WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 232: I'll Be Back (2)
──────
Swoooosh!
The legendary Griffin soared through the blue sky.
Riding atop it were Airen Farreira, Lulu, Kiril, Brett, Lance, and Lord Philip Lloyd.
Every one of them wore a grave expression.
It was because Airen had said he could sense demonic aura coming from the forest northeast of the territory.
‘If anyone other than him had said it, I wouldn’t have believed it...’
Brett Lloyd looked at his friend.
Airen possessed both the sharp senses of a Sword Master and the mysterious intuition of a Sorcerer.
If Airen said it, Brett had no choice but to trust him.
‘Still, the mood is far too heavy for this.’
He looked around.
It was not just Airen, who had brought it up. Kiril, Lulu, and Lance all looked grim as well.
Even his father, who had taken part in three Demonoid Subjugation campaigns, wore the same expression.
Brett could not understand it.
Of course, a Demonoid appearing near the territory was not a good thing. They were far more vicious, dangerous, and cunning than monsters.
But look at the strength they had.
A Sword Master, one of only a hundred on the continent.
A cat Sorcerer counted among the finest on the continent.
A promising talent from the Cesar Duchy whose exact abilities were unknown, but who did not seem weaker than Brett himself.
And Brett, who had reached the very peak of the Expert rank.
‘Even Lance is no small force. He hasn’t passed his graduation exam yet, but based on skill alone, he wouldn’t be out of place being called an Expert.’
Brett went over everything he knew.
There was still no need to worry. Even the worst Demonoid he could imagine would not be able to handle their combined strength.
He could probably subjugate it alone.
Let’s get this over with.
Let’s show Father an overwhelming display of strength and ease his worries.
Just as he was thinking that...
“My son.”
“Yes, Father.”
“What I’m about to tell you must never leave this group.”
“...”
“The same goes for all of you. Promise me you’ll never speak of it.”
Everyone nodded at Philip Lloyd’s grave words, and after a moment, he continued.
“Several months ago, a demon appeared on the continent once more.”
“...!”
“...!”
“I hear it was an extremely powerful demon, one comparable to the Dragon King from four hundred years ago... The problem is that it isn’t alone. Countless demons throughout the world have not returned to the Demon Realm. They are hiding.”
Lord Lloyd let out a sigh.
That was why he had gone to the royal palace not long ago.
Demons were spread so widely that even Abilius, a superpower among nations, would struggle to deal with them alone.
In the end, rather than keeping the matter entirely secret, the Paladins of the Holy Kingdom chose to share the information with the highest-ranking people in every nation.
They asked for as much cooperation as possible.
Having explained that much, Philip took a glass vial from his robe.
Blue liquid sloshed inside.
It was Holy Water imbued with the power of the highest-ranking Priest.
Philip Lloyd showed it to everyone and continued.
“This can determine how dense the demonic aura in a demon’s lair is. Red is acceptable. A red color means it’s a very powerful Demonoid, but not one that a Master would need to fear.”
“...”
“But if it turns dark crimson, or black... we must turn around immediately and head for the Holy Kingdom. It’ll be beyond our ability to handle.”
Silence followed.
Lance Patterson looked as if the sudden news of the demons’ emergence had left him reeling. Even the normally composed Brett Lloyd grimaced.
The others remained much the same. They still looked grim.
That was all.
They did not grow more tense, nor did they ask any questions.
Something about it struck Lord Lloyd as strange.
‘...They’re oddly calm.’
Demons had appeared for the first time in one hundred and sixty years.
An ordinary person, no, even a courageous knight should have been drenched in sweat. The situation was that dangerous.
Yet Airen, Kiril, and Lulu were strangely calm.
‘Or perhaps it hasn’t fully sunk in yet.’
Lord Lloyd watched them for a moment, then sighed.
He had no room to worry about others.
Embarrassing as it was, he barely had enough composure to settle his own heart.
As he thought that, Kiril’s Griffin finally arrived near the place Airen had mentioned.
More precisely, it stopped a short distance away.
If the aura Airen sensed truly belonged to a demon, it would be a disaster if it burst out of its lair and attacked them.
There was no need to go any closer in the first place.
Dark crimson.
No, the Holy Water looked as though black liquid had been mixed with just a little red ink.
Philip Lloyd was about to order a retreat.
“I’ll be back.”
“Airen, what did you just say?”
“I meant that I’ll deal with it and return.”
“...Did you not hear anything I just said?”
Lord Lloyd stared at Airen in disbelief.
Yet the young Sword Master stood firm.
There was barely any trace left of the dark expression or tension he had shown moments ago.
He looked calm enough to put Lord Lloyd’s own heart at ease...
No, he was overflowing with confidence.
“I’m not good with words, so I can’t promise I’ll explain this clearly.”
Airen looked straight at Lord Lloyd.
His eyes were blue and deep as a lake.
His unwavering resolve showed in those eyes, clearer and purer than anything else.
He continued.
“But I have more than enough confidence that I can defeat the demon lurking there.”
It was not an empty boast.
Airen had been extremely tense at first.
Its undisguised malice.
The aura that resembled what he had felt before.
It led him to wonder whether the Jester Demon had regained its strength and come to take revenge on him.
But it was not.
The closer he got, the more certain he became.
It was not the Jester Demon. It might have been something influenced by it, but it was so weak that it could not even be compared to that demon.
‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I can take even a weak demon lightly...’
Airen clenched his fist.
He braced his feet.
He checked every part of his body he could control. He checked his Aura as well.
Finally, as he examined his state of mind, certainty welled up within him once more.
He could win.
An enemy of that level could not stop him.
That was why he stood so confidently before Lord Lloyd.
