Ch.109Chapter 109 – The Mastermind (2)

# Iscariot

Iscariot paced anxiously around his solitary cell.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen…!”

Having successfully escaped Pyongyang alone, Iscariot was now imprisoned in the Demon King’s castle as a defeated soldier. He was confined to prevent him from fleeing before reporting the situation to the Demon King and facing punishment for the great defeat.

Iscariot retraced his memories.

When the pillar of light rose, Iscariot instinctively sensed something was wrong. Immediately after, the evenly matched battle between the Lion King and the Sword Demon tilted dramatically, and simultaneously, Belphegore’s urgent order for retreat came through.

The voice of a king gripped by fear. A voice he had never heard before. Iscariot’s judgment was swift. Instead of helping Belphegore, he fled directly through the gate.

From the beginning, Iscariot held no loyalty toward Belphegore. Their relationship was merely a contractual one based on supply and demand. Though it took the form of king and vassal, in reality, it was closer to a business partnership.

Therefore, Iscariot felt not a shred of guilt about his escape. His only concerns were how to explain this defeat to the other kings, and what would happen to his contract.

“Damn it! Since Belphegore, the contract holder, is dead, what happens to my son’s soul?”

Anxiety crept up on him. Iscariot pulled an artifact from his robe. A notebook whose pages never decreased. This was Iscariot’s treasure, used for various purposes such as research journals or diaries.

With urgent hands, he flipped through the diary pages to the time when, half-mad with grief after his son’s death, he cursed God and made a contract with Belphegore.

The first part of the diary contained the contract terms with Belphegore that Iscariot had meticulously copied down. The lich’s eye sockets quickly scanned the dense text. He soon found the clause he was looking for.

“In the event of the contracting demon’s death, ownership of the contract’s payment reverts to His Majesty the Demon King, ruler of all demons…?”

This meant his son’s soul was currently in the Demon King’s possession.

“The current Demon King would be…”

The Demon King of Sorrow.

A hundred years ago, a shocking incident occurred. An assassin called a Hero by humans infiltrated the Demon King’s castle and perished together with the Demon King. Though it was mutual destruction, the Demon King of Wrath, who had ruled hell since its creation, met his end at the hands of a mere human.

This was a major event that sent shockwaves through hell, as it marked a moment when the power structure of hell, maintained by the law of strength, was overturned. When Iscariot heard about the Demon King’s assassination, he expected centuries of chaos to follow. It was obvious that ancient demons would fiercely compete for the throne.

There were several formidable candidates. While Belphegore of Sloth disliked and found the Demon King position bothersome, not everyone was like him. There was Baalzebub of Envy who always coveted the Demon King’s position, Lucifer of Pride who led the fallen angels, and though not one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the great demon duchess Asmodeus of Lust, mother of all arch-demons.

These beings had ample reason to fight for the crown. Humans must have sent the Hero anticipating this. If internal strife broke out in hell, invasions into the middle realm would naturally cease.

However, human hopes did not materialize. A massive variable appeared that disrupted their calculations. God directly brought a being to sit on the Demon King’s throne.

He was a being that even the ancient demons who had existed since the beginning had never seen before. A being more resembling humans than demons. Yet his power was beyond question.

Since no demon could overturn God’s decision anyway, he became the second Demon King without difficulty. The Demon King of Sorrow.

“That Demon King has my son’s soul…”

Iscariot thought this might actually be fortunate. A hearing before the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings was scheduled soon. Though he was a defeated soldier, looking at it positively, the hearing might be an opportunity to reclaim his son’s soul…

As Iscariot was running through hopeful scenarios, a guard came to fetch him.

“Legion Commander Iscariot, prepare yourself.”

The guard reminded him that the hearing time had arrived. Iscariot left the room, leaving his notebook on the desk.

***

After Iscariot and the guard left the solitary cell, a red snake slithered in. The snake swallowed the notebook on the desk whole, then disappeared quietly without being noticed by anyone.

***

The meeting to reprimand Iscariot was held in the lowest level of the Demon King’s castle, where the Demon King’s throne was located. It was a vast space designed to accommodate all the large-bodied Four Heavenly Kings.

“My King, Legion Commander Iscariot has arrived,” the guard announced.

