I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 138

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

Chapter 138

 

A massive conscription took place throughout the Empire.

 

It was an unprecedented event.

 

The Millennium Empire was mighty. Most nations could be conquered by dispatching just a single Knight Order.

 

But a massive conscription? What could possibly require tens of thousands of soldiers? Even when the Gate of Demon Realm opened, the Empire hadn’t mobilized.

 

Rumors spread through loose-lipped soldiers.

 

They said it was to subjugate the Black Tower and its Tower Master Kaela Rowan, whom various nations had been trying to ignore. A former companion of the Second Hero. At the same time, rumors of facing the strongest and most evil Dark Mage in continental history made many people fearful yet unable to deny it made sense.

 

Of course, not everyone felt that way. A few people had doubts.

 

“But if the opponent is a Dark Mage… wouldn’t having more soldiers be disadvantageous?”

 

Powerful Dark Mages were objects of avoidance for everyone. In the case of High-rank Dark Mages with power above a certain level, massive sacrifices were inevitable for subjugation, so there were many cases where their existence was tacitly acknowledged and left alone.

 

This was why there weren’t many battle records against High-rank Dark Mages.

 

One lesson could be learned from the recent subjugation battle against Dark Mage Sevian in the Southern Continent.

 

Small elite forces. Having many soldiers provided no help whatsoever. Rather, Dark Mages became stronger by using that blood and souls as sacrifices.

 

If they were trying to subjugate the Black Tower, said to be the territory of Dark Mages, why were they recruiting so many soldiers? It was a reasonable doubt. And that doubt quickly disappeared.

 

The Holy Nation also publicly declared they would dispatch soldiers.

 

Authority always defeats logic.

 

The Empire’s chancellor’s orders and the Holy Nation’s declaration erased doubts from everyone’s minds. Soldiers and Knight Orders were dispatched from all over the continent, and mercenaries flocked in.

 

The Black Tower did not react. At least it appeared that way.

 

In the underground of the Black Tower was a shabby and worn room.

 

Black Tower Master Kaela Rowan now entered inside as skillfully as if it were her own room. She had realized that calling such an important figure to her office repeatedly was inappropriate.

 

The room was quiet.

 

The man sitting on the bed had his eyes closed and wasn’t even breathing audibly. His appearance was so beautiful that Kaella stared blankly for a moment before suddenly speaking.

 

“Aren’t you anxious?”

 

“Anxious?”

 

Jude—the Demon Lord who had taken over his body—chuckled softly.

 

“If you’re going to talk about trivial matters, then leave. I have something that requires considerable concentration.”

 

Then he closed his eyes again.

 

Kaella found his behavior quite concerning. No matter what amazing abilities he possessed, he was still a being who was a Demon Lord.

 

The Demon Lord she had faced in the final battle seemed impossible to defeat. For some reason, after easily disposing of him, an unsettling feeling had lingered until now.

 

What could there be that required his concentration? Of course, he would be different from the Demon Lord she had faced then, but she couldn’t help being curious.

 

“The growth is fast.”

 

A small smile appeared on the Demon Lord’s lips as he muttered this.

 

Kaella, who had been staring blankly, soon frowned.

 

“The Hero is coming. I did defeat him before. But he must be several times stronger than back then.”

 

It was natural for the Hero’s growth to be fast.

 

That’s what Heroes are. They quickly overcome any hardship and adversity, adapt, and ultimately achieve victory. Her conclusion from watching the Hero from the closest position was that he had to be eliminated immediately without giving him time to adapt.

 

That was precisely why she had attempted to defeat the Hero by doing something as absurd as summoning meteors.

 

But the meteors had disappeared, and the Hero had escaped. The next time they met, the Hero might possess the power to overcome even meteors that could bring destruction to the continent.

 

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

 

The Demon Lord muttered as he leaned his body completely against the bed.

 

“Why?”

 

“The Hero isn’t an individual. He’s a phenomenon.”

 

To her irritated question, the Demon Lord answered while waving his hand dismissively.

 

It was something Kaella already knew.

 

The Hero was a ritual that went through countless trials. It was ultimately completed by defeating the Demon Lord. That already transcended the concept of being human and was no different from a form of magic.

 

But what was the reason for bringing up this story now?

 

“The soldiers and knights gathering from various places. The powerful mana and life force spread across the continent. On top of that, the Great Demon’s resurrection has increased soul sensitivity. That leads to increased talent, which leads to explosive enhancement of power.”

 

“Wait, that couldn’t be…”

 

Kaella raised her head.

 

The Hero becomes stronger the more trials he faces. That doesn’t change even after breaking through all fourteen trials.

 

When faced with something unbearable, he gains the power to overcome it. He overcomes it by any means necessary. But what if that power is already sufficient?

 

“That’s right. The power that should have flowed to the Hero has already been dispersed to the subjugation force. Of course, I’m not saying the Hero hasn’t grown stronger.”

 

The Hero does not gain power.

 

“…You intended that?”

 

Kaella’s expression twisted strangely as she muttered in a daze.

 

A certain scene came to mind in her head.

 

A few years ago, the battle with the Demon Lord.

 

It was said that the First Hero had won after fighting the Demon Lord for three straight months. It was possible because he had already far transcended humanity. Similarly, she had expected battles that would continue for weeks or months without end.

 

She had covered herself with various artifacts gathered from all parts of the continent, and had prepared herself mentally as well.

 

And the battle ended in an instant.

 

The fight with the Demon Lord was certainly difficult and dangerous. There were more than a few moments when she nearly lost her life. And in three days, the Demon Lord fell.

