Chapter 224. Holy Relic (5)
Astaroth’s gigantic body was completely dismantled under the concentrated assault of the Constellations, led by the Knights of the Round Table.
While checking the remains just in case, I discovered something strange.
“Ghh... ah...”
A human-shaped upper body was writhing inside a mass of blood and flesh.
The skin had been completely stripped away, but I could tell it was female.
This had to be Astaroth’s true body.
“Number 49.”
I signaled Number 49, who was currently filming, so she wouldn’t record Astaroth’s true form.
After confirming that she redirected the camera toward the other Constellations, I called over the man who had been waiting nearby.
“Alexei.”
Alexei Sivedov.
The man who had once been contracted with the B-rank Constellation ‘Young Man of Red and Black.’
After losing his Constellation because of the Count of Monte Cristo’s schemes, he had come to hate Constellations and lived in seclusion in Siberia.
But after I defeated the Count and persuaded him, he became my fifth Contractor.
Now he was carrying out covert missions under my orders.
“You know what to do, right?”
“Of course.”
Alexei would take Astaroth’s remains away and imprison her.
He had always been skilled at dealing with demons.
During his time as a Contractor, he had mainly fought demons, and even after retiring, he had lived hidden inside Pandemonium territory.
“I’ll keep her alive until you come.”
“I’m counting on you.”
After leaving Astaroth’s disposal to Alexei, I looked around.
Because Astaroth had transformed into a giant and gone berserk, a large section of the Maginot Line had been destroyed.
That had unintentionally made the assault much easier than we expected.
Even the demons had been caught in Astaroth’s rampage and suffered heavy losses.
Most of them had already lost the will to fight.
“Now all that’s left is to clean up the small fry, Nameless King!”
At the cheerful voice, I turned around.
Bradamante stood there smiling.
“Bradamante, what about Astolfo?”
“Ah, you don’t need to worry. He received enough treatment and has already been sent back to the Spirit Realm.”
Astolfo had taken Astaroth’s destructive beam head-on while riding the Hippogriff with me.
Even after being severely wounded, he had maintained the Hippogriff so I wouldn’t fall.
And when another beam came, he had tried to shield me with his own body.
“I should visit his throne later and thank him.”
“I’m sure Astolfo would be happy if you did.”
A gentle smile appeared on Bradamante’s face as she spoke about her cousin.
“Astolfo... because of his handsome face and ridiculous personality, it’s easy not to notice, but he’s much more loyal and chivalrous than people think.”
“Yeah... I think so too.”
In Orlando Furioso, Astolfo flew all the way to the distant moon to save his companion Orlando...
Roland.
Someone who cared only about himself would never have done that.
“And the way he clings to you and treats you like his lord isn’t something he’s doing casually.”
“In his own way... Astolfo genuinely wants to serve you as his lord.”
"..."
“The same goes for me, and for the Knights of the Round Table.”
“Knights basically need someone to devote their loyalty to.”
“I was fortunate because I met Lord Hector, whom I respected, and served under him.”
“But Astolfo never really had anyone like that, so I think he was probably a little lonely.”
“And then he happened to meet me?”
“Yes.”
“Someone he felt he could serve as a new lord.”
After saying that, Bradamante scratched her head awkwardly.
“And I feel similarly, so... I hope you’ll continue to look after us.”
“Bradamante...”
“Th-Then I’ll go clean up the remaining small fry too!”
“Please rest for now!”
Bradamante shot away like an arrow.
A moment later, a sly voice came from behind me.
“You’re quite popular with the pretty ones, Nameless King.”
The S-rank Constellation ‘Wise Returner,’ Odysseus, spoke to me in the tone of a lecherous middle-aged man.
“Bradamante, Atalanta, Astolfo... monopolizing all the attention.”
“I’m jealous.”
“That feels like a significant distortion of reality.”
Besides, Astolfo was a man.
“Surely you’d rather be popular with the pretty ones than with old men like us, Nameless King?”
“I don’t particularly care.”
“Then make sure you take good care of us old men too.”
“What are you talking about...”
I stopped speaking when I saw the seriousness in Odysseus’s eyes.
“If you want to take care of us properly, then you need to take a proper position.”
“Odysseus...”
“Even if you inherited the Count’s share, you are still merely one member of the Committee.”
“You hold no formal title.”
“Are you saying I should become king, like Astolfo keeps suggesting?”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be called ‘king.’”
Odysseus looked around.
“Look, Nameless King.”
"..."
“Countless Constellations fought according to your orders and achieved victory.”
“Every one of them feels a strong sense of fulfillment.”
Odysseus gestured toward them and continued.
“Nameless King, we are not living humans.”
“We do not expect you to make a nation prosper or destroy enemy countries for us.”
"..."
“What we want is the joy of fighting beside a great leader.”
“A sense of fulfillment.”
“We want you to keep giving us feelings like that.”
Odysseus looked back at me.
“Ever since you debuted as a Constellation, you’ve been that kind of existence.”
“You excited people.”
“You entertained them.”
“And you’re still doing it.”
“You’ve given us something more interesting than any spectacle we could simply watch.”
