Royal Road
Chapter 271
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]
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Chapter 271: The Nephew (3)
***
“Lady Agnes, what do you mean by a large-scale demon summoning ritual?”
Damien asked, adjusting his posture. Agnes bit her lip and said,
“The Church has not yet fully grasped the details of the incident. All we know is that Pandemonium took the lead, and the scale is unprecedented in history.”
Even as she spoke, Agnes’s face remained grim.
“More than a third of the Tartarus Kingdom’s citizens were sacrificed to the ritual. Additionally, the southern part of the Tartarus Kingdom has already been overrun by demons.”
Damien felt his blood boil.
If Agnes’s words were true, the southern part of the Tartarus Kingdom would now be a hellish landscape.
Demons were monsters who enjoyed human suffering as much as if not more than, dark mages.
“Is it true that Sir Cheongyeum has gone missing?”
“He is not alone. As soon as the incident occurred, the Church dispatched Master and the top paladins. However, contact was lost as soon as they arrived at the scene.”
Cheongyeum was no ordinary Grandmaster.
He was widely regarded as the strongest among the Grandmasters and was considered a candidate for the title of Strongest Human alongside the Imperial Supreme Sword.
Such a figure had lost contact as soon as he arrived. That meant only one thing.
“…A high-ranking demon has been summoned.”
Demons, like humans, expressed their hierarchy in a five-tier system.
There were theories that humans had imitated demons in this regard, and vice versa.
What was certain was that demons were strict hierarchists, and their dangerousness increased dramatically with each tier.
“Yes, the Church is currently judging that at least a Marquis class demon has been summoned.”
Even a Count class demon could easily overwhelm a Master Class knight.
And a Marquis class demon was even more dangerous than a Count class demon.
There had once been an incident where a Marquis class demon had been summoned. Historians of later generations had all judged it to be a crisis for the continent.
“The Church has decided to dispatch Lord Radiant Light and Lord Green Wind as well.”
“You’re sending only two people to deal with a Marquis class demon?”
“It is the Church’s principle to have two Great Elders on standby at all times. If all the Great Five Elders leave their posts, Pandemonium may launch a counterattack…”
It was not unreasonable.
Damien had killed the Sla and the Weapon Master, but there were still plenty of monsters left in Pandemonium.
If all the Great Five Elders left their posts, the Church could suffer heavy losses if they were attacked.
“However, the Church is concerned that Lord Radiant Light and Lord Green Wind alone will not be enough.”
“So you came to me?”
“…I am ashamed to say so, but yes. Your presence would be a great asset, Sir Damien.”
Damien had single-handedly defeated Sla.
Damien was no longer just a rising star Master Class knight.
He had become a formidable figure worthy of formal assistance from a powerful organization like the Church.
Damien was lost in thought.
It wasn’t that he was burdened by the Church’s request. It was because this demon summoning incident had never happened in his previous life.
‘Dorugo must have been busy hiding around this time…’
At this time, Dorugo was too weak to stand against the Empire. That’s why he was desperately trying to hide himself.
But with this much trouble, his tail was bound to be exposed.
It wasn’t just Dorugo. The entire Pandemonium had risen to the surface.
‘Even then, they performed a demon summoning ritual. Why? What are they after?’
The future had changed too much to even make inferences.
Further deliberation was pointless. There was only one thing to do.
“I will accept the offer.”
“Sir Damien…! Thank you so much! The Church will never forget this kindness…”
“No, you can’t!”
At that moment, a shout erupted from one side of the reception room.
Before anyone knew it, his family was standing in front of the reception room door.
“A demon summoning ritual? We can’t send you to such a dangerous place!”
His father strode into the reception room and spoke, his face flushed with anger.
Agnes hurriedly rose from her seat and bowed.
“Your Excellency, I greet you. I am Agnes, a paladin of the Church.”
“There’s no need for introductions! We can’t entertain guests any longer, so I ask that you leave my territory immediately!”
Agnes looked troubled. At that, Count Haksen’s face turned red again.
“Can’t you hear me?”
“Your Excellency, if Sir Damien agrees to help with this matter, the Church will appropriately compensate…”
“Compensation? Are you saying you’re going to sell my son for that?”
Count Haksen raised his voice.
“I may be a fool, but I know very well how dangerous the demons are! They wield powers beyond human comprehension!”
Demons were dangerous not just because they were stronger than humans.
It was because of the powers they possessed.
Even a Count class demon could influence the world with its powers.
And a Marquis class demon could change the world itself.
“Leave immediately! Or is the Church so incompetent that it can’t even handle this kind of thing?”
Agnes knelt on the floor. It was as if she was saying she would never back down.
Count Haksen’s eyebrows shot up at Agnes’s attitude.
“Father, please let me go.”
At that moment, Damien spoke to Count Haksen. Count Haksen was taken aback and shouted.
“Damien! What are you talking about! Are you afraid of the Church’s pressure? Don’t worry about that! I’m here!”
“No, I’m not.”
“Then why on earth would you get involved in this dangerous business!”
At that, Damien paused for a moment.
He knew his father’s heart. What parent wouldn’t stop their child from going to a dangerous place?
In truth, Damien didn’t want to go either.
