Chapter 230 – Epilogue #1
The battle for the Sanctuary was over, but that was it. The attacks in the north and east were still going strong.
Thanks to this, In-gong and the other children of the demon king didn"t have time to rest as they were forced to enter the battlefield.
In particular, the situation at the Aegis Gate in the north was serious after parts of the walls had collapsed. It managed to be protected thanks to Baikal and the captains, but the situation was still very precarious.
Since the new demon king wasn"t officially crowned yet, the royal children and queens gathered to take defensive measures. After a short debate, it was decided where the royal children and the captains would be dispatched.
Silvan and Felicia were sent to the west. Chris and Caitlin headed east, while Zephyr and Anastasia accompanied the two captains to the north. In-gong would visit the north, east, and west in a sequential order. As the next demon king, it was necessary for In-gong to look at all three battlefields.
It took more than two months to defeat all the barbarians in the northeast. The battle with the northern barbarians, who had partially destroyed the Aegis Gate, was particularly fierce, but the Aegis Gate was defended thanks to all four captains, Baikal, Zephyr, Anastasia, and In-gong.
Three months after the battle against the red dragon, In-gong was finally able to return to the center. Baikal remained in the north to restore the Aegis Gate, but he declared his support for In-gong just before In-gong left.
Even though In-gong"s position as the next demon king was almost certain, the support of Baikal, as the eldest son and leader of one of the three factions, was huge. The succession of the new demon king occurred smoothly. There was no civil war between princes, as suggested by Baikal"s support.
Anastasia also expressed her support. Zephyr didn"t make a declaration, but two of the three factions already supported In-gong, so his silence was sufficient. After In-gong returned to the area where the Demon King"s Palace was being rebuilt, he met up with Warrior Locke.
Locke had been on almost all the battlefields in the last three months. They watched each other"s back and now knew how to read each other.
Therefore, Locke immediately understood why In-gong had called him. The two men faced each other under the night sky with the bright moon and laughed awkwardly. In-gong was the one to open his mouth first.
“Now, I think this is occurring a little bit late."
In-gong was holding the Warrior"s Sword in his hand. Rather than taking the sword right away, Locke folded his arms and asked with narrowed eyes,
“Are you returning it?"
“It is because the name is the same as the brave warrior."
In-gong could keep it, but it felt uncomfortable. Locke was the brave warrior in Knight Saga. Moreover, In-gong was more of a fists martial artist, so he didn"t have much use for it.
Locke suddenly laughed at In-gong"s words.
“Isn"t it too late to say this?"
“The sword is too good, so I am giving it back."
In-gong responded mischievously to the question. Locke and In-gong looked at each other and laughed.
“Okay, then I will hand the name to you."
“Locke?”
Locke sighed at In-gong"s surprised response. He closed his eyes for a moment before saying,
"As you said, this is the Warrior"s Sword. It matches the one who defeated the red dragon and defended the peace."
A warrior wasn"t simply a job, nor was it a name which could be self-styled. Heroes and warriors were people who broke the crisis. They defended peace. Locke thought that the name befitted In-gong more than him.
“Instead of taking it, please come to the Human World and help me if anything happens. Just like my business trip this time."
“Well, there are still problems in that area."
In-gong smiled as he recalled the Human World in Knight Saga and nodded. After talking to the indigenous species, he knew that this world wasn"t quite like Knight Saga. However, a lot of the basic information coincided. Unlike the Demon World where In-gong had changed many things, it was likely that the Human World was more similar to Knight Saga.
‘Rebellions, civil war, mad apostles who want to call down the G.o.d of destruction&h.e.l.lip; there are many things."
The number of events was actually more than in the Demon World. Locke frowned as he looked at In-gong.
"What do you mean by problems?"
"Nothing. I guess I"ll be busy in the future."
In-gong placed the Warrior"s Sword into his inventory and held out a hand for Locke to shake. This time, Locke grabbed In-gong"s hand without any resistance.
“Thanks again. I enjoyed our time together."
“Yes, I did as well."
They exchanged warm glances and shook hands a few times, seeming to convey their hearts through the tight grip. If Locke returned to the Human World straight away, this would"ve been perfect. However, Locke didn"t show any signs of going back. In-gong asked somewhat awkwardly,
“But aren"t you returning to the Human World?"
“I will go with you for now. In the near future, you will be crowned. I have to see my friend become the king. This is a great moment, so how can I miss it? I don"t have to return to the Human World immediately."
In-gong had to hear it again. It was a situation where the fighting had just ended. Locke wasn"t a mercenary, but In-gong still felt uncomfortable.
Locke knocked his shoulders against In-gong"s.
