Chapter 395. Side Story 3. The New Era (1)

"I... never imagined I would set foot in the Imperial Palace like this," Judas murmured.

"Regent Judas," Dennis called, "isn't this place quite beautiful?"

"Dennis, don't forget to mind your composure. We came here as representatives of the New Continent," Judas replied firmly.

"Still, I am glad they finally allowed us to participate this year," Dennis added.

Judas—once the Duke who had served the former Demon King of Sloth, now the regent of the New Continent—let out a small sigh as he gazed up at the ornate Imperial Palace.

It had been fifteen long years since the campaign into the Demon Realm ended successfully. The demons, who had once gone mad under the corruption of dark mana, had united their strength to rebuild the ancient Arcane Civilization they'd lost.

Originally, they should have gone extinct. But Caron Leston, the Final Demon King, had delayed their annihilation—and even granted them the chance to begin anew.

He'd agreed to ten years at first, yet added five more without hesitation. So for fifteen years, the demons rebuilt with unwavering diligence.

During that time, the very phrase "Demon Realm" had disappeared, replaced by a new name, "New Continent."

"There is little to be happy about," Judas continued in his deep voice as he addressed Dennis, the young heir standing beside him. "The fact that they summoned us to the Peace Summit means they intend to hold us accountable in earnest now."

"The races of the continent still despise us," Dennis whispered.

"We must understand them. All of this is our karma," Judas said.

For over three hundred years, the demons had spilled an immeasurable amount of blood across the land. Countless people had died at the hands of demons and demonic monsters.

No mere fifteen years could ever cleanse that sin.

Even simply standing here in the Imperial Palace earned them endless glares of hatred, yet Judas accepted that hatred without resistance.

These people had every right to hate. To overcome that hatred, the New Continent would have to contribute more actively than ever.

"At least His Majesty protected us," Judas said quietly. "Had the King abandoned us, we would have perished long ago."

"Yes," Dennis replied.

"Remember their hatred with your own eyes," Judas advised him. "The debt of our race. The sin we committed. The mistake we must never repeat. Engrave it, again and again."

After dark mana vanished, Judas had immediately sensed his body aging. Their longevity had always come from dark mana. Once that dreadful power disappeared, they'd regressed into beings not much different from humans.

...Regressed, hmm. It seems I still have much to learn,

Judas thought with a bitter smile.

As the two demons looked around the palace like a pair of rural visitors seeing the capital for the first time, the Imperial Guards appeared.

Luke, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, stepped forward and bowed lightly, then said, "Welcome to the Imperial Palace of the Orias Empire. Please forgive us for not escorting you sooner. I am Luke Hymer, Commander of the Imperial Guards. You may address me simply as Sir Luke."

"No need to worry," Judas said. "The sightseeing kept us sufficiently entertained."

"Regent Judas," Luke said, "His Majesty the Emperor has ordered us to treat you with the highest courtesy. From here, we will escort you personally."

"Thank you," Judas replied.

The Imperial Guards formed a protective escort around Judas and Dennis. And together, they walked slowly toward their destination.

The palace was exceptionally busy and bustling.

"Sir Luke, how many times has the Peace Summit been held up to this year?" Judas asked.

"Last year, the Holy Kingdom held the tenth summit. This year is the eleventh," Luke answered.

"Nearly every year, then," Judas remarked.

To him, the continent's current political landscape felt peculiar. The Orias Empire was an overwhelming hegemon—yet unlike previous strong ones, the empire didn't suppress other nations by force.

Instead, Emperor Revelio had formed an enormous economic bloc. He'd built a system so intricate that other nations couldn't sustain their economies without trade with the empire.

It's a method to secure both peace and national interest,

Judas thought.

Thanks to that, war had vanished from the continent. But from Judas's perspective, this method was even more cunning.

The empire would maintain its hegemony for a very long time. Economic dependency was a more powerful shackle than any army.

Though I'm sure the other leaders have already realized it...

Judas thought.

Still, as long as the current emperor reigned, no one would dare challenge him.

Because behind him stood Caron Leston, the blue-eyed man now walking toward them.

"Oh, you made it?" Caron asked, wandering over as casually as if he were out for a stroll.

At once, Dennis dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, then said, "Your Majesty, I greet you! Have you been well? Your servant Dennis swears eternal loyalty—"

"Hey, hey. Don't do that here," Caron cut in urgently.

