IBWMD 141

~Chapter 141~

While Elaine was struggling in the Temple—

The Rose of the Social World, Reina, was hosting her party. It was a complete success.

Pop! Pop!

Colored paper, cut into flower shapes, rained down from the sky.

And beneath it—

“Hyaah! Hyat!”
“Heeyah! Huh!”

Men were shouting strange cries and wrestling in the center of the garden plaza.
It looked less like a contest and more like peacocks showing off their feathers.

The crowd whispered.

“Of all people, Reina Pascal is looking for a new fiancé.”
“Does anyone know why her engagement broke off?”
“No idea. I heard she barely even saw her old fiancé.”

The whispers shifted.

“Who will be the next one?”
“Surely someone from a noble family.”
“I think knights have a chance. The Pascals are a martial family.”
“What about Holy Knights?”
“What? Holy Knights can’t marry unless they renounce their vows—”
“They’re here, though.”

“….”

Everyone turned to the corner.

Benji, the Holy Knight, sighed as the stares weighed on him.
How had he ended up here? That was one problem.

But worse—

“Why are you lot here?” he asked.

“Why are you here, you slippery bastard?”
“Wearing knight armor too. Trying to look important?”
“Fourth Division, get lost. Boo!”

It wasn’t just one or two—the idiots from the Third Division had shown up in a group.
And they weren’t even in uniform, just casual clothes, like they’d all taken leave together.

So Benji, the only one in full armor, drew all the attention alone.

“This is unfair. What, you guys all renounced your vows and came here to propose to Lady Reina?”

“What nonsense. Why would we propose to our sister-in-law—ah, no, our future lady, no, whatever!”
“She’s the Captain’s future fiancée! How could we betray him like that?”

“Did Lady Reina say that? And by the way, don’t call her the Vice-Captain anymore. Elaine Pascal isn’t—wait. Captain?”

Benji groaned, covering his face.
“You mean Captain Ista of the Third Division?”

“Who else?”

Of course. Everyone knew that Captain Ista adored Reina Pascal.
Everyone except Ista himself.

Wait—don’t tell me these idiots were—

“You’re trying to set up your Captain with Lady Reina, so he’ll renounce his vows?”

“Of course we’d prefer him to stay our Captain.”
“But if he wants his own happiness, we’ll support him with all we’ve got!”

Benji gave them a disgusted look.

“The Third Division is doomed. Your Captain must be lovesick out of his mind.”

“Hmm?”

“Vice-Captain’s seat is still empty, and now you want to give up the Captain too? You’re insane.”

But the Third Division only snorted.

“Even without a Captain or Vice-Captain, we could crush the Fourth Division.”
“You lot sold the Cross for drugs—don’t compare us to you.”
“Hurts, doesn’t it? But you know it’s true.”

Crack.

Benji barely restrained his temper.

‘Damn it. I forgot—they’re all brats Elaine trained until they turned into her clones.’

“…Anyway, what’s the point of talking about this here? Where’s your Captain now?”

He tried changing the subject—and finally hit a nerve.
The Third Division’s faces darkened.

‘Got you.’

Benji grinned.

The Third Division glared.
“Captain is being held in the Temple right now.”
“It’s your Fourth Division’s fault. You schemed against him.”

“…No, we didn’t.”

“Yes, you did! Otherwise, why wouldn’t he be back already?”

“I said no! You idiots, I—”

Benji stopped short.
He had almost blurted out that he’d helped Elaine.

“What about the Vice-Captain?”

“You always lost to her, so what—did you fall in love with her?”

“Why does it sound like that?!”

“She said hatred and love are only one step apart.”

“Boo! Just renounce your vows already.”
“Oh wait—you couldn’t meet her even if you did. She’s married.”
“Hands off married women, pervert. Boo, boo!”

They all gave him thumbs-down, jeering.

Benji’s blood boiled.