"Then let"s go back. Carack will ask why two men are meeting in the middle of the night."
"Um, yes."
In-gong nodded and headed back to his accommodations with Locke. It was awkward, but it seemed more awkward to say anything, so In-gong and Locke walked in silence.
&
All the queens were the leaders of their species except for 1st Queen Aishar Ragnaros. Due to this, they were more likely to stay at their own palaces instead of the Demon King"s Palace.
However, this past month was different. The queens didn"t stay in the Demon King"s Palace but a small castle they built near it. The rebuilding of the new palace was an issue, but there also wasn"t much time left until the coronation.
The day after his conversation with Locke, In-gong was sitting down with a very uncomfortable expression. A white table was set up in the indoor garden, with In-gong being the only male present.
The remaining people were all females. They were also composed of queens and princesses.
“Well, it makes sense to arrange the marriages now. It is a good thing."
Anastasia said as she put down her cup. After declaring her support for In-gong as the next demon king, her att.i.tude and tone had become lighter than before. It felt like a heavy load had been put down.
In-gong remained silent, and it was the same for Felicia and Caitlin, who were sitting next to 3rd Queen Sylvia Doomblade and 4th Queen Elaine Moonlight respectively. Both of Felicia and Caitlin had red cheeks.
Anastasia glanced at both of them before looking back at In-gong. Then she threw a bomb in her usual elegant manner.
“But who will be the 1st Queen among the two of them?"
It was almost certain that Felicia and Caitlin would become In-gong"s queens. Then the question was who would become the 1st Queen?
‘Master, this is a strange atmosphere."
Green Wind murmured as she appeared in her semi-solid state. The white woman also whispered in In-gong"s ears,
‘It would be better to stay quiet at this time, my master."
It was really proper advice, so In-gong did as she said. As In-gong remained silent, Felicia and Caitlin looked at each other with subtle expressions. Felicia was the first one to open her mouth.
"Uh&h.e.l.lip;aren"t I older?"
Felicia sent a glance asking, "Is it okay?" to Caitlin. Caitlin puffed up slightly before muttering in a small voice.
“Unni is cheap."
Caitlin didn"t intend to step back. No matter what anyone said, this was about being in the 1st position. Naturally, it would be preferred over 2nd position.
The queens just smiled with relaxed faces at Felicia and Caitlin"s cute quarrel. 2nd Queen t.i.tania sighed and said,
“Age doesn"t make much sense when it comes to the position of the queens. It isn"t listed by age."
In fact, 1st Queen Aishar was younger than 2nd Queen t.i.tania.
Felicia and Caitlin alternated between being apologetic and happy at t.i.tania"s words. However, that only lasted for a second. Just like Anastasia, t.i.tania threw a bomb with a smiling face.
“But if it is age&h.e.l.lip; Anastasia, what do you think? Don"t you want to be the 1st Queen?"
The dark elves and lycanthropes, who had the 3rd Queen and 4th Queen, were once again in the process of setting up queens. As queen of the succubi, t.i.tania could just sit back and clap. She said it like a joke, but Anastasia wasn"t confused. It was obvious that they had already discussed it to some extent. The other queens had also expected it somewhat.
“Then should I be a candidate for Shutra"s queen? Shutra, what do you think?"
Anastasia smiled elegantly at In-gong. Felicia and Caitlin looked at In-gong simultaneously, while Green Wind also looked down at In-gong.
"Uh, yes&h.e.l.lip;?"
Anastasia as a queen? It was something he had never thought about, so In-gong needed time to think. Whether it was for political reasons or something else, it wasn"t just a joke.
“Actually, there is a better suggestion."
t.i.tania said suddenly as tensions escalated. She shrugged lightly as everyone"s eyes turned to her again.
“If you are planning politically motivated marriages, wouldn"t it be better to marry the rulers of each species? What do you think, Shutra?"
"Uh, euh, huh?"
In-gong blinked with confusion as he didn"t understand what she was talking about for a moment, hence his confused reply. What did she mean?
Elaine giggled as Anastasia and the other princesses stared in shock.
“That is a good idea, although it is unprecedented in history. Isn"t this the right answer when approaching it from a political point of view? Sylvia, what do you think?"
“Stop joking around."
Sylvia said rationally with narrowed eyes. Felicia and Caitlin sighed at her words, while Elaine pouted with vexation.
“Oh, it was so much fun."
Then she winked at In-gong. In-gong tried to ignore Elaine"s gaze, but t.i.tania added more mean words.
“Shutra, don"t miss me too much."
In-gong didn"t know what to do and chose the silent path. However, silence wasn"t the correct answer as Felicia"s eyes narrowed and Caitlin puffed up angrily.
