68. A Story No One Knows
Joo-Heon’s mouth slowly opened.
“We have to unite the power of the continent, centered around the King of Knights, or rather, the Duke of Edmor.”
“But…no matter how great the King of Knights is, there’s no way we can fight such a formidable enemy with just our strength, right?”
Naturally, people were confused.
Joo-Heon chuckled at their incomprehension.
“Do you think the heroes who defeated the Demon King were just the hero and his companions?”
“Huh?”
Joo-Heon raised his hand again.
Then a familiar, radiant vision appeared before the people, along with a roar.
In the fight against the Demon King, it wasn’t just the hero and his companions.
-Fight back! Never give up!
-If we fall, everyone falls!
-Never let the bastards send the Demon race to the hero’s party!
-We have to buy time for the hero and his companions to fight the Demon King!
Across the land, there were those who fought.
Undoubtedly, each of them was weaker than a hero’s party.
But they had a firm purpose.
-Prevent the demons and monsters from joining the Demon King!
-If we are breached, the heroes will be in danger! We must hold our ground!
-Don’t give up your weapon, even in death! Kill one more… Gaaah!
Despite the one-sided slaughter.
Despite the overwhelming attacks of the enemy.
They charged forward, disregarding their own lives.
Of course, if it were an ordinary battle, none of the nobles in the banquet hall would have paid any attention.
However, they quickly realized the identities of those who were fighting.
“Isn’t that… the former king?”
“It’s my grandfather. My grandfather is there!”
“My late father is there too! I thought it was just a bluff when he said he fought alongside the hero…”
The host calmly spoke to the astonished crowd.
“Everyone on that battlefield was a hero.”
“……!”
“Heroes are not just those who are called heroes. Each of those tiny swords they wield is the sword of a hero.”
Everyone was speechless.
Even the host was lost in memories at the sight he had not seen in a long time.
Once, it was just a video in a game.
But now that he knew it was real, the host’s voice grew heavy.
“They never gave up. They all gave their lives for their descendants, for you.”
“Oh my god…”
“To think our family had such a secret…”
A heavy atmosphere spread through the banquet hall.
Some shed tears at the sight of their family members.
The host did not miss this opportunity.
He brought out the true purpose he had been waiting to reveal.
“Send your descendants and troops to the Edmer Firm. Those who grow strong here will return to their countries and protect everyone.”
“……”
The expressions of the people changed.
They all sensed it.
They had to join forces, if only to prevent the coming destruction.
Above all, the host’s words were decisive.
“Heroes are born with a special blessing to defeat the Demon King. They have a special power that can strengthen their allies.”
“Heroes have such power?”
“Is this the first I’m hearing of this?”
“No! I’ve heard of it before. I’ve heard that those who travel with heroes become stronger. Even the Sword King over there…”
The people’s eyes widened.
Jooyeon whispered in their ears.
“It is a blessing strong enough to create heroes. Of course, it can’t be used for many people. But I will use that power for some of the forces that have gathered in the Edmer family for the cause.”
Now there was no more fear in the eyes of the people.
It was not a look of sadness or sorrow.
Everyone was filled with desire.
“If you send someone to the Edmer family, will you awaken the people of our family as heroes like warriors?”
“What are the criteria?”
“Can women become heroes too?”
“What are you talking about! Don’t you see the saint over there? What does gender matter!”
“That… yes!”
Suddenly, the banquet hall began to get busy.
Everyone had heard Jooyeon’s words.
More troops than anyone else, children with excellent qualities should be sent to the Edmer family.
Then they can awaken to be equal to warriors.
The high-ranking nobles who realized this could no longer remain still.
“This is not the time. We must contact His Majesty now.”
“I will also contact my family.”
“To the Edmer family… I will send my successor.”
It wasn’t just the ordinary nobles who moved.
“The Empire will support the new warriors and Duke Edmer.”
“Your Highness!”
The third prince ordered the Imperial general who had come with him.
“Send all the reserve forces of the Imperial Knights to the Edmer family. I will also stop the birth of the demons at the Edmer family. Tell His Majesty. It is time for us to come out.”
“I will also join the third prince.”
“If the general is with me, I am honored.”
A headquarters to counter the demons was set up on the spot.
The center was naturally the Edmer family.
The third prince lowered himself and announced in front of everyone that he would help the Knight King.
“Former Duke Edmer. No! Honorable Knight King! I, the third prince of the Empire, swear! I will raise my sword with honor by your side, even if death befalls me!”
Others hurried to swear as well.
It was an oath that everyone would follow the Knight King with one heart.
Jooyeon smiled faintly at the sight.
‘Good. You took the bait.’
He deliberately provoked their cause.
Naturally, to replenish the troops in the Edmer family.
But that’s not all.
If you provoke them to this extent, each force will move on its own.
‘For now, if we can only contain the demons from the beginning, more than half of it is a success.’
The way mankind collapses is always the same.
Most of them collapse due to the political maneuvering and backstabbing of the demons, and they end up fighting each other and destroying themselves.
Naturally, there were hardly any troops left to fight the Demon King.
Because of that, there were some important countries that were on the verge of disappearing.
‘I definitely have to protect that place.’
If I’m even unluckier, one of the heroes might even be killed.
