I am not a returner Episode 284
Dog and Wolf (9)
A spacious palace.
After passing through the hallway where the skins of various magical beasts were stuffed and displayed on the walls, there was an empty throne lying lonely in a large, unadorned hall that felt desolate.
Next to the throne.
A black-haired man with a rugged look was staring at the empty throne in silence.
“Isn’t it time for you to sit on the throne?”
A young man walked into the hall and asked sarcastically.
A tingly voice, as if a man was forcing himself to imitate a woman’s voice.
The man turned his back on the young man without answering.
“Hmm. Are you ignoring me again?”
The young man took out a white powder from his pocket and dabbed it on his face.
The bright red lips and purple eye make-up that looked like she had eaten a rat made her look so pale that you could believe she had plastered her face, creating a soggy unpleasant feeling.
The young man asked, touching the black horns growing on his forehead.
“Are preparations for war going well?”
“okay.”
The man stood like a tree and answered briefly.
“Hmm, can you be more specific?”
“I did as I was told.”
The young man’s eyes frowned slightly.
“Ha, Horus. “You know you’re in trouble if you show up uncooperative like this, right?”
“I just did what I was told.”
As always.
The man swallowed his words and clenched his fists.
“Oh, by the way, did you hear? “I heard that the movements of the Silver Mane tribe members have been a bit suspicious recently…”
The man’s shoulders trembled.
“…they don’t care.”
“It doesn’t matter? “Aren’t the Silver Mane tribe also a proper beastman tribe?”
The young man continued speaking with a deep sneer on his face.
“We must gather them together under the name of ‘Khan.’”
“I am not Khan.”
“Hey, you’re doing that again. “It’s been over 100 years since the previous khan died, so does it make sense to leave the position vacant?”
“Say it again.”
The man’s eyes turned to the young man.
“I am not Khan.”
The young man’s eyes narrowed.
He took out red lipstick and nervously applied it to his lips.
“Well, it doesn’t matter whether you are Khan or not. “After all, we are the Demons who own this kingdom.”
He twisted his grotesquely red-painted lips.
“anyway. Recruit those Silver Mane tribe bastards into your army as well. If you say it won’t become a military force…”
A black cloud spewed out from the horn on the young man’s forehead.
“Kill them all.”
A voice full of eerie madness.
The young man burst into laughter and shook his shoulders.
“Is that what ‘Cheonma’ means?”
“….”
The man looked away again without saying a word.
Thick tendons sprouted from the clenched fist.
“Oh, are you going to hit me?”
A young man bursting into laughter.
“Well, don’t worry, I’ve made a special ‘arrangement’ to prevent you from killing those silver-maned guys.”
“…What are you planning to do?”
“well? “Isn’t that what they plan to do?”
A young man who speaks vaguely and laughs darkly.
“Horus. Do not forget it.”
The young man who came closer to the man whispered in a tickling voice.
“You are our loyal ‘dog’ who will do whatever you ask him to do.”
The young man’s laughter echoed throughout the large hall.
* * *
“Horus protects the Silver Wolf Mane tribe.”
Ojin frowned as if he didn’t understand.
Probably not to protect his power.
Protecting the Silver Mane clan would only diminish his power and would be of no help.
[…Could it be because of guilt?]
“Guilt?”
Vega nodded quietly.
Vega flew in and sat on Ojin’s shoulder.
[Didn’t he betray the Silver Wolf Mane tribe, who fought against the demons until the end, and surrender to the demons?]
“…That may be a possibility.”
Ojin’s gaze turned to Riak.
Riak kept his mouth shut and was deep in thought.
Eyes mixed with sadness, regret, and anger.
How did it come to him that the traitor who had pushed his people into the abyss of despair was now the only shield protecting them?
Ojin didn’t know what to say to Riak, who lowered his head in silence.
“That’s enough of the story about Horus for now.”
I changed the topic and turned my gaze towards Ha-eun.
“Did you get anything, sister?”
“Hmm… I didn’t get much out of it.”
Ha-eun scratched her head and opened her mouth.
“The atmosphere here is a bit scary? “There are quite a few guys who argue even though they have black fur.”
“I also felt that overall security was not very good.”
Isabella nodded in the affirmative.
She continued speaking, flipping through the densely written paper one by one.
“I think the biggest reason is probably the massive exodus of demons.”
“Eh? “Is that why it was like that?”
Ha-eun opened her eyes wide as if she had no idea.
“yes. “As the Mains fled in large numbers, a conflict began between the pro-Main faction and the anti-Main faction.”
“Did you say there are five demons left now?”
“That’s right, sister.”
The Demon people were the part that Ojin investigated in the most detail.
Ohjin took out a map, unfolded it, and said.
