Episode 24
With spirally twisted horns protruding from both sides of his head, a goat’s skull for a face, and clad in pitch-black armor.
Draped in beast fur over his shoulders and wearing a long dark-brown mantle, he sat upon the throne, emitting a red glow from his eyes that no human could possess.
A demon!
The incarnation of corruption that tempted humans and spawned countless sins!
Confronting such a being, they could not help but fall into terror.
It was not only the demon. Inside the splendid castle, rows of soldiers of unknown identity stood in file.
Though armor and helmets concealed most of their bodies, the pristine white bones visible through the gaps proved they were not human.
Undead.
The dead who hated the living!
Soldiers composed of such evil spirits guarded the demon’s side and protected the luxurious castle.
“The rumors… were true!”
One of the refugees muttered softly.
They were ones who had wandered in search of even futile hope. Having come so far, they realized that the rumors spread across the continent were not false.
The prosperous city they had seen on the way here, the numerous people, and the beautiful crafts and powerful soldiers!
They had come dismissing them as mere baseless rumors, with the mindset of grasping at straws, yet what they had seen was all truth, not illusion or falsehood.
However, the tale that a demon existed was unheard of until now.
Having fled from the continent and come all the way here, they were now truly driven to the brink of being seduced by the demon, their very souls to be stained black.
Had they known that fact, they would not have come here.
The Ajelran Church, the sole faith of the continent, had described demons thus:
“—Demons are those who defied God. They are ones who drink human blood, tear souls, and take pleasure in such acts. If one listens to their voice and follows them, that person shall die and fall into hell!”
At the fact that even what they had dismissed as baseless rumors had proven true, the refugees could not help but feel fear toward the being before their eyes.
Clearly, they would obviously have their blood sucked and souls torn by the demon before their eyes, and fall into hell. And so the refugees bowed their heads deeply.
They pressed their foreheads to the floor and covered their ears, ensuring their gazes would not meet his.
It was a desperate struggle to distance themselves as far as possible from that being.
But among such refugees, a young child raised his head and looked at the demon.
The demon’s blood-like red gaze met the child’s pure eyes.
The child, colored more by curiosity than fear, tilted his head, then soon broke into a broad smile.
The demon’s gaze narrowed at the sight.
Then, the parents beside him noticed the child’s strangeness. Realizing the child and the demon had locked eyes, they hurriedly wrapped their arms around the child and cried out:
“I-I’m sorry! My child was rude… Please forgive…!”
“You’ve had a hard time.”
They flinched!
At that single low word laced with chill, everyone’s bodies froze.
As the demon raised his hand, a middle-aged man stepped forward.
He was a noble with blonde hair and blue eyes.
The refugees let out slight sighs of relief at the familiar face of a continental, but soon they could not help but feel anxious.
If he was together with the demon, he too must be one who served the demon.
“Hanseu.”
“Yes, speak.”
The man called Hanseu placed one hand on his chest and bowed his head.
It was the etiquette of a noble before his sovereign, without a single misstep.
Feeling satisfaction at such behavior, the demon continued speaking.
“What should be done with these people?”
Hanseu glanced at the refugees and opened his mouth without hesitation.
“They are foreigners. They have committed the crime of crossing the border without permission.”
“Then…?”
“They must be punished.”
The refugees’ complexions paled hearing the conversation between the human named Hanseu and the demon. Noticing this, Hanseu continued:
“However, these are not soldiers of another nation. Had soldiers belonging to another nation crossed the border without permission, it would be a grave matter, but as I see it, they are closer to refugees. Thus, I hope you will forgive them with a generous heart and protect their safety as best as possible.”
At Hanseu’s words, the refugees stared at the demon in surprise. But the moment their eyes met the demon’s, they hurriedly lowered their heads.
However, the little one from earlier looked at Roki and smiled broadly.
“…I see. Handle it as you see fit.”
“Understood.”
Hanseu answered with a bow, then approached the refugees, spoke with them briefly, and led them out of the great hall.
The demon watched that sight and muttered as if to himself:
“Syaman.”
“Yes.”
An old man holding a crude staff and wearing a long robe that dragged on the floor slowly walked out.
He had a warm impression with a benevolent smile.
Only, his pupils were so murkily stained white that one would suspect he could not see in front of him.
“What are your plans for handling the refugees?”
“I intend to have Hanseu extract their personal information and separately classify among them those who may pose a problem.”
“The possibility of them being spies from another country?”
“We will investigate that as well. We plan to place them under surveillance, and if they show even the slightest suspicious behavior, capture and interrogate them.”
“I see. Treat them well.”
“Of course. I shall do my utmost to help them adapt here.”
Syaman answered with a pleased smile.
The demon, having looked at Syaman, turned his gaze to where the refugees had disappeared.
Recalling how a child had been smiling until moments ago, the demon stroked his chin.
“…More importantly, are children these days simply pure, or fearless? Do they not judge by appearances alone?”
“Pardon?”
“No, I spoke nonsense because I was in a good mood for a moment. Anyway, I’m tired. I should go in and rest now…”
“You are far from done!”
