Chapter 185 – Chapter 38: Dispatch #2
Chapter 185 – Chapter 38: Dispatch #2
In-gong moved through the Demon King’s Palace with Carack to inspect the newly formed independent unit.
There was a law which dictated a group of only 30 people could be stationed at the Demon King’s Palace. Even the princes, princesses, and queens’ soldiers were no exception to this law. Therefore, it was common for the demon king’s children to have their independent units stationed outside. Anyway, the independent units were more needed outside the Demon King’s Palace.
‘It is only when there is no treason.’
The most basic thing about the Day of Massacre was to have troops stationed near the Demon King’s Palace. So, he made some justification for the troops to be stationed there or secretly infiltrated his troops into the palace.
In-gong had no intention of rebellion, but due to this rule, he compromised by keeping his troops on the outskirts of the town inside the Demon King’s Palace. Since the size of the independent unit was relatively small, In-gong was given permission just this once. He would need to move his troops somewhere else after a certain period of time.
‘I can divide them between Felicia and Caitlin’s homes.’
The best thing was to have them stationed in the gandharva territory. but that was impossible for now.
‘I hope that Nayatra finds good information.’
Her information gathering information was the best in Knight Saga, but it was a situation where Nayatra had already left the Demon King’s Palace. She had already been investigating for a month, so perhaps she had unravelled all the secrets.
‘Shall I give her some Heavenly Wine?’
It was a truly fraudulent item. The production cost was quite cheap, but the effect was really great.
‘Speaking of that, what if I added the love potion made by the Succubus Tears to my blood? Will it become more effective?’
The Heavenly Wine, which In-gong created by melting together divine power and magic power, didn’t simply have a good taste. There were many addictive effects thanks to the power of divinity. If this was combined with the love potion of the Succubus Tears, then a synergy effect was likely to be created.
‘A love potion.’
In Knight Saga, its main purpose was to cause betrayal in the other side. If he could use it, then the targets would be Zephyr’s subordinates.
‘Zephyr has competent subordinates…’
He didn’t want to use the Succubus Tears straight away, but there was nothing to lose by thinking about it. After examining the male subordinates and then the female ones, Nayatra was the first one to come to mind. However, Nayatra was already In-gong’s subordinate.
In-gong smiled with pleasure, while Carack, who was watching from next to him, asked bluntly,
“Prince, what are you thinking about?”
“I was thinking meek and lucid thoughts.”
Carack immediately snorted at In-gong’s words. His sharp eyes didn’t miss anything.
“Don’t lie. Prince looks similar to when you use the Lucid Dream Pillow.”
“Hmm hmm.”
In-gong coughed as he recalled his most recent use of the Lucid Dream Pillow. Carack chuckled.
“Anyway, Prince, I’m glad that you are having good thoughts instead of dark ones. It is bad for your mental health if you are always thinking bad thoughts.”
Instead of responding, In-gong just toyed with Maybach’s reins. Not long after, they were able to pass through the gates of the Demon King’s Palace.
‘Master, there they are.’
Green Wind whispered in his ears. She was talking about a camp where a group of soldiers were stationed. There were exactly 100 of them. It was In-gong’s independent unit, so there was no need to open the mini-map and count them.
“Prince.”
“General Vandal.”
Vandal realized that In-gong had arrived and came to greet him. In-gong jumped down from Maybach and they shook fingers as usual. As Vandal looked down at In-gong’s hand which was grabbing his finger, he said,
“You have become stronger. It is incomparable to the first time that I saw Prince. I am doubting what my eyes are seeing.”
9th Prince, who hadn’t been better than Villager A, had become stronger than a senior general in less than a year.
“I had a growth spurt.”
It was a ridiculous excuse, but Vandal didn’t dig any further. This was the first encounter where Vandal sensed that In-gong was stronger than him. The speed of his growth was beyond imagination, but Vandal was happy to see it.
In-gong stood next to Vandal. There were a few familiar faces among the 100 independent unit members, who were mainly ogres.
“A few of my guards joined me when I left the military. Thanks to that, the procedure became somewhat complicated, but the 4th Queen resolved it well.”
In-gong nodded silently at Vandal’s explanation. He once again saw the advantages of having a benefactor. The independent unit consisted of 20 ogres, 60 heavy cavalry, and 20 golems. The heavy cavalry started with orcs and had various species mixed in.
After examining the troops, Vandal invited In-gong back to his barracks to talk a bit more about the composition of the troops. However, In-gong and Vandal didn’t have to rummage through paperwork. Instead, Carack and a familiar lizardman beside Vandal came forward. He was a soldier from the 7th base in Evian.
While Carack and the lizardman reviewed the documents, In-gong had a chat with General Vandal. It was mainly about what had happened in Evian after In-gong’s departure. Vandal, who had been telling his story for a while, turned toward Carack’s documents and changed the topic.
“Prince, I heard that you will soon be going to the Sky Forest.”
