It’s Been a While

The platinum-haired elf falling helplessly to the ground.

Loen, who changed direction and flew toward her, stretched out her uninjured right arm and grabbed something.

‘Flight artifact.’

Loen smiled with satisfaction at the unexpected harvest.

Judging by the elf’s nimble movements, it was clearly a high-performance artifact.

However, she had to set aside her joy for the moment.

The battle wasn’t completely over yet to indulge in sentimentality.

On the ground, the fierce magical exchange between the corps mages and the elf magic battalion was still in full swing.

Although the allies had the advantage, it wasn’t at an overwhelming level.

Therefore, it needed to be wrapped up quickly before damage accumulated.

‘The elves first.’

Loen threw herself downward without hesitation.

With the sound of cutting through the wind, Loen descended like a beam of light.

---

The corps mages were the first to notice the anomaly.

Those engaged in battle with the battalion clearly saw Loen descending with mana swirling around her over the enemies’ shoulders.

“Corps Commander?”

“Stop magic attacks!”

Before their astonishment could even end.

Boom!

Landing behind the magic battalion, Loen immediately swept her hand to the side.

“Planar Cut.”

Her target was the waists of the elf mages who were absorbed in casting magic.

Skreek—!

A silent white line sliced through space.

“Aaaaargh!”

“Grrgh.”

More than half of the elf mages had their upper and lower bodies separated.

Their faces looked as if they didn’t even know why they were dying.

“Chain Beam.”

Following this, bundles of gray beams burst from Loen’s fingertips.

“Protect—ack!”

The eerie beam strands spread like spider webs in sequence, piercing through the bodies of the remaining mages who were turning around. It happened before they could even cast defensive magic.

Witnessing the magic battalion being annihilated in an instant, an elf commander urgently shouted.

“Fire! Just shoot regardless of allies!”

“Aim! Fire!”

Ratatat! Boom!

All firepower was concentrated on Loen.

Dozens, hundreds of bullets and shells rained down on her.

But it was useless.

The bullets and shells merely bounced off the wall of mana.

Like throwing stones at a massive fortress wall, their desperate attacks held no meaning.

To them, the woman before their eyes was an unstoppable catastrophe itself.

Swish.

Meanwhile, having finished off the battalion, Loen turned around.

Her red eyes now turned toward the elf soldiers who were firing muskets and cannons in terror.

Amid the endless storm of bullets, Loen slowly walked forward.

“Shit..”

The elf commander spat out expletives.

Despair gradually rose on the faces of the soldiers facing Loen.

All they could do was watch as death approached.

Finally, Loen stopped walking.

The elves’ volley fire had long since ceased.

They had realized it was meaningless.

Eventually, the elf commander decided on hand-to-hand combat.

He thought that if thousands charged and clung to her, they might at least inflict a small scratch.

“Everyone fix bayonets! Charge prep—”

“Shockwave.”

Wooooong—!

Before the commander could finish his words.

A gray wave began to spread in all directions.

Originally a magic used to push away or knock out targets, but this time it was different.

She injected darkness attributes into the wave itself to the extreme.

Maximizing the properties of extinction and shock.

Even so, those who could properly handle mana might not die from this, but ordinary soldiers…

Waaaah.

The shockwave swept through the formation of elf soldiers.

Those caught in the wave fell helplessly as if hit by a giant hammer.

Bodies crumpled and bounced like pieces of paper.

But that wasn’t the end.

The mana imbued with extinction properties penetrated into their bodies, mercilessly crushing them from within.

Black blood dripped from the soldiers’ eyes, noses, and mouths.

In an instant, hundreds of soldiers within the wave’s range perished.

Even then, this was limited only because they had already spread out beforehand.

“Th… this is…”

An elf soldier who luckily survived by being outside the wave’s range slumped to the ground.

Only incomprehensible words flowed from his mouth, his mind completely lost to the surreal scene.

What followed was a time of one-sided slaughter.

Mana Blade, Dark Light Sphere, Judgment… merciless spells decorated the air, piercing and slashing the backs of fleeing elves.

The allied forces had predicted she would become a catastrophe in the future, but that was clearly a misjudgment.

“That’s already…”

Loen was already, at this very moment, a catastrophe itself, single-handedly ravaging an army of thousands.

“Hmm.”

“Huh.”

The corps mages who were regrouping and the vanguard knights who were preparing to charge witnessed that overwhelming scene.

They could only watch in a daze, with eyes mixed with awe and fear.

---

Around the time the vanguard began their charge toward the Southern Alliance positioned on the hills to the left and right.

Loen, having entrusted the handling of the remaining elves to the corps mages, immediately headed toward the enemy command post.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Surprisingly, the enemy commander was waiting for Loen outside the temporary command tent.

“Baron Mamon.”

Loen’s eyes fixed on the affable-looking man with a skinny build.

Despite seeing him for the first time, she immediately identified who he was.

It was him.

The one suspected of leading the Southern Alliance from behind and turning Duke Donnelly and Grand Duke White into traitors.

Instigating chaos in the empire and leading nobles to corruption and division…

A demon.

Loen said as she walked.

“Through the Inspection Corps’ investigation materials, documents obtained from the Duke, and interrogation content, I’ve concluded that you are a demon who has infiltrated the empire. Do you have any objections to this?”

Despite her words, she had already drawn her mana blade and was walking to behead him.

She intended to blow off his head right away.

“Indeed, you’re as merciless as the rumors say.”

Baron Mamon smiled grimly and leisurely scanned Loen’s entire body.

The deeply cut left arm, torn side, and forehead that was red as if burned.

Her condition, seen up close, did not look good at all.

Moreover, she would have expended artifacts that could be variables during the fight with Celtia…

It was as expected.

