The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 417 Mercy? You? Demon King?
The atmosphere in a side hall of the royal palace in the Kingdom of Ryan was solemn and dignified.

Here, you won't smell the unique scent of parchment and ink mixed together in the Tower of Learning, nor will you see the intricate star charts and magic circles hanging on the walls. Instead, you'll smell the ancient oak and steel, and see bright red tapestries embroidered with gold thread, each one a symbol of glory.

Portraits of past kings cast a silent and majestic gaze from the wall; they are clad in heavy armor, wielding warhammers or longswords, their eyes as sharp as eagles.

Every object here silently tells the story of this kingdom's long history and the royal power built upon glory and valor.

In this place filled with a somber atmosphere, sat a small, thin magic apprentice, seemingly out of place with the surrounding environment.

His name was Lyon, a sorcerer of the Source School, and also the youngest disciple of the Great Sage.

Many people, seeing the Great Sage's favor towards him, assumed he was a distant relative of the Great Sage, or even the Great Sage's illegitimate son. But only he knew that things were not so complicated; the Great Sage simply favored his magical talent.

Of course, even so, he sometimes wondered what his so-called talent really was. He asked himself if his abilities were slightly better than his peers, but not enough to attract the attention of a great sage.

This favoritism and cultivation occasionally made him uneasy.

For example, right now, he never imagined that one day he would come to this martial land alone as a messenger of the Academy, shouldering such a heavy diplomatic mission, or even bearing the responsibility for... uh, the future of humanity?

Lyon repeatedly smoothed out the wrinkles on his Source School robes, trying to make himself look more composed.

However, the more effort he put into meaningless things, the worse things often became, and his once-flat robes now looked even more wrinkled.

To calm his wildly beating heart and to distract himself, Leon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The scene of receiving the task from the Great Sage a week ago vividly resurfaced in his mind once again...

That was the Brass Pass, standing tall in the eastern border of the empire. Howling winds whipped up yellow sand, pounding against the magnificent walls built by the dwarves like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

The threat of chaos was approaching from the direction of the dimensional desert, but his respected teacher, the great sage Dolrich, did not look towards the desert where the yellow sand raged, but instead gazed towards the direction of the Kingdom of Ryan, his eyes filled with unprecedented worry.

“Lyon,” the Great Sage’s voice was carried by the wind, yet it reached his ears with unparalleled clarity, “I am not worried that the Bronze Pass will fall. The legions of Chaos will never be able to breach the Empire’s defenses from the front, and those monsters entrenched in the desert will never be able to set foot on this formidable pass.”

His voice paused briefly, then he changed the subject.

"However, what worries me is the Kingdom of Ryan behind it. Since ancient times, the most fortified fortresses have often crumbled from within."

Lyon only remembered that the Great Sage's tone was heavy, as if he had already foreseen that tragic future.

A moment later, the venerable old man handed him a token bearing the mark of the Genju Law School and solemnly instructed him on how to use it.

“…Go to the Kingdom of Ryan and give this token to their King Theodon Devalo, and tell him for me.”

"The corruption of chaos has crept into his land, which prides itself on honor and loyalty, like a plague."

"It's not too late to do something now."

When the flashback ended, Leon opened his eyes, but the tension in his heart had only increased.

How could he convince a proud king, whose nation was founded on chivalry, that a despicable traitor had emerged among his people?

This seemingly caring advice sounded more like a vicious insult...

Just as Lyon was frowning in worry, the door to the side hall was silently pushed open, and an elderly man dressed in the attire of a court steward walked in.

His expression was as solemn as a stone sculpture, as if he were a living statue. He nodded slightly and announced in a polite but emotionless tone.

“The Sage’s messenger, His Majesty is ready. Please follow me to the audience hall.”

"Good... good!"

Lyon suddenly stood up from his chair, but because he moved too quickly, his knee hit the coffee table in front of him with a dull thud.

Ignoring the pain, he couldn't help but grimace, his face flushing red with embarrassment under the steward's scrutinizing gaze.

To be honest, he didn't even know the etiquette of nobles.

Xuebang clearly has so many nobles from the Kingdom of Ryan, I really don't understand why the Sage sent himself.