“That’s right, I will be leaving in three days. General Vandal will train the troops here and then move to the north.”
“Are we joining you at the limit line?”
“That’s right. Please look after the troops.”
There was no reason to take the independent unit to Sky Forest. It was a newly completed unit, so it needed time to practice. Therefore, it was more efficient to have them join at the limit line.
“Hrmm, I understand. Then Prince, can you name the unit before you leave?”
“Uh… I will think about it until we meet up again. Ah, I also want to ask you to do something for me.”
In-gong asked, instead of giving a command. Vandal nodded with a serious expression.
“Whatever you say, I will be sure to pull it off.”
“It isn’t anything big. Do you remember Nayatra? If she returns after I leave, please take her with you to the north.”
Vandal searched through his memories after hearing In-gong’s words. They had been together in Evian, but the two people had rarely met.
“I remember. She is the pink-haired succubus. I understand. I’ll do that.”
Vandal replied, then looked at Carack. The review of the documents was almost over. In-gong also looked at Carack, then he stood up and reached out to Vandal.
“I’m glad to welcome you once again. Goodbye Vandal.”
“Thank you, Prince.”
They shook fingers once again.
&
Time flashed by.
A week after the court gathering, In-gong stood in the garden of the mansion and faced everyone who was leaving. They were the children of the demon king who belonged to Shutra’s faction and their aides.
“Spread the sails! Pull the anchor! Black Flame Dragon, ho! Toward the Sky Forest!”
Silvan smiled and shouted. Sepira blushed naturally like she was now used to being embarrassed. In-gong understood Silvan. His dear sister and several siblings were returning to his home. However, there was one thing that In-gong had to tell him.
“Hyung, we are going using the transportation formation.”
The home of the dark elves was directly connected to the Demon King’s Palace via the transportation formation. There was no need to travel for a few days on the flying ship when they could get there in an instant.
Silvan was visibly panicked at In-gong’s words. Then he turned hurriedly toward Felicia, who laughed brightly.
“Bye, Silvan. I will see you there.”
“Bye, Oppa. I’ll be waiting at Sky Forest.”
Silvan’s eyes became moist as Caitlin said goodbye as well.
Silvan was the captain of the Black Flame Dragon. So, unless it was an emergency like last time, it was unimaginable for him to use the transportation formation instead of the Black Flame Dragon. In the end, Silvan’s shoulders slumped with a crestfallen expression on his face. Felicia sighed at his pitiful appearance and said,
“Come on, Silvan. It’s a joke, a joke.”
“We have already decided to ride the Black Flame Dragon. There is plenty of time anyway.”
Silvan’s face brightened again as In-gong confirmed it. Silvan grinned and dragged Felicia into an embrace.
“Felicia! Oppa believed in you!”
“Ah, come on!”
As Felicia pushed against Silvan’s chest, Chris approached with a sour expression like he didn’t like the scene occurring before him.
“Shutra, will the 3rd Queen be there as well?”
Currently, the queens did not stay for a long time at the Demon King’s Palace. Except for 1st Queen Aishar Ragnaros, the other three queens were the leaders of the their species.
“That’s right. I decided to go to the Black Castle in a short while to meet her.”
“The Black Castle?”
“It is to say goodbye to the demon king.”
3rd Queen Sylvia Doomblade had a deep love for the demon king. Chris nodded, seemingly convinced.
“I see. Okay, I am coming with you. I believe that Omamama is probably there as well.”
“The 4th Queen?”
“She doesn’t want 3rd Queen’s health to decline. They will be working together anyway.”
Chris knew 4th Queen Elaine Moonlight much better than In-gong did. So, In-gong nodded and turned back to Felicia. She was still in Silvan’s embrace.
30 minutes later, In-gong gulped inadvertently as he stood in one of the rooms of the Black Castle. However, it wasn’t because 4th Queen Elaine was with 3rd Queen Sylvia as Chris said.
“It’s great to see the demon king.”
At the same time as Silvan’s greeting, all the children of the demon king bowed. It was really unexpected. They had never imagined meeting the demon king outside of court gatherings. The demon king was nearby with the 3rd Queen and the 4th Queen. He got up from his seat and stepped within reaching distance.
In-gong had already met the demon king before, but this atmosphere was different from that time. His heart started pounding.
“Raise your heads.”
All the children of the demon king looked up at his words. Unlike during the court gatherings, the demon king was currently making a very soft expression. At first glance, he appeared emotionless, but there was a slight smile on his face.
Chris and Silvan couldn’t hide their confusion, while Felicia and Caitlin had no idea about what to do.
In-gong looked at the 3rd Queen and 4th Queen beside him. The 3rd Queen was sticking close to the demon king with a happy expression, just like when Silvan hugged Felicia, while the 4th Queen was smirking like she was enjoying this.
The demon king opened his mouth to speak,
“I heard that you will be going to Sky Forest before heading to the north.”
All of the demon king’s children, except In-gong, flinched. It was the first time they had heard the demon king’s voice from such a close distance.
