Chapter 198. Secret Weapon
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I swung my sword inside the training room newly built for me, breathing in the flower fragrance that filled the entire space.
My muscles swelled with strength.
My body moved smoothly.
My mind transitioned quickly into the next movement.
“Phew!”
Was it called the Garden of Fruit?
Ever since receiving various kinds of help from the man I met there, the one who referred to himself only as the Butler, my body had felt lighter.
Thanks to that...
Preparations to strike down that loathsome Demon King were proceeding smoothly.
“Flower Knight. How are you feeling?”
“...Excellent.”
Cherry Ground.
The Flower the Butler had assigned to me.
He always gave me exactly the words I needed and lent me the wisdom I required.
I couldn’t help wondering where such an incredibly capable person had been hiding all this time.
He had restored the morale of the soldiers who had been terrified by the Demon King’s army.
He improved the abilities of the knights.
He had even achieved tremendous results in actively recruiting more forces.
I lowered my sword.
“What brings you here?”
Cherry’s expression was unusually stiff.
His tone was equally formal.
“I thought I should report on our current military situation.”
Had something bad happened?
But there shouldn’t be any immediate problems with our forces.
Was it their wages?
Or perhaps trying to keep freedom-loving otherworlders here had caused trouble?
But most of the people gathered here should be those willing to work for the Empire.
We hadn’t recruited just any otherworlder.
They had been thoroughly examined and selected.
Not those blinded purely by rewards.
We chose those who valued honor and justification and possessed especially strong loyalty toward their affiliations.
Most had already decided that the Demon King was evil and that they themselves stood on the side of good.
They shouldn’t cause trouble easily.
Cherry spoke.
“We believed we had controlled information fairly well.”
His expression darkened.
“But as expected of otherworlders, it appears impossible to stop them from learning what is happening outside.”
I frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Starting the day after we declared war, and continuing until now...”
Cherry paused.
“Ingwang Kingdom has been holding a festival.”
I knew about that.
The rumors described it as some absurd circus filled with monsters, and apparently an enormous number of people were visiting.
Judging only by the stories reaching us...
It sounded irritatingly enjoyable.
A festival built on my son’s suffering...!
Derd.
He was an incompetent fool.
But he was still my blood.
My son.
And that bastard was holding him captive.
That filthy Demon King....
I would tear away his disgusting mask and give him a miserable death!
Cherry continued.
“With each passing day, the festival grows more intense.”
“Larger.”
“More extravagant.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“And that has moved the hearts of the otherworlders?”
I shook my head.
“The ones we selected were not the kind of people who would be lured away by something as trivial as a festival.”
Cherry replied—
“That is not the problem.”
His eyes hardened.
“They have begun asking themselves...”
“‘Is Madness truly evil?’”
“....”
Every time I learned another thing about the Demon King through Cherry...
I felt something.
It was the uncomfortable sensation that I was somehow being toyed with.
Sometimes it looked as though the Demon King simply stumbled into things without thought.
But at other times...
I wondered whether he had planned everything from the very beginning.
He had not taken the title of Demon King for nothing.
So even that festival had a purpose.
Cherry bowed slightly.
“If you order me to, I will take separate measures.”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“Do so.”
The day of departure was close.
Right now, raising my body to its peak condition mattered most.
I had no time to concern myself with minor matters.
Cherry hesitated.
“Ah, and actually...”
“The Hero of Hope came looking for you.”
I stopped.
“He said he had something to discuss regarding this war.”
I scoffed.
“The Hero of Hope?”
“Isn’t that the man said to have connections with the Demon King of Madness?”
I waved dismissively.
“Send him away.”
Cherry shook his head.
“Even if I send him away, he will soon try to find you again.”
He looked at me.
“Would it not be better to meet him directly now?”
The Hero of Hope....
Alongside the Demon King of Madness, one of the most rapidly rising figures in recent times.
He was the chosen Hero upon whom angels had descended in Hopborn.
I heard he had recently been traveling across the continent, fighting Demon Kings who were causing chaos.
Great Heroes and Heroes alike...
All they do is block my path.
Both were once my idols.
I clicked my tongue.
“Fine.”
“I’ll meet him myself.”
Squish.
Crack.
Pop.
Phew....
Everything else was fine.
But the FA flowing through the tube embedded in the back of my neck always left an unpleasant sensation whenever I removed it.
When the tube remained inserted...
My training results improved tremendously.
And I felt strangely exhilarated.
Almost as though I were living inside a happy dream.
That part felt pleasant.
I wiped the FA running down the back of my neck and changed clothes.
Then I looked toward Cherry.
“Take care of the cleanup.”
“Of course.”
Cherry smiled.
“Still, as expected of the Flower Knight.”
“To think you would accept FA this easily.”
He bowed.
“Once again, I am honored to serve you.”
I frowned.
“Enough pointless flattery.”
“This is merely a temporary measure allowing this old body to endure the coming war.”
Cherry chuckled.
“Certainly.”
Then he added—
“I introduced it to your sons as well.”
“However, they struggled greatly and ultimately failed to withstand it.”
I blinked.
“...Goodness.”
“Neither of those two could endure this?”
“How strange.”
I had heard my lady was using it perfectly well too....
Perhaps those two were simply still too young.
Cherry continued.
“Fortunately, because you are enduring it, we can extend the roots into the knights and soldiers beneath you as well.”
I nodded.
“Yes.”
“You said my strength would also make my subordinates stronger.”
“Correct.”
Cherry glanced toward the door.
“Ah, we have talked too long.”
“The Hero of Hope should be waiting in your office.”
“Very well.”
I headed toward the office while still feeling the strange sensation of the tube remaining inside the back of my neck.
The corridor seemed strangely long.
Far too long.
My breathing became heavier.
My vision narrowed.
Emotion boiled within me!
Strength drained out of my body...
Yet somehow even more strength filled it!!
What was this?!
What?!
That damned Hero...!
Every bastard carrying the title of Hero stood in my way!
Die!
All of you, die!
Die and become Remnants!
Become fertilizer for this world!
“...Damn it....”
I stopped myself.
Phew.
Had I developed some illness?
With war approaching, I had become increasingly sensitive and quick to anger.
I worried it might interfere with the coming battle.
Cherry said he was preparing several things, so I could trust him to handle it.
But that didn’t mean I could afford to lose control of myself.
Besides...
Regardless of anything else, the Hero had brought significant benefits to the Empire.
More people had begun visiting the Empire simply to see him.
That had helped stimulate the economy.
