episode_0187

000

“Kain!”

Hearing a woman’s voice calling his name, the man turned around.

He was wearing a neat imperial officer’s uniform. His chest was adorned with several medals, and a wide-brimmed hat sat on his head.

He appeared as the commander of several legions within the empire and, at the same time, as a human being with status and power, no longer a simple orphan without parents or a lineage.

And-

“No… should I call you Kain Lupus Regius now?”

So saying, the woman wearing an expression that seemed to mock him, yet also appeared relieved, was Kain’s former superior and patron.

She is Yurdina Flareless, the older sister of Hutina Flareless, who is now one of Kain’s wives.

She too was later promoted to a position higher than that of a regional commander.

Compared to Kain, who had risen through the ranks rapidly, she was now in the position of Kain’s subordinate.

Unlike Hutina, who loved flamboyant decorations, she had short, brown hair, which was her natural hair color.

She wore a dress suitable for a banquet hall, displaying a more mature charm.

She herself was already of an age where marriage was being discussed around her, but she didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so.

Her left ring finger was still empty.

“Lady Yurdina.”

“You still call me with honorifics. You have a much higher position now.”

Yurdina, looking subtly pleased with Kain’s attitude, covered her mouth with her hand and smiled softly.

“Today is your victory celebration party. Shouldn’t you have a brighter expression? And talk to the other girls, like Unina Tiara…”

So saying, she flicked the brim of Kain’s deeply pressed hat up with her index finger, examining his face.

Kain’s eyes, hidden beneath, were as cold as ice compared to when he enlisted in the Imperial Army 10 years ago.

“… …”

“War turns people’s hearts into barren wastelands, is it? A well-crafted sentence. It is the role of those around you to support you, but what has withered your heart like that?”

Kain wordlessly stared into Yurdina’s eyes, then pressed down on the brim of his hat once more and stepped back.

“Are they here too?”

“Of course. They are all doing their part in the Imperial Army. They were disappointed that you never contacted them.”

“It’s a relief if they’re all doing well. Please tell them I’m doing well too.”

Hearing those words, Yurdina blinked her eyes and, with her arms crossed, looked up at Kain.

When they last met in person, he was a few centimeters shorter than her, but now she had to look up to meet his eyes.

“Are you already giving orders as a superior?”

“That’s…”

“…They’re your family, aren’t they?”

At Yurdina’s words, Kain simply stood there silently.

“…Those girls are in the ballroom downstairs. They can’t come up here, which is a space for nobles. Greet them properly.”

“…Yes.”

Hearing those words from Yurdina, Kain reluctantly turned and headed for the stairs.

[Aren’t you going to make that woman completely yours? The same family as Hutina Flareless… she’s a perfect target to expand your position.]

At Pandora’s voice, tempting him in that way, Kain paused and looked back at Yurdina.

It was the first time he had seen her in a dress, but she had a different kind of feminine charm than her younger sister, Hutina, who was praised as a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms.

Of course, she had a body with well-trained muscles as a result of not neglecting her training, and.

She was a capable woman with a laid-back personality that didn’t change her response to anyone, but also possessed a strategic mind that could accurately read the state of the world.

What Pandora was talking about wasn’t simply whether to engrave the `seal of domination`.

She already had Kain’s seal of domination engraved on her. It was only at the seed stage, but.

By maintaining a continuous relationship and injecting Kain’s black magic, she would gradually make her body and mind dependent on Kain.

And, by turning her into a caged bird who could never escape from Kain, the seal would fully bloom.

Her soul would be absorbed by Pandora, turning Yurdina into a mere shell of her former self, with her ego and everything else gone.

Pandora was whispering to Kain to do just that.

Just as she had done to several others until now.

“…What’s wrong? Kain.”

However, Yurdina, looking at Kain who was looking at her, asked with a slightly strange expression.

“No. It’s nothing.”

In response, Kain turned around again as if it were nothing and went down the stairs.

Pandora’s bored yawn could be heard.

As he began to descend the stairs, a lithe-looking man who had been talking to the women below looked up at Kain and exclaimed, “Oh!”

