Chapter 400

Chapter 400
## Chapter 400

The Fiend Realm Uprising (1)

An uneasy quiet pervaded the greeting chamber of Hubert’s Merchant Coalition.

“………”

“…So, this is… the boy?”

Several days had passed since the crisis in Tarak, and the individuals involved had assembled in this room.

Heinrich, the champion of the holy crusade who had played a vital role in resolving the catastrophe, Heinz the Second, who had provided critical reinforcement at the perfect moment, Diana, representing both the affected parties and Hubert’s Merchant Coalition, and…

…Temiran McCleary, the perpetrator behind the entire ordeal.

“Um… I offer my sincerest apologies for my past actions…”

He spoke in a hushed, tentative tone, fracturing the uncomfortable stillness.

He had been locked in a life-or-death struggle against them mere days ago, yet now they sat together in this tranquil environment.

Worse still, his victim was staring directly at him with wide, critical eyes.

It was a deeply humiliating position to be in, even for someone who typically lacked a conscience.

“It is fine. I recognize the forces that were driving you.”

Diana answered with remarkable maturity, her tone remaining tranquil and poised.

It was not that she had genuinely absolved him of his sins.

She was merely adhering to the guidelines Heinz had laid out for her.

‘…He was under external manipulation, and now he functions as… Mister’s follower…’

When looking at the grand design, they were practically teammates now. There was little sense in harboring resentment.

The tension in the chamber dissipated slightly as she accepted his peace offering.

Granted, the individual who had suffered the most physical harm was the elderly mystic, who had sustained severe wounds. However, she had delegated all authority to Diana while she recovered in isolation, meaning her absence was not an obstacle.

“Your transformation is remarkable. For a creature of the night to evolve so rapidly in a matter of days… it challenges belief.”

“…Furthermore, his spiritual pressure has undergone a total metamorphosis. If Lord Heinrich had not verified his soul signature, I would have assumed he was an entirely different entity.”

Lydia and Isea, the High Elf and the sorceress, inspected the youth with analytical curiosity.

He had possessed the visage of an early adolescent when they first crossed paths, but now he carried the appearance of a much older youth, bordering on his late teens or early twenties.

They understood that the core foundation of his existence, the very wellspring of his vitality, had been altered, making their academic curiosity entirely natural.

“In the end, it traces back to the Undying Monarch. He kept a low profile recently, but he was orchestrating this from the shadows all along.”

“It aligns with his goals, considering the impending global conflict. Hubert’s Merchant Coalition stands as the grandest economic power on the mainland. Halting their commerce yields massive advantages for his campaign.”

The dialogue shifted smoothly toward the Undying Monarch, the true architect of the plot.

He had been quietly destabilizing Auterica’s financial foundations, laying the groundwork for the approaching war.

In doing so, he had treated the nightwalkers—his ostensible partners—as expendable assets in his strategy, pulling their strings and turning their factions against one another.

It was a truly treacherous gambit.

“………”

Temiran, seated across the table, stole a brief look at Heinz, who rested beside him with his legs crossed, maintaining a thoroughly detached and placid demeanor.

[“Keep your eyes forward.”]

He immediately snapped his gaze away upon hearing his master’s telepathic command echoing in his mind, nodding along with the rest of the council.

He simply performed exactly as he was directed.

“Indeed, and the scope is broader than that. My directives also encompassed the Fiend Realm…”

Shifting all accountability onto the Undying Monarch!

He was forbidden from mentioning the primordial entity shackled within the void. Their minds would collapse under the weight of such knowledge.

Consequently, it was far more efficient to pin the blame entirely on the Undying Monarch, mirroring the strategy used for the Celestial Alignment Order and the Insurgent Group.

‘…And the divine retribution metrics aren’t half bad either.’

Bound by the constraints of 「Subjugation」, which had radically fortified Heinz’s dominion over his soul, Temiran performed his designated duties flawlessly, far outperforming basic requirements.

The mechanism permitted the master to oversee his thrall’s vitals and relay directives instantaneously, proving to be an exceptionally practical tool.

“The Fiend Realm…?”

“We must ensure our defenses are prepared against… cultists of the abyss…”

As the deliberations grew more solemn, Diana, who had remained silent, cast her gaze between Heinrich and Heinz, studying them both intently.

Their underlying scent profiles still matched.

‘…My deduction was flawless.’

She thought back to the afternoon she had confronted Heinz directly.

—

“…My apologies, would you mind saying that once more?”

Heinz, who rarely lost his stoic composure, appeared visibly shaken.

Noticing his unease, Diana gave a slow nod and reiterated her point, adopting a comforting and tender tone.

“I grasp the weight of what this means for you. But you are well aware of my sensory gift, are you not?”

Her olfactory perception was a supernatural phenomenon that permitted her to decipher not just physical aromas, but abstract constructs like looming peril and the literal fragrance of an individual’s spirit, leaving the instincts of wild beasts and monsters far behind.

She spoke with an underlying serenity, yet her words carried absolute certainty.

