First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 40

 

Of course, for that to happen, a sincere reconciliation would need to come first.

 

“This one is reflecting too. Says she won’t cause any more trouble from now on.”

 

Deront nodded her head repeatedly.

 

“Don’t just nod your head rudely without manners, you need to give a proper answer.”

 

“…I’m sorry.”

 

When Deront apologized once more, Merry turned her head away with a displeased expression.

 

Kise laughed exaggeratedly “Haha!” and extended his hand.

 

“Right! Well, an apology is enough! We’re sorry too. For locking you up alone in that dark place. Even though the building collapsed and innocent people got hurt because of the trouble you caused, keeping you locked up until now was too harsh. Yes, yes.”

 

“…The building collapsed and people got hurt?”

 

I glanced at Deront, who was still keeping her head down, appealing her remorse.

 

A drop of sweat trickled down Deront’s temple.

 

Diago cleared his throat with a cough.

 

“We also feel very sorry about keeping that friend locked up in the basement. It felt like taming a disobedient wild beast. It was an unavoidable choice to protect our territory.”

 

Deront had said the same thing earlier.

 

Kise and Diago had let it slide many times even when she caused trouble.

 

I understand both sides’ feelings.

 

For Deront too, being thrown into an unfamiliar environment against her will and losing her power on top of that, she must have been in a very mentally unstable state.

 

The same goes for Kise, Merry, and Diago.

 

When a demon was causing trouble, just not killing her was already fulfilling their human duty.

 

“Now reconcile with each other and get along well. From today, you’ll be eating from the same pot.”

 

At those words, Nicolaus smiled as if he had guessed as much.

 

“What’s past is past. How could we possibly disobey what Your Highness is doing? Welcome to the Pluton Sect once again, child.”

 

Deront’s bowed head showed no signs of lifting.

 

I noticed her ears and cheeks were slightly reddened.

 

Perhaps she was moved by the Pope’s words.

 

“What are you thinking of doing now?”

 

Nicolaus turned his gaze to me and asked.

 

“What do you mean, Your Holiness?”

 

“I had hoped Your Highness would take time to gather your mind and body and slowly adapt to the environment here. But now, looking at Your Highness’s eyes, I see the gaze of one who has already decided where to go.”

 

As expected of a Pope, I suppose.

 

Though he’s a human who hasn’t even lived 100 years, I can’t ignore the experience he’s accumulated over his lifetime.

 

“What is Your Highness’s wish?”

 

A pleasant gentle breeze blew, ruffling my bangs.

 

It feels like I could achieve it together with these people.

 

The goal I’ve harbored since my reincarnation, kept preciously only in my heart.

 

“The complete annihilation of all Demon Cults.”

 

I finally spoke that wish aloud.

 

“I intend to make the Pluton Sect the only Demon Cult in this world.”

 

Nicolaus listened to my words and stroked his head with quite a serious expression.

 

“Making the Pluton Sect the only Demon Cult in this world… May I ask why you have such thoughts?”

 

The goal itself had been clear since childhood.

 

However, the reason had changed.

 

Originally, I had been searching for them to obtain the method of crossing from the Intermediate Realm to the Demon Realm that the Demon Cults would know.

 

I learned that method clearly from today’s meeting with Deront.

 

There’s no longer any need to be obsessed with the information the Demon Cults possess.

 

Now it’s truly pure revenge.

 

That was everything.

 

‘No matter how I think about it… it seems difficult for me alone to handle all the remaining Demon Lords.’

 

Even if I fully recover my power, even with the help of the Celestial Deities, it’s the same.

 

I don’t have confidence that I can achieve revenge with 100% certainty.

 

But there was a way to increase the possibility.

 

‘Killing all the Demon Lords’ proxies.’

 

The heads of each Demon Cult, the Popes, must all be proxies of the Demon Lords.

 

Excluding me, all Demon Lords had proxies.

 

And if you kill a proxy who has received divine authority from a deity.

 

‘A permanent loss of power occurs on the deity’s side.’

 

If I keep taking the heads of Demon Cult Popes, the Demon Cults themselves will naturally be annihilated.

 

It’s obvious that the difficulty of taking revenge on the Demon Lords later will also decrease significantly.

