The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 5

The Demon King

A dimly lit staircase leading underground.

Kent, who had been sitting there, slowly rose.

“It’s almost been eight hours. Rael should be coming out.”

“Wishful thinking, you idiot, Kent.”

“I told you, Rael is different.”

“Yeah, Rael. Rael! Ugh, you made me memorize that human’s name. Now I’ll feel bitter when I have to carry the crazy Rael. What a waste of energy and time.”

Reina had no intention of memorizing Rael’s name until the end.

Since he was going to go crazy anyway, she didn’t want to keep him in her mind.

But thanks to that stupid giant, she ended up memorizing his name.

“I understand how you feel, Reina, but don’t say it’s a waste of time.”

Yuri, who had been wearing a serious expression next to him, spoke up.

Seeing her expression, Reina frowned and turned away.

“…It’s not like I want to see Rael go crazy. I’m just annoyed, that’s all.”

Sigh.

Reina sighed and looked into the darkness below.

Then, she shuddered at the unpleasant power she felt from below.

The Demon King Yacha.

Her power is beyond common sense.

Even with chains made of Myonian Iron [a fictional metal known for its magical conductivity] and Adamantium [an exceptionally strong and rare metal] binding her, this much demonic energy is felt.

Reina and Kent, who are confident in their strength, and Yuri, who has received all the blessings of the Order since childhood, are in this state, so there’s no need to mention Rael, a mere human.

Seeing that he found them amidst the distorted magic, his senses seem to be quite good, but that’s not enough to withstand the Demon King’s demonic energy.

‘This makes me feel like a bad person.’

Reina clicked her tongue and looked at Yuri next to her, saying,

“Why did you even come? Yuri. Moving Rael is our responsibility.”

“What are you talking about, Reina? It’s my turn after Rael.”

“So, there’s no need to go that far… Ugh.”

Reina swallowed the unnecessary words.

She knows why Yuri is waiting here, of course.

It’s to deploy herself immediately if Rael doesn’t complete his mission properly.

Reina couldn’t possibly match her sense of responsibility.

“Yuri, you honestly don’t think he can handle it either, do you?”

“Yes. I don’t think Rael will be able to return. He’ll probably lose consciousness and collapse in front of the door like the others.”

“But what…”

“But still, I hope Rael comes back.”

The possibility is low.

Rael has shown outstanding qualities, but it’s uncertain whether he can withstand the Demon King with that alone.

Nevertheless, Yuri sincerely prayed for Rael’s return.

“…You’re too kind. Really.”

Reina hates people like this, but Yuri is different.

Her goodness is innate and pure.

Knowing that, Reina stands by Yuri’s side.

Creak-

At that moment, a presence was felt from below.

Reina and Kent habitually lifted the stretcher.

They’ve handed over so many guards to the outer guard that it would fill a cart.

So, this action was instinct.

All they have to do is run away from the Demon King in this state and pick up the guy who collapsed in front of the door.

“…Huh?”

However, what Reina saw was different from what she expected.

Rael, shuddering, was walking up the stairs on his own.

He quickly spotted them, blinked at the stretcher Reina and Kent were holding, and then continued up the stairs.

Rael stood before them with a confident gait.

“Did you come to pick me up?”

Rael smirked and looked at the three faces.

The three of them were gaping as if they had seen a ghost.

They looked like they were seeing a hero who had returned alive from hell.

“R-Rael! Are you really okay?”

“Yes. As you can see, I came back alive. I almost died.”

“That’s a relief! I’m so glad…!”

Yuri approached with a touched expression, grabbed Rael’s hand, and shook it up and down.

‘I didn’t expect them to welcome me this much.’

I almost felt a little sad being thrown into a place like that alone, but the corners of my lips are rising.

That’s right. Future Emperor.

I am Rael, who will be your friend and confidant…

“…No way! Did you really meet the Demon King? Or did you just hide in front of her for eight hours?”

However, the oblivious elf intervened in Yuri and Rael’s reunion.

Reina grabbed Rael’s shoulder and clung to him.

“Hey, hey. What are you doing…!”

“Reina. Don’t make pathetic excuses.”

Kent, who was standing next to her, stopped Reina, but she didn’t stop.

“No. I can’t believe it. Human! The Demon King’s appearance, no… You couldn’t have seen the Demon King’s face properly from the start. Do you remember the things that were engraved on the prison walls?!”

“…Are you talking about the Order’s prayer? It was engraved on the restraints as well.”

“T-That can’t be.”

Thud-

The hand holding Rael’s shoulder lost its strength, and Reina collapsed to the floor.

She looked as if she had lost the world.

‘Why is she acting like this now when she hasn’t even talked to me until now?’

In fact, I saw the Demon King’s appearance properly, but I decided to keep my mouth shut because I thought she would faint if I said that.

“You’ve worked hard, Rael.”

“Thanks, Kent.”

