Chapter 137 – Interlude: The Castle of the Demon

Before the endlessly flowing vortex of miasma, a catastrophic sound finally echoed.

A large vertical crack formed along the giant tree’s trunk. Valros watched it dispassionly and without emotion. The miasma that had rapidly filled the Sacred Tree Garden began to subside. This was because Valros himself had stopped releasing it.

“Finally.”

The method to break the Sacred Tree Garden’s seal was to provide abundant nutrients to fatten the sacred trees, then cause them to rot from the roots. Sacred trees that had absorbed miasma to their limit would bear fruit at the end of their lifespan before withering away. However, unless the proper procedures according to the contract were followed, these decayed sacred trees would instantly reconstruct themselves.

Valros leaped into the hollow visible through the cracked trunk of the withered, fruit-bearing sacred tree, and after a short while returned with an Orb emitting miasma in his hand.

Without so much as a glance back at the Sacred Tree Garden that had long been his post, he departed.

He walked through the corridor lined with pillars. This was supposed to be the abandoned Beriondora Royal Castle… yet reconstruction was progressing. Collapsed walls were being rebuilt, and interior furnishings were being brought in from somewhere.

They had needed to move their base here to collect the four Orbs from the Sacred Tree Gardens placed throughout Beriondora.

Due to their appearance and nature, some demons preferred human lifestyles. Gardinis was somewhat representative of this tendency. Therefore, it was likely Gardinis who had these furnishings brought in.

Still, Valros frowned, thinking it was somewhat excessive. Spreading red carpets, decorating walls with paintings… it was as if they were recreating the Beriondora Royal Castle of old. It was as if he were saying that without imitating humans through art and such, he would die of boredom.

Walking down the hallway… when he entered the great hall, lower-ranking demons were gathered there. From beyond the crowd, he could hear a man’s agonized screams.

…Previously, there had been grave robbers who came to Beriondora seeking treasure. They called themselves adventurers… but they didn’t possess the plates that served as proof of adventurers, and reports indicated they had attacked first. In reality, they were likely closer to a band of thieves.

Regardless of their true identities, since they had witnessed the demons using Beriondora as their base, they couldn’t be allowed to leave alive.

That being said, demons fed on the emotions of other living creatures. While ordinary animals could serve as prey, human negative emotions were exceptional. For them, it was an irreplaceable, blissful taste.

Therefore—the fact that these men were rootless vagrants was quite convenient. It was their misfortune, but the demons’ good fortune. Since no one would notice if they disappeared. That’s precisely why they were captured alive instead of killed.

And so, they had been taken alive and were being feasted upon as dinner.

Though he didn’t know what was happening beyond the crowd, along with screams begging to be killed, emotions that satisfied Valros’s hunger flowed in.

The man’s wish would not be granted. Neither letting live nor killing. The plan was to discard them and move to the next once their minds finally broke.

It was like keeping dairy cows or chickens. Once captured by demons, their fate was to continuously provide food and entertainment to the demons until they could no longer be squeezed dry.

“Ah, Lord Valros. Are you here for dinner too, Lord Valros?”

“No, I’m looking for Zaradi.”

The reactions of those who noticed Valros entering the hall varied. Some showed deference and submission, some watched with curious eyes, others pretended indifference while keeping their distance. Valros paid no mind to any of them.

Valros was merely temporarily holding the position of leader because he was the plan’s initiator and possessed superior power among demons.

Although he had traveled around recruiting powerful demons like Zevion and Luceriage, the demons gathered here now were not all necessarily supporters of Valros’s plan.

Some were devoted to other powerful demons, some had gathered with their own ambitions, others had joined thinking they could benefit… each had their own motives. Precisely because it was such a gathering, the naturally powerful would rise to the top.

“Lord Valros.”

As Valros scanned the area, the one he was looking for—the demon who took the form of an old man who could be called Valros’s deputy—Zaradi approached him. When Zaradi noticed the Orb in his hand, his expression brightened.

“Congratulations. Finally, isn’t it?”

“I should say it’s about time. Under my plan, we’ve lost three powerful demons.”

“Huh? Three… you say?”

To Zaradi’s puzzled expression, Valros shrugged.

“Including Linette. She was valuable.”

“Is… that so…”

Seeing Zaradi looking somewhat dejected, Valros said, “I’m not blaming you. I understand the research wouldn’t progress without Termwills.”

“…No, you’re absolutely right. Without that one, we wouldn’t even have gotten started.”

