ranslated by Wook
Edited by Wook
The battle was still in full swing at the bottom of the valley.
The scene was dusty as the living and the dead ate each other.
Hence, Rena Ruber’s smile, which was in full bloom in the middle of this scene, was absurdly lovely.
The Marquis murmured in a hoarse voice as he looked at his daughter, who was as bright as a sun.
“So you were going to play with me from the beginning.”
“Don’t misunderstand, Father. What did you mean with ‘playing from the beginning’?”
At the Marquis’ sigh, Rena smiled slightly.
“Don’t assume that I only have malice. I was really serious when I said I’m going to give you a chance.”
“A chance to ruin it?”
“A chance to rectify your mistake, isn’t it?”
Rena responded lightly to the Marquis’ question that was filled with resentment. Then she added in a sorry tone.
“Of course, you may not think that way. Each person’s conscience has different weights. That’s why I’m giving you this chance. Since you don’t have the mentality to regret or reflect anyway, I’m giving you a chance to take action.”
The Marquis refuted Rena’s subtle criticism with a troubled face.
“Don’t treat me like a heartless monster.”
“Monster?”
Rena asked, as if she had heard something interesting. Then she suddenly cast her gaze down the valley.
“Do you know? Why are they wandering around like that?”
Rena pointed to Those Who Swallowed the First Cry.
It was a sudden question, but the answer was not difficult.
The Ones Who Swallowed the First Cry were said to have many regrets. Therefore, as a curse and a punishment, it is said that they repeat the things they regret indefinitely.
A few lines of Nihil’s biography immediately came to mind, but the Marquis did not like the abstract tale and chose silence.
So Rena answered instead.
“They killed their own children, like Father.”
It was the first time the Marquis heard of this. Meanwhile, Rena continued to speak calmly as if it was not a very special story.
“Isn’t it funny that there are so many people who ate their own children?”
Rena’s smile widened.
“So I don’t think you’re a monster or a demon either.”
At the same time, her eyes captured the Marquis’ again.
“You’re just an ordinary coward.”
Rena Ruber, who had locked her father in her gaze, whispered, cruelly piercing the heart of the Marquis.
The Marquis clenched his teeth and looked at his daughter.
He wanted to ask her, “What do you know?” He wanted to say how dare you evaluate me, who struggled from the bottom to this far.
But the Marquis held back the words that reached his throat.
“That’s right. It doesn’t make sense for someone like me to be a monster.”
He endured his anger and gambled with his patience.
“It is rather you who fits the word monster. You’re the real monster who has mercy on your ugly father.”
Saying that, the Marquis slowly got up.
As soon as it hit the ground, his ankle throbbed. It looked like he had twisted his foot when he fell off his horse.
‘How cold-hearted.’ The Marquis thought so and approached Rena.
However, Rena did not stop her approaching, limping father.
“… You’re not even wary.”
‘She must be looking down on me.’
The Marquis, who had come close to Rena, slowly stretched out his arm.
Still, Rena didn’t even move. Even after the Marquis’s two hands finally wrapped around her shoulders.
The Marquis, who also regarded this as contempt, said with an anguished face.
“Yes. What can a human do to a monster? You are correct. I am powerless, I just bow down and obey.”
The Marquis said so and gently pressed Rena’s shoulder, which had come into his grasp.
“But I don’t know yet whether the chance you’re talking about is mercy or revenge.”
Sharp pain pierced Rena’s shoulder.
Rena, startled by the pain, pushed the Marquis away.
The Marquis stepped back with his hands carefully spread out. There was a ring on one of his gaping fingers. It was a ring with thorns coated with poison protruded out of it.
Rena realized what the Marquis had done and groaned.
“Father.”
“So I will check it again.”
“Like this again…”
“What kind of being are you?”
Ignoring Rena’s sobbing, the Marquis whispered. Then with that thorny hand, he pushed Rena, who was already wobbling, with all his might.
.
.
.
