The Dark Auditorium
Up until today afternoon, this place had been noisy due to various events, but now, only silence and stillness lingered.
The chandelier that once brightly lit the room had long since been extinguished.
Only a few candles lit by someone remained, offering a faint glimmer to cut through the darkness.
In this auditorium stood a man.
That man was Wolf, with brown hair.
He was currently standing at the podium where he had given his speech earlier today.
With the light of the candles, he was reading a book.
The auditorium, once crowded with people, was now completely empty except for him.
Rustle.
In the silence that had settled over the room, the only sound that echoed was the turning of the pages.
At the moment he was about to turn to the next chapter, a voice broke through the quiet.
“Not a good look, huh?”
A soft, melodious voice came from beside him.
“Haha, really? But doesn’t this atmosphere have a certain charm to it?”
“Bullshit.”
Wolf turned his head to look at the source of the voice.
It was a woman. She had blue hair and a graceful figure.
Her beauty was so breathtaking it could have easily captivated many men, but the wings on her back revealed she was not human.
“Hmm… What was your name again? I tend to only remember the names of people I’m interested in…”
Wolf said, turning his head back to the book.
“What?”
“Oh… Could you give me a moment? I think I’ll remember… Ah! Kyrin! Is that it?”
“Kairin…”
Kairin stared at Wolf with disbelief.
“Oh… What a shame! It’s really unfortunate!
So, may I ask why Kairin, the so-called loyal hound of Duke Lilia, is here?”
Kairin’s true identity was that of a loyal hound to the Third Duke, Lilia Forcitiah.
“What about your progress?”
“Oh… The progress, huh. It’s almost done. Just a few more things to handle.”
“What, still not finished?”
“It’s nearly the final stage.”
Wolf smiled slightly as he spoke.
“By the way, your hypnosis and brainwashing magic are truly impressive. With just a little power, you’re manipulating this entire city… I can see why Mongma is so famous for mental magic!”
Wolf chuckled as he thought about the dazed expressions of the cultists who had been staring at him.
It was such a touching moment, seeing their unwavering faith.
Even though they had only used hypnosis and brainwashing magic, it didn’t matter. Eventually, their faith would become real.
For him, hypnosis and brainwashing were simply small motivations to make the followers adopt true faith.
“Hah, we used two Sandworms just for this operation. It was bound to be like this. Good luck… You don’t feel anything after hearing this, do you?”
“Huh? What should I be feeling?”
Wolf looked completely confused. Seeing his reaction, Kairin furrowed her brow.
“Hey, two fucking Sandworms were used in this operation! And they were obliterated without doing a damn thing. Right in front of you!”
“So?”
Wolf turned the page without a care.
“While those Sandworms were wasted, what the hell did you do? You’re still holding these useless meetings every day! Why do you even help humans? You should have been tormenting them to gather more demons!
What meaningful thing have you done so far? We raised the funds, we sent the Sandworms to create financial chaos. We did everything just as you wanted!
But what? It’s not the right time yet? It’s still not over? Is that your excuse?”
Kairin’s words came fast, like a machine gun.
“So what?”
But Wolf merely dismissed her words, continuing to turn the pages.
“Did you finish saying everything? How valuable were the Sandworms…?”
“So?”
Wolf paused turning the page and then stared at her eyes intently.
“Is that so?”
He spoke casually, his gaze making Kairin stop in her tracks.
When she didn’t answer, Wolf continued turning the page, casually saying, “Honestly, those Sandworms were like a thorn in your side.
You couldn’t keep them on your land because the soil would turn barren, and even if you tried to raise them, they would die quickly in normal soil.
And so, the Sandworms from Birren were bound to die soon anyway, right?”
“You could have used them to attack beforehand!”
Kairin shouted angrily at Wolf’s words.
Sighing, Wolf shook his head.
“Hah, really, is your brain even working? If we did that, the outskirts would have been wiped out.”
“Why…?”
“Just shut up and follow orders. Have you forgotten the command from the Third Duke?”
Kairin clenched her teeth at his words.
A command.
A command from Lilia Forcitiah, the Third Duke, who she loved and served.
The order was clear: obey Wolf without question.
She couldn’t refuse it.
The only form of rebellion she could muster was to glare at him fiercely.
“Why is Lilia… Why is she even sending me to work with a guy like you…?”
“I’m probably more capable than you, you idiot.”
“You really piss me off.”
Kairin glared at Wolf, speaking through gritted teeth.
“Is that so? What a shame. I actually like you. I give you money when you ask for it, and weapons when you ask for them. I’m a very good errand boy! Lilia must be very lucky to have a subordinate like me. Sure, I might be a bit stupid.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m a good errand boy. Oh, now I should add that you’ve got a bad temper too.”
