Chapter 74 - A Gift Wrapped (2)
In the end, Yuru spoke those words and disappeared.
ROAAAAAR!
What was left behind was only the monster, roaring as it stood.
『…My Demon King?』
Siltnaro spoke to Clay, who was fixated on the spot where Yuru had disappeared.
GROOOWL!
『My Demon King!』
It wasn't until the monster ran and started swinging its arms again that Clay finally took his feet off the ground.
SWISH!
Clay leapt up, barely managing to slip between the arms extended to strike him, and as he spun his body, he used his sword to slash the monster's neck.
GURGLE, COUGH?!
As he landed on the ground, the monster grabbed its neck and staggered.
Now, there was no Yuru to cast healing magic on the monster. The only thing the mortally wounded monster could do was stagger backward and then fall to its knees.
THUD!
As expected, the monster's legs gave way first, and it slowly fell to the ground.
CRASH!
A wide cloud of dust flew up.
Siltnaro, who had confirmed Clay's heroic strength by taking a risk and expertly exploiting an opening at a precise moment, held her breath.
'Incredible.'
Even with the unexpected appearance of a former comrade, he hadn't lost his composure.
'But that was definitely…'
Just a moment ago, the person who had spoken to Clay was none other than the Grand Archmage of the Blue Tower.
'She didn't seem like that before.'
Siltnaro knew about Yuru, of course. Having seen her since her time with the former hero, she had already experienced what her personality was like.
Back then, she didn't have the courage to easily step forward, nor did she have eyes that looked so obsessed.
'It's probably not my business to worry about.'
Her change was of little concern to Siltnaro. No, it was of some concern, but only if it affected Clay.
'He is composed.'
Siltnaro thought that he was simply and silently concentrating on what he needed to do.
"Ha…"
She was half right.
But she was also half wrong.
Clay let out a small sigh and slightly frowned.
'She's gotten stronger.'
Yuru was getting stronger every time he saw her. It even looked as if she was training herself further by using him becoming the Demon King as a trial.
'No, it's more than that.'
The moment his sword knocked off her hood, Clay had realized something.
That she had deliberately allowed an opening.
'As time goes on, she will become a more troublesome existence.'
He was well aware of Yuru's talent, but he hadn't foreseen this rate of growth. She had already reached a point close to the peak as a mage.
Who could have easily guessed that she would grow explosively again from there?
Step, step.
His mind was filled with thoughts, but there was a task that needed to be prioritized. Clay forced himself to erase his thoughts and headed toward the fallen monster.
'I must not be swayed.'
Yuru hadn't given up on him. A belated obsession was chasing him. Getting caught up in that was the most dangerous thing right now.
"Such an immense amount of demonic energy."
The dead monster's body was glowing purple. It meant that it had devoured an amount of demonic energy that it couldn't handle.
『My Demon King, over there…』
At Siltnaro's words, Clay's gaze moved to the monster's neck.
A ring, which had been hidden by the spilled blood, was slightly revealed and shining.
"The Ring of Luanac."
It was a ring used by the Shadow God, Luanac, who was born from the Black Spring, and it had the ability to store all kinds of power.
It was especially excellent at storing demonic energy, making it an item that even high-ranking demons desperately searched for.
"So she had it."
There was a reason why he hadn't even found a trace of it, even after sending some demons to look for the Ring of Luanac.
However, even if Yuru hadn't taken it, he couldn't be sure that he would have gotten his hands on the ring.
'If it had been left alone, it might have been moved somewhere else.'
At the time the Demon King's army was on the move, Yafenon would have been in the process of moving important items to other locations in preparation for war.
This wasn't a guess but was actually a part of Yafenon's mainland war contingency plan that he had learned about during his hero days.
'Of course, the Primal Prayer was an exception.'
Clay had been confident that Uthor would hold onto that until the end.
And that confidence had proven to be correct, and hadn't he gotten his hands on the Primal Prayer?
"Siltnaro. Stay away from me for a moment."
At Clay's words, Siltnaro transformed into her human form and moved a distance away. Clay glanced at her and then approached the monster, extending his left hand toward its neck.
CRACK!
As if unearthing a tree root deeply hidden in the ground, Clay grabbed the ring and pulled it out.
SHIIIING!
Instantly, the demonic energy, created by devouring all the other monsters in the forest, surged as if to burst into flames in Clay's hand.
"Ugh!"
"My Demon King!"
"Don't come closer!"
Clay held out his other hand, blocking Siltnaro from approaching.
"I have to handle this!"
RUUUUUMBLE!
A tremor, as if an earthquake had occurred.
Clay gritted his teeth to endure the shaking and put the ring on his left index finger.
"!"
The demonic energy in the ring rushed into Clay's body.
It was like the process of water from a high place pouring down.
"Gasp?!"
Clay staggered from the immense impact. His heart was beating rapidly, pumping blood like crazy.
'This much?'
This wasn't just to give him a ring as a gift.
'Yuru, that bastard…'
Did she wait here to bestow this demonic energy upon him?