"The royal palace of the Kingdom of Ryan doesn't have many magical props. We are used to using the most traditional tables and chairs instead of infusing them with magic."

The steward coughed lightly, softening his tone as he offered the young magic apprentice a way out, "I'm sorry I couldn't take good care of you."

"No, no, it was just my own carelessness."

Leon hurriedly waved his hand, forcing an embarrassed smile, and explained.

"Also, we didn't actually infuse the tables and chairs with magic... We usually use magic on bookshelves or windows."

The steward slightly raised his eyebrows, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

“Oh? That’s very interesting. We can talk about it later if we have time. As for now… please follow me, don’t keep His Majesty waiting too long.”

"Okay, okay!"

Lyon took a deep breath, and the anxiety and tension in his heart eased a little.

After calming himself down, he quickly strode to catch up with the steward, each step feeling like a beat against his own frantic heartbeat.

After passing through long stone corridors and archways, the two soon arrived at the audience hall of the palace.

This spacious stone hall soars like a church, with sunlight streaming through narrow stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the red carpet.

Sunlight-illuminous dust motes floated in the dry air, devoid of any magical or mysterious aura, only the solemnity and reverence of power.

Knights in light armor, nobles and courtiers in fine robes stood on either side of the red carpet.

They whispered amongst themselves or remained expressionless, their sharp gazes all fixed on the solitary figure in the center of the hall, scrutinizing him with curiosity.

Envoys from the Academy are a rare sight in the Kingdom of Ryan, especially one sent by the legendary Great Sage.

On his throne, King Theodon de Valloux, like his courtiers, scrutinized the young messenger from the school.

The young man had neat, short, flaxen hair, delicate features, and a clean-cut appearance. His sky-blue pupils, like the mage robes of the Source Law School he wore, shone with the wisdom and pure light of a scholar.

However, apart from that, there doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about it.

At least from Theodore's perspective, which is accustomed to seeing many ups and downs, he sees little in this young man that is worth his time.

However, the token representing the Great Sage's identity was genuine. As the King of the Kingdom of Ryan, he should rightfully grant this envoy from a friendly nation the respect due to him.

“…Young mage from the North, you must have had a long journey.” Theodore spoke slowly, his voice slightly hoarse but still full of energy. “How is the Great Sage Doryuk’s health? The snow and wind of the North must not be as warm as the sunshine of the South.”

Lyon bowed deeply and answered respectfully.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The Great Sage is still in good health. He asked me to convey his sincerest greetings to you and the great Kingdom of Ryan. Though the winds and snows of the North are cold, the passion of the Academy for seeking truth is as fiery as the chivalrous spirit of the Kingdom of Ryan in defending its honor."

This tactful response earned a nod of approval from the king, and a dignified smile appeared on his aged face.

“Very good. Please tell him to take good care of his health. His wisdom is the wealth of the entire empire and His Majesty’s strongest shield.”

"I will pass on the message for you."

Lyon nodded respectfully in agreement.

Seeing that the king seemed to be in a good mood, he immediately seized the opportunity to get straight to the point and reveal the great sage's prophecy in its entirety.

"Your Majesty, in addition to my sincere greetings, the Great Sage also asked me to bring you a piece of advice..."

"Oh?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow and said in a generous tone, “It is an honor for us mere mortals to be inspired by the wisdom of great sages. Tell me about it.”

With his head bowed, Lyon conveyed the less-than-pleasant prophecy to His Majesty in the most tactful and respectful manner possible.

"The Great Sage sensed at the Bronze Pass that the shadow of chaos was approaching your beloved kingdom... He asked me to tell you to be careful."

Theodore was taken aback at first, then burst into a deep laugh, which made the courtiers standing around him smile.

The shadow of chaos is approaching...

This sounds like a proverb meant to scare farmers.

Every knight of the Kingdom of Ryan knows exactly when the sandstorms of the Dimensional Desert will stop blowing westward.

The laughter echoed in the hall, dispelling some of the somber atmosphere.

Theodore raised his sleeve and gently wiped the spittle off his beard, grinning at Lyon. "Young magician, thank you for the reminder, Great Sage. But you need not worry, the Empire's brass gates are impregnable, and the minions of Chaos will never set foot on our land."

