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The Knight King Who Returned With a God-Chapter 120: Serfs of the Lionheart
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Chapter 120: Serfs of the Lionheart
The gate opened to reveal a world far different from Earth or any other similar planet.
The sky is a blazing red. The barren land and blood-colored rivers make them wonder if this is hell.
โWow, this is amazingโฆโฆ.โ
โFrom the air to the moonโฆ!โ
That was when the system message warned them.
[You have entered the realm of the Archduke of Slaughter, all stats will be reduced by 80%.]
โInsaneโฆ!โ
It was an outrageous debuff but as they stood there in disbelief, an additional message came through.
[You have entered the Lionheart Kingโs gate. The Lionheartโs aura is applied.]
โEffect:
Grants Legion Upgrade Charge Defense.
Grants Legion Upgrade Fortification.
Grants Legion Upgrade Battalion Reinforcement.
Grants Legion Upgrade Strengthened Valor.
Grants Legion Upgrade Light Armor.
Grants Legion Upgrade Tough Skin.
Grants Legion Upgrade Heavy Strike.
Grants Legion Upgrade Archaic Empowerment.
Grants Legion Upgrade Ranged Resistance.
Grants Legion Upgrade Keen Gaze.
Grants Legion Upgrade Anti-Infantry Slaughter.
Grants Legion Upgrade Pollution Resistance.
[War Knightโs Favor]
โEffect:
-Increases Leadership by 150%.
[War Knightโs Man-At-Arms]
-Gain 20% Physical Resistance when fighting alongside a Knight with the War Knight talent.
[Terror of Demonic Species] โ Weakens all demonic species]
โEffects: Forced Fear, Eerie, and decreased Resistanceโโ
ใGreatest Demon Butcherใ
ใDemon Lord Slayerใ
ใRanged Abominationใ
ใMightiest Chargerใ
The hunters are dazed by the barrage of Traits. For the veterans, itโs a familiar sight, but for the uninitiated, itโs something to behold.
Demons that make it difficult for ordinary humans to even breatheโฆ overwhelming buffs that exceed all debuffs from the demonic realm.
โI expected it, but I didnโt expect it to be this good.โ
โItโs not just one or two people, itโs thousands of peopleโฆwhatโs the range of effect?
โWith the Lionheart King, we can survive in this place where humans canโt even survive. No, we can win!
And then came the quest.
[You are an expedition following the Lionheart King on his quest to defeat Akasha, the Archduke of Slaughter. Help the Lionheart King defeat Akasha.]
Leon said after hearing Ha-riโs quest report.
โDefeating him is a no-brainer. Iโll do what I can here to do but this is our first time in the Demon Realm, so letโs get as much information as we can.โ
-Kiruk.
It was then that Yappy walked over. Normally, it would have made a dull, mechanical sound, but todayโs Yappy was different.
โOoh, ooohโฆ!โ
โAaah!โ
He recalls old memories and is horrified.
โHey, Lord Yappy?โ
Ha-ri had to look up to see the approaching Yappy.
A cold disc-shaped fuselage, ominous red wide-angle lenses scanning the surroundings along with its eight thick legs were cold and hideous.
Worst of all are the guns and bladders on the fuselageโs carapace. Snarling, heat-belching superconducting cannons and 60mm chain guns.
The Cheongju nightmare.
A killing machine.
Everyone is overwhelmed by the majesty of the massive multi-purpose vehicle.
โLord Spinner your exoskeleton is well crafted, and I sense a much stronger aura than before.โ
-Crack!
The carapace opens up, and from within, a minimalist Yappy stands up like a pilot out of a cockpit.
-The original Yakt Spinner from the Integrated Armament Platform. Combat sequence operational. Reporting for recon.
โHmm, did they do it already?โ
-Integrated Platformโs drone reconnaissance system in operation. Multiple colonies of presumed hostiles detected.
โColonies?โ
Demons, he thought, but Yappy denied the possibility.
Yappy is a war machine that has kept the demons buried for a thousand years. However the energy he sensed from the demons was subtly different from what he had observed.
โThe nearest colony is that way.โ
Leon would be the first to meet them.
* * * *
The colony was closer to the gate than he thought and after ten minutes they reached it.
โWhoa, whoa, whoa!โ
People standing on the wooden fence, wary as they saw Leon and his group approaching.
โHumans?โ
Why would humans be here? Ha-ri scratched her head, while Leon took the lead.
