I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain Chapter 548

Chapter 548

As Jamal’s eyes widened, Ian nodded calmly. "That’s what I think, too. They didn’t just eat all the passengers of the ships they attacked. They used them as advance troops to spread their influence."

Resting the coral branch diagonally under his seat again, he glanced between Lucia and Thesaya. "Seems like you’d already guessed."

"I examined the corpses you dealt with earlier, Agent of the Saint," Thesaya replied, exchanging a glance with Lucia. She then shot a quick look at Jamal and continued, "I couldn’t have missed that salty sll. From what I saw, most of them ca from the sea."

When did she have ti to examine that ss?

Ian, smiling, took a sip of wine and said, "So you’re saying so of them weren’t."

"There were monsters mixed in, weren’t there? They must have expanded their forces after landing until they finally reached the main road."

Ian nodded. It was, in fact, an obvious picture. That was likely the role of the man-eating coral he had destroyed in the first place.

"But I didn’t know Bukikia could extend its grasp all the way to the land," Lucia murmured then, her brow slightly furrowed. "Why didn’t it do that in the Black Land? The area near the Isolated Sea was completely clear."

Her words were enough to make Jamal’s eyes widen. Before Ian could answer, Yog’s laughter echoed in his mind.

—To ask sothing so obvious… You must be drunk, Lucy.

Lucia paused, then nodded as if the answer had clicked. "Right. That place was already a demonic realm everywhere. There was no need to expand any further as their domain was already solidified."

"Exactly. And it probably wouldn’t have worked there anyway. They had numbers, but really, they weren’t much to speak of," Ian replied, glancing at the stiffened Jamal.

"Still, I’m worried. That might be true by the standards of the Black Land, but it won’t be the case here."

"Well, I think the regular army could handle them just fine," Ian murmured, slowly swirling the pewter goblet in his hand.

Though they emitted corrupted magic and a stench that could cause status effects, the essence of the drowned corpses was nothing more than slightly stronger ghouls with tentacles. Even the caravan guards had held out against them reasonably well.

Lucia nodded. "I hope that’s the case. I doubt those vanguards landed only here."

"They wouldn’t have," Thesaya replied.

Looking at Lucia as if she were proud of her, she added, "But most places aren’t far from a city. In most cases, they’d be wiped out before their numbers got out of control."

The South was as vast as the mainland, but deserts, wastelands, and jungles took up an overwhelming portion of it. It was entirely possible humans had ceded those regions to other races simply because they weren’t suitable for human habitation. Either way, civilization in the South was concentrated along the northern coast of the inner sea and the central regions of the South.

"Of course, dealing with the coral itself is another matter," said Thesaya.

"They’ll find a way," Ian said calmly.

Though an ordinary human would be corrupted by chaos just by approaching the steam the coral emitted, ‌a paladin would be able to resist it just fine, and even if not, there were plenty of ways to deal with it without getting close.

"Well, it’s their problem to sort out," Thesaya said with a small tilt of her head, raising her goblet. Ian drank in agreent.

"With all due respect…" murmured Jamal, who had been listening to their conversation with wide eyes. "Bukikia? Isn’t Bukikia the na of an ancient archdemon? The monsters we fought earlier were vanguards sent by that archdemon?"

As Thesaya and Lucia rolled their eyes to look at Ian, he nodded and replied, "That’s right. You’ve understood correctly."

Jamal, who had paused, saw his brow slowly contort. "Then are you really saying that the ancient archdemons were still alive beyond the Black Wall? Just like the vague rumors suggested?"

"Well, not all of them," Ian answered briefly this ti as well.

That he had killed two of them was a detail he didn’t need to ntion.

Just as Jamal’s face was about to contort, along with a knock on the door, Mukapa said, "The Northern guard has brought food."

At Ian’s glance, Thesaya said, "Tell him to co in."

Mukapa opened the door. The figure of Regin, holding a large tray, was revealed. On it were steaming roasted at, forks, and knives.

"There should be a small table under the seat," Regin said, stepping onto the carriage’s running board. His deanor was very polite, unbecoming of his large fra and fierce impression.

Lucia bowed her head and drew a wooden table from beneath the seat, setting it in the middle.

"Thank you." Regin set the tray down.

The at, perfectly roasted, still stead in the cool air. There were enough utensils for everyone, though no individual plates—the tray was more than wide enough.

Looking down at the carefully cooked at, Ian nodded. "Thanks."

"Is there anything else you need? Shall I bring more wine?"

"This is enough for now. I’ll call ‌you if I need anything. You must be hungry, so go and rest."

"Yes, Great Warrior." Regin bowed and stepped back, not so much as glancing toward his actual employer, Jamal.

Ian’s eyes shifted to Mukapa. "Co in. Let’s eat together."

"No, it’s alright, esteed guest." Mukapa shook his head at once.

I thought so.

Ian let out a low laugh and looked at Regin. "Could you bring a piece of at for this friend of mine, too? As you can see, he’s a stubborn one."

"Yes. I will prepare it." Regin nodded and imdiately turned away.

Mukapa imdiately closed the door again, not forgetting to send Ian a grateful look.

"Indeed, so this is the treatnt you receive from all Northerners now," Thesaya whispered, with a smile.

Her swamp-green eyes, looking at Ian, sparkled like tiny stars. "It reminds of the old days."

