Marvas, who had been glaring at Hamel, slowly relaxed.
“Relax.”
In an instant, the suffocating tension melted away like snow.
‘Did it work?’
The risky bluff had paid off.
Hamel breathed a sigh of relief.
If they had fought here, Hamel and his party would all have died.
Still, there was only one reason Hamel had taken such a dangerous gamble.
‘Will you make a contract?’
It was the proposal Marvas spat out the moment he saw him.
Hamel read Marvas’s disposition from that expression.
Efficiency and practicality.
Nothing else.
Marvas showed not an ounce of anger over his apostle’s death.
He simply made the judgment that benefited him most in the situation.
Hamel realized that Marvas would surely not choose to fight him.
‘Azure Flame.’
This power was poison not only to demons but even to deities.
If they fought, Marvas would suffer damage regardless of whether there were few enemies or many.
Therefore Marvas judged fighting Hamel an “inefficient” act.
He had already lost many followers and apostles.
If he fought Hamel here, even if he won it would only benefit others.
‘For example, the raven we met in the north…’
In reality, Marvas would likely withdraw without regret.
He brushed off his clothes and casually sat on the fortress’s remains.
After staring at Hamel for a moment, he said casually.
“You are their bane.”
“…?”
Hamel tilted his head, unable to guess what he meant.
“What do you mean by that?”
Marvas shut his mouth as if he had no intention of saying more.
Then, suddenly, he brought his index finger to his temple.
“See you next time.”
─Crack
He abruptly drove his finger into his temple.
In an instant, Vlad Chepesh’s eyes rolled back, the whites showing.
That was the end.
Chepesh’s body collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
“…Huh?”
At the same moment, Lena—who had been staggering as if about to faint—regained her color.
Hamel checked on her and asked,
“Are you all right?”
“…Yes. I’m fine.”
Lena nodded awkwardly and adjusted her posture.
It was truly over.
Apostle Vlad Chepesh was dead.
‘As long as Marvas remained unharmed, apostles would appear again, though…’
His influence would be greatly reduced for a while.
‘For now, I should be satisfied with this.’
“Did we… survive?”
“Yes.”
Hamel nodded in response to Ono.
Then the party sank down, one by one, into their places.
“This time I really thought we were dead.”
“Ono didn’t really do much, did he?”
“…Kid, do you think you’re any different?”
Ono and Lena were busy bickering with each other.
Meanwhile Daniel approached the captain of the guard and asked about escape routes.
The captain nodded and answered.
“There are gateways connected to Solmer Castle.”
“Good. Then let’s send those taken here out first.”
At Daniel’s words, the party nodded.
It was time to get out of here.
“This is unexpected.”
Daniel stood by the castle window, looking out and murmuring.
And it was true.
Hamel worried about the battles with other demons that were sure to come.
There were countless demons gathered in this domain.
The commotion at the castle was too great to hide; anyone who sensed it would gather.
However.
“They’re all leaving.”
Hamel nodded at Lena’s observation.
Under the bluish dawn sky.
Thousands of demons were streaming out of the castle in lines.
’ East, perhaps.’
They seemed intent on crossing the mountain range.
Only one being could command them in unison.
Marvas.
Because of that, the evacuation was much more leisurely.
“Thank you. Thank you…”
An old woman, in tears, grasped a child’s hand and kept bowing.
Hamel merely bowed his head slightly in return.
The old woman did not stop thanking them even as she passed through the gateway.
And it wasn’t only the old woman.
Many citizens from neighboring domains had been held here.
None of them had expected to return alive.
Then, suddenly, Hamel and his party had appeared, defeated the demons, and saved them.
In the eyes of the citizens, Hamel was no less than a messenger of the gods.
It was just after they had safely sent the last person through the gateway.
“Is that it? Then let’s start going over soon.”
“Yes. Then…”
Just as Hamel was about to tell his party to go ahead.
─Thud!
The castle shook with a powerful impact.
Something had landed on top of the castle.
And Hamel could feel it.
It was a strange way to put it, but he could think of no other description.
A kind of pull—an intense hunger to become more complete.
─Rrrrip
One side of the castle wall was ripped away by sharp claws, and a huge face pushed through the gap.
Its vertically slit pupils and amber irises seemed to blaze with fire.
Its dense scales looked tougher than any armor.
Hamel whispered its name.
“Storm Dragon Diabolos.”
It had come to seek out Hamel’s presence.
Just as he felt it now, it must also be feeling that compulsion.
A compulsion to devour and absorb others to become more whole.
But…
“Hamel.”
“…Yes, I know.”
Hamel looked away from the creature, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Now was the time to withdraw.
Both Hamel and his party were exhausted.
Diabolos was a being even Apostle Vlad Chepesh and Marvas could not easily handle.
He could see that at a glance.
‘I can’t take that down right now.’