Then, a young man with blue hair and cyan eyes quickly walked out.
He was of the Nords, who lived on the frozen lands of the north, a man who had once played a ‘game’ with Roki.
“…Aum.”
Irritation seeped from the demon’s voice.
At that, the man called Aum smiled, placed his hand on his chest, and bent his waist.
“I, Aum Rinia, greet you, my master, Lord Roki.”
Having paid his respects, he remained still for a moment, then snapped his fingers.
Shortly after, the great hall’s doors burst open and two men entered.
The two men were carrying something using wooden planks.
On the planks, countless letters were piled like a mountain.
“They are letters not from other tribes… but from the people of our Asgard. Please read and review them carefully, my lord…”
“…Was this not finished in the morning?”
“The voices of the people know no day or night.”
“I see. Then I shall review them in the evening…”
“Of course, if my lord is tired, it cannot be helped, but if you would take pity on the people still struggling with hunger and cold, and spare even a very brief moment, the people will be able to secure shelter where they can eat their fill and stay warm. Our liege… no, my Throne—!”
As Aum spoke with a smile, the demon placed his hand on the helmet made of bone.
It was as if he were pressing hard on his temples.
The man who, until recently, had acted cautiously while watching for cues had begun proactively presenting his opinions at some point.
“You be that sort of Throne, you.”
“That is impossible. How could an incompetent human claim to be the great Throne?”
“You, do you still hold a grudge from what happened at the frozen lake?”
“You misunderstand.”
Looking at the smiling Aum, the demon suppressed the urge to throw a punch.
“Kudan, Pereu. Deliver the letters to the master at once!”
The men called Kudan and Pereu brought the letters right before the throne and then stepped back.
“…There are too many.”
“It is only natural for troublesome matters to increase once a nation is established.”
“A rough skim will finish it. After a brief rest…”
“If it’s hard, I’ll help too!”
A slender voice was heard.
A woman walked out from afar.
She was a beautiful woman with long blue hair.
Her skin was white as snow, her eyes an azure blue as if looking upon a clear sea, and at her waist she wore a simple yet beautiful golden sword.
The moment she entered the great hall, everyone flinched, stiffened, and involuntarily bowed their heads and stepped back.
“Kankun.”
“I have finished the monster subjugation you ordered and returned, Lord Roki.”
She stood firm beside him with a bright smile.
And she glanced over the documents Roki was to review.
“Must all of this be resolved today? Then I’ll help…! Because there are also people in trouble right now if I don’t help.”
She broke into a grin and began reading the letters aloud.
Shortly after, the conversation between the demon and Kankun ended. Whether he had given up or not, the demon reached his hand toward the letters and began reading them one by one.
The work was finished.
Kankun smiled as if feeling relieved.
“Now I shall offer the meal, the tribute. But before that…”
Before anyone knew it, the woman had clasped her hands in prayer.
She looked just like a nun offering sincere prayers to God.
“…….”
Time passed, and she rose with an extremely satisfied expression.
By the time evening had fallen, only the two of them remained in the audience chamber.
“Then I shall bring the tribute!”
Kankun left after smiling refreshingly and bowing her head.
Her energetic personality drew a laugh from him.
The demon.
At the edge of the Continent of Britten, he had conquered the frozen land and unified the Nords, known as the strongest tribe among humans.
He was the ruler who had established the nascent ‘Asgard,’ the one called the ‘Throne of Sin’—‘Roki.’
“Tomorrow too, I shall struggle with piles of paperwork. Truly a headache.”
A gloomy voice flowed out.
To him grumbling thus, a skeleton wearing a black robe and mask approached, knelt, and lowered its head.
Roki looked at the figure and reached out his hand casually; the skeleton respectfully pulled out from its bosom a parchment bound by a string and offered it up with both hands.
Roki unbound it and read the contents.
It was a report sent by Nord warriors conducting intelligence activities on the continent.
And shortly after… his eyes widened and he sprang to his feet.
“…Found her?”
A nod.
“Where?”
The skeleton tapped its forehead with fingers that were nothing but thin bones, then expressed something with both hands.
Encrypted sign language.
It was something they had learned to communicate with those who had no vocal cords.
“The Kingdom of Ronia…? There?”
A nod.
Roki clutched the letter he had been reading. And took a deep breath.
He had been summoned to this world and slept for three hundred years. And now, three years since waking and unifying the Nords.
For a full three years, Roki had been searching for the whereabouts of his junior, ‘Yun Sirin.’
For that purpose, he had unified the frozen land, built power, and established his own intelligence network.
He had grown his strength to be more solid, sturdy, and unassailable than any other force.
And now was the time to use that strength.
“Find her at once! Bring Reuran, the leader of the dwarves, and the elder Hanseu. As secretly as possible…!”
The skeleton nodded. After offering a greeting while kneeling, it silently stepped back. Then, leaving only shadows behind, it faded and disappeared.
Shortly after, a dwarf and a middle-aged noble entered the audience chamber.
“There is something I want you to do.”