‘My master, it isn"t good to be too quiet."
"Master, I agree with the thieving cat."
In-gong was smarting from everyone"s looks. He hadn"t done anything wrong, so why were things like this?
"Carack, I miss you right now."
In-gong lifted his cup as he remembered Carack"s smiling face. He wanted to use Call to summon Carack, but he couldn"t.
"Count" Carack, the close aide of the next demon king, had returned to his hometown with his wives. It was the first vacation Carack had taken since meeting In-gong, so he couldn"t interfere.
“Shutra, who will be your 1st Queen?"
Anastasia asked elegantly and In-gong laughed awkwardly as all eyes looked at him.
Chapter 231 – Epilogue #2
"The coronation is soon."
"The wedding will be soon."
Silvan and Chris stood side by side in the temporary Demon King"s Palace. Normally, they would be awkward standing together, but today was a bit different. The two people stood with comfortable expressions.
"How surprising."
"What?" Silvan asked.
Then Chris shrugged and spoke with playful eyes, "I thought you would be crying due to Felicia ignoring you."
Silvan was truly an idiot when it came to his sister. Rather than getting angry, Silvan just laughed and responded in a similar manner.
"Don’t you feel the same way?"
Chris also treasured his sister. No, Chris treated her more like his daughter than his little sister. He was truly overprotective. It was surprising that he had ever let her onto the battlefield. It was an effective counterattack, but Chris just scoffed.
"You might have forgotten, but I was the one to propose the marriage to Shutra."
"Yes, you were the villain. Bad person."
Silvan and Chris laughed like idiots. It had been a long time since they could stand side by side and exchange jokes. Then Chris took a deep breath. He looked at Silvan"s golden eyes which weren"t covered with an eyepatch and asked unconsciously,
"Oh, can you control it now?"
"Somewhat," Silvan replied with a grin.
Chris nodded at the reply. "Then it is okay."
It had already been 10 years since the incident. Moreover, it hadn"t been intentional. Chris hadn"t wanted to admit it, but it hadn"t been Silvan"s fault.
As a child, Silvan"s fairy had gone wild and almost killed Caitlin and Chris. It had been such a great shock that Silvan and Caitlin didn"t remember what had happened, but Chris did. It had been an accident. Fortunately, there had been no casualties, nor had it caused tension between 3rd Queen Sylvia and 4th Queen Elaine. However, Chris never forgave Silvan after that, until now.
When had this change of heart occurred? Was it when Silvan showed he could control the fairy? Or when they became active in the same faction?
Chris recalled the dark elves" Sky Forest. The image of Silvan rushing to save people by using the fairy came to mind.
"By the way&h.e.l.lip;"
Silvan suddenly opened his mouth. Chris turned around and grinned. Silvan had the same expression he always showed Felicia.
"Doesn"t Felicia look fantastic as a bride?"
There was no doubt about it. Chris frowned but soon smiled. He spoke with a strong tone,
"Caitlin is cuter."
Absolutely. The two fools looked at each other and laughed.
&
The reconstruction work was continuing at the Demon King"s Palace. It had only been a few months since they"d started construction, but the shape of the castle was already appearing thanks to the enormous number of people helping.
"It still seems like it will take a long time."
"It is because the Demon King"s Palace is a large city. It will take a few years to restore its old appearance." Vandal, who was a newly appointed captain of the royal guards, was wearing flashy armour. He wanted to take it off all the time, but his position as a captain didn"t allow him to do so.
Standing next to Vandal was the beautiful succubus, Nayatra. She wore neat clothing which signified she was part of the Demon King"s Intelligence Agency, but she would soon form a new organization.
Vandal looked around the construction site and sighed again.
"The coronation is in a month&h.e.l.lip; It seems like it would be better to celebrate it elsewhere."
The construction speed was fairly fast, but as Nayatra said, the Demon King"s Palace was a big city. There wasn"t much which could be done in a month. Perhaps the limit was the area around the Black Castle where the ceremony would be held.
Nayatra nodded in agreement, but her mouth turned slightly downwards.
"It is because the palace is a symbol. Apart from the Sanctuary, this is the only place where we can have the ceremony."
"It can"t be helped."
Eventually, Vandal was convinced again. The palaces of the queens were luxurious and beautiful enough to celebrate the ceremonies, but they were too many queens. Picking one of their palaces would offend the others. Politics was a complicated thing.
Vandal shook his head to get rid of the complicated thoughts and turned to Nayatra. "Is your work going well?"
He was asking about a specific thing, and Nayatra understood. She replied with slightly pouted lips,
"Well, there is progress. The queens are overcrowded, but it seems possible to be a concubine."