The Marquis’ poison ring was much stronger than the poison used by the butler.
What the butler used in his tea was a covert one, aiming to kill silently.
However, what was applied to the Marquis’ ring was a poison that was intended to instantly kill the opponent.
The Marquis, who used even his last poison, looked down the wall. Fortunately or unfortunately, Rena’s body was not seen because of the constant stream of the dead.
The Marquis got up tiredly and muttered.
‘If you live again, I’ll acknowledge it.”
That you truly are a monster.
The Marquis turned around with his throbbing body. Then he walked almost an hour back to camp.
“Your Grace!”
The lieutenant who discovered the Marquis shouted out. The Marquis answered before he could even ask.
“While searching for an invasion route to the castle, we met the dead. All the accompanying knights were lost.”
‘What a lame excuse.’ The lieutenant thought so, but he didn’t ask.
Everything the monster says is right. The powerless simply bow down and obey.
“What’s the situation?”
“…The damage is great. We have already cleared the dead three times, but more of them keep coming from the castle and the battle is repeating itself. Fighting more is meaningless.”
“Retreat.”
“But the Prince…”
The lieutenant mumbled and turned his head to the other side of the valley. A sharp slash was still aiming at the dead.
An hour had passed since the battle had begun, and Rubid kept unleashing his slash.
The Marquis rode the lieutenant’s horse and ran to Rubid. Not surprisingly, his face turned pale and he was holding his breath.
“Your Highness, I will order you to retreat.”
“What kind of bullshit…”
Rubid growled with red bloodshot eyes. He was brimming with nerves from the uncaptured castle and the constant stream of the dead.
“Shut up and kill more!”
Rubid screamed and slashed again.
The youth, who was focused only on killing, did not consider the situation at all.
But the Marquis already knew that the Prince would withdraw like this.
“Please forgive me for being rude.”
“Ugh…!”
So, without hesitation, the Marquis hit Rubid’s upper abdomen, and lifted him up the horse as he lost consciousness.
The Marquis supported the fainted prince and ordered the knights to retreat.
The Northern Knights managed to escape the pursuit of the dead by using horses as bait.
It was a painful defeat, but the Marquis was not concerned, thanks to the South and the East.
The Southern Representative, who forced the expedition forward, died in vain. Even the Eastern Duke could not be seen anywhere near the castle.
The South failed. The East fled. While the North fought bravely alone. Although returning empty-handed, they had enough reasons to avoid reprimand.
So the Marquis was content having dealt with the complicated family affairs and decided to withdraw.
It was then.
“Your Grace, the castle is collapsing!”
The remnants of the Northern Knights were still passing through the valley, and the castle of the King Who Swallowed the First Cry suddenly began to crumble.
The castle collapsed, erasing its shape like melting snow, making the Marquis stop his step due to the unexpected surprise.
Afterwards, he ordered his knights to confirm. The return report was even more unexpected.
“Even the dead are gone. There is nothing left around the castle ruins.”
He couldn’t understand the situation. Eventually, the Marquis turned the horse’s head and went back to the place where the castle was.
As the knight reported, not a single dead was left.
Besides, what used to be a valley has turned into a swamp. The melted castle seemed to have accumulated in the valley to create a swamp.
It was difficult to understand anything, so the Marquis ordered a search first.
From then on, the Northern Knights dug up the swamp for a full 5 days.
But they didn’t find anything.
There was no incident or harvest except for when Rubid woke up after 2 days and smashed the Marquis’ jaw.
5 days later, the Marquis stopped the quest and ordered for return. Everything remained a mystery, but it was the result that mattered anyway.
The castle collapsed and the dead disappeared.
The Marquis decided to ring the victory bell as soon as he returned.
***
The Northern army returned to Doom Palace after a week.
It was Cardinal Clavis who greeted the wrecked knights at the entrance.
“The second returnee is the North. Ugh, a lot of people are hurt.”
