Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation - Chapter 319 : Chapter 319
Chapter 319. What Kind of Battles Have You Been Fighting All This Time? (2)
The situation on the continent had stabilized.
At least on the surface, everyone thought so.
The war between the Venator Empire and the Saint Louis Holy Theocracy had stopped, and the Hegemon King’s Yusef Kingdom also showed no intention of further territorial expansion.
Rather, they were focusing on governing internally, and in the south, the Schneider Duchy, which had emerged as a new powerful nation, and the Kingdom of Atronia, which was benefiting from it, were enjoying prosperity.
Recently, there has been some strange discussion about whether they should be called an empire, as they now command two vassal states, the Harbor Duchy and the Schneider Duchy.
But it was not a major issue.
On the surface, the continent was very peaceful.
However….
“Strange. Why is the seal not breaking?”
Jonsa said with a troubled expression.
After destroying all the constellations held by the Black Tortoise, Jonsa immediately prepared a resurrection ritual.
Originally, he wanted to enter the sealed land himself and break the seal, but he couldn’t because Patrick had neatly cleared out the Holy Theocracy.
But it was fine.
The wedges of the seal had already been removed.
As long as the ritual was performed anywhere, the seal of the Outer God would be broken, and the Day of the Falling Sun of Salvation would begin.
Or so he thought….
“Hmm….”
To Jonsa, who had failed the ritual, his disciples said.
“What is the matter, Master?”
“Why did the ritual fail?”
At his disciples’ questions, Jonsa frowned and said.
“I do not know the reason. The wedges of the seal have certainly loosened. But it is not yet to the point where the Outer God can rise on his own.”
Jonsa didn’t know, but….
In fact, the wedges sealing the Outer God had not been completely removed.
First, the core of the World Tree.
The World Tree had certainly withered, but just before she died, she left her seed with Patrick.
Although its power was still weak, it still existed as a deterrent suppressing the Outer God.
And the heart of the Dragon Lord.
It was certainly broken, but before he died, the Lord entrusted his seal to Persona.
Although Persona had not yet become an adult dragon and could not perform the role of a complete Lord, the seal itself was not broken.
Crucially, the constellations of the Four Calamities.
Of the eleven constellations in total, the seven that the Black Tortoise had usurped were destroyed.
But the four constellations that the Azure Dragon had given to Patrick still remained.
In other words, the unsealing of the Outer God that the Black Mages had done was mostly a half-measure.
Though Jonsa proceeded with the ritual without knowing these reasons.
The conclusion was that he could not awaken the Outer God in a complete state like this.
In the end, Jonsa stopped the ritual.
And he guessed the cause to be….
“Perhaps, before Yupinel and Kalaron went to sleep, they had set up some trick I do not know of.”
That was the conclusion he reached.
It wasn’t the complete answer, but it was a hypothesis that was somewhat correct.
“What should we do?”
At his disciple Pride’s question, Jonsa said calmly.
“It is difficult to find another way at this point. It is certain that the seal has loosened, so we must force it open, even if we have to twist it.”
And Jonsa stood up from his seat and said to his remaining six disciples.
“We must gather our strength to resurrect the Outer God in a complete state. Bring blood and death to the entire continent.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Yes, Master.”
The Black Mages were beginning to make their move in earnest.
***
Hegemon King Cierion Baisus Yusef.
The daily life of the monarch of a powerful nation, now comparable to the Empire or the Holy Theocracy, was very modest.
He wakes up in the morning, trains, has a simple meal, and then concentrates on state affairs until late.
His personal time is only a simple tea time with his family.
To others, it would be a wonder what pleasure he lives for.
Today, he followed the same schedule as usual.
He got out of bed before the sun rose, went to his personal training ground, and silently swung his sword alone there.
It was a daily routine.
“Hoooo….”
After swinging his sword for a long time, drenched in sweat.
“Your Majesty, it is time for the royal conference.”
“Hmm, I understand.”
At the servant’s call, Cierion put down his sword.
And he bent down to pick up a towel to wipe his sweat.
It was a part of his daily routine.
But at that moment….
Fwoosh!
A jet-black demonic energy surged up from the servant’s feet with terrifying force.
‘I got you, Hegemon King.’