Unfortunately, her rivals were too powerful. Moreover, the position of queen wasn"t something which could be achieved through love alone. She needed strong supporters, but Nayatra didn"t have anyone. Additionally, according to information collected by Nayatra, it was undisputed that Anastasia would be crowned as 1st Queen. It was tradition for other succubi to become the concubines. Originally, the concubines of the demon king were the species which lacked the resources to establish a queen.
Although it was a story without any romance, the queens and concubines were the definition of political maneuvering. Cases like the former demon king and the 3rd Queen, or In-gong, Caitlin and Felicia were rare cases.
Vandal gazed at Nayatra with a sorry expression and said,
"It is sad."
"It is realistic."
Simply meeting the prince was enough of a miracle. A charming smile appeared on Nayatra"s face.
"There is a high chance of winning. I already have a strong relationship with Prince—no, the demon king."
Nayatra said with confidence.
In-gong"s story was frankly unbelievable. It was difficult to understand about the concept of a game.
However, she had to believe it, and she was very satisfied with the things he"d told her about herself. Those in the Demon King"s Palace who knew the "truth" about In-gong could be counted on one hand.
"Well, as long as you don"t dislike it. I’ll cheer you on."
"Captain, thank you for the support."
Vandal burst out laughing at Nayatra"s cool answer. It was a louder laugh than usual, so Nayatra grinned.
"What is it?"
"I feel like you are really familiar."
It was as if there was a chain of fate between them.
Nayatra laughed as she recalled In-gong"s story and said coyly,
"I do as well, but you know that I"m not going to fall in love with you, right?"
"Don’t worry. I am not Carack."
He was an orc, but his wives weren"t orcs.
"That’s right."
Nayatra once again agreed. It was pleasant to hear the sound of hammering as the sun set.
&
Time pa.s.sed quickly. After a month of vacation, Carack returned with his wives. In-gong felt rea.s.sured after seeing Carack"s relaxed face.
Invitations were dispatched all over the Demon World for the coronation. Baikal, who was responsible for the restoration of the Aegis Gate, as well as Victor returned after nearly half a year in the west.
Victor, who had been alone during the events which determined the destiny of the Demon World, became a strange presence in the new kingdom, but n.o.body was concerned.
There was a lively atmosphere due to the marriage ceremonies which would occur one month after the coronation. The wedding would be held three times in a row, so there would be a festive atmosphere for a few months.
During the night before the coronation&h.e.l.lip;
In-gong stood next to Zephyr on a dark terrace.
Among the people who led the three factions of the Demon King"s Palace, Zephyr hadn"t declared support for In-gong, but it was enough that he showed up today. This alone expressed his intentions.
"Demon king&h.e.l.lip; No, it is enough if Abamama had already decided it."
Zephyr, who had been the most powerful prince until In-gong appeared, knew many things. He knew about the demon king handing over the Seed of Extreme Nothingness, Caitlin"s birth secret, and even the fact that In-gong wasn"t the real son of the demon king.
However, he hadn"t said anything until this day. Zephyr had kept quiet. It was due to the previous demon king.
Zephyr was a proud member of the Demon World"s royal family. He had no desire to challenge his father"s will. Moreover, he had one belief.
"The demon king should be the strongest person in the Demon World. The demon king is the one who protects the Demon World."
It was why Zephyr had returned.
In-gong quietly smiled at Zephyr"s story. He tried to hold it back, but the corners of his mouth curled up. Zephyr frowned at the sight.
"Be vigilant. You need to maintain your position as the strongest."
This was a warning that things might be different if Zephyr became stronger, but In-gong"s smile stayed. It wasn"t because In-gong was confident that, as a descended G.o.d, he could beat Zephyr.
"It is great."
In-gong was standing next to Zephyr. It was difficult to compare this Zephyr to the brutal killer who had caused the Day of Ma.s.sacre in the game. As In-gong continued to smile, Zephyr narrowed his eyes with a worried expression. His choice had been made in this meeting.
In-gong laughed and relieved Zephyr"s worry.
The night pa.s.sed by, and the morning of the coronation dawned brightly.
&
Everybody was gathered in the Demon King"s Palace. Lords, various officials, and influential figures from other areas were lined up on the left and right of the red carpet leading up to the elevated altar.
As In-gong sat in the waiting room, he looked at a welcome face. They were outdoors, not indoors, and many things were different, but he couldn"t help feeling nostalgic.
"These clothes are still tight."
Carack, who wore a black suit, said as he touched his neck. Instead of answering, In-gong stood up.
"9th Prince"s entry."
