Chapter 19 : Take this bomb!

The dark underground prison.

The dim light of the torch, faintly visible through the cracks in the walls, swayed along the moss-covered stone wall, casting a faint orange shadow.

Sofien, bound in iron chains, bowed her pale face.

Burmán, the Commander of the Imperial Second Knights, trembled his thick jowls and spoke to Kyleen.

“What’s with the hesitation? There’s chaos at the imperial palace right now. Just think about what that Death Knight did in the middle of the empire!”

Kyleen silently sucked on a cigarette, her cold eyes fixed on Sofien.

“Open this corrupt nun’s mouth right now! We need to go kill that damn Death Knight!”

Burmán raged, saliva flying from his mouth.

“If our two knight orders unite, there’s no dungeon, even one guarded by the Death Knight you defeated, that we can’t conquer!”

Kyleen’s sharp gaze, hidden in the shadows, lifted to meet Burmán’s.

Burmán flinched slightly but then straightened his neck and glared back.

He realized that he had some sort of backing behind him. No matter how much Kyleen was the Swordmaster and the commander of the First Knights, she couldn’t act recklessly toward him, the eldest son of a noble family.

“Am I wrong? Not only did you let that statue of His Majesty’s predecessor be desecrated in the middle of the empire, but you also failed to capture the enemy. You should be grateful that His Majesty hasn’t given a punishment. What are you hesitating for?”

“…Burmán.”

“What, what!”

“You look disgraceful, anxiously peeking at other people’s meals just because you don’t have any results.”

“I captured the nun. I also received the command to handle the Death Knight incident.”

It was a clear suggestion to shut up.

Burmán’s face turned bright red with anger, but he couldn’t find the words to express his rage, so he clenched his lips tightly.

Only then did Kyleen shift her emotionless gaze back to Sofien.

The words of the Death Knight echoed in her mind like an eerie ringing.

‘I, in my human days, founded this empire.’

Was it truly a coincidence that the creature used the Dragon’s Vow to summon a dragon?

Was it all just nonsense when it spoke as if it knew everything about the empire?

At last, her lips slowly parted.

“Nun, answer truthfully to the questions I ask from now on. If I even sense a single lie in your eyes…”

Kyleen’s dagger stopped just in front of Sofien’s pupils.

“Ugh… eek!?”

Even a slight breath, a small blink, and the dagger would have cut her.

“You can’t die. I swear, even if you want to die, you can’t. You will experience the pain of your flesh being carved away, and you’ll learn how precise a Swordmaster’s blade can be.”

Sofien couldn’t even nod her head, swallowing her trembling sobs.

In a cold voice, Kyleen asked.

“Tell me the purpose of your infiltration into the empire, collaborating with the Death Knight.”

“Ex… exchange, I was going to exchange with the human world, but I had to confirm something first… ugh!”

Burmán, standing behind, laughed and shouted.

“Ha! Nonsense! How long has it been since humans and monsters fought? Now you’re talking about exchanges? Crazy woman, just gouge her eyes out, Kyleen!”

Kyleen remained silent. She remembered the Death Knight, Kan, speaking of the empire’s peace.

Most of all, her eyes, which penetrated both the external and internal, revealed no lies.

“Then, what was it that you needed to confirm?”

“I… I don’t know! I’m telling the truth, really…!”

Kyleen closed her eyes briefly in thought, then opened them again and continued questioning.

“Death Knight, Kan. What is his true identity? Tell me everything you know.”

“I… I don’t know him well, we only met recently…”

Sofien, with her eyes squeezed shut, said through her sobs.

“He… He said he was one of the founding heroes of the Yurrendel Empire, the undefeated legend…”

At that, ripples spread through Kyleen’s pupils.

Burmán, standing behind, pulled out his sword, his thick neck bulging with excitement.

“What?! Are you saying the undefeated legend of the empire’s history is someone you don’t know? How dare you insult His Majesty’s predecessor!”

“I didn’t say that! I’m just repeating what I heard! Please, spare me! Waaah!”

Kyleen immediately stopped Burmán.

Her voice was far heavier than before, as if she was about to explode with emotion.

“I’m telling you again, the right to interrogate is mine. If you interrupt again, I’ll tear your mouth open, Burmán.”

Burmán pretended to cough, trying to seem calm, and slowly sheathed his sword.

“Where is his dungeon?”

“That… that…”

Sofien remembered what Kan had told her before infiltrating the empire.

If she got caught, she should reveal all the information and save her life. If she survived the execution, Kan promised to save her.

He even confidently gave her detailed directions to the Balotus dungeon.

“Ugh! I’m sorry, General…”

It could be considered a fateful connection, but Kan was the one who saved her from being burned alive.

To sell the information of her savior to stay alive gnawed at her conscience.

After hearing Sofien speak of the name Rupia and the location of the Balotus dungeon, Kyleen asked again, as if to confirm.

“Are you sure?”

Sofien weakly nodded.

