Dungeon Defense

"If you had, by some chance, sincerely apologized……."

Marbas continued, his voice clearly weary.

"Although it is an infinitely unlikely possibility, Barbatos, if you had knelt before Paimon's resting place and apologized, our Neutral Faction would not have intervened. Had you not provoked the situation in the first place, there would not have been any conflict between the Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction today."

"……."

"Have you not realized? Or were you unable to even attempt to understand……?"

Marbas let out a grief-filled sigh.

"We summoned the archdukes to verify the truth ourselves. The archdukes testified that you were deeply involved in the assassination, and it did not take much time to confirm that their statements were true. Do you understand, Barbatos?"

Marbas muttered softly.

"Before today's assembly, Sitri already knew everything."

"Yet, instead of accusing you, Sitri merely asked for an apology. She gave you one last chance. Despite her desire to drive a knife into your heart, she suppressed her anguish and allowed you and the Plains Faction a single opportunity."

Marbas spoke with a voice full of anguish, but the words were not reaching Barbatos. Barbatos was looking only at me, pleading with trembling eyes.

It's not too late. Anything will do. Anything at all—.

Please, just deny that you betrayed me.

Barbatos seemed to be saying that.

I spoke without averting my gaze from Barbatos.

"Your Highness Marbas, I am grateful for your temporary role as Chair. Though it may be burdensome, I wish to resume my duties. Please restore to me the right to preside over tonight's proceedings."

"……Very well, then. You shall have the right to conduct the meeting, to allow and halt discussions, to put issues to a vote, and to adjourn or dissolve the meeting. All authority is justly restored to you."

"Thank you."

And from this point on, everything hinges on my next words.

Barbatos was a wise woman. She most likely already realized the full scope of the situation. Yet, because of that very wisdom, she was giving me the chance to explain myself. She was giving me the chance to deny this current situation.

At this moment, the things we had piled up were neatly stacked on top of each other like bricks.

'You rude bastard. If you're going to visit a lady's house, then you should at the very least prepare a smoke pipe beforehand.'

'A young man shouldn't be weak like a sardine. Back when I was your age, I held numerous sex parties that would last for three days straight.'

Our friendship.

'You rude bastard, did you smear your courtesy over some barley bread and eat it? If you're going to visit a lady's house, then you should at the very least prepare a smoke pipe beforehand.'

'Our weasel Demon Lord with a bag of tricks, Dantalian. What sort of malicious scheme have you thought up of to be able to raise your hand so confidently?'

Our trust.

'Ah, comrades. As you saw, I've called dibs on him, okay? I put my saliva on him first. If anyone tries to take him from me, then I'll kindly and courteously beat the shit out of them, so only those who are confident in their ability to fight me should go up to the mound.'

'…………Am I really the best?'

'So please stay at my side……. Don't leave me by myself anymore…….'

Our bond.

A weight that even time itself could not endure pressed down on the space between us. Everything was riding on this very moment. I took on that weight with my whole being and opened my lips. And the instant my tongue moved, as if a string were being torn by a rough hand—something that had connected us was severed in silence.

"Barbatos, for the crime of conspiring to and executing the assassination of the noble Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the High Chamberlain, Demon Lord Paimon, I depose you from the throne of Bohemia."

"……."

"This has already been unanimously agreed upon by the four electors. There is no room for objection. Considering that the criminal is the head of a faction, we will imprison not only the criminal but all Demon Lords affiliated with the faction. Accordingly, I declare that all their positions are hereby nullified as of this hour."

A single tear.

A single tear fell from the corner of Barbatos' eye.

"I trusted you……."

"……."

"You said……I was the best……."

I slowly raised my right hand and brought it close to Barbatos' neck. My hand was so near that it seemed it might strangle her white neck at any moment, yet Barbatos did not even flinch. It probably wasn't simply because Marbas' blade was threatening her.

– Snap!

I swiftly tore the ornament from her neck.

It was the necklace Barbatos always wore. It was none other than the necklace I had given her, the one with my fingers woven on it. The thread of the necklace, to which I had sworn eternal love, snapped with ease. With the thread that had supported them now gone, the two fingers fell to the ground.

I gave the order. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Everyone. Cut off the horns of the prisoners."

The Demon Lords of the Neutral Faction immediately sprang into action.

To Demon Lords, their horns were the source of their life and magical power, alongside their hearts. Therefore, the smaller the horns, the more contemptible the Demon Lord was considered. The reason I was once referred to as only half of a Demon Lord was partly because I had a single horn, which was deemed unworthy of a true Demon Lord.

"Grr……you wretches……!"

"Do you think you will be safe after this, Dantalian?! I curse you! I swear upon my blood that I will curse you forever!"

The Demon Lords of the Plains Faction struggled and writhed in agony.

Horns were a Demon Lord's pride. Losing them was a humiliation worse than death. They, who had just moments ago considered me a reliable ally, were now suffering the most brutal punishment at my hands.

The Demon Lords of the Plains Faction resisted until the end, but they were already in a state of near-death from their injuries. Their heads were slammed into the cold, hard stone floor. The Neutral Faction Demon Lords subdued them easily and began to carve off their horns. The sound of huge horns dropping echoed repeatedly.

