I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 55

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

Chapter 55

 

“Uh, uh…?”

 

Blood flowing uncontrollably from her body, so much that it was hard to believe a body could bleed this much.

 

It was clearly a fatal wound.

 

In Jude’s confused mind as he watched Birutta bleeding to death, countless pieces of knowledge came flooding back.

 

Emergency treatment methods from the soldiers including Mike, the Guard Captain of Belive Territory. Master Sevian’s magic. Even the holy magic of the Holy Knights.

 

However, Jude was a Dark Mage.

 

A young Dark Mage who had only just managed to shed the title of Apprentice through memories gained by partially absorbing his Master’s soul.

 

Naturally, he knew nothing about healing magic that could restore a fatally wounded body, and even if he did know, the mana filling his body would be a major hindrance to realizing that knowledge.

 

“You don’t need to make such an expression.”

 

Though slightly contorted, Birutta spoke with a face too peaceful to belong to someone dying.

 

“The predecessors have already repeated this countless times. I am merely one of them.”

 

Powerful life force was rushing toward Birutta from somewhere, but it wasn’t enough to reconnect her heart that had been split in two.

 

-Do you want to save her?

 

The Demon Lord asked in a subtle tone, and Jude nodded.

 

Because he felt bad. She had arbitrarily expected things from him and arbitrarily taken on responsibility. He had tried to respond in his own way, but it was useless. And now she was going to die.

 

-You already know the method.

 

Jude remembered.

 

Seeing the life force rushing toward Birutta, he couldn’t help but remember. He himself had already experienced dying and coming back to life in this way.

 

Jude also had the means to do it.

 

“The World Tree’s branch.”

 

Though the World Tree’s branch awakened through imperfect methods had eaten away at his Master’s body, Sevian had used it to save Jude who was dying.

 

That meant the same thing would be possible for Jude, who had absorbed the World Tree’s branch.

 

The problem was…

 

“How do you do that?”

 

Even in this situation, Jude couldn’t feel the World Tree’s energy. It was natural, if you could call it that, since Birutta had ended up in this state for that very purpose.

 

Finally, the Demon Lord, unable to hold back, burst into laughter.

 

“Poor soul…”

“What?”

“I felt it from the moment I first saw you. Surely, you carry a burden too heavy for me to imagine.”

 

This time, even Jude couldn’t hide the bitter laugh that escaped him.

 

When she first saw him, that was when he had gone out to find the intruder in his Master’s Dungeon. What nonsense was she spouting when she had attacked him right from the start?

 

“I worry that I might be making those shoulders even heavier… but I believe you can handle it well…”

 

Her weakening voice stopped completely.

 

The ‘Mother Tree’ that had been pouring life force into Birutta’s body completely lost its strength and returned to being an ordinary tree at almost the same time.

 

To Jude’s eyes, enhanced by using Soul Magic, he could see a small, clear soul slipping away.

 

-Absorb it.

 

The Demon Lord said.

 

-And take even the World Tree’s spirituality. That is the way to respond to its expectations.

“Ha.”

-Why are you like that?

 

Jude, who had been staring at the soul for a moment, muttered.

 

“They say old sayings are never wrong.”

-Hmm?

“As expected, you shouldn’t trust things like Elves.”

 

Jude sighed and grasped Birutta’s soul in his hand.

 

* * *

 

The war with the Holy Nation could be called a critical matter that would determine the fate of Balaih Kingdom.

 

Prince Ator Balayh mobilized all the connections he had gained during his decade of wandering the Continent, and considerable military support came from the Dawn Order and neighboring countries that had always been displeased with the Holy Nation’s tyranny.

 

Naturally, large-scale conscription was also carried out at the kingdom level, so Johnny, who had recently been promoted to Guard Captain of Belive Territory, was also among them.

 

Johnny looked around with a tense expression.

 

He couldn’t adapt to the gazes pouring toward him from all directions.

 

After being promoted to Guard Captain, once the chaotic territorial situation was settled, he had received considerable attention from the unmarried women of the territory. But he absolutely couldn’t adapt to a situation like this.

 

“…That guy, is he the Hero?”

“The strong one who stopped Dark Mage Sevian’s ambition… I don’t feel any such power from him at all.”

“So the rumors were false after all.”

