The capital of the Sirius Empire, Milein.
Even after the fervor of the Olympia festival, the first big celebration since the war had died down, the crowds in the capital showed no signs of diminishing.
“Honestly, there are still so many people today.”
“What can you do, my lord? Such is life.”
Count Blang frowned at the countless throngs visible through the carriage window. The butler beside him awkwardly grinned as he did his best to keep his master’s mood from souring—knowing full well that one wrong move could earn him a slap across the face.
“It would be better if we reduced the number of commoners a bit. The regional nobles have been complaining about a lack of labor. Perhaps relocating some of them would help?”
“Indeed, my lord speaks wisely.”
“Tch, because of these fools, our carriage moves so slowly…”
Though the laws of the empire weren’t *that* lenient—even nobles couldn’t just run over commoners with their carriages without facing punishment—it didn’t stop Count Blang from grumbling under his breath.
“Is it reasonable to waste time like this because of these good-for-nothings? Do you know how much money I could’ve made during this time?”
“Of course, it’s a great loss for the empire.”
“If only someone would thin out these crowds even a little. If just a third of them disappeared, it’d feel much more pleasant.”
Flattered by the butler’s sycophancy, Count Blang sighed and continued his complaints. Meanwhile, the butler simply smiled awkwardly and nodded.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt.
“Hm? Have we arrived already?”
Looking out the window earlier than usual, Count Blang tilted his head in confusion.
“This is strange. We’re still far from our destination. Why has the carriage stopped?”
“I’ll go check.”
“Do so.”
As the butler stepped outside, Count Blang leaned back into the carriage cushion, wrinkling his nose at its hardness compared to the luxurious chairs in his mansion.
“Tch, I’ll need to replace this carriage soon.”
“But… my lord, you should step outside for a moment.”
“What? Did the driver flee?”
“Not that… the palace… something seems off with the palace.”
“What nonsense is this?”
Unable to bear the trembling voice of his butler any longer, Count Blang frowned and exited the carriage. In front of him stood his quivering butler, pale-faced and shaking.
“Are you drunk in broad daylight? What do you mean by ‘something seems off’ with the—”
Before he could finish raising his voice, Count Blang froze mid-turn. Far off in the distance, black smoke rose from the imperial palace, as though it were under attack.
“What… what is this…”
His ears were pierced by horrifying screams.
“AAAGH!”
“KYAAAA! TERRORISM!!!”
“…”
BOOM!
A sudden explosion echoed through the air.
The intense heat wave struck Count Blang’s body, making his eyes widen in shock.
“What… what is happening…”
A building collapsed from the explosion.
Someone engulfed in flames rolled on the ground, screaming.
“What…?”
Fleeing crowds scattered, chased by unseen forces.
Count Blang blinked dumbly.
“Am I dreaming…?”
“…Kill them all…”
The previously unscathed capital of the empire was now embroiled in terror. Unable to process the scene before him, Count Blang turned away.
“We must flee, my lord! Quickly!”
“W-what? Yes, tell the driver to take us back to the mansion—”
“The driver has already fled! There’s no time to wait for the carriage! We must escape immediately!”
Glaring toward the empty driver’s seat, Count Blang gritted his teeth and began moving his legs. Unaccustomed to physical activity, he panted heavily while muttering to himself.
“Where… where should I go…”
“There’s a branch of the Capital Defense Force nearby in the commercial district! If we reach there—”
“Yes!”
Despite the chaos, seeing his butler running alongside him filled Count Blang with an unexpected sense of gratitude. Though the butler could’ve easily fled on his own, he stayed behind to protect his master until the very end. For a moment, Count Blang felt ashamed of his previous selfishness and resolved to raise the butler’s salary and give him a bonus upon returning home.
‘How could I have overlooked such loyalty until now? My judgment has been flawed.’
Better late than never. This favor would be repaid manifold. Even amidst the searing pain in his chest, Count Blang ran hard, encouraged by the butler’s words.
“Just a little further! Keep going!”
Finally, they spotted the flag of the Capital Defense Force fluttering above a nearby building. Fueled by renewed hope, Count Blang quickened his pace.
“Alright, we made it! We’re safe… All thanks to you, my friend. Once we return, I will certainly reward—”
Turning to thank his butler, Count Blang suddenly felt something stick to his cheek. Wiping it absentmindedly, he noticed red, sticky liquid staining his sleeve—the blood of his butler, who had been running beside him moments ago. Count Blang froze.
“Haa… haa…”
His heart pounded from the rare exertion. His legs trembled. Heavy breaths escaped his lips involuntarily. Behind him lay the fallen body of his butler, an arrow embedded in his back.
“B-butler…?”
A chilling voice reached his ears.
“Hmm? Is the game already over?”
The sound came from behind Count Blang. His heart sank.
“Hey, can’t you run a little longer? It was getting fun.”
