Chapter 124:Release The Dog (2)

Keldric didn’t harbor any particular ill will towards demons.

However, he had been wary of them until now. After all, weren’t demons beings that tempted people towards evil?

But with each encounter, that wariness gradually faded. Now, he knew it whether he wanted to or not.

The wolf-shaped demon before him had, as he said, lost his power or was unable to use it for some reason.

“This place never changes.”

[Change is unnecessary. Only being bound to the present has any meaning.]

Keldric sat on the broken statue as always.

Then, the black wolf approached and stood before Keldric.

The two stared at each other for a long time. Keldric waited for the wolf to speak, but the wolf just seemed to be lost in thought.

Eventually, Keldric spoke first.

“…The fact that I’ve come here again means…”

[Yes, warrior. It means you’ve come into contact with it again.]

“I don’t remember anything.”

[Try to remember. Do you truly have no memory of contact?]

“Even if you say that…”

Keldric pondered deeply.

But no matter how much he thought about it, he had never come into contact with that flame mark.

If he had to guess, it would be the disc he always kept hidden in his luggage. But even that, he hadn’t taken it out right before going to sleep.

“I don’t know.”

[Oh dear….]

The wolf let out a dry chuckle.

To him, an uninvited guest kept coming in, but the uninvited guest claimed not to know why. It was absurd.

Keldric was also frustrated, as he genuinely couldn’t think of anything.

“Did I kill a mage during a fight or something?”

[Do all scholars who seek the truth engage in idolatry? Think again.]

“Maybe there was a mage with a flame mark among them.”

[Even you aren’t sure, so how would I know?]

That was a valid point, so Keldric reluctantly shut his mouth. The demon never gave an inch.

[Hmm… perhaps.]

The wolf trudged closer. Fluffy black fur tickled Keldric’s nose.

A faint animalistic odor rose from the fur, and Keldric wrinkled his brow, twitching his nose.

[…What are you doing?]

“You stink. If you’re going to get close, can’t you wash up a bit?”

[Such impudence……..]

Hiss! Hiss!

The wolf’s tail was made of snakes. The dozen or so snakes hissed threateningly at Keldric.

[Anyway, warrior. Perhaps the one you captured holds the answer.]

“Are you talking about Baron Gottfried?”

[Yes. Humans always attach meaningless titles.]

Baron Gottfried had the answer? Keldric pondered the words for a moment.

It was true that Keldric had captured Baron Gottfried alive. But he hadn’t seen any traces of demons on him.

“Is it possible to be affected like this simply by traces of contact?”

[That’s unlikely. He has a very familiar scent.]

The wolf bared his teeth, twitching his nose.

Hot flames spewed from his nostrils, and saliva mixed with a sour sulfurous odor dripped from his sharp fangs.

[The primal flame of sin, worshiped by foolish ones… the scent of that idol.]

“A demon, you mean?”

[In your terms, yes.]

It wasn’t surprising that Baron Gottfried was connected to the group with the flame mark.

After all, he had killed a flame-marked mage belonging to Baron Gottfried’s army during the Battle of Schapendorf.

Thinking about it that way, another thought followed like a tail.

‘Perhaps, Zamash and Jacober too….’

They each had flame marks on their bodies. The mage he killed in Schapendorf did too.

If Baron Gottfried had hired Zamash and Jacober… the story roughly fit.

“I’ll have to look into it separately.”

[Wise. Don’t carelessly overlook small threats.]

The wolf chuckled and nodded contentedly. Keldric scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.

“So, is that all you wanted to say?”

Keldric realized that meeting the demon before him wasn’t a common occurrence.

Moreover, he was being so generous each time they met, so he intended to take advantage of everything he could.

Perhaps having noticed Keldric’s blatant attitude, the wolf exhaled, spewing a long flame from the end of his snout.

[I see your greed. I don’t dislike it.]

“I thought you’d be offended, but you’re surprisingly okay with it.”

[Why? What could be better than you craving my power? I might as well make a contract with you.]

Keldric shuddered. Hearing those words, he realized he was indeed gradually relying on the demon’s strange abilities.

Keldric hastily took a couple of steps back, and the wolf chuckled again, sticking out his tongue.

[No need to be wary. I no longer have the power to do so.]

“…Right.”

That was true. If he were going to ensnare Keldric, he would have done it already.

The wolf approached again. Keldric was unexpectedly wrapped around the neck by black fur and felt a strange sensation.

He was already used to the animalistic odor and didn’t mind it much, only feeling the soft, fluffy texture of the fur.

[This place is cold and still. It’s a wretched place to call my domain. But I don’t leave it.]

“I thought you said you were trapped here.”

[That’s also true, and what I’m saying now is also true. I am certainly trapped here, and now I have given up on finding a way out.]

The wolf demon had likely been trapped here for a long time.

He wouldn’t have spent that time idly. He probably looked for ways to regain his power or did various other things.

[In the midst of all that, warrior, didn’t you suddenly come here?]

The demon seemed to have spent at least hundreds of years here.

Even for a transcendent being, spending that much time with a stone statue wouldn’t be pleasant.

Then Keldric appeared. Keldric had inadvertently become the demon’s conversational partner.

Keldric was quite uncomfortable with that. Coming occasionally to be a conversational partner felt like taking care of an old man.

[You’re thinking terrible things again. Do you truly want to be punished?]

“It’s not a wrong thought, so why are you being so petty?”

[You’re a cunning warrior. But I don’t dislike it.]

The wolf slowly circled Keldric’s body.

As the wolf disappeared from Keldric’s sight, the soft fur that had been felt on his neck also disappeared.

