Ch.47Awakened Seed (2)

# Late at Night

At a time when only the soldiers on duty remained awake, all the commanders of the castle had gathered. A heavy atmosphere settled in the king’s chamber, illuminated by a single candle.

“Of all times, right when war is imminent…”

Demon Lord Serphin let out a sigh. Her face was filled with concern. Before such a grave matter that required the urgent assembly of the Demon Lord’s Castle officials, she still showed her youth.

“Why do you suddenly think the Hero is a threat? Wasn’t the Hero defeated by Durin and gone missing?”

“Allow me to explain, Your Majesty.”

Ludmila stepped forward in response to Serphin’s question, as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“You are aware that Archangel Azakiel has arrived at the angel garrison in the northwest.”

“I confirmed it from the reports from the Western Continent. They say the numbers reach 60,000 even though they’re few. Is that correct?”

“You are precisely informed. This is a number that can only be countered if we lead all our central forces northward. I suppose only minimal personnel will remain at the Demon Lord’s Castle.”

“Grand Sorceress Ludmila. Please get to the point. Why should we fear a Hero who has disappeared?”

Serphin expressed her doubt. It was a natural reaction.

The young demon had just ascended to the throne and was focusing her energy on taking control of the castle. She had not yet been properly briefed on the matters Durin had been handling previously.

Ludmila glanced sideways at Durin. The two demons with red eyes exchanged a silent conversation.

It was time to reveal the truth that had been concealed until now. This time, Durin decided to step forward.

“Your Majesty. The Hero has not disappeared.”

“What? Is he still alive?”

“Yes, that is correct. With the threat of angels approaching, his existence poses a significant danger.”

“Then we must stop him immediately! Where is he? If necessary, I will entrust the royal guard to you, Regent, to eliminate him.”

Serphin was agitated. She wanted to remove this unexpected variable that had suddenly emerged in this war—a war that would prove her capabilities. Now, before the flames of war spread beyond the Western Continent, was the perfect time to cut off the sprout.

There was one thing to note here: the sprout the young king wanted to eliminate did not exist. More precisely, it was in the palm of the Grand Demon.

“Your Majesty.”

“I permit you to speak, Regent.”

“The Hero is already in our Demon Lord’s Castle.”

Silence fell over the chamber. Everyone except the Regent, the Sorceress, and the Chief Justice, who already knew the truth, could not close their mouths. Naturally, the Demon Lord was the most shocked. Serphin asked him with a trembling voice.

“Wh-what do you mean the Hero is in the Demon Lord’s Castle? Did he surrender?”

“I captured him during the southern conquest. I subdued him when I tried to capture the previous Demon Lord who was attempting to escape with the Hero.”

Fighting against both the Demon Lord and the Hero, and bringing one of them back. The statement was so shocking that Serphin was momentarily speechless. The fact alone that he had fought against the strongest of the demon realm and the strongest of humanity seemed unreal, and now he claimed to have a prisoner.

The young demon couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

“Ha, haha. What exactly happened before I ascended to the throne?”

“I corrected the demon realm. And I wished to present this righteous land to Your Majesty.”

It was a formal statement. But coming from Durin, it felt different.

When such a steadfast individual claimed to serve her, it inspired a strange sense of trust. Or perhaps her dependence on him was the greater factor.

Either way, it wasn’t good. Serphin shook her head from side to side to clear her mind.

“Regent. I won’t ask for other reasons. You must have brought the Hero here out of necessity.”

“That is correct, Your Majesty.”

“Take me to him immediately. I want to see with my own eyes and complete my assessment of the situation.”

Serphin turned to Ludmila and asked.

“Is that possible?”

“Of course. I will arrange for immediate transport.”

“Our royal guard will escort you.”

The castle moved according to protocol. As Ludmila sent a message to the sorcerers outside, the Durahans entered the chamber. When Serphin rose from her seat, the ministers followed.

“Let’s depart. After confirming how the Hero is being contained, we’ll discuss further actions.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

#

The eastern tower near the reception room.

Once a place where Serphin had been held hostage, and a location of secrets she had so desperately wanted to know. The truth she had vaguely thought she would someday learn, she now discovered as the king—it felt different.

“This is it, Your Majesty. The Hero sleeps here.”

Durin led the way and opened the iron door. Beyond the firmly closed door stood dozens of statues. They were all members of the Golden Guard on standby. This was the minimum safety measure prepared in case the Hero awakened.

