Zaask sighed. “Do we look like kids to you, Kalavinka? All of these men are veteran soldiers. None of them will blame you for what happened.”
Kalavinka looked at the soldiers. Indeed, he could not see hatred within the eyes of the hussars. Some of them were even looking at him with gratitude, for his suggestion to enter the forest.
“Although it appears that the sky monsters have retreated, it’ll do us no good to be complacent,” said Zaask. “Install several traps, just in case.”
Vice Commander White saluted. “Right away, Commander.”
“Mauro.”
“Sir!”
“Gather the scouts. Split into two groups. I need you to send a message to the duchy and to His Majesty.”
“To His Majesty?” said the leader of the scouts. He knew that if word got out that they’d suffered such a terrible defeat against those monsters, the name of the House Kelvin would be smeared with mud. It was something Duke Kelvin would never allow, no matter what.
“The competition for the throne, the reputation of the House Kelvin. None of that matters right now,” said Zaask. His older brother, Lancaster Kelvin, would probably beat him up for this. “Your priority will be to inform the kingdom and the duchy of what transpired here today. Leave no details out. Do you understand?”
The leader of the scouts nodded. “I’ll make sure it reaches the king and the duchy. Please leave it to me, Commander!”
Zaask patted Mauro’s shoulder.
“Kalavinka, you’re going with the scouts to the capital. Get ready. You will be leaving in an hour.”
Zaask’s intuition was telling him this was the best course of action to take right now. For some strange reason, he wanted his little brother far away from here, no matter what.
The boy slowly nodded and no longer complained.
Zaask looked up at the sky. It was only a couple of hours before dusk. He decided to camp here tonight.
***
The next day, the Zaask Army left the forest and made their way to the duchy. They did not take the shortest route, in fear of being found by the monsters. A decision they regretted two days later, upon arriving at their city.
“W-What is this! What happened here?” Zaask shouted in utter fury. His eyes were wide as his body quivered from rage.
Dead bodies of residents littered the streets and almost half the city was burning. Slabs of stone, splintered wood, and dismembered human bodies were seen in all directions.
He could not believe it. In just a couple of days, the duchy had been overrun by monsters.
Zaask and his men despaired at this sight.
Their beloved city. Their home. Their families. Everything had been ravaged to the ground.
Zaask’s eyes swiveled left and right. Judging by the state of the corpses on the street and the direction they were facing, most of the residents were eaten alive on their way out of the city, probably by the sky monsters they’d encountered back then.
Men. Women. Children. Elderly. None of them had been spared by the monsters.
“C-Commander,” said White. “Over there!”
Looking in the direction the vice commander was pointing, Zaask saw several walking corpses heading toward them. Tentacles were squirming inside their mouths, their flesh rotting, their eyes hollowed. The same monsters they fought back at the port.
“How…” Zaask still couldn’t believe the tragedy that had befallen the duchy.
The Lancaster Army was supposedly stationed here. How had the city fallen in just days?
The parasitized humans roared. As though on cue, over a thousand tentacled humanoid monsters started unburrowing themselves from the ground. Hundreds of sky demons also started appearing in the sky, their screeches reverberating throughout the city.
“We’re surrounded,” muttered Zaask.
“Every path’s been blocked, Commander,” said White.
“Damn it. I thought we’d be safe as long as we reached the duchy!” snarled Zaask. “But, what’s this?”
As Zaask was scanning the battlefield for a way out, he noticed a familiar face among the parasitized humans. A muscular, middle-aged man wearing bloodstained armor. Half his face was scorched, and his left arm was missing.
“B-Brother?” breathed Zaask.
It was Lancaster Kelvin, without a doubt.
It seemed that Lancaster Kelvin had struggled until his last breath against these monsters. His expensive armor had been cut and dented, and a large portion of his body had been scorched by flames. A testament to how much fight he’d put up against these monsters.
And it was not just Lancaster.
