“Ah, you may proceed imdiately. I will escort you.”
I had wondered if they truly had a direct hotline to the president, but they imdiately put through. The fact that I could speak with the acting president right away—despite him being one of the busiest and highest-ranking figures in the Clark Republic—was proof enough.
Or maybe… he is waiting for soone, too.
I hadn’t felt anything unusual when I first entered the city, but the longer I stayed, the more I could sense prying eyes.
It wasn’t that soone was tailing . Rather, it felt like soone was watching the entire city from above.
“Laila Vesh, it would be safer for you to stay here.”
At my words, Laila flinched as if she had sothing to say, but instead, she bowed deeply.
“Understood! Uh, a-and I’d be grateful if you spoke comfortably with !”
“…Alright.”
Seeing how she had completely stiffened up, I felt a little guilty.
It seed she had been taken aback by the attitude of the Bureau executives towards and their slightly rough deanor.
Even though they were now executives, they had once been wild-living Scrapyard Nomads and resistance mbers.
No matter how well-dressed they were, their bodies still bore the scars of their past, and they carried an air of freedom. Naturally, they stood apart from the other Bureau executives.
I do feel a bit uneasy about leaving her here, but…
They wouldn’t dare treat her lightly since they knew she was with .
The journey to the acting president’s office didn’t take long.
The connection was so direct that every checkpoint opened smoothly, allowing to pass through effortlessly.
“That door at the end leads to the acting president’s office.”
As the forr Scrapyard Nomads, now a Bureau executive, guided , I took the opportunity to ask what had been nagging at .
“By the way, how did you introduce ? He should think the Soul Whisperer is dead.”
“Ah, I introduced you as a friend of His Majesty, King Orpheus. It’s not exactly a lie, is it?”
“You’ve got guts.”
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have survived as a resistance in the Clark Republic.”
He had a point.
Just earlier, I had thought of these people as being more reckless and free-spirited compared to officials from other departnts. But in other words, that also ant they were adaptable and resourceful.
Deception like this was sothing they could pull off without hesitation.
“Well, as long as you are here, it’s never any trouble, brother-in-law.”
With that, the Scrapyard Nomads mber knocked on the door. As soon as a response ca from inside, he pushed it open.
Waiting inside was Acting President Nicolay, with dark circles under his eyes.
He looked utterly exhausted, a clear sign that sothing was going on in the Clark Republic.
“I hear you are a close friend of King Orpheus.”
Still, he must have considered an honored guest as he offered a handshake with a smile.
After shaking hands, we normally would have exchanged a few pleasantries, but there was no need to waste ti on that.
“What exactly is happening in the Republic right now?”
I got straight to the point, and his expression faltered for a mont. The Scrapyard Nomads who had accompanied also took the hint and subtly stepped back, making space for our conversation.
He was caught off guard, but my direct approach helped him recover quickly, and he responded with a smile.
“Ah, you must be referring to the strange figures causing disturbances throughout the Republic?”
“…”
“It was an unexpected situation, but the Bureau and the Republic’s military are doing their best to respond.”
He was talking about the gods. But unfortunately for him, that wasn’t my concern.
“If you’re referring to those strange figures, I’ve already taken care of them.”
“Excuse …?”
“You don’t need to worry about that anymore. They won’t be making a move.”
It was a freedom that had been won after a long struggle.
They would have wisely kept their heads down and run if they didn’t want to be annihilated just months after breaking free from fate.
I’d heard that lesser gods had been waiting for an opportunity, so once they heard my na, they would have known exactly how to act.
However, that wasn’t the issue at hand.
“I’m asking about sothing else.”
“…”
Realizing what I was referring to, his gaze shifted past my shoulder toward the Scrapyard Nomads mber standing behind .
“Is this person really an acquaintance of King Orpheus?”
“Huh? Yes, of course. Absolutely.”
At the Scrapyard Nomads’s firm answer, Acting President Nicolay took a deep breath, glancing around cautiously.
That alone told how ticulous he was.
It was as if he were running a secondary verification process.
“I-Is he human?”
At Nicolay’s question, the Scrapyard Nomads behind let out surprised noises, clearly taken aback.
“What kind of—”
However, I raised a hand to stop him from interrupting, so he pressed his lips together and stepped back.
At this rate, soone might mistake for the acting president.
“I am human. That is precisely why I have co—to aid you and this land.”
“Ah.”
Nicolay let out a deep sigh and buried his face in his hands.
That was how much stress he was under.
To gain his trust, I decided to be the one to ask first.
“Which Demon Lord is it?”
“Y-You know even that?!”
“I know a Demon Lord is involved. I just need to know which one.”
So far, I had encountered six Demon Lords.
Velica, the Demon Lord of Deformity.
Magan, the Demon Lord of Gluttony.
Valkyria, the Demon Lord of War.
Feyron, the Demon Lord of Worship.
Dune, the Demon Lord of Pride.
Lehric, the Demon Lord of Deception.
I had ultimately defeated every Demon Lord I had encountered so far.
Velica was a slightly special case because she was still existing within Stella.
However, the other five were all dead.
It was only right that I knew the na of the next one to be added to the list.
“It’s Lordron, the Demon Lord of Domination. He’s threatening to sweep through the Clark Republic with his army of demons.”
Lordron, the Demon Lord of Domination.
That’s a na I’ve heard from Velica before.
Most Demon Lords didn’t move in groups. So controlled demonic monsters, while others commanded small elite forces.
But Lordron was different.
True to his title, the more beings he dominated, the stronger he beca.
Because of this, he was said to control the largest force among the Demon Lords.
“He threatened . He said his countless demons could descend from the skies and annihilate the Republic at any mont.”