The Black Mage, having perfectly caught an opening, attacked the Hegemon King from behind with demonic energy….
Crack!
Just then.
The Hegemon King, who seemed to be full of openings, twisted his body backward and grabbed the Black Mage’s neck.
“Krrghk…”
“You look down on people.”
The Hegemon King looked coldly at the Black Mage whose neck he held and said.
“Judging by your transformation art, are you Envy?”
“Hegemon… King. How dare you…”
“Why? Did you think I would be off guard?”
“…Krrghk…. Let go!”
BOOM!
With a powerful explosion of black magic, the Black Mage fell backward.
And after putting some distance, the face he revealed was completely different from before.
“Where is my real servant?”
As the Hegemon King spoke with a stern expression, Envy said with a grin.
“Well now? What do you think happened?”
“……”
The Hegemon King’s face hardened.
In fact, it was obvious what had happened.
He knew better than anyone what their methods were.
“I will kill you, Envy.”
The Hegemon King picked up his two-handed sword that was lying on one side and aimed it as he spoke.
At that, Envy said.
“You’re getting too worked up. You don’t have the right to.”
“……”
“Do you, who joined hands with us and led countless people to their deaths, have the right to…”
KABOOM!
Envy’s words were cut short.
Cierion’s blow had silenced him.
“Krrghk…. This hypocrite.”
Envy gritted his teeth, blood flowing from one of his shoulders.
Hegemon King Cierion Baisus Yusef.
The Black Mages had invested quite a lot in this person.
Jonsa himself had embedded a demon crystal in him, and after that, he had undergone arduous training on his own, and at some point, he had been reborn as a terrifyingly strong person.
He had surpassed the level of an ordinary 7-star, reaching at least 8-star, and perhaps even higher.
From the Black Mages’ perspective, he had become a card that was too valuable to discard.
But….
“Do you think your sins will disappear if you cut ties with us now? You are already one of us…”
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
A terrifying Aura Blade swept through the place where Envy had been.
“That damned fiend…”
Envy was thrown backward, having suffered considerable damage from the Hegemon King’s blow that had completely blown away his defensive magic.
The Hegemon King’s attack was that powerful.
And above all….
“I have no intention of talking.”
There was no getting through to him.
What could one do to an opponent who had no intention of talking, even if one tried to shake them up a little?
“Die.”
Lord of Sword.
The brilliant sword of light, which had now become the symbol of the Hegemon King, exploded within the royal castle.
KABOOOOOOOOOM!
The Hegemon King’s blow flew as if to shatter Envy to pieces.
But….
“That’s enough, young one.”
The one who blocked the Hegemon King’s path was the one-eyed old man.
He blocked the Hegemon King’s attack, protected his disciple, and said.
“I had a feeling, but it’s just as I thought. I’m glad I came myself.”
“Ah, that’s what I was hoping for.”
At Jonsa’s appearance, the Hegemon King was not flustered at all.
Rather, as if he had been waiting for this moment, he raised his momentum throughout his body.
‘If I can just kill this fiend…’
In the first place, there was no point in catching and torturing the small fry.
If he truly wanted to cut ties with the Black Mages, he had to take the head of that old man, their leader.
“Let’s end this.”
At this moment, the Hegemon King steeled his resolve to take Jonsa’s head, even if it meant sacrificing his own life.
He had a reason why he had to do so.
Watching the Hegemon King, who showed a do-or-die resolve, Jonsa snickered and said.
“Hmm…. Humans, I tell you.”
“……”
“Even you, who burned with ambition as if you had nothing to lose in the world, have your heart changed after becoming a father?”
“……”
Though subtle, the Hegemon King’s eyebrows twitched.
Jonsa said to the Hegemon King.
“I know what you are thinking, but I have no intention of fighting you in the first place. There is no need for that…”
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
The King’s sword exploded, as if there was no need to listen to Jonsa’s words any further.
Jonsa blocked it with his shield, his expression hardening slightly.
‘To this extent…’
He knew the Hegemon King had become stronger, but he didn’t know it was to this extent.
Right now, the Hegemon King’s attack power was far stronger than the breath of an average dragon.
Realizing that fact, Jonsa….
“Indeed, my decision at that time was correct.”