There was no lie in her eyes, as Kyleen could see. She put away her dagger and stood up.

“Once we capture the Death Knight, your fate will be decided. Stay quiet until then.”

As Kyleen closed the iron door behind her, Burmán hurriedly followed her.

“Hey, we’re going to catch the Death Knight now, right? I’ll follow, so wait.”

Kyleen spoke indifferently.

“Don’t rush. Dungeons don’t run away. Now that we know the location, we need about three days to prepare.”

“Three days? Are you out of your mind? His Majesty is personally overseeing this! Three days and others will have already gotten there before us!”

“You may not know because you haven’t fought him, but I’ve clashed swords with him. He’s not someone to be underestimated.”

Kyleen said no more, as if the conversation was over. Behind her, Burmán twisted his lips in contempt and muttered.

“…That coward, trying to act noble. Once he was defeated, he can’t even lift his head.”

He hardened his resolve. There was no need for formalities anymore. If he cooperated with the other knight orders and took the lead in earning achievements, that would be enough.

That night, three knight orders quietly gathered on the plains near the empire.

The Fifth Knight Commander Herox nervously stroked his rat-like beard and asked.

“Now that the three knight orders are gathered, even if the Death Knight, who matched Kyleen, is here, we should be able to defeat him. But surely there must be other forces involved.”

Burmán spoke confidently, as if there was nothing to worry about.

“I’ve heard it clearly from the nun. The Demon Lord Rupia is just a child, and the Demon Army, aside from the Death Knight, is nothing special. I’m sure none of you have heard of the name Rupia among the Demon Lords.”

“That may be true, but…”

Burmán, anticipating any unforeseen situation, planned to take Sofien with them to the dungeon.

Sixth Knight Commander Glorgon eyed Sofien suspiciously and said.

“She isn’t lying, is she? If she’s a nun corrupted enough to side with monsters, it’s quite possible…”

“I don’t trust Kyleen, but I trust her eyes. Kyleen is certain there are no lies in what she says, so it’s definitely true.”

Burmán turned to the two commanders, a sinister smile creeping across his face.

“Gentlemen, if we handle this properly, it’ll change all our futures. Don’t forget that His Majesty is directly involved. Whoever takes credit for this will receive massive rewards, it’s as clear as day.”

He deliberately added passion to his voice. Glorgon’s eyes sparkled, and Herox relaxed his previously hesitant expression.

“Only those who seize the opportunity will rise higher. Let’s combine our strength and perfectly complete this dungeon conquest!”

Encouraged by Burmán, the two commanders nodded resolutely.

Burmán’s face was already filled with a gleam of certainty and greed for victory.

“If you don’t want to die, don’t try to think, just guide us properly. Nun.”

Sofien shuddered and nodded.

As time passed, the troops passed through valleys and dense forests, entering a path where the darkness grew thicker.

The silence of the forest was eerily perfect, and the occasional howls of beasts heightened the soldiers’ tension.

Finally, Sofien’s guidance stopped near a teleportation circle. She nervously pointed ahead.

“It’s that way. I heard we can use a teleportation circle to cross into the dungeon’s boundary over there…”

In the direction her finger pointed, a massive circular stone floor with glowing runes could be faintly seen in the dark.

The teleportation circle flickered with a weak red light, asserting its presence.

“Good, you’ve guided us well.”

Burmán sneered and nodded. He signaled to the soldiers to remain alert around the teleportation circle.

As they passed over the teleportation circle and reached the boundary closer to the dungeon, the air noticeably changed. The troops continued marching through a barren wasteland.

Finally, one of the soldiers pointed ahead and shouted.

“The dungeon!”

All eyes focused in one direction.

In the middle of a gorge with sharp rocks rising, a massive structure resembling a fortress revealed its grand silhouette.

“Is this the dungeon of the Demon Lord Rupia?”

Burmán turned to Sofien and asked. She nodded. It was undoubtedly the location Kan had mentioned.

At the same time, she prayed.

Please, may Kan not be defeated.

Burmán didn’t wait, and he commanded his troops, which numbered over a thousand.

“Everyone, charge toward the dungeon! Don’t leave a single one alive, wipe them all out!!”

The soldiers charged toward the dungeon in unison.

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the orc soldiers on guard were taken by surprise.

Spears and swords tore through the orcs’ bodies, and the entrance collapsed in an instant. Blood soaked the ground, and screams echoed within the dungeon.

As the alarm rang throughout the dungeon, a massive monster appeared in front of the human soldiers.

A giant beast with a lion’s mane bared its claws, which were as large as a greatsword, and roared.

“Rrrr! How dare you attack the dungeon of Demon Lord Damon! I will slaughter every last one of you!!”

Behind him, hundreds of monsters poured out to drive away the invaders.

“W-What did he say? Damon…?”

The three knight commanders who were commanding from behind looked stunned.

They turned to Sofien, who was staring blankly at the air, her soul seemingly lost.

Her face, dripping with saliva, was in shock, and it was clear that her expression was not a fake.