I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 47

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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 47

 

“Are you really sure about this?”

 

From behind me, a voice that had become quite familiar now held me back.

 

“It’s a bit awkward for me to say this myself, but if you join the Dawn Order, there would be many ways you could receive help.”

 

Melissa said.

 

I knew that well enough. No matter how small the nation, it was an organization that had a prince of a country as a member. Who knows how many other outstanding individuals from across the continent belonged to it.

 

In the first place, one of the reasons the kingdom was still holding out after the Religious Order declared war was the power of the Dawn Order.

 

But I refused to join them.

 

“Being able to receive a lot of help means I’d have to help the organization with a lot of their work too, right?”

“That’s… true.”

 

Conflict with the Religious Order was inevitable in the future. One of my goals was to kill the Goddess, after all.

 

But that was just one goal among many. What I had to do to fulfill my contract with the Demon Lord wasn’t simply killing the Goddess.

 

I had to find the treasures and Holy Sword materials the Demon Lord had hidden, and in the process of resurrecting him, who knows how I might clash with these Dawn Order people.

 

There was the option of using them as much as I could and then pretending not to know them later…

 

But it was true that I had saved my life thanks to Melissa, so I didn’t want to go that far. So this was the best option.

 

“If there’s ever a need to fight the Religious Order, I’ll lend a hand too. But I don’t want to belong to an organization.”

“…Sigh. Fine. I’ve done what I could by trying to hold you back this much.”

 

Just as I was about to leave the Lord’s Castle, leaving behind the sighing Melissa.

 

“Wait! You’re going to leave just like that?”

“Is there more to talk about?”

“There’s plenty to talk about.”

 

She tilted her head sideways and gestured with her hand as if telling me to follow.

 

After a moment’s consideration, I decided to follow her. I had heard enough to know how precious potions were.

 

For all I knew, the cost of the potions she had used on me alone would easily exceed dozens of gold coins.

 

“Your Master, Sevian, was brought into the Green Magic Tower about 40 years ago by a mage who was returning from an external mission.”

“…”

 

Melissa spoke while walking ahead. I was curious about what expression she was making while saying this, but I couldn’t see it.

 

“He was nothing special, just one of those ordinary mages, but after bringing your Master, he rapidly rose through the ranks. That’s how outstanding your Master’s talent was.”

 

The mage who took in Master. That face remained clearly in the memories I had stolen while absorbing Master’s soul. I suppose you could say he was Master’s master.

 

“In less than five years after entering the Magic Tower, he was counted among the five most likely to inherit the Tower Master’s position within the next 30 years. Considering that the other four were all going bald… it was truly an incredible thing.”

 

That’s why Master faced envy and jealousy. Many people turned their backs on Master, and that included the mage who had guided Master to the path of magic.

 

“Why such a Sevian suddenly became a Dark Mage… I don’t really know. However.”

 

Even so, Master didn’t care. Because he found incomparable joy in researching magic above all else.

 

I was starting to think this was a waste of time.

 

I already knew all of this story. Up to this point, anyway.

 

“What’s certain is that the last mission he was carrying out was supporting joint research with the Religious Order.”

“With the Religious Order…?”

 

Why would the Religious Order conduct joint research with the Magic Tower?

 

“The Red Magic Tower researches destructive magic, the Blue Tower researches defense and healing. In contrast, our Green Magic Tower doesn’t really have any magic we could call our specialty.”

“…”

 

That made it even more incomprehensible.

 

It seemed the Green Magic Tower wasn’t treated well even among the Magic Towers. If the Religious Order was seeking cooperation, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to choose one of the other successful towers?

 

“If I had to categorize it, I’d say magic itself. The Green Magic Tower researches this and that, whatever comes up, and when we get useful results, we sell them to other Magic Towers or nations. Literally, we dabble in all sorts of things.”

“All sorts of things…?”

“Yes. All sorts of things.”