Even after seeing the horrific humiliation of the Northern Knights, Clavis’ voice was lively.
Moreover, his appearance did not change from when he was celebrating the campaign. So did the other priests. The Marquis spent a week in the Tomb, but only a few dozen minutes passed outside the crack.
It felt like a daydream, but then the Marquis paid more attention to the word ‘second’ that Clavis’ had uttered rather than the oddity.
‘If we’re second, is the first the East?’
As soon as the Marquis muttered to himself, Clavis added.
“Then we’ll just have to wait for the East to come back now.”
‘What?’
The Marquis opened his eyes at the unexpected words.
He looked around the palace reflexively while doubting his ears.
And his doubts soon turned to astonishment. Beyond the palace, Rena Ruber was standing side by side with the Southern Duke.
‘How…’
When the Marquis found Rena, his heart seemed to freeze.
At that time, Rena also saw the Marquis. When their eyes met, Rena smiled and bowed her head.
The Marquis felt a vertigo after being struck with that smile. It really felt like he was dreaming.
Rena’s appearance standing there was like her last appearance the Marquis remembered. The torn and worn uniform was evidence that Rena had visited the Tomb.
When the Marquis looked at Rena like one would see a ghost.
“The Tomb Expedition is better than the other expeditions. You don’t have to wait long for results.”
Clavis said towards the rift.
Under the reddish sky, knights dressed in black appeared. It was the Eastern Duke and his knights.
They returned from the Tomb, and unlike the Northern army, they looked fine. Only their faces looked slightly worn, proof that they had spent a long time in the Tomb.
“Welcome, everyone. Well, it looks like you suffered a bit here too. How long have you been in the Tomb?”
Clavis asked Lynn, who had just returned.
However, Lynn did not answer, and looked at Marquis Ruber with a dark expression.
In fact, the Marquis was so obsessed with Rena that he did not notice. So Lynn followed the Marquis’ gaze and turned his head, and he was taken aback.
“Eastern Duke? Is there any problem?”
“… No.”
Lynn, who found Rena, responded belatedly, hiding a look of surprise.
“So, how long have you been in there?”
“10 days.”
“Then what about the North?”
“Around 7 days.”
At Lynn and the Marquis’ reply, Clavis laughed mischievously.
“Both have been around for a long time. Sir Rena brought the King’s heart in one day.”
“The heart…?”
At Clavis’ words, the Marquis couldn’t help but get dizzy. He didn’t even understand how things were going.
Whether Clavis knew his feelings or not, he instigated confusion.
“Then what did the North and East bring?”
Bring what? There was nothing there.
The Marquis was perplexed, but the Eastern Knights pulled something from their horses.
A large sack fell to the floor with a creaking sound. The sack on the floor was large enough for a person to fit in.
“What is that?”
When Clavis asked, an Eastern knight tore the string tying the mouth of the sack. As he put back his knife into the hilt, the sack could not bear the weight of the contents and tore apart. Gold ornaments and candlesticks spilled out of the gap.
As people’s eyes widened at the brilliant gold, the Eastern Duke spoke in a dry voice.
“It’s loot.”
Lynn said so and looked at Rena for a moment.
Rena smiled as their eyes met, and Lynn continued his words, swallowing his complicated feelings.
“We searched and recovered the castle conquered by the Southern Duke.”
When even the Eastern Duke said that, the Marquis turned white.
‘What the hell did she use? She was obviously stabbed, and I saw her fall off the cliff.’
Marquis Ruber glared at his daughter who had returned alive. But Rena still faced her father with a gentle face.
The moment their eyes met, Rena’s words flashed into the Marquis’ mind.
— I was joking around.
— … Since when?
— Perhaps from the beginning?
Joke. Yes, this is a joke.
The devil’s mischief that came back from Hell.
After a while, he bit his lip to stop it from trembling.
Rena saw that, and said with her smiling eyes.
I’m sorry.
You failed again.
