Dungeon Defense (WN)

Chapter 352: Neutral Nation (5)

“I will gladly oblige.”

Valefor nodded heavily.

“However, I will have you promise something beforehand, Barbatos. The memoria we will show can considerably harm Gamigin’s honor. In this regard, I ask that you uphold Gamigin’s honor to the very end…….”

“You are acting rather bombastic.”

Barbatos snickered.

“I won’t make a promise with a shameless son of a bitch.”

“The shameless one is Dantalian, Barbatos. He threatened the independent Demon Lords and insulted Gamigin today!”

Valefor shouted pompously. Once he did, a Plains Faction Demon Lord pointed their finger.

“You dared to commit murder in a palace that has been declared a neutral zone? Are you not the ones who have insulted our strict laws!?”

“Hah. Dantalian was the one who first broke the law of a neutral zone!”

Valefor understood that he couldn’t let himself falter here. He glared daggers not only at Barbatos, but at all of the Demon Lords, archdukes, and soldiers that were present as well.

“Remember what happened five years ago. Where and by whom was Andromalius, an individual who was once a Demon Lord like us, killed? In the city of Niflheim which had been established as a neutral zone for centuries and in the center of the plaza where everyone could see. It was none other than Dantalian who had murdered him. Who is the destroyer of laws? Who is the shameless murderer!!”

The other independent Demon Lords raised their arms in response. ‘That’s right, Dantalian is a lawbreaker,’ they shouted in agreement.

“The neutral areas exist for all Demon Lords. It does not exist for only one person. Dantalian used the neutral area however he wanted while not respecting the neutrality in any way himself. He is the most disgusting knave of this era!”

“That is just an assassin making excuses!”

“Cut off his tongue!”

The Demon Lords who belonged to factions scowled as they jeered at the group. The independent Demon Lords naturally got worked up and shouted back. Even though they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, they were undeniably confident in their cause and the evidence they had.

It felt like a scuffle could break out at any moment, but Barbatos proceeded to make a sarcastic remark.

“Dantalian raped Gamigin, Gamigin just happened to have a memoria artifact to record this, and your group also coincidentally barged in at that moment. This is quite the coincidence if I’ve ever seen one.”

“There is nothing strange about this. It is completely natural for someone to carry around an artifact just in case. If anything, is Dantalian not the one at fault?”

Valefor scoffed.

“I am saying that he is an individual that is dangerous to meet without an artifact. And the situation we feared actually happened……. Gamigin.”

Valefor turned to look at Gamigin. She was able to rest for several hours, so her wounds from being whipped had healed. Gamigin nodded and stepped forward.

“Yup. I have the proof.”

“She is unsuitable to be a witness!”

One of the Neutral Faction Demon Lords shouted.

“Gamigin and Dantalian are lovers. Even if something were to happen between them behind closed doors, how could that be considered rape?”

“Dantalian did not treat Gamigin as his lover. He simply used his victory during the war as an excuse to threaten and pressure her!”

Valefor responded in Gamigin’s stead.

“Has Dantalian ever respected Gamigin as his lover in a formal setting? Did he not always compare her to Barbatos and belittle her constantly!? Dantalian did what he did purely to mock and laugh at her! She is a victim!”

Angry voices erupted from the Demon Lords again.

The Plains Faction Demon Lords fell silent once Barbatos quietly raised her right hand. These individuals, who were warriors by nature, couldn’t hold back their rage as their heavy breathing was filled with anger and hostility due to their refusal to accept their comrade’s unfair death. However, it wasn’t like everyone in the Plains Faction liked Dantalian. Those people became silent.

“Further discussion is pointless.”

Barbatos coldly dismissed any further argument.

“Gamigin. Show us this proof.”

“I was going to show it anyway even if you didn’t ask.”

Gamigin removed the obsidian necklace that was around her neck. ‘I see,’ Valefor thought to himself as he nodded. So she cast the memoria spell on her necklace. Dantalian was a foolish man. He allowed her into his room unaware of what kind of future awaited him…….

Now the world will see how Dantalian threatened her. Considering what they saw back in the room, it was almost certain that some sort of perverted torture had unfolded. He had dared to treat a Demon Lord like some prostitute. Tolerance was impossible.

If the Plains Faction tries to protect Dantalian even after witnessing what had happened, then that would only ruin their own reputation. The archdukes of the demon world were also present. They have no choice but to go against their emotions and acknowledge Dantalian’s crime. Their plan was perfect…….

An opaque light flowed out from the necklace.

Gamigin smiled.

“Definite proof.”

A scene filled with color was soon projected. Valefor heard a voice unfamiliar to him from the projection.

– For how long must we continue to endure like this?

At first, Valefor couldn’t figure out who the voice belonged to, but his mouth fell open as he saw the scene before him.

– Our opponent is the Rank 71. Is anyone here weaker than him?

– In the end, Dantalian is nothing more than the figurehead of the factions. His individual power is pitiful and pathetic. If their side intends to keep disregarding us, then we must also show him his place.

– Valefor, but would it be that easy to assassinate him?

It was his own voice. Valefor and his comrades were being projected on the opaque screen. What was this? What was he currently looking at? Valefor didn’t understand. He felt an indescribable chill on his spine.

He rigidly turned to look at Gamigin.

Gamigin was smiling with her eyes.

– I will take part in this.

