Ch.196Migration (1)

The guard was someone who came to ‘collect’ things that people hadn’t managed to take with them.

It might seem absurd to risk one’s life for such a thing, but he moved with his own conviction that he would be safe.

Even if there were monsters, he was confident they wouldn’t reach his location in a short time, or that he could fend them off if they did.

And that confidence was close to the truth in some form. All monsters kept their distance from Llewellyn, who had dispatched both life and death.

So when the guard saw Llewellyn and Lucilla, he collapsed while spewing profanities.

Though it was brief, he claimed to have seen his life flash before his eyes when he spotted the approaching figures—that’s how terrified he was.

Llewellyn felt no sympathy whatsoever, partly because no one had died or been injured.

“…And you’re looting in the midst of all this?”

But the main reason was that he didn’t feel much affection for someone who would plunder during such an extreme situation.

Of course, the soldier wore an indignant expression at those words but couldn’t argue back.

Belatedly, he recognized the man and woman standing before him.

‘The Annihilator… and his sister too.’

Though called a guard, he was one of Arba’s subordinates. He recalled the information Arba had shared with her underlings.

That the Annihilator had left to resolve the magical boundary issue and would return once it was finished.

It was certainly as she had said. Despite the expanding magical boundary and swarming monsters, they appeared to have broken through easily, without a single wound.

“The subjugation, no, what about that monster…?”

Llewellyn finally looked at the guard, briefly sending a glance his way before smiling.

“Guide us to Arba. I’ll tell her directly.”

The frightened guard didn’t know, but Lucilla could see the bitterness in her brother’s expression.

But comfort wasn’t needed. She had already provided that, and what remained was time for him to process it himself.

The guard led the way, clutching his already full sack to his chest, glancing back nervously from time to time.

As they followed the path, traces of human presence gradually appeared.

Piled barricades and barriers to block retreat routes.

There were occasional bloodstains, perhaps signs of defense lines being pushed back, but no monster corpses were visible.

Llewellyn slightly raised his nose to smell the air.

What he detected was the scent of blood. Not the burnt residue-like blood smell unique to monsters.

A salty, fishy smell. A different kind of fishiness from that of fish.

Human blood. Signs of humans fighting humans. Knowing this, Llewellyn briefly clenched his fist before looking at his sister.

Lucilla gently shook her head at his gaze, and Llewellyn widened his eyes slightly before exhaling through his nose.

A signal that there was nothing to worry about. Llewellyn unclenched his hand and walked on.

Sure enough, guards who had set up positions gradually came into view. They smiled at the guard carrying the full sack but immediately stiffened upon seeing the Annihilator following behind.

‘As expected, sister. You’ve definitely established dominance.’

Normally there would be a power struggle or demands for passage fees, but they simply cleared the way as Lucilla advanced.

Even when she pulled out stakes that had been driven into the ground as barricades and tossed them aside, they offered no resistance or even words, just moved out of the way.

Thinking how convenient it was to have his sister with him, Llewellyn crossed through the guards toward the center of the encampment.

There stood Arba.

“…Annihilator.”

The lioness beastkin frowned with displeasure upon seeing them, though she didn’t raise her weapon.

She held her head high, without a mane.

“Is the subjugation complete?”

Though they had left with a monster but returned as two, she deliberately asked. She knew she could be deceived but asked anyway.

She had no choice.

Arba was a knight, and knights understood the weight of words.

Llewellyn nodded.

“I subjugated it. Though I didn’t want to.”

“…You didn’t want to?”

“There was room for negotiation. The magical boundary wasn’t his creation. Rather…”

When Llewellyn turned his head to look toward the city gates, Arba recalled the recently expanded magical boundary.

With narrowed eyes and suspicion, Llewellyn quietly nodded.

“It expanded when I killed him.”

“…It was a misjudgment then.”

“That’s what happened. What will you do now?”

Arba’s face showed discomfort as she hesitated momentarily. Her subordinates were watching her, the Annihilator, and his sister.

Eventually, the uncomfortable gaze disappeared beneath tightly closed eyes.

“We will relocate. To the Pantheon, was it?”

Facing Llewellyn, Arba spoke despite her obvious displeasure.

“The city of Arba, Knight Arba, and all members of the Free Imperial Army will stand under the banner of the Pantheon.”

Llewellyn smiled awkwardly.

Though it was the desired outcome, the process had been far from what he wanted.

As he thought how he would have preferred to avoid this situation altogether,

Lucilla looked around and asked:

“Where is Orthemilia?”

*

Most humans who would follow Arba’s orders in the city were gathered near the entrance.

Those who wouldn’t weren’t many.

A black mage who wasn’t even a mercenary, cannibals who had already set up home in the city’s sewers.

Or complete outsiders who couldn’t join even minor factions and were ostracized.

Either way, they were outside Llewellyn’s concern, but apparently not Orthemilia’s.