In killing me,
and in being forgiven too.
ranslated by Wook
Edited by Wook
The battle was still in full swing at the bottom of the valley.
The scene was dusty as the living and the dead ate each other.
Hence, Rena Ruber’s smile, which was in full bloom in the middle of this scene, was absurdly lovely.
The Marquis murmured in a hoarse voice as he looked at his daughter, who was as bright as a sun.
“So you were going to play with me from the beginning.”
“Don’t misunderstand, Father. What did you mean with ‘playing from the beginning’?”
At the Marquis’ sigh, Rena smiled slightly.
“Don’t assume that I only have malice. I was really serious when I said I’m going to give you a chance.”
“A chance to ruin it?”
“A chance to rectify your mistake, isn’t it?”
Rena responded lightly to the Marquis’ question that was filled with resentment. Then she added in a sorry tone.
“Of course, you may not think that way. Each person’s conscience has different weights. That’s why I’m giving you this chance. Since you don’t have the mentality to regret or reflect anyway, I’m giving you a chance to take action.”
The Marquis refuted Rena’s subtle criticism with a troubled face.
“Don’t treat me like a heartless monster.”
“Monster?”
Rena asked, as if she had heard something interesting. Then she suddenly cast her gaze down the valley.
“Do you know? Why are they wandering around like that?”
Rena pointed to Those Who Swallowed the First Cry.
It was a sudden question, but the answer was not difficult.
The Ones Who Swallowed the First Cry were said to have many regrets. Therefore, as a curse and a punishment, it is said that they repeat the things they regret indefinitely.
A few lines of Nihil’s biography immediately came to mind, but the Marquis did not like the abstract tale and chose silence.
So Rena answered instead.
“They killed their own children, like Father.”
It was the first time the Marquis heard of this. Meanwhile, Rena continued to speak calmly as if it was not a very special story.
“Isn’t it funny that there are so many people who ate their own children?”
Rena’s smile widened.
“So I don’t think you’re a monster or a demon either.”
At the same time, her eyes captured the Marquis’ again.
“You’re just an ordinary coward.”
Rena Ruber, who had locked her father in her gaze, whispered, cruelly piercing the heart of the Marquis.
The Marquis clenched his teeth and looked at his daughter.
He wanted to ask her, “What do you know?” He wanted to say how dare you evaluate me, who struggled from the bottom to this far.
But the Marquis held back the words that reached his throat.
“That’s right. It doesn’t make sense for someone like me to be a monster.”
He endured his anger and gambled with his patience.
“It is rather you who fits the word monster. You’re the real monster who has mercy on your ugly father.”
Saying that, the Marquis slowly got up.
As soon as it hit the ground, his ankle throbbed. It looked like he had twisted his foot when he fell off his horse.
‘How cold-hearted.’ The Marquis thought so and approached Rena.
However, Rena did not stop her approaching, limping father.
“… You’re not even wary.”
‘She must be looking down on me.’
The Marquis, who had come close to Rena, slowly stretched out his arm.
Still, Rena didn’t even move. Even after the Marquis’s two hands finally wrapped around her shoulders.
The Marquis, who also regarded this as contempt, said with an anguished face.
“Yes. What can a human do to a monster? You are correct. I am powerless, I just bow down and obey.”
The Marquis said so and gently pressed Rena’s shoulder, which had come into his grasp.
“But I don’t know yet whether the chance you’re talking about is mercy or revenge.”
Sharp pain pierced Rena’s shoulder.
Rena, startled by the pain, pushed the Marquis away.
The Marquis stepped back with his hands carefully spread out. There was a ring on one of his gaping fingers. It was a ring with thorns coated with poison protruded out of it.
Rena realized what the Marquis had done and groaned.
“Father.”
“So I will check it again.”
“Like this again…”
“What kind of being are you?”
Ignoring Rena’s sobbing, the Marquis whispered. Then with that thorny hand, he pushed Rena, who was already wobbling, with all his might.
.
.
.