“From now on, you are truly my comrade. I look forward to working with you.”

“…It’s really hard to become a comrade.”

No, how many times is this guy testing me?

I shook hands with a slightly dissatisfied expression.

Reina and Kent are definitely missing something.

“Reina. Come here. You have to keep your promise.”

Then, Kent called Reina with an expression I had never seen before.

His face looked like… he was holding back a laugh.

“Promise?”

Rael didn’t know about the promise between Kent and Reina.

The elf’s face, approaching hesitantly, was flushed red.

*

Yuri, standing in front of the prison where the Demon King is sealed, took a deep breath and straightened her clothes.

Doing this won’t reduce her malice, but it will help Yuri to steel her own will.

‘This is what I have to do.’

The Demon King’s malice comes from humans.

That’s why visits from intelligent beings are needed periodically even after the seal.

Only intelligent beings can accept the leaking malice.

‘I hope Rael is okay?’

Yuri came down as soon as she checked Rael’s condition.

Since Reina, an expert in curses, is there, she will be able to assess Rael’s condition.

She had to do her job.

As a citizen of the Empire, as a special guard of the Empire, and as the Second Princess.

Creak-

As she opened the iron door made of anti-magic metal, a terrible malice enveloped Yuri.

Yuri has received numerous blessings from the Imperial Family, but this malice is still hard to get used to.

Yuri stepped into the prison she couldn’t get used to.

Doo-geun- Doo-geun- [Sound of heartbeat]

As soon as she entered, all her senses were distorted.

It felt like riding in a carriage passing through an unpaved road.

Unbearable nausea and vomiting rose up.

“Ugh, ugh… Huff. Haa. Keuh.”

It was hard to breathe, and there were slight convulsions in her fingertips. The demonic energy that made it impossible to control her body properly enveloped Yuri.

[It’s you.]

Words that seemed to dig into her head.

Each word consumes her mental strength to the limit.

The Demon King Yacha.

Even with Myonian Iron and Adamantium chains wrapped around her body, her pressure remained the same.

“Yes… Demon King. Ugh, ugh…”

She wants to talk to intelligent beings.

But Reina, Kent, and Yuri couldn’t have a proper conversation with her.

Knowing that the malice would eventually burst out if this continued, Yuri focused until the end.

[Hmm… So my demonic energy hasn’t weakened…]

The demonic energy that was tightening her whole body felt like hammering human malice into her head.

– Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

Her head became dizzy and her vision blurred.

Jijijik- Jijijik- [Sound of static]

With the ringing in her ears, she could no longer hear the Demon King’s words.

Yuri’s blessing blocked the information that her brain couldn’t accept.

Seeing that, the Demon King closed her mouth.

Only then did Yuri’s face become a little more comfortable.

‘An interesting human.’

The Demon King took her attention away from Yuri and recalled the human she had seen a little while ago.

A human who accepts all of her demonic energy. It was an existence that she couldn’t understand with her common sense.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t hear his name.’

The Demon King felt interested after a long time.

He was a new interest that appeared in her long, tedious time.

‘Until now, no human has endured my demonic energy that much.’

The Demon King, who knows humans well, can tell.

Humans are weak.

No matter how strong a knight is, there is a limit to how much they can temper their insides.

Even a high-ranking priest finds it difficult to maintain their sanity properly in front of the Demon King.

Is that human as full of malice as she is? Or does he have a stronger goodness than the Demon King?

‘It’s not even worth thinking about.’

The Demon King herself is made up of human malice.

Conversely, if goodness gathers, does it become an angel? But that human was ordinary.

The Demon King knows best that both are impossible.

Then there is only one conclusion.

‘He has a mental strength that transcends the human race.’

The Demon King found that fact amazing.

The fact that there is a human strong enough to stand against herself, a monster made of human malice, touched her heart.

*

The members of the Special Guard were all extraordinary.

First, Yuri, the next emperor.

She needs no other explanation.

Knowing the future that she is the next emperor, you have to make a good impression on her.

Next is Kent, the shame of the giants.

He is Yuri’s confidant and a descendant of the giants.

Unlike other giants who are faithful to their instincts, he is an eccentric who loves nature.

Finally, Reina, the traitor of the elves.

I haven’t been able to talk to her for three weeks.

Honestly, I had no idea when I would get close to her.

Yes.

The past tense means it’s not now.

“…Here’s some cool water.”

“Um, thanks, Reina.”

Numerous hammocks in the Special Guard’s site.

I was lying in the hammock that was almost Reina’s exclusive property.

Reina was standing next to me with her hands clasped politely.

“…Yes. Brother.”

Crunch. Crunch. [Sound of chewing]

The elf’s expression as she said brother is frighteningly distorted.

I’m scared that she’s going to hit me.

The reason she’s suddenly like this is because of a bet she made with Kent, who bet that I would come back alive, and Reina bet the opposite.

