Imperial Guard - Chapter 4



Only Noblemtl

Episode 4

Ghost King

The day after I became real friends with Gent.

I was walking along the glass into the lot.

“Mr. Lael. Mr. Ghent recommended it, but… Are you sure it’s okay? There’s still about a week left to adjust. Even if your mind is okay, your body might not be able to adjust.”

“It’s okay. I know my body well. I think I’ve already adapted well.”

I swung my arms around in front of Yuri, who was looking at me with worried eyes, and relaxed.

Both Ghent and Yuri have repeatedly said that the magic of this area is distorted.

‘They said it was a place like Alheim that devoured the soul.’

This is my first time in this area, but I don’t feel particularly uncomfortable.

‘It’s thanks to my constitution.’

I thought they were stupid and couldn’t receive curses or blessings, but since they had no soul, they could resist the evil energy that devoured their souls.

‘If I had known this sooner, I would have become a guard in the Alheim region.’

Since you get a life insurance there, the salary will be much higher.

At least it’s better than the underpaid Capital Guard.

Even if you cause an accident there, you won’t be dragged in by the special forces.

‘But… this is a crisis and an opportunity.’

Failure is the mother of success, and the transfer to the special guard was to gain momentum.

There is nothing wrong with becoming friends with the next emperor, Yuri.

Even if you don’t necessarily become successful, it will be of great help in living.

“Since Lord Rael says so, I will get down to work starting today.”

“Yes. Are you going to tell me about your work now?”

I was frustrated because I had asked questions casually up until now and received no answer.

“I’ll explain it slowly as we go.”

Yuri walked ahead with a big smile, and I followed behind her.

Yuri, Gent, Reina.

The three are the founding members of the Special Guard.

After observing them for three weeks, we noticed that they disappeared one by one at regular intervals.

‘They’re a special guard… Are they guarding something?’

My heart was pounding as I tried to confirm the truth of the numerous rumors.

Yuri was the first to speak as they walked down a road they had never been on before.

“The Imperial Special Guard has not even been created for ten years.”

“Yes, I know. It happened shortly after the Great War ended and a formal peace treaty was signed with the Demons.

A peace treaty signed with the demons in Alheim.

Of course, in the novel, war begins again soon after.

“You know very well. The Imperial Special Guard is an organization that monitors monsters that flowed into the Empire during the Great War.”

“··· A monster?”

“The reason I haven’t told you about her until now is because… just knowing about her existence can be damaging to your soul. Fortunately, Mr. Rael seems to be okay.”

Yuri’s expression, which always had a faint smile, hardened.

I have a feeling that an important story is coming up.

I asked something I was curious about before.

“Ms. Yuri, before you hear the important words, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Why are those things following behind?”

Yuri turned her head as she saw the tip of the finger I was pointing at.

She opened her eyes wide as she discovered the two of them awkwardly hiding behind a tree.

“Ms. Reina? No, even Mr. Ghent?! When did you follow me here?”

“Even though you’ve come this far, your senses are still alive. Your senses are definitely sharp.”

“Yeah. Didn’t you say Rael was special?”

I shook my head, looking at the elves and giants emerging from the trees with an expression of interest.

You just blatantly followed me and started talking nonsense.

Are you preparing for the comedian recruitment rather than the Imperial Special Guard?

“Mr. Lael. How dare you notice them. What on earth are you…”

I was even more shocked when I saw Yuri unable to hide her embarrassment next to me, but I was soon able to understand the situation.

It must be because of the distortion of magic power.

Those two were hiding in magic, and Yuri didn’t notice, but I did.

“First, finish what you were saying. So, who is that monster?”

“··· The monster we are watching is the Demon King Yasha.”

“Ghost King?”

As soon as I heard the word ghost, I narrowed my eyes.

It’s a name I’ve heard in the original novel.

A disaster for the empire and humanity.

The most powerful villain who turned a peaceful empire into a sea of ​​fire.

The worst villain who has caused more victims than the final boss.

She is a villain of the first rank, on par with the saints of the empire.

‘··· Why is a guy who takes 7 years to come out already?’

At this point, the saint has not even been appointed yet.

The original story was still in its mid-part, and the real crisis had not even begun.

But the people around me who were tangled up were not ordinary.

‘The future emperor of the empire and his two entourage. And there’s even a ghost king?’

