C467
After finalizing the deal with the Demon King, Cale immediately voiced his wish.
“First, let’s eliminate the Gray Disease.”
“Is that the path to peace you desire?”
“Yes.”
Cale answered the Demon King’s question without hesitation. The expressions of the advisor, General Mol, the leader of the First Army’s personal guard, and others were strange. The Demon King gestured to the advisor and said:
“Do as they wish.”
“…Yes.”
The advisor didn’t mention that Cale’s wish was the top priority for the Demon King’s castle at that moment.
“…….”
Because it seemed he had already seen Cale’s intentions in his unwavering gaze. Advisor Ed felt that gaze was reprimanding him for trying to make a favorable deal ignoring the lives of the demons. But Ed’s expression soon calmed. He had already decided to become a demon.
‘If I can take revenge on the Heavenly Kingdom.’
He could do anything. Even if the demons used other demons as test subjects. The Demon King looked at the advisor for a moment, but Ed, without realizing it, said to Cale:
“I will proceed immediately. But I believe it will be difficult right now.”
Ed pointed to the window. Following his gaze, Cale’s eyes went to the window. The sun was setting.
“We will do it when the sun rises tomorrow.”
Why precisely? Cale thought that, but a glint appeared in his eyes at the following words.
“It’s not a simple triple calamity.”
One of the three calamities was the Chaos contamination.
“I will go to the restricted area where the infected are to explain.”
The advisor’s gaze turned to General Mol and the leader of the First Army’s personal guard.
“I will do it.”
General Mol raised his hand without realizing it and stepped forward at that gaze. The leader of the First Army’s personal guard looked at Mol with a strange expression. It was strange to see Mol, who enjoyed betrayals and didn’t participate in bothersome things, stepping forward without hesitation. Mol, who received the inquisitive gazes of several demons, closed his mouth and waited for the advisor’s response.
“…Good. As General Mol knows the people involved, I will entrust it to him. General Mol will be able to explain it better. I will prepare.”
At that moment, the Demon King opened his mouth.
“Siz will also go.”
“!”
The female leader of the personal guard stopped.
‘Me too?’
She almost asked that without realizing it, disrespectfully. Siz looked at the Demon King, and seeing that the Demon King wasn’t looking at her, bowed her head.
“Yes. I understand.”
On the other hand, Mol, who received the Demon King’s gaze, shuddered.
‘Why?’
Why is Demon King-nim staring at me? At that moment…
Siiik.
The corner of the Demon King’s lips curved, and he nodded his head with an amused expression.
‘What?’
Mol felt something was wrong, but bowed his head at the Demon King’s gaze. Somehow, he felt uncomfortable maintaining eye contact with him. At that moment, Mol still didn’t know the meaning of that discomfort.
Uuuung-
He only felt the vibration of the Sacred Object. On the other hand, the Demon King ignored Mol’s shining eyes directed at Cale and looked away.
“See you later.”
At the Demon King’s words, Cale asked:
“Will we see each other tomorrow?”
He asked if the Demon King would also attend the purification ceremony for the Gray Disease.
“I don’t know.”
The Demon King had a bored expression again.
“If I feel like it.”
Choi Han slightly frowned at the Demon King’s words. A ceremony to save the demons, and he’ll only come if he feels like it? Is that something a leader of a world should say?
“…….”
But unlike Choi Han, Cale, who was close to the Demon King, discovered something in the Demon King’s expression and said nothing more.
‘There’s something.’
The Demon King’s attitude isn’t simply what it seems. Cale said to General Mol, who was approaching:
“Guide me.”
General Mol nodded his head and cautiously added:
“But shouldn’t you rest?”
His face was flushed with fever. Although someone who looked like a servant was constantly cleaning him, he had beads of sweat on his forehead. Furthermore, he was gasping. He seemed to be in very bad shape. Mol spoke with concern, and Cale sharply replied:
“Is this the time to rest?”
I also want to rest! But aside from the Gray Disease, I think I should purify my body and rest first!
-I feel bloated.
The Glutton Priestess still had indigestion from eating too much.
-…What a pity.
Ignoring Super Rock, who felt sorry for her, Cale ordered Mol:
“Guide me.”
Mol stared at that firm attitude, and then hurried to walk ahead at Cale’s piercing gaze. Because his eyes were truly bright despite his tired appearance. The unwavering gaze even in front of the Demon King was truly hard to forget.
Kirik. Ron pushed the wheelchair, and Cale, along with his group, General Mol, and Siz, the female leader of the personal guard, began to walk. The Demon King stared at Cale walking away, and then leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling.
