I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 129

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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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Chapter 129

 

“He left?”

 

At the Emperor’s murmur, the man nodded and answered.

 

“Yes. He seemed like he would stay for quite a while, but then he just left. The expected destination is…”

 

“The Black Tower.”

 

Dahan, who had been standing in one corner, spoke. When the Emperor looked at the man, he nodded confirming Dahan’s words were correct.

 

“Yes. Everything is just as you predicted.”

 

The Emperor fell silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

 

“As promised, I’ll give you the position of Prime Minister.”

 

Dahan smiled with satisfaction. The Emperor rested his chin on his hand and asked.

 

“So. What do you think will happen now?”

 

“The collision between the Black Tower and the Hero’s Party can no longer be stopped. Much will depend on who wins.”

 

As if deflated, he snorted and shook his head.

 

“The Hero is accompanied by fate’s protection.”

 

Fate’s protection.

 

It was a law the Goddess had bestowed upon this world. Since the Hero is the one destined to defeat the Demon Lord, the power of fate dwells in all his actions. If he needs strength, greater strength comes; if he needs companions, excellent companions appear. Until he can finally defeat the Demon Lord.

 

It’s a phenomenon of reversed causality where the outcome is predetermined and the process is added to match it.

 

“That’s right. Normally, it would be absolute fate’s protection until the Demon Lord is killed. However, his opponent is a Dark Mage. Moreover, a Dark Mage who has reached the highest level in the continent’s history.”

 

“Excluding demons, that is.”

 

At the Emperor’s sarcasm, Dahan nodded and explained.

 

“Dark Magic is the twisting of laws and fate. If he hasn’t simply grown in power alone, but understands it well…”

 

“He can defeat the Hero?”

 

“He might be able to avoid defeat.”

 

However, the Emperor was negative about Dahan’s story.

 

Until just recently, he had been that Hero himself. He knew better than anyone how strong the power of fate that never accepts defeat truly was.

 

“Even that Demon Lord couldn’t accomplish such a thing.”

 

Even the Demon Lord, who could be called the pinnacle of dark magic, dark magic itself, couldn’t overcome that fate. The law that the Goddess had once created by staking everything she had was that powerful.

 

“…Well, who knows.”

 

With those final words, Dahan bowed his head and withdrew.

 

After walking for quite some time and leaving the Imperial Court, he looked back and muttered.

 

“That’s something we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we.”

 

* * *

 

“The Hero is coming to the Black Tower?”

 

Kaela Rowan asked without even sitting up, just turning her head slightly. She wasn’t expecting an answer. It was just a natural reaction because the story she had heard seemed too hard to believe.

 

“Hmm… That’s strange. I hadn’t heard anything about it separately.”

 

The Black Tower was an organization where Dark Mages gathered. But if that was all it was, it would have long since become a target for subjugation.

 

The reason it wasn’t was because Kaela Rowan, who had been the Hero’s companion, stood as its leader.

 

Though it wasn’t publicly announced, the Imperial Emperor, the Saint who became the Pope of the Holy Nation, and most influential figures from various nations knew this information.

 

The magical realm she had reached while completing trials alongside the Hero was overwhelming. Just like the First Tower Master had done, releasing even a portion of the knowledge in her head would change the continent’s magical system. The Circle was one such example.

 

As long as she possessed overwhelming knowledge and power, those who wanted to obtain even fragments of it had no choice but to indefinitely prohibit subjugation.

 

“Hard to believe?”

 

“Well, it is a demon’s words after all.”

 

Kaella sat up and responded to the demon’s words. The demon sighed and closed the book it had been reading.

 

“You must not trust demons. What a tiresome story.”

 

Supporting his chin with one hand and speaking with a sullen expression, his face was, ironically, quite beautiful.

 

“It’s quite unfair, you know. When it’s actually humans who are most accustomed to disguising lies.”

 

“Haha, that’s a fair point.”

 

That’s how humans are. They feel no shame in telling lies, and they flaunt the wealth and power accumulated through those lies.

 

Kaella was the same.

 

When subjugating the Demon Realm, how many soldiers had charged forward, deceived by his lies. What matters is the power to turn lies into truth. She now possessed such power.

 

“Fine. Let’s say what you’re saying is true.”

 

Kaella pondered for a moment before asking.

 

“Does the Hero have a reason to come here? I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly offensive.”

 

Her appearance as she tilted her head seemed quite comfortable. Well, they had become quite intimate after conversing every few days. Thanks to that, while he had racked his brains trying to find things that might interest a demon, what he gained was not insignificant either.

 

Like the current story about the Hero.

 

“Well, it’s for extremely personal reasons.”

 

“Personal reasons?”

 

“You don’t need to know that. It would be more interesting if you didn’t know.”

 

“That’s too much…”

 

“Well, I am a demon after all.”

 

The demon opened the book again and muttered while running his finger across the pages.

 

“I love chaos. Things that can be easily predicted are boring.”

 

“I think I know how that feels.”

 

“Many things colliding with each other, producing unexpected new results. Irrational, extremely emotional choices. Though it’s sad that even those can be predicted to some degree…”

 

The demon leisurely savored the book. As if quite pleased with the content, a smile appeared around his eyes.

 

“Watching things I didn’t plan gradually come to completion is also quite a joyful thing.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

As the demon finished speaking and was about to disappear, Kaella reached out her hand toward him.

 

“Still, give me at least one more useful piece of information, Mr. Demon.”