What on earth is this special guard that gathers all these top priority people?

The original protagonists would be having fun at the academy, so why am I being subjected to such trials?

I just couldn’t understand it.

“So the job of the special guard is to watch over the King?”

“Yes, that’s right. She has to face the intelligent being every few days.”

“I kind of understand it, but… why would you leave such a monster in the hands of an ordinary security guard? Just kill him.”

“··· The Demon Queen cannot be killed. Her very existence is the result of human malice. In other words, the moment you kill her, human malice will be released into the world.”

The ghost king is Pandora’s box.

The moment you open the box, malice bursts out.

“Then, shouldn’t we just purify the evil? That’s the specialty of the priests of the religious order.”

“No. Even if it’s a religious order, it can’t purify the Demon King. Unless a legendary saint or warrior appears, it’s difficult to do that.”

It means it takes time.

In fact, in the original novel, both the warrior and the saint appear.

I thought it was a trash novel, but it had some plausibility to it.

“But I still don’t understand. If he’s that strong, shouldn’t a priest or a knight be protecting him? How can you entrust the job to a mere guard?”

“··· I don’t know that much either. I’m just a guard like Mr. Rael. All I know is that we have to face her for a set amount of time.”

“Hmm. Well, I guess so.”

It seems like a ridiculous lie to me, knowing that Yuri is the princess, but judging by the way the corners of her mouth are twisted, it seems like she has her own worries.

I didn’t continue the conversation and followed Yuri, looking behind her.

Fortunately, Gent and Reina did not follow any further.

“This way.”

How long did it take?

We arrived at a remote location even in the special guard unit premises.

In the middle of the forest, where the thick trees blocked out the sunlight, a staircase leading underground was visible.

The entrance to the stairs was covered in steel, contrasting with the forest.

No, looking closely, the entire wall of the basement connected to the stairs was covered in steel.

Tang tang-

I opened my mouth as I felt the dirt and the different texture.

“··· These stairs are so ominous.”

“Yes. Because it is a place where ghosts are sealed.”

I followed Yuri’s lead and descended the ominous stairs.

I felt strange every time I took a step, relying on the dim lighting.

As I go down underground, the gloomy atmosphere becomes stronger and stronger, and I feel chills for no reason.

‘No, it’s not just a feeling, it really feels cold.’

The underground, where it doesn’t receive sunlight, is naturally cold, but this place is even colder.

Moreover, this wall was not made of ordinary steel.

As I placed my hand on the wall, a cold chill seeped into my body. There is only one metal like this in the world.

“··· Is this the eternal season?”

“It’s an alloy of Eternal Iron and Adamantium. It’s arguably the most powerful anti-magic metal in the Empire. It’s even colder now that it’s absorbed the negative energy from its contact with the Demon King.”

Mannyeonhancheol, steel that has absorbed yin energy for ten thousand years.

And Adamantium, the strongest metal on earth, is worth its price.

A guard like me is a legendary metal that is hard to see even once in a lifetime.

‘You threw those expensive things in a corner like this?’

Just how great of a monster is the Ghost King?

As I went down each step of the stairs, I could feel the pressure.

My body was so tingly that it almost hurt.

The glass walking in front looked even more tired.

“Mr. Lael, you must go down here alone. If more than one person enters, her malice will run wild.”

“Okay, Yuri. Thank you.”

“Yes. Then I will come back in 8 hours. … If you can’t hold out, you can come out right away.”

I went downstairs, listening to Yuri’s worried words.

At the end of the basement there was an iron door barely large enough for one person to pass through.

I carefully opened the door, and a dark, damp space greeted me.

I stepped forward, ignoring the cold air covering my body.

‘That’s… a prison?’

After walking a few steps, a prison-like structure came into view.

An alloy of iron and adamantium surrounded the prison, and the walls were engraved with the sect’s prayers.

“···.”

Suddenly-

My whole body cried out in danger.

Instinctively, I grabbed the handle of the sword hanging on my waist.

I looked straight ahead, feeling a murderous feeling squeezing my neck.

A space that seems too foreign to be a simple prison.

There was a girl sitting inside.

‘I can’t say she’s a girl.’

She was beautiful with her red hair and fiery eyes, but the small horns on her head gave away that she was not human.

What about the black clothes covering her entire body and the ominous aura emanating from her small body?