Seeing that His Majesty was completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem, Lyon couldn't help but feel anxious.

Especially when he thought of the great sage's melancholy eyes, he subconsciously raised his voice, his clear voice standing out in the quiet hall.

"Your Majesty... please do not be too superstitious about the grandeur of the Brass Pass. The great sage told me that throughout history, the strongest fortresses have always been breached from within. Chaos cannot cross the insurmountable chasm of the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains, but it will extend its claws to your subjects!"

These words caused an uproar among the court officials.

"Insolence!" An old knight with a white beard gripped his sword hilt and roared, "Are you implying that there are traitors among the knights of our Kingdom of Ryan who have abandoned their honor?"

"I, I didn't mean that—" Leon hurriedly raised his hand to explain, but was interrupted sharply by the old man with the sword.

"What an insult! I challenge you to a duel! A contest of... swordsmanship!"

Leon: "???"

"Hmph, the magicians of the Academy always like to spread alarmist rumors. I think the cold winds of the North have blown their brains out," another richly dressed court minister sneered, making a stern accusation in a nonchalant voice. "Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that they want to use this to interfere in the internal affairs of my kingdom."

“The Great Sage is not that kind of person!” Lyon argued eagerly, but he was still too inexperienced and could not possibly win an argument against these seasoned courtiers.
"He's just a greenhorn, and the great sage sent him to spread such absurd words. He's really getting more and more backward as he gets older."

"Your Majesty! We cannot ignore this insult! I suggest you immediately write to the Holy City and submit the matter to the Church Court for arbitration!"

"enough!"

King Theodore raised his hand, and the hall fell silent once more. The smile on his face vanished, replaced by a clear hint of displeasure.

However, this elderly nobleman was a respectable man and had no reason to make things difficult for a young man, much less write to the Papacy for such a trivial matter.

So he simply spoke to the young messenger.

“Our messenger has come from afar and must be tired and need to rest… Mr. Sclere, please take him away.”

The court steward who brought Lyon in bowed.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As the palace steward approached him with two guards, Lyon, unaware that this was a staircase, paused for a moment and hurriedly protested.

"Your Majesty, I am not tired! Compared to rest, the threat of Chaos is imminent, and we should discuss countermeasures immediately!"

"Countermeasures?"

Upon hearing these thoughtless words, Theodore's lips suddenly curled into a menacing smile, and he raised his hand to signal the court steward, who was about to lead Lyon away, to stop.

The spacious audience hall was completely silent, with only the king's majesty remaining.

"The people of the Kingdom of Ryan are simple and honest, and everyone values ​​honor. No coward would ever sell their soul to Chaos! This is our most solid defense! As for your claim that I'm superstitious about the grandeur of the Bronze Pass? Ridiculous! When did I ever say that my reliance was there?"

This greenhorn really doesn't know anything.

Anyone who knows the history of the Kingdom of Ryan would not say such a thing. No one on this continent is more devout or more traditional than them!

Even if the empire abandons its faith one day, they, as the "land of knights," will never abandon their yearning for the Holy Light!

Theodore's withered body leaned forward slightly, his cloudy eyes fixed on Leon, and he spoke slowly and deliberately.

“Since you say that chaos has corrupted my people, then go and find it for me. I will give you a horse and have my servant follow you.”

"You'd better find it, otherwise I won't pretend I didn't hear what you said today, and I certainly won't take it as a joke."

Lyon's intuition told him that if he refused, he might not be able to leave the audience hall.

He swallowed hard and nodded tremblingly. "Yes... Your Majesty."

He wanted to say that he was just an envoy, but now it was probably useless to say anything. He could only blame himself for being too impatient and not being very clever with his words.

Theodore slowly leaned back on his throne and waved to his chief steward.

"Take him down."

He didn't really want to make things difficult for the young man, but as a king, even just to maintain his dignity, he had to teach the boy a lesson.

Theodore planned to wait for him to come back with his tail between his legs, then throw him a "victory celebration" and, after humiliating him, generously let him go to show his mercy.

Of course, it would be even better if this kid slipped away.

For those arrogant magicians, the best lesson is to slip away like a clown after their act of trickery fails.

