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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Beyond the barrier, in the unexplored wilderness where humanity had yet to tread.
Deep within this untamed expanse stood a colossal, ancient castle.
Several Demon Kings had claimed this fortress as their own, calling it the Demon King’s Castle.
“Haaaam…”
In a secluded room within the castle, a woman yawned.
She had striking violet hair and prominent dark circles under her eyes.
Her messy hair suggested she had just woken up, but in reality, she hadn’t washed it in days, having pulled another all-nighter.
‘The human world is so entertaining, isn’t it?’
She gazed into a large crystal ball.
Her face was so close to the surface that it seemed as if she might get sucked in.
‘Yes, that’s it. Go ahead and attack her, like a rabid dog.’
As she was engrossed in the scene unfolding within the crystal ball…
The surface suddenly turned crimson red.
“Whoa!”
Startled by the intense, blinding light, she stumbled backward, shielding her eyes.
“What, what’s going on?!”
Red was not a good color.
It was a color she hadn’t seen in a long time.
‘Red means… Could it be?’
Her hands trembling, she peered into the crimson-stained crystal ball.
Her face turned deathly pale.
She was already pale to begin with, but now her complexion was so devoid of life that she barely looked alive.
‘What?’
She continued to stare into the crystal ball, her eyes wide with disbelief.
This was a significant event, one that warranted repeated confirmation.
‘Is it true? The 71st Demon King… is dead?’
She didn’t know how or why it happened.
But one thing was certain: the 71st Demon King was dead.
‘But the 71st Demon King…’
The 71st Demon King, born from the ruins of Ice Valley 67 years ago.
Her ability was ‘Parasite.’
That made her a highly classified asset among the Demon Kings.
If she grew strong enough to possess a hero, or even a high-ranking hero, the Church’s defenses would be rendered useless.
But now, she was dead.
‘How is this even possible?’
Confined to her room, she had no way of knowing.
The first priority was to inform the other Demon Kings.
She placed her hand on the crystal ball and spoke.
(This is Violet, the 16th Demon King. I have urgent news…)
Still unable to believe it, she glanced at the crystal ball once more.
And then she announced,
(The 71st Demon King, Weiss, is dead.)
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“Who is it?”
Silence reigned in the meeting chamber.
“I asked, who is it?!”
The man seated at the head of the table slammed his fist on the surface.
However, the oppressive atmosphere remained unchanged.
Finally, a woman seated beside him spoke up.
“Do you really think they’ll reveal themselves? They’d be signing their own death warrant.”
“Is it you?!”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I just said, why would they come forward knowing they’ll be killed?”
She looked around the chamber.
While the turnout was better than she expected, less than half of the seats were filled.
This was the outcome of the Demon King assembly, convened for the first time in 50 years.
‘Honestly…’
Some had gone silent, their whereabouts unknown, while others had simply declined to attend.
It couldn’t be helped; each Demon King pursued their own agenda.
However, that didn’t mean the meeting could be taken lightly.
“Let me summarize the situation.”
She proceeded to meticulously outline the key points discussed so far.
“The reason for this assembly is the death of the 71st Demon King, Weiss. We’ve confirmed this with absolute certainty, haven’t we, Violet?”
The woman seated in the far corner of the chamber nodded.
Her face was still ashen.
“As many of you know, the 71st Demon King was a strategic weapon we kept highly classified. I believe some of you were unaware of her existence until now.”
Several Demon Kings nodded in agreement.
“Furthermore, the 71st Demon King possessed the ‘Parasite’ ability, making her virtually unkillable unless her true nature was known. So, what does her death signify?”
The sound of someone gulping echoed through the chamber.
“Exactly. There’s a traitor among us… who leaked that information.”
The assembly had reached a consensus: they needed to find the traitor.
However, it was highly unlikely that the traitor would step forward willingly.
“Of course, they won’t confess. But from now on, we must be even more cautious.”
A chilling smile spread across her face.
“Because suspicion will fester among us.”
She gazed out at the empty seats.
“This applies to those absent as well. Even if you prioritize your own goals, we cannot tolerate actions that jeopardize us all.”
Her words reached the ears of a Demon King lurking just outside the chamber.
‘Perhaps I should tread carefully for now.’
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The news reached the headquarters of the Church as well.
The Church headquarters, located in the holy city of Heilen.
Deep within the headquarters lay the Pope’s chambers.
Only a select few were granted access to this sanctum.
Among them were the Pope’s informants, tasked with delivering crucial information.
“I seek an audience with the Pope.”
The informant knelt before the Pope, his head bowed low.
The Pope, gazing down at him, spoke.
“Raise your head.”
The informant looked up.
His eyes met the Pope’s, who sat on a throne in the distance.
‘Her beauty is… breathtaking.’
She was draped in a thin, white veil that barely concealed her figure.
Even the veil covering her face couldn’t hide her radiant beauty.
“Ahem…”
But he had to rein in his thoughts.
Harboring personal feelings for the Pope was forbidden.
He was allowed to admire her pure beauty, nothing more.
“What information do you bring?”
It was time to fulfill his duty.
“I received this from a spy within the Demon King assembly. It appears the 71st Demon King was killed in the Basil region’s Chaos Realm.”
“The 71st Demon King? Have we learned anything about her true nature?”
Information about the 71st Demon King was a closely guarded secret among the Demon Kings, and the Church had been unable to uncover anything substantial.
Yet, news of her death had arrived first.
“Yes, we managed to gather some intel during the recent assembly. Her ability was ‘Parasite.’ She could steal the bodies of humans.”
The Pope’s hand trembled at his words.
The ‘Parasite’ ability posed a grave threat to humanity.
News of her death was a blessing.
“Then, who is the hero that defeated the 71st Demon King?”
“We’re… still investigating that.”
“The Demon King is dead, but we don’t know who killed her?”
The informant spoke with a troubled expression.
“It happens occasionally. Some heroes prefer to remain anonymous, even after achieving great feats.”
“Even so, we need to know who killed the Demon King.”
“Yes, we’re currently investigating all heroes who have recently visited the Basil region, particularly the village where the incident occurred. However, it’s a remote village, and… only one hero has been confirmed to have visited recently.”
“Who is it?”
“Gwen Reedvall.”
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“Gwen Reedvall?”
The girl with fiery red hair and a petite frame, yet possessing an air of maturity beyond her years, turned around.
“Yes?”
“You’re Gwen Reedvall, the hero, correct?”
Gwen stood in the Church’s Basil branch office, reporting the loss of her relic, Gravitas Replicant. A staff member approached her.
“Yes, that’s correct. Is there something I can help you with?”
“The branch chief wishes to see you.”
Gwen tilted her head in confusion.
‘The branch chief?’
Meeting with a branch chief wasn’t a common occurrence.
Especially the branch chief of Basil, a significant region within the Church. He was a high-ranking official.
‘What could this be about?’
Puzzled, she followed the staff member to the branch chief’s office.
A middle-aged man sat behind a large desk.
“Greetings, Hero Gwen Reedvall. I am God Hulene, the branch chief of the Basil region.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She took a seat across from him.
He offered her a cup of tea.
“Thank you.”
She accepted the teacup and inhaled its aroma.
It had a distinct fragrance, one she hadn’t encountered in other regions.
“Please relax and feel free to answer my questions while you enjoy your tea.”
She took a sip of the tea, savoring its unique flavor.
“There’s a remote village you visited recently, correct?”
She choked on her tea and sputtered.
“Someone killed the 71st Demon King near that village.”
Only one person came to Gwen’s mind.
‘Could it be… that kid?’
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Oh he is spotted 😁