Spirit King.
Perhaps he was tormented by the inferiority of being a half-elf unable to command spirits.
“Is that why you came to help Elfheim, because you’re a half-elf? And why is your brother in Pandemonium? Why does he harbor such hostility towards you?”
“That’s…”
The Empire’s greatest swordsman paused, glancing at Elfheim.
“It’s about time we head back.”
“What? But first, could you answer—”
“We need to hurry back. I have a feeling something big is about to happen.”
The swordsman strode purposefully toward Elfheim. Damian clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Let’s follow him.”
Damian said to the elves. Cynthia then asked him,
“What do you plan to do with those humans?”
She gestured toward the dark knights and black mages, including Bantadi.
Damian pointed at Bantadi.
“Bantadi.”
“Oh… Lord Damian called for me! I can die happy now!”
“Shut up. I’m giving you an order. Stay here and wait.”
Even though they had reached Elfheim, their work wasn’t done.
Dolgo still needed to be dealt with, and Pandemonium had to be driven out.
These forces would be useful in the battle against Pandemonium. It would be a waste to discard them now.
“We will follow your command!”
Bantadi responded loudly. Satisfied with the answer, Damian entered the royal castle of Elfheim with the elves.
“Damian Haxen, this way.”
Following the Empire’s greatest swordsman, Damian headed to the most important place in Elfheim.
The heart of the World Tree.
Upon arrival, a familiar face greeted him.
“Damian Haxen, we meet again.”
It was the elf he had seen at the harbor.
Milene welcomed Damian.