Dungeon Defense

Ο * * * Ο

The Plains Faction Demon Lords were imprisoned in the underground dungeon that night.

Even as they were dragged away, battered and broken, they shouted defiantly. It felt more like they were fanatics.

"We swore to die with Her Highness Barbatos! Whether it's on the battlefield or in the square, it doesn't matter! No matter what wicked schemes you have, you can't break our oath!"

Their cries were filled with intense passion. Perhaps they were moved by the camaraderie of their peers, or maybe they were trying to erase any fleeting doubts they had about Barbatos. Either way, the Plains Faction Demon Lords took turns hurling curses at me.

"That's right! Don't pull any tricks, you vile traitor!"

"You won't get anything from us but our lives!"

They yelled as if dying was easy and living was the real challenge.

They were escorted by me and the Neutral Faction Demon Lords. I addressed them calmly.

"Her Highness Barbatos would never stoop to something as low as assassination!"

One of the Demon Lords shouted at the top of their lungs.

"Are you trying to deny the fact that you are innocent?"

However, most of the Plains Faction Demon Lords seemed deaf to my words and chose only to rage and resist.

Eight of the Demon Lords were placed in separate solitary cells, where they continued to vow loudly that they would die alongside Barbatos.

Only two, Brother Zepar and Brother Beleth, maintained their silence with different expressions. Brother Zepar remained silent, as if unsure of what to say, while Brother Beleth had a smile on his face as if he were about to burst into laughter.

As for Barbatos…… I didn't know what expression she was wearing.

Since I didn't look at her.

Immediately after all the Plains Faction Demon Lords were imprisoned, I, accompanied by Daisy for protection, went to visit Brother Zepar in his solitary cell first. All the cells were thoroughly covered with anti-magic wards, and the prisoners were bound tightly against the walls.

Brother Zepar, too, was completely bound. Brother Zepar stared at me intently as soon as I opened the iron door and entered his cell. His gaze questioned why I had come.

"I'll get straight to the point, Brother."

"Brother……?"

Brother Zepar let out a dry laugh, a laugh so arid it seemed to evoke the air of a desert.

"Do you still believe there is any reason for you to address me like that?"

"Whatever you say is irrelevant. Just know this: by tomorrow, Barbatos will undoubtedly be dead."

"……."

"Barbatos truly did assassinate Paimon."

A loud thud echoed as Brother Zepar twisted his body. Even though he had lost an arm, was stabbed repeatedly with poisoned blades, and was now completely bound by iron chains imbued with anti-magic, the solitary cell still trembled momentarily.

"This is a hypothetical, but what if Barbatos truly did assassinate Paimon, and there was firm evidence to prove it? Not only that, but Marbas intentionally waited for our Plains Faction to attack the Mountain Faction."

"Intentionally……?"

"Did you not find that odd?"

I took out my pipe from my pocket and put it in my mouth. With a fluid motion, Daisy naturally provided a flame.

"Marbas said he had no choice but to execute Barbatos to maintain the balance of factions. However, if his only goal was to punish Barbatos, there was no reason for him to stand idly by while the Mountain Faction was annihilated."

"What are you talking about?"

"It would have been more appropriate for him to ally with the Mountain Faction and attack the Plains Faction together."

I exhaled smoke into the air.

"However, Marbas allowed the near-total destruction of the Mountain Faction. Then, he moved to purge the Plains Faction. Do you understand what this means, brother?"

Zepar remained silent, but it didn't seem like it was because he didn't know the answer. He was most likely remaining silent because he despised the act of simply responding to me.

"There is only one correct answer. Marbas is aiming for a dictatorship led by the Neutral Faction."

"……."

"No, perhaps 'dictatorship' sounds too harsh. It is more like he has come to the conclusion that neither the genocidal Mountain Faction nor the assassin-wielding Plains Faction can be trusted anymore. Marbas believes that only the Neutral Faction is qualified to rule over the demons."

This was the truth.

Originally, there was an agreement between Marbas and Sitri to jointly attack the Plains Faction. However, Marbas delayed his attack on the Plains Faction to minimize the Neutral Faction's losses. Since it was already decided to completely purge the Plains Faction, he must have thought that the Mountain Faction's numbers needed to be reduced as well.

In the end, Sitri was used by all sides.

By me, by Marbas, and by the traitors of the Mountain Faction.

……This was not a bright place where a pure Demon Lord could live without trouble. Pandemonium. A place where all demons gather, as the name suggests. By now, Sitri must be receiving treatment from mages while continuously shedding tears…….

And as I imagined the sight of Sitri crying, I thought to myself—'Good'. I truly did.

The more Sitri harbored hostility towards the Neutral Faction, the more it ultimately benefited me. The fewer places Sitri had to lean on, the more she would rely solely on me. It was in my favor for her to feel disillusionment and betrayal toward Marbas.

So, this is what I meant.

I'm this kind of person.

"Brother, imagine if the members of the Plains Faction neither confess their innocence nor acknowledge their guilt. What kind of narrative do you think would unfold? No, allow me to explain it to you."

"……."

"The entire Plains Faction will be executed. Not just Barbatos, but the suspicion that every member of the Plains Faction was involved in Paimon's assassination will be solidified. The Mountain Faction will collapse, and the Plains Faction will be annihilated. It will be Marbas' victory."

Brother Zepar closed his eyes. Even at a glance, I could tell he looked pained.

"Marbas does not want the members of the Plains Faction to confess their innocence."

"……What are you trying to say to me……?"

"Please, confess your innocence."

I pleaded earnestly.

"That is the only way for the Plains Faction to survive."

"You don't understand anything."

Brother Zepar muttered quietly.

