The Hero Who Returned From Death Quits

93 – EP6. The Great Upheaval

“Ugh… Why, why are you accompanying that Duke Rude? Why did you suddenly appear and attack us?” the black-robed sorcerer said. I watched him quietly.

“I didn’t want to step in, but you kept causing a ruckus. Aren’t you the reason why the monsters are running wild, aren’t you?”

“Ugh… How do you…?”

The black sorcerer looked genuinely frustrated and aggrieved.

How foolish, there would be no difficulty in detecting a sorcerer of lower caliber than me.

The situation where black sorcerers simultaneously went wild, their traces of dark magic faintly etched into the monsters, was designed to make it easy for me to sense something was amiss.

“Why did you attack us? Killing those bastards who make monsters run rampant near my hometown is only natural.”

“Ugh…”

“Enough, tell me your purpose. Why are you making monsters run rampant, not only in the Empire but in other countries as well?”

“I can’t say.”

A clean and immediate response came. I grabbed his wrist and promptly snapped it.

“Kraaah!”

“Speak. What are you doing all this for? If you talk quickly, at least I can grant you a more merciful end.”

“I, I can’t… Kraaah!”

He seemed unwilling to speak, so I completely broke his wrist, and he continued to scream.

“Speak. I don’t want to resort to torture either.”

Only then did fear begin to surface in his eyes.

In my experience, the will of those who haven’t lost their pain and fear easily breaks under torture. Especially when they are driven by something they desire. For example, during the time when I still feared death, I would have given in to torture easily.

Living beings cannot resist the desire to stay alive. This is why living beings fear the pain that is a signal sent by the body for survival and fear the very fear that seeks to break the will to survive.

The only way for a living being to be in a state where it does not possess the desire to live is when its desire has been ‘taken away’. Unless it is a case of rejecting the desire for survival, life cannot lose its instinct to strive for survival. I knew this, and that’s why I hesitated to use such means. But in the nearly 100 years I have spent as a hero, I learned that choice is the most important thing. The dangers posed by those close to me and the pain of the enemy were incomparable from the beginning, and after making a choice, I had no choice but to focus on that choice.

I know how humans experience pain in various parts of their bodies. Whether the black sorcerer had an unwavering will and kept their secrets until the end, I didn’t know, but at a glance, they didn’t seem to possess any strong determination.

“Ah, alright, I’ll tell you.”

From Noble mtl dot com

Finally, the words I wanted to hear came out.

“Tell me. Why are you letting the monsters run wild and capturing people?”

“T-that’s… The reason for letting the monsters run wild and capturing people is to gather sacrifices.”

“Sacrifices?”

I raised my eyebrows at the unexpected statement. Sacrifices generally referred to offerings made to gods. But I had never heard of dark sorcerers worshiping any gods. What could this mean?

“What are these sacrifices used for? Answer quickly.”

“I-I don’t know. Only the leaders of the organization know, as numerous dark sorcerers united for this purpose. I have no knowledge of the plans beyond what my superiors mentioned, which is simply ‘sacrifices to open the door.'”

A door? What door were they trying to open?

I sensed something suspicious.

“I-I’ve told you everything.”

I pondered the information for a moment and then snapped the dark sorcerer’s neck. I hadn’t tortured him, so I considered it my version of showing mercy. Then, I walked away.

Sein approached me.

“Ah, Sein, have you found out anything?”

“Well, I’m not sure. I’ve already burned any research records or documents they had.”

I furrowed my brow at Sein’s response.

“What about the people they kidnapped?”

“Ah, unfortunately, those people have already been transported elsewhere. There are a few traces of blood, but there were no signs of the captives being alive.”

Damn it. Despite dealing with some of the dark sorcerers, I hadn’t been able to save the people, and I still hadn’t figured out the dark sorcerers’ motives.

I sighed.

…

“Indeed, should we call him a hero? I never expected him to sense my dark power.”

The man sitting on a chair said.

“Hmm, does this mean the hero could become a significant obstacle?”

Another man spoke, and the first one replied.

“No, that doesn’t mean the hero is a threat. The hero is bound to his homeland. As long as his homeland is not in danger, he won’t pay much attention to other places. We can consider him safe as long as we avoid his homeland. What we should be wary of are the hero’s comrades in the empire.”

Others joined the conversation.

“If we’re talking about the hero’s comrades…”

“The Golden Lions have been seen working with the hero, so they’re not a concern. But the other knights are dangerous. They might turn against us anytime, especially since they’re not doing the emperor’s bidding out of loyalty but rather a reluctance to serve a spineless emperor. The grandmasters in the empire are a threat.”

“That’s true. The imperial army is weak, though. I almost feel grateful to the hero for killing Serindel.”

“In that case, what about the crusaders of the Pope?”

“Even if the Pope and the Emperor were on the same boat, the Pope had already suffered great losses by supporting the Emperor. He might be worried that if the power of the Crusaders diminishes, the Holy Maiden could press him to support the Paladins at any moment.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Yes, even though the Emperor and the Pope may seem close at first glance, it doesn’t necessarily mean their relationship is as significant as one might think. They joined forces for political gain. Perhaps the Pope is thinking about how to change sides. I heard he wants to get closer to Luduran.”

“Well, in that case, the Pope shouldn’t have much to worry about.”

The black mages wore sinister smiles, as if the scent of blood lingered in the air.

“Then, what about Grandis’s situation?”

And, the greatest concern of those black mages was Grandis.

“There’s nothing unusual. She remains secluded, just like always.”

“Is that so? Nevertheless, we should be prepared, just in case there’s any conflict with Grandis.”

“Preparation won’t change the fact that she’s an unstoppable force. She’s the strongest among the Ma’jok living in the Interstice, even stronger than the world’s greatest black mages. It’s better not to waste our efforts in vain. If she decides to confront us, she’ll easily see through all our dark magic.”

“True, it’s become more challenging because of that. By the way, what about the Emperor?”

“He’s amassing forces to attack us. He seems quite determined.”

“…In that case, wouldn’t it be better to eliminate him preemptively?”

“Hmm, if elimination is possible, it wouldn’t hurt. It could avoid plunging the whole world into chaos. Alright, let’s consider carrying out an assassination.”

With that, the black mages concluded their meeting. Those wearing black robes, in stark contrast to the pristine white table, disappeared one by one as the agenda came to an end.

“It won’t be long before all the sacrifices are gathered…”

As the others left, the man who had remained alone muttered to himself.

“When all the sacrifices are gathered, this world will be purified. Humans, fairies, dwarves… no one will be spared. Once that happens, no one can stop it.”

The Emperor was alone, tilting his wine glass. There was nothing to be done.

Was he daring enough to strike at the heart of the Black Mage Council? According to his plan, he should have influenced the army and prepared for a conquest war long ago, but everything was falling apart.

“Bring more wine!”

As the Emperor shouted, a servant brought a wine bottle.

The Emperor began to pour himself another glass. Suddenly, a man dressed in plain black clothes and armed appeared in front of him.

“What is this? Who are you?”

No one could bear arms in front of the Emperor, and yet, this man in armed attire had entered without permission. It was an occurrence that should never have happened.

“Who are you-“

Thud. Before the Emperor could react, his throat was swiftly cut.

It marked the beginning of a great upheaval.