Chapter 188
To the Demonic Wasteland
Inside a dark conference chamber.
No one could even discern the identities of the others present. The only thing anyone knew for certain was that everyone gathered there was a follower of the demon race.
“The rumors about the Dopplers have spread across the entire continent.”
The one who opened the discussion spoke with an irritated tone.
Dopplers.
They were not mere doppelgängers that imitated humans. They were infiltration specialists capable of becoming the very person they replaced.
They had been deployed for the past ten years, and until their identities were exposed, no one had ever suspected them.
Anyone who carelessly claimed that someone was an impostor had instead lost their own head after the Doppler proved intimate physical traits known only to the real person.
“Do you, as the one in overall command, have anything to say?”
Someone brought up the issue of responsibility, directing everyone's attention to the man seated at the head of the table.
The man had unnaturally pale skin.
“What exactly is there for me to say?”
“There have been repeated developments that fell completely outside our expectations. Shouldn't there be some sort of response?”
The pale man chuckled.
“Outside our expectations? What an unfortunate way to put it. I already knew.”
“You... already knew?”
An uneasy silence settled over the room.
For a moment, they wondered if they had misunderstood him, but the man continued.
“Yes. I knew Regent Ferda would discover the Dopplers and devise a strategy around that discovery.”
“So... are you saying you simply stood by and watched?”
One of the followers challenged him accusingly.
Tilting his head, the pale man asked,
“Did you not swear your loyalty to Godwin? For someone who did, you seem awfully upset over something so trivial.”
“I do not care what becomes of this continent. I follow Godwin. But I did not cooperate in this plan just to see all the achievements we have built reduced to nothing.”
“Is that so?”
The pale man casually raised a hand.
Instantly, the speaker's arm twisted grotesquely.
Bang!
Crack!
“Aaaagh!”
A faint shockwave contorted his arm, crushing the bones inside.
The agony of severed nerves echoed through the chamber in a deafening scream.
The man was Gokma, the mage who wielded spatial distortion magic.
In an instant, Gokma appeared before him with what looked like a dagger.
No—
Anyone who had ever stepped into a kitchen would recognize it as nothing more than a butcher's knife.
Thrust!
He drove the kitchen knife into the man's remaining arm.
“AAAAAH!”
Slowly, Gokma twisted the blade.
Since the knife had never been properly sharpened, its dull edge tore through flesh instead of slicing it cleanly.
“AAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Only screams of agony filled the room.
Five minutes of merciless violence passed before Gokma finally spoke again.
“Do you have anything to say?”
“P-Please... spare me...”
“Why do you wish to live? You'll die eventually anyway. Wouldn't dying sooner be preferable?”
“Please...”
Broken by pain, the man begged for mercy.
Gokma looked bored.
He pulled out the knife and casually tossed the man aside.
Turning toward the rest of the chamber, he spoke.
“Do you think any of you would be different?”
His bloodstained knife pointed toward the assembly.
“You all boast about worshipping Father's Void. You proclaim that death does not frighten you. Yet the moment death stands before you, you'll tuck your tails between your legs.”
“Do you know why I'm so certain?”
“...”
“Because you're all losers who ran away from your previous lives out of fear.”
“...”
“You defeated pigs stuffed yourselves full for years, and now that it's time for slaughter, you're whining because no one told you the date. It's almost laughable.”
The room fell deathly silent.
Gokma casually wiped the blood splattered across his face with a finger.
Remaining seated, he continued,
“I'll make this perfectly clear while we're here. I knew Regent Ferda intended to frame himself in the Empire to expose the demon race. And yes—it is also true that I deliberately chose not to inform the Doppler impersonating Joseph Faust, whom we had planted in advance.”
He calmly wiped his butcher's knife clean on the clothes of the man sitting beside him.
“Yes, the existence of the Dopplers has been exposed. But look at the Empire now.”
“The nobles and priests have begun suspecting one another's identities. Chaos has spread everywhere. In order to suppress that panic, they'll inevitably shift the blame onto foreign enemies.”
“It won't be only demon worshippers who die. Loyal and capable officials will also be caught in the purge and lose their lives.”
“I... suppose you're right.”
“I understand now.”
The plan was ruthless.
Yet it was not without reason.
With the Empire's once-unshakable foundation now beginning to crack, opportunities would naturally emerge.
“So enjoy yourselves while you still can before everything returns to nothingness.”
“When you become no different from the demons themselves, you'll finally realize just how insignificant the joys you once treasured truly were.”
Gokma waved dismissively.
The secret council dispersed.
Soon, only he remained within the darkness.
“Do you trust them?”
A man who had silently stood hidden in the shadows finally stepped forward.
Gokma smirked.
“Why would I trust creatures like that? Didn't you just see them?”
“True enough. They're impossible to trust.”
“Even so, I trust one thing.”
“Their fear is insignificant.”