"Yes……"

Skelle nodded respectfully, looked at the magic apprentice standing in the hall like a wooden figure, and sighed softly.

Perhaps he was getting senile and his mind wasn't as sharp as it had been in his youth; he suddenly couldn't quite understand the wisdom of the great sage anymore...

……

On the other side, in the sky above the northern wasteland, a uniquely designed airship was slowly moving through the turbulent air currents.

Logically speaking, this "small boat" traveling among the mountains should be extremely bumpy.

However, the cabin was completely calm at this moment. There was no rocking or swaying, not even the slightest tremor.

This was certainly not due to Alberto's outstanding design, but purely because the "Voyager" carried a magician with diamond-level strength.

At this moment, Luo Yan was leisurely sitting by the window, enjoying the black tea that Sarah had just brewed for him.

Compared to the flower teas from Xuebang that have all sorts of added ingredients, he definitely prefers this pure and simple flavor, especially since his cat always seems to know exactly what he likes.

Incidentally, the airship is currently in an "unmanned" state, with invisible air currents acting like giant, transparent hands, supporting the rudder and control stick inside the cockpit.

Everything was under the control of Luo Yan's mental and magical power.

Although Alberto enthusiastically recommended some experienced apprentices to him, Luo Yan politely declined the offer, seeing how excited and incoherent the young men were.

This is so pathetic, I might as well do it myself.

Moreover, it's not appropriate for unrelated people to know about the prince's affairs.

Although it was his first time piloting the airship, he handled it surprisingly well, and there was no sign of it capsizing.

Moreover, his diamond-level strength gives him an almost unlimited margin for error.

Even if the airship were to fall apart in the next second, he could wave his wand and make the entire cabin float back into the sky safely.

As for the turbulence caused by high-altitude airflow, it never existed in the first place.

An invisible shield had already enveloped the airship, preventing migrating birds from accidentally colliding with the airbags and perfectly avoiding the impact of the violent air currents at high altitudes.

He didn't want to leave his beloved apprentices with a flustered and disheveled impression; the mask of Prince Colin was a dreamland he had painstakingly woven for those young men and women.

Of course, that being said, Mr. Alberto's design is still quite perfect, and it's not to the point of falling apart.

With a few minor improvements, it should be able to be promoted across the continent of Gana!
Not far away, the restless Taf pressed her face against the porthole, excitedly looking down at the endless snow-capped mountains below.

When the little guy first boarded the boat, he was gripping the handrail tightly, as stiff as a rock, but now he has completely relaxed.

As for Sarah, she stood in the shadows in the corner as always, with her eyes closed as if she were dozing off, as if she had entered a "quick-fire" state.

Although she said she hated the glaring sunlight, Luo Yan always felt that she might be afraid of heights.

When she was in school, she didn't like to be near the window.

Having seemingly enjoyed the scenery enough, Taf suddenly turned her gaze to Luo Yan, who was leisurely drinking tea, and spoke in her usual malicious tone.

"Hey, you just flew away without a word, without even a farewell ceremony. Aren't you afraid of breaking the hearts of those little apprentices who idolize you?"

Looking out at the boundless sea of ​​clouds, Luo Yan smiled and replied, "Leaving without saying goodbye is not necessarily a bad thing."

I can't let them know that I have a home in the far south.

Moreover, it's the Demon King's labyrinth.

"Pfft, merciful? You? Demon King?"

Taff let out a strange laugh and said in a cheeky tone.

"I bet that blonde girl named Ophia doesn't think that way. She's probably in her room right now, drawing circles to curse you while secretly wiping away tears."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan's face showed a meaningful expression, and he paused for a moment before speaking.

"If this can make her disappointed with the illusory mask of 'Prince Colin' and thus grow up faster... then it wouldn't be a bad thing."

Taff paused for a moment, then couldn't help but retort, "It seems like everything can turn into a good thing in your mouth."

Luo Yan smiled without saying a word.

Congratulations, Tauf! You've finally discovered the secret to becoming a god.

Too late.

"Speaking of which, don't you feel any regret?"

"Taff said lazily."

"What's there to regret? I ate quite well and enjoyed the show. You hairless monkeys really know how to create drama; this kind of thing would never happen in the Zeta Empire!"

is it?