โWho are you people?โ
โNo, I asked you firstโโโ
โHow dare you, you insolent commoner, make me say your name twice! I will consider this a mistake born of ignorance.โ
โUghโฆ Now, wait a moment, Iโll fetch the chief!โ
Frightened by Leonโs fierce anger, the man on the wooden stool backed away, and a new face appeared on the stool.
โI am Veron, the chief of this villageโฆ Hmph, King Lionheart!โ
โYou know this king?โ
The village chief responded as if he knew him. Leon was about to ask something when a voice boomed through the woodwork.
โLord Spinner.โ
Leon snapped his fingers.
-Cannon set.
With a bang, a railgun round shatters the woodwork.
The futuristic hardcore AI crunched through the rubble with its giant mechanical legs.
โHicโฆ!โ
Leon and Yappy enter, and the terrified inhabitants fall to the ground. Leon knew they were in bad shape, to say the least.
โWho are you guys, and why did you run away when you saw this king?โ
โGod, help us!โ
Leon showed no anger toward the cowardly commoners. The majesty of a king can sometimes lead to the persecution of innocent people.
โThis did not come to persecute you. Heโs here to slay a demon-hmm?โ
Leon heard the voice of the War God speaking to him. He said to Leon:
[This is the one who was a soldier in the Imperial Army. A follower of the devil, mixed up in the ranks of the Archduke Slaughter.]
โโฆโฆ.โ free webno vel
Leonโs eyes widened as he recognized the manโs face from memory.
Demon followers descended to earth and led the way in killing their own kind.
If such a man was the chiefโฆ What about this group?
โAll troops! Donโt let anyone escape! Kill those who flee!โ
The flames of war erupted from Leonโs body.
* * * *
If paradise is the end of those who followed the code of the gods and served them, what is the end of those who followed the demons and gave their souls to them?
There is demonization, for example.
The prefects and generals of the Empire who summoned Malus, Lord of Chaos, and embraced demonic power literally became demons, traitors who attacked humanity.
But what about the common people? The knights and soldiers of the Empire and the other barbarians.
They were too small a vessel to become demons and they couldnโt take on all of the demonic energy and transform the race itself.
Of course, the demons had their own rewards for such lowly followers.
In the realms ruled by the higher demons, they became subjects.
Of course, there was one reward for the commoners that followed the demons: immortality.
There was a natural limit to their immortality: they would die, but they would not grow old.
โBut it was all a trick to keep us as slaves; we were forced to answer the demonsโ summons endlessly, and we never knew when we would die!โ
Veron was an Imperial Army Sergeant and when the demons descended, he followed his commander and offered his soul to the murderous demons.
He was lucky enough to escape from Leonโs world before the last Demon Gate was destroyed.
He knelt before Leon and said.
โPlease save us, Lionheart King, and forgive your people for making this foolish choice!โ
Veron burst into tears and clutched at Leonโs pants while the knight cadets had mixed feelings as they watched.
They, too, had been seduced by demons and forced to commit evil deedsโโ
โWhat bullshit.โ
It couldnโt be true.
โWhat?โ
โAnswer me this, scumbag, how many innocent commoners have you killed by your own hand?โ
โThat, thatโsโฆโฆ.โ
โI ask! How many innocent people have you killed? Those who can answer, come forward!โ
The kneeling inhabitants of the colony were silenced by Leonโs rant.
They may not have become demons, but their service was recognized by the demons and they were reduced to โslavesโ.
How many other innocent people had they killed for their own survival and enrichment?
โI couldnโt help it but the general gave in to the demons, what could I do?โ
โIt is your actions, not your intentions that define you. Your intentions do not absolve you of your sins.โ
With a snap, the blade was drawn. The holy sword in its sheath lit up the darkness with a brilliant golden glow but the blinding light was a terrible death sentence for Veron.
โDo not blame the King for your sins. The judgment to come is solely the result of your choices. I am not responsible for the judgment.โ
โAaahโฆโฆ.โ
โA sin committed in ignorance is not a sin; a sin committed with difficulty is not a sin; a sin is a sin. Big or small, hard or easy.โ
Falling flat on his face, Veron turned his hatred of the demons toward Leon, knowing he would never be forgiven.
He did it because he couldnโt help himself. He did it because he wanted to live, and he didnโt want to do it.
โBut even scum like you were once the people of the benevolent gods.โ
โโฆโฆ!โ
In the darkness, even a small light can seem like salvation. Veron and the rest of the groupโs demonic followers responded to the space Leon had left.