If he tried, he’d risk his life.
Believing in that slim possibility, he saw no need to risk it now.
The captain of the guard said Diabolos returned to the eastern mountains around this time every year.
“Krrr…”
“Please wait a little.”
Standing before the gateway, Hamel met Diabolos’s gaze as it stared down at him.
Its gaze was a provocation.
Was it asking if he was running away?
Hamel ignored that look and said,
“It won’t take that long.”
“KYA-ARGH!”
Diabolos’s throat swelled wide.
It wasn’t hard to guess its intent.
“Then, until next time.”
As Hamel stepped through the gateway.
─Kra-ka-ka-krrrrack
Blue flames filled the empty castle.
The flames resembled Azure Flame but were unbearably cold, freezing the entire castle.
But by then the castle was already empty.
The commotion in the Solmer domain was expected.
It was natural; the nearby citizens who had suddenly disappeared were pouring into Solmer.
“W-what. Who are these people…?”
“Huh? That face… Isn’t that the person who ran the fruit shop from the Rio domain?”
“Isn’t the Rio domain already ruined? Why are they suddenly here…?”
The problem was that Solmer had already lost its leadership.
There was no lord, nor personnel to administer the domain.
“First, maintain order. Lord Daniel, organize a militia.”
“Understood.”
Hamel did what he could.
He arranged temporary shelter in the castle for the rescued refugees and asked the Solmer residents for help.
Without their assistance, even Hamel couldn’t provide enough food.
However.
“Will the domain residents help?” Ono snorted, taking a pessimistic stance.
Of course, he too kept moving without rest, tending to exhausted refugees.
Still, his pessimism had a simple cause.
“The Solmer domain was attacked by the Inquisitors not long ago. Moreover, the domain was essentially isolated for months, wasn’t it?”
“…This time Ono is right,” Daniel said, nodding reluctantly.
Solmer was not a domain rich in food to begin with.
Because it clung to the mountains, its economy relied on forestry, hunting, and mining.
They bought most of their food from neighboring domains—but those neighbors had become ruins.
Recently, Solmer had been like a rudderless ship.
Merchants avoided a place with such dangerous news, and the domain had naturally become isolated.
In short, even the domain residents had to worry about their meals.
….
As soon as Hamel arrived, he went into town to persuade the residents.
Luckily, people gathered to hear him.
Who were those suddenly appearing refugees?
What was that massive creature that had defeated the Inquisitors?
They had many questions about where Hamel and his group had been.
Hamel told the residents only the minimum and asked for help.
The residents looked bewildered.
They too had lost their lord and were confused.
So when asked to help, their hesitation was understandable.
Hamel did not force them.
He simply asked and quietly did what he had to do.
‘I sent a dispatch to the order.’
It would take about two weeks or more to gather supplies.
During that time Hamel had to care for the people he had rescued.
For that, the assistance of the citizens was essential.
But by midday, no domain residents had come to the castle.
“It’s natural. Who would starve themselves to help others…?”
─Grrr
…
…
The sound came from Ono’s stomach.
None of the party members spoke.
They all knew.
Ono, of course, had shared the party’s small supply of food with the wounded refugees.
“There he is. Such a fool.”
“Ahem.”
When Lena spoke, Ono flushed and coughed awkwardly.
The others watching the scene let out quiet smiles.
“Because of us…”
“…Sob.”
The rescued refugees watched the party with tears in their eyes.
Despite being hungry and exhausted, no one complained.
They watched Hamel and his party, who had literally risked their lives to save them.
It was then.
“Hello!”
“…You are.”
Hamel looked at the man who cheerfully walked through the open gate.
He had come pulling a cart and smiled brightly.
“I came to help, however little it may be!”
“David.”
David—the man who had saved their lives from the Inquisitors and who owned an inn.
He and his family had appeared, pushing the cart.
“We closed the inn for the day and came! Haha.”
“…Thank you.”
Just as Hamel offered a slightly tremulous thanks.
“Sir, are you crying?”
“Apophis.”
Hamel turned and looked at the boy making a playful face.
“Looks like things wrapped up well.”
“It wrapped up fine. But you shouldn’t be crying already.”
“…?”
“Look behind us.”
Only then did Hamel turn his gaze back to the gate.
He saw a long line stretching beyond the open gate.
“…That’s…”
“They’re domain residents. They’re bringing clothing and food they had at home.”
Ono and Daniel, watching from the side, were simply astonished.
They believed Hamel had touched the residents’ hearts.
But that wasn’t all.
…
Human kindness.
Hamel felt it all the more painfully.
He had merely informed them of the refugees’ situation and explained the suffering they had endured.
Even so, after a moment’s hesitation, they rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward to help.
The sight was more beautiful than any grand vista.
“Ah…”
The refugees receiving help sobbed together.
Hamel felt a revelation-like hope at the sight.
They would rise again.
