Ch.9Prophecy (1)

The Southern Expeditionary Force was composed of three main armies.

The central army consisted of the Demon King’s Castle’s royal guard, forming the battle line around the heavily armored Durahans.

The left wing was made up of Ghost Knights, who were as mobile as cavalry but displayed formidable power when engaging in close combat.

The right wing comprised Laktelun’s defense forces gathered around Aurelia.

When looking at the overall military strength, the right wing was weaker compared to the other armies, but that didn’t matter. Numerous tribes and nomadic settlements were located along the path leading to the rugged rocky pass. They planned to supplement their insufficient troops by placing these settlements along their advance route.

As the vanguard of the rebel army, these were hostile forces that had already opposed the Demon King’s Castle. If left alone, they would likely continue to raid cities. The plan was to flush out all the barbarians who had hidden and tucked their tails as soon as the reinforcements from the Demon King’s Castle appeared, and deal with them according to demonic law.

“Don’t leave a single rat alive. Burn everything and kill them all.”

“Kill them all! The Regent has ordered that everyone be killed!”

With a deep, resonant sound, the soldiers advanced. A barbarian settlement located about three days’ walk from Laktelun was burning. The headquarters of the rebel faction that had recently attacked the gate to block the castle’s reinforcements was facing a miserable end.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Mercy! Mercy!”

The blue-horned tribespeople fled in panic at the sight of the advancing castle forces. The red horns gleaming under the sun were the most terrifying entities in the demon realm.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

The Durahans advanced in perfect military formation. With each swing of their massive axes, a demon’s life was extinguished. Crudely built huts were torn to shreds and stained with blood. Those begging for mercy cried out pitifully, but the castle forces remained unwavering.

“P-please! Please, master of the castle!”

An elderly villager prostrated himself before the army, unable to bear the sight any longer. He pressed his forehead to the ground as he pleaded.

“At least spare the children. We will gladly accept punishment for our sins. Please!”

Durin’s forces, having completely razed the settlement, had left only one half-collapsed building standing. It was a place sheltering children who were trembling and hiding among the ruins buried in ashes, just like in the city.

Durin gave them an indifferent glance, devoid of any emotion. Verdia, who was assisting him, carefully asked.

“Your Excellency. What shall we do?”

“Follow the law.”

There was no compassion. Only corpses should remain in lands of rebellion.

“Bring the supply wagons. Feed infants smaller than the wheels to the beasts, and take the rest as slave soldiers.”

“I will follow your orders.”

“And kill that old man too. He’s noisy.”

Your Excellency! Your Excellency!

The pitiful screams of a frail body could be heard. Soon, with a cold blade, his head fell with a thud. The soldiers removed the corpse far away and pulled the children out from the ruins.

“Sort them well and select those who will serve as the vanguard.”

With those words, Durin turned his back.

He preferred watching the burning village to such meaningless scenes.

“……”

In the village burning redder than the sunset, soldiers were spreading salt on the farmland. They were turning it into barren land where nothing would ever sprout again, a place even magical beasts would avoid. The village that nomadic people had struggled to establish as their home was erased from the map.

Black smoke rising and the land turning white.

The price of rebellion always had to be severe.

…….

Endless slaughter and plunder. The legion was a monster that fed on blood.

It grew by destroying everything in sight. The slave soldiers gathered as a result of this plunder were all placed on the front lines to offset the impact that the rebel army’s assault troops would display. They would serve as shields against the powerful southern warriors.

While Verdia was to command them, Aurelia, the governor of Laktelun, abruptly intervened.

“The castle’s defense forces were originally soldiers under my command. If I join the expedition, they can demonstrate even more excellent combat power.”

To Durin, it wasn’t a bad idea. Although Verdia had been incorporated into the royal guard, her bloodline itself was that of a traitor. He wanted to place Aurelia, a pure-blooded member of the Demon King’s Castle, alongside her to prevent soldiers from rebelling against the command structure.

“Your Excellency……”

“I look forward to working with you, Verdia.”

Verdia handling the surrendered southern warriors and slave soldiers.

Aurelia taking responsibility for Laktelun’s defense forces.

From this point on, the two began to form a rivalry.

The psychological warfare between forces who didn’t want to lose to others in their pride as strong warriors was sometimes so intense that it erupted into fights.

