Of course, the brats who had gone a week without food and suffered nightmares were forced to leave the hideout half-dead. Needless to say, they had lost any desire to ever come here again. Recalling that fact, Damon shook his head and muttered to himself.
"I've strengthened the Death Knights enough now, so I'll have to leave this place before long. Honestly, rumors about this place have spread too far. So once I've completed the secret weapon, it's only natural that I'll need to relocate."
As long as the Sealing Orb was inside Damon's body, there was no need to remain in one place. Taking leisurely tours while avoiding the dragons' pursuit was the wisest decision.
The work of strengthening the Death Knights was completely finished. Thanks to the constant infusion of mana absorbed through his energy circulation technique, the four Death Knights he possessed had truly become the strongest existences.
Their strength from when they were alive could not be ignored, and because they were provided with unlimited high-purity dark mana, the four Death Knights had grown powerful enough to surpass their abilities from life. Moreover, the arms they wore were all of the highest grade. These three things united in a trinity, transforming the Death Knights into Damon's most powerful aides.
First, the arms they possessed were things whose value could not possibly be converted into coin. It was only fitting, as they were equipped with only the finest of the highest-grade magical arms the dragons had scoured across all of Truvenia.
The armor worn by the Death Knights was of the highest quality, inscribed with top-tier magic circles, and mostly made of mithril or dragon scales. Because they were undead, they could not wear orichalcum armor, but even so, their defensive power was beyond imagination. Furthermore, each piece was engraved with an anti-magic defensive array capable of blocking high-level magical attacks. And these were engravings made by the dragons themselves.
Their weapons were also nothing to be taken lightly. Helvertron's sword was the famous Leherdt Saber, said to symbolize Ikarott. It was the highest-grade artifact, one that even an ordinary knight could wield to effortlessly block an Aura Blade.
Lindelph's weapon was in no way inferior to the Leherdt Saber in terms of power. Named Skull Blade, it was a weapon forged by dwarven hands from the scales of a Red Dragon, its sharpness beyond description. Enchanted permanently with magics granting effects such as Sharpness, Enchant, and various Drains, it was an artifact that had been sleeping in Incresia for a thousand years. And now, it had been brought into the light of the world by Lindelph's hand.
Primverg's sword was the Giant Killer, known for being so heavy that an ordinary person could not lift it. A massive bastard sword (heavy sword) weighing well over a hundred kilograms, legend had it that it was forged by dwarves who spent centuries repeatedly smelting a metallic meteorite discovered by chance. The blade was not particularly sharp, but its destructive power due to weight was enormous; there was almost no way to block this sword. Ordinary swords and shields would shatter the moment they clashed with it.
It could be called the most suitable weapon for Primverg, who had favored heavy swords in life. Of course, when he was alive, even Primverg would have found it difficult to swing due to its tremendous weight, but after becoming undead and gaining monstrous strength, the Giant Killer had become Primverg's new beloved weapon.
Salamis's sword was a long saber. A sword with an edge on only one side, gently curved and suited for slashing, it too was a masterpiece crafted from dragon scales. Because it was made from the scales of a White Dragon, it constantly exuded a frigid chill, making it the weapon most befitting Salamis's temperament. It had been the only sword among those chosen by the Death Knights without a name, so Salamis gave it a new name: Frost Soul. It was a terrifying sword imbued with high-level Frozen magic, causing anyone struck by it to freeze solid on the spot.
Thus armed with such powerful arms and dark mana, the Death Knights honed their blades of vengeance against the dragons within Incresia. Because the Nidelhark Sealing Orb was inside Damon's body, there was no need for them to be outside.
"Once the secret weapon is completed, I won't have to fear dragons anymore."
Damon could now say he had obtained the power to face dragons. The biggest obstacles were the orcs under their command and the Guardians protecting their lair. Running into a single dragon was no longer a matter of concern.
With four Death Knights and Damon, a 9th Circle Master, hunting them down would be more than feasible... If the secret weapon were added to that, they could even face two dragons at once.
But that was only under the assumption that the dragons would fight one-on-one. If they mobilized all their Guardians and orcs as well, the situation would become rather difficult. If the dragons used orc infantry or Guardians as arrow fodder while bombarding attacks from behind, the chances of victory would plummet to less than half.
"That would be troublesome."
This was something Damon had painfully realized at the Battle of Northwood. The Hero Party's strength was by no means weak. If they had fought head-on, they should have had enough power to take down one or two dragons. But the result was catastrophic. The entire Hero Party was annihilated in vain without even killing a single dragon...
Considering that fact, it seemed he needed to find some way to deal with the orcs by any means. If the fact that Damon possessed four master-class Death Knights became known, no dragon would be foolish enough to charge at him alone.
"I must join hands with a lord of Arcadia by any means. Fortunately, the humans here are at the peak of their power; if I make them face the orcs, I can hunt dragons with a clear mind."
The dragons would surely plan to invade Arcadia. It was as plain as day that the moment they awoke from their dormant period, they would rally the orcs under their command and cross over into Arcadia. If Damon sided with the humans of Arcadia, he would be an enormous asset. Of course, that was under the assumption that the soldiers here would not be hostile to him.
In other words, Damon had to join hands with one of the lords here and set things in motion. Recalling that fact, Damon spat out sourly, as if he found the idea distasteful.
"So in the end, I must join hands with that fellow Pershutain?"