Zaradi was now continuing Linette’s research. But the research wasn’t progressing well. While there were environmental issues like not being able to replenish Transference Stones, the fact remained that the hole left by Linette was simply too large.

“—What about the remaining Miasma Orbs?”

The Demon’s Orbs emitting miasma… meaning the Miasma Orbs: one was released by Luceriage, one by Valros. That left two remaining.

One should have been handled by Gardinis, the other by Mustra.

“Ah. Mine isn’t ready yet.”

The one who answered Valros’s question wasn’t Zaradi. Valros turned his gaze toward the voice’s direction.

Someone was peeking out from the second-floor balcony of the hall. A demon in the form of a young man with a smile… Mustra.

Leaning over the railing, he did a spin before descending.

“…Mustra. You are taking this seriously, aren’t you?”

“Of course. But Valros, according to your new plan, we can’t move until all the seals are broken anyway, right? As long as we meet that deadline, even if I work hard alone, it won’t make any difference. From the looks of it, you’re holding back your power for that reason too.”

Mustra directed his thread-thin eyes toward Valros, who had aimed for liberation as quickly as possible, and shrugged.

Sighing inwardly at Mustra’s insolent, condescending smile, Valros said, “That’s true, but we need to bring the Miasma Orbs into Termwills when the seals are broken.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. Elder Gardinis has already taken his Miasma Orb to Termwills.”

“What?”

This came as a complete surprise. The fact that Gardinis, who was tasked with liberating the seal from the sacred tree, had left Beriondora for Termwills could only mean one thing. Gardinis had taken out the Miasma Orb he liberated on his own. Naturally, this meant he had also taken the valuable catalyst needed for infiltrating the Boundary City.

Valros glared at Mustra with clear displeasure.

“You… you knew about this and didn’t report it?”

“Oh my. I assumed he had contacted you too. That person is quite troublesome, isn’t he?”

Mustra shrugged with an air of nonchalance.

“I think he desperately wants your position.”

“Nonsense. If the plan succeeds, such things become meaningless. If he wants to play king of the hill, he can have it.”

“Haha. Isn’t it because you don’t care about such things? He seems to think being recognized by others and sitting at the top is important, and many dislike him for it. So… he probably wants achievements that surpass others in the plan.”

So that he could accomplish what even Zevion and Luceriage couldn’t. While Mustra’s true intentions were unclear… Gardinis’s motives were obvious. He had likely acted to match Valros’s progress.

“I just hope his greed doesn’t lead to his own destruction.”

“As for me, I’m fine living as I please, so I don’t really understand Elder Gardinis’s feelings.”

What Mustra meant by “living as I please” was essentially indiscriminate slaughter.

Whether it was Mustra before him… or Zevion or Gardinis, the more powerful the individual, the stronger their self-will tended to be.

“Really. It’s fine that everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”

“Ah, you can rest assured that even if I liberate mine, I won’t head to Termwills or anything. There should be plenty of others suitable for mere delivery work. Why don’t you rest your body for now to ensure the plan’s final stage goes smoothly? Recovery will take time, and in your current state, you might get stabbed in the back by some ambitious demon?”

“If they think they can do it, let them try. I won’t let them leave alive.”

When Valros showed a ferocious smile and made miasma rise around him, several demons who had been eavesdropping on their exchange were seen hurriedly shrinking back and blending into the crowd of other demons. Among them were some of Gardinis’s close associates.

“Haha. Well, with that, you should be at ease. Don’t worry, the plan will surely succeed.”

Mustra laughed in a completely insincere manner at Valros’s demeanor.

Valros seemed displeased with Mustra’s attitude, shaking his head and leaving the hall without responding. Zaradi followed behind.

“What shall we do? Gardinis is quite troublesome too.”

Zaradi asked while following.

“Nothing. Gardinis won’t listen to my orders anyway. Since he took the Miasma Orb, he seems intent on doing at least the minimum work required. In that case, whether he lives or dies is irrelevant. More importantly—”

“Hmm”

“Gardinis’s close associates remain. Gardinis himself has been making some suspicious moves too, so we shouldn’t let our guard down just because he’s absent. Keep them under surveillance.”

“Understood.”

Zaradi showed a characteristically demonic, belligerent smile. Having conveyed what needed to be said, Valros headed toward his room. Zaradi, left behind in the corridor, quickly hurried into the depths of Beriondora Royal Castle’s darkness to carry out the orders he had received.