TYND 105
by Cherry‘If I don’t know how to use the Trimule, I can use it in a different way.’
Around the time the collector found the watch Trimule, he found another Trimule.
One with the property of liquefying Trimules.
Like most Trimules, it was cylindrical with a door attached, and when you put a Trimule you wanted to dissolve inside, it turned into liquid. When you poured that liquid onto another Trimule, that Trimule gained the function of the liquefied Trimule.
Having learned this fact through several experiments, the collector tried to melt the watch Trimule and synthesize it with the most precious Trimule he possessed.
‘The demon god’s bone.’
The seeds Mayton planted thousands of years ago weren’t just monsters, devils, and demons. There were also demon gods.
A clone that Mayton created and scattered himself. They were called demon gods rather than demon beasts because they possessed the power of God.
The demon gods perished in battles with humans. Seara had kept bone fragments of demon gods who died long ago before sending them down to Arashis.
It was probably meant to be used as useful weapons, but unfortunately the collector discovered and obtained them first.
‘If I grant time abilities to the demon god’s bone that preserves the time of the past, this world will surely return to that past.’
When this demon god was alive was thousands of years ago. A time when 49 demons existed simultaneously, unlike now when only ten remained.
The collector naturally wouldn’t remember the future, but that didn’t matter.
‘The bone’s owner will remember.’
The demon god returned to the past would exterminate humanity and conquer Arashis.
When the collector decided to put his plan into action, Seara’s apostle broke into his warehouse and stole the watch.
That’s why he had been even more furious.
The collector headed directly to the moving island to reclaim the Trimule from Theon Dert Palsen.
There he witnessed Tuong’s death.
No matter how strong a demon, they couldn’t properly resist divine power and would fall.
But the scene before his eyes was somewhat strange.
‘Was there a castle chaplain beside Theon Dert Palsen?’
At that time, the collector judged that all castle chaplains were scattered in other regions, and the priests stationed on the moving island were still coming from far away.
Since it was impossible for anyone but a priest to kill a demon, he thought there must have been a priest he hadn’t detected.
He learned otherwise when he heard news that the Grand Duchess had collapsed.
The news spread that the Archduke and Grand Duchess had captured the demon and the priests who arrived later sent it to eternal darkness, but the collector had already witnessed Tuong’s death before the priests arrived.
That meant.
‘A mage possesses divine power?’
The Grand Mage who killed Tuong, Rothy Sear Palsen.
Since magic couldn’t kill demons, he had to possess divine power.
However, divine power and magical power cannot coexist.
Therefore… the demon was certain.
That was a Trimule.
A living Trimule that had never existed in this world before, and would never exist again except for that one.
The collector’s goal now became securing both the watch Trimule and the living Trimule.
He circled outside the divine barrier around the estate and called demons. He didn’t call monsters and devils. There was no need to summon them in advance now.
While waiting for demons and watching for timing, the collector noticed the estate had become quite busy.
Looking down at people hurriedly passing by in the distance, he read their lips.
‘The living Trimule has awakened!’
He’d been worried it might be broken since it hadn’t awakened for quite a while, but fortunately it was fine.
He was waiting for demons in good spirits when, that afternoon, he saw temple scum like the High Priest and castle chaplain leaving the estate.
‘Could it be… they’re underestimating me?’
They were leaving, believing the Aura Master and Grand Mage could sufficiently deal with the demon Archduke circling around. That was the only way to think about it.
The collector laughed. Humans were indeed this foolish. They hadn’t changed a bit in thousands of years.
Since the temple scum hadn’t lifted the estate’s sacred barrier, the collector couldn’t infiltrate inside the estate. However, he knew dozens of ways to steal Trimules without entering the divine barrier.
The collector donned a body he’d been using for a thousand years and headed to a village near the estate.
Though the Archduke had hurriedly evacuated them, there were territory residents who had no choice but to remain. Entering a tavern, the territory residents were drinking and cursing.
“How dare some demon bastard target our Grand Duchess!”
“Exactly! Our Lord Rothy is such a delicate and gentle person, how frightened he must be right now because of that demon bastard’s spawn!”
“I never liked it from the start, you know? Archduke? What kind of Archduke is a demon? He should get smashed by the real Archduke and say ‘Oh my, I attached a title that doesn’t suit my station, I won’t do it again, I’m not a Archduke but just a demon bastard.'”
People were cursing him. That very anger was the sweetest spice to the collector.
Hisssss…
The darkest demonic energy spread out.
“……!”
“……!”
Those who had been cheerfully cursing in the tavern froze in place. Soon pitch-black demonic energy began seeping from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.
