#145
To the Roselia Grand Temple (2)
The Ion Continent was the largest landmass in the Auterica dimension.
Its total area was roughly on par with Earth’s Eurasian continent, large enough to be four to five times the size of the second-largest continent, Enamel.
But unlike Earth, humans did not rule over the entire continent.
This was a world where monsters existed, and they boasted such formidable strength that they could contest territories with humans.
Innate physical abilities surpassing those of humans, tenacious survivability allowing them to endure any extreme situation, and absurd reproductive power where a few could grow into a village in mere years.
Furthermore, the vitality flowing through their bodies was like an insurmountable wall to those who had not trained in mana.
Unlike humans, who had to process mana into aura or magical power to wield it, monsters could increase the vitality within their bodies simply by breathing and devouring prey.
In exchange, that power was limited solely to physical strengthening and resistance, making its versatility extremely poor compared to other supernatural abilities, but….
To monsters, whose overwhelming bodies were their greatest weapons, such a thing was no problem at all.
Having thus established their nests in mountains, valleys, and various terrains across the continent, they had long been a factor hindering the development of human nations.
‘The Forest of Monsters, a headache for the Kingdom of Talia, is but one such example. Forbidden zones of that level are scattered all over the continent.’
Of course, just as the Church of the Primordial God had once swept through the Forest of Monsters, it was not impossible to temporarily conquer such regions.
However, to completely exterminate and stabilize an area would require efforts, capital, and sacrifices far exceeding that.
But.
Unlike those, the massive ‘Northern Mountain Range’ occupying most of the northern Ion Continent was.
The worst demonic realm—one that humanity could not dare approach.
An extreme environment filled with bitter cold and all manner of highly toxic creatures.
As befitting an enormous area, the monster population was terrifyingly vast, and countless superior individuals who had survived and been filtered through the law of the jungle over long years teemed within.
Even worse, with the opening of the Abyss, it had become the optimal environment for the concentrated spread of ‘madness,’ so it was no exaggeration to say it had become an incomparable hell than ever before.
And in the very center of that hell….
[Ho, splendid. I am quite pleased.]
As if he had discovered prime real estate with excellent location, someone nodded in satisfaction.
Hans, the Undead King—the very despair of the continent, the incarnation of death—who radiated such a presence that the surrounding space itself distorted simply by his being there.
[As Your Majesty commanded… I have selected this location after weighing numerous conditions… Not too far, yet not too close to the Duchy… taking into account the distribution of surrounding monsters and the ruggedness of the terrain….]
Beside him, Olivia diligently rattled off explanations as if she were a licensed real estate agent.
Though she had just finished working day and night, driving ghosts relentlessly solely to satisfy the Undead King, this level of labor had become routine for her now.
[Well done, Olivia. This place shall do.]
Fortunately, her hard work had borne fruit, for the location pleased Hans immensely.
A mountain spacious enough to accommodate a full army garrison, yet surrounded by even taller and more rugged peaks that made it so dark not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate even at high noon.
Perhaps because of that, though it was not the northernmost tip where heavy snow fell year-round, the accumulated snow on the ground did not melt, exuding a chilly atmosphere.
‘It looks sinister and eerie at a glance; the perfect spot for a Demon King Castle.’
Moreover, the surrounding high ridges seemed to be mountain paths frequently used by monsters, as countless individuals roamed the area like it was a transportation hub.
This too could be called an optimal location factor.
[Now then—we must prepare to move in.]
Sssshhh—
The moment Hans finished speaking.
The ground around him was instantly covered in sticky darkness.
It was a method he often used when retrieving undead stored in the subspace, but the magic he cast now had one major difference from previous instances.
[Keheheh, you must have suffered greatly being cooped up in that cramped place. Now, frolic to your heart’s content.]
Sssssshhh—
The black darkness covering the ground spread like a shadow.
It stretched endlessly without stopping.
…Continuing as if to completely devour the mountain.
And finally, only after covering the mountain did the expansion of the darkness on the ground stop, and from within….
Rattle—
[Kyieek!]
Crunch—!
Countless undead slowly rose to their feet.
Zombies, Skeletons, Ghouls, Ghasts, Wights, Dullahans….
Tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands….
The moment the figures appearing one by one filled the mountain in an instant, the surrounding plants began to wither and shrivel in the blink of an eye from the terrifying aura of death.
Simply by existing, a fatal miasma encroached upon living beings, and the atmosphere became laced with toxic substances emanating from corpses.
Thus, as the darkness-shrouded mountain was completely dyed in death, the next black magic recorded in the ‘Forbidden Knowledge’ was activated.
Kugugugung—!
Amidst the countless packed undead and the engulfing aura of death—
Along with a massive tremor—
The ‘Demon King Castle’ revealed itself.
Black bricks seemingly forged from darkness, brutal carvings etched here and there, and tall, pointed spires jutting out everywhere.
It was the very model of a textbook Demon King Castle.
‘To be precise, it’s the black magic called ‘Labyrinth of Eternity,’ but altering its appearance is trivial for Hans.’
Indeed, implementing the interior all at once was impossible, but the ‘Labyrinth of Eternity’ allowed the caster to modify the interior as they wished, so it was not a big problem.
What mattered was that a splendid Demon King Castle now stood right before his eyes.
Rattle— clack—!
[Kwuaaaar—!]
The subsequent task was to clean the surroundings of the territory as originally planned.
How could the living territory of the Undead King be crawling with so many moving monsters? It was a matter of pride!