A dark voice like thunder responded from beyond the door.

“Let him enter.”

The guard opened the audience chamber door. Iscariot entered the chamber. The moment he stepped across the threshold, the air changed.

“…!”

It was heavy. Iscariot’s body tingled from the aura unconsciously emitted by the absolute beings. Enduring the pressure, he advanced to the center of the audience chamber.

To the left of the throne sat Baalzebub, the symbol of Envy, and to the right sat Lucifer, the symbol of Pride, both staring at the insignificant being before them. Iscariot felt as though he would stop breathing under their concentrated gaze. He bowed his head even more respectfully.

“Raise your head,” commanded the Demon King of Sorrow.

Iscariot lacked the courage to look directly at the Demon King. He raised his head slightly, only enough to gaze at the feet of the Demon King seated on the throne. Under extreme tension, the questioning began.

[Report, lone surviving black mage. Tell us everything we wish to know.]

With the sound of fluttering fly wings, the order was issued. Iscariot told everything he knew. What orders Belphegore had given him in life, how the ritual had proceeded, and how the Lord of Death had met his demise.

“…That is what happened. I have nothing more to report. I leave the rest to the will of the great kings.”

Lucifer let out a sigh with an angelic timbre.

“Hmm… That holy knight. I thought he defeated Belial merely by luck. But seeing that he also defeated Belphegore, he is not an opponent to be taken lightly.”

[He’s still just a mortal! Leave him to me, I will deal with him personally. Just like four hundred years ago!]

Baalzebub showed enthusiasm. Inwardly, he was pleased with Belphegore’s death. Baalzebub coveted the divine blood that Shin Jaehyuk possessed, and had been anxious that Belphegore might discover and claim the secret of the divine blood.

Baalzebub wanted to invade the middle realm immediately and obtain the divine blood. He made a threatening declaration.

[He is my prey!]

“Hehe… Prey, you say? Considering your battle four hundred years ago, that doesn’t seem quite right. What hunter suffers a fatal wound losing half their body to their prey?”

Lucifer covered his mouth with twelve raven wings, mocking Baalzebub. Four hundred years ago, Baalzebub suffered a significant injury fighting Longinus. It was unexpected for Baalzebub that the holy knight would disregard defense and focus solely on attack despite his body being devoured by insects.

In the end, just before collapsing, the holy knight completed a final spell with superhuman willpower, and the most powerful divine spell ‘Divine Punishment’ obliterated half of the insects composing Baalzebub.

Though still terrifyingly powerful even after losing half his strength, Baalzebub had to focus on recovery for two hundred years. The fatal wound left a permanent scar, leaving Baalzebub with only about 70% of his peak power.

This incident weakened Baalzebub’s political influence. This is why Baalzebub was the last of the Four Heavenly Kings to descend to Earth, and why he desperately covets the divine blood to regain power.

Provoked by Lucifer, Baalzebub flared up.

[Silence! That was an accident because I underestimated that mortal! If we meet again, he won’t last even a moment!]

“No, you won’t have that chance. The next deployment right belongs to me, not you. You just lie in your bed and watch quietly. Hehe.”

[Don’t touch him. He is mine! He has been mine since four hundred years ago-!!]

Baalzebub growled. But Lucifer wasn’t intimidated by the weakened Baalzebub’s threats. He found it merely cute, like a dog protecting its bone.

When simple intimidation failed, Baalzebub tried a different approach.

[Do you think you can avoid Belphegore’s fate if you deploy?]

“Hm, do you think I fear that holy knight? Unlike you, I am of celestial origin… The holy knight’s divine power is not effective against me.”

[No, I’m not talking about Longinus. According to that creature’s report, he is alive, isn’t he?]

The Hero who assassinated Wrath a hundred years ago.

[I thought he died in the battle with Wrath… I don’t know how he survived, but what matters is that he is alive and hasn’t weakened at all. Can you confidently say you can defeat a Hero in his prime, Pride?]

“…”

Even Lucifer remained silent, unwilling to hastily predict his chances against the Hero. The achievement of “the one who killed the Demon King of Wrath” carried such weight.

[After descending, don’t stupidly draw attention like Belial or Belphegore! Wait quietly until my deployment! Even a Hero cannot withstand our combined attack!]

