Chapter 110: The First Demon King, Asmodeus
"Miss Serie..." Norne's gaze darkened. "She's been looking for you, like a woman possessed. The last I heard, she was in the Southern Labyrinth, where she had found a teleportation circle to the Godfall Land."
There was a massive, naturally-formed teleportation circle in the Godfall Land, created by the surge of mana from the dying goddess. It was what had saved them after the battle, teleporting them out of the god's final, destructive wave of black mud.
And that was why she had been searching for him, all across the world. She was hoping that he, too, had been caught in the teleportation and had been sent to some other corner of the world, just waiting for her to find him.
"Miss Serie always carries Athos with her. It seems to be her only memento," Norne said, then added carefully, "She seems a little... pitiful."
It was a good thing the subject of his pity wasn't here to hear him.
Rhodes listened in silence, his fingers drumming lightly on his arm. A wave of emotion, a deep and powerful tremor, passed through him, but was quickly suppressed by an even deeper weariness. He didn't speak, just gave a slight nod.
Norne then noticed the empty space at his waist. "Where is Org?"
Of the three holy swords that had slain the god, the 'Light of Ersten' was now enshrined in the human kingdom, a focal point for their new faith. Athos was with Serie on her travels. The Elven Kingdom had tried to get it back, but she had refused, and there had even been a few small conflicts over it. But the Elven King had intervened, declaring that the holy sword belonged with the Saint, and the matter had been settled.
As for the Divine Right Sword, Org... it, like Rhodes, had vanished. Lost to the world once more.
"I didn't bring it out of the Godfall Land."
"I see," Norne said, and didn't press the matter.
"And the others?"
"Miss Olivia..." his voice was a little weary, "she has fulfilled her vow. She has sealed herself away in the Heavenly Kingdom and will never set foot on the earth again. We tried to dissuade her, but she wouldn't listen. I'm sorry."
Rhodes looked out the window, as if he could see the Heavenly Kingdom, floating high above. This was her atonement. She had not needed to do it. But he had been swallowed by the black mud before he could say a word to her.
His lips moved silently, a single, unheard sigh.
"And that Somme..." his tone lightened a little, "he's now the heir to the dwarven throne. He's even grown a beard. And..." he smiled, "...he still pretends to drink ale, even though it's just juice. He's so afraid someone will find out."
A smile touched Rhodes's lips as well, picturing the dwarf secretly swapping his drinks.
But there was still one more. "And Eirik? He must be here as well, right? Or is he on an adventure of his own?"
The smile faded from Norne's face. He was silent for a few seconds, as if gathering the courage to speak. The very air in the room seemed to grow thick and heavy.
"Eirik..." each word was a struggle. "I'm so sorry, Rhodes."
A feeling of dread washed over him. "What happened to him?"
"When the goddess fell, and the tide of black mud erupted... Serie managed to get the barrier up in time, but... Eirik was the closest. Or perhaps, the power... it chose him." Norne's voice trembled. "His body was tainted by the goddess's dying curse. At the time... none of us noticed. Not even he himself."
Rhodes's pupils constricted. A divine curse... the unique power of the Goddess of Procreation. He knew what it meant. His own original body had been completely corrupted by it, forcing him to create a new one. And even then, a part of the taint had clung to his soul, and had been carried over into his new body. The black lines on his hand were proof of that.
"I didn't notice it at all. After the war, he and I went on an adventure of our own, teaching your magic to every human village we came across. But then, twenty years ago, his body began to change."
He closed his eyes, the memory still painful. "At first, it was just... moments of confusion. He would talk to himself, and he was always tired. He said he was fine, just weary. But then his personality began to change. He became... extreme, and easily angered."
"The corrosion had begun." As someone who had been completely consumed by the curse, he knew just how powerful it was. It wasn't a sudden change, but a slow, insidious process, a poison that seeped into your body and soul, day by day, night by night. It was how the Goddess of Procreation had taken over the Goddess of Life's own body.
"Yes. And by the time I realized it, it was too late. He had realized it too, and we tried to find a cure. We even tried to use the magic of the holy scripture."
Before the final battle, Rhodes had transcribed a part of the original text and had given it to him, to lay the foundation for a future order of human priests.
"It's no use," Rhodes said, shaking his head. "The magic of the scripture can't counter that kind of corrosion. Only an equal and opposite divine power could... and that's impossible."
"Yes! It was too late!" Norne's voice was choked with emotion. "Fifteen years ago, he disappeared. Just... vanished."
"He held on for five years... he did well."
"Yes," Norne said, a wave of regret washing over him. If only I had noticed sooner. But even if I had, what could I have done? In the end, there had been nothing he could do.
"And then, ten years ago, a new, unprecedentedly powerful and ruthless demon appeared. He united the remaining demon clans and called himself..." Norne looked up, and his gaze met Rhodes's disbelieving eyes. "...the Demon King, Asmodeus."
"The first Demon King, Asmodeus..."
Rhodes repeated the name, a twisted echo of his old friend's, each syllable a shard of ice in his heart.
(End of chapter)
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