Ch.191Downfall (2)

The news of victory did not resound.

The northwestern front still belonged to the enemy.

The legion was greatly depleted due to the fierce war.

No one had time to rejoice or grieve.

Everyone focused on healing their wounds.

The Demon King Caldrago was no exception.

He had gone to the battlefield to prevent the collapse of the front line, and as a consequence, suffered severe exposure to holy power.

“We must prepare for succession.”

“We should quickly elevate someone who can hold the center.”

Various discussions were already circulating internally.

Caldrago’s era was now over. They needed to reorganize the legion around a new Demon King to continue the battle against the celestial realm.

The problem was that there was no suitable successor.

Normally, they would choose the most outstanding individual among the Demon King’s offspring or those with the same horn color, but neither existed.

Caldrago had no children, having been devoted to war.

Istria had lost promising demons from the collapsed left wing in this war, despite committing all resources.

Their future had essentially been erased.

The Green Horns had only Azmosa left.

“Istria has no more timber for kings.”

So the Red Horns reemerged.

The Senate, which had been waiting for an opportunity under Killahal’s leadership, stepped forward and raised their voices.

“It’s time for the blood of the beginning to return.”

“To endure the dark age, we need a proper king. That would be us, the Red Horns, wouldn’t it?”

Their claims soon gained strong support.

Demons naturally gravitate toward the strong. With Istria’s life force exhausted, they gathered around a new light.

The Red Horns also possessed ancient legitimacy, which made them even more appealing.

The return of the fallen king.

It gave forgotten resonance to old demons who couldn’t forget the old era, and instilled aspirations for a new age in young demons disappointed with Istria.

“Then who among the Red Horns would be suitable?”

“That’s something we should discuss gradually. The Demon King is still alive, so if we speak rashly and he returns recovered, we’ll be in a difficult situation.”

“Indeed, that’s true.”

Although an unstoppable current had already begun to flow, the atmosphere remained restrained.

This was because a final respect toward Caldrago remained.

Of course, no one thought he would rise again.

#

“The Red Horns will reclaim the throne, so we must take some measures.”

Istria faced the greatest crisis in its history.

A family that grew from the eastern warlords, honed the magic of dominance, and became kings.

Though rise and fall are inevitable in worldly affairs, it happened in this generation, and they began to struggle to avoid the disgrace.

“The decision-making power has already left our hands. We might even lose eastern hegemony.”

“Surely… it won’t come to that?”

“If the Red Horns, harboring resentment for usurpation, seek revenge, will our family even survive?”

Istria could not answer.

They had become kings under the pretext of resolving the mistakes committed by the Red Horn Demon King.

On the surface, it was a transfer of power, but looking deeper, it was a throne seized by force. Now that their strength had been depleted, it wouldn’t be strange if the Red Horns drew their hidden swords.

“Then we need the power to protect ourselves.”

“We must find a way to prevent the next Red Horn king from treating Istria carelessly.”

“There’s only one option.”

The transfer of power was already a foregone conclusion.

Creating a safe retreat was the best option.

“We must use Durin.”

“Durin?”

“Durin opened the beginning of the Istria dynasty and spent long years as the greatest warrior, despite having a different horn color.”

“The strength that overcame humble origins will have no problem withstanding external pressure.”

Those quick to understand could guess the conclusion presented by Istria’s leadership.

“You mean to stay close to him so the Red Horns can’t touch us.”

“Crudely put, yes. Durin commands the loyalty of both central and border legions. He could become king immediately, but as long as Killahal holds internal power, he cannot claim the throne.”

“Moreover, with the celestial realm potentially counterattacking in anger over the northwestern front assault, he will focus on strengthening defenses rather than becoming king. He’ll reorganize the legion without being swept up in central chaos.”

“If Istria cooperates, Durin will welcome us with open arms.”

There was no reason to struggle while hanging from a lifeline that had reached its end.

By attaching themselves to a strong power and somehow surviving, opportunities would come.

“If Demon King Caldrago passes away, we’ll withdraw our forces and head east. Let’s reorganize our warriors in our homeland and wait for the opportunity that will eventually come.”

Istria relinquished their ambitions without regret.

Those who had seized and succeeded with a sudden opportunity decided to cleanly bear the responsibility for failure.

Of course, it seemed one demon would bear the aftermath.

#

“Great Mother, the remaining Istria forces are showing unsettling movements.”

In the observatory, Azmosa received all the reports.

“What is this about? Abandoning the throne!”

“The King Caldrago is still alive, yet they’re already talking like this.”

“We must make an example of these disloyal ones.”

Istria was not united.

The loyalist faction, dissatisfied with the leadership searching for a way out, had come to Azmosa.

“So you’re asking for my opinion?”

The sorceress asked, looking up at the sky.

Her detached eyes did not examine them.

“It seems you need something to lean on… when you’re about to be swept away by an unstoppable current but lack the power to change it.”

“We still have Durin. With the greatest warrior commanding the legion, we can quickly drive out the disloyal ones in the center.”

The loyalists also agreed with using Durin.

However, they wanted to use him as a vanguard to protect the royal authority.

“Will Durin listen to that?”

From the time of her brother Belial’s era to the age of decline.

Azmosa, who had watched Durin her entire life, couldn’t help but sneer.

It was an absurd statement that broke her detachment.

“G-Great Mother?”

“Stop with the useless talk and fulfill your duty. Like the Durin you seek.”

“Securing Istria’s throne—that is our duty.”

A young loyalist stepped forward confidently before Azmosa. The young demon faced her without fear.

“Great Mother, you worry about the leaves of the demon realm, but we humble ones must think of our family’s safety first.”

“……”

“We can do without glory. But we cannot bear disgrace.”

Those who claimed the previous dynasty was inadequate ultimately failed to surpass the previous era and fell.

For the Istria loyalists, this was the ultimate humiliation. Moreover, the collapse of the left wing led by Istria was a decisive factor in the failure to reclaim the northwestern front, so their desire for vindication was strong.

“Please show us the way. Only you, as a sorceress, can be our guidepost.”

Initially assertive, now they were desperate.

It wasn’t simple ambition. It was the voice of one who truly worried about and cared for their family.

Whether those behind him shared the same thoughts was uncertain, but at least this demon showed potential.

Sorceress Azmosa, her eyes now translucent, turned around.

“Do you wish to preserve your family despite any hardship?”

“More precisely, I wish for the continuation of the Istria dynasty.”

“That’s impossible right now.”

Azmosa’s resolute voice cut them off.

The loyalists lost their strength. With the highest sorceress saying this, they implicitly judged that there truly was no way.

“But…”

Her words were not finished.

To the young demon who wished to move forward, she conveyed a whisper of fate.

“If the dynasty could be revived, if the day comes when it could be great again, could you endure until then?”

That the flame had not yet died out.

That it was waiting for its time, holding faint heat within the ashes—when she said this, hope blossomed.

“Answer me, loyal demon of Istria.”

The world asked him.

The green-horned demon did not hesitate. His loyalty to Caldrago and devotion to his family manifested as certainty.

“Of course. If the dynasty can continue, I would give even my life.”

“Keep that heart.”

The sorceress looked up at the sky again.

The answer was sufficient.

Simultaneously, golden magic rippled.

It was not the magic of dominance that only appears in kings.

A technique only a sorceress who has touched fate can use.

“So that you won’t be worn away in the torrents that will rage for hundreds of years.”

A golden Milky Way lifted the veil of time in the night sky.