The Past of Eldakrad
Eldakrad’s past was tragic.
His mother hailed from the Land of Ruin and was a concubine of the family head.
He ascended as the head of the Ashtar family during a period of chaos, where someone had to take responsibility.
Thanks to this, Eldakrad, once treated as a burden within the Ashtar family, rose to the position of family head.
As head of the family, Eldakrad worked tirelessly amidst the grueling political battles in the imperial capital to recruit talented individuals back to Ashtar.
He utilized commoners in key positions, strengthening internal governance and training the military.
Simultaneously, he built personal relationships with the allied Kingdom, sending resources to them, sparing only the specialty goods reserved for the Imperial Court.
Over the years, the power he cultivated allowed him to reclaim regions that had fallen into disarray through a campaign against the demonic races.
By the time the Empire’s central military began to regain its momentum by promoting officers, the Kingdom, now sharing a border with Ashtar, sent a saintess as their representative.
***
“I am Saintess Bernoa, dispatched by the Kingdom to strengthen ties with the Empire’s Ashtar.”
Saintess Bernoa was gifted with divine power and adept at performing miracles.
During joint operations with the Kingdom or while leading Ashtar’s forces against barbarians, she would heal thousands by herself.
With her help, Ashtar, which had been weakened after settling, was able to surpass other regions with its cavalry.
However, despite these successes, Eldakrad faced one troubling issue:
Saintess Bernoa had fallen for him.
As someone who had always been revered by others, Bernoa found Eldakrad different.
He treated her as an equal, seeing her for who she truly was.
This created discord between them.
***
“My lord, why can’t it be?”
“You and I cannot marry.”
Eldakrad firmly rejected the saintess’s confession.
“Why not?”
“First, I am already engaged to another woman. Second, you are a saintess. A saintess cannot marry.”
Eldakrad had a fiancée, a woman he loved deeply, with whom he had formed a mutual bond.
While he admired Bernoa as a remarkable woman, he could not reciprocate her romantic feelings due to her role as a saintess.
Furthermore, there were political considerations.
Accepting Bernoa as his wife could harm relations with both the Kingdom and the Church, as they had grown closer through her presence.
***
“If you would only decide, my lord, I would give up everything—even my position as a saintess! Ashtar is already flourishing under your leadership. Breaking an engagement at this point wouldn’t be an issue!”
Bernoa, abandoning her duties as a saintess, pleaded with Eldakrad to betray his fiancée.
However, he shook his head.
“To me, you are a trusted advisor and a dear friend. But I love my fiancée.”
Eldakrad could not betray the woman he loved.
“I can’t believe this…”
“I’m sorry.”
Though visibly displeased, Bernoa eventually seemed to accept reality.
Despite the rejection, she continued to fulfill her role as an advisor.
Her divine power transformed Ashtar’s forces into an invincible army.
***
When his troops grew strong enough to defeat the demonic forces, Eldakrad made a momentous decision.
“I intend to confront the Demon King’s army head-on.”
Now seemed the perfect time for humanity to eradicate the demonic threat once and for all, freeing the Empire from its perpetual worry.
“The Demon King’s army?”
The Demon King’s army was an elite force composed of the Demon King and his Four Generals, stationed in the Demon King’s domain.
Challenging them was a matter of great deliberation.
“The stronger humanity grows, the more interference we face from the Demon King’s forces. Tell me, which faction is currently expanding the most?”
“Ashtar, my lord.”
“Exactly. Now is our chance. The Four Generals have been unusually quiet. We must strike decisively and cleanse the Demon King’s domain of their influence.”
Eldakrad informed the Imperial Council that Ashtar would undertake this battle independently.
Given Ashtar’s considerable influence within the council, no opposition could prevent the campaign.
***
“Ashtar, annihilate the demons!”
At that time, only Seto, one of the Four Generals, led active resistance.
“Impressive, for a human.”
Seto, who commanded an army single-handedly, repeatedly suffered defeats at the hands of Eldakrad’s forces.