‘I’m grateful that you believed in me… but is this okay?’

I turned to Kent for no reason because I felt a chill.

He was smiling kindly and pruning with scissors.

A giant pruning. It’s a strange sight, too strange.

He opened his mouth as if he knew my worries.

“Don’t worry. It was a fair bet, so she won’t attack you.”

“No, I’m just too burdened.”

“It’s not like I don’t have any thoughts. I’m only going to keep it like that for a month. I have to fix her habits.”

Kent. I thought you were nice, but you’re a scary guy.

I expected it to some extent from the moment he recognized me, the ace, right away.

“…Brother. Then I’ll go rest. And you giant trash! I told you to stop pruning! Trees are also living things! Is it okay to cut off life just because it’s weak? If that’s the case, you should kill all the weak ones among the giants!”

“I was only going to make her do it for a month, but I think I’ll have to do it for about half a year.”

“Sorry. Kent. Keep doing what you were doing…”

Reina glared at me and Kent until the end, then drooped her shoulders and turned around.

She said she had to go into the forest and feel the energy of nature.

I sighed and glared at Kent.

“Hey. Reina hates me because of you. How am I going to get close to her now?”

“Don’t worry. Reina has a simpler personality than she looks, so she’ll forget it soon.”

“What kind of irresponsible words are those, you bastard.”

I couldn’t hold back and blurted out harsh words.

No matter how I think about it, these guys aren’t normal.

“That’s strange. I know that human men like that title.”

“It’s not good to hear it from an elf who is many times older than me.”

Kent was pruning as if he didn’t care about what I said.

He looked relaxed, as if he were a god, even though he was a stupid giant.

“…Haa. Kent. You said you recognized me as a comrade. Can I ask you something I’m curious about?”

“Ask me anything.”

“I don’t know about Yuri, but you and Reina seem to be incredibly strong, so why are you two stuck in this Special Guard?”

“It’s a contract.”

“Contract?”

“Yes. Reina and I have a contract with Yuri. Because she can make our wishes come true.”

“I guess you won’t answer even if I ask what that is?”

“Of course. The giant’s mouth is heavy. The elf’s mouth is light, but she also knows how to tell the difference.”

Even in the novel, their circumstances were not revealed.

I’m curious, but I can’t pry right now.

I changed the subject.

“I heard that there are two more people that the Special Guard protects besides the Demon King, who are they?”

“I can tell you that much. Rael. Do you know the name Cheonsal Sword Lord?”

“Of course I know. He’s a hero who died in the great war with the demons.”

The continent’s strongest human, Cheonsal Sword Lord.

Cheonsal Sword Lord’s sword, Cheonsal Sword Lord’s swordsmanship, etc.

I often saw the main character taking it as a chance encounter.

In the original novel, it is a name that only remains as a setting that he died in the Great War.

“The strongest human couldn’t have died like that. He is living in the Special Guard under the protection of the Empire. I sometimes chat with him.”

“What? Does that make sense?”

“Why not?”

I closed my mouth.

That’s because Cheonsal Sword Lord did not appear in the original novel.

It is too awkward for the continent’s strongest swordsman not to appear in the novel until the end.

“…Then who is the other one?”

“He is the last dragon who survived the Great War. He often swims in the lake on the opposite side of the Demon King. I only know his face, but he seems to be quite close to Reina.”

“…”

Demon King. Cheonsal Sword Lord. Dragon.

Each one is a big shot in the world that has nothing to do with me, an ordinary guard.

I was also the ace of the Imperial Guard, but it feels like the ace of the early football club was suddenly called to the Premier League [reference to a high-level professional soccer league].

In front of those great names, I frowned and pondered.

‘The Demon King appears in the original novel, but Cheonsal Sword Lord and Dragon do not appear.’

And the giant in front of me, the crazy elf, and the next emperor appear.

I vaguely recalled the story of the novel.

[The Demon King Yacha, who revealed herself by destroying the slums of the Empire, annihilated all the living things around her and advanced to District 1. All the humans who confirmed her existence went crazy, so it took quite a while to realize the Demon King’s appearance.

If it hadn’t been for Princess Yuriell, who accidentally encountered the Demon King in District 4, the Empire would have suffered much greater damage. Should I say it was fortunate? Immediately after the Demon King’s seal was released, the people in the slums were exposed to the darkest malice, so there was almost no damage to the nobles.]

Considering the Demon King coming out of the slums and the characters who do not appear, a natural situation is drawn.

The Demon King, who was imprisoned in the Imperial Special Guard, goes on a rampage, and the Dragon and Cheonsal Sword Lord stop her and are killed.

And the princess and her aides, who barely escaped, report to the imperial family.

I felt a throbbing headache as I predicted the obvious flow of events.

“Ah, shit. I don’t think I should be here…”

I instinctively let out a sigh.

I was, unintentionally, in the eye of the storm.