“No, maybe he’s so strong that we…”

 

Mercenaries and knights with fierce, almost vicious appearances. Soldiers leaning against walls with limbs blown off, unable to receive proper treatment. Even merchants who had been transporting supplies and territory residents who had been helping with various tasks – everyone was talking about the Hero.

 

Hero.

 

Before the Hero who defeated the Demon Lord, what came to Johnny’s mind first was the new Hero who had executed the Lord of Belive.

 

Honestly, since most of his companions including Guard Captain Mike and the sharp newcomer Jude had died then, his feelings about it weren’t good. But it was true that he had saved hundreds of people.

 

Even Johnny thought that while he might not be a Hero, it was enough to be called a hero.

 

Others seemed to have had the same thoughts, as rumors had somehow spread that the Hero of Belive and the Hero of Andril were the same person. Recently, plays featuring him as the protagonist were being performed for morale purposes.

 

The problem was that the name of this so-called Hero of Andril was ‘Johnny’.

 

Even across the entire continent, Johnny was a fairly common name, so there was nothing special about it. But ‘Johnny, former member of Belive Territory’s guard unit’ was definitely not common.

 

“I-I’m not that kind of person…”

 

It was useless. People were already firmly convinced that Johnny was the new Hero. It was the reason why Belive Territory, suffering from manpower shortages, could only send a small force with him as their representative, but such matters were of no concern to Johnny.

 

‘A Hero…’

 

Everywhere he went, gazes followed him. Johnny, who had been hurrying his steps as if fleeing, soon bumped into someone.

 

“Ugh…”

“Ah, my… Are you alright?”

 

Johnny, worried that this might be someone looking to pick a fight, hastily stepped back and examined the other person.

 

Bright blonde hair, neat appearance, and cunning eyes.

 

It was a face Johnny already knew. Someone who had met Johnny’s group during their march and provided great help in safely reaching Andril…

 

“Trading Company Owner.”

 

The owner of Golden Star Trading Company.

 

According to rumors, he had inherited the family business with his younger sibling after losing his father, the previous owner, in an accident.

 

“I told you to call me casually, Johnny.”

 

Perhaps he thought they had built quite a friendship during their time traveling to Andril together. For someone who was said to be a talent receiving attention not just in the kingdom but across the continent due to recent explosive growth, he was unpretentious and approached without formality.

 

Though he sometimes showed strange looks in his eyes, they would quickly disappear, so Johnny just thought it was his imagination.

 

“Aha, ha…”

“But what were you doing in a place like this?”

“Well, that’s…”

 

Johnny began explaining incoherently. It wasn’t to find an answer to his current situation. He just needed someone to confide in about the anxiety he had been feeling all along.

 

“I see… Ah, right. There’s a meeting shortly, would you like to come along?”

“…Me, to a meeting?”

“Yes. Honestly, it’s not an interesting place, but it would be better than wandering the streets unable to enter your lodging.”

 

Johnny, who had hesitated for a moment, nodded his head.

 

Golden Star Trading Company’s meeting room would certainly be much better than the temporary barracks. There would be fewer stares from others, it would be relatively warm, and there would be less stench and mold smell.

 

“We need to attack right now!”

“As long as we don’t know their intentions, we can’t move recklessly!”

“What intentions! They probably just withdrew because it was time to withdraw.”

“Don’t you think about the soldiers’ condition? And you call yourself a commander?”

“What, you? You’ve said enough now.”

“…”

 

So, he had been mistaken.

 

A mage wearing a hat was being grabbed by the collar by a tattooed mercenary, while surrounding people tried to break them apart.

 

The space filled with suffocating bloodlust and cigarette smoke was not Golden Star Trading Company’s meeting room. It was a place where commanders of various forces gathered in Andril had assembled.

 

“The situation is better than I thought.”

“This, you mean?”

 

It wasn’t particularly strange. After all, the merchant journey where Dahan had met Johnny was originally for transporting supplies to Andril.

 

Considering his influence in Andril, it was understandable that he would have a voice in such strategic meetings.

 

For Johnny, that made it even more incomprehensible.

 

What could possibly be the reason for bringing him to such a place?

 

“Ah, Trading Company Owner Dahan. Sorry for showing you such a rough scene.”

