Ch.8989. Purge

“The determination of the people from the allied nations to reach the Empire as quickly as possible was comparable to that of the Hero’s pursuit team.

When there was no wind, mages worked in shifts to cast spells, and experienced navigators and sailors utilized the crosswinds they summoned to increase speed.

Even when the sailors seemed exhausted, nobles and knights took over their roles. This wasn’t the time to worry about social status.

As a result, they approached their destination, the Enekia Barony, earlier than planned.

“At this speed, we should sight Enekia Port in half a day.”

Perhaps it was because they were nearing their destination.

Despite being tired from the long voyage, everyone was busy encouraging one another. Some were even sharing their last meal and raising toasts.

“This is our last meal before landing… I apologize for its meagerness, Your Majesty.”

“It’s fine. We should adapt early. Would those arrogant ones even treat prisoners properly?”

“We are not prisoners…!”

“It’s better to think of ourselves as such. Shouldn’t we formally apologize to save the Emperor’s face? Haha.”

The kings laughed good-naturedly as they ate their meal of hardtack, raisins, and beer. The nobles were no exception.

Everyone was showing patience, compromise, and consideration for the common goal of reaching the Empire.

Although they had never spoken of cooperation when threatened by the Demon Lord’s army, now there was an overflow of brotherhood.

However, there was one person who couldn’t join this harmonious atmosphere.

A middle-aged man sprawled in a corner of the spacious cabin.

It was Enrique, who had sold out Master Rodrigo and was branded a traitor to humanity.

Considering what he had done, he was in surprisingly good condition. Thanks to the potions that had been poured into him after torture, his face was clean, and he wore fresh clothes. This was because the Empire had ordered him to be brought without a single scratch.

He stared at the ceiling with dazed eyes. His chapped lips remained parted, unable to close.

But he wasn’t incapable of thought.

‘Was Rodrigo really a Master? Or did he lie to survive?’

This was the question Enrique had asked himself thousands of times already. From the moment Bynessa of the Tetrad disappeared with a sneer until now, as he was on a ship heading to the Empire. Having found no answer, he kept repeating it.

He had also asked the same question to those around him many times.

To his son who wailed asking why he had done such a crazy thing,

To his retainer who advised gathering private soldiers for a siege because all humans in the allied nations would try to consume them,

Even to those who beat him mercilessly right after his arrest, he desperately asked:

– “Rodrigo is only twenty-eight… isn’t his training insufficient to become a Master?”

– “You idiot, that’s what you’re curious about while getting beaten?”

– “No, I just…”

– “Masters are the domain of humans with exceptional talent. Most people struggle for decades without breaking through a single wall, eventually growing old, while those with potential rise to incredibly high levels before they age.”

– “Ah.”

Exceptional talent. Come to think of it, Rodrigo was indeed such a person.

Even before he was fully grown, he had followed his father and pulled his own weight, and after growing up, he gained fame as a Hero hunter alongside his comrades. Thanks to his activities, his hometown had always sung songs of prosperity.

…Yes, he had sufficient talent.

But even now, as he waited for death while bound in a corner of the cabin, there was one thing he still couldn’t understand.

‘If he really reached such a level, why didn’t he tell me earlier?’

He had heard that when one becomes a Master, their body is reconstructed into the most suitable form for wielding aura. Literally entering the ranks of superhumans. They can even slow aging, and their physical abilities rise to levels that ordinary humans find difficult to approach.

If he had undergone such changes, Rodrigo himself would have known immediately, so couldn’t he have said something to him?

If he had just mentioned it beforehand, he would never have reported him.

‘I would have hidden and protected him thoroughly. How could I have sold him out? I’m not an evil person.’

Once again, resentment toward the deceased Rodrigo arose.

Rodrigo must have guessed that the meaningless resistance of the dragon hunters had provoked the Tetrad’s anger. He must have also intuitively known that all the nobles in the allied nations were terrified because of it.

Couldn’t he have given him a hint, understanding those feelings? It was resentful. Really resentful…

While dwelling on his hatred for Rodrigo, Enrique felt something off.

‘Why am I hating Rodrigo?’

There were many others worthy of his hatred.

The people who had beaten him nearly to death, the Empire’s authorities who declared a public execution without even investigating the details, and, though reluctantly, Enrique himself who had made the mistake.

Above all, the source of the calamity was the Demon Lord’s army.

Yet strangely, Enrique was only resenting Rodrigo, who had been dead for a long time. The Demon Lord’s army didn’t even cross his mind.

How did it come to this? With this doubt arising, Enrique struggled to sit up.

And he looked at the young nobles loitering nearby. Their excited chattering was impressive.

“To be honest, that succubus was actually pretty. No wonder she bewitches men. If I had the power, whew.”

“Have you seen her true form?”

“Yeah. The collaborators don’t just follow her around for nothing.”

They were evaluating the beauty of the succubus who had driven the allied nations to ruin.

Perhaps it was something they could say now that the tension had eased as they escaped the allied nations, but he couldn’t understand why they were praising the beauty of that demon.

“…Sigh. Anyway, the future looks bleak even if we go to the Empire. Those dragon tamers, why did they have to confront the Tetrad and die like dogs?”