She was likely referring to the ti when she road the snowfields with the black-furred beastfolk. Ian let out a soft laugh. "You’ll be surprised when you see how much the North has changed."

"Really? I must see it for myself."

"Though there are many mountains to climb. For now, let’s eat." Ian picked up his fork and knife.

Just as Thesaya was about to nod, Lucia whispered from the side, "Wait, my lady. I will cut it into bite-sized pieces for you."

"Oh, will you? My, how do you always do things that are so perfectly to my liking?" Smiling, Thesaya reached out with her right hand—not for the fork, but to stroke Lucia’s red hair.

"When I see v, I’ll have to ask her to let make you my sister as well."

"To give you an answer in advance, I will not refuse," Lucia winked one eye.

It was enough to make the smile on Thesaya’s lips deepen.

If anything, it looks like Lucy’s the one looking after you.

Ian glanced at the motionless Jamal. "Aren’t you eating?"

"It’s alright. I have no appetite."

Well, if you say so.

Ian shrugged his shoulders and cut his at. His stomach had been rumbling ever since he had slled the at.

"So it’s true, then, that the archdemon Bukikia has crossed into the inner sea with its minions, and that’s why all the Southern ports are blockaded," Jamal murmured.

"That’s right. You seem quick on the uptake—no need to explain further," replying, Ian put a piece of at in his mouth.

A long sigh escaped from Jamal’s lips as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Good heavens… an archdemon?"

He cupped his chin with his palm and ran his hand up his face, adding, "I don’t know how much of what I’ve heard about them is true, but if even half of it is, then nightmares will walk the earth."

I’d say more than half.

Ian took a sip of wine. That was a thought better left unsaid. Instead, another thought struck him.

Co to think of it, two more archdemons are still alive. I wonder what they’re up to.

His musings were interrupted when Thesaya, wearing an amused smile, said, "Then what did you think the Southern port closures were about?"

"I had heard rumors that monsters had crossed over when the Wall fell. I assud it was just a safety asure. Word was that the sa was being done on the mainland."

"We inford His Excellency Duke Jihandar of the truth, but it seems you did not hear of it," said Lucia.

Jamal’s eyes twitched as he nodded. "Yes. The only order we received was to restrict all port access until the seas were deed safe. I tried to make inquiries through my connections, but nothing useful ca back."

"It seems His Excellency feared stirring unrest within the region." Thesaya smacked her lips.

Ian, swallowing his bite and carving another, gave a faint nod. As he had felt before, the Duke was not only sly but also cautious and cowardly. Then again, perhaps that was the only way to govern the South.

"I don’t get it. How could an archdemon take root in the inner sea with the goddesses watching?"

"Wasn’t it because it had taken root in the inner sea in the first place that it was trapped beyond the Black Wall?" Thesaya asked after swallowing the at she had been chewing.

Jamal shook his head. "I do not know the details myself, but I have heard that Bukikia was driven to the very depths of the inner sea. And even then, I heard it hid from the eyes of the gods, using the sea beasts as a shield."

Like fish penned in a net.

Ian snorted. Then again, to subdue an archdemon dwelling in the sea, they would have had no choice but to drive it into a corner. How they’d planned to kill it after that, he did not know. Maybe they’d simply failed to banish it to the Black Sea.

"But the heart of the inner sea is still Imperial territory. The touch of the Radiant Goddess should reach even the deepest parts."

"That may have been true in the past. But not anymore," Lucia replied.

As Jamal’s gaze fell on her, she continued with an expressionless face, "The chaos and madness unleashed have created interference between the heavens and the mortal world. Just as it once did near the ‌Black Wall. A new era has already begun."

Lucia’s even voice sounded like a prophecy. It was a fitting appearance for the Saintess of the Brazier. "In the future, this ti will be called the age of chaos, or the age of madness."

"By Lu Solar, good heavens…"

He might not have known that she was the Saintess of the Brazier, but it was clear that her words had been sufficiently persuasive. Jamal sighed and leaned his head against the carriage wall, closing his eyes.

Is that really worth such a shock?

Thinking, Ian continued his al nonchalantly. Thesaya also took the small pieces of at Lucia handed her like a baby bird.

"When you destroyed that coral, was there anything else unusual?" Lucia said a few minutes later, her eyes on the ominous branch of coral leaning against Ian’s side.

"Well… not exactly nothing. Though I doubt I can even call it unusual anymore," Ian replied.

"You felt the great demon," Lucia said, as if she had understood imdiately.

As Jamal’s closed eyes shot open, Ian nodded. "Yes."

"How was it?"

"Well, it didn’t seem interested in ," Ian said nonchalantly.

In the fleeting vision that had flashed through his mind the mont he destroyed the coral, he had co face to face with the archdemon in the deep sea. Bukikia had been wary of him and had exuded hostility, but that was about it.

It wasn’t all that strange—there had never been any real grudge between them. And the creature would have sensed the chaos within him. Perhaps it had simply taken him for another demon.

Though the situation would change if I were to step into its domain.

Ian nonchalantly brought a piece of at to his mouth.

As he chewed silently, Jamal, who had been staring at him, said cautiously, "Agent of the Saint."

"Speak," Ian replied without even a glance.

"I heard you plan to cross the inner sea. Is that correct?"

"It is."

"Then… could you take us with you?"