Chapter 78: Great Night (3)
“Our Great Blood of Night grows stronger the more blood we consu.”
“Blood?”
I let out a scoff.
“That sounds no different from beasts that drain life force. No wonder you wield the sa Magical Energy.”
“That’s different. We can control how much blood we consu. It ans we don’t necessarily have to kill humans.”
“That makes it worse. You’re saying you’ll keep them alive and drain them repeatedly.”
I spoke with sarcasm.
Naturally so.
I had thought the Demon Race was different from Demon Beasts—
But Requilith’s actions completely denied that assumption.
It was hard not to feel disgust.
“Now that I think about it, you speak quite fluently. Was pretending to be mute an act?”
“That’s because I absorbed the blood of a True Ancestor. I told you—it’s thanks to you.”
He answered bluntly, having noticed my hostility.
“To begin with, I’ve never once drunk human blood. If I had, like you said, I would’ve fixed my stutter long ago.”
“…That makes sense.”
I adjusted my evaluation of him.
From sothing like a beast—
To sothing similar, yet different.
“Requilith, I have many questions.”
“I got stronger thanks to you. Ask anything.”
He complied easily.
Even after absorbing Reculrus’s power, he didn’t seem overwhelmingly stronger.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be this cooperative.
He would’ve resisted first.
“First—since when have you Great Blood of Night existed on this continent?”
I asked seriously.
“From what Reculrus said, it’s been at least several hundred years. Is that correct?”
“That’s what I heard. I was born fifty years ago, so I don’t know.”
I flinched.
“…Fifty? Not fifteen?”
“Ah, humans only live about a hundred years, right? I guess that’s surprising. We’re a long-lived race. Think of us as similar to the Elves of Aurel.”
“I already knew that.”
“Huh? Then what surprised you?”
“The gap between your body and your age.”
He looked like a teenager.
But inside—
He was a fifty-year-old man.
‘He’s the sa age as my father.’
And yet he had begged for skewers while pretending to be a child?
‘Well… technically I assud he was a child. But I doubt I was the only one fooled.’
I narrowed my eyes.
At that gaze, Requilith flinched.
“It wasn’t intentional. With this body, it’s hard to find proper work. People just… gave food sotis.”
He trailed off awkwardly.
I sighed.
It wasn’t hard to understand.
Even I wouldn’t hire a child.
Labor required adult bodies.
What could soone with such a small fra even do?
Sure, they’d eat less—
But who would consider that a real advantage?
I looked at him with pity.
A fifty-year-old—
Reduced to begging.
And one who had never even drunk human blood.
“…What’s with that look?”
“Nothing. Just answer my questions.”
“That’s suspicious… Anyway, we’ve been on this continent for about six hundred years.”
Six hundred years.
That was long before the Demon King’s era.
“Strange. With that much ti, your existence should’ve been known. Where were you hiding?”
“Inside this labyrinth. This space has existed for a long ti. It just… moved here at so point.”
“So it wasn’t created to lure the Saintess?”
“Not exactly. We revealed its existence to lure her. We’re the ones who broke Solar’s statue.”
“I see. Then—is this all of the Great Blood of Night?”
“No. About ten years ago, Reculrus’s children left for the outside. I don’t know the details, but they’re probably still alive.”
“And the rest are here?”
“Yeah. Sunlight weakens us. No reason to go outside and beco weaker.”
A race weak during the day, strong at night.
I stored the information and continued.
“Are there others like you among the Demon Race?”
“Of course. There are many types. Our natural enemies, for example—the Werewolves.”
“Werewolves?”
“A race that transforms into wolf-n under the moon. There are also rfolk in the deep sea, and harpies said to live only in high mountains.”
“Do they exist on this continent?”
“rfolk and Werewolves do. Not sure about harpies.”
“I see… That answers most of my questions. One last thing.”
My eyes turned cold.
“Are you enemies of humans?”
Requilith felt a crushing pressure.
Breathing beca difficult.
He couldn’t even raise his head.
“…We’re not enemies. But we’re not allies either. It depends on how you treat us.”