Humans feared the unknown.
They inevitably yielded to terror.
Having already allied themselves with the demon race, they had crossed a river from which there was no return.
If they wished to survive, their only choice was to become even more loyal to the demons.
“So the plan still stands?”
“Of course.”
“Even with Ferda causing problems everywhere?”
Ferda Valdrova.
Now that the secret of the Dopplers had been exposed, everyone would remain on guard against them.
Deploying them recklessly would no longer be easy.
“I heard he severed Elder Cypress's arm.”
“An elder who suspects even a falling leaf of conspiracy is hardly careless. Ferda accomplished something remarkable.”
“Remarkable? No.”
“It was dangerous.”
Gokma completely agreed.
Even so...
“It doesn't require a response.”
“Why not?”
“Because he'll become our king.”
“He'll become the Demon King?”
The towering black figure looked unconvinced.
Seeing his reaction, Gokma asked,
“Have you ever seen a Demon King?”
“No.”
At the far eastern edge of what had once been called the Eastern Lands stood the Demon King's Castle.
Aside from the earliest demons ever created, very few had actually laid eyes on the Demon King.
After all, the truly important figure had always been their Father, Godwin.
The Demon King held special significance only to humans.
“That one decided to become the Demon King after the wife he loved died.”
“How insignificant.”
“To us, yes. A pitiful reason.”
“But that very emotion transformed him into a being even we—those known as the Calamity Stars—could never surpass.”
A faint smile appeared on Gokma's lips.
“I believe in that power.”
“The despair born from love.”
“So it won't happen immediately.”
“No.”
“Not immediately.”
Gokma lowered his gaze to the map spread across the table.
“Our opportunity will come eventually.”
“So until then, we simply do what we must.”
“And what exactly do you intend to do now?”
“They say demons always extend a hand to those who are truly desperate.”
Gokma tapped a single location on the map of the Cerdes Continent with his kitchen knife.
It was a nation that had recently been locked in a tense standoff with the Kingdom of Arken.
The Kingdom of Heinkel.
“Before the demons make the first move, let's claim it ourselves.”
***
Valdrova Castle
“This is the copy of the journal you requested.”
After spending several days deciphering and transcribing it, Lize handed the copied journal to Ferda.
“Is this the only copy?”
“I delivered the same contents to Lady Eri... I mean, Lady Erika.”
He still seemed to confuse Eri and Erika—the Blue-Eyed Tower Master and the Eastern Branch Master of the Adventurers' Guild.
“Thank you for your hard work. I'll examine it carefully.”
“Yes, sir...”
The first thing Ferda checked was the list of names.
Project: Corrosion — Participant List
There are quite a lot of them.
The journal listed not only high-ranking nobles but also ordinary commoners, including exactly where each of them could be found.
Ferda searched for only one particular name.
As expected, it wasn't there.
So Valdemar Golt isn't one of the demons.
Several imperial nobles appeared on the list, but none were influential enough to deal a serious blow to Valdemar.
There was no justification for arresting or cornering him.
His anticipation quickly faded.
As he continued reading through the list, he pondered.
What should I do with these people...?
Eliminating them all would certainly feel satisfying.
But doing so would merely leave the demons with an escape route.
The ideal outcome was to let the rat carry food back to its nest.
Only then could you burn every rat inside the burrow.
As Ferda considered his options, his eyes wandered back to Lize.
The High Elf fidgeted awkwardly.
Anyone could tell he still had something left to say.
“Um...”
“Yes?”
“What should I do now?”
Lize asked with complete seriousness.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I have so many questions. Why am I able to read Rinne's writing? Did my father know? And if he did... why didn't he ever tell me?”
“So I've thought about it.”
“The more I think about it... the only possibilities I can come up with are ones I'd rather not believe.”
His face was filled with guilt.
“The most likely explanation for why I can read those unique characters... is that I'm someone who inherited her blood.”
The bloodline of the Dark Elf, Rinne.
The possibility that she was his mother—
Or rather...
His parent.
“I see.”
“Yes...”
“But why do you look so guilty?”
“Well... because the woman who would be my mother murdered so many people and conducted all those horrific experiments...”
“I keep wondering whether I even have the right to walk around with my head held high.”
“And besides...”
He could not finish the sentence.
But Ferda already understood.
Rinne had betrayed her own people and fled the World Tree.
Although she had acted under the Great Chieftain's orders, Lize himself had also abandoned his own race.
He feared he might be walking the same path she once had.
“You merely inherited her blood.”
“That alone does not make you the same person.”
“There is no guarantee you will follow the same path as the Dark Elf Rinne.”
“Thank you for saying that...”
“But I can't simply pretend I know nothing.”
Lize took a deep breath.
For a moment, Ferda wondered whether Lize's overly sincere personality was weighing him down.
Yet the expression that replaced his guilt was one of determination.
“So I've reached a decision.”