Zaask’s former sword instructor. The head butler. The vice leader of the Lancaster Army. The leader of the city guards. The duke’s fifth son, Amphus Kelvin. The duke’s eleventh son, Sven Kelvin. Even Zaask’s daughter was among the parasitized humans.
“A-Amelia,” he called out to his daughter. The four-year-old girl looked alive, save for the tentacles squirming out of her mouth.
Zaask lost all will to fight back. He could not bring himself to raise his sword against these parasitized humans. Even if they’d been turned into monsters, they were still his family.
There must be a way to save them. A spell. A potion. The method did not matter.
The parasitized humans roared. The sky demons screeched. They charged toward the hussars.
***
Plagas, the Lord of Parasitic Demons, leisurely sat on the throne, at a room in the royal palace. It originally belonged to the King of Pirates. A man that had now become a high-ranking parasitic nest. A servant that would unquestioningly carry out all of the Lord of Parasitic Demon’s commands.
“I was hoping that there would be more exceptional humans like this one,” said Plagas as he fondly stroked the tentacles of the high-ranking nest next to him. Using the link binding him and a few handpicked parasitic demons, Plagas watched the battle in the Kelvin Duchy unfold.
“How boring.” Plagas rested his head on one of his tentacles.
The Immortal Demon had sent him and his tribe of parasitic demons to this realm for reconnaissance. According to the Demon Lord Barkuvara, during the Age of Magic, there existed humans capable of killing High Demons. Plagas’ task was to scout the Human Realm for such potential foe.
“If all of the humans are this weak, my tribe should be enough to conquer all of the human kingdoms,” said Plagas.
The strongest human he’d encountered so far was the King of Pirates. But even he couldn’t cut through the body of Plagas.
Plagas planned on going back to the Demon Realm later to report his findings to the Demon Lord.
“Oho! What’s this!”
Plagas stood up in excitement upon receiving the visual transmission from the parasitic demon he’d sent to the Empire.
“Another one! Another one!” squeaked Plagas.
A potential host for a high-ranking nest had appeared among the humans.
Unlike the kingdom, the Empire had been putting up a great fight against the demon horde. They’d even managed to shoot down a third of the sky demons sent to their nation.
Plagas strengthened the link connecting him to the parasitic demon currently located at the Empire’s soil. He shared its hearing, its vision.
“Prince Quinn! Please stop charging recklessly to the front lines!” A human, who seemed to be a military officer, shouted at the potential human host. The officer clicked his tongue. He said to his men, “Follow the prince! Guard him with your lives!”
“Yes, General!”
The prince, along with his men, valiantly defended the city of the Empire. Thousands of imperial soldiers and magicians clashed against the parasitic demon horde.
Plagas squirmed excitedly as he watched.
This so-called prince was incredibly strong for a human. Even the general following behind him was also exceptional.
“Oho, I see… I see!” said Plagas.
He realized that the glaive currently used b
y the prince was a magic artifact. It seemed to be capable of nullifying magic at a certain radius. If used correctly, Plagas knew that weapon was capable of cutting even the body of a high demon.
“A maginus? How interesting. So, the knowledge of the Magic Empire still exists in this era. I need to report this to the Demon Lord Barkuvara.”
Bearing the strength and the weapon of the prince in mind, Plagas issued out a command to the parasitic demons and the sky demons currently attacking the Empire.
“Focus all of your attacks on that human,” he ordered. “No matter how strong he is, at the end of the day, he’s still a mere mortal.” Plagas grinned. “The so-called prince and his general. Bring their bodies to me, no matter what.”
VOLUME 7: EPILOGUE
The news regarding the fall of the Kalavinka Port and the Kelvin Duchy quickly spread throughout the kingdom. Upon hearing of the barrier protecting Behemoth City, tens of thousands of refugees from the west started flocking toward the capital.
In the throne room, the royal advisors, several government officials, and nobles gathered to discuss the kingdom’s current predicament—their opinions regarding the refugees were currently divided.
