◈ Episode 289. Neither huge nor great (1)

Claudi.

The moment he heard that word, Wolfe remembered the rumors that had been circulating in the world of adventurers. Here, in the real world, it was the word that the demons howled about.

No wonder the world is questioning.

Interviews, smartphones, the internet.

They don’t even know what the adventurers are talking about.

The existence of the Arcana continent.

What would they know about the tales of demons?

-“Have you heard of it, vice leader?”

But the problem is the Shadow Mercenaries.

They said that not even they knew about Claudi.

These are not some common demons.

This is a word uttered by tens of thousands demons army and Demon King.

A word with such influence, and not even the Shadow Mercenaries knew about it?

‘I did think it was strange.’

Claudi.

Deliberately hiding it from me.

Because I thought it was impossible without denying it.

But then it started to make sense.

Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins.

When the Great Evil faces you, he opens his mouth.

He speaks clearly.

“You are……. Claudi.”

A possibility flashes through my mind.

“……!”

Wolfe felt his heart sink.

Probably not, probably not.

Wolfe looked at Hoyeol, thinking.

Because I thought you would definitely deny it.

However.

“Don’t you dare say that name.”

Hoyeol’s answer was as good as an affirmation.

“Really…….”

Wolfe bit his well-toned lip.

‘……I know, leader, I didn’t want to forgive.’

Kichi.

If she had any unspeakable things to say, he wasn’t going to listen. No reason would ever be an excuse for abandoning her position and disappearing.

But damn it.

The story is starting to come together in Wolfe head.

The Great Evil’s commission to the Shadow Mercenaries.

The fact that it succeeded.

Kichi’s disappearance when she realized and declared that she would take full responsibility. And even the Great Evil stares at the commander, called Claudi, as if in disbelief.

The series of events was telling.

“Even if it were me, I would have run away, Commander.”

A request from the great evil.

That was Claudi.

A request that directly involved the commander.

Wolfe struggled to raise his shaking head.

‘How much do you know about……?’

The question went unanswered.

“If you spit it out, take responsibility for it.”

Sussss─

A vast amount of magic emanated from Hoyeol’s body.

It was no ordinary magic power.

A black and dark magic power that devours everything.

“Huu.”

Just looking at it made him breathless.

He could almost feel the emotions of his commander.

Thanks to it, he recognized it.

‘No, there’s no way you wouldn’t know what I noticed.’

Above all, because the Commander-in-Chief was a member of the party.

Suddenly, Wolfe looked at his companions.

They looked equally surprised.

“So, you’re saying that you’re connected to Akshan?”

“……Something doesn’t seem right.”

“More than that, what is that magic, old man?”

“……Black magic. It’s black magic that can’t be explained.”

“Black magic?”

Even if it’s not Claudi.

There was no shortage of surprises on the battlefield.

Wolfe laughed bitterly.

‘So this is the weight of the leader, Kichi.’

Different views from different positions, he thought.

In that sense, Wolfe couldn’t help but look at Hoyeol once more.

A position as high as the weight carried.

A view looking down from a high place.

And then.

‘Why have you once again shown us mercy……?’

Even a vessel whose limits are immeasurable.

But Wolfe’s lament was short-lived.

Eventually, the Seven Deadly Sins of Envy burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahahahaha.”

Envy dared to say.

“In the end, you were just a pitiful human being.”

*

Great Evil.

Compared to themselves, humans are extremely weak.

Compared to those who live for eternity, their lives are but a day.

The majority of people wasted even their short lives meaninglessly.

“I’ll praise you.”

By comparison, Akshan.

Demon Hunters were good.

Because they did not pursue meaningless original sin.

Quodukquoduk─

The changing appearance of Envy.

The flesh shredded by the Meteor Strike falls away as if shedding a chrysalis. A new body sprouted from it like a sprout.

“And.”

That Envy gaze shifts.

From those Demon Hunters to Hoyeol.

A flutter of silver hair.

“I am truly impressed, Claudi.”

It was not sarcasm.

Envy was genuine at this moment.

He continued seriously.

“To be able to look down upon the ugly Arcana continent and its people. I truly admire you. You’re better than a God or Goddess who doesn’t even exist.”

But he couldn’t suppress his laughter.

“But what was the end of such a Claudi? Arcana continent you loved so dearly! The lowly humans! They turned on you, the great ones, in the end.”

Envy looked at Hoyeol.

Looks like it’s still worth listening to.

However, how long can you stay upright?

The Claudi family’s cruel history has not even begun yet.

Envy thought.

‘I truly respect you.’

That’s why you’ve come up with your own plan.

Akshan.

And Claudi.

That alone was tricky.

The man had two backgrounds.

Akshan and Claudi.

They were both mere ghosts of the past.

‘You are bound to be shaken.’

Envy had faith.

Claudi and Akshan.

To defeat both forces.

He knew about their past of reaching out to lowly people.

Because he had endured the humiliation of joining hands with humans.

He believed that such humiliation was not in vain.

He could truly sympathize.

“Yes, now that I know everything.”

He could transcend himself.

“I can no longer feel envy in you.”

A breakthrough.

A new form he didn’t even know he had.

Transcending limits couldn’t be more appropriate.

Literally, Envy.

Beyond the original sin.

