The demon is widely known as an invader from another dimension.


    The demon race, which emerged as a result of being affected by such demons, could only think in this way.


    The demons mentioned in literature appeared suddenly without any “omens” and went so far as to invade the world.


    Moreover, at the time, they possessed a power equal to, or even greater than, the elves, making it natural to assume they were beings from another dimension.


    But to think that these demons were, in fact, humans from this world—specifically, from a fallen kingdom—was shocking, even as it seemed to exin the origin of the demon race.


    “Demons were actually the people of a fallen kingdom?”


    I wasn’t the only one who found this hard to believe. In the dead silence, the first to speak was Mari.


    To her question, rk nodded heavily, as if to say he had spoken nothing but the truth.


    A moment of stillness followed.‘Did they sacrifice the entire kingdom?’


    Using an entire nation as a sacrifice to gain godlike power—it’s a famous cliché in past lives, but hearing it in reality was a first.


    In alchemist stories, such grand scales usually require aplex preparation process and, most critically, time.


    However, the key point here is the motive.


    In that fictional story, the scheme was carried out under the influence of a mastermind, and the consequences were tragically unexined.


    So, what was King Morgan, thest king of Gerios, thinking when he sacrificed his kingdom?


    With even super soldiers fed by thousands of souls already existing, what more could he have wanted?


    As I nced around at those still struggling to believe the shocking revtion, I decided to ask seriously,


    “Can we really believe that?”


    [Believe it or not, it doesn’t matter. I’m only recounting what I found in the records.]


    “Records…?”


    [Things I discovered while tracking them. I burned all of it afterward.]


    “Why? Couldn’t you have hidden it somewhere or entrusted it to someone trustworthy?”


    rk had a habit of erasing his traces, even burning his own journal.


    But I hadn’t imagined he would destroy even the world’s secrets.


    When I expressed my disappointment, he gave a faint, almost defeated smile.


    Leaning forward slightly, he spoke in a low, somber voice, a tone close tomenting the world—a voice tinged with solitude.


    [Grandchild, the bigger a god’s presence, therger its shadow.]


    “…”@@novelbin@@


    [Within that shadow hid one pretending to be a priest. Although he was eventually punished, how could I trust anyone in a world with such beings?]


    His words carried weight, both figuratively and literally.


    rk was undoubtedly referring to the corrupted Cardinal Bark.


    When it was revealed that Bark was actually a demon worshiper, the world, not just Savior, was turned upside down.


    Bark had earned the trust of many and was even rumored to be the next Pope.


    Perhaps that’s why rk embarked on his lonely journey—because in a world gone mad, he could only rely on himself.


    “…I understand. Then, what was King Morgan’s reason for sacrificing his kingdom? Gerios didn’t need to go to such lengths.”


    [The records I found stated this: Thest king of Gerios made a foolish decision driven by misced greed.


    Yet he achieved what he so desperately desired—to be a being greater than an elf.


    His army would stretch across the world, and his people would be blessed, living in eternal happiness.]


    From what rk said, it seemed King Morgan’s ultimate goal was world domination.


    He was also aware of the fact that humans couldn’t surpass elves.


    Harboring resentment and greed, he made a foolish choice.


    While it’s unclear who might have influenced him or been the mastermind behind it, the ironic part is that they indeed became a species stronger than elves—demons. ??ΝО?Е?


    They nearly seeded in conquering the world, so in a way, his goal was achieved. The problemy in the fact that the process was filled with destruction and negativity.


    I clicked my tongue in disbelief.


    “Many things don’t sit right, but… in the end, King Morgan got what he wanted—albeit in the worst way possible.”


    [Indeed.]


    “But there was someone who influenced him, right?”


    [Most likely. Otherwise, he wouldn’t havemitted such madness.]


    History is full of tragedies caused by the excessive greed of those in power.


    This one, however, was on a scale far beyond the Second World War.


    An entire world almost perished because of one man’s greed. At the same time, there were unresolved mysteries.


    For instance, why didn’t the ancestors of the enved Michelle family turn into demons?


    Even rk found this puzzling.


    “Our ancestors were ves to demon worshipers, weren’t they? Even after the Demon War?”


    [That’s right.]


    “When did they start resisting?”


    [That’s unclear. The records only mention that one day, a red-haired ve escaped, and the king personally went to deal with him but died alongside him. The rest is passed down orally.]