“…”
“If I wanted to avoid that, he demanded that I plant his subordinates within the Republic. And after … he himself would take the position of President.”
Nicolay, the acting president, spoke with gloom and resentnt.
“Is this reality?”
Gripping his chest as if his heart ached, thick tears finally fell from his eyes.
“Not Han Empire, not a fertile land like the Griffin Kingdom. I believed the Clark Republic was the pride of humanity, blooming in a barren environnt.”
The pride he held as a leader.
“Even under the rule of the Demon Lord, those who never faltered and fought for freedom ultimately proved the greatness of humanity through honor and victory.”
The responsibility he bore as a leader.
Everything crumbled within him without resistance.
“Is this truly reality? Am I supposed to accept that Magan, who exploited and ruled over us, was actually protecting the people of the Republic?”
To put it coldly—it wasn’t entirely wrong.
Because of the alliance between the Demon Lord Magan and the three other Demon Lords, others couldn’t set their sights on the Clark Republic.
But now, with the throne left empty, there were bound to be those drooling and rushing in.
“I never expected to spend such a powerless ti. That the only choice I had as acting president was to hand over this land to a Demon Lord.”
Watching Nicolay fall deeper into despair as he spoke, I, too, found myself lost in thought.
He was righteous. Just like Laila Vesh from the Bureau, who ca here with .
“The Republic is truly a land of vast possibilities.”
Those words escaped my lips before I realized it.
Because they knew tragedy better than anyone, they instead sought to prove their purity by distancing themselves from it.
Both Acting President Nicolay and Laila Vesh—it’s not just that I was fortunate to et good people, but rather that the Clark Republic was full of people like them.
When faced with a common enemy, people naturally form strong bonds.
Those who had defeated Magan were maintaining their humanity, vowing not to beco like him.
“You don’t need to worry.”
Believing I could trust and leave things in their hands, I patted his shoulder and stepped outside.
“The Republic will be safe.”
Clatter.
As I stepped outside, a mber of the Scrapyard Nomads followed after .
“W-where are you going?”
One might despair at the news of another Demon Lord’s arrival, yet he held onto his wits and prepared to fight again.
“To et that bastard.”
Saying so, I opened a window in the hallway, stepped onto the railing, and leaped outside.
“Lord Soul Whisperer?!”
Ignoring the mber who, flustered, addressed by my old title, I soared into the sky and landed on the rooftop.
Now that I knew who had been watching over Clarkwork and his purpose, it was ti to face him directly.
“Lordron.”
The sky warped—a clear, cloudless night stretching above.
Then, a horned Demon Lord erged, spreading his massive wings within the distorted sky.
Lordron, the Demon Lord of Dominion.
Like the other Demon Lords, he resembled a human yet was distinctly different.
His entire body was ashen, but within, condensed heat lay dormant.
The two horns curving upward seed like spears of punishnt aid at those he ruled.
“Soul Whisperer.”
Lordron whispered my title as he faced as if knowing my identity.
Amidst the fierce winds created by his wings, I spoke indifferently.
“There is no room for discussion or negotiation. However, I will offer you a choice.”
My rcy was reserved for humans alone. My heart was not so vast as to extend it to gods or Demon Lords.
“Either withdraw from here imdiately or et the sa fate as the six Demon Lords who now lie dead.”
Velica had previously ntioned that their activities had dwindled with more than half of the ten Demon Lords gone.
“The human chosen by the continent. The sage who continues to live even after putting an end to the fate spoken of by the gods.”
Lordron smirked as he added grandiose embellishnts to his words. It was a form of mockery directed at .
“I know of your battle against the continent and your victory. Watching you command the countless slumbering souls was truly a magnificent sight.”
“…”
“Yes, one who possesses vast mana. You, once called the Soul Whisperer, are ultimately a necromancer at your core.”
Even knowing I was staying in the Clark Republic, Lordron proceeded with his plans.
Which ant—He had already prepared to face .
“Look around you. See if there are any souls left in this land for you to command.”
A hearty laugh burst from him, full of confidence. He probably thought, even if I had power, without souls to use, how could I possibly fight him?
Just as a Cadavermancer was powerless without corpses, a necromancer was powerless without souls.
It was a common strategy.
“I’m a little surprised you think that applies to , though…….”
Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use my full strength.
And I would probably never fully unleash my power by freely wielding souls.
Nor would I ever need to.
“You took a gamble with incredibly low odds.”
“A powerless necromancer with vast mana against a Demon Lord fighting at full strength—seems like a fair fight, doesn’t it?”
Howe naïve.
Clicking my tongue at his mistake of underestimating my true strength, I prepared to show him the difference between us.
“…!”
A powerful presence made instinctively turn my head.
Releasing the tension in my body, I slowly let go of the mana I had been condensing.
“Hmm?”
Lordron, sensing it as well, furrowed his brows and looked toward the high walls of Clarkwork.
Backlit by the moon, her blood-red eyes glead as she gripped her weapon, Snow White, standing tall and glaring in this direction.
“She got here fast.”
I hadn’t intended to make her move, but seeing her like this, I realized I had made a mistake.
If a Demon Lord appeared in Griffin, I would go there myself.
After all, I was part of the Norseweden Household, affiliated with the Griffin Kingdom.
Likewise, if a Demon Lord erged in the Clark Republic, its guardian would naturally rise to protect it.
The forr defenders of freedom, the Scrapyard Nomads, had now beco key executives, working at the heart of the Republic’s Bureau.
And the woman who once led them, always at the forefront, swinging her axe—A lone wolf watching over the entire Republic.
She had beco its guardian deity.
***
sko-fi/genesisforsaken
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