Ch.6The Price of Challenge (3)

It had been a week since the Demon Lord disappeared, having left to find love with the Hero.

The chaos in the castle had essentially subsided. A new system centered around two leaders was now being established.

Ludmilla, the Grand Sorceress who gathered the demon realm’s spellcasters to predict the future and set the direction for the castle.

Durin, the Regent who firmly controlled any forces attempting to deviate, backed by his formidable strength.

Though the state of emergency was still in effect, the demons of the castle no longer defected. Rather, they were gathering toward the center.

“Your Excellency. We have captured all the subversive elements in the vicinity. As ordered, they’ve all been gathered in the park.”

It was forced, of course.

A soldier from the castle guard planted his spear into the ground before Durin as if making an offering. With 500 spears planted at once, it resembled an orchard. Red fruits hung at the tops—heads with tongues lolling out.

Drip… Drip… Drip…

Droplets of blood left stains on the ground. The castle’s once beautiful garden had become an execution ground, collecting the heads of subversives. Large-scale purges had begun from the day Durin announced internal cleansing while planning the southern expedition.

[Authority of the Demon Lord’s Castle]

To gather troops and make them stand under one banner required corresponding authority. An army in chaos was nothing but a disorganized rabble, no matter how skilled or well-equipped.

War alone.

An army that focused solely on that one thing, without other thoughts, was what Durin considered the elite of the Demon Lord’s Castle. To fill that authority, these troops needed to be shown that the castle was still alive.

To demons, power was everything. The fear of death for those who refused to serve was the most effective way to instill authority.

“Have you checked all the way to the monster farms and the barrier?”

“Yes, they had already purged the subversives on their own. The heads will arrive here soon.”

“I’ll verify them myself when they arrive. Meanwhile, execute all those who remain.”

“I will follow your orders.”

Berdia bowed deeply before Durin’s command, even more reverently than Spranches, Durin’s personal assistant. This change had come about since the day she was granted a new life by him.

“These are traitors who dared to rebel against the Demon Lord’s Castle. Cut them down without leaving a single one. Decorate this park for Him.”

However, her devotion was so extreme it was almost like a human priest worshiping a god. Berdia personally checked the faces of those who had been captured. Most were nobles who had been caught spreading negative rumors about the castle or testing the waters by looking to regional powers.

Golden eyes, blue horns, and pointed features beneath. Though demons from various regions were present, southern demons made up the overwhelming majority. They shouted at Berdia as she walked around with her sword.

“Berdia! What is the meaning of this? Aren’t you a daughter born of the rock? Why are you doing this to us…!”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

THWACK!

Whenever this happened, Berdia kicked the head of whoever raised their voice. With a single scream, horns shattered and scattered under her steel boot.

“Guh! Kuhh…”

“If you give birth, you should take responsibility. Is the rock mother one who abandons when something becomes useless? Hmm?”

“Ngghhh.”

“It’s most disgusting when you suddenly try to connect through blood ties at times like this. Did even one person come looking for me when I was held hostage? Or did anyone come to survive together when this crisis broke out? Ah, of course, I understand that indifference. My friends who actually helped me are already skewered here first.”

Berdia lowered herself to look down at the fallen southern demon. Deep pleasure showed in her face whenever terror-filled eyes turned toward her.

“I won’t help anyone anymore. I need to find and take what’s mine. If a lifeline is thrown down but you stand up for loyalty, there’s nothing but death. And you’re the type who did nothing at all? No need to even think about it.”

Shing…

The sharp metallic sound echoed through the execution ground. The same sound repeated 500 times. The castle guards had raised their swords above their heads, following her. Berdia smiled wickedly and said:

“Thanks for listening to my long story. Now, goodbye.”

“W-wait!”

AAAAARGH!

A desperate scream erupted. The curved blade cleanly cut the traitor’s throat, silencing their cries. What followed was a rough fountain of blood. Berdia spat and kicked the head.

“Stick it over there. We’ll display it until we return from the expedition.”

“Yes, understood.”

A succubus maid picked up the head and flew away. With 500 more heads added to the garden, the total reached 800. Since corridors used by castle workers surrounded the area, everyone involved in official duties could witness this scene without exception. Having completed the task as Durin wanted, Berdia looked around with a satisfied smile.

“Everything for our Excellency.”