 

Perhaps saying “in an instant” might be inaccurate. But compared to the expected duration, it was like a fleeting moment.

 

Her companions had said: Haven’t we become too strong compared to the First Hero? Someone else had said: Wasn’t the Demon Lord weaker than back then?

 

But for some reason. From after defeating the Demon Lord until now, Kaella had constantly thought: What if the Demon Lord had deliberately let himself be defeated?

 

If that was…

 

To prevent the Hero and his companions from becoming stronger than necessary.

 

“Actually, even if it led to the Hero’s individual strength, it wouldn’t be a big problem. But there is a need to maintain some balance.”

 

What kind of balance was he talking about?

 

Kaella’s mind was already filled with confusion. Her spirit that had gone back to the past had returned to reality, but things were just as complicated.

 

How could a demon who had never taken a single step out of the Magic Tower control the Empire? However, the Demon Lord seemed to have no intention of dealing with her any longer.

 

“Go out. There’s a limit to how much I’ll consider your devotion.”

 

Feeling a sudden sense of crisis, Kaella hurriedly left the room.

 

The Demon Lord, left alone, no longer hid the laughter that was leaking out.

 

“Good. I felt it from the beginning, but his talent exceeds expectations.”

 

The Demon Lord examined Jude’s soul sleeping within.

 

Though he hadn’t obtained everything he had planned when first confining him there, this wasn’t the first time that guy had done such a thing.

 

A guy who always brought unexpected results, like a crystallization of chaos. He could truly be called the very embodiment of humanity. Rather, he would have been disappointed if things had gone according to plan.

 

Even now it was the same.

 

Deception. That was the Demon Lord’s Divine Authority. Though he had simplified it into a spell that the guy could use and taught it to him, it was magic that would take an ordinary human mage years just to learn.

 

That he had easily mastered it was sufficiently expected. However, hadn’t he researched and evolved it on his own, eventually developing it to a level that could reach Divine Authority?

 

Because they shared the same body and the same soul, he could tell. Right now, Jude’s soul was shining more brilliantly than anyone else’s.

 

Perhaps even more than the First Hero.

 

“But not yet.”

 

Though infinitely close to Divine Authority, he hadn’t reached Divine Authority yet. It was no different from how Kaela Rowan had researched a Great Demon’s Divine Authority and recreated it as a spell.

 

Just a little more. If he developed just a little more. If he drew up resonance with his inner divinity and finally became one with it.

 

Then he could truly settle into Divine Authority and become another Demon Lord.

 

Of course, the Demon Lord didn’t wish for such a situation. If left alone, there was a high possibility it would turn out that way, but he also had a premonition that it wouldn’t happen. It wasn’t a situation where he could leave it alone, and more than anything…

 

“You’ve always exceeded my expectations.”

 

The Demon Lord, who had been bursting with laughter for a while, suddenly clicked his tongue.

 

“By the way.”

 

His closed eyes opened, turning toward one corner.

 

“You’ve been quite free in stirring up trouble. Simone.”

 

“I am Dahan now. My King.”

 

Golden Star Trading Company Owner Dahan was there, though it was unknown how long he had been present.

 

* * *

 

Time flowed relentlessly.

 

With soldiers gathered from various parts of the continent preparing for departure, a woman headed toward the Green Magic Tower.

 

Not the Magic Tower that had been moved to the capital, but the Green Magic Tower that had been abandoned and turned to ruins. It was a space without a single sign of human presence, as the important items had long since been moved.

 

The woman moved her steps without hesitation, as if it were a familiar space. As she climbed the stairs, slowly looking around, it was impossible to tell what was contained in her gaze.

 

The woman’s feet, which had not stopped moving, came to a halt at one location.

 

Telon.

 

A door with that written on it. After hesitating for a moment, the woman opened the door and went inside. And she let out a sigh.

 

“Haah….”

 

It was completely empty.

 

Well, it had already been over a year since Telon went missing. The Magic Tower had acknowledged his death, so there was no reason to leave this space as it was.

 

The woman who had been standing still for a moment moved her steps. She went to the Tower Master’s office on the top floor and briefly stopped by the empty library as well.

 

And the woman who was about to leave the Magic Tower suddenly stopped in her tracks.

 

She climbed the staircase again and headed to the familiar research room. She opened the door where coffee stains hadn’t been erased and stepped inside.

 

It wasn’t much different from other places.

 

It wasn’t much different. Except for a single sheet of paper placed on the empty desk.

 

The woman walked over as if enchanted and picked up the paper.

 

Slowly, she read through the densely written text. Though every single letter was already engraved in her mind, she read through it repeatedly several times.

 

And then she collapsed to the floor.

 

How much time had passed? The companions who had been waiting for her outside the Magic Tower couldn’t bear it any longer and entered the tower.

 

“Why isn’t she coming out?”

 

It didn’t take long to reach where she was, but the priest in white robes blocked his companions.

 

“Let’s wait a moment.”

 

“What’s the…”

 

“Shh.”

 

A snow-white hand blade flew toward the head of the priest who was pushing his companions back to avoid making noise.

 

The priest swallowed a short scream and turned around, snapping back.

 

“What was that for?”

 

“That’s my line. If you’re here, then come in. What are you doing?”

 

“…It’s nothing important.”

 

The woman, the mage, shrugged her shoulders as if it was ridiculous.

 

“Sorry for making you wait. Let’s go.”

 

And just like before, she moved her feet without hesitation.

 

Her appearance was the same as always. Except for her eyes being slightly red.

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