Kiiik, kuung!
The door of the hall closed. Neither the Demon King nor Cale could see each other anymore.
Kirik. Kirik. Sitting in the wheelchair, Cale left Telia’s lord’s castle.
“It’s quiet.”
As the Ancient Dragon Eruhaben had said, it was quiet.
“It’s a market.”
Even though the place was the largest market, right next to the central plaza of Telia City. Cale opened his mouth.
“Are both the plaza and the market controlled?”
“Yes.”
Mol opened his mouth. The central plaza covered by the sunset. In the direction of the market, the sky was dyed dark blue, and night was approaching.
“The first infected was a fruit vendor.”
Everyone paid attention to Mol’s words, but they were also looking around them. There was no one. There wasn’t a single common citizen, aside from the Demon King’s army. It seemed like the city was dead.
“At noon, the fruit vendor’s eyes turned gray, and his face and arms suddenly turned gray, and his veins swelled.”
Hmm. Eruhaben groaned. He had heard from Cale that those who got along well with Chaos could make the seeds germinate on their own and cause the Gray Disease.
‘…A common vendor.’
But the target was a common vendor.
“There must be many witnesses.”
“That’s true.”
Mol responded to Cale’s words and continued:
“As it happened in an instant, the surrounding merchants and citizens simply looked at him in disbelief.”
Indeed, who would react quickly when their neighbor’s body changes like that suddenly?
“But in that short period of time, the merchant’s body turned completely gray in an instant, his veins twisted, and his skin rotted.”
It is said that a foul odor covered the area in an instant.
“And his body exploded.”
“What?”
Cale wondered what he had heard. Mol said again:
“The merchant’s body exploded.”
Cale was speechless.
“Seeds.”
Mol continued with a serious expression.
“There’s a reason why the Chaos God’s cult calls them seeds. The infected in whom the seed has germinated was instantly consumed by the Gray Disease, his body swelled, and exploded. And scattered the seeds everywhere.”
There was a reason why the Demon King’s side had quickly controlled a city and had requested a meeting with Cale.
“How did it scatter the seeds?”
Aurora, who had been silent, opened her mouth. Young Master Jimon beside her listened fearfully. Because this whole story was the future that would unfold in his castle and territory.
“When the merchant’s body exploded, the remnants of his body exploded and covered the surrounding demons.”
“My.”
Eruhaben groaned and closed his eyes.
“Everything that had turned gray covered the surrounding merchants and citizens, and those it touched became infected with the Gray Disease.”
Fuu. Mol briefly sighed and continued:
“Fortunately, except for the first merchant, the speed of the Gray Disease’s spread isn’t fast in secondary infectees. There hasn’t been anyone whose body has exploded in the second phase yet.”
Mol added:
“It’s supposed that only in the case of demons in whom the seeds have been planted is such rapid progression possible. However, based on the current speed…”
Mol looked at the setting sun.
“Tomorrow night. It’s estimated that they will explode after midnight tomorrow.”
Therefore, the fact that Cale would perform the purification ceremony tomorrow morning was something Mol couldn’t help but be grateful for. There was a reason why the advisor wasn’t taking care of Cale and said he would prepare the purification ceremony immediately.
“The number?”
At Cale’s question, Mol answered:
“There are 51 secondary infectees.”
Hmm. Aurora groaned. Many. More than she expected.
“They became infected even with a single drop of the merchant’s blood.”
At those words, everyone had a serious expression. Gray Disease. Its contagious power was greater than they expected.
“Although the Gray Disease hasn’t yet appeared, about 150 people who were nearby are also under quarantine.”
Furthermore, the place was the largest market, right next to the central plaza. It was a famous fruit vendor in a place where many people passed by. Since it was noon, the busiest time in the market, it could be said that it was fortunate that there were only so many infected in an important city. It was possible thanks to it not being a very busy day in the market.
“What will happen at night?”
At Cale’s question, Mol stopped. The market was very quiet. All the shops were closed, and there wasn’t a single light. No, there was one light in one place.
<Sun Fruits>
A shop with its door open, in disrepair, unlike the other shops, as if there had been an explosion. Walking a little further past that place, a building is seen.
<Telia Merchants Association>
“We’re using the Merchants Association building in the market as a quarantine zone.”
The demons of the Demon King’s army were on guard in front of the building with a cold attitude. They bowed their heads and calmly stepped back upon seeing Mol and Siz. Mol opened the door to the Merchants Association and turned to explain:
“By the way, if there’s no physical contact, there’s no problem, so you don’t have to worry about contagion.”