A chilling laugh spread softly through the garden. The sound didn’t stop until the Durahan and the maid had finished arranging the place and left.

The small lizard Spranches trembled as he watched the scene alongside Durin.

“She’s a strange one. I think she must have hurt her head after meeting Your Excellency.”

“The castle has all kinds of demons. Just think of her as that type and move on, Spranches. Berdia is a talent who will greatly help our expedition force.”

“I worry about your future. But since you’ve already admitted that woman into the guard, I can only guess you have grand plans. Please don’t listen to someone as lowly as me and do as you wish.”

“I’m already doing as I wish. Stop making a fuss and just do your job.”

“Serving Your Excellency is my duty. I will continue to stay by your side.”

Though Spranches spoke with an air of importance, Durin ignored him again. Rather than appreciating such embarrassing rhetoric, he needed to complete more tasks.

“Your Excellency. The troop mobilization has been completed. The volunteers are all waiting at the training grounds, so if you depart now, you’ll arrive just in time.”

A maid who appeared at the right moment interrupted their conversation. Spranches, who had been about to add two more sentences, closed his mouth at her appearance. This was fortunate for Durin.

“Good. I’ll move immediately.”

“Yes, I’ll send a separate message to the training grounds.”

As the maid retreated, Durin moved as if he had been waiting for this. His strides were light. Having been confined to the castle handling administrative work with Ludmilla, he had felt suffocated to the point where the frustration seemed to pierce through his armor. Even the execution ceremony to raise the castle’s authority, while necessary, couldn’t resolve his fundamental thirst.

Combat.

The driving force that allowed all demons to live and the very value of life itself.

This was also why Durin was passionately preparing for the expedition. Having endured much for the sake of protecting the castle, he wanted to let loose. His steps toward the training grounds became considerably lighter. Ludmilla would handle a significant portion of the supplies needed for the expedition, so there was no need to waste energy unnecessarily.

With this mindset, he arrived at the training grounds in front of the King’s Hall.

This was where the defense force had staged a large-scale protest when the king disappeared. Now it had transformed into a massive hall for war preparations. Neat spear blades and thick armor. Unlike the disorderly and vulgar lower soldiers of the demon realm, these troops formed ranks without deviation—they were truly elite.

They had a strong determination to avenge the humiliation of failing to capture the Hero. They pounded the ground with their spears. When Durin, who would bring war, arrived, they could no longer contain their excitement.

“Is it finally time for the expedition? We’ve waited so long!”

“The barbarians of the south! We’ll cut off their heads!”

These were the shouts of the castle’s military guard. The resonance chambers of the headless Durahans were twice as loud as other demons. Those who had fought against angels felt no fear in battle against barbarians.

“We’ve prepared all the troops you requested. Please verify.”

The Durahan guard captain who had been assisting with war preparations handed over a parchment. It was a troop overview created by the sorcerers. Organized with simple drawings and numbers, it made it easy to understand the large-scale forces at a glance.

“Two elite guard regiments, four dual-wielding infantry units, three scout beast units…”

The numbers written were absurdly small for something called an expedition. Durin had told Ludmilla 800, but controlling the still unstable central region required more troops than expected.

Thus, the determined expedition force consisted of four hundred heavily armored guards forming the main force, two hundred light infantry to provide support on the flanks and engage in pursuit or guerrilla warfare, and finally fifty scout beasts to find ambushes in mountainous terrain.

Though they claimed normalization, this clearly showed the castle’s current situation—still not fully recovered from chaos and unable to properly extend control even over the central region.

That’s why Durin decided to expedite this campaign.

“The guard captain must focus on management here as much as possible. I will definitely bring back news of victory.”

“I hear the forces gathering in the south already exceed 8,000. The border cities haven’t turned yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

The guard captain spoke with concern. Though headless, her hand holding the sword hilt trembled slightly. Having served the Demon Lord closely, she was one of the few in the castle who truly understood the gravity of the situation. She was a high-ranking demon, different from those in the training grounds who only shouted for battle.

Durin placed his hand on the guard captain’s shoulder and replied:

“If we remain idle, the tide will turn against us. The defection of warlords means the division of the demon realm, which only gives the angels justification for invasion. I will handle everything before that happens.”

“Your Excellency. Then I wish to join you. The Grand Sorceress is here at the castle. Please include me in the expedition force.”

