Not All Heroes From Earth Are Bad [EN]: Chapter 183

No Good Warrior in the World – Episode 183

Not long after the Pope declared the Holy War.

An emergency legion commander meeting was held in the Demon King’s castle.

“The power of the Deus Order is greater than expected,” Fifth Legion Commander Ozgeus said.

“Indeed. Those fanatics have considerable power,” First Legion Commander Doritugus continued.

The weight of the name ‘Holy War’ was so significant that even he, with his arrogant nature, acknowledged its impact.

The Demon King’s army, which had been gaining ground with necromancy, was instantly pushed back.

“In… one week, we will retreat beyond our current front lines…” Fourth Legion Commander Onyx reported.

“Hmm, is that so? The enemy’s advance is swifter than I anticipated.”

Over the past few months, the Demon King’s army had seized a considerable amount of territory using necromancy and a general offensive.

The front lines that had been pushed forward were now collapsing back to their starting point within days of the Holy War’s commencement.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the Demon Race’s territory was invaded, forcing a retreat beyond the existing front lines.

“We must break the enemy’s momentum before it’s too late. They are currently concentrated around Gatren, so how about targeting Gatren’s elite forces?”
“That won’t be easy. There are three legendary figures among their core forces, and none of them are pushovers.”
“If our legion commanders unite, those legends won’t pose a problem.”
“Hmm, that’s true, but…”

Doritugus and Ozgeus exchanged opinions.

“The legion commander positions must be filled promptly. We can’t leave them vacant any longer.”

“Agreed.”

“I propose we fill the positions by recalling retired demons.”
“Retired demons…”
“What are your thoughts, Demon King?”

First Legion Commander Doritugus directed the question to the Demon King.

The Demon King, who had been silent with his arms crossed and eyes closed, remained unresponsive.

“…”

A moment of silence.

Doritugus repeated his question. “Lord Demon King, I would value your opinion.”

The Demon King slowly opened his eyes.

“…What were we discussing?”

Another awkward silence followed the Demon King’s words.

Fortunately, Doritugus smoothly steered the conversation forward. “We were discussing whether to attack the Holy Empire’s elite forces and whether to employ retired demons for the vacant legion commander positions.”

“I see.”

Demon King Tegrad nodded and pondered.

In that moment, Doritugus’s eyes narrowed. ‘What are you truly thinking, Demon King?’

He had called the emergency legion commander meeting himself, yet he seemed lost in thought.

Could he have been dozing off?

Even though he considered it unlikely, Doritugus couldn’t completely dismiss the suspicion.

“If so…”

After a moment of deliberation, the Demon King spoke. “Do as you wish.”
“What do you mean by ‘as we wish’?”

“Ambush the elite forces of the Holy Empire. All legion commanders together.”
“I have a reservation,” Ozgeus interjected, raising his hand.

The Demon King nodded, signaling him to proceed.

“With all due respect, I question whether it’s a hasty decision without a thorough assessment of the enemy’s strength.”

“Ozgeus.”

“Yes.”

The Demon King chuckled. “We are demons, are we not?”

“That is correct.”

“Since when have demons fought after meticulously considering every angle? If we did, we would be indistinguishable from humans.”

“…”

“Demons fight and die like demons. That is the essence of our identity, and the way we live and survive.”
“I apologize. My thoughts were short-sighted,” Ozgeus said, lowering his head.

Demon King Tegrad waved his hand dismissively. “And the vacant legion commander positions. The Second and Third Legion Commander positions are vacant, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Each of you should consider individuals you deem suitable by the next meeting. We will make a final decision after the meeting in this place.”

The three legion commanders nodded in acknowledgment of the Demon King’s words.

“Lastly, regarding the attack, I will entrust it to Doritugus.”
“I will surely annihilate the enemy,” First Legion Commander Doritugus affirmed, lowering his head.

“Then, I will take my leave. The remaining details can be discussed among the legion commanders without issue.”

Demon King Tegrad rose from his seat and exited the meeting room.

