Chapter 153 : Chapter 153

Chapter 153 :The North (6)

Bitelleanus stared at me with a somewhat twisted smile.

She didn’t even hide her uncomfortable feelings.

Throughout Bitelleanus's life, there probably weren't many occasions where she had to hide her emotions or endure not doing what she wanted.

Rather, Bitelleanus was closer to a self-indulgent character.

She was particularly obsessed with beautiful things, and even committed eccentric acts such as letting her enemies go if they had a beautiful appearance.

That's why even in Adjak's era, Bitelleanus was considered an utterly unpredictable figure.

I remembered facing Bitelleanus in Myeolji as Adjak.

The battle that took place in front of her beautiful floating castle in Myeolji.

At that time, Adjak was breaking through Myeolji with irresistible force.

The one who blocked Adjak and the expeditionary force was the legion commander, Bitelleanus, who was called the Demon King's shield.

Her enlarged red shield plunged into the ground, and the legion that followed Bitelleanus poured out towards the expeditionary force.

A fierce battle ensued, but in the end, the victor was Adjak.

Adjak ultimately failed to break the Shield of Red Shadow, which was the Demon King's treasure, but he succeeded in plunging his sword into Bitelleanus's tough body.

Just as he was about to cut off her head and advance towards the Demon King, Bitelleanus's legion, prepared for death, suddenly charged.

They attacked endlessly, no matter how many were killed.

Adjak was bewildered by the sudden offensive, but what surprised him more was that the legion's objective wasn't to kill the expeditionary force.

Bitelleanus's legion simply threw their lives away to protect her.

They didn't care if swords were stuck in their backs or if their necks were taken by Adjak's hand, focusing only on rescuing the injured Bitelleanus.

Countless sacrifices were made, but in the end, the demons succeeded in rescuing Bitelleanus.

Adjak and the expeditionary force considered giving chase, but ultimately decided against it.

Bitelleanus was already neutralized.

They chose to advance towards the Demon King's castle with increased speed rather than ending her life.

That choice wasn't a bad one.

Because in the end, they succeeded in beheading the Demon King.

After that, amidst the fierce battles, I had completely forgotten about Bitelleanus.

She had not shown herself on the continent for 300 years.

I hadn't heard any news of her, but it seemed she had managed to survive and flee all the way to the far North.

“Are you the one who rules this place?”

“Well. I’m just a ghost of the past, decorating my house.”

Unlike her words, it didn't feel very self-deprecating.

“Let's go back to your home. I will help you.”

“This is my home now.”

“The floating castle in Myeolji, I heard it was renowned for being very beautiful. I also heard that you cherished it very much, Lady Bitelleanus.”

“You’ve looked into me a lot. But don't you know that it's difficult for me to return to Myeolji?”

I looked around.

There were things that had caught my eye from a while ago.

The corpses of demons, gruesomely hung on the ends of poles.

From some of the corpses, which seemed to have died not long ago, unfrozen blood was dripping.

And the demonic energy I felt from that blood was different in nature from that of the Old Demons, including Bitelleanus.

The identities of those corpses were the New Demons who had come to the North to kill Bitelleanus.

‘Did they come all the way to the front of Bitelleanus's floating castle, avoiding Evernite's eyes and the surveillance of this large legion?’

If so, it seemed a rather strong one among the New Demons had been dispatched.

Though they ended up dying here anyway.

It wasn't hard to guess the reason the New Demons were dispatched.

The fact that the 4th-ranked New Demon who had faced Tayon possessed the Necklace of the Void, a treasure given by the former Demon King, served as a hint.

“Is it to retrieve that shield?”

“That’s right. It's chaotic even when I’m here, so how can I go back home.”

The treasures of the former Demon King were each powerful piece of equipment.

There was more than enough reason for the New Demons to covet them.

And among the many treasures, the Shield of Red Shadow was known to be outstanding.

It was an artifact with the ability to freely adjust its size like a shadow, and so sturdy that even Adjak couldn't break it.

“And aren't you humans letting too many through these days? Suddenly, too many have been visiting recently.”

“……There’s probably a reason for that.”

After Tayon’s absence, the Crows’ power had weakened, so it couldn't be helped.

It seemed the number of New Demons slipping past the Crows' eyes and leaving Myeolji had increased.

“I will conquer Myeolji, and the new Demon King and his followers. If you go with me then, Lady Bitelleanus, you will be able to return home.”

“……Even if that's possible, my home won't be left.”

“Can’t you just build it again? You could probably make it much better in Myeolji than here.”

Bitelleanus fell into deep thought.

But in the end, she raised her shield and said,“I can’t. You are indeed dangerous. I must end Adjak’s will here.”

As Bitelleanus raised her shield, the demons under her command rose in unison, drawing their respective weapons and raising their demonic energy.

My comrades, and the members of the Remnant, also drew their weapons.

The tense look on my comrades' faces was evident.

But I didn't budge an inch.

“Draw your weapon. You're the descendant of Adjak, after all. I’ll give you a chance to face me.”