His name was Otis.

One of Kain’s direct subordinates, Otis was a member of his squad during military academy. With his unique sociability, quick wit, and a level of martial prowess that was by no means lacking.

He caught Kain’s eye and was still assisting him to this day.

Above all, Kain thought that this guy’s strength was his fluency.

“Look, everyone! The person coming down to this banquet hall right now is none other than the one who conquered the mysterious ruins that have plunged the Empire’s proud expeditionary forces into the depths of failure and agony countless times, the Black Star Dungeon! Receiving the Emperor’s grace, he became His Majesty’s adopted son and will lead the Empire in the future, the great general! Lord Kain Lupus Regius!”

As the man praised Kain in a loud voice, thunderous applause erupted from the surroundings, filling the banquet hall.

Furthermore, this victory celebration party commemorating the conquest of the Black Star Dungeon was also his suggestion.

Kain had simply intended to let it pass quietly, but he insisted that great achievements must be made known to everyone.

For Kain, who was like a machine, accumulating achievements and using them to climb to ever higher positions, Otis played a large role in maintaining his good reputation.

Even Otis did not seem to fully grasp what Kain’s true purpose was.

As Kain, who had descended the stairs, looked at Otis, Otis placed his hand on his chest and knelt down.

“Otis.”

“Yes, Lord Kain. What do you need?”

“Recite a poem for His Majesty the Emperor. All my achievements belong to him.”

“Leave it to me! Now, everyone. From now on, this humble clown Otis will recite a poem praising His Majesty the Emperor, so please listen!”

As Otis proudly spread his arms, he began to recite a poem for the Emperor in a loud voice, adding ornate embellishments.

While people’s attention was focused on him, Kain slowly walked over to the three women who were watching him from a corner of the banquet hall.

“…Kain.”

It was `Lisa` who called out his name, filled with longing and affection, towards Kain who had approached them.

As a half-breed with a harpy, she had small wings sprouting from her back, so she was wearing a formal dress with an open back, which meant she had a little more exposure than the others.

Her silver hair was braided and shone beautifully in the moonlight streaming in from the window.

“It’s been a while, Kain. When was the last time we met…”

`Uni` also had one side of her long pink hair swept back, and she was wrapped in a white dress.

Somewhere, her skirt, which was characterized by its resemblance to a flower bud, made her look even younger, even though she was older than the other two.

“The military academy graduation ceremony. I pestered Lady Yurdina to let me go to see it. Have you forgotten?”

Lastly, Tiara had her blue hair swept back.

Her introverted personality from her childhood was gone, and she was wearing a revealing blue dress similar to her hair color, with a white coat over it.

Taller than the other two, with more feminine curves, she could give Pandora a good run for her money.

“Wow…! Has it already been that long? Then, it was 5 or 6 years ago…!”

As Uni clasped her hands together and smiled, Lisa also nodded her head.

Unlike when they were children, they had grown into calm adults who could admirably do their part under Yurdina.

Uni was the vice-commander of the Combat Sisterhood, the Imperial Army’s only healing unit.

Lisa was a member of a special operations unit specializing in subjugating and capturing magical beasts.

Tiara was dazzlingly active in the Imperial Research Institute and was a mage and scholar whose name Kain had heard several times.

“Did Lady Yurdina tell you to come see us?”

When Tiara said that, Kain looked at her for a moment and nodded.

“…Yes. I thought so.”

“Still, thank you for coming to see us, Kain. Because of your position… it must be difficult to talk to commoners like us now.”

“…It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped.”

Uni and Lisa showed a slightly disappointed attitude towards Kain’s attitude, but they were convincing themselves that it couldn’t be helped.

Frankly speaking, Kain, who had changed, felt like a stranger.

But Tiara, as she stared into Kain’s eyes, paused for a moment and then asked.

“Revenge for Teacher and Abel. You haven’t given up on that, have you.”

When Tiara said that, the other two women widened their eyes and looked at Kain.

Kain, looking at Tiara, said.

“Yes. I have never forgotten it, nor have I ever given up. I will make them pay the price they deserve, without fail.”