It wasn’t because he was afraid of demons. He had finally been able to spend some happy time with his family. He didn’t want to let go of this happiness.
“Father, dark mages are like a plague.”
Even so, Damien had to go.
“You can’t relax just because they’re far away. If you take your eyes off them for a moment, they’ll spread in all directions and eventually come here.”
Plagues had to be stopped early. Otherwise, they would spread in the blink of an eye and cause immense damage.
“Besides, this situation is not ordinary. I don’t know what might happen if we just leave it alone.”
Even in his previous life, there had never been a demon summoning ritual on this scale.
Damien couldn’t ignore this situation either. He had to find out their intentions and punish them.
“So I’m going. I don’t know what the dark mages are thinking, but we’ll all be safe if we deal with them first.”
“Damien…!
“So please let me go.”
Count Haksen looked at Damien with a face that was about to cry. But Damien didn’t change his mind.
“…Do you remember the promise you made me yesterday?”
“Yes, I will return safely.”
“You rascal.”
Count Haksen turned away as if he couldn’t stand to look at him. Damien gave a bitter smile.
And he stood in front of his family. He spoke to his mother first.
“Mother, I’ll be back.”
“Damien….”
Tears were already welling up in his mother’s eyes.
Damien tried to ignore it and approached Abel.
“Abel, take care of the family.”
“Brother, do you really have to go? Just stay with us….”
“I’m sorry.”
Damien finally approached Louise.
“Sister, I’m sorry to leave you without seeing you for a while.”
At Damien’s words, Louise just smiled bitterly.
“Promise me you won’t get hurt.”
“I promise.”
After greeting each of his family members, Damien left with Agnes.
When he went outside, he saw familiar faces. Radiant Light and Green Wind were waiting for the two of them.
“Sir Damien, it’s been a long time.”
“…”
Unlike Radiant Light, who greeted him warmly, Green Wind looked surprised.
“Green Wind, I was right, wasn’t I? Sir Damien is not one to turn away from such a thing.”
“…You were right, sister. I was too narrow-minded.”
Green Wind approached Damien. She put one hand on her chest and said.
“Thank you for your help. Bound Windss and the Church will never forget this.”
Damien couldn’t help but look surprised.
When he visited the Church last time, Green Wind had been nitpicking Damien’s every move.
“I’d love to chat more, but the situation is urgent. Would it be okay to leave immediately?”
“On the contrary, I have a favor to ask.”
“Oh, did you hear that, Green Wind? That’s why I like Sir Damien. He’s straightforward.”
Radiant Light nudged Green Wind’s shoulder with her elbow. Green Wind glanced at Radiant Light and shrugged.
“…Sister, please be careful with your words. I’m afraid someone might misunderstand.”
As she spoke, Green Wind raised her divine power. A strong wind blew from somewhere and enveloped the four of them.
The paladins of the Bound Winds could transform their bodies into wind and travel.
Green Wind could transform not only her own body but also the bodies of others into wind.
“Sister, please.”
“I understand.”
Radiant Light raised her divine power. A dazzling light seeped into Green Wind’s body.
Radiant Light’s divine power of ‘Amplification’ could amplify anything, such as cutting power, gravity, and so on.
[TL/N- Last time I translated Radiant Light’s power to strengthen anything. Now I changed it to ‘amplify anything’ for better understanding.]
It seemed that Radiant Light intended to amplify Green Wind’s power to allow them to travel faster.
“Then let’s go.”
The strong wind that enveloped the four of them grew even stronger. Soon, their bodies disappeared.
In their place, a storm soared high into the sky.
As soon as the four of them disappeared, a window in Spring Castle opened.
“…Damien.”
Count Haksen looked up at the sky with a worried expression.
***
Under the bright sky, a heaven-breaking earth-shattering roar echoed through the air.
The source of the sound was an old man. Every time the old man swung his fist at the translucent barrier, a tremendous sound was emitted.
But no matter how much the old man punched, the translucent barrier did not shatter.
“Lord Cheongyeum, please take a break.”
The young men who were sitting behind the old man spoke. They were all dressed in white armor.
On the chest of the armor was an emblem symbolizing the Church.
The old man, Cheongyeum, stopped swinging his fist. He glared at the barrier with fierce eyes and said.
“…How can I stop? We need to get out of here as soon as possible.”
This translucent barrier covered the ground like a pot lid.
Cheongyeum and the paladins were trapped inside this barrier and unable to get out.
“Damn it, I never thought they would hide something like this.”
Cheongyeum spat out curses.
Cheongyeum and the paladins had headed to the Tartarus Kingdom to resolve the demon summoning incident.
And as soon as they arrived at the kingdom, they were trapped in this barrier.
No matter how much Cheongyeum attacked, the barrier did not budge, no matter how he attacked.
“I understand your frustration, but… it might be a good idea to conserve your strength in case of an emergency.”
Cheongyeum simply shook his head at the paladin’s advice.
“No, I can’t stay still. I have to break this thing somehow and get out to inform the Church.”
Cheongyeum said, gritting his teeth.
“No one should come here. Whoever comes will be dead!”
***
[PR/N- Can we see Damien again in Sword God realm? What do you guys think?]
[Translator – Kie]
[Proofreader – Kawaii]