Volume 5 Chapter 14 Blood New Year Festival
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hey, now that you’ve surrendered, how about you stop this barbarism right away!”
As I tried to confront Gertroud, a soldier from the Asura Clan blocked my way.
Gertroud pulled out something and wiped the dirt off with the woman’s blonde hair, adjusting his clothes.
Then, with the casualness of tossing away a used piece of paper, he plunged his sword into the woman’s heart.
”This old hag, she barely meets the minimum standard, but she was playing around. It was tough to get it up. I definitely wouldn’t do it if I wasn’t half-asleep.”
I was left dumbfounded, my anger surpassed by shock at the act happening right in front of me.
Gertroud was treating human life like garbage.
He felt like a completely different person from the Gertroud I met for the first time.
Had he been broken by battle fatigue?
”What the hell are you doing! Do you even realize what you’re doing?”
”What do you mean? I was just doing what I was doing, right?”
Gertroud’s eyes were filled with mockery.
”There was no need to kill her!”
”Don’t misunderstand. I just cleaned up after my meal. After all, I was raised well.”
”Meal…”
”Yeah, I was trapped in another dimension for thousands of years without proper food. I was starving. I just ate the woman to replenish my magic power.”
I felt a sense of discomfort at Gertroud’s words and actions.
”You’re not General Gertroud, are you? Who are you?”
Gertroud smirked.
”Before I answer that question, answer mine. You’re not Kent, are you?”
”What are you talking about? I’m Kent Blackdagger!”
”No, you’re not Kent Blackdagger. You’re Kento Horikawa, 35 years old, single, a former company employee who’s a recluse. You are definitely not Kent.”
He knows my true identity… Who is he… Could Gertroud be another ‘Lost One’?
”How do you know… I haven’t even talked that much about it to Milly and the others…”
”I know everything. I’ve seen all that Supreme God (Sazukrain) did in that other dimension. Plus, that body was originally meant for me; I stole the eyes of Supreme God (Sazukrain) and manipulated causality to finally create this vessel! It’s not a body for a worthless piece of trash like you!”
Gertroud shot me a look filled with enough hatred to kill.
”Do you understand my anger at having my precious vessel, which even attracted the descendants of Virsina, Bendavar, Asura, Zesna, and Vanquish, stolen from me?!”
”Who the hell are you… You can’t be General Gertroud, right?”
”Fine, Kento Horikawa. I’ll answer your question. My name is Demon Lord Orphée Bleu. The lost divine name is the God of Pleasure and Lust, Orphée Bleu. Now, let’s have that body back!”
With that, Gertroud, who called himself Orphée Bleu, pointed the sword he used to kill the woman at me.
From the side, an Asura Clan soldier bound my arms, leaving me unable to escape.
I had no way to fight back after recklessly jumping in.
Gertroud’s sword lunged toward my chest.
Is this how I die… No… I don’t want to die!
Just then, Gertroud’s sword seemed to hit an invisible wall and bounced back before it could pierce me.
The soldier standing beside me was also taken out, his brain matter splattering as he fell.
”I won’t let you kill Kent!”
The one who deflected Gertroud’s sword was Milly, using an invisibility magic.
Looking around, I saw the main force of Black Wing successfully air-dropping Kondrad’s unit to the Gertroud army, rescuing the captured ones, while my father-in-law also charged out, causing chaos in Gertroud’s ranks.
”Ugh, Virsina… Are you also siding with that imposter… I won’t forgive this! I won’t let it slide! Kent Blackdagger!”
Gertroud picked up his sword again and tried to strike me, but Feria, riding on a Dragonewt, deflected his sword once more.
Feria had acquired the [Maid Dragon] job over the past 2 months.
It seemed that Feria’s [Maid Dragon] job was a lesser version of my [Dragon Tamer] job, allowing her to fight while mounted on a Dragonewt.
I remembered Lina, who had been distressed over the discovery of the [Maid Dragon] job.
”Mr. Kent, are you okay? It looks like that weird old man is bullying you! I’ll take care of him!”
Gertroud’s expression changed when he saw Feria.
”The color of your soul is pure white, you fool! …What are you doing here? Did you transfer your soul to that girl? You’ve been thwarting my plans at every turn… Damn it, I’m out of magic. It’s frustrating, but I’ll retreat for now. Kent Blackdagger! I will definitely get my body back!”
”Wait! Gertroud… no, Orphée Bleu. Surrender and atone for your sins quietly!”
”No way! I have no sins to atone for! Everything is your fault!”
Seeing Feria, Gertroud jumped on his horse and fled at full speed.
Feria tried to pursue him, but a new Asura Clan soldier blocked her path.
Once Gertroud left the battlefield, the tide of battle quickly turned in our favor.
Many surrendered by throwing down their weapons, and about 3 hundred followed Gertroud in retreat.
Gertroud joined up with the raiding party he had sent ahead and attempted to escape using the hostages he had left behind as shields.
The army of my father-in-law, who pursued him, could not harm the hostages and gave up the chase.
The casualties from this coup amounted to several hundred, with nearly a hundred people reported missing.
In particular, the damage to the Nobles living on Noble Street was severe, with several houses facing extinction due to the loss of their heirs, and many daughters, wives, and maids went missing.
Some families had their entire fortunes stripped away and fell into ruin.
The uprising of Gertroud, which left various scars, spread anxiety among the residents of Abyss Vena, so I decided to keep the fact that Gertroud was being taken over by a figure resembling Demon Lord Orphée Bleu a secret.
And I also decided to keep Gertroud’s true identity a secret from Milly and my wives.