Even I, a soulless person, was shivering.

The girl’s body was intricately tangled with numerous restraints.

The dim light inside the prison reflected off the restraints.

Only then was I able to read the prayer engraved on the restraints. It was exactly the same as the one engraved on the prison walls.

Dozens of chains of magic that could capture any spirit are gathered together to bind a single being.

Sling-

The monster, sensing my presence, slowly raised its head and looked at me.

As soon as I made eye contact with the monster, my eyes widened.

– I want to bite your heart.

– I want to rip your mouth off.

– I want to rip off each of your fingers.

An ominous voice echoing in my head.

I know because I’ve experienced it.

– Die, die, die, die, die, die, die

This was a curse.

It’s a curse so strong that it ignores my constitution.

‘You fucking empires… Kill those monsters.’

An ominous aura squeezed my heart, making my muscles tingle.

A thick murderous aura covers my whole body, and an irresistible violence weighs down my shoulders.

The fact that such a strong curse can be felt means that the curse can materialize and become a phenomenon at any time.

Cadduk-

I can taste blood on my lips, which I have instinctively chewed hard.

Only then did I come to my senses and regain my sense of reality, gripping my sword tightly.

I willed myself to erase the curses and verbal abuse that filled my head.

‘That was a close call. Who would have thought they’d be hiding such a monster?’

Even if there are hundreds of those restraints, they are useless.

The being in front of me can kill me at any time.

Whether it was true or not, the moment I encountered the Demon King in human form, I couldn’t contain my fear.

‘This is why people go crazy.’

This is what I, a soulless person, am like.

I wonder what kind of pressure the humans of this world would feel when they face that guy.

I can’t even imagine.

“···.”

Next to the prison cell, there were also chairs and desks that appeared to be used by prison guards.

I stood still, unable to move a finger, tense with the presence of the Demon King.

In that quiet silence, the first one to speak was the ghost king.

“You’re quick to come to your senses. Are you the commander of the knights?”

“···.”

The slight pressure that had been weighing on my body disappeared.

I slowly met the eyes of the Demon King.

The restraints holding her body did nothing to dampen her gaze, and she tilted her head like a girl her age.

The action seemed to indicate genuine curiosity.

“Why was a man of the rank of Commander of the Imperial Knights demoted to a place like this? Did he assassinate a nobleman or something?”

“··· I beat up a scoundrel from the Count’s family who was causing trouble at the bar.”

I answered cautiously. At the same time, the ominous feeling that filled my body slightly subsided.

Is it because he has adapted to this situation, or is the Demon King holding back his power?

Honestly, I don’t really know.

‘But one thing is certain.’

We need to continue this conversation.

My senses were telling me so.

“The Empire is so corrupt that the commander of the knights has to be demoted? That’s surprising.”

“··· I am not the commander of the knights.”

“What? So you’re the royal escort?”

“No. I’m the captain of the capital’s guard. I was in charge of the 3rd Guards Brigade.”

The Ghost King is a being beyond my common sense.

I corrected the facts so that she wouldn’t misunderstand me and something would happen later, but she looked at me with dissatisfied eyes.

I felt like I was falling into fear just by looking at it.

‘Why are you doing this to me?’

The ghost king, who had been staring at me intently, turned around after a while as if he was tired.

Only then did I become aware of the cold sweat running down my body.

‘···.’

Every muscle in my body is tense.

Just facing it was too mentally and physically exhausting.

I looked at the ghost king who had turned his back and sat down carefully on the chair.

Demon King Yaksha.

If religion is the result of human hopes coming together, then ghosts are the embodiment of human malice.

They say hope is the strongest force in the world, but malice is no match for it.

Especially in a world as evil as ours today.

A ghost created when the soul of a resentful human meets dark malice.

That’s how the ghost king was born.

A lot of people died.

It was a horror that humans could neither understand nor resist.

The power of the Demon King, who drank the blood of countless humans, reached the heavens and became strong enough to make even the gods laugh, and at some point, he began to be called Yaksha.

‘What useless information.’

I shook my head as I recalled the setting of the novel.

A monster that can easily destroy a country by itself.

I couldn’t understand why the Empire was leaving this monster alone.

‘What on earth did I do wrong to be dragged to a place like this? Where else can you find a guard that cares about the empire as much as I do…’

How many guards are as loyal to the Empire as you are that you are being subjected to such trials?

