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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 93
The remnants of will that Kaylen absorbed contained scattered fragments of Bormian's memories from his time as a Black Skull.
— Heh... Controlling humans is truly easy.
Most of what remained were memories of him manipulating people and turning them into marionettes.
However, deep within those remnants were memories of Bormian's transformation into a Black Skull.
The time was 400 years ago.
A hundred years had passed since the appearance of dungeons and dungeon cores.
The world was in turmoil, overrun by monsters emerging from dungeon portals, and humanity was struggling to find a way to handle the dungeon cores.
This was an era before the development of Mana Suits.
Cesar, a prince and the most promising mage of the Bormian Kingdom, was deeply immersed in research to find a solution to the dungeon cores...
While poring over ancient tomes, he happened upon a forbidden black magic book.
From that point on, the memories were filled with nothing but joy, befitting a Black Skull.
The process of a once-promising mage falling into darkness and becoming a black magician was no longer present in the remnants of will, now tainted by corruption.
“Falling into darkness is nothing unusual.”
Talented mages succumbing to black magic had been a common occurrence even a thousand years ago.
In particular, those who failed to break through the barrier of the 6th Circle were more prone to corruption.
Cesar, in those memories, was a 5th Circle mage.
Standing on the verge of reaching the 6th Circle, he likely sought the power of black magic to overcome the barrier.
But the allure of black magic was far too overwhelming for him to resist.
He must have agonized over whether to use it or not...
However, no such memories remained within the Black Skull's remnants of will.
“This isn't important. What matters is the next memory.”
His unwavering devotion to the Demon Realm, the joy he felt as a Black Skull,
And his absolute submission to the demons.
Ignoring these emotions, Kaylen sifted through the shattered fragments of memories for anything useful.
And soon, he found something.
— If we accept your proposal, can we truly become demons?
— Yes, Father.
— Hmm...
— Father, the human world is finished. How can we possibly stop the monsters pouring out of the dungeon cores? Wouldn't it be better to abandon our frail human bodies and transform the entire Bormian lineage into great demons?
The Bormian Kingdom, on the brink of collapse due to the dungeon portals.
Every day, the king was consumed by anxiety and fear.
It was then that Cesar whispered to him.
— My master has promised to postpone the kingdom’s downfall if you accept this offer.
— ...Is that truly possible?
— Of course.
— Then...
The king listened intently to the Black Skull's words.
The scene then shifted—
The aging king was seen undergoing the transformation into a Black Skull.
— I will ensure our lineage becomes great, Father.
— Yes... I trust you.
Swoosh.
From the king’s head, a black skull emerged.
‘…So even the king from back then was turned.’
Among the many Black Skulls Kaylen had seen in the royal palace's annex, was the king from 400 years ago among them?
After turning the king into a Black Skull, Cesar settled in the annex of the palace.
In truth, with the king on his side, he could have openly taken control of the kingdom...
However, the demon whom Cesar served did not allow it.
— My master ordered me to maintain the kingdom for now...
Just as livestock are fattened before being slaughtered, rather than being consumed at a young age,
Cesar's master chose to leave the kingdom as it was.
Thus, despite having the opportunity to seize control, Cesar withdrew into the shadows.
— That one could be useful.
He lured royal family members with a talent for dark magic into becoming Black Skulls
and gradually turned palace-affiliated Meisters into vampires.
For 400 years, Cesar steadily built his influence from within the palace's shadows.
And in all that time, no king interfered.
Even when unaffiliated Meisters went missing or people returned completely changed,
Even when palace offerings vanished or servants disappeared,
Only formal investigations were conducted, without any real intervention.
On the contrary—
— Ancestor.
Some kings even came to the Lily Palace to seek Cesar's help.
— Please... save my son.
A king who personally sought out Cesar in the shadows, begging him to save his son...
That very man now stood before Kaylen.
“Amazing. So you're a Sword Master.”
A middle-aged man slowly approached.
He wore extravagant garments, and a crown adorned with dazzling jewels sat upon his head.
However, his dark circles and dull eyes left a poor first impression.
“I am Stein.”
Kaylen introduced himself under a false name with a slight bow, and the king stroked his mustache.
“Ah, Sir Stein. I am Kaitan, the king of this nation.”
Kaitan de Verdin Bormian.
As a crown prince, he had shown exceptional talent and was once considered a promising ruler,
but after ascending the throne, he distanced himself from state affairs and became known as an incompetent king.
“I never imagined there would be a follower of demons within the palace. Truly, the entire royal family should undergo an examination by the Saintess.”
