Chapter 96
“Let’s assume for now that it’s just a suspicion. This means that, a hundred years ago, Hamon was a mortal. And upon becoming a transcendent, it’s often said that their self-awareness isn’t fully intact.”
“So, you’re suggesting that might be why he attacked the demon race?”
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility. Deities tend to obsess over what’s theirs. It’s plausible that this tendency manifested more aggressively in him. Battling the Devil King directly would be risky, but if he stays out of his own world, it shouldn’t matter.”
“Even the Devil King can’t oppose a native god in their own domain.”
“Exactly. A god within their own territory is monstrously powerful. As far as I know, even the Devil King, no matter how mighty, couldn’t intervene if they decided to exclude him entirely.”
“So, that’s why I was summoned.”
“Likely. You’re human, not a demon.”
“Hmm.”
There were a few more things he was curious about, but it changed nothing.
He just needed to complete the quest.
Taesan unsheathed his sword, beginning his usual training to acquire Aura.
Time passed. Taesan’s routine remained unchanged: meals, Aura training, and driving away hunters.
“Don’t they ever get tired of this?”
Taesan shook his head in frustration, cleaning his sword. The constant pursuit was becoming a nuisance. If there was something to learn from the strong ones among them, maybe, but there wasn’t, making it a complete waste of time.
After taking care of the latest group, he returned to the cave.
Inside, Anetsha was praying with her eyes closed.
Taesan left her undisturbed and went out to catch fish or game. When Anetsha woke up two hours later, she was startled to see him.
“Oh, when did you get here?”
“Two hours ago.”
“Ah… I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
As they casually ate the cooked meat, Taesan asked, “Are you praying to the Devil King?”
“Yes.”
Anetsha nodded calmly.
The Devil King had abandoned them, or so Anetsha believed.
Taesan ate silently.
That night, as always, their conversation began. They talked about Taesan’s world, the demon race, and various topics flowed naturally.
Eventually, the conversation turned to the Devil King.
“The Devil King is a very kind being. When I was scared of ghosts as a child, unable to sleep, he would sometimes come down to comfort me.”
Anetsha mused with a nostalgic look, and the ghost marveled.
“A god personally coming down to talk? He must have been quite remarkable.”
“Is it common for the Devil King to communicate like this?”
“No, it’s quite rare. My father was very happy, saying it was the first time in a thousand years that the Devil King had directly spoken to us.”
Anetsha smiled as she spoke.
Watching her reminisce, Taesan commented, “So, that all fell apart ten years ago?”
“Yes.”
Anetsha’s mood darkened, and Taesan stirred the fire.
“Did the god abandon you?”
“No!”
Anetsha raised her voice.
“There must be some reason. Surely, there must be.”
She bit her lip, her eyes swirling with disbelief, denial, and faith.
Taesan didn’t say more. If he was sent here, it wasn’t abandonment. But without knowing why he was told not to reveal his identity, he too found it hard to be certain.
Amid these doubts, time flowed on.
Thus, ten days passed since Taesan’s arrival.
During that time, nothing significant happened. Hunters pursued, and he repelled them—a cycle.
Sitting on a rock, Taesan contemplated.
“Maybe it’s time for a change of plan.”
“We need to make a bigger impact.”
“Huh?”
Anetsha looked up from seasoning the stew, her eyes wide. Taesan explained,
“Things aren’t working out as they are. We need to change our approach.”
“Is there a problem? If I did something wrong…”
“It’s not you, it’s on this end. Don’t worry.”
The quest from the Devil King was to take Anetsha to a safe place.
But no place in this world was safe from Hamon. Wherever they went, his divine decree sent pursuers.
Even burrowing deep into the earth provided no escape; they were found within three hours, making hiding practically impossible.
There were a few options.
The first was to protect Anetsha until her death. As long as a god didn’t directly intervene, no one in this world could stop him. But that would take far too long—decades, at least. It seemed unlikely the Devil King intended such a resolution.
Alternatively, they could confront Hamon directly at his temple, the god born from this land.
Initially, Taesan considered this. The gods he had met were rational and valued their dignity, unlikely to harm a close follower of an enemy god for no reason. However, the ghost suggested Hamon might not be fully sane, so they discarded this plan.
After some thought, Taesan realized a solution.
“The entire demon race was declared extinct, right? But you escaped. Perhaps others are hiding, forming communities?”
