Chapter 248. Reign (1)
After the fierce battle in Kolkata, India came to an end...
major changes began taking place across the Material Realm.
Naturally, India, the stage of the battle, was affected the most.
The fighting across Kolkata had caused extensive damage throughout the city, but Sherawat, the most powerful figure in India, used her considerable political skill to bring the situation under control without too much trouble.
Then, taking advantage of the deaths of Moloch and the other four Demon God-class demons who had ruled western India, she declared that India would reclaim the territory stolen by Pandemonium.
Of course, India’s Contractors alone didn’t have enough strength.
So Contractors were brought in from China and Korea.
Among them, the one who stood out the most was none other than Lee Hyeonje of Korea.
He remained in India to assist the locals, and the Indians were deeply impressed by his ability to wield lightning.
They began praising him as an incarnation of the thunder god Indra.
Lee Hyeonje had spent years leading people and acting as a commander, and he had grown considerably exhausted from it.
Living in India, a country he had admired since his university days, proved unexpectedly healing for him.
In the end, Lee Hyeonje decided to remain in India for a while.
Seo Youngmi, who had served as his adjutant in Korea, also came to India to join him.
For the time being, the two would also serve as diplomatic bridges between India and Korea.
Meanwhile, with Lee Hyeonje away from Korea, arguments broke out over who should serve as the representative of the Eight Guardians.
By rank, Shin Minyu, the second-highest member of the Eight Guardians, should have taken over.
However, with the disappearance of the ‘Hound Warrior’ Cú Chulainn, Shin Minyu now needed to find a new Constellation.
There were also suggestions that it might finally be time to reinstate Cheon Sangwoon.
But Cheon Sangwoon declined.
According to him, his body still wasn’t in a condition where he could stand in front of others.
Another member of the Eight Guardians, Won Pilso...
was also unavailable.
His wife, whom he had hurriedly married after getting her pregnant before the wedding, had recently given birth.
He insisted he needed parental leave.
Under those circumstances...
the only person left who could step forward was Seok Taejun, the newest member of the Eight Guardians, who had recently distinguished himself while running the Golden Ram Order.
Seok Taejun was reluctant at first.
But under the condition that he would only serve until Lee Hyeonje returned or another suitable candidate appeared, he eventually accepted the role of representative.
Most people, however, expected Seok Taejun’s leadership to last quite a long time.
Lee Jukheon, who had served as the Golden Ram Order’s field commander...
left Korea and headed to Japan.
Japan had remained unstable since Saionji Keito’s death, but things had become relatively calm after Yuuki Hina took over as the new leader of the Tenka Restoration Association.
Afterward, Yuuki Hina signed a new trade agreement with Korea’s Eight Guardians.
And with the East Sea becoming comparatively safer after Forneus’s death, the two countries increased trade and gradually established friendly relations.
However, Lee Jukheon hadn’t gone to Japan because he had any particular business there.
His true goal was to travel north through Hokkaido and cross into the eastern edge of Russia.
His destination was the United States provisional government in Alaska...
the remnants of the American forces who had been pushed all the way back to Alaska by Pandemonium’s invasion.
Lee Jukheon crossed into Japan with volunteers from the Golden Ram Order and former members of Round.
He planned to recruit more volunteers in Japan while continuing north.
“If things don’t work out, I’ll just establish my own country somewhere up north.”
That was what Lee Jukheon had said.
As for Europe...
Pandemonium’s forces had been completely destroyed in France, and western Germany had also been reclaimed.
The Contractor forces in Western Europe were currently debating whether to continue advancing through Germany into Northern Europe...
or head south toward Italy and reclaim Southern Europe first.
Even without further direct intervention from Constellations, humanity was reclaiming territory in Europe at a rapid pace.
Part of that was because Pandemonium’s counterattacks had become extremely passive.
There were also rumors, however...
that two women who were ‘not contracted to any Constellation’ had been recklessly hunting demons throughout Europe.
Since Astaroth’s death, three more Demon God-class demons had died in Europe alone.
Rumor claimed those two women had killed them.
Even in this situation...
Pandemonium continued to move cautiously.
More than ten Demon God-class demons had already died, and vast amounts of territory had been lost.
Yet the Demon God Assembly remained passive.
Dissatisfaction with Bael, who could be called their number one authority, continued to grow.
But Bael remained silent.
The only reason a civil war had not broken out was because Moloch, the leader of the pro-war faction, had died so abruptly in India.
A large number of the pro-war faction’s senior figures had died as well.
That made it impossible for them to push aside the neutral faction led by Bael and the peace faction and seize control.
Many demons felt an intense sense of crisis.
At this rate, humanity would completely push them back.
But no one had a good solution.
So they could only wait.
Humans were slowly beginning to notice Pandemonium’s situation as well.
Gremory was no longer the only Demon God-class demon proposing alliances with humanity.
More and more demons were beginning to make similar offers.
Many people had become convinced that the time to completely bring down Pandemonium was approaching.
And the man expected to stand at the very front of that effort...
was Kang Yujin.
However, the world did not see Kang Yujin for quite some time.
After the decisive battle in India...
he had been staying on the Tibetan Plateau.
“I lost.”
Alexandros dropped his weapon and raised both hands.
Kang Yujin let out a rough breath and collapsed onto the grass.
“You monster...”
“You really shouldn’t be saying that, Mr. Kang Yujin.”
As Kang Yujin sat on the grass and complained, a cold voice came from beside him.
“Who told you that you could rest?”
"...!"
“Ah, damn it.”
Alexandros hurriedly stood.
Kang Yujin scratched his head and got up as well.
“Can’t we rest for a bit first?”
“If you’re going to do this half-heartedly, don’t bother.”
“Go back to Korea.”
“Could you stop speaking in such extremes...?”
Kang Yujin frowned and grumbled.
“Mr. Kang Yujin, I’m sure he has his own plan.”
“We should just follow his instructions.”
“I realized something over the past month.”
“That man doesn’t have much of a plan.”
“He just pushes everything with full-on Spartan training.”
“He was a hero revered in Sparta, after all.”
“You two keep muttering like that and...”
A huge man strode over and grabbed Kang Yujin and Alexandros firmly by the heads.
“This Heracles will personally spar with both of you.”
“Until sunset.”
“Mr. Kang Yujin, let’s hurry and resume our spar.”
“Yeah, Alexandros. I was just itching to fight you again.”
The two quickly fled.
Away from the S-rank Constellation ‘Greatest Hero’...
Heracles, who was personally training both of them.
“Welcome back. Dinner is ready.”
When Kang Yujin returned to their lodging, Joo Minha greeted him while wearing an apron.
“What’s on the menu today?”
“Grilled lamb, lamb stew, and lamb skewers.”
“That’s the same as yesterday...”
Kang Yujin’s shoulders drooped.
No one lived in this area anymore, which made food difficult to obtain.
Fortunately, sheep were everywhere across the plains, perhaps descendants of livestock once raised by the people who had lived here.
“You need to eat plenty of meat if you want to build strength.”
“That’s right, Mr. Kang Yujin.”
“I like meat too, but eating nothing except lamb every day gets old...”
Kang Yujin sighed while watching Heracles and Alexandros grab meat with their bare hands without even properly washing them.
