青娱乐福利在线2

Translator: FusionX

“It’s time to clean up.”

Kaitel tapped a point on the map of the North.

The North, a region the Empire had always struggled to control except for the brief period of continental unification during its golden age.

It had always been a lawless land, where barbarian tribes and imperial citizens coexisted in a fragile, self-governed system.

That land was now unified.

From a no man’s land teeming with warring barbarian tribes, a single unifying force had emerged. The central authority, which had paid little attention to the North, was forced to reconsider its stance.

After all, the North, once fractured and infighting, was now under the command of one person. A warrior whose prowess even Verod the Paladin acknowledged.

What if this individual, harboring resentment towards the central authority, marched south? Could the Empire withstand such an assault?

Before Kaitel could even offer an opinion, the Emperor bestowed upon Adele Igrit the title of Grand Duchess.

Effectively recognizing a mere mercenary band as a legitimate power.

Why?

The Empire’s forces could have easily crushed the mercenaries and fully integrated the North.

He had only recently understood the answer to a question he’d pondered since childhood. The Empire was in such a precarious state that it was disregarded even by a mercenary band.

Powerless and unable to act independently, the current state of the Empire left him with little control.

“They’ve grown too bold.”

A powerless commoner had ascended to the rank of Grand Duchess simply by unifying the North.

Who would accept this? He couldn’t comprehend it.

So, he sought a solution. One such method was to utilize the residual thoughts of the Four Dragons.

“Do you intend to completely integrate them?”

“The lower ranks are being empowered under the pretense of subduing the South, but that’s just a show. To achieve our goals, we must first consolidate our internal affairs.”

The imperial family’s influence was limited to a few territories around the central region. The North and South excluded, only the West and East were within their sphere of influence.

Of these, the North possessed the most prosperous independent forces. Without subduing them, his ambitions would remain unrealized.

What if the factions he had been suppressing for years rebelled?

He wouldn’t be able to predict the outcome.

Kaitel, staring at the map, spoke.

“Have you identified all the ruins in the North?”

“We’ve located them all. We plan to extract our personnel soon.”

“Robert is in the North. Is there a chance of encountering him?”

“I believe it’s unlikely, but I can’t completely rule it out.”

He had witnessed Robert’s prowess firsthand when he cut down his own fiancée. He had also discerned his identity and his connection to the Crown Prince.

Whether it was a lucky guess or genuine deduction, Cain knew it wasn’t mere intuition.

However, he wasn’t worried.

At Cain’s words, Kaitel frowned.

Cain bowed his head and continued.

“Considering what’s within that spire, even if he discovers it, he won’t learn much.”

“Ah, I see.”

Kaitel, understanding Cain’s meaning, chuckled softly.

The monstrous being discovered by the scouts sent to investigate the uncharted territory would surely crush any intruder. There was nothing to worry about.

Even if Robert discovered something, it wouldn’t matter.

He wouldn’t be able to escape.

Kaitel looked at the map again.

“I wish he were dead. Is he deliberately provoking me by feigning loyalty? I can’t fathom what our Duke is thinking.”

The North, which should have been a different color, was now the same color as the central region.

He had to act faster than initially planned. The resentment harbored by the Four Dragons was more tenacious than he had anticipated.

Kaitel clutched his throbbing head.

His eyes flickered red for a moment.

Entering the spire wasn’t difficult. Verod swiftly incapacitated the guard who requested the password. Beyond the entrance lay a massive tower, similar in structure to the Moon Tower.

The masked figures were nowhere to be seen. Had they known about the downed guard, they would have ambushed them.

Yet, the interior was eerily deserted.

“Is it empty? It seems vast, but I sense no presence.”

“It appears so. If anyone were here, they would have attacked by now.”

Drawing his sword in anticipation, he extended his mana, but sensed nothing. A guard at the entrance, yet an empty interior.

There could only be one explanation.

“We should check below. There must be something down there.”

