Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]

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Chapter 299: Attack Plan (2)

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"Hey, Eos... Are you just going to stand there and watch? Stop him right now!"

Srynder urgently shouted at the Imperial Supreme Sword.

However, the Imperial Supreme Sword responded with indifference.

"Commander, you're asking an impossible thing."

"What did you say?"

"Damien Haksen is not my subordinate. He isn’t even a knight of the Empire. I’m not in a position to give him orders."

"Still, stop him! Didn’t you hear him say he’s going to kidnap elves to find the location of Pandemonium base?"

The Imperial Supreme Sword then asked back as if he couldn’t understand.

"Damien Haksen is as skilled as I am. Are you saying we should turn such a strong warrior into an enemy when we’re already at war?"

"Didn't you hear him just now? Damien Haksen is going to..."

"Damien, kidnapping is a bit much, don’t you think? That’s something I can’t overlook."

Damien shrugged and replied.

"I’ll let it slide this time because I respect you but please don’t stop me from leaving the palace."

"That’s your choice to make."

At their conversation, Srynder slammed his fist on the table and shouted.

"Eos! Are you mocking me right now?"

"Commander, I came here to repay a debt my mother owed. I’m not your subordinate either."

The tone of the Imperial Supreme Sword turned cold, causing Srynder to shudder.

"So, decide. Will you agree to Damien's demands or just let him leave?"

At the threat from the Imperial Supreme Sword, beads of cold sweat formed on Srynder's forehead.

* * *

A moment later, Damien and the Imperial Supreme Sword stepped out of the meeting room.

"Damien, congratulations on joining the assault team."

As soon as they were outside, the Imperial Supreme Sword spoke to Damien.

In the end, the Commander had decided to give in to Damien's demands.

It was the inevitable outcome. Without Damien, it was Alfheim that would be in trouble.

"By the way, you really went all out. Honestly, I was shocked."

Despite saying that, his expression hardly changed.

"Why are you so determined to help Alfheim, even with the way they treat you?"

Damien couldn’t understand.

The Imperial Supreme Sword was a person with both skill and status. There was no need for him to be tied to Alfheim.

"They accepted my mother’s remains."

At that, Damien tilted his head in confusion. How could that be a reason?

"Elves despise humans. They see us as inferior species. That's why any type of relationship between elves and humans is seen as a felony in elves."

Damien already knew this much.

Elves had many abilities that humans lacked. They were beautiful, strong, and knew how to control spirits.

For that reason, the elves considered humans inferior and racist towards them.

But in reality, they were just defeated losers who had fled to an island because they couldn't compete with humans.

"If such a thing happens... that elf would be banished from the island. And they would never be able to return."

The Imperial Supreme Sword turned his gaze out the window as he spoke.

"My mother left the island to broaden her horizons, and that’s when she met my father. She became pregnant with me and my sibling."

"She must have been very determined."

At Damien's words, the Imperial Supreme Sword gave a bitter smile.

Damien couldn’t help but be a little surprised. It was the first time he had seen the Imperial Supreme Sword smile so sadly.

"I think it was just a youthful mistake. After being banished from Alfheim for the sin of carrying us, she longed for her home every day. She passed away the year we became adults."

For an elf, a race known for their long lifespans, living such a short life implied she had faced significant emotional turmoil.

It was likely a combination of an unfamiliar environment and the longing for her homeland.

"My father wanted to bury her on our family’s land, but my sibling and I felt differently. We wanted to fulfill our mother’s final wish. So, we went to Alfheim."

He spoke calmly, but it must have been incredibly difficult.

Alfheim was protected by the World Tree.

"Alfheim stated that they could never accept my mother's remains because of their laws. However, Lady Milene was kind to us."

"So, the debt you mentioned is..."

The Imperial Supreme Sword nodded.

"Thanks to Lady Milene, my sibling and I were able to bury our mother's remains in Alfheim. I consider it a debt, but... my sibling sees it differently."

The Imperial Supreme Sword paused and looked up at the sky but Damien could see his eyes becoming moist.

"I’ve rambled on with this boring story for too long. Come, follow me. There are some elves I need to introduce to you."

"Are there more elves I need to meet?"

"They’re the ones who will attack Pandemonium's main base with you. The operation starts tomorrow, so it’s best you get acquainted with them now... What are you doing?"

The Imperial Supreme Sword asked, as Damien suddenly started loosening up his body.

"Those elves are not going to trust me, so I’ll need to prove my skills, won’t I?"

"Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. These ones are different."

Damien looked at the Imperial Supreme Sword with a puzzled expression.

"For now, just follow me."

The Imperial Supreme Sword led Damien to the royal training grounds.

About ten elves were sparring, clashing their weapons against each other.

As soon as the two entered the training grounds, the elves' attention shifted to them.

"Oh? It's Lord Eos!"

"Is that really Lord Eos?"