There is no one in the world who doesn’t have a story, and they say that what they have gone through is the most difficult, but no matter how much I think about it, I think I have it the hardest.

‘Say something like you did before. I’m so nervous.’

The Demon King, who had been talking about the Knight Commander, didn’t say anything for hours.

Yuri said I had to hold out for eight hours, but it hasn’t even been halfway through yet.

The only good thing is that I’ve somewhat adapted to the unpleasant prison atmosphere.

Eternal iron is a metal that contains the energy of eternal years.

With all that metal surrounding you, you can’t help but feel shiver all over.

When I accepted that fact, I felt better.

‘Why does he keep looking at me?’

The problem is the gaze of the ghost king.

The ghost king had been staring blankly at me for a while now.

I thought about talking to her, but the ominous feeling still remained.

Feeling that gaze, I felt even colder for no reason, so I shivered.

“Heh heh. Kyahahak.”

“···?”

As he looked at her face with a light laugh, the ghost king’s mouth opened as if he had made a promise.

She raised the corners of her mouth in amusement.

“Human. You are truly amazing.”

She smiled like a child, her red eyes shining.

Even though she looked like an innocent child, the murderous intent emanating from her was real.

The strange harmony made the Ghost King even more afraid.

‘That crazy monster thinks I’m funny.’

My body flinched at the murderous intent seeping out from beyond the prison.

Should I just kick the door open and run out right now?

‘··· No. Let’s calm down.’

After watching for three hours, I can tell that seal is no joke.

Even if you are the Demon King, you cannot release the seal and kill me right now.

My senses tell me so too.

But even knowing that, I still feel afraid.

The killing intent was so strong that it was awkward to even think that my heart was beating, and it confused even my senses.

“ha···.”

It felt like my whole body was slowly sinking into the swamp.

The fear that slowly consumed my body was something I couldn’t get used to no matter how hard I tried.

‘There are many things to do after being born as a man. You and I lived in the glory of protecting our country···.’

Even if I sing a military song from my previous life, the country I am in now is an empire.

I was filled with anger at the thought of protecting an empire that had put me in a special guard.

“Our Father in Heaven. Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva···.”

In the end, I had no choice but to pray to the gods of my past life.

I recited the prayer diligently, avoiding the eyes of the demon king.

Still, God seems to have a point, and I feel a little bit more at ease.

“······.”

After reciting the prayer and barely remembering a few verses of the church’s teachings, I felt a little bit of relief.

‘But now I can bear it.’

Humans are animals of adaptation.

At first it was hard to breathe, but now breathing was not difficult.

As I was slowly getting used to the strangeness of the prison, the clock on the table finally told me that eight hours had passed.

Fortunately, the ghost king stopped talking to me after he started giggling. Only then was I able to get up from my chair.

“··· See you next time.”

As expected from a country of courtesy in the East, he greeted people.

I bowed my head and turned around, but the ghost king’s voice belatedly dug into my head.

“Next time you come.”

“···?”

Startled, I turned around.

She was still in prison.

“Bring me something sweet. I’m so hungry, being stuck in this small space.”

“Oh, yes. I’ll definitely remember that.”

I wanted to ask what the hell he was talking about, but Rael quietly turned away.

I didn’t want to be around this prison anymore.

My heart pounding didn’t subside until I walked away from the prison and opened the door.

Squeak- thud.

After the prison doors closed.

Only then did Rael let out a sigh of relief and shrug his shoulders.

“··· I almost lost.”

As soon as I get out of the demon king’s sight, I feel my body calming down.

Even though she had no soul, the life force and ghostly energy emanating from her body were vivid.

I clenched my fist and regained my sense of reality.

‘Seeing that the senses are alive, it seems like there’s no need to die···.’

As I was climbing the stairs with many thoughts in my mind, I felt a presence from above.

When I raised my head, I saw the faces of three special guards.

‘Still, you were worried about me.’

I have never seen them leave their seats in groups while they go about their business.

That means he’s worried about me since I’m his first time and he’s waiting for me.

I think I’ll feel a little bit of camaraderie.

I approached them with a smile.

‘What is that?’

And then I looked at the stretchers that Gent and Reina were carrying, front and back.

The stretcher was large enough to carry a grown man.