Even this ring was just the wrapping.
HISS!
A searing pain shot through his finger, as if he had put on a ring heated in lava. After a long time of a struggling to adapt, everything…
"Haaah, haaah."
…stopped.
"My Demon King!"
Siltnaro ran to him.
"Are you alright?!"
"Haaah, haaah."
Catching his breath, Clay raised his head.
"Yes."
What he felt at that moment was a kind of overwhelming pressure.
'Yuru, what on earth…?'
It might have even been a sense of dread.
♧
"Lady Yelena."
Izer.
The elves were using the Imperial Palace Annex as a temporary embassy.
"The Lord of Blood has appeared in Yafenon."
An elven soldier who had come to see Yelena, who was staying in her office there, said.
"We don't know what happened, but if the Lord of Blood has appeared, the entire continent is in danger. You should prepare quickly…"
The soldier stopped speaking and fell silent.
Yelena was looking at something under her desk, showing no particular reaction.
"Lady Yelena?"
The soldier called her again, but Yelena was still not moving.
The soldier, who had been watching her silently, let out a small groan and left the office.
"What happened?"
"Same as always, nothing. She doesn't react at all."
The soldier sighed in response to his comrade, who was standing outside the door.
"She can't be unaware of how dangerous the Lord of Blood is. I think she hasn't recovered from the guilt of what happened to the hero."
"Hmm, that's a big problem."
"For now, I have to inform the Emperor of Izer that the Lord of Blood has appeared. Lady Yelena seems to at least react to that person."
Just as the soldier was about to leave the annex.
Step, step.
The Emperor of Izer, Tia, was walking toward them with a small escort.
"You've just come from meeting with Yelena, I see."
Tia asked as soon as she saw the elven soldier coming out of the annex.
"How is Yelena? Is she resting well?"
"Huh? Oh…"
Although surprised by the unannounced visit, the soldier, who had intended to meet with Tia anyway, calmly responded.
"She is resting… but I'm not sure if she's doing well."
"I understand what you mean."
"Huh?"
"I'll go in and talk to her first."
"M-my Lady, Your Majesty!"
The soldier quickly reported to Tia.
"The Lord of Blood has appeared in the land of Yafenon!"
"I see."
"Yes, so… huh?"
The soldier looked bewildered at Tia's nonchalant response and then took a sharp breath.
"Y-Your Majesty, the Lord of Blood is an ancient god! It means a sealed being has been released!"
"I know."
"Then we must make preparations right now…"
"I said I know, didn't I?"
Tia's gaze went straight to the soldier.
"…"
Although she didn't show any particular expression, the soldier, who felt an immense pressure from Tia's eyes, could no longer speak and backed away.
"Then."
Tia, who smiled slightly, began to walk again. The soldier could only stand there blankly, unable to stop her.
"Your Majesty."
As they got farther away from the soldier and entered the annex, walking down the hallway, the commander of the Imperial Knights, Lilien, spoke to Tia.
"It seems Emperor Lutan's words that the Lord of Blood would appear in Yafenon were true."
"It seems so. Our sources say the same thing, and the elves are also saying it."
Tia let out a hollow laugh.
"Why would Lutan tell us that?"
From his perspective, the unpleasant incident with Izer was only a short while ago. Yet he sent an unofficial letter to inform them of this fact.
'Wouldn't this only reveal that he's involved in it?'
Tia put her index finger to her lips and fell silent.
'Ah.'
At that, a smile appeared on Tia's face.
'I get it, Lutan. You want to show me that you still control the board, don't you?'
If the Lord of Blood went toward the Demon King as Lutan wrote in the letter, it would mean he still had many weapons left to deal with the Demon King.
'And that includes you, of course.'
Even with the appearance of an old man, there was a reason why Lutan could be so arrogant.
And Tia did not deny that that reason had a good amount of persuasive power.
It was no exaggeration to say that Lutan was arguably the strongest human.
'Of course, he never fought with the hero, though.'
Lost in her thoughts, Tia had already arrived at the door of the room where Yelena was.
Knock, knock.
"Lady Yelena, His Majesty…"
"It's fine."
Tia stopped Lilien, who was knocking on the door and calling Yelena, and reached out her hand.
Tia, who opened the door herself and went in, saw Yelena sitting blankly.
"Yelena."
The call.
At that voice, Yelena's gaze, which had been still until now, was raised.
"…Tia."
"I told you to rest properly when you're resting, didn't I?"
Tia walked toward her and met her gaze.
"You need the stamina to catch up to Clay, who is going down a different path."
"!"
Yelena's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth.
"I-I'm sorry. I was being foolish again…"
"Don't blame yourself, Yelena."
Tia reached out and stroked Yelena's cheek.
"You are just a pitiful existence."
Tia comforted her, saying that she had been put in this situation just for being a member of the hero's party.
"But now, you must get a grip on yourself."
Tia secretly whispered with eyes that were not befitting a saint, but were soaked in darkness.
"Because we have to get Clay back, even if it means we have to rot this continent to do it."