 

Melissa’s steps stopped. Only then did I realize we had arrived in front of the Lord’s Castle entrance.

 

“What kind of research they did with the Religious Order is classified, so I don’t know either.”

 

Content I couldn’t find even in the memories I had seen. Probably the cause of Master’s hostility toward the Religious Order, and the reason he abandoned his brilliant future to become a Dark Mage.

 

And the reason he became corrupted and had his soul stolen by the World Tree branches.

 

“If you join our Dawn Order, I’ll make sure to investigate what kind of research that was using the Order’s intelligence network to the fullest.”

“…”

 

If I received their help, I could obtain information related to Master that I didn’t know about.

 

I closed my eyes, let out a big sigh, and then answered.

 

“I said no, didn’t I?”

“Ah, seriously!”

 

Melissa, who had been setting the mood, snapped irritably. It seemed this wasn’t the answer she had expected.

 

Still, my answer wouldn’t change.

 

The matter with Master was already finished. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t curious, but I had decided not to dwell on that past.

 

If I had truly wanted to know what had happened, I would have tried to absorb the remaining half of Master’s soul even if it meant my mana core breaking.

 

‘…Wait.’

 

According to the Demon Lord, when the Second Trial ended, the World Tree’s branch was absorbed into my body.

 

And that World Tree’s branch had absorbed the half of Master’s soul that I couldn’t absorb. Then didn’t that mean I had essentially absorbed all of Master’s soul?

 

“What’s with you all of a sudden?”

“…No. I just have something to think about.”

“Are you going to join the Dawn Order?”

“No.”

 

The Demon Lord, who would normally burst into mocking laughter or babble some nonsense, was quiet.

 

That actually made me more certain that all of Master’s soul had been absorbed into me.

 

-Tsk.

 

I couldn’t feel that influence now, but if I became able to fully handle the World Tree’s branch, wouldn’t I be able to see the memories from the remaining soul as well?

 

If so…

 

“Where will you go now?”

“…If I may give you some advice, it won’t be easy to live peacefully anywhere on the Continent. There’s nowhere humans gather that the Religious Order’s influence doesn’t reach.”

“That’s fine.”

 

I passed by Melissa and exited the Lord’s Castle.

 

Beyond the countless crowds hurrying through the streets, a Robed Group slowly approached from the mouth of an alley.

 

Melissa’s face, which I glanced back at, was thoroughly distorted. She seemed to be in a bad mood, or perhaps flustered.

 

When I looked forward again, the group that had reached me slowly bowed their heads.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

The Religious Order’s influence that extended everywhere humans gathered had little meaning for now.

 

Because where I was heading wasn’t a human city.

 

“Guide me. To the Great Forest.”

 

* * *

 

After the Dark Mage subjugation that left only wounds. Jude wasn’t the only one who returned to Andril alive.

 

A small number of Deserters who had returned to the Territory to pack their belongings were captured after being reported by Territory Residents.

 

The Deserters were imprisoned in the Underground Prison, waiting only for punishment. With a creaking sound, the Prison Door opened, and someone approached the Iron Bars where the Deserters were confined.

 

“…Come out.”

 

A voice full of fatigue. In front of the Iron Bars stood A Man with a reasonably handsome face, though he couldn’t even properly shave his beard.

 

This wasn’t anything unusual.

 

With the annihilation of large-scale forces including the Lord, it was harder to find someone who could rest properly in Andril now. The fact that he came personally to a place where Soldiers could have been sent was also due to the deadly shortage of manpower.

 

“Another interrogation…?”

“No. The interrogation is over. It’s an order from the Acting Lord to release you.”

 

Relief and bewilderment simultaneously filled the Deserters’ faces.

 

Regardless of nation or territory, desertion meant death. The Deserters had given up on surviving the moment they were caught.

 

But release?

 

“Is that really true?”

“Do I have any reason to lie?”

 

The man opened the Iron Bars with the key he was holding.