Spreading such glorious wings.

Wide open!

Not the wings of a petite bat.

Wings made of rich black feathers.

It was an appearance that would bring despair to humans just by looking at it.

“?”

But it was a strange thing.

For some reason, poor Claudi survived.

Not even a hint of agitation.

“The screams of your people are still good to my ears.”

Blasphemy against the family name.

“Akshan’s end was not worthy.”

Even if Envy insult Akshan.

His upright posture never wavered.

He merely gazed contemplatively at himself.

.

.

.

……What the hell is he talking about?

‘I know very well that Akshan was hit in the head.’

Thanks to demonic manipulation, Akshan was isolated before the Holy War.

I don’t know the details.

They disappeared without a trace.

But.

‘The Claudi family was also abandoned by the continent?’

Setting of the Claudi family.

I don’t know where it started or where it ended.

Well, I’ve finally discovered the remains of Claudi’s family.

And I’m just beginning to restore it.

I had just taken the first step, so to speak.

But I can guess.

Eunaxus.

Eunaxus and the dragons were following me, saying that the debt to Claudi had not been repaid. Maybe the Claudi family setup is more complicated than I remember.

But make no mistake, demon.

“What is so delightful.”

I, Lee Hoyeol, am not mistaken.

The cruel history of the Claudi family?

Yes, because even that would have been part of the plot I would have written back then. Acknowledging and taking responsibility for the Claudi family does not mean I’m willing to be buried in its dark history.

I told you.

It’s not like I’m a second year of middle school now.

I’m old enough.

I drank too much of society’s water.

Dark history is not about immersing yourself in it, it’s about overcoming it

That’s right.

In the end, I just need to be sure.

No matter how detailed the cruel history of the Claudi family is mentioned, if it’s from the mouth of the demon, Grandfell’s attitude will remain the same.

I turned to Envy and said.

“Nothing has changed.”

But with such a complicated past.

You have to live with it at the same time.

In this moment, it’s not Envy’s Hidden Piece that has taken over the area.

It’s the proper kind of magic.

The proper magic, drawn from Claudi’s past, a past that deserves to be called a brutal death, as you say. The black magic 『Black Crown』, manifested with such proper magic power, is enough to dominate beyond taking away the five senses.

“You are lost in a world of illusions.”

That’s right.

Under my gaze, he hadn’t changed.

Struck by a Meteor Strike.

Envy squirmed in its broken body, struggling to rise.

Rattling─

I wonder if he wants to run away from the [Natural Enemy] that even a Great Evil can’t overcome. He was letting out an arrogant noise. He was talking too much on such a topic.

“Everyone on the continent has turned against you.”

Yeah, well.

If you add the Claudi family cruel history to Akshan’s end…….

Maybe he wasn’t exaggerating.

“You know better than anyone that the human race is unchangeable. How can you deny the ‘real truth’?”

The real truth.

I haven’t heard that word in a long time.

Karimzeva, the elder mage and demon worshipper.

That was the last word he’d ever uttered, I think?

I don’t know what it meant then or now.

“It’s not too late. Join us.”

No, I misspoke.

It’s not that I don’t know.

I don’t even want to know.

I mean, isn’t everything the demon says bullshit?

There’s no concrete evidence to back it up.

Because that’s just how it was.

“Do you truly believe that ‘everyone’ has abandoned me?”

“……What are you talking about?”

Envy’s voice is tinged with disbelief.

Then I change the subject.

I knew for sure it would head in that direction.

“Gentlemen, the Shadow Mercenaries are no better, are they?”

Even though I’m like this, I’m still quick to notice.

If I hadn’t, I’d be sunk into the netherworld for running my mouth, so I made a rough guess. It was the commission Kichi had mentioned.

‘That it had something to do with Claudi’s destruction.’

That’s what he was going for.

He wanted me to be agitated.

But he couldn’t be more wrong.

“You are neither great nor mighty, you inferior people.”

Have you not yet realized?

“Unlike demons, humans can change.”

“……What?”

“Even if you’ve made the wrong choice.”

“What nonsense……!!”

“If you realize it, you can make it right.”

The living witness is here, isn’t it?

An adolescent who almost pouted.

I, Lee Hoyeol, who overcame dark history the right way.

Of course, I’m not generalizing from my own case.

ssaeaeaeaeg─!

The sound of a cracking wind piercing my ears.

I don’t need to identify the sound.

The Nine’s weapons shine with the light of dawn.

[You have gained command of the Shadow Mercenaries].

[Shadow Mercenaries leader, member of the Eight under Wolfe Sakarin]

[Current Status: Fighting to the death]]

Pow!

With a crossbow bolt in the nape of Envy’s neck, Wolfe speaks.

“I will take responsibility for my actions.”

[A ‘critical hit’ is dealt to Great Evil, Seven Deadly Sins Envy].

[A ‘Bleed’ is inflicted on Great Evil, Seven Deadly Sins Envy].

[A ‘Stun’ is inflicted on the Great Evil, Seven Deadly Sins Envy] …….

I turned toward Envy and said.

“Didn’t you tell me?”

“……kugh?”

“Do not underestimate human pride.”

“……!!!”

[A ‘fear’ occurs to the Great Evil, the Seven Deadly Sins, Envy].