episode_0101

Angela’s village is said to be located in the north of the Fleminim Mountains.

The village, made up entirely of tenants, was a small village with less than 100 households, but it was said that they were leading a peaceful and decent life.

The head of the village… no, until the village chief started acting strange.

“Magi…?”

“Yes. He had no connection to black magic or demons, but one day he suddenly began using such ominous powers. But few people know this. Everything has been taken care of. By the village chief…”

It is said that the village chief, who became vicious and cruel, suddenly sold the village to the Cloud Holder tribe.

“Hmm…”

Cloud Holder is a kingdom that adopts a type of local decentralization, with four clans separated from the royal family leading their respective tribes and supporting the central capital, Cloud Hold. The village chief, who was the transferee, handed over the entire village to a tribe named ‘Barbara’ and was given a high position.

As a result, the assignees living in the village were reduced to slaves.

Of course, the assignees did not just sit there and watch. Although they have a disparaging image as sheep, they are also residents of the Fleminim Mountain Range. It has formidable combat power.

However, their resistance was completely wiped out by the village chief’s mysterious power. Some who resisted fiercely even became faithful slaves of the Barbara tribe, as if they had lost their sense of reason.

“…I see.”

As I quietly listened to the story, I was able to guess how the situation was going.

It’s erosion without anything to see. The soul of a demon from the demon world has taken over the village chief’s body.

“Tsk…”

In terms of timing, the time is right for erosion to become more frequent. The expansion of the Demon World will not stop, and the hole in the dimension that was created to allow the previous Demon King, Gerudgen, to descend will still remain the same.

“……”

The problem is that even if you kill the village chief and eliminate Barbara, a member of Cloud’s clan, there is a very high possibility that her village will not return to its original state. Moreover, if you do that, all the cloud holders will step out and a war will eventually start.

“……”

War. Welcome. Anytime I can slaughter those damn cloud holders.

However, war is not possible with only a few people.

Saraha and Marilyn were definitely powerful…but they weren’t enough to destroy the Cloud Kingdom. They also have sword master level warriors and 7th circle wizard level shamans. If we fight like this, someone will definitely get hurt.

However, I feel a bit reluctant to ask my father for help. Although my father does not agree with the war in the first place, I want to pursue revenge with my own strength.

“Umm…”

“As expected…is it difficult?”

Angela’s expression darkened as if she also knew this.

“It is possible to kill the village chief and save the villagers. But… anything more than that is a bit burdensome. I guess getting rid of Barbara at this point is…”

“Yes, yes? no! That’s enough! I didn’t even think about getting rid of Barbara!”

I was rather bewildered by Angela’s startled appearance.

“Huh? why? They’re the ones who bought the villagers as slaves, right? Don’t you have to kill those guys to get revenge? ”

“Do I look that vicious? I just need to get the villagers to safety!”

“Really? That’s right…then it’s simple.”

I answered lightly, but my heart was pounding. Because we already know that it will be impossible.

Telling the truth would help ease the sadness just like getting a vaccination, but… I couldn’t bear to say it.

“Simple?”

“Okay. I can think of two ways right now. Guerrilla war criminal transaction. You choose. What would you like me to do?”

“…If it’s a guerrilla war…?”

“With a small number of people, we will invade Barbara’s tribe and rescue the assignees.”

“What about the deal?”

“A deal is a deal. They exchange items that they will drool over with all the assignees as bait.”

“…Is that…possible?”

“It’s quite possible.”

Angela looked like she couldn’t believe it, but she had no choice.

“Good. Then…please make a deal.”

“It’s a deal… It’s really peaceful. Well, okay. Then you are definitely mine, right?”

“Yes. I will do that. If you really save the villagers… I will sacrifice my whole body and soul.”

“I really like those words. But…”

I forced a smile while stroking the fluffy wool, but I couldn’t keep it up for long because my conscience was prickling.

“…Angela. Listen carefully. That village chief was probably eaten by demons.”

In the end, I ended up saying it.

“Yes? Erosion…?”

“Okay. To put it simply, your body is taken over by demons.”