The Marquis’ poison ring was much stronger than the poison used by the butler.
What the butler used in his tea was a covert one, aiming to kill silently.
However, what was applied to the Marquis’ ring was a poison that was intended to instantly kill the opponent.
The Marquis, who used even his last poison, looked down the wall. Fortunately or unfortunately, Rena’s body was not seen because of the constant stream of the dead.
The Marquis got up tiredly and muttered.
‘If you live again, I’ll acknowledge it.”
That you truly are a monster.
The Marquis turned around with his throbbing body. Then he walked almost an hour back to camp.
“Your Grace!”
The lieutenant who discovered the Marquis shouted out. The Marquis answered before he could even ask.
“While searching for an invasion route to the castle, we met the dead. All the accompanying knights were lost.”
‘What a lame excuse.’ The lieutenant thought so, but he didn’t ask.
Everything the monster says is right. The powerless simply bow down and obey.
“What’s the situation?”
“…The damage is great. We have already cleared the dead three times, but more of them keep coming from the castle and the battle is repeating itself. Fighting more is meaningless.”
“Retreat.”
“But the Prince…”
The lieutenant mumbled and turned his head to the other side of the valley. A sharp slash was still aiming at the dead.
An hour had passed since the battle had begun, and Rubid kept unleashing his slash.
The Marquis rode the lieutenant’s horse and ran to Rubid. Not surprisingly, his face turned pale and he was holding his breath.
“Your Highness, I will order you to retreat.”
“What kind of bullshit…”
Rubid growled with red bloodshot eyes. He was brimming with nerves from the uncaptured castle and the constant stream of the dead.
“Shut up and kill more!”
Rubid screamed and slashed again.
The youth, who was focused only on killing, did not consider the situation at all.
But the Marquis already knew that the Prince would withdraw like this.
“Please forgive me for being rude.”
“Ugh…!”
So, without hesitation, the Marquis hit Rubid’s upper abdomen, and lifted him up the horse as he lost consciousness.
The Marquis supported the fainted prince and ordered the knights to retreat.
The Northern Knights managed to escape the pursuit of the dead by using horses as bait.
It was a painful defeat, but the Marquis was not concerned, thanks to the South and the East.
The Southern Representative, who forced the expedition forward, died in vain. Even the Eastern Duke could not be seen anywhere near the castle.
The South failed. The East fled. While the North fought bravely alone. Although returning empty-handed, they had enough reasons to avoid reprimand.
So the Marquis was content having dealt with the complicated family affairs and decided to withdraw.
It was then.
“Your Grace, the castle is collapsing!”
The remnants of the Northern Knights were still passing through the valley, and the castle of the King Who Swallowed the First Cry suddenly began to crumble.
The castle collapsed, erasing its shape like melting snow, making the Marquis stop his step due to the unexpected surprise.
Afterwards, he ordered his knights to confirm. The return report was even more unexpected.
“Even the dead are gone. There is nothing left around the castle ruins.”
He couldn’t understand the situation. Eventually, the Marquis turned the horse’s head and went back to the place where the castle was.
As the knight reported, not a single dead was left.
Besides, what used to be a valley has turned into a swamp. The melted castle seemed to have accumulated in the valley to create a swamp.
It was difficult to understand anything, so the Marquis ordered a search first.
From then on, the Northern Knights dug up the swamp for a full 5 days.
But they didn’t find anything.
There was no incident or harvest except for when Rubid woke up after 2 days and smashed the Marquis’ jaw.
5 days later, the Marquis stopped the quest and ordered for return. Everything remained a mystery, but it was the result that mattered anyway.
The castle collapsed and the dead disappeared.
The Marquis decided to ring the victory bell as soon as he returned.
***
The Northern army returned to Doom Palace after a week.
It was Cardinal Clavis who greeted the wrecked knights at the entrance.
“The second returnee is the North. Ugh, a lot of people are hurt.”