A frail young prince caught in a succession battle, who could die at any moment.
The reason he decided to inject the demon crystal, which had been condensed for over a thousand years, into that prince was because of the young boy’s gaze.
In a situation where his frail body and all his retainers were like flies that could die at any moment, the boy’s gaze was looking towards the ‘next.’
An absolute obsession with a goal.
Jonsa, who had lived for a long time, knew.
It is humans with such will that accomplish things.
That is why he put the precious demon crystal into that young prince and supported him from the shadows afterward.
And now….
“It’s about time I got my investment back.”
Then Jonsa took out a small bell from his pocket and shook it, making a sound.
‘An attack using sound waves?’
The Hegemon King, seeing Jonsa’s action, tried to put some distance to observe the situation.
But….
“Krrghk…”
A pain as if his head would shatter assailed him.
An extreme pain assailed him as if a living insect was crawling around inside his head.
In the face of the pain that directly dominated his mind, even the Hegemon King of the world could not move a single finger.
To him, Jonsa slowly approached and said.
“I was certain you would become strong.”
“……”
“And I was also certain that you would one day betray me.”
“……”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t put a leash on you?”
“You… fiend… what have you… done…”
The Hegemon King gritted his teeth and said, his eyes bloodshot.
At that, Jonsa rather looked surprised.
‘This is absurd. He’s speaking while I’m using the Outer God’s artifact to restrain him?’
What Jonsa used was a Gu poison .
Among them, it was the most powerful type created by the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, the Demonic Spirit Gu.
Once the Gu poison is awakened, the opponent is no longer living, even if they are alive.
It is because it does not threaten the opponent with pain or poison, but directly dominates the brain, stripping the opponent of their will and controlling them.
“It is admirable that you are resisting, but this is the end. Hegemon King.”
“You… fiend…”
The Hegemon King desperately tried to hold on in his fading consciousness, but it was no use.
His consciousness was thrown into a deep abyss.
***
Continental Year 1530.
More than a year had passed since the end of the war between the Holy Theocracy and the Empire.
During this period, the continent was peaceful.
The balance of power between the great nations was exquisitely matched, so no one needed to shed blood.
However, the problem occurred in a completely unexpected place.
March 11, 1530.
A rebellion broke out in the Yusef Kingdom.
The person who started the rebellion was surprisingly Marquis Noah Gregory, known as the Hegemon King’s left arm.
He attempted an assassination with a pistol he received from the dwarves during a private audience with the Hegemon King, but failed.
He was killed on the spot.
And that wasn’t all.
Taking advantage of Marquis Noah Gregory’s death, the Black Knight Matias Karvan deserted.
And he didn’t just desert alone; he fled with the Hegemon King’s wife, Queen Katherina, and his son, Prince Priad Solon Yusef.
The Hegemon King hurriedly sent pursuers, but his opponent was Matias Karvan.
He was the strongest knight in the Yusef Kingdom, second only to the Hegemon King.
[Do not block my path!]
Matias, along with the members of the Lion Knightly Order who followed him, cut down everyone who stood in his way and succeeded in escaping, covered in blood.
After that, their whereabouts were unknown.
Those sensitive to the continental situation analyzed the rebellion in the Yusef Kingdom from various angles.
The most plausible theory was that the Hegemon King, having achieved his goal, had purged his powerful retainers.
Considering historical examples, it was a plausible argument.
A dog that is no longer useful after the hunt is just a fierce danger.
The records of monarchs purging their founding contributors to consolidate their power are all too common.
The second theory, rather absurdly, was a fiery romance between Matias Karvan and Queen Katherina.
In other words, the Black Knight and the Salamander Princess had an affair and ran away together.
It was an absurd story.
In fact, it was a ridiculous story, but it spread surprisingly widely.
Because without such an absurd fantasy, the Black Knight’s betrayal was so incomprehensible that it couldn’t be explained.
They could not find any reason why he, the Hegemon King’s closest confidant, would suddenly have to flee for his life with the queen.
So, such a reason had to be created.
While many such speculations were rampant, the Hegemon King of the Yusef Kingdom remained silent without any rebuttal.
So other countries dismissed the rebellion within the Yusef Kingdom as a minor disturbance.
But 6 months later….