The elves threw down their weapons and rushed towards the two.

Their reaction was quite different from the commanders', and Damien couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

"Eos! Why are you only coming now?"

"We’ve been waiting for you this whole time!"

There were two female elves clinging to the Imperial Supreme Sword with joyous faces.

"I heard earlier! We are counterattacking Pandemonium base tomorrow, right?"

"We're counting on you, Eos!"

Despite being closely flanked by two beautiful women, the expression of the Imperial Supreme Sword remained unchanged.

"Mata, Hata. How many times have I told you not to do this?"

"Oh, come on. It's not like we're doing anything wrong."

"Give us a break, especially with such a big mission ahead!"

"No."

The Imperial Supreme Sword firmly shook them off, leaving Mata and Hata with disappointed expressions.

"You're more popular than I expected."

Damien whispered in the Imperial Supreme Sword’s ear. The Imperial Supreme Sword responded nonchalantly.

"They see me as their mentor, probably because I taught them a few weapon techniques."

Damien tilted his head with a puzzled expression. It wasn’t just trust or respect; Mata and Hata’s reactions seemed to go beyond that.

"Hey, Eos, who’s this human?"

"Are you stupid? How could another human be in Alfheim?"

"Then could it be... is this man Damien Haksen?"

"Yes, your guess is correct. This is the very Damien Haksen who rescued Sincia and fought against the Lord of Eternal Flame."

Mata, Hata, and the other elves present all looked at Damien with curiosity and amazement.

"Damien, let me introduce you. These are Mata and Hata, the only two in Alfheim currently able to summon a Spirit King."

"There used to be three of us, but that bastard, the Lord of Eternal Flame, killed our sister and stole her Spirit King."

A bitter smile spread across Mata's face.

"And these elves here... they are spirit summoners capable of calling forth the highest-ranking spirits. All of them have joined the assault team."

Damien looked at the elves with astonishment.

It was no exaggeration to say that a spirit summoner capable of summoning a Spirit King was far more powerful than most Master Class warriors.

Two spirit summoners who could call forth a Spirit King.

Eight spirit summoners who could summon high-ranking spirits.

This was essentially the full combat strength of Alfheim gathered in one place.

"For tomorrow’s operation, Damien will lead you instead of me."

"Huh? Wasn’t he supposed to stay behind?"

"He requested to join the assault team, so we decided to switch."

The Imperial Supreme Sword spoke as if it were no big deal, but the elves' reactions were less than enthusiastic.

"Eos isn’t going?"

"I know that human is strong, but even so, with Eos not going..."

As the elves murmured among themselves, the Imperial Supreme Sword shouted.

"I can vouch for Damien Haksen's skills. This man is my equal in strength."

It was similar to what he had told the Commander, but this time the reaction was different.

"If Eos guarantees it, then... I suppose we can trust him."

"Yeah, I heard he didn’t back down an inch against the Lord of Eternal Flame."

"And not a single hostage was harmed."

Just as the Imperial Supreme Sword had assured, the elves here trusted his word.

"Didn’t I tell you? These ones are different."

"They really are."

Damien replied with a wry smile. He hadn't expected the young elves to be so level-headed.

"The operation will take place tomorrow. I’ll head outside the fortress to cause a disturbance and draw Pandemonium’s main forces away. Meanwhile, you’ll lead the elves in an assault on their headquarters."

"Are you sure you can handle this on your own?"

Damien asked, his voice laced with concern.

Pandemonium currently had the Lord of Eternal Flame, who controlled the Spirit King, the Four Great Demon Kings, and even the leader of Pandemonium herself. It was possible that the Imperial Supreme Sword would have to face all of them alone.

In response, the Imperial Supreme Sword tilted his head slightly and asked.

"Are you joking right now? If so, I apologize for not laughing."

* * *

That night, Damien left his chamber and ascended to the top of the fortress wall.

No matter how long he lay with his eyes closed, he couldn’t sleep.

Just thinking about Dorugo made his entire body heat up. The blood boiling in his veins made it impossible to find rest.

"…Finally, tomorrow, it all ends."

Since his return, Damien had only one goal.

To kill Dorugo.

As long as Dorugo lived, Damien could never find true peace. He couldn’t shake the fear that Dorugo might appear at any moment to drag him and his family back into hellish moments

"…Damn bastard."

Damien clutched the stone tightly and crushed it to powder.

Memories of what Dorugo had done to him slowly crept up from the depths of his mind.

The despair he felt when Dorugo massacred the mercenary group during their first encounter.

The excruciating pain he endured when Dorugo transformed him into a Death Knight.

The feel of the blade in his hands as he slit his family’s throats and drove the sword into their bellies.

The screams, curses, and resentful cries of those he killed as a Death Knight.

"I will… kill you… with my own hands…."

Damien tried to calm himself but his body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

***

[Translator - Kie]

[Proofreader - Kawaii]