They even treated those who had resisted the Demon Lord’s army as troublemakers.

Enrique let out a low exclamation upon hearing this.

‘Ah, so that’s it.’

Finally, he could dispel the doubt in his heart. He thought that perhaps the true purpose of the Demon Lord’s army was to corrupt the humans of the allied nations to this extent.

There was no particular evidence, just a feeling. Both he, who had betrayed his distant relative and age-transcending friend Rodrigo, and the other nobles who abandoned their countries to dream of a second life in the Empire were already broken beyond repair.

This corruption was irreversible. Because they had been broken without even realizing it.

‘Heh. The Empire that agreed to accept these humans is pitiful.’

Considering what he was about to face, he was in no position to sympathize with anyone, but what did it matter for a man about to die?

Enrique smiled mournfully as he recalled Rodrigo, who had hidden in a cramped secret room only to die miserably.

Meanwhile, the ship’s speed gradually decreased.

It seemed they were slowly docking under the guidance of the Empire. The passengers who had been chatting just moments ago had suddenly gone quiet.

Some were adjusting their clothes as if wanting to make a good impression, while others blended in with the sailors to disguise themselves as ordinary deck hands. Some were checking gold items (not Cordana) that seemed prepared as bribes.

Enrique looked at the scene emptily and let out a hollow laugh.

Soon after, rough hands dragged him out of the cabin.

***

Enekia Barony.

The people from the allied nations who had disembarked were murmuring before me.

Royalty, nobility, and surprisingly, quite a number of knights and mages.

They were greeted by the Empire’s knights, including myself. Both major knightly orders were present, as well as several experienced knights who served as vassals in individual territories. Even my vassal Garland had rushed here to take part.

About fifty in total. All volunteers.

As we maintained silence without saying a word, doubt began to appear on the faces of the people from the allied nations. It was understandable that they would be puzzled when those who came to meet them kept their mouths shut.

“What is this…?”

While everyone was dumbfounded, I stepped forward.

“You won’t need to go to the imperial capital.”

“What?”

“If you disarm and surrender, you may save your lives depending on the extent of your submission to the Demon Lord’s army. Healthy individuals will serve labor sentences in environments completely isolated from the allied nations, while the elderly and weak will be protected separately in direct territories.”

After this dry announcement, I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. It meant they could resist if they wanted to.

The dumbfounded people from the allied nations began looking around.

In particular, they stared blankly at the Empire’s knights standing beside me.

Some knights looked at the people from the allied nations like trash, while others had expressions full of tension. The common point was that they all displayed hostility. They seemed ready to start cutting with their swords at my command.

Perhaps it was because they had been full of expectations until just now? Or was it because they felt betrayed by those they thought were their lifeline?

The expressions of the people from the allied nations gradually hardened.

“…You bastards.”

A curse broke through the silence.

One of the humans from the allied nations, who had been biting his lips until they bled, pointed at me.

“When we were being trampled by the Demon Lord’s army, you just watched, and now what right do you have…!”

“We’re not judging because we have the right, but to protect the continent. If we leave nations that have been tamed by the Demon Lord’s army to the point of selling out their Masters, this place will also be contaminated.”

“You’re treating us like some kind of disease.”

“In the past, it might have been different, but the current Empire doesn’t have the power to defend against it. It’s not something to boast about, but the Empire’s situation is just as chaotic as the allied nations. It would be better to remove the ruling class of the allied nations and start anew.”

I’ve told many lies before, but this time I was sincere.

If we left the Microssia allied nations alone, spies would likely begin operating throughout the Empire within 2-3 months. Humans who had been recruited by the Demon Lord’s army or had their weaknesses exploited would infiltrate the Empire in various forms.

“…Remove? Us?”

“I’ll give you a chance to surrender. Except for those with heavy responsibilities, you can live.”

At this announcement, the reactions of the people from the allied nations were mixed.

Some humans seemed to be looking for a way to escape, then lowered their heads, while others tried to get back on the ship.

And quite a few, nearly 40%, showed unexpected behavior.

“You bastards, taking turns with the Demon Lord’s army…!”

“Let’s die then.”

They actively showed their will to resist.

There were mages who began casting with faces about to burst, and knights who frantically searched for and drew their swords. There was even a human pointing what seemed to be a bribe, a spear made of unusual material (probably dragonbone), at me.

The humans who had submissively surrendered to the Tetrad were instead resisting us. It didn’t seem like they were just relying on their numerical advantage.

Although it was an irrational choice, I could understand what kind of mindset led them to this.

“Kill at least him!”

With a desperate cry, magic flew toward me. It was a fireball equivalent to 3-4 circles.

It wasn’t a threat. It was a simple matter for me to create a sword barrier and shatter the few fireballs aimed at me.

I could see the fragments of magical power scattering in all directions after failing to achieve their purpose, and the bewilderment in the eyes of those who had fired the magic.

I thought it was enough to demonstrate the difference in power, but the humans from the allied nations instead became more enraged.

“You Empire bastards!!”

Soon after, the real sword fighting began.

Fortunately, it didn’t seem like it would take long.”