Bang-!

The door slammed shut.

Silence permeated the meeting room, with only the three of them remaining.

“…”

How long did the uncomfortable silence linger?

Fourth Legion Commander Onyx was the first to rise from his seat.

“If you have nothing further to discuss… I will take my leave…”

Onyx departed the meeting room, leaving only Doritugus and Ozgeus.

“Ozgeus.”

“Yes.”

“Shall we converse while taking a walk? There’s no need to remain confined in the meeting room when it’s just the two of us.”

Ozgeus silently nodded.

***

The two left the meeting room and strolled into the Demon King’s castle garden.

Even though it was a garden, it presented a desolate landscape unlike those cultivated by humans.

But this barrenness was familiar to the demons, and therefore, strangely comforting.

“I’ll be direct,” Doritugus began.

“What are your thoughts on the Demon King?”
“I’m not sure I understand the intent of your question.”

“Intent…” Doritugus paused, then chuckled. “I’ll rephrase it. Do you believe the current Demon King is of sound mind?”

“…”

Ozgeus turned to regard Doritugus. His expression remained impassive, but his eyes betrayed a hint of anger.

Doritugus continued, as if to clarify his position. “I am aware of your unwavering loyalty. However, I am speaking of reality.”
“I’m listening,” Ozgeus replied, continuing his walk as if nothing were amiss.

Doritugus matched his pace and continued. “A century ago, the Demon King abruptly signed a secret agreement with humans, despite the opposition of all the legion commanders. Looking back, I suspect his judgment was already impaired even then.”

“…”

“After that, he secluded himself in the Demon King’s castle, seemingly lifeless, and recently, his behavior has become increasingly erratic.”
“What do you mean by acting strangely?”

“The death of Hemis. You don’t truly accept the official explanation, do you?”

At the mention of Hemis, Ozgeus’s face betrayed emotion for the first time. He bit his lip tightly.

“You must have suspected it as well, but there are numerous inconsistencies surrounding Hemis’s death. According to my personal investigation… it was a collaboration between the Demon King and the Pope.”
“Can you substantiate that claim?”
“Well, whether you believe it or not is your prerogative. However, the Demon King’s odd behavior extends beyond this incident.”

Doritugus proceeded to enumerate the questionable decisions made by the Demon King.

“The use of forbidden necromancy. Attacking Park Hyun-ah, who was already an enemy, when Rotark and Hemis were dead and our forces were depleted. Even after Park Hyun-ah departed, and now, when the Demon King’s army is at its weakest, he has forced a general offensive.”

“…”

“Ozgeus, does this strike you as rational thinking?”

Ozgeus remained silent.

Doritugus was correct.

The Demon King’s recent actions were undeniably strange.

Initially, he had attributed it to Hemis’s erratic behavior, but that was incorrect.

The cause and effect were reversed.

In reality, Hemis acted more recklessly because the Demon King had already become strange.

Ozgeus had been aware of this for some time, but it was a truth he couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge.

Then, Doritugus posed a sudden question. “Ozgeus, do you know the average lifespan of a high-ranking demon?”
“Hmm, isn’t it roughly around 500 years?”
“Precisely. Regardless of their power, demons typically meet their end before reaching 600 years of age.”

Hemis had remained vigorous even beyond 1,000 years, but that was an extremely rare exception.

Generally, high-ranking demons retire after 400 years due to the onset of decline.

And they succumb to old age between 500 and 600 years.

“The Demon King was already the Demon King before arriving in this land, and he was an adult then.”

“That implies…”

“The Demon King is at least 700 years old, likely exceeding 800.”

“Hmm…”

Doritugus himself was approximately 350 years old, while Ozgeus was 250.

They were in their prime as demons.

If the Demon King was indeed over 800 years old, he was essentially an old man on the verge of death.

It wasn’t that they were unaware of this fact, but everyone had dismissed it.

Because Hemis, who was even older, had been so robust.