โI will preserve your souls until your sins are punished by Tatar, the God of Judgment.โ
Few understood what that meant but at the mere mention of the name Tatar, Veronโs complexion turned blue.
โFifty years as a serf, so that you may purify your wasted life in the service of the gods!โ
Fifty years, not a long time for the followers of the Archduke.
โSerfdom? Even now, Iโm a slave to a demon and I donโt know Iโll die, but a slave with a fixed term?โ
โThank you for your mercyโโโ
He was about to spew out his heartfelt gratitude with tears in his eyes.
โDonโt be ridiculous!โ
The gazes of the demonic followers twisted in disbelief.
Leonโs terms are so benevolent that theyโre almost grateful, but why is he so paroxysmal in his refusal?
โWill you shut your filthy mouth?โ
โI donโt like it, I donโt like it, I donโt like it, I donโt like it, Lionheart, I donโt like it!โ
Heโs from a wealthy family, so heโs been riding horses as a commoner and hasnโt gotten over his bad habits.
That said, the noble and wealthy among the Demon Followers hated to see themselves fall to the bottom of the heap.
Even in the villages of these demon followers, theyโd look down on the mayor.
โDamn it! Someone shut that bastardโs mouth!โ
โIโm not going to be a serf, Iโm not going to be a serf, Iโm not going to be a serf!โ
Veronโs resistance was cut off by the other demon followers. As the gagged man was dragged through the crowd of demonic followers, Leon shouted.
โListen, you bastards.โ
The colonyโs inhabitants obeyed and awaited judgment.
โYou will serve as serfs of Lionheart for fifty years, and you will carry out every command without reservation.โ
โDo you accept the punishment that Leon Dragonia Lionheart, Agent of the Tatar, God of the Sun and Judgment, has decreed for you?โ
โI accept!โ
โโI accept!โโ
At that moment an intense beam of sunlight emanated from Leon and soon pierced through them.
โUh, uh, uh?โ
โMo, something in your neck?โ
The change was simple. A series of pure white rings, like tattoos appeared on their necks.
โHmph. Weโll leave right away. Pack as little as possible and follow this kingโs lead!โ
The demonic followers had no choice but to follow Leon with dumbfounded eyes. Unaware of the promise of judgment theyโd sworn to or what the Veron-inspired cries meant.
But it didnโt matter.
They would find out soon enough.
โOh, no! No, no, no!โ
Only Veron knew the ending, and he could only sob in agony.
* * * *
โTake them all! They are not worthy of death!โ
Returning to the main camp, Leon began to subjugate the entire region.
He burned and looted villages, killing those who resisted.
At the end of it all was a bizarre act of plunder called โserfdom.โ
โIs this it?โ
The hunters of the joint Japanese-Korean raiding party were dumbfounded and had to start taking prisoners.
Whatโs even more bizarre is that the inhabitants are more civilized than they expected.
As followers of the demons, they expected a lot of resistance, but when they heard Leonโs offer of 50 years of serfdom, they didnโt seem to mind.
โI suppose itโs better than being a slave to the demons.โ
โApparently, the demon followers donโt grow old. I guess they think fifty years is a short time.โ
โThatโs damn reasonable.โ
Occasionally, unlike the other Demon Followers, a few put up a fight, but those who did were decapitated with steel wire by a cold steel machine.
-Crackle! Free labor in large numbers. 5,034.
The villages of the demon followers were plundered, and all the wealth that came out of them went to the Hunters.
Leon called it filthy lucre and distributed it among the other Hunters, so it was worth the slave hunt.
-Discovered a large army of demons.
By the time they were done, they had taken out dozens of colonies but the demons had had enough of my front yard being ransacked, and they came from beyond.
The demons of killing and destruction, in other words, the henchmen of Akasha, the Archduke of Slaughter, appeared.
โFinally, a moment that can be called a battle.โ
โItโs a good thing Iโm so tired.โ
The Hunters, who had won victory after victory in plundering battles despite facing an army of demons, were in high spirits.
But against their expectations, Leon gave the order.
โSerfs, forward.โ
The serfs, each of them armed with the best weapons in town, reacted dumbfounded.
โUh, are we in the lead?โ
โNo, weโre no match!โ
Demons and their followers, naturally, are a lost cause but to have a bunch of prisoners take the lead?
โEven if your limbs are severed and your intestines spilled, hold on to at least one more enemy for that is all you are worth on the battlefield.โ
Become a meat shield.
A more blatant suicide order could not have been given.