“Anything could happen while word is being sent to the Holy Kingdom.”
“...”
“Of course, nothing may happen. But I don’t think we need to take such a risk...”
“Get ahold of yourself!”
Lord Lloyd spoke in a low voice filled with force.
His expression was terrifying as well.
He spoke again.
“Airen, I know you’re one of the few geniuses on the continent. But demons are not opponents to be taken so lightly. Trust my judgment. I’ve read countless records passed down through my house and this kingdom. This is the time to retreat.”
Philip Lloyd continued trying to stop him.
At times, he pressured Airen with words that bordered on threats.
At times, he pleaded with him.
Airen did not interrupt as Lord Lloyd continued speaking.
Yet even after Lord Lloyd had finished speaking, Airen’s decision did not change.
“I’ll be back.”
“Airen, do you truly...?”
“A clown mask.”
“...!”
“It was a characteristic of the demon that appeared several months ago. How do you think I know that?”
“...”
Lord Lloyd looked blankly at him. His mouth hung slightly open, as if he could not understand.
Having grasped the shocking truth a moment later, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“Th-then, you mean...?”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
Swoosh.
Wooooong!
Airen Farreira summoned his Greatsword.
A golden blade.
Golden Aura covered it.
Amid the soft energy flowing from it, he spoke.
“I also helped defeat a Great Demon.”
Wooooooooong!
Airen’s Aura shone even more brilliantly.
No one could take their eyes off it.
Lulu, Kiril, Brett, Lance, and Philip Lloyd.
Finally, the hero looked down at his sword and spoke quietly.
“I’ll return unharmed.”
“...”
“I swear it.”
* * *
Swoooosh!
Kiril’s Griffin flew toward the Holy Kingdom. Only Lord Lloyd and Lance Patterson were riding on it.
Brett Lloyd, Kiril Farreira, and Lulu had followed Airen into the demon’s lair.
‘If I transform into a magical girl, I’ll be plenty helpful!’
‘During the Sorcery Barrier, the Demonoid Subjugation, and in Alkantrea, I only ever sent you in alone, Brother. Not this time. I’m going with you.’
‘The same goes for me. As the young lord of House Lloyd, I don’t want to leave everything to you alone.’
‘But...’
‘Airen, if you think having me and Kiril with you would be too dangerous, then you may refuse.’
‘...’
‘But if that isn’t the case, then I want to insist.’
‘Airen, let’s go together. We may face a situation that would be difficult to overcome alone.’
After hearing Lulu’s final words, Airen nodded, and the four of them stepped into the dark cave.
Even as they left, Lance could not bring himself to say that he wanted to go with them.
‘Lance. Please protect Father.’
Brett’s final words came back to him.
Lance knew better than anyone that it was not what Brett truly meant.
Who could possibly attack Philip Lloyd while he was riding on a Griffin? Even without Lance, Lord Lloyd would safely deliver this news to the Holy Kingdom.
Clench!
Lance clenched his fist.
His nails dug into his skin, and blood flowed.
Even so, he could not loosen his grip.
Overwhelming disappointment, so intense that he could not even feel pain, and bitter frustration swept through his entire body.
“...”
Lord Lloyd watched Lance Patterson in silence.
For a long time.
A very long time.
* * *
“I’m sick of this.”
At the deepest part of the cave, the demon that had awakened a month ago muttered quietly.
It did not know why it was here.
It did not know what sort of being it had once been.
It vaguely remembered being toyed with by someone incredibly unpleasant, but even that no longer mattered.
The demon with a body as hard as a statue muttered again.
“I can’t take it anymore.”
It had been a week since it had turned the cave into a labyrinth.
During that time, it had caught only three humans.
For the past three days, not even an ant had come near the place. To the Stone Demon, this was more serious than anything.
It wanted to taste human fear.
It wanted to watch more and more humans lose their way, wander around screaming, trembling from terror, hunger, and darkness!
To do that, it needed to go outside.
Instead of waiting like this, it needed to act. Whether by kidnapping or threatening them, it had to make people come to its labyrinth.
It was thinking that when three humans and one cat stepped into its territory.
The Stone Demon nearly jumped with joy at the arrival of beings like rain after a drought.
“Good, good!”
Thud! Thud!
Stomping its feet in delight, it settled before the Demon Mirror.
It wanted to observe the intruders more closely.
What would these ones be like?
What expressions.
What fear.
What deaths would they show it?
Black energy filled the Stone Demon’s colorless eyes. Considerable anticipation filled its expressionless face as well.
It did not take long for that expression to shatter.
Baaang!
“Hmm?”
At first, it could only stare blankly.
It could not think at all as it watched the blond human smash through a wall instead of wandering around at a dead end.
Bang!
Then it happened again.
Baaang!
And again.
Bang!
Bang!
Baaaaang!
Again and again, without stopping.
By the time they reached it in no time, the Stone Demon could no longer contain its boiling rage.
“Craaaaaaaaaagh!”
Rumble!
Its body grew enormous along with a deafening roar.
Cracks spread across its smooth skin. Hellish lava flowed crimson through the gaps between the rocks.
How should it kill them?
How should it crush them to vent its rage?
Those emotions turned ice-cold the moment it met the blond human’s eyes.
Wooooooooong!
An energy even more intense than the demonic aura it gave off.
The Stone Demon looked dumbfounded.
Then Airen Farreira swung his sword with all his strength.
Kraaaaaash!
Rock shattered. Stone fragments shot in every direction like chunks of flesh.
A few drops of lava grazed Airen’s skin.
Airen did not care.
He swung with all his strength again.
Airen Farreira’s second strike came down on the demon.
Claaaaang!
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