Despite his formidable strength, Eldakrad, who had power comparable to the Four Generals, overcame him.
Eldakrad achieved a historic feat as the only lord to lead an army into the Demon King’s domain.
Yet, one day, he decided to halt the campaign.
“This far is enough.”
“Won’t you finish off Seto?”
“Prolonged warfare will wear us down, no matter how strong we are. We’ve already established a fortress in the Demon King’s domain. The next generation can take up the mantle.”
While some vassals expressed dissatisfaction, the increasing strain on resources and the population’s burden from taxes and supplies made continuing untenable.
With stretched supply lines and expanding territories, a single demon attack could prove disastrous.
Eldakrad resolved to end the war there.
However, a new problem arose: Seto had kidnapped Saintess Bernoa.
***
Though the army searched tirelessly, Bernoa seemed to vanish without a trace.
A few days later, Bernoa returned to the main camp on her own, but something was different.
Her usual warm smile was replaced by a cold, artificial expression.
Although something felt amiss, Eldakrad listened to what she had to say.
“The Demon King is currently sealed. The demons’ weakness stems from this.”
“Is that so?”
“Now is the time. We can march to the Demon King’s castle and end this once and for all.”
As the conversation continued, Eldakrad grew increasingly uneasy.
Bernoa, known for her healing abilities, now emanated a strong scent of blood.
“You’ve changed since you disappeared.”
“My apologies. I was in a desperate situation trying to escape.”
‘Desperate?’ Eldakrad thought. ‘Could it really be?’
“If what the saintess says is true, this is an opportunity not to be missed.”
“An accomplishment like this would bring unparalleled glory to the Empire!”
Persuaded by his advisors and Bernoa, Eldakrad finally decided to launch the attack on the Demon King’s castle.
***
Ashtar’s forces surrounded the castle, and Eldakrad examined it through a magical telescope he had received from the Magic Tower.
To his shock, what he saw made him tremble.
‘That’s the Demon King?’
The sight unsettled him.
The figure was certainly worthy of the title “Demon King,” yet it was strikingly different from what he had envisioned.
It barely resembled a living being.
Moreover, the absence of any demons around the castle was deeply suspicious.
“Are you certain there are no demons here, saintess?”
“I would never lie to you, my lord. Do you suspect me of colluding with them?”
“Honestly, I do. You’ve changed so much—the aura you carry, even your scent. A saintess reeking of blood—it doesn’t add up.”
“How cruel, my lord. But perhaps it is your meticulous nature that has brought us this far.”
Suddenly, her words struck a strange chord.
“What do you mean by that?”
“What do you think? It’s the correct answer.”
“What?”
A maniacal grin replaced the saintess’s usual benevolent smile on Bernoa’s lips.
“Ahaha, isn’t it obvious? I’ve come to love the Demon King more than you, my lord. I’ve received his blessing and his love. After all, he is you.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
“The smell of blood? Naturally! To win his favor, I killed every human near the Demon King’s domain. Ahahahaha!”
‘Could it be true?’
A saintess had fallen.
Not just any saintess, but the Kingdom’s greatest saintess—corrupted after being taken by Seto.
***
“So, it was a trap all along.”
“Ah, but you’ve achieved a significant feat, haven’t you? Advancing humanity to the very doorstep of the Demon King’s castle! Ahahaha!”
Screech.
Eldakrad’s mana sword pointed at Bernoa.
‘Was this all planned with Seto?’ he thought.
“Why so scary, my lord? You’re making me tremble.”
“You have chosen to fall, becoming a demon and humanity’s enemy. I can no longer consider you an ally.”
Eldakrad resolved to kill Bernoa and retreat.
Even if this were a trap and Seto appeared, his forces could manage a retreat, albeit with losses.
“Eldakrad! I will quench my thirst with your blood here!”
“All forces, fight against Seto’s demon army!”
As anticipated, Seto’s army emerged.
However, Seto wasn’t the only opponent they faced.