“Your Majesty, we should close off the city gates! Who knows what will happen to us if we keep accepting all of these refugees!”
“Are you out of your mind? If we don’t take them in, all of those people will die eventually!”
“This ruthless old fart! You know fully well that this is the only city with a barrier!”
“So what? Tell me, how do you plan on feeding all of those people? Tell me!”
Indeed, although they’d managed to cull the Black Famine last year, the capital currently only had enough food reserves to feed their current population. Taking in almost thirty thousand refugees from various towns and villages in the west seemed out of the question.
“I’ve sent a message to Lord Chase and to Duke Youchester,” said King Alvis, his calm voice was in stark contrast to the agitated officials’. The bickering in the throne room died out. “Their territories had a somewhat abundant harvest this year. I believe it should be possible for them to supply the capital with grain and meat.”
The king looked so tired, despite his calm voice. Dark spots encircled his eyes, as though he had not slept all night.
“We shall continue accepting refugees,” said King Alvis. “The capital of the kingdom shall serve as a haven for everyone fleeing from the war.”
It was a bold declaration. Everyone in the throne room knew the repercussions of letting in too many people.
“I humbly ask Your Majesty to reconsider,” said one of the royal advisors, his voice desperate. He was the leader of the group in favor of closing the city gates. “Thirty thousand people is too many for the capital to take in at once. If His Majesty really wishes to take in the refugees, we can start by letting in a few hundred—even a few thousand.”
King Alvis gripped the armrest. “I understand your concerns, Minister Randolf. But I couldn’t possibly let all of those people die. We shall take in all of them, even if we have to ration our resources. With the help of Golden Wheat City and Youchester Duchy, we should be able to hold on for several months.”
The minister looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes in defeat. For several seconds, he fell silent. He eventually said, “Then, at least let them stay outside the city, Your Majesty. As long as they’re inside the barrier, the refugees shouldn’t complain. The barrier is large. It should be possible to accommodate everyone.”
King Alvis stroked his beard and pondered over it. He nodded. “Very well. Viscount Lakian.”
“Your Majesty,” said the Grand Chamberlain.
“You’ll be tasked with making sure the refugees are given shelter at the city’s outskirts. A shack, a tent, a mud house. Anything will do as long as they have a roof over their heads.”
The Grand Chamberlain bowed. “As you wish.”
“Danack.”
The leader of the patrol stepped forward, bowed his head, and said, “Your Majesty.”
“Disorder is bound to arise with so many people gathering together,” said King Alvis. “Take necessary measures to keep security and order in check. If someone is causing trouble, I’m giving you permission to kick them out of the barrier.”
“Please leave it to me, My King,” said the leader of the patrol.
Realizing that they had not discussed any plans on retaking the western region from the demons until now, Calisto Kelvin said, “Your Majesty, how long do we have to wait before we send out reinforcements to the western region?”
Calisto was the third son of Duke Kelvin. If the reports regarding the fate of the Kalavinka Port and the duchy were accurate, the first and second sons of their house were probably already dead. With the duke currently locked up in the dungeon, Calisto currently held the highest authority in the ducal household.
“We should send reinforcements!” Calisto was close to crying. Even now, he couldn’t believe that the duchy had fallen in days. “We could still save my brothers!”
“Calm down, Calisto,” said General Carlos.
“Calm down? How can I calm down when my city is literally burning right now!” shouted Calisto. “And this! We’ve been discussing the demon invasion for a couple of days already, but what have we achieved? Nothing!”
“Lower your voice, you are before His Majesty,” growled General Carlos. “You’ve heard it yourself from those who’d managed to escape. Those demons are capable of taking over human bodies! We can’t recklessly send our soldiers to their deaths! If we charge in that hellhole without a plan, we’ll be simply adding to the number of corpses!”
Under the general’s predatory gaze, Calisto finally shut his mouth.