"Please accept my loyalty!" Dennis begged.

"If you do this here, I'm seriously going to get dragged off on charges of treason. I told you, I'm not the king in any official sense. I'm not supposed to be king, remember?" Caron explained.

Before anyone knew it, Caron Leston had passed the age of thirty. A great many things had happened in those fifteen years.

Like Halo, Caron had been granted the title of "Grand Duke," and he'd married as well. His bride was Seria, the High Saintess of the Holy Kingdom.

Many had said their marriage was the wedding of the century. Nobles and dignitaries from every corner of the continent had gathered, a spectacle rivaling the emperor's own wedding. And of course, the love story between a Warrior and a Saintess was a romantic tale that had captivated readers for generations. Naturally, the world had swooned over the pair.

"It is fortunate indeed that you look even healthier than before, Your Majesty!" Dennis exclaimed.

"...I have to smile all the time in front of the kids these days," Caron said with a sigh. "Oh, right. You guys sent us that baby gift last time, didn't you? We're using it well. My second child refuses to sleep anywhere but that cradle."

Unlike the past, the fully reformed demons were rapidly reconstructing their civilization, restoring ancient technologies along the way.

When Caron's second child was born, the demons had crafted a cradle as a gift. Whether it was the softness of the cushions or something else, Caron's second child—his daughter Luina, also called Nia—would smile and drift right to sleep the moment she was placed in it.

Hearing Caron's praise, Dennis actually teared up as he nodded. "It brings us such joy that it pleases the King! And how are the Prince and Princess doing these days?"

"They're doing well, thanks to you all," Caron said. "Right, your travel restrictions were lifted recently, weren't they? Are you ready to receive tourists?"

Judas answered respectfully, bowing his head, "We have established a Tourism Bureau and are preparing diligently, Your Majesty."

"Try developing a tourist site around the place where the battle with the Demon King took place," Caron suggested.

"We anticipated that, so we have already created a sanctuary centered on the location where you performed your miracle. Through our agreement with the Holy Kingdom, priests and paladins will be dispatched soon."

"...An agreement between the former demons and the Holy Kingdom. The world really has changed," Caron remarked.

"It was a beneficial agreement for both sides," Judas replied. "There are no experts better suited for creating sanctuaries than they."

"And with priests and paladins present, you might lessen the old hostility tied to past history?" Caron asked.

"As expected. You understood the heart of my long-prepared plan in an instant, Your Majesty," Judas replied.

"Giving you autonomy was the right choice. Keep going just like that—blend in slowly," Caron said.

Judas glanced up at Caron, who wore a faint smile, and nodded quietly. He thought,

You've changed so much.

The Caron Leston who once massacred demons was gone. Back then, Judas had wondered whether such killing intent could even exist in a human being. He'd seemed like a monster who had made even demons tremble.

Perhaps it was the years... or perhaps it was fatherhood. But that didn't mean Caron Leston's dignity or power had faded. His presence remained overwhelming. Whatever the case, Caron Leston was their king. Every demon in the New Continent still followed him without question.

Caron Leston had saved them from extinction and given them a chance to live. For that reason alone, he would forever be revered on the New Continent.

"When all preparations are complete, we would like to invite Your Highness to the New Continent," Judas said.

"I killed so many demons. Would they even welcome me?" Caron asked.

"You are our savior," Judas said firmly. "That truth will not change until the end of the world."

The embarrassing sincerity made Caron scratch his cheek. Words like that always made him shy.

"Still," he said, "I'm glad to see you two looking well. Alright, alright—we're running late. Let's head inside. This is your first time visiting the main palace, right? For the record, the Demon King of Havoc used to stay here."

"...Ahem," Judas cleared his throat nervously.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Don't look so stiff; come on," Caron teased.

It was an age in which demons could formally visit the Imperial Palace.

With his attendants following behind him, Caron stepped into the main palace.

***

The main palace of the Orias Empire stood within the Imperial Palace complex, a place where stories grand enough to sway the entire continent were exchanged. Here, the leaders who steered the world gathered to speak.

"I have heard rumors that the Neon Kingdom has been increasing its military spending," the ruler of Zion Kingdom said. "I wonder if they are scheming something unsavory."

"Of course it would look that way to you," the ruler of the Neon Kingdom said sharply. "Filth sees only filth."

"...That is an impressively crude way to deliver a declaration of war," the ruler of the Zion Kingdom said.