The collector rode on emotions of hatred, anger, sadness, jealousy, and fear to devour people’s bodies.
It took less than five minutes for the collector to possess the bodies of dozens of territory residents who couldn’t evacuate.
Dozens would be enough.
Wasn’t the position of human Archduke originally such a troublesome role?
One that absolutely cannot ignore even a single hostage.
The collector made the hostages kneel in the village square.
And waited.
For the Archduke to come out with the living Trimule.
Theon Dert Palsen appeared when the sun had set and the night had turned pitch black.
Step, step. The Northern Archduke walking slowly without even drawing his sword certainly had considerable presence befitting a transcendent. Even the collector momentarily flinched due to his heavy atmosphere and chilling aura.
The collector spoke through a hostage’s mouth.
“How foolish. To choose the night.”
“……”
“No, you didn’t choose it, you were scared and kept avoiding until it became this time.”
At the collector’s mockery, Theon opened his mouth without any change in expression.
“The sunset was beautiful.”
“What?”
“I was late because I was watching it.”
…Had he lost his mind from being unable to accept reality?
Just as the collector was thinking this, Theon raised his hand. The collector immediately wrapped himself in demonic energy and became alert, but Theon brought that hand to his bag.
“…A bag?”
Now that he looked, Theon was wearing something like a pure white fur pouch.
It was so conspicuous, but he’d only noticed it now due to the murderous presence and atmosphere.
When Theon put his hand in, a ferret poked its head out from the pouch. A ferret with round, watery eyes. The eyes weren’t completely round. They were slightly triangular but could still be called round…
“……!”
The collector didn’t mistake that ferret for a pet.
Along with the wristwatch Theon was conspicuously wearing, he could feel the aura of Trimules.
A living Trimule that had never existed in Arashis’s history.
The very thing that was the youngest Grand Mage and Grand Duchess had transformed into a ferret and appeared before his eyes. The collector shouted, filled with ecstasy.
“Hand those over to me. If you don’t, I’ll kill all of these people!”
“Kill them.”
“What…?”
“I said kill them.”
Theon recited calmly.
“If they’re the type to die at your hands, there’s no reason to keep them around.”
The collector couldn’t understand and frowned, then let out a short breath as if dumbfounded.
“Do you think this is just an empty threat? Fine, I’ll start with these village people. I’ll kill every human in the territory you rule and lay them out on the roads. And those corpses will be chewed up by monsters and demons!”
Realizing the hostages were useless, the collector immediately put his words into action.
“Your Archduke has abandoned you. Commit suicide! Kill yourselves!”
However…
“I don’t want to die.”
“Your Grace the Archduke is being cruel.”
“Lord Rothy is cute.”
The territory residents each made leisurely remarks while touching their necks or scratching their cheeks. The collector unconsciously made a blank expression.
“What the…?”
He had definitely possessed their bodies. He had invaded their emotions and dominated their minds.
Somehow the domination had been released. He had been pushed out without even realizing it.
He belatedly tried to emit demonic energy to dominate their bodies again, but couldn’t penetrate at all. The magical walls carved into their minds were too solid.
“Well, his skills are decent enough.”
“Hmph, everyone get your weapons.”
Plant mages disguised as territory residents returned magically hidden weapons to 53 knights of Aura Controller level who had been disguised as territory residents.
The Black Lion Knights, having gotten their weapons, surrounded the collector in a circle while keeping their distance.
Only then realizing he’d been tricked, the collector roared.
“Mere… mere humans!”
Whoosh-
Demonic energy spread out and instantly filled all directions. The demonic energy of the great demon who had tormented people for a long time even blocked the light of moon and stars, and the world became darkness itself.
In the darkness where you couldn’t see an inch ahead, the collector let demonic language flow from his mouth.
Drawn by that language, monsters and demons emerged from the darkness filling all directions. The collector could summon Mayton’s spawn at any time. That’s why there had been no need to call them in advance.
“Tear them apart!”
Grrrrr. Kreeee…! Kreeeeek–
Monsters and demons that received the demon’s command drooled and charged toward the knights and mages.
The Black Lions swung their swords fiercely. These were things they’d faced countless times on battlefields. With each sword swing, monster heads split and blood splattered. Shss, that poisonous blood was evaporated by Plant’s magic before it could touch the Black Lions.
The Black Lions and Plant didn’t get along well.
However, if asked who they would entrust their backs to, they would choose each other without hesitation.
The Black Lions trusted Plant’s magic, and Plant trusted the Black Lions’ swords. They were comrades who had fought together for 15 years.