"My lady, I've got a clearer picture this time. The beastmen really are terrified of something — and the thing they fear most is… the smaller beastmen themselves. It doesn't make sense."
"It's definitely strange," Hel muttered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "But what exactly is wrong here…? Surely it can't really be some kind of demon-summoning ritual."
Just then, Sebastian appeared, his expression grim. A faint, flickering soul hovered in his hand.
"My lady, look at this."
"What is it?"
Hel took the soul, reluctant at first to use Soul Search. But reason soon won over hesitation. She cast the spell swiftly, and moments later her face darkened to match Sebastian's.
"This isn't right…" she said quietly. "They're infected with… plague? That's impossible. Even if I accelerated the corpses' decay, at most a small number might catch something. To spread this on such a massive scale, unless…"
Her words trailed off. Hel's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked toward Sebastian — and he nodded gravely, confirming her unspoken thought.
"Unless," he said, "they intended for the smaller beastmen to be infected from the start — to use them as carriers, to bring the plague into every corner of the human world."
"Ruthless," Hel murmured, sighing deeply.
She couldn't help but wonder — were these tireless, fearless small beastmen even truly alive?
"Whether beastmen or small beastmen, it's all the same," Sebastian said, shaking his head. "According to their faith, when they die, their souls are taken by the Lord of Death.
The worthy are granted eternal life in His divine kingdom. The brave are reincarnated as stronger beastmen, depending on their deeds in life. But the cowardly are condemned to burn in the flames of Hell for tens of thousands of years.
Humans may scoff at this belief, but to them, it is truth itself. Every one of them fights desperately for a chance to enter the divine kingdom."
The Lord of Death?
Hearing that name, Hel couldn't help but twitch her lips in irony.
Wasn't that so-called "Lord of Death" long dead already? And weren't these same believers — these beastmen — the ones who had just attacked her, the new Death Lord, not yet fully risen?
Did that count as betraying their own god?
She snorted softly to herself but said nothing aloud. Revealing her true identity to them would be beyond foolish.
"Well, now everything's clear," Hel said, leaning back in her chair. She clasped her hands behind her head and dropped heavily onto the sofa.
"I originally thought I could wage a biological war — let plague cripple their armies and force them to retreat. But I didn't expect them to go even further — to weaponize the plague themselves, turn it into a curse, and drag everyone down with them.
If they succeed…"
She didn't finish. She didn't have to.
Her mind flashed to a familiar image — a tragedy from another world: the Black Death, the plague that had nearly wiped out all of Europe.
In this world of magic and divine power, such a disease might not be fatal to the extraordinary — but most of the world's population were still ordinary people.
And for them, a plague like this would be devastating.
If this got out of control… the entire Sacrifice Kingdom could end up just like the fallen Free State.
"…We might need to start thinking about an escape plan," Hel said finally, her tone grim. "This could become a disaster even more terrifying than the undead plague."
At the same time, in the Mandrake Capital — Mandrake Keep
A red-haired, broad-shouldered man sat at the head of the council table, looking exhausted. This was the Grand Duke of Mandrake, ruler of the duchy.
In just over a month, the beastmen invasion had worn down even this formidable fifth-tier powerhouse.
Seated at his sides were four young nobles — two men and two women.
To his right sat a man who strongly resembled him: sturdy build, striking features, and an air of confidence. This was the Duke's eldest son — the first heir. Handsome, strong, and utterly lacking in common sense.
His mind was stubborn and inflexible — easily manipulated by others. Were it not for the many nobles who supported him, he'd have been stripped of his position as heir long ago.
Across from him sat a woman with long, wavy red hair and a dangerously alluring figure. Her face carried a fierce, rebellious confidence.
This was the Duke's second daughter — the infamous "brother-loving lady" Hel and Sebastian had spoken of before.
At her side was a small boy, clearly her little brother, who shared her fiery eyes and haughty smirk — like a miniature version of his sister.
And at the far end of the table, in a shadowy corner, sat a hooded young man.
He exuded almost no presence at all, as though the conversation around him had nothing to do with him. Even the little brother drew more attention than he did. Yet, hidden behind the dull eyes, a faint glimmer of predatory rage flickered whenever he glanced toward the Duke — like a lone wolf biding its time.
The Duke let out a long, weary sigh. "Since none of you have any better ideas for repelling the enemy," he said, "then let's move on to something new."
His gaze drifted over the squabbling pair of siblings — the heir and the second daughter — before he continued.
"In a few days, a royal knight order will arrive from the capital to reinforce Mandrake. We'll coordinate our assault with them — strike from both sides and surround the beastmen army.
But before that happens, I need two of you to reclaim Riverkeep and Linhaven.
Riverkeep is of critical importance — the only stronghold on the road to Mandrake City. If we can hold it, we can block most of the beastmen's advance toward the capital.
However, Riverkeep alone won't hold them off. We also need someone to retake Linhaven, so the two cities can form a pincer defense."
He looked across the table, his sharp gaze fixed on his children — mainly the eldest son and the second daughter.
"This," he said slowly, "will be my test… for who is truly worthy to inherit—"
"I'll go."
"I'll go."
The words rang out simultaneously.
The two glared at each other immediately, sparks flying in the air.
It wasn't the first time. Anyone watching could tell this scene had played out many times before.