"Even if we confess our innocence, Her Excellency Barbatos will not escape death. Once she is gone, what will remain for us? Do you really think the Plains Faction will still exist after that?"

Brother Zepar let out a small scoff.

"……Brother, this is a political matter."

"Truly, you know nothing, Dantalian. You are fundamentally ignorant of the heart. This is the least political matter of all. The death of Her Excellency is the death of the Plains Faction. If you cannot understand that, then you will never truly understand anything……."

Brother Zepar opened his eyes. Beyond his wrinkled eyelids, his gray pupils were revealed. His eyes were clearly worn with pain, but there was still a fierce light lurking within them.

"In the end, the question of life is not determined by how one lives, but by how one dies. The way you accept life does not determine the manner of your death. However, the way you accept death does determine the course of your life. We decided to die alongside Her Excellency Barbatos. To die together no matter what."

"……."

"Perhaps, in a way, we have forced you into a difficult position."

Brother Zepar slowly looked at me.

"You were the lover of Her Excellency Barbatos, but you were also the lover of Paimon. Indeed, that was the case. Thanks to your efforts in mediating between the two factions, there was a brief period of peace. It is a twisted tale, is it not? In the end, the fate of peace and war for the entire Demon Army was basically left to you alone……."

Brother Zepar let out a forlorn sigh.

"Watching Her Excellency Barbatos and Paimon argue over you, it made me think that perhaps a peaceful coexistence might be possible. But, as I expected, that was just a fleeting dream. Ultimately, you were unable to choose either side. For you, these past few months will remain an eternal mistake and nightmare……."

"……."

"Her Excellency Barbatos probably did assassinate Paimon."

I opened my mouth to speak.

"If that is the case, then please acknowledge your innocence!"

"No, Dantalian, it is the exact opposite. You still know nothing."

Brother Zepar lifted the corners of his mouth slightly. Both his beard and the area around his lips were stained a dark red with blood.

"Even if facing imminent death, Her Excellency Barbatos would never resort to something like assassination. Even if her opponent were Paimon, it would be the same. No, because it is Paimon, her archenemy, she would never choose assassination. That is a matter of a Demon Lord's pride."

"……I don't understand what you are saying."

I furrowed my brow. Half of my reaction was an act, but the other half was sincere.

Just as I intended, Brother Zepar was falling for my ploy. I could clearly see what he was thinking and what he had resolved to do like I was reading the back of my hand. Yet, the words he was uttering were not part of my plan.

It felt like a large stream that was flowing along had suddenly veered off course somewhere in the middle. This was how it felt.

"If Her Excellency Barbatos committed an assassination, it was not as a Demon Lord."

"……."

"Dantalian. Her Excellency did it as a young girl in love with you."

Right now,

my face was most likely frozen.

"She is someone whose pride and conviction would never break no matter the hardship. Until the day of her death, she would uphold her beliefs for her own sake. Hah, is she not someone who truly loves herself?"

Therefore.

Precisely because of that, Zepar said as he continued.

"If she were to abandon her pride, it wouldn't be for herself, but solely for the sake of another."

Don't say any more.

"For your sake."

I already knew something like that.

"Just as Her Excellency Barbatos loves herself, she loves you just as much."

From the very moment Paimon was killed, no, long before that—I had already known.

I had realized, from the beginning, that everything stemmed from me.

Don't force me to face that truth right in front of my eyes.

"Her Excellency Barbatos, whom we of the Plains Faction revere, is not truly finished. Something as immense as her conviction has simply come into being. If that is love, Dantalian, I will gladly acknowledge Her Excellency Barbatos' self-contradiction."

The reason why Barbatos shed tears after realizing my betrayal.

The reason why she could not offer any defense or excuse, and simply cried endlessly.

It was not because she was betrayed by me, her political partner—but simply because, as a woman who loves, she was betrayed by the man she loved, and thus wept silently.

"I cannot leave Her Excellency Barbatos to depart alone. I, Zepar, have served Her Excellency from the moment I understood my purpose. I will stand by Her Excellency's side until the very end. ……Dantalian, I unfortunately cannot accept your proposal."

Zepar then closed his eyes again. He was dismissing me.

I left the solitary confinement cell in silence. I had no choice but to leave.

As I walked down the damp and musty corridor, I staggered and bumped into the wall. My heart was pounding abnormally. I became short of breath. As I was about to slide down the wall and collapse, Daisy carefully supported me.

"Haa, huff…… haa……."

This was because of the herb. Yes, my heart was racing suddenly because of my smoking addiction. There was no other reason. Such seizures occasionally happened.

Daisy looked down at me with her dark eyes, expressionless. I managed a crooked smile. I could feel the corners of my mouth twitching, but somehow, I managed to create a smile. Maintaining a facade of calm was the most important vice.

"Do I look pathetic to you? Everything is going according to plan."

"……."

"Raise me up, you fool."

Daisy quietly helped me to my feet. After a moment, the dizziness faded. My heart settled back to its normal rhythm. I was myself again. The same as always.

Good.

The seed of doubt planted in Zepar's mind had bloomed into a full flower. The script was hurtling towards perfection.

Now, only Barbatos remained.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I'M REALLY SORRY FOR THE DELAY. Yeah, I know everyone keeps saying it's okay, but this actually slipped my mind for a bit. Then, when I was going to finish translating, I ended up getting a fever last weekend. It was very cool. I feel like there are too many things I want to do lately, but barely any time to do them.

Like work has been working me to the bone so I can barely make the spare time to translate this, and then I just want to do something else when I get home cause I'm mentally drained. The weekends this month have been so draining. The first two weekends were spent with my relatives who were visiting from the states, and then last week I ended up getting a fever and bedridden for 3 days.

October has been ROUGH.

Ugh, I need to get these chapters out, I CAN SEE THE END.