Isabella called from the podium. It was the last time he would officially be called the 9th Prince. This wasn"t a bad thing, but he couldn"t help feeling regret.
As In-gong stepped on the red carpet, Carack followed quietly behind him, and those on the left and right bowed their heads.
In-gong saw Ferocious Eyes and Vandal. He also saw Nayatra and the other children of the concubines.
The finely dressed Felicia, Caitlin, and Anastasia were waiting at the altar. Felicia was wearing a red dress with a high degree of exposure as always, while Caitlin wore a blue dress which gave off a cute feeling. It was due to Chris" influence that her shoulders were covered up.
Anastasia, standing beside them, was dressed in white and looked like an elegant G.o.ddess.
Felicia"s smiling eyes could be seen above her fan. Caitlin laughed brightly, while Anastasia smiled and moved a little closer to In-gong. The sword duke was standing close to the altar with a crown in his hands.
It was a new crown which Amita had created just for today. Amita was a slave to the Heavenly Wine as always, so they had made it despite their tail thumping against the ground. It was a joyful day, so In-gong had provided Amita with enough Heavenly Wine to make them smile happily.
The effect continued on. Despite wearing a collar, Amita was shaking their tail with a happy face from where they stood by the sword duke"s feet. Behind Amita and the sword duke, Daphne was smiling.
"Go."
Carack stopped in front of the altar and said in a small voice. In-gong looked at Carack before nodding. Then In-gong stepped onto the altar. Felicia, Caitlin, and Anastasia walked behind In-gong as he followed the sword duke toward the highest point of the altar.
The throne of the demon king&h.e.l.lip;
In-gong had inherited it after Mitra. The previous demon king had always been silent but never heartless. Rather, he was a warm-hearted person.
The Protector of the Demon World&h.e.l.lip; Mitra was the Watcher of the Demon World.
Felicia"s eyes were red. In-gong gently wiped at Felicia"s eyes before standing before his throne. He then looked out over the Demon King"s Palace.
"Master, how great."
Green Wind said as she suddenly appeared. Due to being upgraded to an apostle for this occasion, she looked like a G.o.ddess. Although Green Wind wasn"t a queen or concubine, she was sensitive to the occasion. It was important for her to be with In-gong.
"My master."
The white woman with a golden crown appeared in front of In-gong and took the crown from the sword duke. She stared directly at In-gong and declared in a soft voice,
"Punishment, obedience, governance."
It was the true power of Conquest. The white woman bowed to In-gong, then she placed the golden crown on his head.
This was the birth of the new demon king. The queens of the former demon king looked at In-gong with a mixture of regret and joy. Chris and Silvan applauded loudly, while Baikal smiled. Victor clapped with an awkward expression, but no one paid attention to him. Clearly, things were still awkward with him.
Zephyr gave a wry smile and clapped. Altesia laughed and pulled at his arms, while Locke stood next to Zephyr in silence.
"In-gong."
Felicia said, grasping In-gong"s arms gently. In-gong smiled at her uncomfortable tone and said,
"Don"t overdo it."
"Yes, Shutra."
She had heard all about it from In-gong, but nothing had changed. In-gong was still the In-gong whom she"d encountered at the Red Lightning tribe. He was the person whom Felicia had loved from beginning to end.
Caitlin saw what Felicia was doing and pulled at In-gong"s other arm. In-gong laughed and asked Caitlin,
"Noona, can I request it just this once?"
It seemed appropriate to hear it at this moment. Felicia laughed as she understood what he was asking for. Green Wind looked at them with discontent, while Anastasia shook her head.
Caitlin"s cheeks became slightly red at In-gong"s request. It was embarra.s.sing to be asked to do it.
"Shutra is amazing."
Caitlin muttered in a low voice, but she was smiling brightly.
In-gong kissed Caitlin"s forehead. Then after kissing Felicia as well, In-gong looked up at the sky.
It was a happy ending which completely broke the ending of Knight Saga. He had crushed that ending with his own hands.
In-gong grinned.
Breakers is officially complete!!!
Thank for you my editor LD, who has been with me since the beginning of the story and has managed to do everything I asked, no matter how crazy. Thank you to the readers for following this work until the end. For all the patrons who donated, I truly appreciate all of it.
This might not be the full end, as the author has expressed interest in writing some side stories.
So I hope to see you all on my next two works, which will be releasing sometime next week. If you click the next chapter link, you will be directed to a teaser of one of the stories.
Enjoy and thank you again~
P.S. I will be doing a Q&A on the Wuxiaworld Discord Channel in one hour. It will be in the Storytelling Voice Chat, with all questions being asked in the Breakers Channel. See you there~