While the countries were fighting, some annoying trolls… no, ancient mines revived.
Of course, in normal times, I wouldn’t have cared, and I wouldn’t have been able to move them.
But this time, it was different.
The Knight King, no, the main character who could move the Knight King would move them if he just said so.
‘I guess I can also use this to keep the traitors in check.’
In fact, the people moved immediately.
All it took was Joo-Heon lightly warning them to be careful of the traitors.
“Investigate any information about the Demons !”
“They might be hiding in our country too.”
Everyone did as Joo-Heon intended.
‘This is how I can filter out the internal traitors and move the troops of the continent.’
To begin with, the locations where the Demons gates would open were fixed.
If it was now, we could block the large army that would come over from the beginning.
‘This way, I can definitely compress it within 3 years.’
We will definitely be able to see a different ending from before.
‘This time, I’ll finally clear the last achievement.’
And avoid the bad ending, and return to my original world.
Now, there was only one thing left for Joo-Heon to do.
His last words brushed past the people who were extremely busy.
“Oh, right. Is it okay if I just call my teacher the Knight King?”
“What are you doing, dilly-dallying! Hurry and tell his Majesty this fact…”
“I have to quickly tell the Pope. That the end is coming…”
Everyone was too busy to hear properly.
But a few people heard it, even though it was vague.
It was already too late.
Because Joo-Heon had already turned around and was leaving.
“I guess everyone is busy. Anyway, did I tell you?”
And just like that, Joo-Heon disappeared.
* * *
“Really?”
Joo-Heon turned his head at the Knight King’s voice calling him.
His expression was serious as he called Joo-Heon to the terrace.
“Is it true that you have a blessing that can create a hero-level hero?”
It seemed like the Knight King was curious about that after all.
There was a cause, but the nobles were entering the Edmar family as disciples for that.
If it was a lie, I could be attacked for causing public outrage.
Joo-in laughed at that.
“Of course it’s a joke.”
“….”
The Knight King rubbed his forehead.
Yes, he thought this would happen.
Thanks to Joo-in, Edmere would be filled with unprecedented power, but was this fraud really the right thing to do?
However, Joo-in laughed out loud.
“And it’s not a complete lie, is it?”
“What?”
From Noble mtl dot com
It was Joo-in himself who had raised and trained the hero and his companions.
He knew exactly how to develop and manage them.
So, wasn’t it wrong to say that he could create a hero-class hero?
“While I’m gone, I’m training them well to use them instead of me. The empire’s forces will also move at your command. Heh.”
“Are the troops the problem now… Including the third prince and the five great generals?”
The Knight King frowned slightly.
However, since they had all declared that they would gather in Edmere for the sake of humanity, they would not be able to complain later.
In fact, he would give them a chance to become stronger.
It wasn’t a perfect lie.
As if he had anticipated it, Joo-in continued.
“It’s good that we have free manpower. Keep using them. If they actually become stronger, it’s not a joke that they will benefit from it, right?”
As he said that, Joo-in spread his wings.
Now he had to leave this place to the Knight King and hurry to find the divine weapon for his old comrades.
[The Black Wing’s unique ability ＜Levitation＞ is activated]
But then, the Knight King grabbed him.
“Wait.”
“Huh?”
But his expression was strange.
It was a serious face that he had never seen before.
Joo-in tilted his head.
“What’s the matter? Why are you so serious?”
Didn’t things go well?
He must have gained honor, profit, and all the military power he needed in the future.
What on earth was the problem that made him look like that?
“What is it. What else is the problem?”
However, after much deliberation, the Knight King finally opened his mouth.
“Ryu-jin. How on earth do you know that guy’s last words?”
“……!”
-This is my role.
Ryu-jin must have used self-sacrificing magic with those words.
Of course, Joo-in couldn’t help but be taken aback.
‘Of course I heard it?’
I also fought there together, why are you saying that again?
Oh, no.
The knight king didn’t know that he was there together.
Joo-yeon is the ‘him’ written in the Witch’s Diary after all.
There’s no way he would remember the appearance of fighting together with the hero as a player.
‘Hmm……. What should I say as an excuse.’
I also fought together next to him?
I was one of you guys?
But it’s useless.
“I told you that I showed you the Demon King’s memory. The Demon King must have heard it.”
Joo-yeon could feel the great sword coming close to the tip of his nose.
‘Jeez. If it’s that great sword guy, he’ll hear the banquet hall story and find fault with it again, saying that it’s a demon race.’
So he had to leave before that guy came to the dukedom.
“What, that’s not important. Let’s talk about that later.”
“Wait a minute! Wait…….”
Joo-yeon jumped down without listening to the knight king.
That’s why he couldn’t hear the knight king’s last words.
“How on earth…… How on earth did you know. The last words of Ryu-jin that no one heard…….”
The Demon King’s memory?
That’s even more nonsense.
‘The Demon King was inside the barrier, so there’s no way he could have heard it.’
Ryu-jin’s last words were something that only the knight king, who was closest to him, knew.
No one else among his other colleagues heard it.
Because everyone collapsed and couldn’t move due to the Demon King’s attack.
If there was someone other than himself who could hear his last words.
“No way…….”
Only the knight king’s monologue remained on the terrace of the duke’s house.