Is it possible that it's because you're just a "magic apprentice," and a prospective one at that, and can't even find the entrance to the maze trial?

Even with such a major event and such a terrible impact, only the three thousand apprentices of the Great Sage's Tower truly experienced this trial.

Besides the Great Sage's Tower, there are hundreds of mage towers on the snowfield, including twelve large mage towers that form their own distinct category.

Faced with such a massive number of cases, this little disturbance is nothing to worry about.

Luo Yan smiled faintly, not provoking Taf, but speaking in a gentle tone.

“I’m not talking about practical matters, but about the virtual realm. Remember that spaceship model we saw on the border of the Academy? The magicians of the Academy must have obtained a virtual realm related to your homeland, but unfortunately, the two virtual realms I obtained were not it.”

Taf scratched her head.

"...Isn't this a good thing?"

Luo Yan laughed heartily.

"It seems so."

It's a pity that we couldn't persecute Tauf's hometown.

He was always listening to the kid's boasting, and he was quite curious about what the legendary "Dragon God's" hometown actually looked like.

At that moment, Taff suddenly made a sound.

"Hey."

"what happened?"

"If the magicians of the Academy... accelerate the world behind the virtual realm, does that mean the time difference between the two worlds will be completely changed?"

Seemingly feeling that her expression was somewhat abstract, Taff pondered for a while and then changed her wording.

"What I mean is... if they keep pressing the fast-forward button, what if one day, the Zeta Empire just 'bang' and disappears?"

This left her with a deep sense of frustration, as if all her efforts in the first half of her life had been completely meaningless.

From the very beginning, they were murals carved on stone slabs. Their past and future were predetermined from the moment the universe was born.

It's as if everything that hasn't happened yet is something that has already happened.

Luo Yan pondered for a moment, then looked into those bewildered eyes and answered.

"That sounds like two problems. First, the time it takes for the two worlds to meet is not infinite, and we don't always see the ending on the other side of the virtual world. It's just that we happen to catch a glimpse of you in another universe when our mental frequencies happen to be similar."

Taf couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Your mental frequency is similar to yours? You? Pfft..."

The laughter sounded a bit forced.

Luo Yan smiled faintly, ignoring the mockery and fear of the noble, highly civilized people, and continued in a calm voice.

"The second issue is that all we can do is drag the progress bar, and the interference we can exert can only amplify a certain part of the voice in your hearts; we cannot directly determine your future and past."

"If I were to make a further guess, the spacetime that Xuebang observed is probably parallel spacetime A after you were gone. If you went back, you would naturally enter spacetime B where you existed."

"As for which specific point in time will be the branching point, it depends on whether you actually go back and when you go back. We probably can't observe this timeline, and discussions about things outside our field of vision are meaningless."

After a pause, he continued.

"But? In your current state, is there any need for you to go back?"

Taf was stunned.

She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before finally muttering something.

“I didn’t say I wanted to go back… I was just asking.”

Luo Yan nodded happily, no longer continuing this topic that had made the little female dragon feel heavy-hearted.

There was actually a third question. He understood the implication in her words, but he didn't answer it.

The unspoken concern in Tauf's heart was actually the truth of this universe, or at least the truth of the universe beneath their feet—time did not actually exist.

The Solipsians, who were almost at the finish line, had already given him the answer.

Even so, life is still real, and it truly belongs to oneself.

And so does how I feel right now.

Since I'm no longer a god, I should just be a mortal, or rather, a mortal dragon.

For the vast majority of souls, living in the present moment is the most important and meaningful thing.

Silence returned to the cabin, broken only by the gentle breeze as the airship pierced through the clouds, accompanying them from the harsh north to the warm south.

After a long silence, Sarah suddenly raised her stiff neck and asked a question out of curiosity.

"Are we just flying straight to the Principality of Campbell like this?"

"of course not."

Luo Yan smiled, elegantly put down his teacup, and said something that made both Taff and Sarah's expressions change drastically.

"After all, this is the first real airship that Mr. Alberto built; strictly speaking, it is just an experiment."

“I don’t expect this thing to actually carry us all the way to the Duchy of Campbell.”

(End of this chapter)