Chapter 471: Immoral People

Mount Bephimus overlooked the capital of the Bolvat Dynasty. Its surface was colored in both silver and scarlet, and its majestic appearance overlooked all its surroundings with the grandeur as if it was the king of the mountains. Its height reached high into the sky, piercing the thick layer of the clouds. It felt as if it was suspended by a thread from the sky itself.

In the past, this mountain produced a lot of gold, silver, and magical ores, enriching the Bolvat region. Even though it had lost its blessings, it was still worshiped as a sacred mountain.

The fact that this mountain was once the home of the dragon tribe may have added many embellishments to the myths surrounding it.

The capital of the Bolvat Dynasty was established at the foot of this mountain. Why? Because an ancestor of the Bolvat people without the rightful bloodline of the dragon tribe used the majesty of the sacred mountain as a substitute for a crown.

He rested at the center of that great sacred mountain.

Gorgeous scales that shined like obsidian. Great wings that seemed to cover the entire sky. They exuded danger and created wind with their slightest movement.

The Great Demon Vrilligant lowered his body on Mount Bephimus, as if he were a part of the mountain range. His eyes were tightly closed.

Even in his deep sleep, many creatures left the place at the first glance of his presence. Birds, beasts, and even demons dared not to approach the mountain.

Among them, only one shadow was gazing at him. Her breath was suppressed, and her eyes were constantly moving. Her lips were trembling. The shadow spoke. It was an ancient language that wasn’t human.

「It’s true…It’s really true that Vrilligant has returned. He’s returned. 」

The shadow trembled as it hid itself behind the rock face, desperately trying to keep its fangs from clinging together.

It was a dragon with copper-colored scales. It wasn’t as gigantic as Vrilligant, but it wasn’t also the mindless flying dragons that were sometimes tamed by humans. It was certainly one of the pinnacles of evil.

Dominating the skies with their mighty wings and glaring down upon the earth with their breath. They were a species known for their strength. Still, many of them had already left this earth.

Some lost their lives in the Great War against humans, while others declined, unable to survive after Vrilligant’s demise.

But the bronze dragon Shadraput was different. Shadraput neither died nor declined. She was the sole survivor from the age of myth. She retained all of its former grandeur. That was why she easily understood the truth.

…She would be killed by Vrilligant.

Her scales trembled and her internal organs convulsed. Shadraput knew that there was no way that the great, yet cold-hearted king would ever forgive her. And there was no way she could ever match her king in strength.

Vrilligant was a great dragon king who, together with the giant king Flimslat, demoted Zebrililith from his position as god. No force could reach that mighty power.

Shadraput was scared. She was afraid of Vrilligant, of the sound of death, no, of everything. Yes, even back then she was scared of everything. That’s why she was still alive today.

The great war between Vrilligant and the human king Altia, in which almost all the dragon races roared, happened long ago. Back then, Shadraput was so scared she couldn’t bear to fight in it.

So she ran away. She transformed into a tiny insect so no one would find her and escaped.

The relief of hearing that Vrilligant had been defeated was fleeting, but now an age of fear for humans was coming. The demons had begun to extend their reach to every corner of the earth in order to expand their territory.

After the human king Altia won the war, many magical beasts were killed, demonic beings were exterminated, and the magical devilish beings were no longer the rulers of the continent. They were forced to live outside the human sphere.

Even then, Shadraput ran away. She never tried to fight.

Run, run, run. Frightened, afraid, scared. Shadraput continued to run away, even changing her appearance at times.

Even now, she had survived on Mount Bephimus, trying not to be known by anyone, so that no one would realize that there was a dragon there.

「I’m going to be killed…I’m going to be killed…No…No! I don’t want to die! 」

Shadraput had a habit of talking to herself since she had spent a long time alone. While saying that she would be killed, she transformed into a bird and flew through the air. She was desperately thinking of a place to escape to.

Vrilligant had once been killed by humans. So she wondered if she would survive by mimicking a human. But now humans were being crushed by Vrilligant’s subordinates. It was clear that Vrilligant held a deep grudge against humans. However, if she continued to disguise herself as a human, the day would surely come when she would be killed.

So she had to ask for help from someone stronger and more superior.