“Even when she’s not here, Elaine’s influence is everywhere…”

And yet, just hearing her name again made him uneasy.

‘What the hell are you up to, Elaine?’

He was starting to regret fetching those clothes for her.
He’d forgotten how much trouble she always caused—and he’d helped anyway.

‘She didn’t… actually sneak into the Temple with them, did she?’

Meanwhile, Reina Pascal watched the peacock contest with a soulless smile.

“Men…”

They thought strength alone would impress her.

Sweat, grunts, over-the-top displays—she was sick of it.

‘At least before, I had a fiancé. This is worse.’

Shaking her head at the smell of sweat, she spoke:
“Beth, bring me the scorecards—oh?”

She turned.
Beth had been standing right there a moment ago.

“Where did Beth go?”

But she didn’t have time to think.

“Lady Reina!”
“Hyahh!”
“Yaaah!”

The men pushed themselves harder, desperate for her attention.

“Look at me, Lady Reina!”
“Admire my muscles!”

Her eyes went dull again.
The crowd roared and jeered.

Then—

Boom!

The ground shook with a deafening noise.

“What’s happening?!”
“Uwaah!”

People stumbled as black smoke rose high into the sky.
It came from the Temple and the Imperial Palace.

“An attack?!”
“Run!”

Panic spread instantly.

“There—look!”

Someone pointed upward.

The Holy Knights raised their heads.
Their skin prickled, divine power within them reacting.

“…That’s—”
“Why here?”

Kiiiaaa!

A terrifyingly familiar cry split the air.

Monsters.
Bursting through the Temple’s dome, they flew up into the sky.

“Karl!”

Back in the prison, my heart pounded when I realized he was gone.
There was no time for thought.

“I have to follow him.”

I didn’t know where. But I had to.

I jumped to my feet—

Flash! Flash!

The Eyeball glowed, as if reminding me it was still here.

“Damn it, hurry!”

I snatched it up.

Bang!

The iron door slammed shut.

Through the barred window, a Temple priest appeared, eyes gleaming.

“Your role is over. The One will be pleased.”

“…What?”

“Thank you for bringing the blood of the dragon here. The last piece is gathered, so—”

“What are you talking about, you crazy cultist?!”

“Cultist? No. All of this is part of the Temple’s great design!”

His face shone with madness as he rambled.

“The materials are ready. The Gate of the Demon Realm is ready. At last—the Demon King… the forgotten King of Dragons, the one who created monsters, will descend through the gate!”

The more he spoke, the more insane it sounded.
My jaw dropped.

“So the Temple wasn’t fighting cultists—they were the cult!”

The priest shouted in ecstasy:
“Wait here and witness it! A new world will begin!”

He ran off before I could respond.

“…The Demon King?”

One phrase stuck with me.

“They just called the dragon who created monsters—the Demon King.”

The very dragon Captain Ista had once told me about.

‘And now… they’re trying to summon it?’

Could such a thing even be done?

The Eyeball blinked at me.

Right. If it had survived through a snow globe, then maybe there were ways I didn’t know.

“And dragon’s blood… Karl.”

Of course. That was their goal.

‘What are they planning to do to him?!’

I pounded on the iron door.

Bang! Bang!

“Open this! You bastards! Bring him back right now!”

“Elaine, calm down!”

Ista tried to stop me.

“I can’t calm down!”

There was no reason left in me.

“Open it—!”

“This feels wrong. Terribly wrong.”

That blinding flash, that scream—I couldn’t get it out of my head.

Those magic circles I erased earlier… this cell must’ve had one too.
That dagger glowing with dark light—it had transported them.

Karl had been dragged away with Mariana.

“It was a trap.”

Because I approached her, Karl had been caught in it.
Because of me, he’d been taken.

‘Where is he now?’

My mind conjured a chilling image—
a slaughterhouse.

“Thank you for bringing the dragon’s blood. The last piece is gathered…”

…Could he really be there?