“No, I did not come here to fight. I came to persuade you.”

“If you come out like that, I’ll have no choice but to just kill you, then?”

“I won’t die either.”

“Look at this one? Funny.”

Bitelleanus pushed the Shield of Red Shadow right in front of my neck.

It was a situation where the shield could instantly grow and crush my neck, but I didn't flinch.

“You don't intend to kill me either, do you, Lady Bitelleanus?”

“Why do you think I have no intention of killing you? I’m not a rational demon. The mere fact that you're the descendant of Adjak is more than enough reason to kill you.”

“Well. I’m not so sure about that.”

Bitelleanus scoffed and continued.

“Ha, the descendant of Adjak who scarred my face. That alone is reason enough to chew you up and kill you several times over.”

Bitelleanus managed her appearance as thoroughly as her obsession with beauty.

Even with a large scar above her eye, she looked dangerously beautiful.

But I shook my head again.

“Besides, Adjak killed the Demon King. I could take revenge for the one who created me.”

“The Demon King is already dead, and you are alive. You must think about what comes next.”

“Do you think my loyalty to the Demon King will disappear because of that?”

“It won’t disappear. Because the demonic energy that is your source was given to you by the Demon King.”

“Hanging out with demons, you seem to know quite a lot.”

“That’s right. There are already demons who are helping me.”

“Are those not enough, so you’re trying to lure me in?”

“When I eventually head to Myeolji, I simply want as many reinforcements as possible.”

Bitelleanus frowned and continued speaking.

She seemed a bit tired of the verbal sparring with me.

“I don't need a reason to kill you. What reason does a demon need to kill a human?”

“Other demons can say that, but you, Lady Bitelleanus, should not.”

“……Why is that?”

“Because you have a legion that believes in you, for you to act so recklessly. Now, rather than honoring the dead Demon King, you must act for the demons of your legion who sacrificed their lives for you, and for the demons who are still protecting you.”

I said it as if driving a nail in.

“I will take you and your legion home, Lady Bitelleanus.”

In any case, she needed me.

Without me, it would be difficult for her to even leave the North, let alone return to Myeolji.

The current Archduke was so powerful that even Bitelleanus couldn't rashly challenge him.

The balance of the North had been maintained until now because neither side was in a position to overextend.

“Both the Archduke and you seem very tired.”

At my words, Bitelleanus was startled.

She seemed surprised because I had suddenly touched on her emotions in the middle of a tense verbal battle where we were trying to persuade each other.

I didn't bring this up just to appeal to emotion.

I simply stated what I felt, calmly.

“There are times when I get tired too. There are times when I miss my home. Once I left, it became difficult to even visit for a short while.”

“……”

“The period I’ve been away from home is only two or three years at most. You’ve been away for much longer, haven’t you? Don’t you miss it?”

“Such feelings… are no longer left in me.”

“Do you truly not miss the floating castle in Myeolji? Among the demons of your legion, aren’t there some who long for Myeolji?”

Bitelleanus looked back at her legion.

I couldn't see her expression, but for some reason, I felt like I knew without seeing it.

I looked at Bitelleanus’s side profile and continued.

“If you continue to stay here, nothing will change. The New Demons trying to capture you will keep coming, and the Archduke will block your way.”

“……”

“Let’s go home together.”

It was a phrase I had repeated several times since meeting her, but her reaction now was different from before.

She let out a small sigh, then nodded her head.

***

I had a private meeting with Bitelleanus in her floating castle.

The exterior had some hideous aspects, but the inside was decorated very well.

That said, it wasn't a castle filled with the finest furnishings.

Most of the furniture and fixtures inside were carved from earth and wood, yet it felt harmonious and luxurious.

I was once again amazed by Bitelleanus’s aesthetic sense and craftsmanship.

She was famous for making everything in her home herself.

But there were things I didn’t know about Bitelleanus.

“What if the floating castle is destroyed when I go back to Myeolji? What if Evernite doesn’t allow me to leave? I need to be able to kill the new Demon King for sure……”

Bitelleanus poured out her words, biting her nails anxiously.

She wasn't one to hide her emotions even in front of her legion, but her true self revealed here was quite different from what I had thought.

But on the contrary, I was able to calm down.

“I don’t know the situation in Myeolji. Why didn’t you ask the New Demons when you captured them?”

“Ah, I didn’t think of that. Next time I catch one, I should ask before killing them right away.”

“……”

“Did you persuade Evernite?”

“No, I have to go with you to persuade him, Lady Bitelleanus?”

“Aah. I heard Evernite is really not in his right mind……”

I could feel my mental energy depleting in real-time.

I could only achieve a mental victory by telling myself that she was showing this reaction because I had broken down one layer of her emotional walls.

I asked Bitelleanus, who was now even trembling her legs.

“Do you perhaps have any intention of accepting my mana?”

To put it indirectly, it was a question to the former 3rd in rank of the Demon King's army, asking if she would become my subordinate.

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