“I agree. Perhaps an artifact?”

“I doubt it.”

If it were an artifact, the Moonstone would have reacted. He was certain it wasn’t.

However, he felt a distinct presence below. If not above, then below.

He recalled the towers in the South, which always concealed something in their basements.

A reason to guard this place while everyone else had withdrawn. Perhaps they were protecting something important, or perhaps it was a trap. If it were a trap, he would need someone to ensure Adriana’s escape.

He glanced at Verod, who seemed to understand his intent and nodded, indicating he would guard the rear.

Even if he accompanied Adriana, he had to ensure her safety if a dangerous situation arose. He could die, but Adriana couldn’t.

He subtly shifted their formation without alerting Adriana.

As they descended, the stench of blood intensified, making him frown.

This wasn’t the blood of one or two individuals.

Dozens, perhaps hundreds, had died here.

Adriana’s face paled.

He was reminded of his encounter with Theresia. He had sensed a similar stench then.

If this was comparable to the bloodbath he had witnessed in that mountain of corpses, how many bodies were buried here?

“There’s definitely something down here. Something dangerous.”

A chilling sensation ran down his spine.

His senses heightened, a feeling he rarely experienced.

A premonition of encountering something he shouldn’t. It was similar to the feeling he had when he first met Verod.

He instinctively drew his sword.

He unconsciously adopted a defensive stance, channeling his mana.

Verod, sensing the same, enveloped Adriana in divine power.

The rosary around her neck emitted a bright white light, a warning. A warning that something beyond their comprehension lay at the bottom of this descent.

“I’ve never felt anything like this. I’ve been a paladin for a long time, but this… this is different.”

“Perhaps we should retreat. We could call for reinforcements-”

“No, we press on.”

He wasn’t as intuitive as Adele.

He didn’t rely on instinct, always striving for rational judgment. But now, he felt a compelling need to explore the depths of this place.

To eliminate any possibility of the being within escaping. He sensed Adriana’s gaze upon him, but didn’t falter.

His breath frosted in the frigid air.

The surrounding temperature plummeted. While the air at the entrance had been relatively mild, the depths of the spire were glacial.

He exhaled a white plume and saw a massive door ahead.

Covered in intricate carvings, a large dragon’s head dominated the center. Its jaws agape, spewing flames. It was strikingly similar to the depiction of the Four Dragons in the murals.

Its presence here implied a connection to the Four Dragons.

It wasn’t an artifact.

The Moonstone remained inert.

He silently exhaled.

Should he enter with them?

It would be easier, but… he felt a need to enter alone. He didn’t want to be distracted by protecting someone. He couldn’t guarantee their safety.

Verod was present to protect Adriana.

The door creaked open, releasing a wave of putrid blood. Fragments of bodies, dragged across the threshold, clung to the door.

Verod grimaced.

He had anticipated something unsettling, but the evidence of cannibalism…

“I have a feeling I know what we’ll find.”

The fully opened door revealed the scene within. Faint light from above illuminated a gruesome tableau of gore and dismembered corpses.

Scattered amongst the remains, a lone figure sat amidst the carnage.

It was massive, inhuman. Humanoid in form, but with the head of a bull. Its contorted limbs clutched a spear larger than any building’s column.

A monstrous being, slumbering amidst the carnage. Its presence was overwhelming.

“There are ancient monsters that appeared alongside the Four Dragons. Four beasts, now known as demons.”

“I recall reading about them. Could that be…?”

“Yes, one of them.”

The chains binding the monster snapped like thread. Its eyes blazed with madness, its snorting breath shaking the very foundation of the spire. An ancient monster.

“A Minotaur, I presume.”

The demon, a creature he had never encountered before, was violence incarnate.

Yet, he didn’t flinch.

He held his sword, confident in his ability to prevail. He was the one who wielded the sword. He would be the one standing at the end.

Even if it wasn’t destined, he would make it so.

[Translator Notes]

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