The reason I kept it from my wives was that if they knew he was trying to kill me and take over my body, they might recklessly go after Gertroud.
Although Gertroud himself isn’t strong, knowing that he is possessed by Demon Lord Orphée Bleu, I couldn’t let my wives be put in danger.
Thus, Gertroud’s forces ended up disappearing.
* * *
*Gertroud’s Perspective
I successfully shook off the pursuit team from Abyss Vena and decided to camp by the old town street connecting the south and east.
The soldiers who followed me consisted of 3 hundred who had withdrawn from the battlefield and 100 who were sent ahead with the plundered gold and women in case of failure, totaling 4 hundred.
In addition to the [Combat Commander], [Strategist], [Cavalry Commander], and [Citizen] jobs I originally had, I added the [Hero] and [Casanova] jobs, maxing out their job levels to significantly enhance my army command ability, and I had them enslaved with [Charisma].
Thanks to that, the magical power I used for card modification became enormous and was depleted.
If I hadn’t been in such a state, I wouldn’t have made the mistake of overlooking the enemy’s transport drop at that moment.
As a result, I suffered a crushing defeat, and my 2000 soldiers were reduced to 400.
Moreover, it was unexpected for me that a woman with that souls was serving by Kent Blackdagger’s side.
I thought that Supreme God (Sazukrain) feared my revival to such an extent, but if their ally was serving Kent, I had to proceed with even more caution.
”Damn, this isn’t good… and I’m low on magical power. I guess I’ll have to save up my magic and troops for a while…”
My ability is currently restricted by the body (Gertroud) and cannot be fully unleashed, but with time and magic, I can release the shackles of the Supreme God (Sazukrain) and unlock the card color.
It will take some time, but with those guys around, I need to be cautious.
”Sir Gertroud, the preparations for the camp are complete.”
”Understood.”
Prompted by the officer, I entered the back of the tent.
Inside the tent, the main officers had gathered, waiting for my arrival.
And the women, chained together, were serving drinks.
When I entered, everyone stood and saluted.
”No need for salutes, at ease.”
Once I sat in the central chair, everyone else took their seats.
”This coup has failed. I will likely be labeled a traitor to the kingdom. Furthermore, you all will probably be marked as my accomplices.”
”Sir Gertroud, we are prepared for that, and the soldiers have pledged their loyalty to you.”
”I see… then will you all become the vanguard of the nation I will build?”
”If it is Sir Gertroud’s command, we will fight against anything.”
The assertion of the middle-aged officer was met with nods from the other officers.
”Understood. I will now create a new nation. Guide the True Demon Kingdom, which has been tainted and rotted by the Supreme God (Sazukrain), to its end! From this moment on, I shall be known as the Demon God Emperor Gertroud, and the name of the nation will be the Demon God Empire!”
”Long live the Demon God! Long live the Demon God Empire!”
As one person started the cheer, it spread like a chain reaction.
Soon, the tent was filled with the chorus of cheers.
”Alright, everyone quiet down. I would like to decide the direction of the nation from here. Anyone with opinions, please speak up.”
The earlier middle-aged officer raised his hand.
I prompted him to speak with a glance.
”Our forces are Elite Troops, but we are less than 4 hundred. With just this number, we would be wiped out by the kingdom’s army. Therefore, I believe the best strategy is to conquer the small Lords in the east to gather troops and funds. If we can unify the east, we can at least support 30 thousand soldiers. With those soldiers led by Sir Gertroud, the corrupt kingdom’s army should be no match.”
A middle-aged officer proposed that securing the eastern region should be the priority.
Whether it was to destroy the kingdom or to defeat Kent, military strength was essential—and maintaining an army required funding.
Securing a stable base of operations was the first step.
Now that a swift victory was no longer possible, my only option was to shift to a prolonged campaign and gradually unleash the full potential of this body—Gertroud’s abilities.
”Very well, I’ll go with your plan. Who should be our first target among the eastern lords?”
A young officer raised his hand.
”The Occlair Viscountcy, perhaps. It’s three days northwest of here. The lord is lax in governance, and their forces are few. The territory is a natural fortress, surrounded by rugged mountains.”
”Oh? Sounds like the perfect place to establish my foothold. Alright, we’ll attack with 200 men. The rest can follow at a slower pace, bringing the gold and women. The vanguard will march at full speed for three days.”
”Yes, sir!”
”Now that it’s settled, let everyone rest and regain their strength. And give the soldiers some company for the night! Of course, we’ll enjoy ourselves as well!”
With that, I pulled the Majin Clan woman beside me closer, wrapping an arm around her.
The other officers followed suit, indulging in their own pleasures.
The sounds of laughter and revelry filled the tent.
Before long, similar noises drifted in from outside.
The soldiers, too, had begun their night of celebration.
This was the pleasure I sought—the carnal feast. And when I kill Kent and reclaim my divine power, I’ll make sure he understands what true ecstasy is.
With that thought burning inside me, I savored the night, consumed by my own dark desires.
Card Modification
Orphée Bleu can acquire any job and skill by using magic only on the parasitized body, and has the ability to alter its level.
Additionally, it possesses the ability to change card colors, but this requires an enormous amount of magic power.
When escaping the sealed alternate space, it consumed almost all of its magic power, and currently, there is hardly any magic left in Orphée Bleu, who modified Gertroud’s ability.
Demon God Emperor
This title was given to signify someone greater than the Demon Lord, the king of the demon race, and who can command even the Supreme God of the heavenly realm.
It also carries the meaning of being the ruler of both the surface and the heavenly realm.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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