Damon had Duke Pershutain in mind as a suitable partner. A powerful figure controlling more than half of the Crosen Empire's military authority, an ambitious man coveting the imperial throne. If Damon went to him, he would surely receive an extravagant welcome.
The force of a Nine-Circle black magician and four of the strongest master-class Death Knights was an unimaginable military power... It was as clear as day that Duke Pershutain, who was in a position where he needed to gather strength by any means, would welcome Damon with open arms. The problem was that he would have to persuade him to invade Truvenia.
"From the looks of it, the orcs could never handle Arcadia's armies. Arcadia's military strength already surpasses what Truvenia had at the time of its fall by more than tenfold... Even the dragons joining the battle would not be particularly threatening if I joined. The problem is what comes after..."
If the dragons learned that Arcadia's power was stronger than expected, they would return to Truvenia. Perhaps they might never attempt Arcadia again. If that happened, it would put Damon in a difficult position instead.
Truvenia was essentially the dragons' home turf; he could not comfortably hunt dragons in a place swarming with orcs. Rescuing Daphne would become more difficult as well.
"That won't do."
Therefore, Damon had to somehow coax Pershutain into planning an invasion of Truvenia. Even considering the people of Truvenia barely surviving as slaves to the orcs, this was something that absolutely had to be done. But because the problem did not seem like it would be solved so easily, agony settled on Damon's face.
"What a headache. Duke Pershutain considers the invasion of Truvenia itself unnecessary..."
Those advocating for the invasion of Truvenia were actually the Emperor's faction. Only Theodore the Regent and Williams the Captain of the Royal Guard argued for invading Truvenia. Duke Pershutain had taken a stance in opposition, insisting invasion was impossible. Since he was the one with power, the theory that war was impossible had nearly become the accepted conclusion.
Given the situation, persuading Duke Pershutain to invade Truvenia seemed like no easy task. Damon's head began to ache, and he shook it back and forth.
"I'll think about that later. Scheming really doesn't suit me."
Of course, there was also the option of joining hands with the Emperor's faction, but that was not very feasible. For one, the possibility of the legitimate Emperor's faction joining hands with a black magician, the very symbol of evil, was extremely slim. Moreover, hadn't the Crosen Knights been thoroughly thrashed by him once before? Most knights were stubborn fellows who valued honor, so the Captain of the Royal Guard would likely never tolerate joining hands with him under any circumstances.
Furthermore, the Emperor's faction was overwhelmingly inferior in terms of influence, which also narrowed the range of Damon's choices. No matter how many times he thought it over, joining hands with Pershutain was the only reasonable choice. Yet for some reason, Damon felt a reluctance toward Pershutain.
"The thought of joining hands with a traitor is truly distasteful."
It was the aversion caused by Sajunhwan. Had he not himself been driven from the seat of the Absolute by his subordinate's betrayal? Because of that, Damon could not easily bring himself to side with Pershutain. To think he had to help a man who could be called a second Sajunhwan and scheme with him... But it couldn't be helped. Pershutain was the only powerholder with the strength and ability to fight alongside him...
*Ring, ring.*
An alarm spell informed him that intruders had arrived at the cave entrance, so Damon set his thoughts aside for now.
"I should deal with them first. Who is it this time?"
As he briefly rearranged his mana, an image formed in the crystal ball. About ten or so men were cautiously approaching the cave entrance. Damon first assessed their composition and strength. An irritated cry burst from his lips.
"They're complete fledglings. Judging by their appearance, they seem to be mercenaries, but with only that many... Hmm?"
Spotting a fellow exuding considerable aura at the rear of the group, Damon's eyes narrowed. He looked to have just passed twenty, but his skill was considerable.
"His energy is well contained. I don't know where he learned swordsmanship, but he's quite well-trained. The regrettable thing is that he isn't wearing anti-magic armor. I'll finish him easily with Magic Missiles, so there's no need to mobilize Winslet."
A glint of depraved light flashed in Damon's eyes as he peered intently into the crystal orb. It happened after he saw the girl walking at the very back. It was exactly what he had hoped for, and Damon's gaze soon turned leering.
"Oho! A girl... How delightful. I was bored anyway; it's been a while since I could really show off my skills."
Discovering that there was a woman among the group, Damon's heart surged with ecstasy. He had finally found someone he could properly torment after a long time.
Until now, Damon had been met with extremely contemptuous gazes from women. Because of his exceptionally ugly appearance. As if to take revenge for that, Damon made any woman among intruders suffer especially harshly. It was common for him to feed them food grotesquely transformed by magic, and he hung them upside down as routinely as one would eat a meal. Pitifully, those women had to endure several times worse than their male companions simply for having been born female...
In cases where women were released after intruding into Damon's dwelling, almost without exception, they had to be carried out on their comrades' backs. Eyes rolled back, foaming at the mouth. It was a pastime that could only be described as a truly vile hobby.
"It's been a while since I've enjoyed the screams of a girl. I'll prepare a special dish just for you."
In high spirits, Damon rose. There was no need to call Winslet, who was gathering firewood in the mountains, for a group of this size. Once his specialty, a barrage of Magic Missiles, swept through them, they'd all be laid out flat...
Having arrived at their destination, tension was etched on every face in the group as they gazed at the distant cave entrance. Who wouldn't be nervous when coming to hunt a necromancer of notorious infamy? The one showing the most relaxed demeanor was Kasim. Hardened by long years of mercenary life, he wasn't easily surprised by much of anything.