“Felicia, Silvan. Have a good trip.”
Silvan breathed deeply, and Felicia bit her lip at the demon king’s words, feeling like she would cry at any moment.
“Chris and Caitlin as well. It is good to see my children getting along with each other.”
Unlike the excited dark elf siblings, Chris and Caitlin looked at the demon king with relatively calm expressions. Then the demon king finally looked at In-gong. In-gong was reminded of his previous meeting with the demon king. At that time, the demon king had looked and sounded similar to this.
It had been the demon king who delivered the Seed of Extreme Nothingness to In-gong. Why had he wanted In-gong to go to the Sanctuary? In-gong still didn’t have a clear reason as he hadn’t seen the sword duke after that day.
“Shutra, I will be expecting a lot from you in the north.”
In-gong bowed to the demon king. The stabbing sensation in his chest was difficult to explain. It was at that moment that…
“Oh, Abamama. We will be back. Stay healthy.”
Felicia came forward and bowed. Her voice was trembling.
“Yes.”
The demon king replied briefly and reached out to stroke Felicia’s head. This time, Chris and Caitlin gasped with surprise.
“Go well, my children.”
The demon king ended the short meeting, and the spellbound party exited the Black Castle.
&
“Hehe, hehehe.”
“Huhu, huhuhu.”
The first voice was Felicia, and the second was from Sylvia. The two people stood on the deck of the Black Flame Dragon and laughed wildly.
“A family of fools.”
4th Queen Elaine said while clicking her tongue. She had known that the 3rd Queen and 6th Princess wanted to become closer to the demon king, but she hadn’t thought it would be so severe.
‘The demon king is so insensitive.’
They had reacted like this to just a few words of greeting. Of course, Elaine didn’t let it disturb her. Elaine shrugged and concentrated on In-gong, who also stopped looking at the 3rd Queen and Felicia. He turned his gaze toward Elaine instead.
Elaine moved closer to In-gong and said,
“Shutra, once you go to the north, please visit Gallehed. He will be your strength in the north.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
Three of the captains were currently stationed in the north. Two of them already had factions they supported strongly. Richard was the captain of the draconians, and Yecaderina was the captain of the succubi. It was clear that the two of them wouldn’t support him.
Gallehed was a sura captain who advocated neutrality but not anymore. It was clear that he would support In-gong as a candidate for the throne.
Elaine didn’t explain why Gallehed would support him, and In-gong didn’t bother to ask why. The external justification was that Gallehed was 4th Queen Elaine’s childhood friend. Moreover, In-gong now had the support of the sword duke. If the sura Gallehed supported In-gong, it would look like it was because of the sword duke.
Elaine told him a few more things before turning to look at Chris and Caitlin.
“And Shutra, please be more vigilant with Chris and Caitlin. Look after them well.”
“Chris hyung?”
In-gong asked with surprise, and Elaine smiled mischievously.
“Omo, were you only thinking about Caitlin? She is your Noona.”
Her face resembled Caitlin’s so much that he had nothing to say. Elaine laughed before getting back to the topic.
“Shutra, you know this already, but Sylvia is in kind. Her children, Silvan and Felicia, are also good. But even so, it is the territory of another species. Addition, Chris has some hostility toward the dark elves. Please control him so that he doesn’t go too far. I can’t say this to Felicia and Silvan, so you are the only one I can ask.”
Elaine said she was worried about the dark elves, but In-gong thought it was Silvan. His relationship with Felicia was quite good, but Chris was still distant towards Silvan. No, it felt like he held no sentimental feelings toward Silvan. Perhaps In-gong would find out the reason during this journey as Chris and Silvan would be together at the home of the dark elves.
“I understand.”
“Yes, then go safely.”
Elaine hugged In-gong like he was her own child, and In-gong didn’t react like before.
“Shutra, I won’t be washing my head for a while.”
Felicia said with a rapt look from the deck of the Black Flame Dragon. If the demon king had hugged her, she might not even take a bath anymore. Instead of answering, In-gong looked at Carack, who replied like the faithful aide he was.
“Then, Princess, you will smell.”
“That’s right, Unni. It is a little…”
Caitlin added, and Felicia flinched. Still, she was delighted by the fact that the demon king had stroked her head.
‘Indeed, she’s the one who was envious that my name was called at the first court gathering.’
A few years ago, the demon king had kept a distance from the queens and his children. The reason behind that was probably to cover up his illness.
The demon king Mitra, the man who had told In-gong to become strong enough to be the demon king…
After Amita and Daphne arrived, the crew of the Black Flame Dragon raised the anchor. They brought up the stairs and started to open the sails. In response, Silvan raised his sword and shouted,
“Spread the sails! Black Flame Dragon, ho! Let’s depart!”
The Black Flame Dragon spread open its black sails. Magic wind blew into the sails, causing a truly spectacular sight.
The Black Flame Dragon rode the wind. Its destination was the Sky Forest, the home of the dark elves.