“I'd like to join Lady Erika's expedition.”
“The expedition?”
Lize nodded.
“Yes.”
“No matter how much the Dark Elves are treated as heretics, our roots are ultimately the same.”
Color gradually returned to his face.
“And... I've admired adventurers for a very long time.”
“There are Elves on the expedition too, aren't there?”
“Beinhoff. A Forest Elf renowned as a master marksman.”
“Yes.”
“I'm not particularly skilled with a bow...”
“But I can use magic.”
“So through this expedition, I'd like to experience all the things I never could while living inside the World Tree.”
Watching him, Ferda felt that Lize resembled an adventurous young girl more than a bold young man.
His first instinct was simply to worry.
“What kind of magic do you use?”
“I can't cast flashy offensive spells like Lady Eri...”
“Show me.”
“I'll judge for myself.”
“Y-Yes!”
Lize quietly traced several runes and demonstrated his spells.
After watching them, Ferda immediately understood.
“You specialize in healing and protective magic.”
“I learned them after spending many years caring for the sick.”
“...Are they rather mediocre?”
Mediocre?
He's exactly the kind of talent people would fight over.
Priests frequently set out on pilgrimages under the pretense of adventuring.
Most of them struggled to perform healing magic beyond the Second or Third Circle.
Those who reached the Fourth Circle usually settled into permanent positions.
As for Fifth Circle...
That hardly needed mentioning.
Without donating an enormous fortune to the Church, hiring someone of that caliber was nothing more than a dream.
How should I explain this...?
By human standards, Lize possessed the ability of an experienced Fourth Circle priest.
And on top of that... he has exceptional affinity with spirits.
Compared to other races, Elves naturally possessed stronger spiritual affinity.
Yet among them, only truly exceptional individuals could befriend spirits powerful enough to be called nightmares of the World Tree.
He's not merely friendly with them.
He's controlling them.
He himself seemed completely unaware of it.
But anyone knowledgeable about magic would immediately recognize it as control.
Lize was commanding the spirits.
Which means his mental resilience is extraordinarily flexible.
Flexibility meant he would not easily break.
That was one of the most valuable traits an expedition member could possess.
Ability alone was not enough.
An expedition demanded the composure to remain calm under any circumstances.
Even the strongest resolve eventually wavered.
People needed something to lean on from time to time.
Lize could become that steadfast pillar for everyone else.
“I believe you'll do just fine.”
“However, the final decision belongs to Tower Master Erika.”
“I cannot interfere.”
“I see...”
“Do you think Lady Erika might dislike me?”
The conflict between the High Elves and the House of Iorga still weighed heavily on Lize's mind.
To Ferda, it was a needless concern.
“She'd probably overlook it even if you called them descendants of water lizards right to their faces.”
“W-What?! I'd never say something so horrible!”
Lize's face turned deathly pale as he flailed in panic.
Leaving him to his confusion, Ferda fell into thought.
The Demonic Wasteland...
Beyond the eastern frontier.
Originally, Ferda's role had simply been to remain behind and provide support.
That arrangement had suited both Erika and himself.
But beyond that border lies something that may erase my unease.
The Great Chieftain had said that the Demon King's mana flowed within Ferda.
The Demon King had loved someone.
Only after losing that love had he become complete.
Ferda was no different.
He already understood how terrifying it was for a tiny snowball of emotion to roll downhill until it became an enormous boulder.
She loves this continent.
He could not allow someone who loved this land to suffer another heartbreak.
Even if such sorrow eventually came...
He needed a way to protect her from it.
And so Ferda decided to join the expedition himself.
Valdrova was preparing to leave the castle.
She appeared even more nervous than usual.
The day before, while working at the construction site, Erika—now without her horns—had approached her and said,
"Tomorrow I'll be briefing everyone as members of the Demonic Wasteland Expedition. Please keep your schedule clear and attend."
The Demonic Wasteland Expedition.
The excitement of meeting new people while serving as the Armored Knight mixed with anxiety, tightening around her heart.
She knew exactly why she felt this way.
She simply did not wish to think about it right now.
Suppressing those emotions, she forced a cheerful smile onto her face.
“Luri, I'm heading out.”
“Have a safe trip.”
Her words sounded indifferent.
Her expression did not.
That dissatisfied look on her face seemed to say,
"Why are you abandoning the dignity of a ruler to go play these human games?"
Once, Valdrova would have felt self-conscious under such a gaze.
Not anymore.
I'll bring back something delicious.
She finally understood how to deal with Luri.
Every time she brought food home, Luri would complain,
"Do you really think you can bribe me with something like this?"
Yet she always devoured it happily, her tail wagging furiously.
To Valdrova, Luri was no different from an adorable little Chihuahua.
Nothing unusual will happen.
Don't be afraid of something new for no reason.
Repeating those words to herself over and over, Valdrova stepped out through the front gate.