He sprang to his feet, his face cold and rigid.
“I am truly sorry it has come to this, Duke Ferstein.”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
The complexion of Duke Ferstein, who had no idea what was going on, suddenly stiffened. It was because Damon had abruptly lunged at him.
Whoosh.
Damon’s hand, fingers spread wide, shot in a straight line toward the duke’s throat. It was a speed that could scarcely be discerned. Yet Duke Ferstein narrowly evaded the attack. Though he had not reached the realm of wielding mana, Duke Ferstein was an outstanding swordsman. Because he had trained in swordsmanship without missing a single day, his movements had surpassed the bounds of an ordinary man. Thanks to that, the duke was somehow able to avoid Damon’s surprise attack. Having escaped the crisis, Duke Ferstein shouted and tried to seize the hilt of his sword.
“What in the world is this—”
Unfortunately, Duke Ferstein could not finish his sentence. The fingers of the opponent’s hand, which he had thought he had avoided, bent at a bizarre angle in midair and dug into the side of his throat like lightning.
“Kuhk.”
Damon’s fingers clamped firmly around Duke Ferstein’s Adam’s apple like hooks. Then, as his hand tapped several spots around the duke’s waist, all strength drained from the duke’s body in an instant.
With his mute acupoint and paralysis acupoint subdued in the blink of an eye, Duke Ferstein was reduced to rolling his eyes about without being able to utter a single word. As Damon looked down into the duke’s face, a complicated expression settled over his own.
“I truly am sorry. Forgive me for having no choice but to do this.”
Duke Ferstein’s eyes were wide with shock. The man he had never doubted would cooperate with him had suddenly thrown himself at him and subdued him. He had let his guard down, trusting only in the magic circle installed in the room, but his opponent had overpowered him by a method utterly different from magic. With movements comparable to a Sword Master’s, no less.
Looking into the duke’s eyes, which were filled with questions, Damon thrust a hand into his breast without hesitation. What he drew out was a grotesque, hideously shaped insect. It resembled a caterpillar, but its body was a deep blood-red, and the countless hairs covering it writhed ceaselessly as though each one were a living creature in its own right. Damon’s explanation soon followed.
“This insect is called the Blood Worm of Subordination. Have you perhaps heard of it?”
The moment those words ended, the duke’s body began to tremble. His wide-open eyes were filled with horror. Even though his paralysis acupoint had been subdued, the duke’s body shook incessantly like an aspen leaf.
The Blood Worm of Subordination. A kind of insect said to inhabit only the Demon Realm, it was a terrifying demonic creature with the power to suppress a person’s will. A person infected by this blood worm could never defy the will of the one who had administered it under any circumstances. If they did, they would suffer unimaginable pain before being reduced to an idiot.
If one fell victim to the Blood Worm of Subordination, that person, in a word, had no choice but to be reduced to the practitioner’s slave. Because of its usefulness, every Demon King who had descended into the human world until now had brought Blood Worms of Subordination with them. If the blood worm was administered to the ruler of a nation or to a human with comparable authority, the ripple effects would be boundless.
In truth, humans had suffered tremendous damage because of this Blood Worm of Subordination. The thought alone of a monarch or commander they trusted and followed becoming a Demon King’s confidant overnight was horrifying. For that reason, in Truvenia of the past, anyone captured by the Demon King’s army and then released had all authority stripped from them and was placed in isolation, regardless of status. It was impossible to know when they might turn into a Demon King’s loyal pawn and commit hostile acts. Of course, there was no way Duke Ferstein would not know that fact.
‘Th-this cannot be. Th-this is a dream.’
But with the cursed Blood Worm of Subordination writhing right before his eyes, he could not calm himself at all. To call the subordinates outside the door, the duke shouted with all his might.
‘S-save me. Krovitz. Duke Knights.’
However, because his mute acupoint had been suppressed, not a single sound escaped his mouth. He tried desperately to twist his body, but that too was nothing more than a wish. A moment later, Damon’s expressionless voice flowed out.
“I spent a full six months in the north to obtain this thing. The Blood Worm of Subordination is not something easily found even in the Demon Realm. Fortunately, one lesser Demon King somehow managed to procure it.”
To Duke Ferstein, Damon’s voice was no different from the voice of a devil. The fingers holding the Blood Worm of Subordination slowly moved toward Duke Ferstein’s face. He wanted to turn his head, but the muscles of his neck would not move at all. Damon grasped the duke’s chin and opened his mouth.
“You must hate me terribly. But that feeling will soon disappear.”
Without hesitation, Damon placed the Blood Worm of Subordination into Duke Ferstein’s mouth. The duke could only stare blankly at the sight, his eyes opened so wide they seemed about to split.
Shrrrk.
Now free, the Blood Worm of Subordination slipped into the duke’s throat without hesitation. Perhaps feeling pain in the process, the duke’s body shuddered. Damon’s voice continued to resound in his ears.
“Now that you have swallowed it, its effects should appear shortly. Out of concern, I will explain briefly. Since you have taken the Blood Worm of Subordination, from now on you must become my slave, unable to move against me. The Blood Worm of Subordination is psychically linked to me. If you harbor an insolent thought toward me, or think of betraying me, the Blood Worm of Subordination will immediately inflict unbearable pain upon you. From what I hear, it is pain no human can possibly endure. The same applies if I give a direct command. In that case, you will not last even a quarter hour before becoming an idiot. Of course, you will not die… And lastly, if I meet my end, because of that psychic link, the Blood Worm of Subordination will immediately go berserk. In that case, you will have no choice but to die on the spot. Think about it. What chance does a human whose brain has been eaten by the Blood Worm of Subordination have of surviving?”