He pondered those who knew her,
Those who could protect her,
Those hidden away.
There were places even the divine gaze couldn’t penetrate, revealed by his encounters with pursuers. Although their exact locations were unknown, their existence was certain to everyone he met.
Likely, some demons were hiding there.
“That’s…”
Anetsha trailed off, aware of the problem.
“I’m being tracked directly by a god. Going to where others are hiding would only lead to our deaths.”
She said this with a heavy heart.
She longed to see her kin. Surely, some had survived.
But she was under the watchful eye of the world. Pursuers followed her every move, preventing her from meeting anyone.
“If we solve that problem, would you want to try?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Anetsha nodded.
“Yes.”
“That’s settled, then.”
“But how do you plan to solve it? The enemies keep coming endlessly…”
“It’s simple.”
Taesan spoke nonchalantly.
“We show them power.”
“A lot have gathered, haven’t they?”
A man with a spear slung over his shoulder whistled.
Before him stood over a hundred individuals, each with a respectable reputation.
“Wow, even high-ranking mages are here?”
“Must be from a newly formed faction. They aim to make a name by capturing the demon princess.”
A woman with a whip and red hair spoke calmly. The man scanned the crowd, impressed.
“It’s quite a sight. This many could easily demolish a city, right?”
“Stop chattering and focus on why we’re here. Forgot?”
“Yes, yes. We’ve got work to do.”
The princess of demons, Anetsha, and her guardian.
This was the hottest topic across the world.
The extinction of the demon race hadn’t been long enough to fade from conversation. Information about the last surviving demon princess had been significant even before.
Everyone assumed the fragile girl wouldn’t last long against global pursuit.
Some viewed her plight with pity, others with glee.
Then, unexpectedly, a guardian appeared for the princess.
This in itself wasn’t remarkable. Survivors often sought to protect their princess, but they invariably failed, merely delaying the inevitable.
However, this guardian was monstrously strong.
He killed mages from the Magic Tower and evaded top-tier hunters. Even elite swordsmen who approached the princess didn’t return.
Rumors circulated that he might even be a Swordmaster.
The man and woman were dispatched by an information organization to assess him. The man groaned,
“Isn’t this too risky, even if our organization needs a breakthrough? All the pursuers have died.”
“Quiet. Do you want us all to starve? We have no information to sell! We’re an information organization!”
The woman grumbled.
“And with this many, how can we lose?”
Their numbers and the quality of people present suggested a good chance of victory, even against a Swordmaster.
“This might be the end of the princess’s story.”
The woman murmured.
With serious expressions, they advanced into the forest. Despite potential discord, the risk kept them cooperative, and they moved forward without major issues.
Then, they found him.
“There are so many.”
Taesan greeted them at the small hill.
“Hello?”
Clash!
They quickly drew their weapons. Mages prepared their spells, and archers readied their bows.
Observing Taesan, the man frowned.
“A demon?”
Taesan had killed all who came before, so no information about him had spread. Rumors ranged from him being a many-armed monster to a dragon sent by the Devil King.
Seeing the notorious figure, their first thought was “demon.”
Black hair and eyes naturally led them to that conclusion.
But upon closer inspection, they realized he didn’t quite fit. His features were merely dark, lacking the distinct aura of demons.
They recognized Taesan as human.
The man examined Taesan closely.
He had a cold demeanor. His outfit’s material was unidentifiable but appeared high-quality, especially his weapon, which was clearly of superior make.
Facing over a hundred individuals without showing fear or disturbance in his expression.
“Ahem.”
A robed elder stepped forward.
A high-ranking mage from a faction less than a century old, he was considerably strong. He addressed Taesan,
“Are you the protector of the forsaken princess?”
“If so?”
“Step aside. Our goal is the princess. We have no desire to fight you.”
The elder waved his staff, generating a tumultuous wave of magic power.
Facing the mage’s threat, Taesan smiled thinly.
“No thanks.”
“Are you truly prepared to fight us?”
The elder was taken aback, having expected Taesan to yield.
With over a hundred gathered, all of significant standing, even a Swordmaster would struggle.
“I won’t kill you, so don’t worry. But you all need to spread the word.”
Taesan rose from the rock, extending his hand.
Crack.
A frost arrow formed in the air.
“I’ve been wanting to test something. Come at me.”