I woke up after a crazy night.
I really wanted it all to be a dream…
but unfortunately, it wasn't.
Pear was already up, getting ready for our journey.
He looked at me and said,
"You'll have to keep this act going for a while."
"And if anyone asks about a village… tell them you don't know anything."
He paused for a second, then added,
"And more importantly… if you tell anyone that I killed Rudo…"
He looked straight into my eyes.
"I'll become your worst enemy."
…Yeah.
What a great way to wake someone up.
We got ready and headed to the guild.
Everyone was already there, waiting.
And this Pear guy… acting all innocent like nothing happened—
it was seriously pissing me off.
But I can't do anything right now.
One of Lincoln's followers came to pick us up.
His name was Estern.
He looked like a decent guy…
but at this point, who knows?
We got onto the chariot and started moving.
The plan was to meet Lincoln in the capital.
And just like that…
the journey began. We were moving pretty fast…
After a while, a pack of magical beasts suddenly surrounded us.
Everyone immediately got down, ready to fight.
I mean… I could probably defeat them even without using magic—
but then I remembered this morning.
"Listen carefully, Rudo," Pear had said. "I'll teach you every spell the real Rudo can use. You need to act like him."
And yeah… he actually taught me most of them.
The only problem?
I forgot to tell him my magic output is trash.
I tried casting a spell…
but something felt off.
No one else was moving.
I looked ahead—
…and saw Estern.
That guy had already taken down most of the magical beasts by himself.
The rest just ran away.
I knew he was strong…
but not this strong.
Anyway…
the journey continued. It was already night, so we decided to set up camp and rest in the forest.
Estern said he would keep watch for any beasts.
I thought this was the perfect time to talk to Selena about her uncle.
I walked over to her.
She looked at me and gave a small smile.
I wanted to start the conversation casually…
but instead, I just asked directly,
"The man who died… he was your uncle, right? Can we talk about him?"
She hesitated at first.
But after a while, she spoke.
"His name was Ted," she said quietly.
"He wasn't a great magician… or a strong fighter…"
"But he would always help anyone who needed him."
She paused for a moment.
"That's what my sister loved about him."
"They got married… and later, my sister gave birth to Ana… my niece."
Her voice started to shake.
"But soon after Ana was born… my sister died."
I stayed silent.
"After that, Ted changed…"
"He would leave Ana with us and go on adventures for months."
"But every time he came back… he brought gifts for her."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"She always waited for her dad's gifts…"
Then her eyes filled with tears.
"Next month is her birthday… I don't know what I can do for her now…"
She started crying.
I tried my best to comfort her.
After some time, we both went back to our tents…
and fell asleep. The next morning, we packed up and continued our journey.
After some time, we finally reached the capital of the Kingdom of Wavvell.
The place was huge… way bigger than any village I had seen.
Lincoln was already there, waiting for us.
"Welcome, Rudo… and everyone," he said with a calm smile.
"I hope you had a pleasant journey."
On our way to the castle, I saw shops everywhere… people rushing around, busy with their work.
But the moment they saw Lincoln, everyone bowed.
…It almost felt like he was the real king.
Anyway, I just hoped the actual king wouldn't be as scary as him.
We reached the castle gates.
Something about the pattern on the gate bothered me…
I had seen something like this before… in the demon kingdom.
But I couldn't remember clearly.
We stepped inside.
Two soldiers greeted Lincoln and led us to the king's hall.
When we entered, I saw him—
a huge man sitting on the throne, wearing a crown.
That must be the king.
He looked massive… and honestly, I thought he'd be just as scary as Lincoln.
"Praise be, Great King Tarus," Lincoln said.
The king smiled warmly.
"Welcome back, Master… and the hero and his friends as well."
"I welcome you all to my kingdom."
…Wait.
This wasn't what I expected.
I thought he'd be terrifying…
but he sounded almost… innocent.
Lincoln turned to the king.
"I've completed my travel, my lord. I will be staying in the castle for a while."
The king smiled. "It's my pleasure to have your presence here, Master."
Yeah… these two definitely have a master–student kind of relationship.
Then the king looked at me.
"Rudo, congratulations on your last raid. I heard you cleared Dungeon Level 9… no one has ever gone that far."
…Oh.
So that's what the real Rudo did.
"It was a great raid, my lord," I replied.
He nodded. "Is there anything you want, Rudo?"
Before I could say anything, Lincoln stepped in.
"I actually brought Rudo and his party for a job," he said.
Then he turned to us.
"Rudo… all of you, get some rest today. Tomorrow, there will be a task for your party. I'll explain everything then."
And just like that, we were told to leave the room.
…A job?
What kind of job is that guy planning?
We were taken to our rooms soon after.
The room was huge…
and for the first time—
I had my own bed.
Finally.
No Pear.
No random legs on my face while sleeping.
Tonight…
I can actually sleep peacefully.
Back in the Demon Kingdom…
Ren had started spending more time hunting humans—with Calt.
Daris didn't like it.
Calt was mysterious… but somehow, he had gotten close to Ren.
Maybe because they both hated humans.
"My lord, I've chosen our next target," Calt said. "A village near the lake."
Ren nodded. "Good. We'll crush them."
Daris stepped forward.
"My lord… you already have many responsibilities in the kingdom. You've destroyed three human villages already. I suggest you focus here."
Calt immediately snapped,
"How dare you speak to the Demon King like that?"
"Do you think he's not a good king?"
"That's not what I meant," Daris replied.
Ren's expression darkened.
"That's exactly how it sounded."
"You think you can speak to me like that, Daris?"
He stood up slowly.
"Maybe you need some time underground."
And just like that—
Daris was imprisoned.
Ren and Calt left for the hunt.
The village near the lake was peaceful…
until Ren arrived.
Fireballs rained down.
Houses burned.
Soldiers who tried to resist were frozen by Calt. A soldier grabbed a small child and pushed her behind him.
"Run!" he shouted.
The child hesitated… but then ran.
The soldier turned back—
and saw Ren walking toward him.
His legs trembled…
but he didn't move.
"I won't let you pass," he said.
Ren stopped.
…Then smiled.
"Interesting."
He stepped forward.
No magic.
Just strength.
The soldier attacked first—
and got crushed instantly.
Ren walked past him like it meant nothing.
The villagers were chained… taken as slaves.
The entire village was destroyed.
Back at the castle, the prisoners were thrown into cells.
Among them, a small girl looked up at her mother.
"Mom… will someone save us?"
Her mother forced a weak smile.
"Yes, my dear… a hero will come."
Ren heard that.
He turned back slowly.
"A hero?"
He laughed softly.
"You think a hero will come and save you?"
"Keep dreaming… human fools."
As he walked away, he said to Calt,
"I'm getting bored of destroying villages…"
He smiled.
"It's time."
"I'm going to kill the hero."
To be continued