Kaylen’s gaze darkened at the king's dramatic outburst.
This was the very man who had once pleaded with Dark Skull Bormian to save his firstborn son, Diether Hart.
Yet now, he feigned ignorance as if nothing had ever happened.
“So, I heard you returned on a drake... How did things go?”
“I have eliminated the Black Skulls.”
“Oh… Incredible! You are truly the savior of our kingdom!”
King Kaitan spread his arms wide, speaking with enthusiasm.
“A savior must, of course, be properly rewarded! Sir Stein, I shall invite you to my evening banquet. Ah, and of course, the Saintess and the Holy Knights shall accompany you. I must properly express my gratitude for your deeds.”
At the king’s words, the people around him looked at him in wonder.
‘What’s gotten into him?’
‘He usually never leaves the palace…’
‘This incident must have shaken him deeply.’
Even when the Saintess had previously visited the kingdom, a banquet was only held at the insistence of his ministers and Princess Violet.
At that time, the king had not taken any initiative himself.
Seeing the king take such an active role in organizing an event was a sight even the attendants had never witnessed before.
“I understand.”
When Kaylen accepted the invitation to the banquet, King Kaitan's face lit up with a broad smile.
“Good! Good! Then let us go at once.”
As if in a hurry, King Kaitan swiftly turned around and began heading back to the palace.
As he walked, his eyes caught sight of—
“Brother...”
Violet, sitting on the ground, gathering the bone fragments of the First Prince, Diether Hart.
His body had vanished due to the marionette magic, leaving behind only blackened bone fragments.
However, perhaps because Cesar had been destroyed, the dark magic imbued in the bones had dissipated, turning them gray.
Step. Step.
Kaitan approached her with a displeased expression.
“Violet, what are you doing?”
“F-Father... I was gathering my brother's remains.”
“What? It's been confirmed that Diether Hart was a Black Skull, and you're collecting his bones? That traitor to humanity—those worthless bones...”
Thud! Thud!
Kaitan stomped down on Diether Hart’s gray bones with force.
Under his heavy weight, the bones crumbled easily.
No, they didn’t just break—they turned to dust.
“They must be completely erased without a trace!”
“Father! No matter what happened, how can you crush my brother’s bones?! He was still your son!”
“A son? A traitor who colluded with the demon realm is no son of mine!”
Kaitan’s face flushed with anger as he snapped at Violet.
At that moment, he looked less like a king and more like a neighborhood thug.
“Violet, you are to stay confined! With Diether Hart in this disgraceful state, the faction supporting the First Prince is hereby dissolved!”
The onlookers reacted with indifference.
‘As expected.’
‘There he goes again.’
‘Yeah, this is the real King Kaitan...’
Though he usually remained composed, he would erupt in anger over the slightest provocation—
a textbook example of an incompetent ruler with no control over his emotions.
But Kaylen thought differently.
‘He’s quite the actor.’
From the memories he had absorbed, Kaitan had once desperately pleaded for his eldest son's life.
And even as he stomped on his son's remains...
Kaitan pressed his right thumb tightly against his index finger, squeezing hard enough to draw blood.
Was it out of regret?
No, it felt more like he was suppressing another emotion entirely.
“Ugh, I can’t stand the sight of this! Get out of here at once!”
Despite Kaitan’s command, Violet remained firmly in place.
His eyebrows shot up in irritation.
“Do you dare defy your father’s orders? This is a royal decree. Violet, leave at once and remain confined!”
At the mention of a royal decree, Violet slowly rose to her feet.
“...Yes.”
She lowered her head and withdrew.
Only then did Kaitan exhale harshly and turn back toward the palace.
“Hurry up! I need a drink to wash this down!”
No matter what, crushing his own child’s bones like that...
The attendants and knights sent cold stares toward the king.
However, Kaylen had a different thought.
‘He’s not as simple a fool as rumors suggest…’
This was the same king who had once begged the Black Skulls to save Diether Hart.
But now that things had turned out this way, he was crushing the bones himself to draw a clear line.
Kaitan was making it clear that his son’s corruption was an isolated incident, completely unrelated to the royal family.
‘But there's no way the royal family and the Black Skulls aren’t connected.’
The king from 400 years ago had been turned into a Black Skull,
and the current King Kaitan had even sought Cesar's help to save his firstborn.
Even if they weren’t openly collaborating, there was no doubt they were entangled.
Besides, the Black Skulls wouldn’t have turned the First Prince for free.
‘And if the royal family truly is tied to the demon realm...’
Should such a royal family really be left alone?
With cold eyes, Kaylen followed behind the king.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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