“This is where the mansions of the demons remaining in the kingdom are located.”
The mansion where the demons lived was so luxurious and large that it felt foreign, so it didn’t take long to investigate.
“But there are only four?”
“They say one of them is in the royal castle because he is the Prime Minister of the kingdom.”
[Isn’t it actually a surveillance station?]
“I guess so.”
It was likely that the actual power was held by the chancellor rather than Horus.
“They said the chancellor’s name was Caliche.”
Oh Jin took out a portrait and held it out.
Since he was always staying in the royal castle, it was difficult to confirm it in person, but I was able to obtain a portrait from a beastman who knew him.
“Ugh, what is this, you bastard?”
As soon as she saw the portrait, Ha-eun’s face crumpled.
The portrait depicted a man’s face wearing heavy, burdensome makeup.
“What, Kabuki? “What are you doing with your makeup?”
These days, it is said that it is natural for men to wear makeup.
This was so much makeup that it felt uncomfortable regardless of whether it was a man or a woman.
“He’s already famous for his unique appearance.”
“Are all demon bastards like this?”
“I don’t think so.”
I found several portraits of other demons, but none had a unique appearance like Kalyke.
The only thing they have in common is that they have black horns on their foreheads.
“anyway. “Of all the demons remaining in the kingdom, this one is the one with the highest rank.”
Calice had served as prime minister and ruled as the de facto ruler for the past hundred years.
“Oh, and about the demons here. According to Riak, it’s not a very high level.”
“If it’s not at a high level, what kind of level is it?”
“If you’re an awakened person, you’ve just reached 9 stars?”
“…That’s not high?”
A laugh escaped Ha-eun’s mouth.
If you have just reached 9 stars, you are still at the level of a high-level awakened person, but that is not a high level.
“Considering the level of the average demon race, they said even 9 stars is not high.”
“This is a crazy race.”
Ha-eun shook her head as if it was absurd.
“Well, anyway, they are not difficult enemies to deal with at our current level.”
“So that guy named Kalyke is also a 9-star?”
“It’s probably a little higher than that.”
Still, it was the highest rank among the remaining demons, so there was a high possibility that it would be higher than 9 stars.
“But they won’t be people we can’t deal with.”
“I guess so.”
I nodded as I looked through the portraits of Isabella Mines.
As for the power of the demons who were said to have received the power of the Heavenly Demon, their power was still unclear.
In the first place, Oh Jin and Isabella Ha-eun were at a high level, one of the highest among awakened people.
[Then do you plan to deal with the demon race before the beast race called Horus?]
“Yes.”
The demons can be said to be the actual rulers of the kingdom.
You will be able to gain more by dealing with the demons first rather than Horus.
“First, let’s catch the people living in the mansion one by one.”
“It would be better than going straight to the castle.”
The more you reduce the power of the Majin tribe, the more the ‘anti-Majin faction’ within the kingdom will become active and the more freely they will be able to move.
“Then shall we move right away?”
It is said that even the bull’s horn was removed because it was sweet.
As long as what had to be done was decided, there was no reason to procrastinate.
“yes.”
“Is it okay if I make the babies whole roast?”
Ha-eun smiled and stood up.
Ojin and his party headed to the nearest Majin mansion.
[The main woman will go in first and take a look inside.]
Not only was Vega small in size, but she had no body odor because she was using a magical body instead of her actual body.
The optimal conditions to overcome the surveillance of the beastmen, who have a sensitive sense of smell.
Even if they were caught, they could just return to the sanctuary, so the risk was low.
“Please.”
[Huh! Trust me and wait!]
Vega put her arms around her waist and snorted.
It climbed over the high wall and flew into the Poror mansion.
About 10 minutes passed like that.
Vega returned with a slightly sullen expression.
“why? “What happened?”
[There was no one.]
“Huh? “Inside the mansion?”
[There wasn’t a single ant to be seen outside the mansion.]
Ojin’s eyebrows furrowed.
Until I checked a few days ago, I had confirmed that there were demons living there.
“Maybe the timing was a little off.”
“Tsk. “He’s a lucky guy.”
“Shall we go somewhere else first?”
“OK.”
Ojin and his party headed towards the next mansion.
but.
[There was no one here either.]
“….”
Ojin frowned as if he couldn’t understand.
Anyway, two demons vacated the mansion at the same time?
“…Something is strange.”
I was just crossing my arms and thinking about what was going on.
Kwaaaaaaaa!
A loud explosion was heard from afar.
Black smoke rose as if a bomb had exploded.
“Oh Jin, is that…?”
Isabella’s expression hardened.
A place where black smoke is rising.
It is no exaggeration to call it the center of Khan’s kingdom and everything else.
It was royal.