Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Rustle.

As he flipped through the diary, the first sentence caught Kalliant’s eyes.

「This diary shall serve as the will and the final footprints of Kalliant Stark, written after it became clear that I have essentially been abandoned by my family.」

「April 5th, Gregorian Year 816

My father, Ludger Stark, is a Margrave and Count who leads the Stark Territory, which borders foreign nations.

The power of the two countries known as the titans of this chaotic era—Abentrot and Schaten—far exceeds that of my homeland, Lucon.

Furthermore, the ferocious monsters inhabiting the Arme Plain could invade the Stark Territory at any unexpected moment.

The common folk and neighboring lords often say that if it weren’t for the Stark Family ruling this land, it would have already been conquered and colonized, or perhaps turned into a hunting ground for monsters.

In the end, that assessment was quite accurate.

Therefore, those of the Stark Family, who bear the duty of protecting this region, must be strong.

…Yes, they must be strong.

But as the son of a concubine and the youngest child, I possessed neither martial prowess nor political power.

And so, I suffered humiliation again today.

While dining with my third older brother, Franz, I ended up drenched in wine.

I have faced this level of humiliation countless times, so it didn’t bother me. What truly devastated me was hearing from him that I was being dispatched to Altair, a desolate land known as the worst of the worst.

Altair is a hellish place constantly plagued by monster rampages, where the dispatched commanders are said to commit suicide, unable to endure the psychological torment.

How long will I be able to survive there?

I cannot sleep.

Even now, my heart only beats faster; it will not settle down.

What do I do now? What should I do?

I tried my best to tell my mother I was fine, but… tonight, sleep eludes me.」

「May 6th, Gregorian Year 816

It has been nearly fifteen days since I arrived at the front lines of Altair.

This place is incredibly noisy. Night after night, the howling of Dire Wolves tightens its grip on my nerves.

The soldiers of the knights’ order are as rough as mercenaries and impossible to lead.

Looking back, on the day I was first dispatched here, the servants nearby watched me with pitying expressions.

They likely knew exactly what would happen.

Today, as I was preoccupied with learning the duties related to Altair, I didn’t have my first meal until evening.

The menu consisted of a freshly grilled heifer sirloin steak, wine, bread, and soup.

However, my stomach felt greasy and I had no appetite at all.

As the one entrusted with the heavy responsibility of guarding the front lines, I must eat well.

But I simply cannot eat much to begin with.

Even so, in an attempt to eat at least a little, the moment I put the soup into my mouth…

My head spun.

I sensed a strange aroma, and my tongue went numb instantly.

I quickly spat it out and rinsed my mouth with water. Then, I took out the silver utensils I had prepared in advance from the drawer and dipped them into the soup.

I wished it wasn’t true, but miserably, the silver turned black.

I’ll have to analyze the components, but it was undoubtedly a poisoned soup.

This was the first day I confirmed a murderous intent directed at me.」

「November 17th, Gregorian Year 816

—I’m at my limit, the limit. This land is truly insane.

At the very least, dozens of people die every fifteen days.

The stench of rot wafts from the corpses abandoned all over the streets because there isn’t even enough land to bury them.

Because of that, I had to burn the bodies to prevent a plague from spreading.」

「December 22nd, Gregorian Year 816

Extreme cold has set in. A bone-chilling pain has permeated everything.

Today, while surveying the castle walls, an assassin hidden among the corpses launched a surprise attack.

Luke, who was guarding me, managed to stop the assassin just in time, but he was injured in the process and needs several months of recovery.

…I’m tired of this. I cannot sleep. My eyes are dim, and everything looks hazy.

If only I could fall asleep and never wake up again.」

「April 2nd, Gregorian Year 817

After repeated failures, I was ultimately not recognized as a member of the Stark Family.

I thought it was too harsh an ordeal to face at fifteen, but no one understands.

I wish someone were by my side.