“And do you think it’s only the Kelvin Duchy? Even Gryphon City has been attacked by those demons. The Marcus Army is probably fighting against those monsters as we speak! Rock Castle! The Leonard School! Quasan City! It is thanks to them that the demons haven’t reached here yet!”
Everyone in the throne room wore grim faces. They knew that if these territories fell in the hands of the demons, it would only be a matter of time before the horde reached the capital.
Thankfully, according to their intel, the Marcus Army led by Lui Marcus had been holding their ground against the horde. But they knew that it would be only a matter time before the Marcus Army was defeated, unless they found a way to prevent the demons from taking over the bodies of their prey.
***
After meeting with the nobles and officials, King Alvis went to an underground dungeon underneath Lady Ropianna’s mansion.
“How is it, Ropianna?” said King Alvis.
The king stood in front of a cell, along with General Carlos, Lady Ropianna, Elias ‘Farsight’ and several guards. Inside the cell was a parasitized human. A live specimen the soldiers had managed to obtain at a village near the Kelvin Duchy.
Lady Ropianna shook her head. She said in a raspy voice, “The alchemists managed to obtain a blood sample. But it will take at least two days for the results, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, I believe that that alone won’t be enough.”
“Is that so…” said the king. He also believed that there was an extremely high chance that they would not find a cure in a few days’ time. After all, this was the first time, even for the royal court magicians, to encounter a parasitized human.
According to Lark Marcus, the current barrier barred entry to anyone that was non-human. But since they’d managed to locked up this creature in a dungeon inside the capital, it meant only one thing: this creature was still considered human. This was the conclusion everyone here had arrived at. There should still be a way for it revert to its former state.
The parasitized human in the cell roared. It grabbed the bars and tried forcefully squeezing its head through the gap. Slimy tentacles squirmed out of its mouth. The guards warily stood next to the king to protect him in the event that the parasitized human manage
d to break out.
“It’s still alive even after losing this much blood,” said General Carlos.
A large cut was seen across the chest of the parasitized human. Its skin was extremely pallid, as though it had lost all the blood from its body.
“A normal human would have already died by now,” said Lady Ropianna. “Taking over their will and their body. They couldn’t even die if they wanted to. How cruel.”
The elderly female magician clenched her fists. Her shoulders quivered from hatred toward the demons.
“If by chance I meet the same fate,” said Lady Ropianna in a low voice. “Please kill me.”
Everyone furrowed their brows but didn’t utter a word. They understood the feelings of the elderly female magician. They, too, would prefer death over becoming a parasitized human.
“I haven’t told the ministers and officials about this,” said King Alvis. “But there should be a way for our kingdom to survive this demon invasion.”
Lady Ropianna looked at the king. “The one mentioned in the revelation…”
“That’s right,” said King Alvis. “You confirmed it with your own eyes, didn’t you Farsight?”
Elias ‘Farsight’, who’d been silent all this time, spoke, “Lark Marcus… He’s strong. Stronger than I expected. But it’s not enough for me to come to a conclusion, Your Majesty.”
King Alvis stroked his beard. “Over a week ago, I’ve received a message from the knight stationed at Blackstone Town. From Mikael Garios.”
“The former instructor of the knights?” said Lady Ropianna. Mikael was quite famous in the capital before he retired.
King Alvis nodded. “According to Mikael, a massive wall around sixty meters in height grew and surrounded the entirety of Blackstone Town overnight. Moreover, the same barrier spell protecting the capital was concurrently cast on Blackstone Town.”
Upon hearing this, the eyes of Farsight and Lady Ropianna widened. General Carlos, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to this revelation. As the closest confidant of the king, he’d already heard everything from the king beforehand.
“Pinnacle-grade spell?” Lady Ropianna said in disbelief. She’d seen before how much mana was required to cast that spell. Even the Tears of Ubroxia alone was not enough as a source of mana. A spell even a royal court magician could not cast on a whim.
Revelation Page 18