“Putting on a show can be an act of courage from a warrior’s perspective.”

And when he reappeared behind Keldric, he was once again in the form of the bronze-skinned female warrior he had seen before.

Keldric knew well what it meant for the demon to appear in this warrior form.

“Do you have something to say?”

“You’re quick to catch on. I wouldn’t be able to gain your trust otherwise.”

The demon extended a slender finger. The healthy bronze-colored finger slid seductively along Keldric’s jawline.

“Do you remember what I told you before?”

“I think you’ve told me more than one or two things.”

“…That’s true, but I’m asking about the most important thing, warrior.”

Keldric paused to recall.

The important things the demon had said. Well, was there anything the demon had said that wasn’t important?

Zamash and Jacober worshiped the flame mark, and that flame mark symbolized a certain demon who wandered the desert, and their actions were instigated by someone unknown…

“Broaden your thinking.”

Suddenly, the demon’s finger gently grasped the tip of his chin. Keldric, held by the chin, stared intently into the demon’s eyes.

“Don’t just think about what benefited you, but also recall what you haven’t yet unraveled.”

Among the things the demon had said, what hadn’t yet benefited Keldric?

There were many such things. But the memory that clearly flashed through Keldric’s mind was only one thing.

“If you meet the one who incited that foolish apostate, you will surely defy fate.”

The demon said. He was clearly speaking from half a step away, but strangely, it felt like he was whispering in his ear.

“I clearly said that, didn’t I?”

“That’s….”

Keldric carefully examined those words. Defy fate, he couldn’t understand what it meant at all.

That was the case when he first heard it, and it was still the case now, after a long time.

“Warrior, you have defied fate three times in this battle.”

“What’s that?”

“The young and immature man you follow… was destined to die in this battle.”

Lord Lothar. He should have died in the Ramdes Plains according to his original fate.

Keldric nodded after thinking quietly. Certainly, if Keldric hadn’t been there, Lord Lothar would have died trampled by horses.

“The old warrior is also the same. He would have fought bravely and become a handful of fertilizer in the fields, eaten by crows.”

Lord Rutger was also destined to die. But he had survived as if to prove otherwise.

Although he was injured, Keldric had forcibly dragged him away when he tried to buy time alone, saving his life.

“Lastly… brave warrior. You were also destined to die here.”

The demon poked Keldric’s chest with his finger. Keldric lowered his gaze at the strange sensation.

He had clearly come wearing a chain mail and breastplate each time, but now he was only wearing the thin clothes he wore right before going to sleep.

“No matter how brave and wise a warrior you are, the world isn’t just about strength, is it?”

“……”

“However, being brave and defying fate are different.”

Defying fate.

The depth of those words was no joke for Keldric to accept as they were.

Twisting and turning a fate of death to survive. Could there be a more absurd situation than this?

Even if Keldric had that much power, it was unknown whether it could be achieved by the power of an individual.

When Keldric said that, the demon burst into hearty laughter.

“Ah ha ha! Aren’t you underestimating yourself too much?”

“I’m not that great of an existence.”

“Yes! Warrior, you’re right. You are merely a brave and wise warrior, and your strength is as strong as the leader of that tribe who carried stones long ago.”

“…..”

“Even so, you are not a great existence. But you have certainly defied fate.”

The demon’s eyes twinkled strangely. Keldric glimpsed one emotion in those eyes.

It was deep, deep greed. The demon’s eyes were already glistening with greed.

“Warrior. The more you wander around, the more you pique my curiosity.” “So, what are you going to do?”

“Why. I’m not going to do anything. Because I don’t have the power to do so.”

“I suppose.”

“However, remember this one thing. I’m not helping you out of simple kindness.”

Keldric’s eyebrows tilted. If it wasn’t simple kindness, then he had to pay a suitable price for the favor they were extending.

But Keldric hadn’t paid anything as a price so far. At best, he had only shown the disc once or twice.

Whether that could be considered a price was another matter.

“What’s the price?”

“The price for my favor is….”

At that moment, Keldric’s vision blurred slightly.

“Before that, warrior. What do you think I am?”

“A demon.”

“No. That’s too simple.”

Keldric watched the demon before him smile deeply.

Even excitement was woven into that deep smile. Greed had already intensified to the point where Keldric could taste its sweet flavor on the tip of his tongue.

“I defended the power and prosperity of an entire people. But I fell with the Morning Star, burning the sky and leaving a long tail in the night sky.”

The demon’s voice buzzed. Keldric frowned involuntarily.

“The seething sulphur fires of the underground. My wings were burned by it, and eternal pain and indelible sin have bound my ankles. But, warrior, you are my chance.”

The demon smiled even more deeply.

“Don’t you know the source of your immense power? I see glimpses of old power and glory in that strength.”

“What… what are you talking about?”

“As I said, you are my chance. You, warrior.”

His fading consciousness finally floated up. Beyond his blurring vision, he saw the demon, already returned to its wolf form.

[Unleash the dog. Chase the scent of sulphur. Hunt down my kin, those who once wielded power. Extinguish the flames of the foolish. I will help you.]

“……”

[ If you do, I will return. To the throne of heaven. To where I belong.]

Isn’t this a win-win situation?

With the demon’s words, spoken with a bitter smile, Keldric’s consciousness sank.

☩   ☩   ☩   ☩   ☩   ☩   ☩

When he opened his eyes, Keldric’s body was soaked with cold sweat.

A chilly wind swept over Keldric’s body, leaving him shivering.

Amidst this, Keldric pondered the demon’s words. And, the conclusion.

‘…What does it mean?’

The words of a transcendent being were too difficult for Keldric to understand.