Duke Ferstein listened to Damon’s words as his body trembled violently. With an expressionless face, Damon reached out and stroked the duke’s head.
“I wonder if the fellow has settled firmly into place.”
After feeling over the duke’s head for some time, Damon reached out and released the duke’s mute acupoint. Duke Ferstein’s eyes were already bloodshot red. He was feeling a foreign sensation inside his head.
Now able to speak, the duke poured out questions as if he had been waiting. Of course, his voice was so weak it would not carry beyond the door.
“K-khukh. Wh-why?”
“……”
“Why are you doing this? Wh-what in the world are you trying to gain…?”
Damon’s lonely gaze fell upon the duke’s face.
“It is nothing much. If I had to say, it would be because what you and I desire are different.”
“D-do you perhaps want to become emperor of the Crosen Empire in my place?”
Damon silently shook his head.
“You already promised me a position beneath one man and above ten thousand. Of course, I am satisfied with that. No, even if it were a lower position, I would not care. Because I have no desire whatsoever for power. My only concern is revenge against the dragons.”
“Th-then why do this?”
Damon silently turned away and clasped his hands behind his back. To be honest, Duke Ferstein had done nothing wrong to him. Rather, he had shown him the favor of looking after his companions. Since he was committing such an unforgivable act against such a duke, Damon could not bring himself to meet his eyes.
“You will know soon enough.”
Seeing the blood-red tint in the duke’s eyes gradually fade, it seemed the Blood Worm of Subordination had finally taken its proper place. It was the moment Duke Ferstein, the foremost power in the Crosen Empire, fell into slavery to Damon.
“If necessary, I intend to implant Blood Worms of Subordination into your subordinates as well. To transform your forces perfectly into my own power.”
“H-how dare you do such a thing… Kkeueue.”
Duke Ferstein, who had been biting his lip, suddenly let out a groan of agony. Damon did not even look at him as he answered coldly.
“As I already warned you, do not act rashly under any circumstances. From now on, you must revere me as though I were the heavens. Just as your subordinates are loyal to you, you too must devote your life to being loyal to me.”
Duke Ferstein could no longer even answer. His eyes, which had rolled back to show only the whites, were slowly returning to normal. A short while later, Duke Ferstein regained his original appearance. It was as if nothing at all had happened.
“It is over now.”
After stroking the duke’s head once more, Damon released his paralysis acupoint without delay.
“You must hate me terribly.”
“N-no, I do not.”
The duke’s appearance as he barely managed to answer with his face twisted was not the slightest bit different from what Damon had expected. With the complicated look still lingering in his eyes, Damon swept his gaze over the duke.
“Call Krovitz.”
“……”
“Have him bring Consul Theodore here immediately.”
After hesitating for a moment, the duke moved his feet as if he had no choice.
“Krovitz. Would you come in for a moment?”
A moment later, the door opened and Krovitz appeared. Tense all over, he surveyed the room. However, there was nothing suspicious at all. Except for the fact that Duke Ferstein’s face was tightly contorted.
“Are you unwell?”
At Krovitz’s question, the duke shook his head as if it were nothing.
“No. A headache suddenly came over me. Ah, I called you because I have a task for you.”
Krovitz came to attention.
“Please give your command.”
“Bring Theodore, who is imprisoned in the mansion’s underground dungeon, here at once.”
A puzzled look spread across Krovitz’s face. It seemed he could not understand being told to bring Theodore, who had been imprisoned for execution.
“You mean Theodore?”
“Yes. Right now.”
As Krovitz tilted his head, a strange light flashed in his eyes. He had realized that the duke’s attitude was somewhat different from usual. Krovitz recalled the secret phrase he had agreed upon with the duke in advance. It was a secret signal they had covertly decided on in case something ever happened to the duke. Measuring the distance between his hand and the hilt of his sword, he cautiously opened his mouth.
“The maid is preparing drinks at the moment and has asked whether she should bring tea or wine. What shall I tell her?”
If the duke answered tea, Krovitz intended to separate Damon’s head from his body then and there. That would be the signal that Duke Ferstein was being threatened by the other party. But the duke’s answer reassured Krovitz. Of course, the words to bring tea must have risen as far as his throat, but what actually came out of Duke Ferstein’s mouth was entirely different.
“Prepare wine.”
“Understood.”
Having completely set aside his suspicions, Krovitz immediately turned around. After he left, Damon approached Duke Ferstein with a broad smile.
“Those words just now looked very much like a secret code. You are more cautious than I thought.”
“……”
Duke Ferstein gave no answer. Was it because he was saddened by his own fate, having been reduced to a slave overnight? Damon waved a hand as if warning him not to entertain any other thoughts.
“It seems it will take some time, so shall we have a meal together? I used some strength, and now I am hungry.”
Without saying anything, Duke Ferstein called one of the knights.
“Prepare food.”
Soon, a plentiful table was set there. Damon sat down without hesitation and began picking up food to eat. The duke merely watched him, his face twisted.
“Why don’t you have some as well?”
But there was no way Duke Ferstein could have any appetite. Though he sat down because he could not disobey the command.