“Even if that causes a war between the Empire and the Kingdom, and results in the loss of countless lives?”

Tiara and Kain’s eyes met.

Tiara’s intellectual, ice-like eyes and Kain’s eyes filled with only hatred and revenge seemed to contrast each other.

“Yes. I just came to say hello, and to deliver a message.”

“A message…?”

Kain said what he was thinking in an emotionless manner.

“Leave the Empire. Together with Lady Yurdina.”

“What-”

As Uni was about to ask what he was talking about, Kain interrupted her and continued to speak.

“Soon, a storm of blood will rage in the Empire. I will make sure that there is no place where my hand does not reach… After that, there will be war. I will attack the Kingdom.”

“…Wait, Kain. That’s-”

“I’ll kill you if you interfere.”

At Kain’s words, Lisa’s face froze. Due to shock and fear.

“That’s… you’re saying that because you know we can’t interfere, right?”

When Uni asked calmly, Kain nodded.

“It’s not that I’m underestimating you. Yes. You’ve already crossed the line where you can stop me. The fact that I’m telling this story to other people means that no one can stop my plan.”

“…Thorough.”

Tiara clicked her tongue and scratched her head.

“Then- if you start a war, what about the children?! Most of the children in Orpheans are working as soldiers in the Imperial Army… are you going to drive those children to their deaths?”

“… …”

Kain, who rarely revealed his emotions, didn’t say anything to Lisa’s outburst, unable to contain her surging emotions, nor did he move his head. As if that question was not worth answering.

But Tiara, stopping Lisa with one arm, answered as if she had expected such a reaction from Kain.

“You’ve been swallowed up by power, Kain.”

“… …”

“Lilim and Pandora. They must have been inciting you. If you need power, dominate. Don’t see humans as humans, but as numbers and tools, and devour them. The seal engraved on Lady Yurdina’s body was also done by you, wasn’t it?”

“… …”

“…Is telling us to leave… the last bit of humanity left in you?”

[This child is noisy…]

As black energy was about to flow out from Pandora, Tiara deployed a magical defense and tried to distance herself.

The next moment, Kain grabbed Pandora and completely suppressed her power.

“…Kain.”

“If you know that much, Tiara, make your own decisions from now on. This is the last thing I can do for you as your family.”

“Why are you going so far? Is it because of grudges, revenge?”

Kain didn’t answer Uni’s question and turned his body.

“…If we’re family, tell me…!”

Lisa tried to grab Kain, but Kain didn’t look back and simply said quietly before leaving the scene.

“I told you. What I said earlier was the last thing I had to say.”

With those words, he left the noisy banquet hall.

001

“People see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, and feel what they want to feel.”

Kekeke, the act of putting the tobacco pipe in his mouth and taking it out, exhaling smoke afterwards.

Even though he was an adopted son, it was not an insult that should be done in front of a man who had become an emperor.

She had blue hair similar to Tiara, but wore an eye patch over her eyes and was as tall as Kain or slightly taller.

Her personality, which did not match her beautiful appearance, was a difficulty, but Kain’s seal of domination was engraved on her cheek.

“Baal.”

“Did I say anything wrong? They might have thought you said those things for their sake. But the truth is different. You were trying to get rid of those who could become your weaknesses in the Empire. Well. I understand that you can’t bring yourself to kill them because of the remaining human affection.”

“… …”

The insight of those called the Megiddo clan was of great help to Kain, but at times like this, they would recklessly trample on people’s hearts and touch his nerves.

“Have you forgotten? I’m by your side to tell you these things. So that the `loneliness of the heart`, the source of your strength, doesn’t disappear because the other guys are coddling you too much.”

“Shut up and continue interpreting the stone tablet.”

Deep inside the Black Star Dungeon that Kain had conquered was a stone tablet containing records from the Primordial World.

The Megiddo clan were beings who had inherited the traditions of the ancient people. Among them, Baal, the daughter of the current clan leader, was the best demon summoner and the foremost expert in ancient languages within the clan.

In the first place, it was Baal herself who had told him to conquer this dungeon in order to find out the records.