Llewellyn descended into the sewers.

Past places where countless people had once been dragged while dreaming, through dark places where people drew swords and glared at the passing Llewellyn before hiding in the shadows when their eyes met.

Though underground generally grew darker the further one walked, where Llewellyn was heading was somewhat different.

“Sejin. I think we can turn it off now.”

“Right?”

Gradually, a clean interior and bright corridor appeared.

It was a place with slight wear marks on the floor, suggesting frequent human traffic.

Among all the sewers they had passed through, this exceptionally clean space conveyed a sense of obsession.

It was obvious how difficult it would be to persuade such a person to come out.

Llewellyn narrowed his eyes and swept away the light he had created by drawing his thumb horizontally.

“That’s really convenient.”

“I think it could be used as a foothold too. I’ll have to experiment with applications later…”

“Can you lend it to me too?”

“Hmm, that might be difficult? I heard it’s stored in the soul.”

“In the soul? How does that…”

As they walked while chatting idly, they simultaneously stopped at the sudden sound of voices.

Was it because they were both homunculi? The siblings met each other’s gray eyes in the darkness and nodded.

What followed was movement as silent as a glide, despite their inherent power.

They moved like they were sliding through the corridor, closing the distance. Only shadows remained flickering in the corridor lit by scattered lamps.

Upon reaching the main door.

In front of the door made of familiar jade or turquoise metal, Llewellyn met his sister’s eyes and listened.

Voices could be heard.

Some were familiar.

Llewellyn met Lucilla’s eyes, stepped back, and then—

KWAAAANG!

He kicked the door open.

The chains that had been locked shattered into fragments, and the lock tumbled across the floor.

People startled by the thunderous noise froze before drawing their weapons, each showing different reactions.

Llewellyn looked at these people before turning to the only small girl who showed no reaction at all.

A girl sitting with crossed legs, sipping from a teacup.

When the hem of her flowing dress got caught under the chains, she gently pulled it free and smiled.

Her narrowed vertical pupils gleamed dangerously.

And that wasn’t all. The horns protruding from her head made it clear to anyone that the girl was no ordinary human.

Even in a world where beastkin existed, people knew. That creature was beyond the laws of nature, like a dragonkin.

Llewellyn tilted his head to look at the people, then at Orthemilia.

“Didn’t I tell you?”

Her narrowed eyes turned to the assembly. Setting down her sipped cup, her lips curled up as if sneering.

No one answered her words. But Llewellyn guessed what had happened.

One of those mixed in the assembly made a gesture, and someone who looked unmistakably like a mage was staring at Lucilla with anxious eyes.

“The real Annihilator…”

Llewellyn gradually relaxed his posture and, feeling all eyes on him, clenched his fist tightly.

As he felt the sensation of black armor covering his body.

While his cloak fluttered and the God of Dreams behind Llewellyn’s waist watched cautiously without even sighing,

Llewellyn looked at Orthemilia.

“Now I shall give you a chance.”

Uncrossing her legs and crossing them the other way, Orthemilia pointed to the assembly with her tail.

In her seemingly arrogant posture, she said:

“The Annihilator and his brother, and the heretic inquisitor who followed the Annihilator are all here.”

The assembly swallowed. Llewellyn heard the sound but stood proudly.

“Not to mention the Golden Nightingale, and even Valterok, the leader of those black knights, is with them.”

Her outstretched hand moved past Lucilla and Llewellyn to point at the assembly.

People composed of mages, mercenaries, and various other groups.

“Who could surpass or steal my ‘work’? If you wish, I could join you not as an obstacle but as a helper and assistant.”

She now clasped her hands. Though her fingers weren’t long, the assembly couldn’t take their eyes off them.

As if their futures hung on those fingers.

And in reality, they did.

While preparing to ‘handle’ the situation if needed, Llewellyn felt a sense of déjà vu watching Orthemilia’s behavior.

And at her next words, he tightly closed his eyes.

“Now then. Say my name.”

One of the things she had asked immediately after Llewellyn testified about coming from another world.

A drama he had mentioned without much thought when Orthemilia’s work came to mind.

The most memorable line from it.

“So you are the alchemist…”

As the response seemed almost scripted, he pressed his lips tightly shut.

Then Llewellyn heard Orthemilia’s voice filled with excitement.

“Cor—”

“What exactly is going on here?”

Orthemilia, caught up in the moment, faltered, and the assembly’s gaze, which had been fixed on her, all turned to Llewellyn at once.

It was certainly an interruption that showed a lack of awareness of the atmosphere, but it couldn’t be helped.

Llewellyn had to cut her off before that line came out.

Even though Orthemilia pouted as if offended.

If he wanted to prevent Orthemilia—who always acted motherly despite her appearance—from kicking her blankets in frustration later, this was the best course of action.

For the sake of Orthemilia’s dignity.