“I know what anxiety you harbor. Saying you’ll pacify the south with an expedition force of less than 1,000 sounds absurd.”

“No, how could I have such disrespectful thoughts…”

“I already know without you saying it. Those who left dew at the execution grounds often said such things. Without belief that it can be done, it cannot be accomplished. Speak your mind now.”

“Your Excellency. Please forgive me. I wavered momentarily. It was a thought unbecoming of the guard.”

The guard captain knelt down. She pressed her headless neck close to the ground in apology. All the soldiers gathered at the training grounds witnessed this. The excitement for the upcoming battle began to cool down at that moment. They quietly lowered their weapons and closed their mouths.

Recognizing the time had come, Durin stepped forward.

“The castle faces a crisis. The king has abandoned us, and traitors are preparing to draw their swords to tear away what is ours. Some remain quiet for now, but that won’t last long. Soon we will have to wage war against the entire continent.”

Humiliation. Pure humiliation.

This was one of the facts that the soldiers, focused on venting their anger against the Hero who took their king, had been avoiding.

“You must already feel it. The era centered around the king has ended. The time has come to fight for survival in an age of great chaos. No, we’ve already been dragged into it and must engage in battle.”

Durin raised his voice. He wanted to imprint the reality they needed to face.

“The thousand years of peace are over. From now on, we must kill and be killed. Think of nothing else. That’s for cowardly nobles. Kill like demons. And die like demons.”

“Like demons.”

“Fulfill your duty. That’s all I want to say.”

He didn’t raise his voice to boost morale. Durin spoke calmly and turned away.

As if he had nothing more to say, he walked toward another place.

……..

Somewhere on the stairs connecting the training grounds and the King’s Hall.

Ludmilla was looking down at Durin from a high place. From this space, all scenes of the castle were visible. The sight of goblin soldiers scurrying about preparing supplies, Durahans arguing while comparing their spear shafts, claiming they could better fulfill their duties. Over there were even some warlord nobles who had been so impressed by Durin’s speech that they were now praising him.

“That one seems to have lost it completely.”

Among them, one stood out particularly. Unlike the central demons with red horns and eyes, this was a southern demon with yellow eyes and blue horns. Most had been cut down during the internal purge, but one woman had uniquely survived.

“Her name was Berdia del Southern? No, she’s under Durin now, so she wouldn’t have that surname anymore.”

Daughter born of the rock. She was the blood relative of the one leading the rebellion and now set to be a core advisor for the current expedition force. If it were Ludmilla, she would have cut that woman’s throat first, but Durin was different. In a situation where everything was scarce, he was gathering all available resources, even if they came from enemy forces. He was far from the noble mindset that would put a sword to someone’s throat while talking about enemies and honor.

“Hmm.”

The Berdia that Ludmilla observed was similar in that regard. Birds of a feather? However, she seemed to have enough sense not to enter the training grounds, instead secretly watching Durin from behind a pillar. Still, her fervor was no less than the soldiers there. Was it gratitude and loyalty toward Durin who had saved her life? Though the intention was unclear, there was one thing Ludmilla could see through.

“Sigh. A female Spranches has appeared.”

Southern warriors are drawn to the strong. And Berdia’s behavior perfectly matched that tendency. When Durin stomped his foot, she flinched and collapsed where she stood. The fact that she still couldn’t get up suggested the impression had been quite profound.

“There are various demons in the castle. I understand that… but really, I can’t stand seeing that.”

Ludmilla clicked her tongue and returned to the hall.

She didn’t feel it was worth continuing to watch Berdia, who was staring blankly at the spot where Durin had disappeared with unfocused eyes.

It was just a trivial happening that didn’t need much attention at a time when the expedition was imminent.

“What’s more important is this.”

She looked to the side. Like Spranches with Durin, Ludmilla also had a succubus maid who exclusively followed her.

“You said a report came in?”

“Yes. An urgent message sent from the observatory.”

The maid knelt down. She took out a parchment and respectfully offered it with both hands. It was an excessive gesture for simply delivering a report.

“…Is it true?”

But Ludmilla received it with a serious expression. Rather, she seemed surprised and hesitated to place her hand on the parchment.

The maid bowed her head even lower and answered her question:

“Yes. They say they’ve finally found traces of the former Demon Lord who ran away.”