“Lilim is waiting for you at home. She must be sadly comforting herself alone in bed, waiting for your return today. Ah~ But that child is still a virgin, isn’t she? It’s a pity to meet a man who doesn’t have a taste for children.”

“If you blabber any more, I’ll cut your tongue off. Focus on finding records about Adam’s current location.”

At the menacing presence of the greatsword felt behind him, Baal shrugged her shoulders, but didn’t lower the hand she had placed on the stone tablet.

While Baal was interpreting, Kain savored the word Adam and recalled the past.

002

The first time Kain learned about Adam was during his student days at the military academy.

When he visited the academy as part of an exchange student program, he found it while rummaging through the records left by his benefactor, `Teacher`.

`Adam must be found and destroyed.`

`The current Kingdom is nothing more than Adam’s puppet.`

…Records like that were written, so he secretly sneaked into the forbidden library to gather information in order to investigate the existence further.

In the end, he couldn’t obtain any significant information even from the forbidden library.

However, Kain came across information about Adam on another occasion.

He heard the story from Baal, a girl he met while investigating Adam.

“A machine… that creates humans…?”

Even when he first heard the story from her, Kain couldn’t easily believe it.

But Baal told Kain everything about the `Throne` and `Adam`.

“Adam is a crazed artificial spirit and machine. It was created during the Primordial World and mass-produced humans to be used as weapons of war. It is the result of continuously injecting superior human beings and negative human data such as violence in order to create more efficient weapons.”

“What’s his purpose?”

In the past, when Kain asked that question, Baal paused for a moment before quickly raising the corners of her lips and answering.

“To become the god of humans.”

She said that it wasn’t necessary for a human to reach the Throne.

Of course, if Adam were to reach the Throne, it was a given that the current world would be destroyed and a new world ruled by him would be created.

Therefore, the Megiddo clan had been searching for Adam’s whereabouts for a long time, and in the process, they had barely succeeded in finding `Kain`, a soul created by `Eve` and repeatedly reincarnated, as an existence to oppose Adam.

“Adam is the one who created the progenitor of all humans in this Successor World… He has dominion over the beings he created. There are only two who can completely escape from it. `Lilim` and `Kain`, or your past lives, who purely possess souls created by Eve.”

At first, he tried to ignore it, saying that it had nothing to do with him.

After all, Kain’s purpose was to take revenge on Abel and Teacher.

It would be a lie to say that he had no lingering attachment to the work that Teacher had not been able to complete…

But more important than that was revenge against Lucius Caldearis.

“Adam has been manipulating major events in history from behind the scenes. Cunningly, so that all human faith is directed towards him. He created the world of humans by alienating humans and spirit gods. And small and large disputes as well.”

“… …”

“Besides. He eliminated irregulars with weak self-control… those who were born as mutants, no matter what. For example, your teacher… or the prince of the kingdom you called brother.”

“Teacher… Abel…? But, that’s Lucius-”

Baal shook her head in response to Kain’s words.

“He made it so that the situation would turn out that way. It’s impossible for Adam himself to forcibly control minds and make them carry out direct orders. It’s only to the extent that he guides the direction of their thoughts in that way. Of course… it’s impossible to create desires that didn’t exist in the first place.”

“In other words… you’re saying that it was Lucius who killed Abel and… `Adam` who induced him to act that way?”

“Yes. You would believe it if you saw the illusion I showed you. And, if you read all of your Teacher’s records, right?”

“… … Where is he.”

Kain’s anger is directed at another target. Baal answered with a smirk.

“Adam is highly likely to be close to an existence that can exert a strong influence on the continent. For example… the king of the kingdom.”

Because he was near Lucius, he made Lucius kill Abel under Adam’s control.

Then the thing to do was clear.

Destroy even Adam, who is somewhere in the kingdom- near the king.

003

“Hey, Kain. I’m done decoding.”

Baal’s voice flew into his ears as he was quietly organizing his thoughts. Looking at her, Baal was leaning against the stone tablet, smiling.

“What happened.”

