Chapter 148 : Chapter 148

Chapter 148 : The North (1)

Derix nodded.

The strongest of current humanity, and the one closest to being a Tuner.

He did not ask if it was possible for me to kill the Northern Archduke.

“I see.”

He simply replied as if he understood my resolve well. I nodded back in response.

“First, let's go to the North and do what we each need to do. You will win over the old demons, and I will have a showdown with the Archduke. If there's anything I can do to help, I will.”

“Yes, I understand. We will move after seeing you off.”

“Take care.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

Derix spoke politely and left.

I watched his back.

Derix checked the condition of the members of Remnant and gave some kind of order.

The sight was so natural.

I could see that the demons of Remnant were also completely loyal to Derix.

I returned to my companions and said.

“Let’s go to the North. Let’s prepare at once.”

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

Derix wasn't the only one who listened to my words without question or doubt.

Ims, and my companions, also believed and followed my words.

Grateful for everyone's trust, I packed my things with my companions.

***

“Wow, I never thought I’d be saluted by demons!”

Keldric exclaimed in admiration.

On our way out, the demons of Remnant had formed two lines and saw us off.

Bea agreed and continued.

“When the demons even bowed their heads, I really felt like a villain.”

“Me too. Then Polarin is the villain leader. No. He’s the Demon King, the Demon King.”

While Bea and Keldric continued their silly talk, I checked on Everchen.

As a devout paladin, this situation might not be pleasant for him.

He might have just turned a blind eye because he trusted me.

“Are you okay, Sir Everchen?”

“Of course. In fact, it was quite enjoyable. Demons bowing to an apostle of the Holy Order.”

“……Why did you find that enjoyable?”

“Because it really felt like you had become the Demon King, Lord Polarin.”

Everchen gave a twisted smile.

“If you manage to recruit all the demons who have lost the former Demon King, wouldn’t that make you the Demon King? You’ll be the first Demon King from the Holy Order.”

“The Demon King is a bit……”

“No, you must become the Demon King, Lord Polarin.”

Everchen, who used to be a serious paladin, had been greatly influenced by getting close to Keldric.

Leaving him behind as he continued to wail for me to become the Demon King, I said to my companions.

“There’s no need to rush on our way to the North. Let’s move slowly.”

“Is there a need for that?”

“We have to wait for Remnant to win over the demons anyway, and above all, we need to put pressure on the Archduke.”

“The Archduke……”

Everchen’s expression became serious. It was a complete change from when he was excited talking about the Demon King.

That was how much weight the name of the Northern Archduke carried.

Humans of this world grew up constantly hearing rumors about the Archduke, such as ‘the Archduke will take away children who don't sleep early.’

He had long been the guardian of the North and an object of fear.

It was surprising that such an Archduke would align with the Empire's ambitions. We needed to grasp the Archduke's true intentions.

Bea, too, looked unusually tense.

“Can we put pressure on the Archduke just by going slowly?”

“It is known to the whole world that we oppose the war. Just by heading to the North, we will draw attention.”

“In that case……”

“We can just enjoy the attention slowly as we head to the North. We can spread some rumors on the way, and enjoy the situation of us, who are obviously against the war, heading to the North.”

My party understood my intentions.

Then they each showed their own reactions.

“Let’s do a lot of good deeds on the way. The more we do, the more the Archduke will look like a villain!”

“That sounds good.”

“What are good deeds for humans?”

Seeing my companions putting their heads together and continuing their discussion made me feel pleased.

“Let's hear about that from the people. Let's do a lot of good deeds and go to the villain.”

***

“Three beasts ahead!”

“Save your strength. I will take care of it.”

Bea shot a Light Arrow, killing the three beasts.

Bea was now able to shoot three arrows simultaneously with just one pull of the bowstring.

After achieving Fourfold Transformation, her regular attacks had also developed.

“I can just swing my fists a few times, isn't that more of a waste of energy?”

“In the time you have to talk, just take care of the beast next to you.”

“Alright!”

Today, we carried out a request from a village we stopped by on our way to the North.

They said there was a Grade 5 Beast habitat nearby, but the villagers couldn't possibly handle it, so they had left it alone.

Neither the Empire nor the nearby lord took responsibility for and resolved the inconveniences of a small village.

We moved slowly towards the North, helping those who desperately needed it.

“Thank you so much! Long live Lord Polarin!”

“Lady Bea! Long live Sir Keldric!”

“Sir Everchen, you’re handsome!”

Our reputation grew as we moved forward, resolving their inconveniences.

In some villages, they sent people ahead to ask us to stop by their village as well.

“Today was rewarding as well.”

“For you to say that, Lady Bea……”

“Is it strange for an elf to help humans?”

“Normally I would have thought so, but it suits you, Lady Bea.”

“That’s right. I am a kind elf commander who helps humans.”

Neither I nor my companions felt like we were cleaning up after humans.

It was quite rewarding, and our reputation was steadily building.

“Travel safely!”

“Yes, may your village be filled with good things.”

Although we were moving to the North with much fanfare, we did not clearly state our purpose for going.

I, who had established myself as one of the Empire's Five Morning Stars and an apostle of the Holy Order.

A promising paladin also counted among the Empire's Five Morning Stars. The elf commander, Bea. And just Keldric.

Having passed the Dragon's Trial, our skills were also known, proving ourselves to the continent.

