DSB 145

“Yutis, why did you come here? Weren’t you busy?”

“I heard an army had arrived again…”

Lebel welcomed him warmly. Yutis, who had been carefully examining Lebel for any injuries, looked at the noble standing there dejectedly. Unlike Lebel’s indifferent, red eyes, Yutis’s eyes were a silver-gray like a cold snowfield, yet they were burning with murderous intent.

“I told you there is nothing to worry about. They’re all under control over there.”

Lebel spoke with a smile, as if he had guessed the reason for Yutis’s appearance. As proof of this, Lordren and the other nobles silently lowered their heads, afraid to even make eye contact.

“…It is dangerous to keep the gates open. It is equally dangerous for you to face the army alone. At least have a few knights by your side.”

“Alone? Karon and Merick are here. And isn’t this an opportunity to rebuild the capital as soon as possible? It was frustrating because no one sent anyone even when we requested support from nearby territories, but now that manpower is coming in on its own, we should make use of it. This is what you wanted, too.”

We were once enemies, yet who was it that argued for rapid restoration, claiming that the lives of innocent citizens would be miserable if the Empire’s capital fell into ruin?

“That doesn’t mean I wanted you to be in danger…”

“Danger? What danger?”

However, Lebel smiled, satisfied by those words. He stepped down the throne, and went to Yutis’s side. Lebel naturally took his hand, and looked up at him to check his complexion.

“Since you were busy, I just did what I had to do. Even if they swarmed in, they wouldn’t be able to defeat me.”

“Me too…”

“I know that you’re strong. But you’ll get hurt. I won’t. My power has grown stronger thanks to Norman’s death. You know that.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Haha, a clear, crisp laugh echoed softly. The sound was out of place in the situation.

Lebel walked ahead without hiding his satisfied expression. His footsteps were light, as if he were out for a stroll, as if he couldn’t even smell the stench of blood.

“I’m going to stop this now. Well, I’ve done enough. Anyone who understands will get the message.”

Lebel spoke loudly enough to make sure the captured nobles heard him. Although he didn’t even give them a glance, they flinched at that single remark. Some nodded, while others were unable to even lift their heads.

It was closer to an action to preserve their lives than an admission of guilt.

Lebel turned his head to look at the nobles. It was certainly worth it to gather them and demonstrate his power. The nobles who had arrived earlier had been the most defiant and unruly, but now they were as docile as could be.

Nobles holding power and authority in their hands wouldn’t bow their heads unless he demonstrated even greater power and authority. There were countless men who swarmed in leading their armies, seeing this as an immediate opportunity to seize the imperial throne.

Yutis had slain a demon in the heart of the capital and won a victory in battle, yet those who hadn’t witnessed the scene firsthand regarded it as nothing special. That was why he left the city gates wide open, daring them to challenge him at will. As expected, the nobles brought the troops and knights they boasted of, but they were all trampled.

If a spark exists, it is better to let it burn fiercely. And then, extinguish it right before their eyes. Those who came here of their own accord won’t change unless they see it with their own eyes and experience it firsthand.

Nevertheless, there were still those who refused to acknowledge reality. To Lebel, such desires were clearly visible. If he let those who were still greedy get away with it even in this situation, they would become a nuisance later.

“I must kill a few of them. Especially those who are still steeped in dreams.”

Lebel murmured calmly. His fingertips were light and precise. The moment his fingers sliced through the air, the head of a man who had been breathing just moments before fell to the floor. The man did not even realize his own death.

The surviving nobles recoiled in fear, their faces drained of color. It happened so quickly that they could not even scream. They could only feel relief that they had survived.

“I gave you a chance, but if you are still eyeing the throne, what can I do? I have to kill you.”

His aggrieved tone implied that although he had no intention of killing them, he had no choice given how they had behaved.

Challenging him was one thing, but refusing to accept the outcome and still coveting the throne was a problem. Humans, too, are merciless toward those who covet what is rightfully theirs. In such circumstances, demons were even more ruthless, certainly no less.

More importantly, who was going to take that seat?

The nobles realized that the one who truly deserved to be called a demon was not Yutis, but Lebel, who stood beside him.

***

There were just as many ruined places in the imperial palace as there were in the capital. The place where Lebel had stayed was Biakin’s residence, located right near the Emperor’s palace, but it had completely collapsed thanks to Yutis landing there.