“Such…! That’s why the village chief changed so much! Is there any way to return it to its original state?”

“…No.”

Looking at the situation, the village chief would have already become a completely dominated entity and his power would have become very strong.

If you have the ‘Censer of Erosion Realization’, you may be able to do something, but… it is impossible to save a completely dominated Erosion Body with just the ‘Ring of Erosion Transference’.

“Probably, the people in your village are not okay. Maybe it’s already been wiped out. That’s assuming the worst situation, but…”

“…!”

At my words, Angela widens her eyes and takes a deep breath.

Although my heart ached, I spoke firmly.

“I’m telling you to prepare in advance. Angela. Because erosion is such a scary phenomenon.”

“…I understand…I understand. Please, please take care of me…!”

The shock hasn’t even subsided, but the sight of her bowing her head, holding on to her last hope, fills my mouth with bitterness.

“Then, let’s send an envoy to Barbara first.”

The bait, of course, is elixir.

***

The Delheim Knights, who have set up a simple base camp a little away from the Cloud Holder’s base camp, plan to stay there for a few days and monitor the Cloud Holder’s movements.

Saraha was sent as an envoy to the Barbara tribe. Even if things go wrong, she will be able to escape safely, and if the situation arises, she can be summoned to subspace… In the first place, this transaction cannot be spread to the outside world, so it cannot be made to ordinary knights.

“Keu…I really don’t know. Is it worth the elixir to the transferee?”

Weber, who had heard the exceptional story, glared at Angela with a displeased expression on his face. Seeing her shoulders slump, I wrapped my arms around her soft waist and glared at Weber.

“What are you talking about? Compared to Angela, Elixir is like shit.”

“I really don’t understand what you’re thinking. It’s the same with God’s currency. What value is there in that transferee? Oh, perhaps…”

While speaking, Weber’s eyes are wide open and he looks Angela up and down.

He was a little taller than me, had twisted round horns, and underneath the pure white hair was a beautiful and cute face with big round eyes, long eyelashes, a slightly low nose, and full lips all in perfect harmony. Even though the wool grows abundantly from the chest to the stomach, the voluptuous curves are clearly visible…

“Master. Could it be that you were overcome by sexual desire…”

“Uh huh, what are you looking at me for? It’s not like that.”

“If Yeongji’s most sexy person says that, I’ll believe it…”

“Keu…”

I have nothing to say about that part.

“Anyway, please keep this a secret from others. Got it?”

“Ugh, wouldn’t there be rumors if I kept my mouth shut? How many eyes do you have?”

Well, that’s obvious. No matter how much you keep it a secret, a story is bound to spread.

“So, I am asking you, Weber, to police it on your own. I will also give you the same amount of money for your trouble. huh? Are you having a hard time working at night these days? Age is my age. I have some good stuff…it’s really awesome. About ten feet is easy.”

“Woman, ten shots…? Cough… Cough! I can’t help it. If that is what you really mean…”

He looked at Weber, who reluctantly nodded, and smiled.

“Master. I’m back.”

“Uh. Sarah. You came quickly. How did it go?”

“A reply has been received.”

“Good job. Let’s see…”

I unfolded the surprisingly clean paper and calmly read the contents.

“…Hehehe.”

As I expected, Barbara’s tribe seems to be in an uproar.

The confusion, desire for elixir, and doubts and suspicions about me suggesting a deal after eliminating the cloud holder’s base camp were clearly expressed in the writing.

“You also have an impatient personality…”

‘Barbara Alden’, the chief of the Barbara tribe, must have been extremely hot while writing the letter, and with very disheveled handwriting, proposed to meet and make a deal a day later, right around sunset. By even specifying the location.

Of course, there was no reason to refuse.

Now, the question is whether this sheik, Barbara Alden, is really ‘normal’… Always assuming the worst is the way to suffer less damage.

***

The dense jungle of the Fleminim Mountain Range was like a dense curtain that deepened the darkness of the already pitch-black night.

