After Ten Millennia in Hell

Chapter 354 - Escape (2)

Chapter 354 - Escape (2)

“Huff, huff!”

Fidelio managed to make it outside of the imperial castle through a secret passageway and was running across a forest.

‘I-I did it!’

He looked back; there were no pursuers.

‘I did it!’

A sensation of thrill ran down Fidelio’s spine. He smiled as he was hit with an unbearable feeling of ecstasy.

“That crazy son of a bitch...”

Great hatred soon replaced his ecstasy. Fidelio bit his lip and clenched his fists. He recalled how Oh Kang-Woo had commanded Iris to stab him while smiling coldly.

“U-Urghh.”

Fidelio trembled. His boiling hatred was cooled by an even greater sense of fear.

“Shit, shit!”

He anxiously bit his nails and turned to look back at the imperial castle. He had spent years working hard to become the true ruler of the empire in place of that moronic and incompetent princess. He only needed to take a few more steps, but...

‘Just like that...’

It had been taken away by a brat that had come from who knows where, all too easily.

“Kuh!”

Fidelio bared his teeth and clenched his fists to the point that veins popped out.

‘For now... I have to run.’

Kang-Woo had massacred the shadow knights that Fidelio had selected and raised with his heart and soul, with just the snap of his finger. Not just that, he had a brother that had faced hundreds of demonic beasts by himself. Fidelio had no chance facing them head-on.

‘I have to wait for my chance.’

Fidelio’s eyes sharpened. Although those two were powerful, there were only two of them; they would be no match for overwhelming numbers.

“I should... make use of the rebel army.”

The gears in Fidelio’s head turned quickly. Considering the situation, Kang-Woo had most definitely taken Iris’s side.

“The fool.”

Fidelio couldn’t help but smile. He couldn’t believe that Kang-Woo had decided to side with Iris of all people. Even if Iris could be easily controlled, it was far too reckless.

‘That’s bitch’s reputation is far beyond irreparable.’

With the addition of the false rumors that Fidelio had spread along with her usual behavior, Iris’s reputation could not be any worse among nobles and commoners alike. Even slaves badmouthed her.

‘I’ll make you regret siding with her.’

Fidelio bit his lip as his eyes set ablaze with hatred. He was planning on pushing Kang-Woo into the pits of hell by using Iris. Although Kang-Woo had done nothing to the people of the empire, it did not matter.

‘The public are nothing but beasts.’

The truth did not matter to them; they would believe anything that was exciting and entertaining. Just by letting loose a rumor that Iris and Kang-Woo were in a romantic relationship, the public would spread it all on their own. If Fidelio added a little more spice on top of that, Kang-Woo would become an accomplice to the witch in less than a month.

‘However strong you are... I wonder if you’d still be able to stand with the princess after making the entire empire your enemy?’

Fidelio smiled while imagining his sweet revenge. Although it was difficult to manipulate the truth, it was more than doable for him. After all, he had done it countless times to get to his current position.

‘When it comes to agitation and fabrication... No one has me beat.’

Fidelio snickered and once again looked back at the castle. He had ended up getting a horrifying memory from the experience, but he felt like the fear encroaching on his mind was waning as he imagined his revenge.

‘I have to run for now.’

He had prepared safe houses all over the empire just in case. Fidelio limped away.

***

“Fuuu,” Fidelio sighed in relief.

He had successfully escaped to the Velen Viscounty located in the southern region of the empire by using a magic circle in a safe house near the capital. Viscount Velen was one of Fidelio’s supporters, so there was no place better than this to hide out.

“Have you heard the news?”

“Of course I did. It’s been huge for the past few days.”

“How could such a thing have...”

The streets were noisy. People were discussing things in all seriousness in bars, markets, and everywhere else.

‘What’s going on?’

Fidelio frowned. He knew very well of the circumstances in Velen; the fact that people who barely had the energy to speak from working their asses off to survive were making such a fuss was highly abnormal.

‘I should figure out what’s going on.’

Fidelio pulled down the hood of his robe and entered a bar.

“Get me a beer and something to eat.”

“Yes, sir!” a server boy energetically answered.

He brought out lukewarm beer and thinly-sliced ham.

“Kurgh, ptooey!!”

