Chapter 299

[Eurasia.]

Goosebumps rose over Damian’s entire body in an instant.

He wanted to turn his head and see the face behind him, but.

‘If I turn, I die.’

His survival instinct stopped him from moving.

[Adamas.]

That chilling voice sounded in his ear again.

It was speaking the continental language, but.

‘It is not human.’

It was neither a Chimera like the Knight Butcher nor Undead like a Lich or Death Knight.

He had seen those beings to the point of exhaustion on the battlefield, but they had never possessed an Existence Force like this.

‘Then.’

There was only one being in the mountain ranges that could emit an Existence Force of this magnitude.

The journey of the past two years came together in Damian’s mind.

‘....The Monster Lord.’

His eyes trembled faintly.

He remembered a conversation with his mother before leaving the kingdom.

“There is a book analyzed by an archaeologist long ago.”

Lucy Eurasia always used formal speech.

He did not know whether it was from a long diplomatic habit or for the education of her only child.

“They say that one rule applies to the monsters in the mountain ranges.”

The Mayer Family, to which she belonged, had maintained deep ties with the frontier families of the east and families across the continent.

Unlike other families that were too busy struggling to survive, the Mayer Family actively collected ancient books. In that process, it accumulated an immense body of information over centuries and discovered rules that even the Information Guild had failed to uncover.

- Monsters do not appear on the continent unless it is the time of a Wave.

- The rulers of the mountain ranges do not appear below the middle layers.

- When a Monster Lord is born, the danger level of the monsters in every mountain range rises by at least one grade.

Those were generally known facts.

And then.

- For a Monster Lord to be born, much blood must be shed in the mountain ranges and on the continent.

On all five occasions when a Monster Lord had been born, it was either immediately after a war or in the midst of one.

“Then....”

“Yes. The Monster Lord will certainly appear this time as well.”

It had been more than two hundred years since the Kingdom Alliance, which had included Eurasia, fell.

More quickly than ever, every condition had been fulfilled.

“Does His Majesty know as well?”

“He must suspect it. That is likely why, even now when he is contending for hegemony over the continent, he has not summoned the frontier families.”

The frontier families were what sustained the kingdom of Eurasia.

The head of Vaskia had been granted the title of Count and given autonomy, but if all their forces were gathered, they would amount to twice the capital’s troops.

‘Even so, His Majesty did not conscript the frontier families for the war against the Empire.’

He merely summoned the minimum number of people and confirmed their ties.

Damian was well aware that the reason was to prepare for a Monster Wave.

He had to keep not only the enemy before him, the Empire, but also the enemy behind him, the monsters, in mind at all times.

It was a lesson gained because of their ancestor, Edan Eurasia.

At Eurasia’s greatest height, Edan, who had been called the strongest, fought monsters and the Empire simultaneously, yet he eventually fell because of the Anomaly that appeared without warning.

“His Majesty will master 9-Star before long. Even then, Eurasia’s strength will not be at the level it was in those days.”

Simon Eurasia possessed aptitude equal to Edan Eurasia, who had been called the greatest knight in history.

It was an assertion too confident to make unless she believed that.

And a knight no less remarkable came to Damian’s mind.

“Even with Killian?”

“Killian....”

Lucy Eurasia’s smooth brow furrowed slightly.

It was a habit that emerged whenever she was thinking deeply.

“Restrictions will soon be placed upon him.”

“....?”

“I hear that his skill has improved by leaps and bounds, and he now possesses strength equal to that of the Commander of the Knights. He may have already surpassed him.”

The Fourth Prince had shown growth beyond all expectations after his awakening.

Even for her, it was difficult to predict Killian’s martial power and his course of action.

Even the martial Vaskia could not draw Killian’s heart, while a considerable portion of the commercial Sepia had already passed into his hands.

In only a few years, he had all but surpassed the capabilities of the two families that had ruled the eastern frontier.

Then there was influence, the ability that represented the political Mayer Family.

Killian was superior in that as well.

He had close relationships with the Holy See, the Elven race of Elvenheim, the Aden Clan that possessed Meister Dwarves, and the heads of the Information Guild. It was an influence as though he possessed a magnetic force that drew people toward him.

“If we are to negotiate with him, now that he has become a pillar of the kingdom, we will have no choice but to be led around.”

That was why she thought.

First, she would obtain cards that could give her the upper hand in negotiations with him.

“After a long wait, I have obtained two cards.”

“What are they?”

“Adamas and Eurasia.”

“....?”

Neither answer was what he had expected.

“By Adamas, do you mean the Magic Sword used by our ancestor?”

“That is right. It has been called various names depending on the era, but it was the sword that won great renown in the time of our ancestor, Edan Eurasia.”

“Killian does like swords, but he is not the sort of person who can be controlled through one.”

Moreover, he now wielded the renowned sword of the Elven race, so it was not as though he immediately needed another sword.

Lucy Eurasia shook her head.

“We have not fully obtained the sword. We only know its location.”

“....”

“And I have already traded even that with His Majesty.”

“Are you saying that you gave His Majesty the sword’s location and obtained a promise to place restrictions on Killian?”

Disappointment entered Damian’s voice.

The First Queen of the kingdom and his mother.