But there is no one. That is why I intend to end my life.

If possible, I want to break this absurd bondage and these shackles, even if it means contracting with a demon.

If I could only do that, I wouldn’t care if my body and my soul were both burned to ashes.」

Rustle.

Beliat—no, Kalliant—finished reading the diary and tilted his head, confused.

This was because he had experienced something similar when he was annihilating all the inhabitants of the Demon Realm.

“Is this the difference between humans and demons? Why do they think of dying instead of killing?”

He couldn’t empathize, but he chewed on the thought repeatedly to at least understand.

Meanwhile, Kalliant suddenly took off his upper garment and inspected his body.

A gaunt frame from not eating properly and scars etched all over his body.

“…Weak.”

Kalliant, who had never once been the weak one, furrowed his brow with complex emotions.

With this body, he couldn’t even draw out Magic Power.

He couldn’t even swing a sword properly.

If his heart were weak as well, it wouldn’t be strange for him to die at any moment.

Surprisingly, the original owner of this body had endured for an entire year in this state.

“I suppose he wasn’t someone with a weak mind,” Kalliant thought, revising part of his assessment.

Even for him, the Great Demon King who had wiped out the entire Demon Realm, it was impossible to resolve the situation the previous Kalliant faced in a short period of time.

“…I need time.”

At least three years.

He didn’t know how strong he could eventually become, but he needed that much time to transform this frail body.

“There’s so much to do.”

Realizing his situation, Kalliant picked up a feather pen and carved a phrase onto the final page of the diary.

「I accept the contract. I shall strike down your enemies and soothe your soul. And then, you shall regret it—as you watch me seize the brilliant future that you threw away…」

As soon as he placed the final period, Kalliant burned the diary in the candle flame.

Whoosh.

While he watched the burning diary with his crimson eyes…

Creek.

A young maid opened the door and entered, her eyes widening in shock.

“Y-Young Master! You, your eyes are…!”

Observing her reaction, Kalliant frowned and asked, “What is today’s date?”

“It, it’s April 14th.”

‘It’s understandable she’s surprised, since a human who attempted suicide opened his eyes after ten days.’

Kalliant maintained an indifferent expression as he grasped the situation, but the maid late let out a startled cry.

“Y-Young Master! No matter how painful it is, trying to commit suicide by setting your room on fire is…!”

“…What? Did it look like I was trying to kill myself?”

He thought she was startled by the fire in the room, but it seemed she had misunderstood and thought he was attempting suicide again.

Kalliant spoke to the maid with a pathetic look on his face.

“There is no need to be alarmed. It’s just that there was something I wanted to get rid of…”

“S-Something you wanted to get rid of?”

“Since I am breathing and alive like this, a will is no longer necessary.”

A moment later.

The diary had turned completely into charcoal.

Following Kalliant’s order, the maid, who had brought a basin of water, watched him with an anxious gaze.

Sizzle.

Kalliant tossed the diary, which was now nothing but burnt leather, into the basin of water.

“Whew.”

It seemed he had gotten through this smoothly for now.

Kalliant stared intently at the maid, who was sighing in relief, and asked, “What is your name?”

“I-It is Rain.”

The startled maid’s eyes went wide.

‘Why is he asking that?’

There were several reasons for her surprise.

First, though it was a misunderstanding, he had shown behavior suggestive of suicide again.

Second, her master had forgotten the name of the one who served him most closely.

And finally, Kalliant’s aura had suddenly changed.

Before Rain stood not the usual frail Kalliant, but a man deep in thought with a cold and calm face.

Kalliant looked at Rain and spoke.

“Rain.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Who is the person I trusted most in the Stark Territory?”

“I believe it is Luke, who served as your guard knight.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Having finished his thoughts, Kalliant soon spoke in a calm tone.

“What is the current situation in Altair?”

“Because monsters went on a rampage again a few days ago, part of the castle wall collapsed and is currently under repair. And because disasters keep happening one after another, the Count has eventually decided to visit.”