This number would be enough to handle even a high-ranking angel, but it was insufficient to alleviate Serphin’s concerns.

“Regent. According to you, the Hero fell into a deep sleep after his defeat, correct?”

“That is so.”

“Is that why? I still don’t understand why the Hero is considered a threat. Isn’t he a being inferior even to a high-ranking angel, despite being humanity’s strongest?”

“You will understand the answer when you see for yourself.”

Their footsteps, which had been steadily advancing during the conversation, came to a halt. In the dark corridor of the tower, at the deepest part, was a room with iron bars. It was covered with so many magical spells that it made one’s eyes dizzy. The protective spells were as intricate and dense as those engraved in the king’s quarters.

Beyond them lay a sleeping one-armed man.

“……”

Durin had repeatedly emphasized it. That she would understand when she saw it herself.

To be honest, Serphin had been dismissing those words. It felt too unreal. How many demons would believe it if suddenly told that the Hero was in the Demon Lord’s Castle?

But the sight before her eyes pulled Serphin strongly back to reality. She felt fear.

Although the Hero was unconscious and still, the aura swirling around him was incredibly powerful. It was so impressive that one might wonder if he was truly human.

Crack!

“Ah.”

Occasionally, sparks would fly and hit the protective spells. It looked precarious from this perspective. But since no one else showed concern, Serphin cleared her throat and straightened her posture. Lifting her chin as high as possible to appear calm, she asked Durin.

“Was he always in this state? Honestly, he looks half-dead.”

“There was physical damage during the battle. The sword the Hero used was also broken. However, his power doesn’t come from his body or weapons. It comes from his will.”

“Will?”

“Yes. He’s probably wandering in his unconscious mind. The path to kill all demons and our demon realm. The Hero’s instinct craves for it.”

Serphin swallowed hard. If he was harboring such intense hostility, the castle would be in chaos the moment he awakened. No wonder he was called a threat. Serphin could now fully grasp the situation.

“Then I’d like to hear what the original plan was for him. Seeing that he’s imprisoned, you must have had something in mind.”

“He is a seed. Someday, when we drive the angels out of the demon realm and advance to the human world, he will be the compass that shows us the direction.”

“Please explain in detail.”

“We forcibly implanted demonic energy into the Hero’s body. In the future, that wretched body will be reborn as a gateway for us to enter the human realm.”

Crackle! A more violent spark flew than before. It seemed like the Hero’s response to Durin’s words, as if saying it was absurd. But it was futile. All of it was blocked by the spells, turning his resistance into pitiful struggles.

“However, the Hero must not awaken until then. If he regains consciousness, the demonic energy infiltrating his body might be purified.”

“How long will it take? For him to wake up.”

“We had estimated a month, but currently, an archangel has descended to the demon realm. The holy power continues to react, making it highly likely that he will awaken before that.”

“The Regent had thought of all this, hadn’t he? That’s why you brought the Hero to the Demon Lord.”

“Of course.”

Durin nodded without hesitation. His unwavering eyes turned to the Demon Lord.

“Your Majesty. The angel invasion was foreseen, and we now stand at a crossroads of destiny. The outcome of this war holds the future of the demon realm.”

“Azakiel. I know he’s the most bellicose among the angels. If he pushes down to the central region, we’ll suffer irreparable damage.”

“Especially since he is a warrior skilled in war. Having fought demons for ages, he can be considered our greatest enemy.”

Perhaps they could be defeated. The future was uncertain. Even Sorceress Ludmila stood at a crossroads where she dared not offer advice.

A situation too harsh for a young king to handle. Nevertheless, Serphin did not cower. With the Hero already in the castle and angels pointing their spears, the flames of determination rose instead.

Repeatedly facing challenges in the face of trials was the inevitable life given to demons.

The Demon Lord called for Durin.

“Regent.”

“Command me.”

She ordered the kneeling Grand Demon. Golden demonic energy began to scatter in all directions. Her unique power stood before destiny.

“Can you crush the angels before the Hero awakens?”

“I will exterminate them all. I will present that land to you.”

“Then lead the army immediately. I will grant you all authority to lead the central forces, so head to the Western Continent.”

“As you command.”

The Celestial War.

The prelude to a rhapsody where demonic energy and holy power would burn each other had begun.