“Silence.”

As Baalzebub was about to pressure Lucifer further, swelling with confidence, the Demon King’s voice silenced him.

“Military discretion belongs to each of the Four Heavenly Kings, so Envy shall not force Pride.”

The Demon King’s authority instantly quashed Baalzebub’s complaints. Baalzebub had no choice but to keep quiet.

As the assembly fell silent, Iscariot realized that a golden opportunity to interject had arrived.

“My Demon King, your servant has a request.”

Before the Four Heavenly Kings could shout about his audacity to interrupt in the king’s presence, Iscariot quickly stated his demand.

“Long ago, I made a contract with King Belphegore. However, since Lord Belphegore passed away before fulfilling the contract, my son’s soul, which was the payment, has transferred to Your Majesty. I humbly request my son’s soul as reward for four hundred years of loyal service. Please consider my plea.”

[How dare you! A mere black mage being so impudent!]

As soon as the request ended, a thunderous rebuke erupted. Demonic energy boiling with anger pressed down on the lich’s body. Iscariot lowered himself further, enduring Baalzebub’s wrath.

[You speak of loyalty when you abandoned your king and fled! You should be grateful if we don’t annihilate you for your responsibility in this defeat-!!!]

Lucifer agreed with Baalzebub and added no further opinion. Rather, it was the Demon King who opposed Baalzebub’s intention to punish the impudent creature. The Demon King raised his hand, silencing Baalzebub.

The Demon King opened his hand, revealing a soul.

“Look, is this your son’s soul?”

Iscariot, who had been prostrating himself, slightly raised his head to look at the Demon King. This was the first time Iscariot beheld the Demon King’s full form.

Surprisingly, despite his renowned power, the Demon King of Sorrow was small in stature. No, small was an understatement. The Demon King, about the size of an average adult male, didn’t look much different from humans, but his body was emaciated as if he had lived his entire life in starvation. Literally skin and bones.

The Demon King wore dirty, tattered monk’s robes covering only his lower body, sitting cross-legged on a throne made of bones. Judging by his appearance—skin clinging to ribs—he looked so weak that even a single imp could defeat him. Truly, an incredibly weak-looking exterior…

However, Iscariot, overcome with emotion at finally finding his son’s soul, had no time to be surprised by the Demon King’s shocking appearance. His gaze was fixed on the single soul resting on the emaciated hand. Iscariot’s voice trembled with overwhelming joy.

“Yes…! Yes, that’s right…! This soul’s wavelength, it’s definitely my son! Oh, at last!!!”

Iscariot pressed his skull to the ground and stretched his hands forward, bowing. He looked like a beggar pleading for mercy. However, the Demon King did not readily place the soul in his hands.

“I will not give you this soul freely. There is merit in Envy’s argument.”

“Th-then what must I do? I will do anything, just command me.”

It wasn’t a refusal. The Demon King clearly intended to fulfill Belphegore’s contract in his stead. Iscariot thought that if he weren’t a skeleton, his mouth would be split in a wide grin by now.

The Demon King, shedding tears, spoke.

“Tell me this soul’s name.”

Iscariot’s expression brightened. Such an easy condition! Grateful for this merciful treatment, Iscariot promptly tried to say his son’s name.

Tried to say.

“Ah… ah?”

His mouth wouldn’t open. The name wouldn’t come out of his throat.

“S-so…”

Iscariot desperately tried to recall. A memory from long ago. A time when he was an ordinary man, a priest serving the light, who loved a woman.

It was a common story.

Iscariot deeply loved an unremarkable woman. She was the being who divided his world in half. The first half of Iscariot’s world belonged to the god he served, and the other half belonged to the woman he loved.

After years of courtship, Iscariot married her. There was no opposition from either family, and both sides gladly blessed their union.

Soon after, their love bore fruit. Her belly swelled.

Ten months later, a child was born. A very healthy boy. Unfortunately, Iscariot’s wife passed away after giving birth, having exhausted all her strength. This was common in the medieval era when medical knowledge was limited.

Iscariot was deeply saddened by his wife’s passing, but soon his son filled the void. Love for his son covered his grief.