“The Count?”

“Yes.”

“When is that?”

“I heard he is on a tour of the territories and will arrive in about ten days.”

‘She provides quite useful information for a maid.’

Closing his eyes for a moment to think, Kalliant soon spoke again.

“…Rain.”

“Yes.”

“I am hungry.”

“I will bring some light refreshments for now.”

“No need.”

“Pardon?”

“I will have my meal at the castle wall being restored.”

* * *

The castle walls of Altair.

There was never a peaceful day there because of the monsters that frequently invaded.

Moreover, the outer wall had recently crumbled significantly, necessitating urgent repairs.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

However, the restoration was sluggish.

No matter how much manpower was mobilized, there was no sign of the breached wall being filled.

It was in the middle of the wall restoration again today.

A murmur broke out.

“What a surprise. That weakling is…”

“Is he going to try jumping off the wall to his death this time?”

The workers stared at one spot with expressions of disbelief.

Kalliant, the youngest young master of the Count’s family who had been dispatched to Altair, was approaching.

At that sight, the workers, as well as the soldiers, looked on with displeasure.

This was the worst desolate land, and they were risking their lives every moment to guard it, yet those who came as commanders were constantly committing suicide, getting cut down by stray swords, or dying from monster bites.

When a direct descendant of the Stark Family arrived as the person in charge, they thought something might change.

But their daily lives remained the same.

Step.

“Stop what you are doing and gather here.”

However, today, Kalliant’s atmosphere was somehow different.

Unlike his usual frail self, he looked incredibly cold and composed.

‘What’s he talking about all of a sudden?’

While everyone had bewildered expressions…

“It is time for a meal.”

With those simple words, a massive cart loaded with enough food for everyone to eat their fill arrived.

A moment later.

Clatter, clatter.

The workers ate the bread and soup frantically, yet they remained highly alert.

There, Kalliant was eating bread and soup just like the workers. Despite his frail build, he was stuffing his face with an amount that was easily three servings while observing the situation.

In front of such a Kalliant stood two men.

One was the administrator who handled the budget for the wall construction, and the other was the man in charge of the wall repairs.

They were both looking at Kalliant with expressions full of dissatisfaction.

That alone was enough for everyone to guess how Kalliant had been treated here.

Kalliant spoke to them with a languid expression.

“Was this truly the best you could do?”

“Of course it was the best. The budget is insufficient, and people are dying every day, so what do you expect us to do?”

The administrator criticized the current situation with a voice full of irritation.

At that very moment.

Kalliant’s crimson eyes turned incredibly cold.

Shudder!

The administrator was greatly startled by that cold and arrogant gaze.

‘W-What? Why is this brat’s gaze suddenly like this? Has he gone mad?’

“We need to change the method. Proceed with the repairs like this.”

Kalliant picked up a feather pen and began deleting the materials for the wall that were written on the blueprints one by one.

When he was done, a wall that looked flimsy to anyone’s eyes was presented. The administrator and the repair foreman cried out in horror.

“T-That’s…!”

“This makes no sense!”

Kalliant spoke with a curious expression.

“Weren’t you the ones who committed those nonsensical acts?”

“What on earth do you mean by th—”

The moment the flustered administrator tried to argue back…

“Hey.”

The sound of Kalliant’s voice brushing past his ear made goosebumps break out all over his body.

Immediately after.

Crunch!

Kalliant’s fist slammed into the administrator’s face.

“AAARRRGGGHHH!”

The administrator, having received an unexpected attack, rolled on the ground in agony.

Schwing.

Rather than showing mercy, Kalliant drew his sword and brought it close to the man’s neck, threatening him further.

The surrounding air froze in an instant.

As everyone’s faces turned pale, Kalliant spoke in an even sharper tone.

“If you spout that bullshit one more time, I will cut out your tongue.”