 

“I read in the library in the basement that Pluton seems to have almost no intimacy with the other Demon Lords. It even seemed like they hate each other tremendously.”

 

“Your Highness is correct. The Eight Demon Lords are ostensibly in a cooperative relationship but also compete with each other. Moreover, Pluton is the only one who ascended to the divine throne in a demon’s body. He greatly despised the elitist ideology and sense of privilege of the demon-origin Demon Lords.”

 

“Then, what should we do to turn Pluton’s gaze back to us? Shouldn’t we show some action that would satisfy him?”

 

Nicolaus, Kise, Diago, and Merry were listening intently to my words.

 

Deront, who knew my identity, glared at me with an expression that said ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

 

“I think the annihilation of other Demon Cults would be an event satisfying enough for him. After all, there’s no one among the Demon Lords that Pluton likes. At best, his relationship with Nevilos, the fourth throne, is like looking at strangers, and he hates all the rest.”

 

The corners of Nicolaus’s eyes curved subtly.

 

A look that asked if that was really the entire reason.

 

“…Of course, it’s also because of personal revenge. As you know, I nearly lost my life because of the Demon Cults, especially the Baal Sect.”

 

“Hahahahahaha!!”

 

Nicolaus laughed so loudly it seemed like the whole sky would echo.

 

Startled birds that had been resting on trees flew up in a flock.

 

Could that old man really raise his voice so loud?

 

“Have you forgotten? Your Highness is destined to lead our sect in the future.”

 

Nicolaus’s eyes gleamed with mad fervor.

 

“Your Highness’s will is the Pluton Sect’s will.”

 

Merry crossed her arms and muttered while touching her chin with one hand.

 

“The annihilation of Demon Cults… It will be a difficult and arduous path. But I’ve also been secretly disliking those bastards myself.”

 

Diago also bared his teeth in a grin.

 

“Revenge, that has a nice ring to it. I understand Your Highness’s feelings better than anyone. I’ll lend a hand in helping Your Highness achieve your dream.”

 

Meanwhile, Kise grabbed his red hair with both hands and screamed.

 

“Ahhh! Pope! Merry! Even you, Diago… Ah, whatever.”

 

He extended his pinky finger to me.

 

“I do sympathize with Your Highness’s feelings. But I’d like you to promise me just one thing. Don’t push yourself to do anything that seems too dangerous. For all our lives’ sake too.”

 

That goes without saying.

 

I’m sick and tired of the way some people treat subordinates like disposable chess pieces.

 

‘Wait for me, you Demon Lord bastards.’

 

I’ll come to smash your heads soon enough.

 

* * *

 

“You let him escape? Count?”

 

Turning back time, one day ago.

 

The Audience Hall of Taeyang Palace.

 

Brunei, sitting on the imperial throne, looked down at Duke Ifrit and asked back.

 

“Yes.”

 

Duke Ifrit trembled his fists as if his pride was hurt.

 

“The power dwelling in Cael might be more dangerous than expected. Even though I endured the confusion and cast Hell Fire, he deflected it head-on.”

 

Duke Ifrit’s ultimate technique, Hell Fire.

 

At the news that this ultimate annihilation magic had been broken head-on, commotion arose in the Audience Hall.

 

Currently in the Audience Hall were Duke Ifrit, Count Gamillan, Viscount Balcaud, and several other high-ranking nobles.

 

Two empresses.

 

And the knights of the Imperial Guard were all present.

 

‘Prince Cael….’

 

Imperial Guard Captain Zeroph Gamilan furrowed his brow with gloomy eyes.

 

‘Did His Highness truly… murder Her Majesty the Empress?’

 

According to the Count and knights who witnessed the situation in Gerpelt Forest at the time.

 

Third Empress Ellia was recorded as having been sacrificed to the demonic energy manifested by Cael.

 

For those who didn’t know the truth, it wasn’t unreasonable to misunderstand it that way.

 

‘No, His Highness could never have done such a thing!’

 

Zeroph Gamilan vehemently denied it.

 

Prince Cael killed Ellia?

 

This was even harder to believe than the fact that he could wield demonic energy.

 

‘His Highness was already possessed by a demon long ago. And his body was taken over.’