Fortunately, this vicinity was also a monster-dense area, so if he caught them all and turned them into undead, they would become useful forces for Hans.
‘As a bonus, the Duchy of Rohan can breathe easier too. With this, monster incursions from the north where the Demon King Castle stands will decrease significantly.’
He couldn’t help openly, but he could afford to grant this much convenience.
After all, those monsters would be wholly incorporated into Hans’s forces, so it was not as if he would suffer any losses.
‘I should bring some of the pawns worth using as sacrificial pieces here as well. Oldman, formerly an executive of the Yeokcheon Oath, seems quite large and suitable.’
The work that Hans and the Immortal Army had steadily carried out across the western region of the continent was also wrapping up smoothly, so there were now quite a number of suitable scapegoats.
In the wake of the Immortal Army’s sweep, one could no longer even find black mages or demon worshippers.
There were even fanatical devotees who worshipped the Undead King among them….
‘In other words, Hans played a very significant role in the current stability of the western region.’
While the Empire boasting the greatest national power on the continent, as well as the Republic in the east and the Tribal Alliance in the south, were in considerable straits, the fact that the western region where the weaker nations gathered suffered the least damage was all thanks to his unseen efforts.
Though there would likely be no one to accept that as pure goodwill.
‘Ah, right. I should bring that fellow here as well.’
And among those who would newly take residence in the Demon King Castle was.
Andrew Weaver, the Awakened of Earth whom he had met in Tobea.
‘He has a unique skill far more useful than I thought. The ability to install CCTV across the entire continent as he pleases. No, perhaps it’s closer to invisible drones than CCTV.’
To properly utilize such a useful ability, wouldn’t keeping him close and stimulating him constantly be better than leaving him far away?
‘That fellow, his eyes were cloudy and he seemed terribly lazy.’
Of course, it was merely a first impression, but the judgment of Hans, who had ascended to the realm of Transcendence, carried absolutely undeniable reliability.
‘There’s nothing to do here, so he won’t be able to slack off. Olivia seems busy anyway, so she’ll be happy to have him placed under her.’
Thus, without even realizing it himself, Andrew Weaver’s treatment was decided.
Though this would only take place after the environment was made habitable enough for humans.
***
[Yes, Siana. You said you have a report?]
-Yes, Your Majesty! It wasn’t for nothing that I became a noble of the Empire! As I mentioned before, I have been diligently gathering information that may aid in the conquest of the continent!
Within a massive interior space of the Demon King Castle where furnishing had progressed to some extent.
Hans, seated upon a great throne of bones, was exchanging communications with Siana in the Empire.
‘Andrew, who has nothing but his ability, would be fine to bring, but it would be a waste for Siana, who holds the title of Viscount in the Empire. Let’s leave her there and observe for now.’
The process of Siana becoming a noble had been quite simple.
After transforming into a child, she had been adopted into a Viscount family using her unique charm, and over ten years, unfortunate accidents had reduced the family members one by one.
In the end, it was only natural that she, the sole survivor, would swallow the household whole.
-…Therefore, the greedy Crown Prince Simon is quite easy to handle. I was in the middle of working on him, after all. The truly formidable opponent is the Fifth Princess ‘Lailly Carte Azerion,’ the Crown Prince’s rival.
The Imperial Family of Azerion had three Imperial Princes and four Imperial Princesses.
Among them, the Second Prince had lost his power to the Crown Prince, and the Third and Fourth Princesses had eventually given up on the throne and chosen to marry.
The Sixth Prince, barely in his early teens, had an exceedingly weak faction, and the Seventh Princess was not yet even ten years old.
‘In such a situation, only the Fifth Princess is acknowledged as the Crown Prince’s archenemy.’
In ordinary circumstances, no matter how outstanding her talent, the Fifth Princess would never have had the chance to become the Crown Prince’s rival.
In the Imperial Family, merely being born the eldest son was a tremendous advantage in being selected as successor, and the natural advantage of time would have greatly influenced faction building.
-The Fifth Princess had even earned the Emperor’s favor with her outstanding intellect, but one person played an enormous role in her building her current power despite her weak maternal relatives.
And that person was exactly the one Siana called the greatest obstacle within the Empire.
One who had protected the Fifth Princess through all manner of crises to the very end, symbolizing the faction’s military might.
The Fifth Princess’s closest confidant and old friend who had been with her since childhood.
And one of the continent’s foremost archmages….
-Viscountess Iseia Pristin. She will be a great hindrance to Your Majesty’s grand enterprise! She is the top priority elimination target!
She was also the one recommended as a member of the ‘Hero Party’ this time.
-Truthfully, I once nearly exposed myself after encountering Viscountess Pristin. Ever since, I have been going out of my way to avoid her. Even though I deceived the Archbishop’s eyes….
In other words, her claim that she was among the top ten mages on the continent was a considerable understatement.
She was hiding her strength to protect the Princess more thoroughly in case of emergencies.
-For a young mage not yet thirty to be at that level means there is no telling how much more she will grow with time. We must cut her down before she grows further!
And Siana also delivered intelligence that ‘Iseia Pristin’ was heading to the Roselia Grand Temple.
She did not know what the result would be, but added that if she joined the Hero, she would become a great threat.
Of course, this was something Hans already knew very well.
‘Certainly formidable. At this level, ordinary executives wouldn’t stand a chance against her. But late twenties… no matter how generously I estimate, she only looks like late teens at most?’
And there was a reason for that.
Because right now, Halli, who had moved to the Roselia Grand Temple, was facing her head-on.