“Verdia! I heard your unit has been harassing our warriors. Please guide them well so they don’t cross the line.”

“Huh? Then just win in a fight? If you’re southern warriors, instead of the commander coming to whine, you should come directly and fight.”

“How barbaric. Such low standards.”

“What did you say?”

Though both were from the south, their polar opposite tendencies often lit the fuse. Verdia, who wouldn’t bow her head to anyone except Durin, and Governor Aurelia, who was determined to protect her territory. They were truly incompatible.

Nobles of Laktelun watching this scene from afar spread rumors about division in the army, but none in the expeditionary force were anxious or suspicious.

It was just a minor discord arising from handling barbarians. What was important to them wasn’t such a trivial comedy but the next move of the rebel army’s leader, the Great Chieftain.

“Your Excellency. The Great Chieftain has set up camp inside the pass. He doesn’t seem to be planning to come out of the rocky mountains.”

“Have they shown any other movements?”

“Nothing has happened for the past week. It seems they’ve judged they can’t win in open battle. The rocky mountains beyond the pass have rugged terrain good for ambushes, so they probably want to decide the battle there.”

“They must have noticed that the royal guard has come directly. They’re trying to draw us into terrain favorable to them to make up for the difference in strength.”

War between demons was a battle of momentum. Who could more cruelly annihilate the enemy? If you didn’t break the morale of warriors obsessed with battle, there was a high possibility of being drawn into an endless war of attrition.

From that perspective, the current situation—where the Great Chieftain’s beasts had been crushed from the start and the rebel army was confined within the pass—was the optimal move for victory. It could be said that the momentum had already shifted to their side since the rebels couldn’t engage in direct confrontation.

“The southern rebellion can be ended smoothly like this. Golden Guard. I will give you the opportunity to stand at the vanguard. Break the Great Chieftain’s forces and make sure to cut off their breath.”

“We will follow your orders.”

“Then next……”

Tracking the escaped Demon King and Hero.

Durin raised his head. The first person he made eye contact with was Verdia. She flinched and then paid her respects.

Next was Aurelia, the commander of the defense forces on the right wing of the expeditionary army and the governor of the city. For a moment, a sharp glance was exchanged with Verdia, but there was no further conflict as they were in front of Durin.

“I have left a message in advance, Regent.”

She also paid her respects like Verdia. Aurelia rose as if she had been waiting and naturally stood before Durin.

“I will guide you personally.”

……

The Shrine of Rock was located underground in Laktelun.

A dark and damp space spread out like a labyrinth, similar to a catacomb. The patterns and inscriptions carved on the walls intensified the eerie atmosphere.

They were all in ancient language, so no one present could understand them, but the ecstatic joy felt in the murals of demons who had cut out hearts and were shouting in exultation was chilling. It contained the primal emotions of those who had maintained their autonomy precariously while clashing with the Demon King’s Castle for the longest time.

“This is the place, Your Excellency.”

Aurelia, who was leading the way with a torch, turned around and spoke. Not far from the entrance where a streak of light entered, a shrine like a communal grave appeared before Durin’s eyes. The dancing shadows following the flickering flames illuminated the stone-carved figure of the Rock Mother.

“I hope you find what you seek.”

With those words, Aurelia stepped back. She took Verdia, who was standing blankly, and went outside.

Kugrung-

Dust rose with the sound of the heavy stone door closing. There was nothing to illuminate the shrine.

In the darkness where not even an inch ahead was visible, a dim energy appeared alone. These energies began to clump together like dough and formed a single shape.

“Finally, time has begun to flow.”

It was a demon.

A woman with white hair like Ludmilla at the castle. The red horns, symbol of the central demon tribe, showed the faded years. Even just standing there, her aura did not yield even in front of Durin. She carried the same authority as the mother of sorcerers that Ludmilla had mentioned.

“I have been waiting, strong warrior. This meeting was destined by the gods.”

When her form was completely formed, light appeared in the Rock Shrine. A miraculous phenomenon created solely with demonic energy.

There, the Witch of Prophecy revealed herself.

“I have often heard the whispers of sorcerers. Perhaps that’s why, although I am seeing you for the first time today, this moment feels as comfortable as seeing an old friend.”