 

Her slender fingers brushed against his clothing. The demon answered with a leisurely smile.

 

“Weren’t you saying you couldn’t trust a demon’s words before?”

 

“Are all demons originally this petty?”

 

“That’s quite hurtful to my pride. Well then, in that case…”

 

The demon chuckled and said.

 

“Now’s the time.”

 

“What?”

 

“The Hero’s Party is coming.”

 

The demon’s form disappeared.

 

Immediately after, tremendous mana swirled outside the Black Tower.

 

There were many who sought out the Black Tower.

 

Though the Hero was said to be subjugating monsters, an even greater number of monsters poured out daily. There were cases where people transformed into monsters as well.

 

The knights and mercenaries who had been working hard at subjugation were gradually becoming exhausted. The Dark Mage of the Black Tower showed an amazing mission success rate at relatively cheap prices. As time passed, the number of visitors could only increase.

 

The nobles who had gathered like that began to flee. The attendants who had been in confusion also ran away, dropping their luggage.

 

Anyone would have had no choice but to do the same. Massive magic circles covering the sky. Not just one, but dozens of them.

 

It was overwhelming enough to make even those who knew nothing about magic wet themselves, and those who knew magic cried out that it was an impossible sight and despaired.

 

Had they deliberately waited for people to escape?

 

When there were no more people fleeing, the magic circles emitted light. Massive ice spears formed and shot forth, the ground overturned, fireballs poured down, and lightning struck from the sky.

 

It was a sight that wouldn’t be strange to call a disaster. However.

 

Black mist spewed out from the Black Tower and devoured the attacks. The ice spears that had been emitting cold energy, the cracking ground, the fireballs and lightning. Once they entered the black mist, they disappeared as if nothing had happened.

 

“For a morning greeting, it’s quite noisy.”

 

“Kaella, Rowan…”

 

Kaela Rowan, who had been lying in pajamas just moments before, appeared wearing a pitch-black robe.

 

After briefly surveying the surroundings, she spotted Shtidy and smiled brightly.

 

“Hello, junior. If you have business, could you come back in the afternoon? A beauty like me tends to need a lot of morning sleep.”

 

Shtidy gritted her teeth at the sight of Kaella waving one hand while covering her mouth with the other and yawning.

 

“Telon, you know him?”

 

At the question that came out of nowhere, Kaella exaggeratedly crossed her arms and pondered.

 

“Well….”

 

“You know!”

 

Kaella tilted her head.

 

“Even if I know, should I have to answer you? To someone who doesn’t even show the minimum courtesy.”

 

Kaella, who had shown a fierce smile at the end, soon relaxed her expression.

 

“Well, fine. What can I do. Kind me will have to endure it. Telon, Telon….”

 

Kaella extended her index finger and brought it to her chin, then clapped her hands.

 

“I remember. He gave quite an impressive presentation at the Magic Tower Exchange.”

 

“….”

 

“He said he would resurrect a dragon. It was nonsense at the time. But in the end, a real dragon appeared too. Let’s see, I can’t say it’s completely impossible.”

 

Was it because he bit down too hard?

 

With the sound of teeth breaking, a stream of blood flowed from Shtidy’s mouth.

 

“You approached Senior after the Exchange Meeting ended, didn’t you?”

 

“What. You came knowing everything?”

 

Kaella frowned as if her mood was ruined and muttered.

 

“Personal reasons. Yes, it was really personal reasons.”

 

Then she looked around.

 

“So, did you come alone? Were you that impatient?”

 

Contrary to the demon’s words that the Hero’s Party was coming, only Shtidy was visible right before her eyes.

 

She released the mana she had been suppressing and raised her senses to maximum. From far away, very far away, she could feel powerful forces rapidly approaching.

 

“Let’s see…. It’ll take a few minutes for the others to arrive.”

 

It was quite a distance. For ordinary people, it would take several hours, but for the Hero who had already half-transcended humanity, it couldn’t be called far.

 

“Just a few minutes.”

 

“Yes. Just a few minutes. In the meantime….”

 

In Kaella’s hand was now a long staff.

 

“Let’s educate our junior here.”

 

Seeing the large bone and the very small gem fragment embedded at the top, Shtidy’s face twisted into a menacing expression.

 

Well, it wasn’t difficult to guess what that thing was.

 

Back in his immature days. The being that the Hero faced in the Imperial Capital. It was emanating an aura quite similar to what had poured forth from the Dragon.

 

“That earlier thing, did you copy it after seeing what I did before?”

 

The staff emitted a red light.

 

Massive mana was amplified as it passed through the staff. The roughly flowing movement was like dark red lightning striking. It was that fast and looked powerful just from watching.

 

They rose into the sky.

 

Moving here and there, they created patterns.

 

What was completed was a single magic circle. Even facing a magic circle that emanated such an ominous aura, Shtidy did not retreat.

 

Instead, he forcefully drew up his mana. The circles generated in his body spun frantically. He analyzed the completed magic circle and conceived new magic to counter it.

 

Massive mana and magic power swirled violently.

 

The Dark Mages who couldn’t escape in time and remained in the tower felt the flow of magic power and screamed.

 

But in the underground of the Black Tower.

 

The demon lying on the bed in the shabby room with eyes closed smiled.

 

“That is a battle that has reached the pinnacle of magic in this era.”

 

And then he spoke.

 

“Come now, you watch as well.”

 

As if he could see the scene blocked by the ceiling and eyelids. As if someone was listening.

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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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