At noon, when the Gray Disease first appeared and the secondary infectees appeared…
“The infected lost consciousness and fainted in the order that their eyes turned gray.”
The demon mages and demons of the Demon King’s army wearing clothes that covered their entire bodies moved the infected to the Merchants Association building.
“If we hadn’t had information about the Gray Disease, we would have been confused.”
But General Mol, thanks to Cale, knew about the Gray Disease and immediately reported it to the Demon King’s castle. As a result, they were able to act quickly.
‘Thank you.’
It was something he should thank Cale for. Mol didn’t mention it.
“But many people have seen the ‘Gray Disease’.”
At Cale’s words, the expressions of General Mol and Siz, the female leader of the personal guard, hardened.
“Yes. We’re controlling the city right now, but the news will spread somehow.”
The information about the disease had already spread throughout the city, and the citizens were filled with fear. Even if they wanted to take it easy, as the Demon King had personally come and the Demon King’s direct army was controlling movement everywhere in the city and recommending staying home, they couldn’t help but be afraid. And this news will spread outside the city, no matter how much they try to stop it.
‘That’s why the initial response is important.’
Mol furtively looked at Cale. That’s the reason why the Demon King’s side couldn’t help but treat Cale specially.
“But what does the night have to do with it?”
At Cale’s next question, Mol entered the Merchants Association. There were lights in the hallway, and the hallway had windows, so the inside of both sides could be seen. That’s why they chose this place as a quarantine zone.
“That’s… hmm.”
Mol hesitated for a moment and opened his mouth. Gray Disease and night.
“When night falls…”
He couldn’t continue.
¡Kuang!
The glass in the hallway trembled along with a loud crash. Mol said without realizing it:
“It has become night.”
The sunset had ended, and night had arrived.
Uuuung—uuung—
The magically reinforced window glass. Beyond the glass window… no, two hands are seen on the glass window.
¡Kuang! ¡Kwaang! ¡Kuang!
Those two hands pounded on the glass window.
¡Kuung!
Finally, the person who had hit the window with their forehead stared into the lit hallway, with their forehead pressed against the glass. Cale made eye contact with that person.
A demon with gray eyes.
As the demon’s upper body turned gray and rotted, it bared its teeth and cried wildly like a beast. It was like a wild beast stalking its prey.
“Hmm.”
“My—”
As his companions groaned one after another and their faces hardened… night had arrived.
¡Kuang!
Kwaang!
Kuung kuung, kuung!
Banging sounds were heard on the doors, windows, and walls of the rooms on both sides of the hallway.
“They’re all secondary infectees.”
Mol said with a serious expression.
“They become like that when night falls.”
Cale looked at the infectees with gray eyes and thought:
‘They look like zombies.’
Their appearance was similar to that of a zombie.
¡Kuang! ¡Kwaang!
¡Kuang!
Kuung, kuung!
The secondary infectees began to scream along with a loud crash. The more they listened to those screams, the paler the faces of Aurora and Young Master Jimon, who were demons, became. They imagined these infectees covering the Demon Kingdom. As leaders of a faction, they imagined the worst. As Siz and General Mol’s faces also hardened…
“Alright.”
Cale’s indifferent voice reached everyone. With his face still flushed with fever, gasping, he looked at the infected.
-Cale. It won’t be difficult.
Super Rock was speaking.
“I will be able to purify them tomorrow.”
Cale ordered Mol:
“Prepare a ceremony for tomorrow morning.”
Purification of Chaos. It was time to bring joy from Chaos. Tomorrow, it’s time to purify the Gray Disease from the infected and the contamination that had entered his own body.
--------
And that moment arrived soon. When the sun rose and the Gray Disease infectees who had been screaming all night lost consciousness again…
Central plaza. Everyone staying at Telia’s castle gathered there. The citizens holding their breath. The families of the infected. The demons working in the lord’s castle or who had come from the Demon King’s castle. And in front of them, a small ceremony had been prepared. Their gazes were directed at the platform prepared in the center of the plaza, and at the many things covered with cloth that were on a stretcher on that platform.
“…….”
“…….”
They didn’t say a single word. They only looked around, holding their breath, at the cold and serious attitude of the demons of the Demon King’s army surrounding the central plaza. Although there was a ceremony, there wasn’t a hint of a festive atmosphere anywhere.
Kirik. A red-haired man arrived in a wheelchair. In Cale’s eyes, the clear blue sky and the demons filled with fear and terror below were reflected.
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