Side Story Chapter 145

‘Who is it?

Lilith peered forward with sparkling eyes.

She had lived for quite a long time, but she had rarely met a man with such looks as the one slowly climbing the stairs. The man was objectively speaking as handsome as Joshua, but in Lilith’s personal opinion, the man was only the second most handsome person she’d ever seen.

“Long time no see.”

Lilith cocked her head, confused. It was definitely her first time meeting this man, but he was talking to her as if it weren’t.

“Have we met before?”

“I’m not talking to you.”

“Excuse me?”

“Joshua Sanders, you’re listening, aren’t you?”

Lilith’s eyes widened. The man knew her state exactly. She could say without a doubt that no one had ever done that until now.

‘Would you care to explain?’

she quickly asked.

-He’s not human.

‘What? What do you mean he’s not human?’

-He’s a dragon.

“A d-dragon?” Lilith stammered, so surprised she didn’t even realize she’d spoken aloud.

Come to think of it, she had heard that Joshua Sanders had become the first dragon knight on the continent, but not all dragons were good news. If the dragon she’d heard of in the story was the man in front of her, that was problematic in its own way.

“Crevasse the Mad Dragon...?” Lilith murmured in disbelief.

“It’s been a while since I heard that name.”

“Oh, no...” Lilith’s eyes widened.

‘Be honest with me,’

Lilith snapped at Joshua.

-He already knows everything, so why don’t you just talk out loud? You’re being rude.

Lilith cleared her throat before continuing, “Be honest with me. Your plan after getting out of the ice boulder is to unify the continent, right?”

-Why do you think that?

“You hid both hundreds of thousands of undead and a dragon underneath the Palace underground like you would with some kind of secret weapon!”

-It’s too much trouble to explain all of it... Think what you want, since the real story isn't really important.

“What in the world qualifies as ‘important’ to you if that doesn’t?!” Lilith shrieked, forgetting the fact that a dragon was standing in front of her.

-For example... Yes, you getting married to one of my men and having children, or my children bringing their lovers to meet me...

“That is very important, isn’t it?!” Lilith sarcastically replied. Her teeth ground against each other and a vein bulged on her forehead.

“...Are you done chit-chatting?” Crevasse quietly asked.

“Oh, yeah. E-Excuse me.” Lilith awkwardly bowed.

Crevasse gave her a look and then turned around. “Let’s get going. We don’t have a lot of time.”

-Can you deliver exactly what I say from now on?

Lilith trembled for a moment and then nodded. “‘I never dreamed you would come all the way out here to welcome me, Crevasse.’”

Crevasse turned his head but kept walking. “Why are you still in that mess?”

“‘The Demon Spirit isn’t completely gone yet.’”

“...I’m not surprised, but he has the persistent of a cockroach.”

“‘Thanks to him, the demons that escaped from the Demon Realm are running wild,’” Lilith added.

“I would imagine so. If they can acquire the Demon Spirit’s residue, it’ll be possible for them to turn this Human Realm into the second Demon Realm.”

“‘That will never happen.’”

“You know very well that that isn’t a matter which you can dismiss that easily. You’re basically humanity’s only hope, but you’re gone. If a powerful enough demon acquires three of the Evil Sins' powers, crushing the ice boulder won’t be a problem.”

Lilith’s jaw dropped to the floor as she realized what Crevasse and Joshua were discussing.

“Wa-wait, what does this all mean?”

“Human woman, we’re talking, so I’d ask you not to interrupt,” Crevasse chided her, his expression more serious than ever. Crevasse was naturally expressionless, but when he got serious, the air around him seemed to tense.

“Ah...”

“There is one more problem,” Crevasse continued as they arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

Lilith unconsciously swallowed. A dragon said they had a problem, and the previous topic was the Demon Spirit. In other words, this problem was as worrying as the Demon Spirit.

“Did you know that all dragons except me have been exterminated? Even the dragon lord has been killed.”

Lilith gasped.

However, Crevasse wasn’t done:

“Every adult dragon was at the level of a demigod, but they all have been defeated by a single human. Over a hundred of my kind have been killed.”

“Th-That’s insane...!”

“On top of that, the human gobbled up the dragons’ hearts and made their power into his own. I met both you and that human, so I assure you that your victory isn’t guaranteed if you fight him yourself,” Crevasse bluntly stated.

Lilith was rendered completely speechless. Nothing she’d just heard made the slightest bit of sense. Her head was blank until Joshua’s voice dragged her back to her senses.