Damian held her in high regard. He believed that she was the one who made him who he was today.

For a method she used.

‘That is petty.’

That was likely why his voice sharpened without his realizing it.

“Damian. Have I not told you again and again that you must not be selective about means and methods for the sake of your goal?”

Consideration was something the strong could extend to the weak.

“If you do not hold the advantage, you are not given the freedom to choose your methods.”

“Is that so?”

Damian answered somewhat coldly.

“My, you are looking at me unkindly. Fortunately for you, my trade with His Majesty was not like that.”

She put emphasis on the word trade.

“You are playing with me.”

“Hehe. I should do this more often if it lets me see this side of the Prince.”

“....”

“Have you ever considered the principles behind Killian’s actions since his awakening?”

“....?”

“He obtained the post of commander of the Extermination Squad and behaves as he pleases, but he acts only for Eurasia.”

“I know that much as well.”

“If you know, this will be easy. His Majesty will soon learn of the Monster Lord’s danger.”

Lucy Eurasia, too, wished for Eurasia’s prosperity.

To avoid repeating the failure of their ancestor’s time, she investigated thoroughly.

In doing so, she learned that the Monster Lord might return in their generation.

“The Monster Lord cannot be faced by ordinary knights.”

Historically, the heroes who slew Monster Lords had all been knights of at least 8-Star.

“It would be different if we were merely defending the walls as before, but now that we must advance onto the continent, His Majesty cannot be tied down.”

The same was true of Escar, who would clear the way for Simon.

“Do you intend to persuade His Majesty to send Killian?”

“Yes.”

“....”

“Of course, it will not be easy immediately.”

Simon Eurasia respected Killian Eurasia.

“But the time will come eventually.”

Lucy Eurasia’s voice grew stronger.

“When that time comes, the Fourth Prince will choose Eurasia once again.”

“....”

It was not wrong.

“Until Killian arrives, Prince, search as many of the locations marked on the map as possible.”

Suspecting the Monster Lord’s birth, she understood that the rules of the mountain ranges were changing.

Even so, she did not hesitate to drive her son into deadly danger.

It was an action like hers.

“Eurasia does not need the person with the strongest martial power. It needs a capable king.”

Lucy Eurasia’s eyes fixed upon Damian.

“You have that ability, Prince.”

She never underestimated the Monster Lord’s danger.

“Help Killian hunt the Monster Lord. I will assist His Majesty and focus on bringing down the Empire.”

And after that.

“The Prince will inherit the throne and bring glory to Eurasia after it becomes an empire.”

“....”

The Queen’s eyes, which saw several moves ahead, rested on Damian.

“I will do so.”

Damian took the map that recorded the Monster Lord’s Dungeons and left the room.

Afterward, he led the White Knight Order to subjugate the mountain ranges, searching the Dungeons until he reached this moment.

She had not foreseen the variable of Killian’s disappearance, but.

‘At least she was right that the Monster Lord had returned.’

Damian thought this as he tried to move his body, which had begun to freeze.

The cold was so severe that even thinking felt difficult, as though his brain were freezing.

He did not know whether it was truly a problem of temperature or mental panic.

‘I will die.’

Damian faced reality coolly.

At this rate, he could do nothing. Even so, he did not understand why he had been unable to do anything while a being of this magnitude approached him.

Even in a moment full of incomprehensible things, Damian recalled the words it had spoken.

[Eurasia.]

The word that meant his country and surname.

[Adamas.]

The treasured sword said to have been used by his ancestor, Edan Eurasia.

And also.

‘They are both things that would move Killian.’

Why was it saying such words?

The instant that thought reached him.

[It is not ‘that fellow.’]

‘What....’

[Even so, it is Eurasia.]

As Damian tried to make sense of those incomprehensible words.

STAB.

“....!!”

A pain like something piercing his abdomen made him scream, but no sound came out.

[Damian.]

The pain that seemed to churn his insides soon moved to his head.

[You will become the blade that cuts him down.]

FWOOOSH.

Memories flowed into Damian’s mind.

A moment later.

“I see.”

Damian’s eyes gleamed as he looked beyond empty air.

“Now he is Killian Eurasia.”

At that moment.

“Commander! Are you all right?!!”

Las Veltvik, who had heard Damian’s scream nearby, asked.

“What was that just now....”

“Shh.”

Damian brought his index finger to his lips.

His twisted lips twitched.

Las was startled by the uncharacteristic sight, but only for a moment.

“We will resume the search shortly.”

He received an even more bewildering order.

“But there was clearly a powerful presence....”

“It is the commander’s order. The Monster Lord’s dwelling is not far away.”

“....!!”

“We move as soon as preparations are complete.”

At the firm command.

“Understood.”

Las could only nod.

***

“This is strange.”

Aron, who was opening the way at the front, said as he stopped walking.

“Why?”

“It looks as though they had been preparing to camp, but they suddenly sped up their advance.”

Aron, who had been following the White Knight Order’s trail, spoke with a doubtful expression.

“A sudden advance. In that case, there are usually one of two reasons.”

“They are being pursued, or they have discovered something.”

“Let us hope it is the latter.”

Killian and the Extermination Squad followed the White Knight Order’s trail.