With a tone filled with regret, Count Blang turned around to see a robed figure staring at him. Etched onto the robe was a dark snake symbol—a mark he instantly recognized from rumors.
“You… heretic! How did you infiltrate the capital?”
“How’d we get here? Hmm… Do you recognize us?”
The heretic tilted their head curiously before breaking into a bright smile.
“Aha! You’re a noble, aren’t you? I thought you seemed different when I saw your fancy carriage earlier… Jackpot?”
“Y-you heretics… Are you responsible for this terrorism?”
“Uncle, are you blind?”
Shaking his head in disbelief, the heretic sighed.
“Tsk. Looks like playtime’s over. Time to get back to work.”
Reaching into their robe, they pulled out a sinister dagger and began approaching Count Blang slowly.
“Wait! What purpose drives you to commit such atrocities?”
“Why should I tell you? You’re about to die anyway.”
“Mo-money! I have plenty! Surely you need funding for your operations? Do you know how wealthy I am? I’ll give it all to you! Just spare my life!”
“Hmm~ That sounds tempting.”
Despite saying so, the heretic didn’t stop advancing. Using every trick in the book—bribery, threats, pleas—Count Blang retreated step by step, but the distance between them grew ever shorter.
“Sorry, but the High Priest ordered us to ‘corrupt’ all nobles.”
“One step closer…”
“What… what do you mean by ‘corrupt’…?”
Another step.
“Curious?”
Now, there was no space left between them.
“Then experience it firsthand.”
The heretic swung the dagger.
“Guhk…!”
Clutching the dagger lodged in his heart, Count Blang tried desperately to pull it out—but it wouldn’t budge.
“It’s useless. The corruption has already begun.”
The dagger felt like it had rooted itself in his heart. An unpleasant pain spread throughout his body, followed by the sensation of insects crawling beneath his skin.
“K-kkrrgh…”
Itching consumed him, causing Count Blang to scratch violently at his own flesh.
“It-itches! I must scratch it out!”
The dagger dissolved, leaving Count Blang to scratch himself even harder. Broken nails, torn skin, blood streaming down his arms—all of it failed to stop him.
“Hmm, every victim reacts differently.”
The heretic watched with mild interest. The dagger plunged into Count Blang bore the name ‘Seed of Corruption,’ forged purely from demonic energy.
The erratic behavior exhibited by Count Blang was merely one stage of being overtaken by the corrupting influence of that energy. Watching the man strip layers of skin off his body, revealing raw muscle underneath, the heretic grimaced and looked away.
“This corruption is disgusting. Last time was cleaner—he lasted longer too. Guess quality matters?”
“What are you doing?”
“Eek! Priestess!”
Caught off guard by their superior’s arrival, the heretic dropped to their knees. Even hidden beneath robes, the hierarchy among heretics was clear due to the differing amounts of demonic energy each carried.
“…”
“As I said before, use it only on worthy targets.”
“Huh? But I thought we were supposed to corrupt all nobles?”
“Meh, whatever. Hurry up. We need to leave before the Capital Defense Force and the Knights arrive.”
“Understood! Can’t let those Gluttony bastards catch up!”
Just as the two were about to leave—
“KRAAAAHHHH!!!”
The corrupted remains of Count Blang, now a grotesque monster, roared. Glancing briefly at the creature, the priestess clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“Tsk, mindless trash.”
“Can’t help it. Some people are born worms.”
“Next time, choose someone more valuable.”
“Understood!”
“KRAAAH!”
As the heretic shouted their compliance, the monster swung a massive fist.
“Wha—this worm doesn’t even recognize its master?”
Easily catching the blow, the heretic asked the priestess.
“Should I kill it?”
“Let it be. Even parents should care for their children, right?”
“That makes sense.”
Nodding in agreement, the heretic hurled the monster away while shouting.
“Stay alive! Survive long enough to kill lots of people!”
“Don’t waste time on meaningless things. Let’s move.”
“Understood! Coming right up!”
Cheerfully responding, the heretic darted after their retreating superior.
“K-kraaah…?”
After smashing through two shops, the monster paused, shaking its head and standing upright. Confused by the absence of enemies, it scanned its surroundings.
“Kkruuuu…”
From afar, the scent of delicious food wafted into its nose. Following the aroma, the monster stomped forward, discovering prey lying on the ground.
“KRAH!”
Joyfully rushing over, the monster grabbed the meal and shoved it into its mouth.
“K-kkruh… m-my lord… not proper…”
Crunch crunch…
Within moments, the monster finished its impromptu feast and began following another scent of potential prey.
THUD THUD…
Eventually, after devouring over a dozen victims, the monster was slain by the Capital Defense Force.
“Kraaah… ah…”
Unbeknownst to the soldiers, a single tear slid down the corner of the dying monster’s eye.