” If it weren’t for the torch, I really wouldn’t have seen anything…”

Sarah, Marilyn, Angela, and me. A small group of four people moved deep into the Fleminim Mountains.

The moment I went on for a while, I felt the presence of two digits in the forest spread out in all directions.

“Are you Delheim de Zanderom?”

The owner of the voice was hidden in the dark and did not appear, but it was easy to guess that he had come here as a representative of the Barbara tribe.

Although I had no idea that the chief’s representative was a woman.

“Okay. I am Delheim de Zanderom. I also brought the elixir.”

While saying that, he took out an elixir from his subspace pocket and gently waved it over his head.

“The liver is also great. I never thought that number of people would come to our front yard…”

“I’m a bit fearless.”

“Can you prove that it is a real elixir?”

“It’s a proof… It’s simple, but is it okay if I use it here and now? Isn’t it a waste?”

“…Prove it.”

“Hmm. Sure. Sarah.”

When I stretched out my arm, she cut my wrist without hesitation.

“Kya…!?”

Angela, startled, covered her mouth and opened her eyes.

“Um…!”

Before the pain started, I quickly poured a few drops of elixir. OK.

Creep, boom, boom!

The muscles, blood vessels, and nerves that extend in the blink of an eye cover the bones that grow in an instant.

“…!!”

I can feel their astonishment and excitement.

“Whew…is this enough proof? Of course, the true efficacy of elixirs is not only healing. Just taking a sip will increase your mana and restore your youth.”

“…gulp…!”

The sound of dry swallowing echoed loudly.

“I will hand over the assignees. Put the elixir on the floor and step away.”

“Uh huh. You don’t have the basics of trading? At least you have to show yourself, right?”

“…There’s no need for that.”

“Are you afraid? I don’t want to do business with someone who doesn’t respect manners…”

“…I understand. Don’t show yourself now.”

After a while, a woman with a strong body appeared in front of us, making a big statement.

“Oh…”

From a well-trained, strong and voluptuous body to a beautiful face with impressive sharp eyes. Although there were wrinkles showing the passage of time, she was an unexpected beauty.

“This is Barbara Alden. Okay, that’s it now. Now leave the elixir and step back.”

“You are Barbara Alden…?”

I thought that the leader of a barbarian tribe would naturally be a big, stupid man with shaggy hair, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

She seems to know this too, as she raises the corners of her mouth as if she is laughing.

“Why. Were you embarrassed because the woman was the tribal leader?”

“No, there’s that too… but I didn’t expect the tribal leader to come in person. I think you’re the one with the bigger liver, right?”

“……”

“Why don’t you show me the assignee first.”

“…Sure.”

As she walked to the side, numerous people appeared from within the forest with a clanking sound. Since I couldn’t feel any presence at all, I didn’t even know they were there, so I looked at Yang Soo-in in a bit of confusion.

“Hmm…”

Dirty features, scars, blurry eyes, tears. The number of assignees decked out in such things seemed to be a little over two hundred.

“…Angela. Who is the village chief?”

“Ah, that…”

Before she even felt uncomfortable with their strange atmosphere, she quickly moved her eyes and stopped at a certain point.

With her blood drained, she pointed to a certain person with a trembling hand. It was a male with a larger head than the other amphibians and the tips of its horns pointed toward the sky.

“Hey, it’s over there…!”

Even though Angela’s finger pointed at him, the village chief just glared and did not make any significant movements.

“Really? You, come here.”

The village chief, who obeyed my words, knelt down and had Sarah and Marilyn watch over him.

Hmm, surprisingly there was little resistance. Are they low-level demons? Or is that just how confident you are?

“…Check all the others too. Is everyone there?”

“Yes, yes…!”

Angela continued to look at the village chief with a fearful face, but also carefully examined the assignees. He also called out the names of all the children who were obscured by adults.

“…It’s all there. Not a single person died…!”

“…Okay.”

If it had fallen into the hands of someone with bad taste, most of them would have been seriously damaged, but the fact that not a single one of them has been harmed is nothing short of a miracle. I heard that Cloud Holder’s barbarians even treat beastmen as food…

At that time, Sarah tapped my shoulder and sent some kind of signal.