The witch gently stepped on the ground. The altar set up in front of the Rock Shrine became a place for their meeting. She offered him a seat across from her and said.

“I would like to talk more with you. Would that be alright?”

“There is no time for that.”

Durin also responded with courtesy. She was definitely a powerful being. A person worthy of respect.

The witch smiled brightly, perhaps sensing his politeness.

“I know. I can respond to your wishes, not trivial talk. Is that acceptable?”

“If it’s related to the Hero, I will certainly face it.”

“Good. You accept more readily than I expected.”

As Durin took his seat, the witch continued with a pleased expression.

“There was an ancient gate in Ludmilla’s anguish. The same is true for you, isn’t it?”

“It seems the Hero is attempting to escape using the legacy of the previous Demon King. As a great warrior of the demon realm and guardian of the castle, I cannot stand by and watch this.”

“And with the Demon King also present, your heart must be burning. Isn’t that so?”

The witch spoke fluently as if she already knew everything, even though Durin hadn’t mentioned it. It seemed she had looked into all the details of the incident through the whispers of sorcerers she had mentioned.

As she stood at the top of the sorcerers who handled wisdom, Durin didn’t try to hide anything and nodded in response.

“So please tell me the location of the ancient ruins and how to use them. I want to do everything I can to thwart the Hero’s plan.”

“You must want to prevent the shock that would come if the Demon King truly left the demon realm.”

“That’s right.”

“But……”

The witch’s expression suddenly changed from her kind smile.

The eerie joy seen from outside. That face materialized before Durin. Terrible demonic energy began to fill the surroundings.

“You cannot stop it. The Demon King’s escape is inevitable. It is the great flow of the world.”

“……”

“Even if you reach the gate through my help, there is nothing you can do. You will just have to watch.”

The air changed. A heavy, oppressive energy flowed from the witch’s mouth.

She was speaking. No, she was pronouncing judgment. The Demon King and the Hero will escape from the demon realm.

Durin. There is nothing you can do.

Although he usually faced unexpected situations insensitively, this time he couldn’t ignore what he was hearing. The red glow in his eyes burned brighter than ever.

“Do you still want to know where the gate is? I would advise investing in stopping the rebellion in front of you rather than the flow of the world.”

“I want to hear it.”

Durin answered immediately. He did not hesitate.

“Even if it’s something I cannot stop, I must confront it. That is the mission given to me as a guardian.”

“I would like you to elaborate a bit more.”

“Even if it is a fate that cannot be changed, I will fulfill my duty. That is the life given to me by the King.”

“Even if that King abandoned you?”

“That one is not my King. Only one person has given me life.”

A vague conversation ensues. Durin and the witch looked at each other, expressing strong intentions. They clashed opinions without yielding an inch. The witch was slightly more yielding. She nodded, seeing Durin’s firm stance.

“Then let me ask just one thing. Can you answer?”

“Of course.”

“When you face that fate against which you cannot resist, how will you act? Please answer only that.”

“A fate I cannot resist……”

He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, trailing off. The intensity of his glowing eyes also weakened.

Perhaps various thoughts related to the Demon King came to mind. It was natural, as he was a demon at the center of a chaotic world.

“In the face of a power I cannot resist, there is only one thing for me to do.”

Still, compared to the burden Durin carried, his time of contemplation wasn’t long. The Regent of the Demon King’s Castle calmly stated the conclusion he had reached.

“I will make them endure the most painful time possible.”

A demonic smile appeared on the face not covered by the helmet.

“One shouldn’t pass through the world too easily.”

#

“Today was truly a beneficial time. I hope we have the opportunity to meet again.”

With those words, the Regent left the underground room. The moment he received information about the ancient gate, the meeting came to an end.

Darkness returned to the world that had been illuminated by demonic energy.

Nothing could be seen. And because of that, it was peaceful.

“He will remake the world like this.”

She turned around. In the pitch-black world, the Mother Rock was sleeping.

The Witch of Prophecy raised both hands as if in worship. Intense ecstasy embraced her.

“Finally, finally the time has come.”

Her trembling hands were evident in her voice.

“He will bring you out again. I will wait again until that day.”

The demonic energy that formed the Witch of Prophecy scattered.

The sorceress also nestled in the sleeping mother’s embrace.