“You and the Holy Emissary… you share the bond of… brotherhood. Severed during infancy.”

“…”

“In fact, you could be twins. You both possess… striking features. And upon closer inspection, your facial structures… mirror one another.”

“…”

“The records state that Holy Heinrich lived as a drifter from the Tulc Principality before surrendering his earthly wealth to the Primary Deity Sect to serve as a holy knight. And the Tulc Principality… that happens to be the exact location where our paths first crossed, correct?”

A structured hypothesis, built upon tangible deductions and proof.

She gazed at Heinz, who sat frozen, his complexion drained of color as his thoughts raced from the sudden disclosure.

A billionaire tycoon, the director of a continental trade network, and a Sovereign Vampire.

Juxtaposed against a Holy Emissary, a champion of the light, the primary blade of the Primary Deity Sect.

Who could have possibly surmised they shared the same bloodline?

Even she would have remained oblivious without the aid of her extraordinary gift.

‘…It would present no issue if his identity stopped at being a tycoon. But he is a creature of the night. Even if the Sect and the nightwalkers maintain an amicable truce currently…’

…such harmony was destined to shatter.

The prevailing tranquility was a volatile armistice, sustained purely by mutual avoidance, their ancient hatreds temporarily suppressed by the overriding menace of the Undying Monarch.

Yet the moment that shadow was lifted, the ancient blood feud would ignite once more.

‘…And it was the Holy Emissary himself who campaigned for the integration of the nightwalkers. This entire pact rests solely upon his personal honor.’

It was highly probable that the Emissary had foreseen this as well, anticipating the unavoidable clash.

Thus, he had attempted to placate the nightwalkers, fighting to preserve a facade of harmony.

“…Mister, are you functioning well?”

She reached out to him carefully, her tone dripping with empathy.

Even if they had rediscovered their long-lost kin, their positions prevented them from acting on sentimentality. They stood as the figureheads of opposing doctrines.

The slightest friction between their factions could trigger a continental catastrophe.

It was a devastating twist of destiny.

“…Hmm.”

Heinz narrowed his eyes and regarded her, a conflicted mask washing over his features.

However, his internal calculations were completely detached from her assumptions.

‘…What fantasy has she constructed?’

It was certainly commendable that she had retained her focus amidst the turmoil to isolate their scent markers, particularly when they had taken active measures to shroud them.

Their spiritual signatures and ethereal presences were masked by multiple tiers of high-grade wards, their physical forms and souls fortified by celestial energy.

Despite those barriers, she had parsed their essence.

‘…Her capabilities have elevated significantly. A profound advancement… It must stem from her exposure to Temiran, the divine vessel.’

Fortunately, the defensive protocols had not failed entirely.

She had detected a correlation, but her analysis lacked absolute precision.

“…Understood. My thanks for sharing this insight.”

“Think nothing of it, Mister. It pales in comparison to the salvation you have granted me…”

“Regardless, it is paramount that this remains entirely confidential. Misplaced rumors could trigger… unwanted complications.”

“Understood… I am certain the public will… comprehend the truth in due time! The common perspective regarding nightwalkers is already shifting across the western territories…”

He offered a solemn nod, listening to her earnest attempts to comfort him.

Even Diana, whom he viewed as immediate family, could not be trusted with the absolute reality of the situation.

The smaller the circle of awareness, the safer the position.

He harbored zero intention of unmasking his true heritage.

‘…Though it serves as an excellent narrative framework. I must consider how to exploit this perspective.’

His mind drifted into strategic planning, completely divorced from the anxieties Diana was harboring.

—

“Are you certain this is the correct path? I recognize that dismantling the Undying Monarch takes precedence, but…”

Following the adjournment of the assembly,

Temiran, remaining behind in private with Heinz, inquired hesitately, his tone laced with apprehension.

He had displayed this nervous disposition ever since their arrival.

“What source of anxiety plagues you? You were the primary proponent of this strategy.”

“That is true, but still…”

He paused, a strained look overtaking his face.

Heinz could easily read his psychological state.

He was aware of the actions the boy had committed while operating on the opposing side, making his apprehension regarding the fallout entirely logical.

“Yet the crisis within the Fiend Realm is cataclysmic! The entity did not deploy me across the veil without reason. This represents… his ultimate play, his final desperate gamble!”

The ongoing campaign inside the Fiend Realm marked the realization of millennia of meticulous scheming.

Temiran, having occupied the role of divine vessel for only a brief duration, lacked the granular details of the master plan… but as the individual who had thrown the gears into motion, he grasped the overarching blueprint.

“It is irrelevant. I have already set my counters in motion.”

“…Counters? I remain ignorant of how you gathered intelligence regarding the Fiend Realm, but… the pieces have moved beyond my jurisdiction. We possess no leverage from this side of the veil.”

He had initially sought out Diana, intending to harvest her celestial relic to amplify his own agenda… though it now appeared her involvement was non-essential.