Fidelio spit out the extremely salty ham. The boy lowered his head while smiling awkwardly.

Fidelio drank the lukewarm beer and asked the boy, “Has something special happened? The streets are rowdy.”

“Something special? Could it be that you still haven’t heard the news?”

“What news?”

Fidelio tilted his head in confusion. The boy ran somewhere in a rush and brought over a newspaper.

“It’s a scoop among scoops among scoops!”

Fidelio took the newspaper from the enthusiastic boy and read the headline.

[Has Prime Minister Fidelio been supporting the advent of the Evil God all along?]

[Additional evidence discovered of Prime Minister Fidelio’s connection to Evil God Lucifer.]

[Prime Minister Fidelio makes an official appearance... “I will comply wholeheartedly with the investigation.”]

“What?”

Fidelio’s eyes widened. He saw himself on the first page of the imperial newspaper, lowering his head while surrounded by countless journalists.

“Wh-What the hell?”

What in the world was happening? He was connected to Evil God Lucifer? Even though he had wanted to rule the empire, he had never considered something as insane as joining forces with a demon.

“No, that’s not important right now.”

Fidelio shook his pale head.

‘Why...’

Why was he, who had been hiding out in his safe house for the past few days, in the newspaper surrounded by journalists?

‘C-Could it be a disguise?’

Fidelio shook his head. It was beyond the level of a disguise. Although there was magic capable of changing one’s appearance, he had never seen one that accurate. Fidelio himself could not tell the difference, so it was no question for other people. He felt as if his doppelganger had appeared.

“Haaa, haaa,” Fidelio panted heavily.

Something was going horribly wrong.

Wham! The door of the bar swung open.

“All of you! Come outside right now!”

“The broadcast has begun!”

‘Broadcast?’

Fidelio turned his head. There was only one thing in the empire known as the broadcast; it referred to a special magic tool made to deliver the words of the emperor to the people, and it could not be used without the permission of the imperial family.

“Come to the plaza!” a man shouted.

People swarmed out of the bar. Fidelio stared at them blankly, but then sprang up from his seat soon after.

“I-It can’t be.”

Fidelio grew pale. The worst possible outcome popped up in his head.

“N-No!” Fidelio shouted as he followed the others to the plaza.

The plaza was already filled with thousands of people. There was a giant crystal orb in the middle of the plaza, and a video feed was shown from the light that came out of it.

[Everyone.]

Fidelio himself was in that video feed.

[I will reveal the whole truth to everyone, right here and now.]

He was kneeling on a platform with a haggard expression, seemingly tired from the long investigation.

“Wh-What the...? What is he trying to do?”

[I had cast brainwashing magic on Princess Iris to control her from the shadows.]

“What?”

[I had also spread false rumors to have her be unjustly branded as a witch.]

“What the fuck... are you... talking... about?”

[On top of that, I had a black mage attack the princess.]

“Y-Y-You...”

[No, that is not all.]

The grave sins that Fidelio had committed left his own mouth.

[It is also true that I have connections to Evil God Lucifer and his forces.]

“S-Stop.”

[No, it is not simply a connection.]

“Stop it.”

[I also had a great part in his resurrection. It was truly an excruciatingly long ordeal.]

“I told you to stop.”

[Oh, why would I help in the Evil God’s resurrection, you ask? Why else but this?]

“Y-You...”

In the video feed, Fidelio sneered as he had his head lowered while kneeling. He continued, [Because I am one of Lord Lucifer’s servants.]

“You motherfuckeeeeeeeeerr!!”

At the same time, the kneeling Fidelio stood up.

Rumble—! Crack! Crush!

The chains binding him exploded.

[Pfft, bwahahahahaha!!] Fidelio burst out laughing. [Idiotic humans! How could you have been fooled so easily?!]

Crunch, crunch.

Goat horns sprouted from Fidelio’s forehead, and bat wings spread out as they ripped through the skin of his back.

[Even if you have found out the truth, it is already too late!]

Fidelio, who had turned into a demon, raised his arms high and released demonic energy. The imperial guards around him coughed up blood and collapsed.

[This continent will meet its end by Lord Lucifer’s hands!]

Fidelio, the demon who had been controlling the empire in the form of a human, stomped aggressively.

Boom!

[Tremble in fear! Fall into despair! Meet your deaths before the great evil!]