"Why……? Dantalian, why did you betray us……!"

Brother Zepar, face down on the floor and restrained, could only twist his head slightly to glare at me. His face was contorted with shock and humiliation.

"Wasn't it you who loved the Plains Faction more than anyone else!"

Despite his body being mangled and his right arm lost, Brother Zepar's defiant roar shook with fierce intensity.

"Did you not love the Legion Commander, Her Excellency Barbatos? Answer me, Dantalian! Answer me……!"

"No, Commander Zepar. Not at all."

I placed my hand on Barbatos' shoulder and, while gazing coldly at Brother Zepar, said,

"I have never loved the Plains Faction. Nor have I ever loved Barbatos. Commander, you seem to be a romantic, contrary to your appearance. Love? Is it not well past the age for such things?"

A laugh escaped my lips. It was an unintended laugh, yet it was fitting. The acting skills I had built up with blood and sweat had reached a level where they instinctively chose the most appropriate path, regardless of my intentions.

"I honestly found it annoying. Barbatos, Barbatos, Barbatos……every time you open your mouths. Do you all lack the ability to think and act for yourselves? I simply cannot understand your way of thinking."

"What……?"

"All you seem to think about is how to start a war. When you equated the future of the Demon Lord Army with Barbatos' future, I became thoroughly tired of you all."

I gently stroked Barbatos' cheek with my right hand. The faint trace of the tear that had flowed left a subtle mark on my palm.

"Look here. This is the Barbatos you all revered so deeply. You spoke endlessly about warrior's honor and pride, but in the end, the method she used to kill her rival, Paimon, was nothing but a cowardly assassination……. She could not even uphold the beliefs she herself proclaimed."

Suddenly, I felt something wetting the back of my hand. Without turning my head, I knew it was more tears from Barbatos.

—It was fine.

I could endure anything, achieve anything, until the end.

"And yet, you still speak of honor? How impressive. Even I cannot help but be amazed if I witness a murderer dress up their crimes as an aesthetic."

"Remove that blasphemous hand! There is no way Her Excellency would commit something like an assassination!"

"Oh dear, do you think this is a false accusation?"

I shook my head slowly.

"This is troubling. Though I understand it would be more comfortable for you in many ways if you believe this to be a false accusation."

"How long will you mock us……?!"

"Very well. Please continue to believe it is a false accusation. Convince yourself that I insulted Barbatos with lies and that everyone in the Neutral Faction, including Marbas here, has agreed to share in this falsehood."

Brother Zepar's expression froze.

Yes, while it was only natural for them to distrust me, the betrayer, Brother Zepar also understood that Marbas was not someone to stage a grand affair based on false accusations…….

Marbas, the most fair and noble of all Demon Lords, the one who presides over the absolute court, had never, in the past two thousand years, supported any false slander. The mere fact that Marbas supported my accusation gave my words overwhelming credibility…….

Brother Zepar gritted his teeth and shouted.

"This is nonsense……. This can't be true!"

The air buzzed with agitation. The poison of doubt was spreading. The belief that Barbatos could never have committed such an assassination clashed with the truth that Marbas had demonstrated and proven over countless years. The two were in direct conflict.

"I also thought it was impossible, Commander Zepar. I trusted Barbatos to the end. Even in the moment when Paimon was bleeding and dying in my arms, I did not doubt Barbatos……."

"……."

"After learning the truth, I told Barbatos to apologize to Sitri. To make a formal apology if possible, or at the very least, to apologize through indirect means."

It was an obvious lie.

However, if it's impossible to prove the lie, then it becomes politically true.

"Indirect means……. Could it be……."

"Indeed. This assembly today was precisely for the purpose of an indirect apology. Although you, Commander Zepar, said you would apologize yourself, that would have been meaningless. It was a matter that required Barbatos to apologize directly."

Another wave of shock settled on Commander Zepar's face. In his mind, the events and conversations of the past few days were most likely being reassembled in an entirely different way.

"Commander, you managed to intrude with such cluelessness. It was quite troublesome."

"……."

"Of course, just because you stepped in did not mean Barbatos lost the opportunity to apologize. But as you saw, Barbatos, instead of offering an apology here today, tried to annihilate the Mountain Faction."

I laughed dryly. The sound of my laughter echoed eerily through the domed chamber. The lightning had long since struck. Now only the thunder remained.

"This is not a sin that can be forgiven. It is a sin that should not be forgiven. ……Barbatos and all of you will be executed in the square, under the watchful eyes of the citizens of the demon world."

The faces of the Plains Faction Demon Lords twisted in utter despair.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I completely forgot Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) was this week and that I'd be out for a couple days. The holiday season definitely helped me calm my brain a little, but I don't feel like it helped too much. Seeing my dad again since the last time is still a bit hard on me. He's just physically incapable of standing up if he's seated on the ground.

He's okay if he's on a chair or something.

In any case, I'll end it here since I'm going to bed after posting this. I hope you guys have a good rest of your day.