“‘I already met him,’” Lilith quickly said.

“...Is that so? Then you must already have realized it yourself.”

“‘I admit that he’s strong, but my children can handle him.’”

“Your children? Not you?” Crevasse sneered, his first real change of expression. “I’m sorry, but I have to disagree with that, even if it’s you who’s saying it.”

“‘What do you mean?’”

“See for yourself.” Crevasse started walking toward the corner of the dungeon, where the entrance to the vault lay. “I’m telling you this just in case—don’t be too shocked, and keep in mind that I tried my best.”

“What do you mean?” Lilith asked, this time speaking her own words rather than Joshua’s.

Crevasse’s sneer deepened. “I don’t fully understand humans’ parental love, but I do know one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“What parent would be able to maintain their composure if their child went insane?”

* * *

A man confidently walked down the long red carpet running the length of the council chamber of the Hubalt Empire. The nobles were lined up on both sides of the carpet with their heads bowed as if they were guilty. A closer look made the reason quite obvious: standing behind the nobles were the paladins, who watched the nobles with their weapons drawn.

“This is good,” the man commented when he arrived in front of the throne.

The Emperor of Hubalt trembled with anger.

“Kurz,” he roared, “you little—!”

“Isn’t it strange? Your house arrest has finally ended after so long, but after you came to the council chamber like you were asked, you find yourself in this state.”

“You were behind that? How... How dare you...!”

“Do you think I could have done it on my own?” Kurz asked.

The Emperor went silent. Indeed, there were two more cardinals aside from Cardinal Kurz, and there was no way Kurz could have staged such a large coup on his own. In addition, Kurz was not good enough to earn the paladins’ loyalty.

“Wait... Was it Bel?” the Emperor mumbled. It sounded like he didn’t believe what he was saying.

“So the puppet knows how to read the room.”

The Emperor shook with anger once more.

“He and I share the same opinion on this. I believe that the reason why Hubalt failed to conquer the continent the last time is because of this damned diarchy.” Kurz nodded.

“...Are you guys seriously trying to start another Continental War?”

“You’re late. The war has already begun; the only thing left to do is assemble as many troops as possible.” Kurz flicked a finger at the paladins. The paladins bowed and ran out of the chamber, executing tasks planned well in advance.

“What...?” The Emperor’s eyes gradually widened.

Before long, prisoners tied up by ropes were led into the chamber. Every single one of them had once been the noblest people in Hubalt.

“Pope, Cardinal Erman...!”

They had been the most respected people in the Great Temple right until Lilith Aphrodite had acquired a Demon King’s authority.

“Hehehe, I see that the spectators have arrived. All of you, watch closely.”

“Kurz! What are you doing, you bastard?”

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“I told you to just watch.” Kurz received a sword from a paladin and drew it from its sheath.

The Emperor’s lips trembled. “Are you...?”

“I’ve been thinking. If your plan is to unify the political system by getting rid of one half, which one should I get rid of? The emperor or the pope?”

“Ho-How dare you...!”

“Our country is called the Holy Empire, and I started my life in the temple... So I reached the conclusion that it’s better to leave the pope.” Kurz grinned at his reflection on the sword. “Any last words? You can beg for your life.”

“P-Please spare me.”

Kurz swung the sword, splattering his face with a shower of blood.

“I didn’t really mean it. Anyhow, I can tell that swords really aren't my thing,” Kurz murmured, examining the blade stuck in the Emperor’s neck critically. The plan was to chop off the Emperor’s head in a single stroke; unfortunately Kurz was not a swordsman.

The Pope, so he closed his eyes, unable to stand the sight of a murder in broad daylight.

However, Erman glared at Kurz with eyes that burned with fury. “You... will suffer the wrath of Hermes.”

Kurz seemed to sense his gaze and turned to regard him. “Cardinal Erman—no, should I call you Teacher?”

“Kurz...”

“I’m going to become the most influential person in this land, and then no one will be superior to me, not even my parents and teacher.”

“...What are you trying to say?”

“I would like to fulfill my duties as your student and finally repay the favor I received.”

Kurz threw the sword on the ground and then slowly approached Erman.

“Your daughter, Lilith Aphrodite, is alive.”

Erman’s breath caught in his throat.

“Hehehe, I’m looking forward to this. I’ve wanted her so much ever since I was little, but if I take her right before your eyes... Would that be a sin that condemns me to eternal damnation, or an act of supreme grace?”

Kurz lightly tapped Erman’s shoulders and walked away.

“You bastaaaaaaaaaard!”