    “Didn’t they do anything significant during the Demon War?”


    [Didn’t I just tell you they were captured by the demons?]


    “Hmm…”


    This isn’t enough.


    The story doesn’t add up, and the rtionship between King Morgan and the ve remains unclear.


    While it’s true they had a close bond—the king kept the ve by his side—the fact that the ve didn’t be a demon raises questions.


    After all, these creatures were created by consuming thousands of souls.


    Why didn’t the ve choose to be one?


    Did he grow a conscience at thest moment, or did he see the king’s transformation and realize it was wrong?


    Nothing makes sense, and I decide to set it aside for now.


    “Putting the origin of demons aside, the literature says demons poured out like a tidal wave.


    Even if the entire kingdom turned into demons, wouldn’t it still be difficult to generate that kind of force…?”


    [Imagine the entire demon race unleashing magic indiscriminately. It might be manageable now, but 3,000 years ago, what could humans have done?]


    I understood immediately.


    To all species other than elves, demons would have been more than a disaster.


    Even a few meteors or lightning strikes would have been enough to break their morale. Just resisting would have taken immense courage.


    Moreover, people were captured and turned into mindless demons, or the side effects of these experiments led to the birth of the demon race.


    Literature states that, except for Alvenheim, nearly all civilizations were reset, with over 80% of the poption wiped out.


    Even if only 10% of that turned into demons, the sheer number would have been overwhelming, making it no exaggeration.


    “Someone must tell Cecily about this…!”


    Perhaps because the revtion was so closely tied to the demon race, Mari muttered in a small voice.


    I couldn’t agree more.


    Not only Cecily, but others needed to hear this too. Perhaps Arwen could help find more records about the kingdom of Gerios.


    What we found in Alvenheim was purely by chance; finding a rted book in that vast library is no different than searching for a needle in the desert.


    “I should let them knowter. I’ll call them here soon. Let’s invite Arwen too. Oh, maybe Rina as well…”


    “Just invite everyone, all of them. This is starting to annoy me.”


    When I started listing off the names of the women around me, Mari grumbled.


    She crossed her arms and pouted, clearly expressing her displeasure.


    Well, even though she epted it, her naturally jealous nature made it hard for her to feel good about it.


    I could only give an awkwardugh in response.


    [Hahaha! My grandson is quite popr, isn’t he? Of course, a remarkable man should meet many women.]


    rk, on the other hand, seemed amused and nodded approvingly.


    Mari’s sharp gaze turned toward him as she asked pointedly:


    “Surely, Grandpa, you didn’t have multiple wives yourself, did you?”


    [No, but during my travels, I did meet many women. Only one, Hawk’s mother, became my wife.]


    “So Isaac is the odd one, then? Even you, despite your fame and strength, only had one wife.”


    [In my generation, we led a nomadic life. Even if someone out there shared my blood, there weren’t many bonds that formed deeply.]


    “Is that so… Wait, someone with the same blood?”


    Mari seemed startled by something odd in his words and asked again.


    I, too, looked at him with wide eyes, sharing her curiosity. Even Father seemed intrigued.


    But rk seemed unfazed, as if it was no big deal. In his usual casual tone, he replied:


    [asionally, if youe across someone with red hair, they’re likely carrying our family’s blood. It’s extremely rare, but they’re out there.]


    “I see… That makes sense. It’s not like you didn’t have any siblings.”


    [Still, in my generation, it was nearly impossible to find them.


    The demon worshippers had an order to kill anyone with red hair. I’ve taken care of that now, though.]


    “…”


    rk had a habit of saying chilling things casually.


    To him, his achievements were simply duties he had fulfilled.


    And it wasn’t a boast. I had seen him in action in my dreams—he personally brought down monarchs with his own hands.


    Even discovering the underground temple, regardless of the terrain’s advantage, was proof of his abilities.


    [So, grandson, may I ask you something?]


    “Oh, yes, of course.”


    [Will you be writing what I told you in that book of yours? The <em>Chronicles of Zenon,</em> or whatever it’s called?]


    I smiled wryly at his question.


    Truthfully, everything he had shared could serve as excellent material.


    Stories like a king selling his entire nation to demons or a hero who passed by leaving only hope were fascinating.