From that day, his son became Iscariot’s world. He cherished his son as much as he had loved and missed his wife. His son was everything she had left him. In Iscariot’s world, his son gradually pushed even God aside and became everything to him.

Fortunately, the son who grew up without a mother thrived under his father’s love. He grew vigorously and healthily, just like his peers.

Yes, until he was just nine years old.

An epidemic spread. His young son contracted an unidentified disease that originated from someone bitten by a red snake. The boy suffered terribly. Despite Iscariot’s anxious daily prayers to God and use of every divine spell he knew, his son’s condition showed no signs of improvement.

Being a caring father, Iscariot promised his frightened son that before his tenth birthday, he would rise from his sickbed and they would play ball together. Iscariot made a ball by cutting and sewing animal hide himself. It was to be a gift for his tenth birthday.

And Iscariot would never get to use that ball.

His son’s death was like losing half of his world. They say there are five stages to accepting death, but Iscariot never accepted his son’s death. After the stage of denial passed, he became angry. Angry at God who failed to save his son.

‘Why does God not even glance at a believer begging for mercy? Why did God create the concept of death, and why did God not give humans the spell of resurrection?’

Iscariot decided that if God would not save humans, he would find salvation himself.

He aimed to develop a spell for raising the dead, something even God had not done.

From Iscariot’s research into necromancy, he learned that raising the dead required two essential components: the deceased’s body and soul. Both were necessary without exception, and the original body had to exist for the soul to settle without rejection.

However, his son’s body had been cremated to prevent the spread of disease, and his soul had already departed for the afterlife. So Iscariot stepped into forbidden territory. He made a contract with Belphegore to find his son’s soul and planned to use divine blood to create a body that wouldn’t reject the soul.

To achieve this, he did many things. Committed many sins. A contract with a demon, experiments using divine blood, turning a blind eye to the massacre at the Vatican, betraying heroes…

All of this was solely for his son’s resurrection. Iscariot’s love for his son was that immense.

For his son, he forsook God.

For his son, he contracted with a demon.

For his son, he betrayed his comrades.

“Y-yes. The name of my beloved son is…!”

Unconsciously, he clenched his fists. The white bones scraped against the stone floor, making a chilling sound. But nothing changed. His son’s name wouldn’t come to mind.

“Why, why…”

Iscariot’s love was great.

But four hundred years was too long a time.

Long enough for all of one person’s memories to wear away and erode.

“Ah, ah… This can’t be happening, this can’t be…”

Iscariot desperately tried to recall everything about his son. If he couldn’t remember his son’s name, then his son’s face? … Then, his son’s face? His son’s favorite food? Favorite color? Hobbies? Games?

Iscariot despaired.

“Ah… ah… why can’t I remember anything…”

Iscariot was shocked and devastated by the truth that he couldn’t remember even a single trivial detail about the son he had considered most precious. It was a grief that shattered his heart. A grief like his entire world, everything that made him who he was, crumbling away.

Iscariot stared at the Demon King with empty eye sockets. Had the Demon King known this and asked the question? It was impossible to tell. The Demon King was merely shedding tears, overcome by sorrow.

“My son’s name is, my son’s name is…”

[It’s over. Proceed with the execution.]

Seeing Iscariot repeating “my son’s name is” like a broken doll, Baalzebub urged for his execution. The Demon King reached out to the dazed Iscariot. The soul was being forcibly extracted from the lich’s body.

The Demon King wept sadly at the pain and tragedy of a single soul.

“Ah, how truly sorrowful… Poor lamb, I shall end your tragedy. Find peace within me now.”

Iscariot’s soul, along with his son’s soul, was absorbed into the darkness draped like a cloak behind the Demon King. The darkness was teeming with countless souls slaughtered by the Demon King. Adding two more souls to it, the Demon King of Sorrow genuinely sobbed at the tragedy of these two souls.

“Why are there so many sad stories in this world…”

The story of a father who, unable to accept the loss of his beloved one, cursed God and fell from grace.

It was a common story in this world.

***

“My son’s name is…”

As he felt his soul being absorbed into the darkness, Iscariot unconsciously recalled the face of one person. A boy happily kicking the ball he had made for him. With fading consciousness, Iscariot held one final question in his mind.

‘Why is your name coming to me now?’

Longinus.