"If not for the peace treaty, I would have already crushed you fools of the Zion Kingdom..." the ruler of the Neon Kingdom muttered.

The southern kingdoms still didn't get along. They pretended to maintain nominal relations, but among them, the Zion Kingdom and the Neon Kingdom were by far the worst pair. Their specialties overlapped, and territorial disputes broke out constantly.

But the moment they spotted the man entering the hall, both rulers snapped their mouths shut.

"My, my, the two of you are as close as ever," Caron said cheerfully. "Bicker long enough and you'll grow fond of each other. I hear you each have unmarried children—one a princess, one a prince. Perfect match, isn't it? How about becoming in-laws?"

The faces of both rulers froze at once.

Caron grimaced, then said, "I was joking. Come on, you guys should laugh."

"Hahahahahaha!"

"Hahahahahaha!"

At his prompting, the two rulers burst into loud, exaggerated laughter.

Caron clapped, looking thoroughly satisfied, then continued, "Much better. This is a meeting for peace, after all—you should smile. Our Majesty is busy today, so I'll be presiding over the early portion of this conference."

The temperature in the hall dropped at once.

Everyone knew it was a lie that the emperor had urgent business.

Revelio simply wanted Caron Leston to enter first and set the tone. It was hardly the first time. And now Caron was the empire's sole Grand Duke, the hero who had saved the continent; there was no one in this room with more authority.

"Alright, alright. Everyone relax," Caron said, waving a hand. "The weather has been nice lately, hasn't it? Maybe that's why more bugs are crawling out of the cracks. According to the Holy Kingdom's report... Drugs have been spreading across the Free City Union. Grand Duke Hikardo, do you know anything about this?"

Caron opened the meeting by striking directly at the throat.

Grand Duke Hikardo, representing the Free City Union, went pale as he answered, "I will address it immediately. Once this meeting concludes, I will establish a special drug investigation bureau and eradicate the issue at its roots."

"Our Sultanate has also suffered trouble because of the drugs flowing in from the Free City Union," Samir, the Crown Prince of the Pajar Sultanate said, adding weight to Caron's remark.

"If you require assistance, we can dispatch our assassins to aid you, Grand Duke Hikardo," he added.

The Pajar Sultanate now played the role of the continent's clear second power. Though history rarely saw first and second powers on friendly terms, the Orias Empire and the Pajar Sultanate had grown close—almost like a blood pact.

The bridge between them had always been Caron. And one of Caron's cherished subordinates, Ugo, was spending his years living in the Sultanate, so the relationship naturally deepened.

"If the situation does not improve within six months," Caron said calmly, "we will establish a joint task force under the banner of the Continental Alliance. Any objections?"

Of course, no one spoke.

No one dared to raise a hand against Caron when he had placed Guillotine openly on the table. Even the man responsible—Grand Duke Hikardo—was nodding with a ghost-white face.

Caron presented several other agenda items afterward. Unsurprisingly, each passed smoothly.

And then, the most controversial matter of all arrived on the table.

"This is effectively my final agenda item," Caron said. "I wish to introduce a new member nation to the Continental Alliance. Representative, please come forward."

At his words, Regent Judas rose slowly from his seat in the back and stepped forward. He had gray skin, unmistakably unlike any human's. Everyone in the hall recognized instantly that Judas was a demon.

"Our nation, Piamen, wishes to join the Continental Alliance," Judas said.

Piamen was the name of the nation the demons had founded on the New Continent. A realm governed by the Regent, whose authority had been delegated by its king.

And every leader present knew very well who that king was. It was Grand Duke Caron Leston. He was the conqueror of the Demon Realm, the one bearing the title of the Final Demon King. A monster in the myths of an age not far past.

Piamen was, in truth, little different from Caron's own kingdom.

"I stand here today to repent for the sins our demons committed in the past," Judas declared.

What followed was a long confession, a solemn admission of guilt.

Caron lounged comfortably, listening with mild interest.

The meeting proceeded smoothly until a voice interrupted, "Pardon the intrusion."

Amy, the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guards, stepped carefully into the main palace. She hurried up to Caron and whispered something into his ear.

A moment later, Caron shot up from his seat.

"...No wonder that lunatic has been quiet lately," he muttered. "Tsk tsk. He must have been holding back to cause trouble today."

An urgent report had arrived. The Mad Dog of the Imperial Palace was running wild again.