    However, I couldn’t include them in the <em>Chronicles of Zenon,</em> which was nearly finished.


    “No, not for now. The <em>Chronicles of Zenon</em> is almostplete.”


    [Is that so?]


    “Instead, I n to write simr stories in a side narrative. Is there anything in particr you’d like included?”


    [No way. Why write about me? That’s embarrassing.]


    rk waved his hand in embarrassment, surprisingly shy about such things.


    [But if you give me a cigarette, I might think about it.]


    “No need. I’ll decide what to write.”


    [Haha, isn’t that illegal?]


    “You’re already dead, Grandpa. It’s fine.”


    [This rascal… Just like my son.]


    “And Father is just as entric. When will he ever quit smoking?”


    The three of us exchanged some lighthearted banter before the mood settled again.


    rk seemed to have brought it up to lighten the atmosphere, though his love for cigarettes was genuine.


    I should get him something expensive next time.


    I’ll ask Musk to handle it.


    “<em>Yawn…</em>“


    What was intriguing and shocking to us seemed boring to Ariel, who let out a long yawn. Her drowsiness caught everyone’s attention.


    Her sprout-like hair drooped, and her half-closed eyes signaled it was nap time.


    With lunch and armor cleaning still pending, it was time to wrap things up.


    “I’ll put Ariel to sleep for a bit. She looks really tired.”


    [Go ahead. Oh, mind if I join? I’d like to see my great-granddaughter sleeping.]


    “Sure, that’s fine.”


    rk’s love for his descendants was unmistakable.


    I picked up the dozing Ariel and headed to the room, with rk following behind.


    Father tried toe too, but rk held out his hand to stop him.


    Usually, we’d let her sleep in the living room bed, but given the circumstances, it was better to let her rest in a quieter room.


    “<em>Zzz…</em>“


    “Isn’t she adorable?”


    [Adorable indeed. I never thought I’d get to see something like this.]


    rk agreed, nodding as I admired Ariel’s sleeping face.


    If she woke up now, though, it might be a bit creepy—with a skeleton hovering over her.


    But given she had just been listening, she wouldn’t be too startled.


    [This was a gift from Lord Hirt for your aplishments, wasn’t it?]


    “Yes, it was.”


    [Hmm…]


    rk nced around as if checking for eavesdroppers. Then he leaned in to whisper softly in my ear.


    [Boy, how much do you believe in the gods?]


    “Excuse me?”


    [How much faith do you have in them?]


    The sudden question caught me off guard. But rk’s tone was serious.


    This was the man who had uncovered the truth of the world. His secretive manner hinted at something important.


    I nced at the peacefully sleeping Ariel before replying quietly.


    “They’re trustworthy beings.”


    [Trustworthy, huh? Like that fanatic Cardinal Kate?]


    “Not to that extent.”


    [Good. That’s a relief.]


    “Did you discover something about the gods?”


    My tentative question was met with hesitation.


    [Something like that, but it’s too sensitive… I can’t say more now.]


    “Why not?”


    [It’s hard to exin. All I can say is this:]


    rk took a deep breath, exhaling slowly before continuing.


    [Don’t trust the gods too much.]


    “…”


    [That doesn’t mean you should distrust them either. Think of them as close friends or parents if you wish.


    But remember, even friends and parents have secrets. Those secrets may affect you in ways you can’t foresee. These beings are not mortals like us but transcendents.


    It’s not easy to speak about them lightly.]


    What truth had he uncovered?


    What had he heard from the demon worshippers that made him so hesitant to speak?


    My curiosity grew, but I was limited in my actions.


    I couldn’t venture out to seek the truth, nor could I expect the gods to answer directly.


    For now, I could only trust what rk had shared. I nodded in understanding.


    “They’re still worthy of belief, right?”


    [That’s true.]


    “Then that’s enough. I have no reason to dislike beings who bestow divine power upon me.”


    [If that’s how you see it…]


    rk patted my head with his skeletal hand. Strangely, it felt warm.


    “Oh, by the way, Grandpa, what was your favorite cigarette?”


    [Everything was fine, but I especially liked ones made from dried world tree leaves.


    They were outrageously expensive, so I only smoked one before I died.]


    “I’ll get one for you. Don’t worry about the cost.”


    [Really? My grandson is the best! Way better than my son!]


    Father would definitely feel hurt if he heard that.