“By the way, is it right for someone who will become a pillar supporting the empire to be so reckless with their body?”

“…”

Despite Mamon’s concerned words,

Loen silently narrowed the distance.

Mamon scratched the back of his head.

She really doesn’t listen.

Nevertheless, he continued speaking without losing his composure.

Like a hunter slowly tightening the noose with patience.

“Let me ask one thing. Why do you serve the Emperor? You don’t seem like someone who should be under anyone.”

Loen kept her mouth firmly shut, as if it wasn’t worth answering.

“At such a young age, with such remarkable achievements… Someone with talent, status, background, everything—why would you volunteer to be the Emperor’s hunting dog?”

The distance narrowed even more.

Mamon maintained his composure and naturally changed the topic.

“The Emperor’s cold sword, purging those who oppose him without a shred of mercy. Truly an excellent blade. But you know.”

His eyes gleamed cunningly.

“Even the finest sword, if it’s overfed with blood and its edge becomes too worn… Eventually, it must be replaced, right? Especially if that sword, unsatisfied with the blood of enemies, eventually craves the blood of its master—such a dangerous sword. Would the Emperor still cherish and value that sword when that time comes?”

As Loen reached close to Mamon, she swung her sword mercilessly.

Just before Loen’s mana blade cut his neck.

Mamon’s body slid, smoothly moving behind Loen.

He dodged it?

“Or how about this? After the hunt is over, the hunting dog has grown too large. Large enough to bite its master! An enormous body, sharp teeth, a ferocious temperament that might even bite the master if not careful. My, my.”

“Would the master have any reason to keep such a hunting dog? Not at all.”

“And the fate of a hunting dog abandoned by its master… Loen Franz, you must know this well, don’t you?”

Frowning, Loen twisted her waist and swung her arm forcefully toward Mamon behind her.

But it was a movement tinged with more hesitation than before.

“Of course! Perhaps, just maybe, the current Emperor might be merciful. But what about after that?”

“Even the current Emperor once purged many rivals to consolidate his power. Then, what about his children who fall far short of him?”

Mamon’s gaze seemed to pierce Loen’s heart.

“Would they really just stand by and watch you and the Franz family growing so rapidly that you might surpass them? Someone so talented and decisive as you. Couldn’t someone see you as a threat to their position?”

As his words continued, a storm of emotions was gradually rising within Loen.

Waves were stirring in what had been a calm sea.

“Shut up.”

Rationally, she knew his words were sophistry and meant to divide.

How the Emperor or heirs might view her was a matter for later.

But with each of his words echoing in her ears, various emotions in a corner of her mind—the suppressed anxiety and some kind of desire—writhed and raged.

As if someone was fanning them.

Loen suddenly realized.

If even she, who had reached 5th-rank and achieved a spiritual upgrade, could have her emotions shaken…

It meant the being before her was beyond an ordinary demon, at least 6th-rank or higher, perhaps slightly above or similar to Team Leader Ead—a high-ranking demon.

High-ranking demon.

Unlike ordinary demons, they each had their own epithet, beings who could never be killed by ordinary means,

Troublesome existences for whom banishment to hell was the best option.

However, their appearance in the original work was much later, so she hadn’t even considered it.

Who would have thought that a high-ranking demon with enormous pride would hide in the empire like a rat, concealing their identity while operating.

‘No wonder there were so many traitors…’

Moreover, if even she, who knew the dangers of demons better than anyone, could be affected like this,

Others would be more susceptible, not less.

Whether aware of Loen’s inner thoughts or not, Mamon continued speaking with exaggerated gestures like a theater actor.

“Wielding absolute power backed by the Emperor’s authority, with both individual and family rising to those heights—truly a power holder who would fear nothing! Surely everyone watching will be consumed with jealousy, harboring discontent inside. Yet they would silently observe, fearing the sun standing behind you.”

“But the moment the Emperor, having achieved ascension, abandons the empire and departs for the heavens above.”

He raised his hand and made a gesture of cutting his throat.

“Being a clever person, I believe you understand what follows without me having to say it.”

Loen deliberately shut her ears.

His words were ultimately just one of many possibilities.

Yet seeing him spout a mere possibility as if it were established fact,

Indeed, a demon was a demon.

Clicking her tongue inwardly, Loen decided to use her father’s final artifact before being swayed further.

She had hoped she wouldn’t need to use this.

“To continue, we view you very favorably. That aspect of showing no hesitation or mercy toward enemies, that willingness to be covered in blood. We find it very appealing. So I ask you.”

Just as Mamon reached out his hand and Loen took something out from her chest.

Swish—! Crack!

A flaming sword pierced straight through Mamon’s hand and embedded itself in the ground.

“…Huh?”

Mamon stared blankly at his pierced hand.

Bewilderment rather than pain crossed his face first.

His expression suggested he couldn’t understand the situation at all.

Loen was equally surprised by the sudden intrusion.

‘A flame sword? Could it be?’

Reflexively turning her head toward the direction the sword had come from, she saw four individuals in black uniforms walking toward them.

The team leader, two seniors, and even the chief whom she had only exchanged eye greetings with at the last conference.

It was the Inspection Department team.

Loen’s eyes widened in surprise.

So suddenly?

At the end of her surprised gaze stood Team Leader Ead, who scanned Loen’s entire body.

The blood flowing from her left arm, the torn side of her uniform, even her sweat-soaked hair.

Twitching her eyebrows at that sight, Ead gestured,

And dozens of flame swords appeared behind her with flames, as if wings were spreading.

As the scorching heat warmed the surrounding air, Ead opened her mouth with her characteristically expressionless face.

“It’s been a while, Loen.”

Starting with her, the rest of the team members drew their weapons and greeted her.

It had been truly a long time since she had seen the Inspection Department team.