Yutis’s expression darkened somewhat as he looked at the site. It was a place that revealed the aftermath of the war, but conversely, it was also a space where his other form had been exposed in detail.

In the North, Yutis was referred to as a messenger of God through the oracle of Michael, but this was not the case in the Empire. There were several people in the capital who had seen Yutis, but even among them, opinions were divided.

The armies that had invaded the imperial palace raised their voices in protest. They claimed that they had to eliminate the monster Yutis and save the Empire. Several of the captured nobles did the same. In the process of blocking it, Lebel ended up getting blood on his hands.

It pained him to think that blood had stained those pale, delicate hands. He was the one who should have been the one doing the dirty deeds. It was even more painful because he recalled the expressions of the nobles who had looked at Lebel with nothing but fear. He was absolutely not someone who deserved such a gaze.

“What is wrong?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“You don’t look like it’s nothing.”

Lebel scrutinized Yutis’s face. He was certain that Yutis was recalling the form he had revealed due to the demonic energy. He had heard that someone had asked Yutis about that appearance just because they had gotten a little acquainted in the meantime.

He had also heard that Yutis had been flustered at the time, not knowing what to say or how to say it. Although he hadn’t harmed a human, it must have been a shocking sight to them. That’s why they were asking out of curiosity, no doubt. Since he couldn’t exactly say it was a form altered by demonic energy, Yutis just mumbled something vague.

He could have simply said that his appearance had changed because of a god. Strictly speaking, that wasn’t entirely wrong. Luceris was, after all, the Demon God’s creation.

‘An oracle is necessary after all.’

Although the temple had joined hands with the imperial family to brand the North as a den of demons, faith in their god had not completely vanished. On the contrary, it had grown even stronger. They believed that a god had sent Yutis because corrupt humans had joined hands with demons.

The effort put in that day had paid off.

Nobles could be controlled by power, but gaining the trust of the people required a different method. The Empire was vast, and its inhabitants were numerous. Yet, it was not feasible to simply kill everyone who refused to acknowledge their rule. After all, lands uninhabited by humans were useless.

Therefore, he decided to utilize the god whom the people of the Empire believed in. Issuing an oracle was entirely at that god’s discretion, and Lebel possessed the power to make it happen. Of course, it was coercion.

“I asked Michael, but I wonder when that will actually happen.”

Will he refuse to issue an oracle for the sake of a demon?

In reality, it was a demon who had joined hands with Biakin, yet it was the temple that turned a blind eye. Few heard the voice of a god, and power was required to issue an oracle. Even if a god gave a warning, if humans intentionally concealed it, no one would know. That was exactly what happened in the Empire.

Lebel intended to demand that the angel worshiped as the god of the Empire issue an oracle for Yutis, citing his own responsibility, but Michael stepped in to protect him.

You claim to be the god of the North, yet instead of helping me, you are hindering my work?

Besides, he didn’t ask for an oracle solely for Yutis’s sake.

Doesn’t the Empire need to know Viakin’s ugly face as well? If that god proves it, no one will be able to deny it or hide it, right? If you are the god of the Empire, you should do at least that much for the future of the Empire.

The situation was different from when Michael had delivered the oracle before. Michael had issued the oracle to kill a demon, but this time Lebel had asked for it to gain an advantage for himself.

But so what? It was Lebel who cleaned up the mess caused by an angel failing to control a single human. Moreover, hadn’t he stopped a demon from running rampant in the Empire? Therefore, this was a justified request.

“Is the training going well?”

“There are no major issues.”

“Alright, alright. Do your best.”

He had secured the nobles who would serve as his hands and feet, and the troops they commanded would pledge their loyalty to Yutis. He would win the hearts of the people through the oracle. It was perfect.

“But why are you entrusting the training of the knights to me? Those men… are the ones who invaded the imperial city targeting you.”

“To be precise, it is not me, but the Emperor’s seat.”

Lebel tried to gloss it over with a laugh, but Yutis was firm; he insisted he needed an answer. To this, Lebel replied.

“You need someone to protect you here. Even if you brought all the northern knights, you couldn’t fill this palace. It’s ridiculously huge.”

“That is….”

The soldiers were conscripted from the territories and sent as manpower for the reconstruction of the capital, but the knights were different. Many of the knights were nobles, and above all, they were men who knew how to fight with a sword.