Chapter 34 : This guy just said he has no friends

Alvesto walked through the royal library with Kyleen.

The countless books lined up seemed to emerge like shadows under the dim light.

The dust and the musty smell emanating from the old books filled the air, and the sound of footsteps echoed softly through the quiet library.

“…What is it that you wish to say?”

At Kyleen’s question, Alvesto slowly turned to look at one side of the library while clasping his hands behind his back.

“I once visited the battlefield of Masan personally to inspect it. There, I met the demon lord, Drak, who is called a tyrant.”

Kyleen narrowed her eyes.

“I thought Drak was the one who died after the dungeon collapsed due to his falling out with the dragons…”

“He is alive. This is the proof.”

Alvesto pulled out a sphere slightly larger than a fist from his coat.

A memory ball.

The orb, glowing faintly, slowly spun as it hovered over his palm.

It was a flying magical tool that had the ability to record and reproduce the past.

As Alvesto activated the memory within the ball, a thin, gaunt demon’s figure appeared on the projected screen.

The location was undoubtedly the underground demon’s cave of Masan.

And the opponent was the demon lord, Drak.

In Kyleen’s keen insight, there was no sign of deception. She closed her mouth and stared at Alvesto, waiting for an explanation.

“As the rumors said, he had weakened, but his infamous rank as the second in command was no lie. Thanks to the escort I brought, we barely escaped after losing only one scout.”

Kyleen’s face stiffened, and her voice sank coldly.

“Does this mean Drak is still in Masan? Why haven’t we dispatched the knights?”

Alvesto raised his hand, as if signaling her to calm down, and spoke in a low voice.

“Did you forget why His Majesty opened Masan? The goal was to gather all the demon lords and annihilate them. If we stir up the entire Masan looking for Drak, what do you think the other demon lords will think?”

Yet Kyleen shook her head, as if she couldn’t agree with him.

“I know Drak. He uses a power that makes him become extraordinarily strong within the territory he controls.”

This was the reason Kyleen had never dared to attack Drak’s dungeon, and it was also why Drak had earned the epithet of a tyrant.

Drak was nearly invincible within his own dungeon.

“Drak was able to recklessly challenge the dragons because he was confident he could defend his dungeon. It was a foolish decision, but in the end, the dungeon was destroyed when it was empty, so I never properly gauged Drak’s strength.”

When Alvesto gave no response, Kyleen took a step forward.

“If he infiltrated Masan, he must be targeting the magic stones in the quarry. If we’re late, he may have already fully regained his strength. We must revise our strategy and send the knights immediately.”

“There is no need to revise the strategy.”

With a clear refusal in his short answer, Kyleen asked in a low voice.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Kyleen, if it were you, you could defeat Drak in a direct confrontation even after he has regained his power.”

Kyleen’s steps stopped abruptly, but Alvesto continued walking without paying her any mind.

“The Intelligence Bureau has pinpointed Drak’s hidden location. Kyleen, your First Knights will be assigned a special mission to eliminate him.”

Though weakened, Drak, the second-ranking demon lord in the demon realm, was not someone anyone could easily confront.

Alvesto’s decision was clear. He was entrusting all the honors and responsibilities to Kyleen.

“If someone from the Empire is to sever Drak’s head, it must be you, Kyleen.”

“…But what about the sage, Gordon?”

Kyleen’s voice trembled slightly.

Alvesto, noticing the faint change, smiled gently at the corner of his eyes.

“When Emperor Carlos first established the Empire, he destroyed five human kingdoms not with magic, but with a ‘sword.'”

At Alvesto’s words, Kyleen held her breath for a moment. Though recorded history described Carlos as a master of both magic and sword, he was essentially a swordmaster who stood at the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Much like herself now.

Alvesto continued slowly.

“He forged the path with a sword and built the Empire with a sword. The spirit of that swordsman still lives on.”

Kyleen could no longer hide her true feelings behind her cold mask.

A sense of elation and pressure she could not suppress rose from deep within her heart.