As if telling me to take a proper look, Odysseus spread both arms toward the battlefield around us.
“This is like a dream.”
“A dream...?”
“Yes.”
“We had already finished our lives as heroes.”
“We should have spent eternity relaxing in the Spirit Realm, staring at our Observers.”
“And yet... here we are, running across the earth again and living a new life.”
“If this isn’t a dream, then what is?”
A dreamlike sight.
I could agree with that.
In the past, I had never imagined I would create a scene like this.
“You are a Constellation capable of showing us such things.”
"..."
“So please continue leading us.”
“I’m telling you to take responsibility for showing us a world like this.”
“So becoming king is supposed to mean taking responsibility?”
“Exactly.”
“If you entertain us this much and then suddenly disappear, we’d all be in trouble.”
“Every one of us has become addicted to the thrill of following you.”
Odysseus’s explanation was something I had never really considered before.
Was that what they meant by asking me to take the position of king?
A declaration that we would continue together from now on?
Have I really become someone people would say that to?
I had never imagined anyone would feel disappointed or lost if I suddenly disappeared.
Then what...
should I do from here?
“Circe once said something similar when I left her.”
“She asked how I could leave after making her unable to live without me.”
“Why are you bringing that up right now?”
Seriously, this old man...
The Maginot Line had fallen.
The astonishing news sent the Spirit Realm into a frenzy.
For years, countless Constellations had sent their Contractors to try to capture the Maginot Line.
But none had achieved meaningful results.
After Pandemonium completely occupied France, no one had even dared to challenge the fortress.
And now...
the Nameless King and his Constellations had taken it in a single day.
Naturally, everyone was stunned.
─ Doesn’t this have enormous significance?
─ Of course. The Maginot Line was the largest fortress in Western Europe. Now that it’s fallen, other parts of Europe can be liberated too.
─ Once you cross the Maginot Line, Germany is right there. If Germany is reclaimed after France, Europe will finally be able to breathe again.
─ I heard Germany’s industrial facilities are still mostly intact.
─ At this point, liberating all of Europe is actually starting to look possible.
─ But is this really okay?
─ Exactly. The Contractors are being left behind while Constellations personally descend and fight. The roles are completely reversed.
─ But the other powerful Constellations are staying quiet.
─ How many powerful Constellations do you think would actually protest against the Nameless King?
─ True. A lot of major Constellations are already cooperating with him... and the ones who opposed him were already beaten down long ago.
─ Isn’t that going a little too far? There are still plenty of Constellations who’ve never been involved with the Nameless King.
─ Those Constellations usually keep to themselves. There’s no way they’ll step forward.
Reading the messages in the chat, Geumgak, one half of the B-rank Constellation ‘Golden and Silver Children,’ nodded.
This was already the Nameless King’s second deployment.
And yet not a single influential Constellation had stepped forward to stop the Nameless King and his followers.
Just as the chat said...
there simply weren’t many Constellations willing to do something like that.
The S-rank Constellation ‘Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip’ certainly disliked excessive Constellation interference in the Material Realm.
But perhaps because he was personally acquainted with the Nameless King, he had remained completely silent about the current situation.
Still...
there were powerful Constellations among those who normally avoided attention.
If one of them stepped forward, things might change.
“B-Big Brother!”
Lost in thought, Geumgak raised his head at the sound of Eungak’s voice beside him.
“What is it?”
“Look at this video that was just uploaded to Constellation Tube!”
“Constellation Tube?”
“Yes!”
“This is... a declaration of war!”
A declaration of war.
At that ominous phrase, Geumgak leaned over and stared at Eungak’s Observer screen.
─ I will state this clearly.
─ The Material Realm belongs to the living humans.
─ The role of us Constellations is to watch over those humans and support them.
─ For Constellations to descend directly and perform the tasks humans should accomplish themselves is a complete reversal of our proper roles.
─ You all know it as well.
─ Their actions have gone too far.
─ Yet very few Constellations are willing to raise their voices directly.
─ Perhaps that is because many Constellations have already fallen victim to their path of domination.
─ So today, I will make a declaration here.
─ I, the ‘Dragon-Slaying Immortal’...
─ Siegfried...
─ will stand at the front and stop the Nameless King.
─ Therefore, Constellations...
─ I ask that you raise your voices with me.
The S-rank Constellation ‘Dragon-Slaying Immortal.’
Seeing Siegfried, one of Europe’s greatest heroes, openly declare war made Geumgak suck in a breath.
“Eungak, this is...”
“Wasn’t Siegfried one of Kang Yujin’s most enthusiastic supporters?”
“Why would he...?”
Looking through the video’s comments, there were many Constellations saying the same thing.
There were even numerous comments claiming that since Siegfried, one of Kang Yujin’s most devoted supporters, had turned against him...
the Nameless King was finished.
“This is... dangerous.”
Constellations dissatisfied with the Nameless King could gather around Siegfried.
And Siegfried was a hero with more than enough standing to become their focal point.
“If things go wrong...”
“The Spirit Realm could split in two.”
Geumgak shuddered at the ominous feeling that a storm of blood was approaching.