Wolf raised his index finger, still staring at his book.
“Ha… Haha… Ha. You’re a piece of shit.”
“Oh, I should add that you have a filthy mouth too.”
Wolf looked at Kairin, pointing his finger at her mouth. Then, he smiled.
A mocking smile.
Seeing that smile, Kairin snapped.
“I can’t take it anymore. You’re getting beaten up today.”
She released her demonic energy.
The demonic energy that poured from her spread throughout the entire auditorium in an instant.
The overwhelming pressure began to affect everything in the room.
“Keep getting cocky, human. I’ll teach you a lesson by nearly killing you and fixing your attitude.”
Kairin spoke with a chilling smile.
The density of the demonic energy was so strong that even high-ranking demons would struggle to withstand it.
According to her knowledge, there was no way an ordinary human could survive it.
“Hahaha! Is this a fight? How scary! My legs are shaking!”
She thought that soon enough, the face smiling so confidently would crack.
However…
“By the way,”
Wolf closed the book he had been turning pages in.
Then, he turned his head toward Kairin and looked at her once again, this time with a calm expression.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit arrogant to assume that you could almost kill me?”
“That’s only possible if you’re sure you’re stronger than me.”
The moment he finished speaking, Kairin’s demonic energy, which had been pressuring him, began to be devoured by Wolf.
Kairin stared at him in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing.
As she watched, Wolf smiled.
While Kairin was flustered, the energy from Wolf continued to consume her demonic energy, gradually expanding.
As his influence spread, it started to pressure Kairin in return.
She could feel the atmosphere shifting, but she couldn’t do anything.
Kairin gritted her teeth.
It was that same energy again.
It wasn’t demonic energy, nor holy power, nor magical energy—just some mysterious, unidentified force.
“Would you like to try?”
“Kgh…”
Kairin hesitated, wondering what to do next.
Deep in her heart, she said that she couldn’t retreat while being manipulated by humans, but her mind told her that victory couldn’t be guaranteed after seeing Wolf’s strange power.
‘Damn it…!’
In the end, Kairin withdrew the magic again.
When Kairin withdrew the magic, Wolf also smiled brightly and retracted his energy.
Wolf spoke.
“So the only reason you’re here today is to ask about my results?”
“No, I came to tell you something.”
“What’s that? Don’t tell me it’s a love confession? Ah, if that’s the case, I’m sorry! I’ve already given everything to the gods!”
“Shut up! It’s not that!”
Kairin yelled at Wolf, who was twisting his body.
“Then what is it?”
“There’s a demon in Viln.”
“But you’re a demon too, aren’t you?”
“She’s a demon from a different faction. Actually, it’s not even right to call her a member of a faction… she’s that faction itself.”
Kairin paused for a moment and then cautiously asked Wolf.
“Do you know Hella Ebonia?”
“Hmm… I’ve heard of her. She was the one who killed the previous Duke Aspodel Blood and took his place, right?”
“That’s right.”
Kairin nodded. Wolf looked puzzled, surprised by the sudden name.
“Why are you asking about her all of a sudden?”
“She’s here.”
“What?”
“Hella Ebonia, the 6th Duke of the Demon King’s Army, is here.”
“Are you sure you didn’t mistake her for someone else?”
“No, that can’t be. We can’t mistake her face. We’ve been hunting demons for two years, always looking at her portrait. You really think I’d be mistaken?”
Kairin shook her head and answered.
“She’s changed a lot in her appearance and behavior, but that damned face hasn’t changed. Just looking at it makes me mad…”
“Hmm… So? Where is she?”
“She’s with a hero, using the name Ruina.”
“Hmm? Ruina? I didn’t feel any magic power from her.”
Wolf, recalling his meeting with Ruina, responded with doubt.
He didn’t sense anything unusual back then.
“She must have some kind of device on her. Hah… I thought she was dead since we hadn’t seen her lately. But she’s been hiding among humans, huh? Why didn’t we think of that?”
“Just to double-check, you didn’t make a mistake, right?”
“I’m sure! You don’t think we’d mess up after two years of chasing her, do you?”
Kairin, recalling the hardships of the last two years, shouted in frustration.
“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, where do you stand in all this? You’re definitely not on the demons’ side, but it doesn’t seem like you’re helping the humans either.”
“I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just a messenger of the gods. Ah, wait… does that mean I’m on the gods’ side now?”
“Hah… What am I even asking you… I’m leaving.”
Kairin sighed, looking at Wolf, who seemed to lack any seriousness, then turned to leave.
“Wait a moment! Take this with you.”
Wolf took something from his pocket and threw it at Kairin.
“What’s this?”
Kairin, reacting quickly, caught the object aimed at her head and asked Wolf.