Everyone had naturally assumed the Demon King would be the same.

“Ozgeus, this is my assessment.”

“…”

“The Demon King is too old. He’s nearing death, and his judgment is failing.”

Ozgeus remained silent.

Doritugus sensed the opportune moment to drive home his point.

“Loyalty, honor. These are admirable qualities, virtues that demons should possess.”

He placed his hand on Ozgeus’s shoulder.

“But those are privileges reserved for the living. If all the demons are eradicated from this land, who will remember and uphold our honor?”

Finally, Ozgeus slowly nodded.

“What do you want me to do?”
“The future. We sacrifice our generation for the sake of the next.”

Doritugus’s expression hardened with determination.

“It is to overturn the rotten foundation upon which the demons stand.”

***

Meanwhile, the Demon King, having left the meeting room, was heading somewhere alone.

It was a deep, subterranean area within the Demon King’s castle.

A space that had been newly constructed a century prior.

Until then, no such underground space existed, so none of the legion commanders were aware of its presence.

All the workers who had been mobilized for its construction had also perished.

There wasn’t even a conventional entrance; access was only possible through spatial 이동 magic [teleportation].

In other words, it was a secret space known only to the Demon King, accessible only to him.

Before the Demon King lay a dark passage.

Thump, thump-

The Demon King traversed the passage as if it were commonplace, but his steps lacked their usual strength.

After a few minutes of walking, he arrived at a door.

Complex defense magic circles, providing double security, were active on the door.

When the Demon King extended his hand, the magic circles recognized him and temporarily deactivated.

Finally, the door swung open.

“Have you arrived?” a voice asked.

Inside stood a young demon.

He appeared to be less than 100 years old.

The demon, with his small stature and youthful face, seemed to be still growing.

“Let’s begin,” the Demon King said, settling familiarly into the chair in the center.

The young demon stood before him and closed his eyes.

Wooong-

Soon, the magic circles illuminated, and the Demon King’s mana flowed into the young demon.

Simultaneously, the Demon King’s appearance began to undergo a rapid transformation.

The muscular body shrank, and the skin shriveled in an instant.

The horns, once massive and solid, rotted and crumbled.

Wooong-

Even amidst this, the magic circles continued to extract the Demon King’s mana.

How much time had elapsed?

“Stop,” the Demon King croaked.

The magic circles ceased their operation only when the Demon King’s mana was nearly depleted.

“Umm…” Demon King Tegrad groaned softly.

As the mana drained, a wave of exhaustion washed over his entire body.

The young demon remained with his eyes closed and concentrated, perhaps to absorb every last bit of the Demon King’s mana.

Time continued to pass.

Finally, the young demon opened his eyes.

“Hoo…”

“Absorption rate?” the Demon King asked.

“It’s approximately 0.2 percent.”
“That’s insufficient. There’s not much time remaining.”

“Yes…”

“Then, I will take my leave,” the Demon King said, rising from his seat.

“Are you leaving already?”
“Mana has recovered to some extent.”

As if to prove his words, the Demon King had already reverted to his original, sturdy, muscular form.

The crumbled horns had also regained their large and magnificent appearance.

“Hoo, forcibly maintaining this appearance is becoming increasingly difficult…”

At that moment, the Demon King staggered.

The young demon rushed to support him.

“Just a little. Rest a little more before you go.”

“…I will,” the Demon King conceded, sinking back into his chair.

The young demon knew that the Demon King was weakening day by day as he shared his strength.

Of course, this was inevitable due to aging, but the process was being accelerated by his actions.

“You…” Demon King Tegrad began.

“Stronger than anyone…”

His eyes gradually closed as he spoke.

“Lead… the demons…”

With those words, the Demon King’s head slumped forward.

The young demon was startled and examined the Demon King.

“…”

Fortunately, the Demon King had not died.

He had merely fallen asleep.

“Hoo…” the young demon sighed, nodding as he gazed at the Demon King, who remained silent with his head bowed.

“Leave it to me, Father.”