Even after seeing the horrific humiliation of the Northern Knights, Clavis’ voice was lively.
Moreover, his appearance did not change from when he was celebrating the campaign. So did the other priests. The Marquis spent a week in the Tomb, but only a few dozen minutes passed outside the crack.
It felt like a daydream, but then the Marquis paid more attention to the word ‘second’ that Clavis’ had uttered rather than the oddity.
‘If we’re second, is the first the East?’
As soon as the Marquis muttered to himself, Clavis added.
“Then we’ll just have to wait for the East to come back now.”
‘What?’
The Marquis opened his eyes at the unexpected words.
He looked around the palace reflexively while doubting his ears.
And his doubts soon turned to astonishment. Beyond the palace, Rena Ruber was standing side by side with the Southern Duke.
‘How…’
When the Marquis found Rena, his heart seemed to freeze.
At that time, Rena also saw the Marquis. When their eyes met, Rena smiled and bowed her head.
The Marquis felt a vertigo after being struck with that smile. It really felt like he was dreaming.
Rena’s appearance standing there was like her last appearance the Marquis remembered. The torn and worn uniform was evidence that Rena had visited the Tomb.
When the Marquis looked at Rena like one would see a ghost.
“The Tomb Expedition is better than the other expeditions. You don’t have to wait long for results.”
Clavis said towards the rift.
Under the reddish sky, knights dressed in black appeared. It was the Eastern Duke and his knights.
They returned from the Tomb, and unlike the Northern army, they looked fine. Only their faces looked slightly worn, proof that they had spent a long time in the Tomb.
“Welcome, everyone. Well, it looks like you suffered a bit here too. How long have you been in the Tomb?”
Clavis asked Lynn, who had just returned.
However, Lynn did not answer, and looked at Marquis Ruber with a dark expression.
In fact, the Marquis was so obsessed with Rena that he did not notice. So Lynn followed the Marquis’ gaze and turned his head, and he was taken aback.
“Eastern Duke? Is there any problem?”
“… No.”
Lynn, who found Rena, responded belatedly, hiding a look of surprise.
“So, how long have you been in there?”
“10 days.”
“Then what about the North?”
“Around 7 days.”
At Lynn and the Marquis’ reply, Clavis laughed mischievously.
“Both have been around for a long time. Sir Rena brought the King’s heart in one day.”
“The heart…?”
At Clavis’ words, the Marquis couldn’t help but get dizzy. He didn’t even understand how things were going.
Whether Clavis knew his feelings or not, he instigated confusion.
“Then what did the North and East bring?”
Bring what? There was nothing there.
The Marquis was perplexed, but the Eastern Knights pulled something from their horses.
A large sack fell to the floor with a creaking sound. The sack on the floor was large enough for a person to fit in.
“What is that?”
When Clavis asked, an Eastern knight tore the string tying the mouth of the sack. As he put back his knife into the hilt, the sack could not bear the weight of the contents and tore apart. Gold ornaments and candlesticks spilled out of the gap.
As people’s eyes widened at the brilliant gold, the Eastern Duke spoke in a dry voice.
“It’s loot.”
Lynn said so and looked at Rena for a moment.
Rena smiled as their eyes met, and Lynn continued his words, swallowing his complicated feelings.
“We searched and recovered the castle conquered by the Southern Duke.”
When even the Eastern Duke said that, the Marquis turned white.
‘What the hell did she use? She was obviously stabbed, and I saw her fall off the cliff.’
Marquis Ruber glared at his daughter who had returned alive. But Rena still faced her father with a gentle face.
The moment their eyes met, Rena’s words flashed into the Marquis’ mind.
— I was joking around.
— … Since when?
— Perhaps from the beginning?
Joke. Yes, this is a joke.
The devil’s mischief that came back from Hell.
After a while, he bit his lip to stop it from trembling.
Rena saw that, and said with her smiling eyes.
I’m sorry.
You failed again.
In killing me,
and in being forgiven too.