“The planar gateway stands wide open, and the legions of the abyss have initiated their slaughter. Their vanguard commander has likewise… shifted allegiances. The lesser fiends, possessing fragile loyalty and driven purely by dominant instincts, will rapidly submit to the altered paradigm under the rule of the ascending Fiend Monarch!”

Following that, the downstream effects would be entirely inescapable.

Naturally, that reality would never manifest.

“The data you possess has expired. Granted, your final data sync occurred prior to your arrival in Tarak, so the discrepancy is logical.”

“…?”

Heinz offered no elaboration.

There was no utility in doing so. The concept would elude the boy’s comprehension.

“Prepare yourself for a transition back to the Zepia Republic.”

“Ah!”

“Our accord experienced a postponement, but the current timing appears ideal.”

He had given his word to Kayla McCleary, the Vice Chair of the Republic, that he would track down her vanished offspring.

She had expressed a desire to uncover his ultimate fate, even if it meant confirming his demise. She simply wished to recover his remains, his final resting place…

‘…And now, I return her offspring to her, fully functional and breathing. It far exceeds the parameters of our arrangement.’

The administrative delay would pose no barrier.

Furthermore, the reality that her offspring now served as his personal thrall, a nightwalker bound to his whim, provided a distinct strategic advantage.

Kayla McCleary, who had previously acted as a… hesitant partner, would now be transformed into an unshakeable asset.

“I-Is it truly permissible for me to return?”

“Correct.”

“…Two decades have slipped by. She… still remembers me, does she not?”

“Cast away your doubts.”

“Ah! Perhaps it would have been wiser to… preserve my juvenile state! Do you possess the means to… revert my physical age…?”

“…”

“Of course, that is an impossibility. Mere wishful thinking on my part. Ought I to procure a token of appreciation for her? Creeping back into her life after all these decades feels incredibly daunting…”

Temiran, who had been snatched away during his youth and subsequently converted into a hollow tool for an ancient entity, had been completely barred from initiating contact with his mother.

Heinz let out a weary breath and flipped a talisman toward him, an enchanted accessory that radiated immense material value.

“…Take the artifact and… dismiss yourself.”

He harbored doubts as to whether it constituted an appropriate homecoming token.

He likely would never fathom such domestic concepts.

He tracked the youth’s movements for a brief sequence, then turned on his heel and departed the space.

An immense volume of tasks still demanded his attention.

—

A war zone stretched beneath a vibrant, violet canopy.

In ordinary circumstances, this realm would present a chaotic tapestry of slaughter, with fiends of varying shapes and dimensions butchering one another to the last breath… yet at this precise moment, an unnatural stillness had gripped the territory.

“Huu… Haa…”

[“Grrr…”]

“Haaa…”

However, it was devoid of true tranquility.

The fiends, their gazes burning with an unholy fervor reminiscent of radical zealots,

…were uniformly concentrated on a solitary entity dominating the epicenter of the war zone.

A grand and commanding figure, a sovereign sculpted from birth to dominate, whose fundamental presence extracted immediate capitulation.

An alluring magnetism, a hypnotic aura capable of compelling them to tear out their own hearts in devotion.

A radiant beacon in the bleak sky of the Fiend Realm, its splendor and elegance suffocating any trace of insubordination before it could take root.

A Fiend Monarch.

[“The war zone has been thoroughly purged, Lady Hella. We await your word to advance upon the subsequent settlement!”]

A colossal Balrog, an entity holding the rank of a High Marquis, stepped forward and cast himself onto the earth, his voice reverberating like thunder.

His actions betrayed no trace of hesitation or trepidation.

He offered nothing short of profound reverence and worship.

“Excellent— Siana, what destination lies ahead?”

“The domain of Otorel, which anchors one of the primary thresholds of the Obsidian Citadel.”

“Is that so? Our advancement has been remarkably swift.”

It was a logical progression.

Hella’s dominion, Helheim, was not acquiring territory through conventional strategies of attrition.

The structural power of a standard military force would fundamentally degrade as a campaign dragged on.

Losses were an inevitability, and even the individuals who survived would battle exhaustion and fractured spirits.

Granted, fiends possessed inherently superior durability… but they remained susceptible to physical weariness and psychological degradation.

“…Has the host completed its recovery? We march.”

Yet her collective was forged differently.

Her boundless reservoir of primordial mana, amplified by her unique 「Fiend Monarch」 attribute, radiated outward, completely rejuvenating her zealots.

[“Your word is our absolute law!”]

“Hella! Hella! Hella!”

[“Wooo—!”]

“Triumph belongs to Helheim! Eternal majesty to the supreme Fiend Monarch!”

Her host, completely revitalized by her proximity, bellowed and cheered, their collective fervor reaching an absolute peak.

This effect extended beyond her veteran loyalists to encompass the newly conquered adversaries she had just broken, their allegiances now irrevocably bound to her banner.

An abyssal legion whose sheer scale and destructive capacity multiplied with every milestone crossed.

The vanguards of Helheim, having consolidated their grip on the reclaimed sectors of the Fallen, now directed their march toward the heartland of the Obsidian Citadel.