She asked one last time, as if confirming it.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Alvesto looked at her for a moment, then, instead of answering, took a book from the shelf and handed it to her.

“The Biography of Carlos.”

It was a book recording the heroic deeds of the great general and emperor, a story Kyleen had enjoyed reading since childhood, like a fairy tale.

Alvesto handed her the book and spoke.

“Remember who Emperor Carlos was and what his meaning was. There is only one person in the Empire who will inherit his will. A dragon may give birth to a dragon, but not all dragons become the masters of the heavens.”

The meaning was clear. The one who would inherit Carlos’s will was not the current Emperor Edgar.

Kyleen’s fingers trembled slightly as she held the book. She lowered her gaze to the cover.

The familiar title and the emperor’s portrait were engraved on the aged leather binding.

How close was the hero’s ideal she had cherished in her childhood to the person she had become now?

“…Kyleen, you surely admired the first emperor and wanted to become like him, didn’t you?”

Alvesto made an indelible mark on Kyleen’s wavering heart.

“I hope you become the new hero of the human empire, the second Carlos.”

The saintess, Sofien, sat on a rock overlooking the village, tilting her head as she asked,

“…What is that?”

In my hand was the invitation that Roshi had given me. It bore the seal of the Eunho family, and from its appearance, it looked quite luxurious.

“It’s an invitation to a social gathering. I heard it’s a place for high-ranking monsters to bond.”

“Heh, are you going?”

“I first need to finish the campaign at Masan. Whether the social gathering turns into a celebration or a consolation, I’ll find out afterward.”

I answered like that, glanced over the invitation once more, and then looked down at the village.

The village was wrapped in serene peace.

Children of humans darted through narrow alleyways, and monsters leisurely walked beside them in harmony.

In the small shops, human merchants and monsters worked together, carrying goods and exchanging stories.

“By the way, humans and monsters seem to be getting along quite well.”

At my words, Sofien nodded proudly.

“I’m the village chief, so of course. Now that all the tasks are done and I don’t have to worry about being burned at the stake, I can live peacefully here in this village.”

I watched her silently for a moment.

Sofien, feeling my gaze, stared into my eyes and trembled, as if she had a chill.

“Wh-why, what now…”

“The Masan campaign—you’re coming with me.”

Sofien’s expression twisted in an instant.

“Why do I have to go?! Why! Why! Why!”

Sofien jumped up and shouted in a voice much like Rupia’s when I told her I was going to the human realm.

I raised my skeletal hand and said,

“Calm down and listen. As you know, there are more than one or two human territories near Masan. When the other demon lords start seizing territories and establishing their strongholds, we will say we want to coexist.”

It was something I had always emphasized. I hoped for peaceful exchange and cooperation between the human realm and the demon realm.

Having been part of both worlds, I didn’t want to see either side fall into ruin.

Sofien knew that this plan ultimately left her with no choice. She wrapped her head in her hands, murmuring,

“I’m not good at politics, but if we do that, we’ll end up in the demon lord’s bad graces and become isolated in the demon realm. Even with Rupia-sama, that would be…”

“Even with Rupia-sama? Are you implying our lord has no friends, you little…”

At my sharp remark, Sofien flailed her arms, flustered.

“Ah, no! When did I say Rupia-sama has no friends?!”

I had intended to tease her lightly, but I ended up hearing Sofien’s genuine thoughts.

Realizing she had dug her own grave, Sofien went silent, her face turning red.

Having had enough fun, I decided to move on. I waved Roshi’s invitation to change the subject.

“Well, anyway, there’s a plan. When the other demon lords ostracize us, we’ll use this.”

At the gathering of high-ranking monster families, I wasn’t just going to make acquaintances—I planned to show my strength properly.

More than anything, I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship Roshi and Lauro had, but I didn’t intend to let either of them slip through my fingers.

If I could win over both of these influential figures among the monsters as allies, the other demon lords wouldn’t be able to openly oppose us.

“A monster who does not serve a demon lord is no better than a wild beast, and a demon lord without monsters is no better than a clown.”