“No, it’s fine, Young Lord.”

 

A man who didn’t even try to hide his tired eyes approached. Johnny was startled when he learned the man’s identity.

 

The incident where the young lord, who had been studying abroad in the Empire, gave up his inheritance after Count Andril, the previous lord, died during the process of subjugating the Dark Mage who attacked the territory, was quite famous.

 

Jokes about how the only thing the Count, who had guarded the border for decades, had failed at was raising children, and self-deprecating remarks that the situation was so desperate that even the heir of such a great noble would give up, could be heard anywhere in the kingdom.

 

“My. No matter how many times I hear that title, I never get used to it.”

 

In the end, the Head Butler who had assisted the Count most closely took on the lord’s position temporarily, and his son, who had worked as the Territory’s Recruitment Officer, also didn’t flee and continued to devote himself to the territory.

 

The Kingdom was currently calling them the true exemplars of noblesse oblige and was even preparing commendations for them.

 

‘All of that, stories I heard from Trading Company Owner Dahan though…’

 

Looking at Dahan conversing with the Young Lord with a smile, Johnny could newly realize that he was a person from a completely different world than himself.

 

Just because he treated him comfortably didn’t mean he was someone Johnny could treat comfortably in return.

 

‘Still, if not for times like this, when would I ever get to come to a place like this.’

 

It was when Johnny, who had sighed inwardly, was about to leave the conference room.

 

“By the way, who is the person beside you?”

“Ah.”

 

At the Young Lord’s call, Johnny’s steps stopped. He couldn’t slip away without greeting in this situation. The moment Johnny turned around and was about to bow.

 

He could see that ominous smile hanging on Trading Company Owner Dahan’s lips.

 

Even when he narrowed his eyes to see if he had seen wrong, the smile didn’t disappear unlike usual. Dahan’s elegant hand gesture pointed to Johnny.

 

“This is Johnny, the Guard Captain of Belive Territory.”

“Johnny? From Belive…?”

 

The Young Lord made a strange expression as if he had heard an odd story. Dahan left such a Young Lord alone and moved his steps toward the desk. It was quite a rude action, but no one noticed it due to his natural movement.

 

“Greetings. I am Dahan, owner of Golden Star Trading Company.”

“…Golden Star, is it. I heard they’ve been expanding their influence frighteningly recently.”

“There were stories about receiving active support from the Royal Family. Their capital seems considerable too.”

“May I speak for a moment.”

 

The noisy atmosphere of the conference room settled down. People’s gazes focused on Dahan.

 

There were those who couldn’t hide their displeased expressions, but they also knew. Without Golden Star Trading Company’s supplies, the situation at the front lines would have been several times worse than now.

 

“Speak.”

 

The Young Lord, who had slightly frowned, permitted Dahan’s statement. Dahan bowed his head with an elegant gesture and then spoke in a theatrical tone.

 

“I understand the situation is desperate. The enemies are strong, and we are exhausted. Ah, I’m not disrespecting you all. They have something we don’t possess.”

“Holy Power…”

 

Someone muttered. Dahan smiled and snapped his fingers.

 

“Correct. Holy Power. The Holy Power bestowed by the Goddess exerts power equal to their faith. As long as that exists, our victory is… should be considered impossible.”

“…What do you mean!”

“No matter if you’re the owner of Golden Star Trading Company, you shouldn’t say such things lightly!”

 

The commanders’ protests continued.

 

Dahan remained still with his head slightly bowed, patiently waiting until their voices ended. To Johnny’s eyes, it looked like he was holding back laughter.

 

When he gave no response, the conference room gradually became quiet. Eventually, Dahan raised his head and spoke while meeting each person’s eyes.

 

“By tomorrow morning, the Holy Nation’s forces will come rushing again. An army like the Undead, armed with Holy Power and hard to kill.”

“….”

“We will block them. But many will die, become exhausted, and fall. How long can we hold out like that?”

“Ahem…”

“Right, that’s why I said we shouldn’t have expelled the priests within the territory…”

 

The commanders coughed awkwardly and averted their eyes.

 

“Therefore, there is one proposal I would like to offer you all.”

 

Looking at Golden Star Trading Company Owner Dahan’s smile, Johnny felt a more intense sense of foreboding than ever before.

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