After exchanging glances with her for a moment, I frowned, unable to hide my bitterness.

…I guess it was like that.

“Now give me the elixir.”

I laughed and threw the elixir at Barbara Alden’s words.

“What…!”

The elixir, which drew a gentle parabola, landed safely in her struggling arms.

“Okay, the transaction is concluded. Now turn it all off.”

I had no intention of sending him back safely in the first place, but Alden stood motionless with his eyes fixed on the elixir, as if he hadn’t heard me.

“Didn’t you hear it? Come on…”

“Kk…Kkkkk…!”

At that time, the village chief who was kneeling let out a soft laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

“The funny thing is you. Stupid guy. I couldn’t believe it, but I actually passed up the elixir…!”

The village chief pulled out the demon energy with his entire body and jumped up from the ground.

Sarah and Marilyn reacted instantly and attacked him, but he easily dodged their attacks.

“Tsk…!”

I don’t know his level, but just from his evasive movements, I could tell that he had accumulated strength above the upper level. This is why erosion is so scary. As long as the environment and conditions are met, the demon becomes incredibly strong regardless of its grade during life. This is getting annoying.

The guy who sat down next to Barbara Alden leisurely took the elixir and gulped it down.

“…As expected, they’ve already made him a puppet.”

The demons who have obtained the erosion body instinctively expand their power to secure numerous sacrifices and weapons, and in the process, they pollute all those around them with their demon energy and mental power and prey on their souls.

“Haha… Hahahahaha! It is indeed an elixir! The power is overflowing! With this, I became a demon who could receive the second rank. It means that I have gained the strength to not be defeated no matter who comes! Stupid guy! Hahahaha!”

I chuckled when I saw the guy shouting excitedly.

“Ho? Are you still smiling even in this situation? Do you not know what kind of situation you are in?”

“You are the stupid one. You little fallen demon guy. It sure feels great to dominate and manipulate others… I don’t really mind if the target is a cloud holder. Because they are trash. But…you touched Angela’s family and village.”

“Kuhuhuhu…! What did a lowly assignee do?”

“Don’t you know? How dare you hurt my family? So, die quietly.”

“Kkeuk…Puhahaha! Now I see he was out of his mind! Do you know your position now!? The two sword masters next to him? That’s funny! My strength right now is only that much, and I can’t stop it!”

“Really? Then give it a try. Sarah. Marilyn.”

The two women who had received Michelle’s buff in advance step forward and pull out their Auror blades.

“Kukkeuk… It looks like you can’t feel the difference in power. good night. If so, I will let you know personally.”

As I watched the guy extracting an enormous amount of black magical energy, I muttered softly.

“Douglas.”

Right after.

“Uh, um…!?”

The guy’s movements suddenly stopped. Douglas probably had at most 10 seconds to stop the second-tier demon. However, 10 seconds is too long for a sword master.

“What is it…!? Suddenly my body…!?”

“Attack begins.”

“Die! Damn demon guy!”

Saraha’s dual swords swung as they approached the struggling guy, and Marilyn’s jousting spear rushed forward.

“Big…!?”

In an instant, the guy’s heart and brain were pierced and his neck and limbs were cut off.

This guy definitely had a power that surpassed the Sword Master. The second rank is the same rank as Nadia Pavel, who was obtained from the ruins of the ancient empire. If we had faced each other head on, we probably would have had a hard time.

Of course, that was when he increased his power.

Even the Auror Blade would be a waste for a defenseless guy.

This is why Douglas was treated as a joker among users.

Being able to create extreme damage time regardless of the monster’s pattern isn’t a miracle if you look at its abilities alone.

“Nonsense…I can’t…It’s so vain…”

Slurp.

The soul of the demon and the village chief who was eroded by the soul were scattered like fog without a trace.

Immediately after, the power that controlled countless corpses also disappeared.

“Oh, no! no! Ahhh…!”

Immediately afterwards, Angela’s heartbreaking scream rang out. She was desperately hugging the cold corpses of the fallen villagers.