 

This is what Zeroph Gamilan believed.

 

Though the Imperial House concluded that Cael was cursed from birth and expelled him from the family registry.

 

The young Cael he had personally trained was not a cursed being, but merely an ordinary boy with special talent.

 

‘I will definitely catch and kill that damned demon who made Prince Cael and Her Majesty’s lives like that.’

 

Then perhaps those two in heaven could finally rest in peace.

 

Zeroph Gamilan quietly steeled his resolve.

 

“This is troublesome.”

 

Emperor Brunei, who had heard the situation explained by the Count, frowned.

 

It was dangerous.

 

Wasn’t this saying that a being with combat power comparable to a 9th Circle Mage was hiding somewhere in the Empire?

 

“Continue the pursuit of Cael. However, from now on, be more cautious, and even if you discover him, never approach first—prioritize reporting.”

 

“What should we do about the wanted order and execution order?”

 

One of the Imperial Guard knights asked the Emperor.

 

“For now, we’ll search for him using only the Imperial House’s forces. If we hastily issue a wanted order, innocent citizens of the Empire might become victims.”

 

During the meeting.

 

First Empress Sabina de Argent bit her lips nervously.

 

‘What should I do? What should I do….’

 

‘That person’ had ordered her to kill Cael.

 

There had been countless opportunities since the boy was a baby.

 

However, when the first attempt failed, she continued to neglect it under the pretext of being cautious.

 

This was the result.

 

Now that the boy had escaped from the Imperial Capital, it wouldn’t be easy to find and kill him.

 

Sabina looked up desperately at the night sky outside the window.

 

‘What should I do? Lord Baal….’

 

…Though everyone lives looking at the same sky.

 

The will and wishes harbored within each person are different.

 

In the Millennium Empire.

 

In the small city of Harten.

 

In the Holy Kingdom and Western Alliance. And in other lands as well.

 

Looking at the full moon carved into the night sky, each person carefully prepares for the future they envision.

 

Thus.

 

Time flew by like an arrow.

 

* * *

 

Four years later.

 

Southern Empire. The small city of Harten.

 

“Hornus spoke thus.”

 

An elderly man in gray priest robes stood on the platform, fervently spreading doctrine.

 

“Hope is not something far away. Just as today differs from yesterday, tomorrow will differ from today, and one small variable within that becomes the storm that changes the future….”

 

The midday sun passed through the stained glass, brightly illuminating the sanctuary.

 

Blue flames burned fiercely from the candles placed on the altar.

 

“And so when we all live with hope in our hearts, tomorrow will finally open and the world will be filled with light!”

 

“Amen!”

 

The mass concluded successfully with the believers’ spirited response.

 

“Thank you all for your hard work traveling far to be here today. I pray that Hornus’s blessing will always be with you.”

 

With Nicolaus’s final greeting, the believers stood up and filed out in order.

 

Soon, after most believers had finished leaving, quiet stillness settled over the sanctuary.

 

“Why aren’t you leaving, Your Highness?”

 

“….”

 

Even though the mass had ended, I remained sitting in the wooden chair without leaving.

 

“Grandfather.”

 

“Please speak.”

 

“When exactly do we hold mass for Pluton? It seems like we’ve been offering it only to Hornus for about a week now.”

 

“Hehe, we hold mass when believers come. But even while I’m offering mass to Hornus, I’m always thinking only of Lord Pluton in my heart.”

 

Nicolaus’s appearance had barely changed compared to when I first met him.

 

His hair had been grayish from the beginning, and though his wrinkles had deepened slightly, there wasn’t much difference.

 

“Speaking of which, how moving this is.”

 

Nicolaus looked at my face and smiled warmly.

 

“When I first met you, you barely reached my waist… but now you’ve become a grown young man, Your Highness.”

 

Over the past four years, there had been many changes in my body.

 

The physical changes of a human body during growth were remarkable.

 

Even though my growth plates hadn’t completely closed yet, my height had exceeded the average for adult men.

 

Though I still retained some youthful features, I had a distinctly masculine feel.

 

Most importantly, the strength of my body had developed incomparably from my childhood.

 

‘5th Star.’

 

5th Star at the age of seventeen.

 

It was an achievement rarely found in human history.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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