“My lord, since you’ve learned of my corruption, I shall confess. My power is the authority of corruption. I invade the wicked hearts of men, corrupting them and making them my subordinates. Even my divine power has turned to darkness, allowing me to wield curses and dark magic. I’ve tested it on countless humans already.”
“Impossible…”
Suddenly, his body felt heavy.
It was a curse.
A curse cast by the once-holy saintess, now drenched in darkness.
Eldakrad hadn’t prepared for such an attack.
And that wasn’t the end.
“My lord! Thousands of our troops have betrayed us!”
So, that was the power of corruption.
She was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
‘I can’t let her live,’ he decided.
‘At the very least, I must ensure the remaining forces escape.’
“I’ve been betrayed by the one I trusted most. Leave this to me! Retreat now!”
“But my lord—”
“Go!”
His loyal aide, Kyle, led the remaining uncorrupted troops in a hasty retreat.
Left behind were Eldakrad, the corrupted troops, and the combined forces of Seto and Bernoa.
***
“Do you think you can handle both Seto and me?”
“Madness.”
Bernoa and Seto mocked Eldakrad.
“If it means destroying the enemies of humanity, nothing is impossible.”
Eldakrad fought valiantly against Seto’s infernal spear, which could melt anything, and the cursed magic of the fallen saintess.
Eventually, he struck a fatal blow to Seto, bringing the demon general down.
All that remained was to kill Bernoa and ensure she wouldn’t leave behind a legacy of disgrace as the fallen saintess.
Eldakrad, covered in blood and with his mana sword trembling, walked toward Bernoa, who stumbled back in fear.
“To think you revere that thing as the Demon King. How utterly pathetic.”
***
“Why don’t you love me, my lord? You are a fraud! Only the Demon King loves me truly! You are no real lord!”
Bloodied, Eldakrad approached Bernoa with unshakable resolve.
“Stay away! Don’t come any closer!”
‘So this is the result of her corruption,’ Eldakrad thought bitterly.
The Bernoa he once knew would have begged for death before succumbing to such depravity.
Now, she had killed countless humans, sworn loyalty to the Demon King, and become indistinguishable from the demons Eldakrad had slain.
“You were once by my side, but your sins have reached the heavens. Even if it costs me my life, I will sever your head.”
Bernoa’s red eyes trembled with fear as she backed away.
Desperate to survive, she pleaded.
“No, no! My lord, I must have been under some spell! Please, forgive me just once!”
“Die.”
Eldakrad raised his sword to strike her down.
Thud.
Seto’s spear pierced through his abdomen.
“Ugh!”
Eldakrad collapsed to his knees, blood gushing from the wound.
“Haha… Ahaha! See? You’re a fraud! If you were the true lord, you wouldn’t die like this!”
Bernoa, saved by Seto, laughed maniacally, as if delighted to have proven him false.
“How pitiful,” Eldakrad muttered, spitting blood as he gazed at Bernoa with pity.
He knew survival was impossible.
He couldn’t destroy the corrupted saintess or eliminate the growing threat to humanity.
‘No,’ he thought.
‘This is different.’
Bernoa had fallen too far to be saved.
Even in his final moments, Eldakrad couldn’t help but lament her fate.
Yet he could not forgive her.
***
“You misunderstand. The Demon King is the true lord! I have willingly pledged my love and loyalty to him. You’re just a failure, destined to die by my hand! My lord is the Demon King alone!”
‘Such a pitiful woman’, Eldakrad thought.
Perhaps if he had accepted her feelings, things would have turned out differently.
But now, it was too late.
The darkness in her heart had already consumed her, and Seto had exploited it.
Bernoa picked up a sword from the ground and slashed Eldakrad with all her might.
Slash!
As his vision blurred, Eldakrad fixed his gaze on Bernoa and the reappearing Seto.
“Die, die, die! I’ll send your family to join you, one by one! Ahahaha!”
‘There’s no salvation for her,’ Eldakrad thought.
“Today, I die here, but Ashtar will not forget this grudge. My descendants will stop you.”
And with that, Eldakrad, the hero of Ashtar, fell to the betrayal of the saintess he had once cherished.