“It’s as expected. It contains records of what happened to Adam. It seems to be a replica of the `Emerald Tablet`… It’s an item that records various events that happened here.”

“I don’t care about such trivial knowledge. I’m asking what happened to Adam.”

At Kain’s annoyed words, Baal sighed and dropped her cigarette on the ground.

“Adam is indeed in the capital, `Elkard`. It’s also inside the castle. Of course, there was no kingdom or castle when he was moved there, so it’s just a story about coordinates.”

“…I see. It’s a relief that the thing I have to do hasn’t changed.”

“That’s not all. It also contains records of the Black Magic clan. Adam must have been afraid of you who were not under his control. He has been manipulating history from behind the scenes, so that the Black Magic clan would not gain power and turn their blades against him.”

“It’s nothing new, so I’m not surprised.”

Kain told her that much and then went closer to Baal and raised her up.

“We’re going back to the capital right now. There are four processes left.”

“Four? You’re not saying it ends with ascending to the throne, starting a war with the kingdom, and destroying Adam, right?”

There’s one more, Baal said, and Kain looked back at her and said.

“Yes… If he has been manipulating this world at will until now. You could say that this world itself is his creation… Such a world is false. Teacher and Abel too. If they had to lose their lives as victims of such a lie. Then it is necessary to end that lie.”

When Kain told her that much, Baal paused for a moment, then widened her mouth and burst out laughing.

“Yes! That’s right! That’s why it was worth telling you! A black beast that will devour the world…! Your constellation of destiny was not wrong after all!”

As if she had been waiting for those words, Baal burst out laughing so hard that her neck was about to break.

“If you take the Throne, you can recreate the world as you please. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes.”

“Then. I can recreate the world I know now… with even the dead brought back to life.”

“That’s right.”

[… …]

“Then. Lend me your strength for that. Baal. I will put an end to the mission given to your clan too.”

“I don’t care about such a mission. I just want to see the world change with the knowledge we have conveyed.”

004

“Hoo…”

Early in the morning.

Yurdina was walking along the border area of the Kingdom, leaving the Empire with her three disciples.

It had already been a week without rest.

As a proud member of the Imperial Army, she thought that leaving the military and the country was something she could never understand.

But there were many things that weighed on her mind, such as the assassination of His Majesty the Emperor. And Kain, who succeeded him as Emperor.

The creation of the Magic Sword Unit made up of members of the Black Magic clan.

The policy of gathering minority clans and accepting them into the Empire.

And due to the earnest requests of the three, she was convincing herself that it was unavoidable.

“There’s a village near here. It’s a border area, but… it’s an empty village, so Kain wouldn’t target this place.”

Tiara said that as she looked at the map.

First, the four of them would move to a suitable village, and then, as they had discussed in advance, the other children from Orpheans would cross the border one by one.

“Ah! There’s a child over there, should we ask her?”

Uni, who was walking ahead, found a blonde girl and ran to her.

“Hey! We’re looking for a village to settle down near here… Do you know any?”

“If you go that way, you’ll find it.”

As Lisa looked in the direction the girl pointed her finger, she could see smoke rising from a chimney, albeit faintly.

“It seems to be right.”

At that time, a rumbling sound came from the girl.

Yurdina approached the girl and matched her eye level.

“Haven’t you had breakfast yet?”

“…There’s no breakfast. Everyone has very little to eat. The adults called it `famine`.”

The three people other than Yurdina closed their mouths. `Famine` was also the cause that made the three of them orphans.

“Most famines are caused by changes in soil quality and unreasonable farming. If we go and check, we might be able to solve it.”

“Yes. And if we pray, the situation will get a little better.”

When Tiara and Uni said that, the girl tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

Yurdina took a small loaf of bread out of her bag and handed it to the girl.

“T, thank you…!”

“…To think that even children like this don’t have enough to eat… I guess there’s a lot to do.”

“I’ll help you! I’m strong, you know!”

When the girl said that and showed her fist, Yurdina gave a wry smile and stroked the girl’s head.

“…You don’t even look 10 years old… What’s your name?”

“I’m Leshia!”