 

Leading the Deserters out of the prison, the man hesitated before asking.

 

“So, what exactly happened there?”

“We’ve already told you everything.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

 

The man, the Recruitment Officer, frowned.

 

That was only natural. The Deserters’ testimony was full of unbelievable stories no matter who heard them.

 

“So… You’re saying the Dark Mage who massacred the subjugation force transformed into a giant tree, and while Elves summoned a Tree Giant to fight against it, your Squad Leader killed that Dark Mage?”

“…I-It’s true.”

 

The Recruitment Officer shook his head as he looked at the wavering eyes of the Deserter.

 

“Why would the Acting Lord release people like this… Ah, what did you say your Squad Leader’s name was?”

“…”

“I’m not trying to harm him, so answer.”

 

Under continued pressure, one of the Deserters who had been reading the situation answered.

 

“J-Johnny, sir.”

“Johnny? You’re from the Belive Territory Guard Unit, right?”

 

The Recruitment Officer searched his memory. Recalling the owner of that name wasn’t particularly difficult. Even among countless soldiers, the soldier named Johnny had been especially notable.

 

Despite his young age, he possessed remarkably good judgment, and from what he’d heard later, he had outstanding spear technique skills among the soldiers. There had been more than a few knights who wanted to take him as their squire.

 

Most of them were now dead, in a situation where even their corpses couldn’t be recovered.

 

“Even if I give you the benefit of the doubt and your story is true, that Johnny fellow’s spear technique must have reached divine levels. After all, he defeated a monster that even the Kingdom’s Sword Master couldn’t beat.”

“…Uh, I suppose so?”

 

The deserters exchanged glances with each other and answered reluctantly.

 

Since they had been frantically fleeing to the territory, they had witnessed the battle scene from quite a distance. They had seen their Squad Leader defeat the enemy, but couldn’t make out what weapon he held in his hands.

 

“Tsk. This conversation has dragged on unnecessarily long. Go, deserters. I’d like to put you to work rebuilding the territory, but… I can’t trust men who’ve run away once. Leave the territory immediately.”

 

With those final words, the Recruitment Officer returned to the Lord’s Castle.

 

The deserters, suddenly abandoned on the street, briefly checked if their current situation was a dream before discussing among themselves.

 

“Everyone, what should we do now?”

“I’m going to leave for the Empire. A war with the Religious Order? The Balaih Kingdom has no future.”

“I’ve lived my whole life in Andril. I’m staying here. If I hide for a few months, they probably won’t even remember someone like me existed.”

“I need to find work first. In another territory.”

 

Immediately after, sighs simultaneously escaped from the mouths of all the chattering deserters.

 

They knew it too. The trivial things each of them had just spoken about had now become difficult to achieve.

 

Suddenly their gazes turned toward one person.

 

Billy, who had been particularly lively and talkative among them, was unusually quiet.

 

Billy smiled confidently at the attention focused on him and spoke.

 

“I’m going to do theater.”

“Theater?”

“That’s right. Billy was part of a theater troupe, wasn’t he?”

“Won’t you all join me? I just had an amazing script idea.”

 

Awkward smiles appeared on the deserters’ faces.

 

They knew Billy’s wit was quite good, but they couldn’t imagine at all that he would be able to write scripts well.

 

“An amazing script…”

“Sorry, but we’ve never done theater before.”

“Just listen first. It’s not too late to decide after hearing it.”

“Ahem!”

 

After clearing his throat to loosen his voice, a low voice flowed from Billy’s mouth.

 

“His journey that began in the small territory of Belive…”

“…?”

“A master of spear technique who saves the continent from danger. Divine Spear Johnny. A story more heroic than the Hero himself, presented as theater!”

 

The voice of the novice actor and playwright, filled with excitement, echoed through the street.

 

At that moment.

 

In Belive Territory, Johnny, who was on duty and yawning as usual, let out a resounding sneeze.

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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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