Chapter 51: Evil King Rudeus (Patreon)

Starting over again...

When the Teleport Incident struck Fittoa Territory, the one who set out on the journey with Rudeus was no longer Sylphiette... but Eris and Ruijerd, as fate had decreed.

From the point where they were teleported to the Demon Continent, they slowly made their way toward home, passing along the way through Roxy's village, where they once again spent a night basking in the gentle care of her mother, Rokari Migurdia.

Then, in Rikarisu Town on the Demon Continent, they formed the adventurer party known as the Justice League.

Because the three of them were so powerful, others had given each of them a nickname.

Arrogant Eris!!!

Hellish Ruijerd!!!

Wicked King Rudeus!!!!!

The gears of fate slowly turned...

The three of them once again took on a subjugation quest for a mysterious magical beast in the Petrified Forest.

Compared to before, when Rudeus had served as the party's scout through spirit vision, now it was Ruijerd's demon eye that served as the party's scout instead.

As for Rudeus — though he had long since deployed trillions upon trillions of elemental spirit, blanketing every corner of the globe to maintain full observation and vigilance, he revealed none of it. Nor had he ever used light magic in front of others.

All along, he had only used the most ordinary attack magic — fire, earth, and rock. Yet even so, hardly anyone could withstand it.

Add to that Rudeus's utterly cold-blooded method of wiping out an entire enemy party the moment things didn't go his way, and it was no wonder the demons of Rikarisu Town had long lived in fear of them.

As they gradually made their way into the Petrified Forest, the two adventurer parties fate had decreed they would meet crossed paths with Rudeus's trio once more — a green rookie party who didn't know their place, and an arrogant party of boar-headed demons.

Faced with this, Rudeus furrowed his brow and said gravely:

"I'm sorry we happened to take the same subjugation quest. But you people acting like this — I really can't make sense of it. Even if we ended up with the same quest by mistake, that's no reason to draw swords on us, is it!!??

Were some of your companions among the villains I've killed before??? Is that why you're so recklessly trying to attack me!?

As expected, the companions of villains are terrifying through and through!!! If I let you go on like this, there's no telling how much evil you'd end up committing!! Even I wouldn't be able to eat or sleep in peace, constantly afraid of being ambushed or attacked by you.

So that I can live on in peace, so that I can protect my companions, and so that the world can suffer a little less... now... you may die!!!!"

With Rudeus's declaration, a volley of sharp stone spikes shot out under the dumbfounded, terrified gazes of the boar-headed demon party, annihilating every last one of them!!!!

As for the other rookie party, they were scared into trembling silence, too frightened to speak.

But when Rudeus turned to look at them and asked, "Are you their companions too!??" —

in an instant, the rookies bolted, fleeing straight out of the Petrified Forest in terror.

Watching them vanish from sight, Ruijerd found himself asking, "Isn't that a bit much?"

Shaking his head, Rudeus said, earnest and serious: "If they hadn't drawn swords on us, I wouldn't have laid a hand on them either!!! Just like that brand-new party we just let go.

But the moment the boar-headed demon party drew swords on us, it meant they truly intended to kill us. In a situation like that, I won't allow for any mistakes!! Killing them just to be safe — I think that's perfectly reasonable!! Since they drew their blades, there's naturally nothing wrong with me drawing mine too!!"

It wasn't the first time he'd heard this kind of talk, but every time, Ruijerd felt something oddly off about it. Yet thinking it over carefully, it seemed there was nothing wrong with it at all.

A moment later, Ruijerd nodded to show he understood. Rudeus's actions were a little extreme, but this was the desolate Demon Continent after all, where everyone's motives were riddled with danger. Going a bit too far to protect oneself and one's companions was, on that front, entirely reasonable.

And so the three of them pressed deeper into the Petrified Forest.

The Crimson Phosphor Serpent was drawn out by their presence. But faced with Rudeus's overwhelmingly powerful trio, the serpent didn't stand a chance!!!

Simply enough, after Ruijerd casually raised a hand to block its attack, Eris alone finished the job from start to finish, cleaving the Crimson Phosphor Serpent clean in two with a single powerful strike!!!!

Flicking her blade to send the blood spraying aside, Eris sighed, bored: "It looked so fierce just now... I was actually happy, thinking it might be some impressive monster for once. But it went down in one slash — what a letdown!!!"

Ruijerd glanced at Eris and laughed: "After all, you're a swordsman with King-rank strength!!! On this continent, reaching Saint-rank is already the limit for most creatures. Only a precious few can ever reach King-rank. In other words, you're basically standing at the very top of the Demon Continent's power scale now!"

Nodding, Eris sighed: "That's exactly why it's so boring!!! Every fight is less interesting than just sparring with Ruijerd."

Hearing this, Ruijerd answered with a gentle smile.

After all, his own strength had reached the rank of an Emperor-class warrior. Naturally, he held an absolute edge of dominance over Eris, King-rank though she was.

Still, at the rate Eris was growing, he believed it wouldn't be many years before she reached Emperor-rank herself.

What a truly, truly formidable girl!!