Fidelio flapped his bat wings and flew up into the sky.

[The time of the end is near!]

And with that, Fidelio disappeared into a black Rift.

The plaza grew silent. The people could not even mutter amongst themselves from being unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

“M-My God.”

“Why did such a thing...”

As time passed, more and more people muttered, and was the trigger for various curses and screams.

“Ah...”

Fidelio’s mouth was agape amidst the chaos. He looked up blankly into nothingness with lifeless eyes.

‘Wha... What is this?’

The question continued to be posed in his mind over and over again. Fidelio remained trembling while standing still in the middle of the plaza. He could not follow the current situation. An hour passed, and then two, and three; he remained standing in the plaza despite everyone else having left. Only he was remaining in the darkness past midnight.

Step, step. Fidelio heard someone walking toward him. He turned to see who it was, and then his eyes widened.

“Y-You...”

It was Oh Kang-Woo, the young man with the sharp eyes.

“Youuuuuuuuuu—!!”

Fidelio’s rage ate away at his sanity. He charged at the young man in a craze, but of course...

Bash!

“Kurgh!”

Fidelio, who was about to punch Kang-Woo, was blown back. Kang-Woo walked toward the collapsed Fidelio.

“Sheesh, I can’t believe you were Lucifer’s servant. You really shocked me.” Kang-Woo raised his hands in shock.

Fidelio glared at Kang-Woo in hatred while biting his lip.

“You bastard...! Do you seriously expect people to believe such an absurd lie?!”

“Yeah, I do.” Kang-Woo snickered and aggressively stomped on Fidelio’s head. “After all, people only see what they want to see. They couldn’t care less about the truth.”

Fidelio knew it just as well; people believed anything that was exciting and entertaining.

“Ah...”

Fidelio’s face grew pale. He finally understood what sort of person the human— no, the demon Oh Kang-Woo was.

“You’re...” Fidelio trembled.

Kang-Woo smiled and crouched next to Fidelio.

Fidelio averted his gaze from him.

He did not know how Kang-Woo had pulled off such a perfect disguise, but it was obvious who had won.

“Kill me.”

Fidelio had lost before he could even have done anything.

“Pfft,” Kang-Woo laughed and slapped Fidelio on the back of his head. “What are you, a general who lost after fighting valiantly? You’re nothing but a shitty mutt who ran with his tail between his legs.”

“Kuh.” Fidelio grimaced.

Kang-Woo snickered. “Don’t worry. I told you, didn’t I? I won’t kill you.”

“Are you saying... You’ll let me live?”

“Of course, man.” Kang-Woo nodded with a smile.

He could see a sliver of light in Fidelio’s eyes. He was likely hoping to escape once again.

‘After all, he escaped once before.’

Kekeke. Kang-Woo suppressed his laughter from bursting out. This was perfect; rather than giving up hope within inescapable despair, it was far more painful to struggle in vain while holding onto hope.

‘That’s why I set you free.’

Kang-Woo put his hand on Fidelio’s head with a smile. “Did you know?”

“Kn-Know what?”

“That demons... don’t have a lifespan.”

“...?”

“They don’t die, even if they don’t eat, drink or sleep.”

“What are you... trying to say?”

“Do you know...” Kang-Woo continued in a chilling tone, “What happens when a human turns into a demon?”

“Kurgh! Aaargh!” Fidelio grunted in pain.

Something was flowing into him... something black and impure.

“The brain remembers how it feels to eat, drink and sleep, but the body doesn’t.”

Because the body was that of a demon.

“Humans that have turned into demons are forever haunted by endless hunger and thirst until they eat and drink something. However, those sensations don't kill them.”

No matter how much they wanted to die... No matter how agonizing it was, they could not die.

“Here’s a brain teaser for you. If that human who turned into a demon... was imprisoned where no one could ever find them... with their limbs severed... What do you think would happen?” Kang-Woo asked. “They would live forever while suffering from endless hunger and thirst... as if they were in a desert with no oasis... within unending despair.”

Fidelio flinched. He looked up.

“Ah...”

He saw a demon with black scleras, golden irises, and horizontal pupils like that that of a goat, looking down at him.

“Congratulations, Fidelio.”

‘You won’t die from old age.’