The only person she could think of was Altia. The king of humanity who had once commanded spirits, giants, and dragons. Shadraput flew into the sky, snorting.

She could smell Altia nearby. The scent was slowly approaching her for some reason. Perhaps she had come to kill Vrilligant once more.

Shadraput headed towards it flying at a speed impossible for a bird. Just to survive, to escape.

—

The Bolvat army, which had shifted from its western expedition to an eastern expedition in alliance with the Heraldic Order, had begun its march towards the east. The aim of this march was to eliminate the Great Demon Vrilligant and the demons and evil spirits that followed him.

Of course, this wouldn’t be easy to accomplish, even if they had allied with the Heraldic Order. If there was a way, the key was to cooperate with the domestic forces that were threatened by demons. This was the Sorcerer General Mastigius believed.

That’s why the shock Mastigius felt when he received the message was indescribable. His hands trembled.

His eyes narrowed as he followed the words engraved on the parchment.

「Is this…is this the truth? Can something like this really happen? 」

Everyone around was unable to react to Mastigius’ agitation. They were hesitant to refute or affirm his words.

After a moment, Hind, the vice-commander, stepped forward and spoke.

「I can’t say everything is certain. But it’s true that our scouts have found a charred village. 」

Hind’s usual stern face now showed a hint of bitterness. His quiet report was filled with emotion that was hard to contain.

The source of the parchment was a single sorcerer who was still in charge of guarding the capital of the Bolvat Dynasty. He was a sorcerer that Mastigius trusted deeply.

The contents engraved on it were too difficult to understand. The brutal current state of the Bolvat Dynasty.

After the Bolvat Dynasty was taken over by demons, a faction of sorcerers swore allegiance to those demons. By receiving instructions from the demons, they manipulated other sorcerers and rapidly expanded their power. Any sorcerers who rebelled were sent to the execution grounds to be killed by demons.

The method of execution was beheading after their magical mechanisms were stripped away.

The magical mechanisms that sorcerers wielded were fused with their souls. It was easy to imagine that stripping them away would cause the sorcerer to experience unimaginable sobbing and pain. Some would lose consciousness and go insane.

Normally, in the Bolvat Dynasty, there was only one crime for which such execution was permitted: treason against the state. It wasn’t something that was used even once in a century.

The parchment stated that this had now been carried out countless times.

Furthermore, villages were burned to the ground, and innocent people were killed to please the demons. Twenty percent of the villages in the Bolvat territory had been eliminated.

The monarch who was supposed to be protected was usurped and executed. Although a young prince inherited the throne, he was treated as if he didn’t exist.

It was difficult for Mastigius to read through everything and still understand what was going on.

It had only been a few months since he had left his country. How could he have predicted such a sudden change in the situation?

He clenched his fist until blood was seen seeping out. Mastigius spoke.

「…Who is this sorcerer named Kiel who stabbed our backs, no, the entire Bolvat Dynasty? 」

What on earth were they fighting for? Mastigius looked up, forcing himself to suppress the emotions he held within.

The name Kiel Bazarov, listed as the faction’s leader, was unfamiliar to Mastigius. If he had been a prominent sorcerer, Mastigius would’ve heard of him at least to some extent, but no matter how hard he searched his memory, he couldn’t find someone with that name.

The vice-commander, Eileen, spoke menacingly.

「His name isn’t on the military register. He’s probably a civil servant or researcher. 」

It was customary in Bolvat that outstanding sorcerers were always attached to the military, even if only in name. If someone without a name was the mastermind behind the countless massacres, then the identity of the faction couldn’t be guessed that easily.

Mastigius said while holding his rough breath.

「Alright. 」

It was a heavy truth to swallow in just one word. But Mastigius had no choice. The role of the Sorcerer General was to show the way, was to lead. Looking around at the camp where they stood temporarily, Mastigius spoke out loud.

「In order to have support and cooperation from rest of our nation, we must first eliminate this traitor…we must hurry to the place where we’ll meet the other army. There’s no way we can leave innocent people to die. 」

Their target was now the sorcerer mentioned in the parchment. The Bolvat army began its advance, with one of the villages mentioned in the parchment as its first destination.

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Vol.15 COMPLETE! Thank you for reading!!!

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