Why were the rising stars, who were beginning to make a name for themselves across the continent, heading to the North?

The rumors grew more and more rampant.

“Hey, why am I just Keldric?”

“You should have worked harder, maybe?”

“What? Wanna have a sparring match?”

“Will you two stop fighting? Aren’t you tired of it?”

Actually, Keldric was also becoming known through word of mouth.

No, rather, there were many who were interested in Keldric.

He was being evaluated as someone who wasn't just tagging along with a group of promising individuals for no reason.

‘I should hide the fact that some people speculated that Brother Keldric was just a luggage carrier…….’

It was information that Nofen had told me.

On the way to the North, I was also in frequent contact with Nofen, receiving and listening to news about the current state of the continent, the North's reaction, and the people.

– It’s time to shed that rookie label! If you finish the job in the North well, I’ll help you get much more recognition than now.

– Thank you, Master.

I was also grateful to Nofen, my first mentor.

Recently, Nofen had been helping Agamben with the task of appointing me as the family's hero.

He had apparently volunteered to help me, setting aside his beloved demon research.

Even as I was thinking about Nofen, my companions continued to bicker.

“Once the matter in the North is over, Brother Keldric will probably get an epithet in front of his name too. Think carefully about what you want.”

“If I can choose! How about Fiend, after my Fourfold Transformation?”

“Fiend Keldric. It suits you.”

“……Something feels off about that.”

As I was listening to their jokes with a slight smile,

Dududuk──!

I heard a sound in my head as if something was snapping.

It was a sound I had never heard before, but I could tell what had happened.

‘Something happened to Remnant.’

Something had happened to those who were connected to me after accepting my mana.

My expression hardened as I realized that some of them had died.

“Polarin, what’s wrong?”

“Your expression has darkened.”

My companions, who were in the middle of joking around, also noticed the change in me.

“Something seems to have happened to Remnant. I think we need to speed up.”

“Can you contact Derix?”

“I tried, but there was no answer.”

“Let's report to Nofen and move quickly.”

“Yes. Let's do that.”

We began to pick up our pace.

***

We finally arrived in the North.

The snow piled up on all sides, and the massive castle walls that seemed to touch the sky informed us that this was the North.

“That's strange. There's a castle wall on the side where there aren't any demons too?”

“You’re right……”

The massive castle wall, which seemed daunting just by looking at it, also faced the direction of the Empire.

It was as if to show that no power could easily covet the North.

‘On this side of the wall too…… there are traces of battle.’

And they seemed quite recent, the bloodstains not yet dry. I moved forward, examining the traces.

Dung! Dung! Dung! Dung!

Buuu! Buuuuu─!

As we reached the front of the castle wall, we heard the loud sound of drums and horns.

Especially the high and sharp sound of the horn was so intense that it did not leave my mind even after the sound had stopped.

Kigigigik──!

Soon after, the castle gate opened.

We looked at each other's eyes once.

The cold air pierced our lungs.

After letting out a deep breath, we entered the castle.

Inside the castle, countless well-trained knights were arranged in formation.

I had imagined the North to be a place where hearty men warmed their bodies with alcohol and continued to fight, but the scene before my eyes was completely different.

Countless knights, each one a skilled warrior, were lined up.

They were even hiding their auras, waiting for us.

They must have been standing for so long that frost had even formed on parts of their armor.

The one who had raised these strong soldiers and refined their spirit must be the Northern Archduke.

We slowly walked to where the soldiers were in formation.

Even though countless people were in the same space, only the sound of our footsteps on the frozen ground could be heard.

And from afar, the sound of another person's footsteps also rang out.

At that, the soldiers of the North, who seemed to be frozen, all raised their arms high into the sky in unison.

Chaeng!

The arms of the northern knights reflected the sunlight and shone menacingly.

But neither I nor my companions flinched and continued to move forward.

The same was true for the being coming from the opposite side.

It was the Northern Archduke, a being who clearly revealed his presence even from a distance.

The strongest of mankind.

The master of half of the vast North, with his appearance alone, emanated immense pressure, seeming to constrict the space.

The blue cape draped over the same kind of armor as the soldiers further highlighted his presence, and the great spear on his back was so sharp it seemed it could pierce anything in the world.

For some reason, such a being was walking towards me, dragging chains.

A man tougher than the towering castle walls. He reached us.

“You must be Polarin. And Bea, Everchen, and Keldric?”

His voice was as cold as the north wind.

It wasn't as if he was intentionally lowering his voice to show dignity, but his blade-like aura could not be hidden.

“We greet the guardian of the North.”

My companions and I greeted the Archduke with all due respect.

Although he was no different from an enemy, the Archduke who had protected the North for a long time deserved to be respected.

The Archduke's sharp gaze swept over us.

“You are qualified to enter my castle.”

“Thank you for permitting our entry.”

“So, what business brings you to the North?”

I looked the Archduke straight in the eye and said clearly.

“I came to help so that the Archduke no longer has to protect the North.”

The corners of the Archduke's mouth lifted slightly and he pulled hard on the chains in his hand.

Chaeng!

Someone bound by the chains flew from afar and crashed into the ground.

I could immediately identify who was bound by the chains.

It was Derix, who was in bad shape even at a glance.

“Are you planning to help me using these kinds of demons?”

The Archduke's cold voice echoed.

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