“Reculrus seed hostile.”
“He’s dead. Until a new leader appears, we won’t act.”
“And the Werewolves or rfolk?”
“You’d have to ask them. But there’s one race that can truly be called your enemy.”
“Who?”
“A race that uses the sa energy—but far surpasses us.”
His voice trembled.
“The Demon Gods. Compared to them, we’re nothing but insects.”
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‘I see… so that’s what it was. The “Outside” that Jeozudin warned about… was the Demon Gods.’
This was the information I had gathered.
Jeozudin, whom I thought was an Evil God—
Was actually a Demon God.
Beyond the sea lay a land where the Demon Gods resided.
Surprisingly—
Demon Gods were still mortal beings.
They weren’t true gods—
Just beings infinitely close.
Even Jeozudin was the sa.
A thousand years ago, the red-haired Grand Warrior hadn’t slain a true god—
But sothing nearly divine.
Fortunately—
Their numbers were extrely small.
Only five had been confird.
There might be more—
But only five were known to seek domination of the continent.
‘And even if there are more… they likely have little interest in humans.’
That made sense.
Even half of what I heard was true—
They were already beyond mortal limits.
Infinite lifespan.
Perfect bodies from birth.
Regeneration that healed fatal wounds instantly.
In truth—
They were transcendent beings.
My expression darkened.
If the stories were true—
They would eventually invade this land.
Jeozudin alone had nearly wiped out humanity.
And there were five more like him.
It was despairing.
‘Still… I need a solution.’
Even if the sky collapsed—
There had to be a way.
If I wanted to live—
I had to overco it.
“For now, they won’t be coming here.”
At Requilith’s words, I snapped my eyes open.
“Why?”
“They’re sealed beyond the continent. By a barrier created by the Supre God Solar.”
A divine barrier.
It sounded reassuring.
But I didn’t relax.
Because—
There was already one who had crossed over.
“Then how did you get here? If even Demon Gods can’t cross, how did you?”
“That’s thanks to Solar’s power.”
He answered casually.
“You don’t know this, but the distance between the continents is enormous. Even by ship, it would take decades. Do you think we could cross that? It was only possible because of a transcendent being’s intervention.”
I frowned—
Then nodded.
It wasn’t impossible.
Solar had even taken Jeozudin as his son.
He likely had no strong feelings toward lesser beings like the Demon Race.
More importantly—
They didn’t have the power to challenge the divine throne.
I glanced toward Sibelte.
She was discussing sothing with Garan.
Their expressions brightened—
They had likely found a way out.
“Requilith. Will you remain here?”
“This place can’t be entered easily by humans anyway. You felt it too, right? This isn’t the sa labyrinth as before.”
I nodded.
It looked the sa—
But felt different.
Like a shadow—
Existing, yet not.
‘Without Reculrus’s followers, no one could enter.’
“Will we et again?”
“If you co back. But why?”
“I plan to inform my father. About you—and the Demon Gods.”
“Your father? He won’t believe you.”
“He’s experienced enough strange things. He’ll at least co to verify.”
“…Alright.”
Ti passed.
I exited the labyrinth.
I didn’t know the exact thod.
Only that it involved spatial magic.
Without the Saintess and Priest Frey, it would’ve been impossible.
‘If I had asked Requilith, it might’ve been easier…’
But it was too soon.
Humanity was already struggling with Demon Beasts.
There was no need to add more despair.
“Captain.”
I called out to Garan.
My tone wasn’t indifferent this ti.
“I think I need to return to Elphrel. There are things I must tell my father.”
“That’s fine. But weren’t you supposed to speak with the Saintess?”
“This is more important.”
He stared at —
Then smirked.
“Alright. But explain it to the corps yourself. At least say your goodbyes.”
“I understand.”
I went to inform the mbers.
The Black Dragon rcenary Corps accepted my departure calmly.
Perhaps because they knew—
I was the Conqueror’s son.
They had expected this.
Still—
Before parting—
We shared one last mont together.
Using my reward—
I treated them all to drinks.
Even though I disliked alcohol—
…It was a good ti.
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