– Valefor…….

– However, I will only participate if everyone here also agrees. This plan requires absolute discretion. We are all either in this together or none of us at all. These are the only two options before us.

It was a maliciously edited video. All of Gamigin’s lines were cut out and only the parts where the independent Demon Lords agreed were included. The independent Demon Lords froze like statues as the recording came to a spontaneous end.

The plaza became quiet. No one opened their mouth. An ominous curtain had settled over the entire palace. A single person abruptly muttered.

“Is this……not an assassination plot?”

It was more like they were talking to themself than to someone else. However, if what they said was the same thing that was on the minds of others, then it’s no longer talking to oneself. The curtain that had settled ominously jolted.

“Assassination! This was a planned assassination!”

“They assassinated the Count Palatine!”

Shouting broke out throughout the plaza. The independent Demon Lords were frozen in place. Everything finally burst once Beleth shouted the following words.

“Kill the assassins!”

Beleth threw his axe at the independent Demon Lord closest to him. The Demon Lord who had been frozen in shock because of the memoria artifact raised his arms up instinctively, but the axe sunk into his forehead. The Demon Lord fell back as his skull was sliced open.

Dozens of others rushed in at the same time.

“Gamigin…… Gamigin, you bitch! Kuagh!”

Ipos swung his dagger in anger, but Sitri’s whip sword flew in like a snake and tore his right arm into pieces. Once Ipos dropped his dagger in pain, five Mountain Faction Demon Lords tore into him like a pack of hyenas.

Ipos let out a terrifying scream as he fell. The other independent Demon Lords were in similar situations. A bunch of spears penetrated one of the Demon Lords who got down on his knees and begged for his life. He died right that moment as he was impaled in the chest, thigh, right forearm, and neck.

“Do not kill them! They must be interrogated!”

Paimon shouted in a panic. Everyone finally came back to their senses once she did.

But it was too late. Three independent Demon Lords had already died within a blink of an eye. Including Valefor, there were only three left. They lost their will to resist as they were tied up and tossed in front of Barbatos.

Valefor muttered.

“A setup…… Yes, this is a setup…… That recording was forged……!”

Barbatos snickered.

“That’s a pretty pathetic excuse. Can’t you think a little harder, Mr. Assassin?”

“Why……?”

Why did you betray us? Gamigin had definitely made the same vow as they did. If she had betrayed them, then she should’ve become paralyzed and lost all her magic circles……. And yet, she looked perfectly fine. Was the pledge magic faulty? No, that was impossible. The spell was perfect. It was inspected several times…….

At some point, Gamigin had arrived next to Barbatos and was smiling.

“You’re asking the wrong question, Valefor. You shouldn’t be asking ‘why’. You should be asking ‘how’.”

“What are you……?”

“As I promised you guys, I activated my artifact. Maybe the artifact was switched while I wasn’t looking?”

Valefor still appeared confused while Gamigin looked down at him with pitying eyes.

“You probably think you’re pretty smart, but, in the end, you’re nothing more than a criminal who idled away for centuries because of your disinterest in war and politics. Not only do you not know how to doubt people properly, but you also don’t know how to kill people properly…….”

“What are you trying to say!?”

It was at that moment that it started to get noisy behind Valefor. He tried to turn around, but couldn’t since Beleth was stepping on his back. Shortly after, a familiar voice rang out from above Valefor’s head.

“She is saying that you are an irredeemable idiot, Valefor.”

“What…….”

“Please remove your foot, Brother Beleth. Assassins and kings are of equal standing by nature. He should have the right to see me.”

The man chuckled.

The weight on Valefor’s back soon disappeared. Valefor raised his face to see Dantalian leaning down to look at him.

“Impossible……. There’s no way…….”

“Unfortunately, not only is this possible, but this is also reality. Is it not nice being able to see your comrade whom you once thought you would never see again? Feel free to give me a warm reception.”

Dantalian patted Valefor on the shoulder. He then spoke loudly for everyone to hear.

“I knew very well that you people despised me. As you can see, I am but a feeble man, after all. I always have a substitute doll ready in case I am attacked by an assassin. What you all killed was a pitiful doll.”

“A doll……?”

At that moment, Valefor recalled the fact that the individual he had killed was wearing anti-magic clothes. He figured that the weak mana he felt from the person was because the anti-magic clothes were in effect. In the first place, Dantalian never had a lot of mana anyway, so he disregarded it. But what if they were never a Demon Lord to begin with?

Dantalian straightened his back and spoke.

“Imprison the criminals. They did not act alone. We must now interrogate them and uncover their hiding accomplices.”

Accomplices?

Valefor still didn’t understand what was happening. What accomplices was he talking about? There had only been seven, no, six people who had vowed to kill Dantalian.

Valefor was dragged away helplessly. Dantalian said something to the onlookers, but Valefor couldn’t hear him. The word “interrogate” kept swirling around his head. He had a bad feeling. What was it? What was this man scheming……?

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Although this conclusion was sort of expected, it seems like Dantalian had more planned for this than simply getting rid of the independent Demon Lords, so that’s interesting.

I’m pretty exhausted today, so I’m gonna go rest after I post this. I had reserved military training today in my neighborhood, and they made us walk around for hours while fully geared with a gun, helmet, and all. I’m just tired now. I go die now.

See you guys in the next chapter.