[Do not be alarmed. I have no intention of harming you. These are merely here to prove my power.]
“…”
Thud, thud.
The growling monsters began to sit down one by one in place.
The faces of the Northern Archduke and the soldiers, who had drawn their weapons and stood ready, were now filled with confusion.
‘Our side consists entirely of elite troops. If we launch a surprise attack, we could wipe out those mere monsters and capture him…’
Anyone could see the overwhelming difference in strength favored their side.
Rather than standing off like this and talking, it would be far more advantageous to kill all the monsters and capture the man for interrogation.
However, they still didn’t know who he really was, or what additional powers he might possess.
Engaging him immediately would not be wise.
The Northern Archduke glanced behind him and signaled for the troops to lower their weapons.
“Then let’s start with introductions. I am the Archduke overseeing the Empire’s northern region. State your affiliation and rank.”
[Nothing important. Just a scientist. I’ve long forgotten my name. Seems the shock caused significant memory loss.]
“A scientist?”
[Yes. What you call ‘magic’ was known as ‘science’ in our era. I am a remnant of a civilization from 40,000 years ago. A relic left behind by an ancient race who built a civilization far superior to yours.]
“…!?”
Flick.
The “scientist” lifted the rag covering himself.
What lay beneath was a mechanical body, stripped to its skeletal frame.
What in the world is that?
A wind-up doll?
Or some kind of magically-operated machine?
Either way, it was something modern magic could never replicate.
He spoke of a civilization from 40,000 years ago—it was such a distant concept, it felt unreal.
And yet, for now, they had no choice but to consider the possibility.
“So, what do you want from us?”
[Simple. That ruin… the time capsule—excavate it. To open the time capsule, it must be brought to the surface. But I lack the strength to do so alone. I require your help.]
“And what’s in it for us?”
[Opening the time capsule itself will be a blessing beyond compare. It will rapidly advance your civilization to levels you couldn’t even imagine. Life as you know it now will feel like that of primitive savages. All you need to do is awaken the companions sleeping within the time capsule.]
“You people already destroyed yourselves once. How can we trust a race with such a history?”
[…]
The ancient being fell silent.
From what he knew, these “savages” had only begun recording history about 3,000 years ago.
So how did they know about the self-destruction from 40,000 years ago?
An unexpected twist.
[It was inevitable due to limited resources. But now, in this era, with so much more land and resources available, such disasters won’t occur again.]
“Just because the land is larger doesn’t mean limited resources become infinite. What guarantee do we have that you won’t deplete them and repeat the same meaningless conflicts?”
[Humans are creatures that learn from their mistakes. Those sleeping in the time capsule are the chosen ones—an exceptional race. I assure you, they will never repeat the mistake of destroying themselves.]
“…”
The Northern Archduke’s eyes narrowed.
His words sounded reasonable enough.
But he still couldn’t bring himself to trust him.
Was it the emotionless mechanical voice?
‘No. From his tone alone, I can sense a deep-seated superiority complex. He no longer sees us as fellow humans.’
That single suspicion unraveled everything.
The Northern Archduke concluded—this man could never be trusted.
“We will decide whether to resume excavation after a formal meeting.”
[No. Resume it now.]
“My hands are tied. It’s a direct order from above.”
[If you resume excavation now, I’ll make sure you have no ‘above’ to worry about. You could reign as one of the elite in the new world.]
“…”
Why the sudden urgency?
Until now, he had remained calm and negotiated rationally—and now he was suddenly telling him to betray his country?
Could there be some reason he couldn’t wait to open the time capsule?
He’s waited 40,000 years—why not a little longer?
‘Could it be… he doesn’t have much time left?’
Perhaps this talking machine was nearing the end of its energy reserves—on the verge of eternal rest.
It was a plausible theory.
The Northern Archduke now felt certain he had to leave this place immediately.
“We’re returning to the fortress city.”
[Are you refusing my proposal? You’ll regret it.]
“What are you waiting for? Withdraw!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
[…]
The Northern Archduke and his soldiers turned their backs and headed toward Ester.
The ancient being merely watched them in silence.
He didn’t call out again, didn’t try to persuade them further.
Something about that quiet, unmoving figure gave the Northern Archduke chills.
“Why are we withdrawing, Your Grace? Wouldn’t it be better to strike him down now?”
“He controls monsters. We don’t know what other tricks he might be hiding. And since he seems pressed for time, it’s to our advantage to engage in a prolonged defense using the fortress walls.”
“Understood. We’ll move faster toward the fortress.”
Negotiations had broken down.
Now, military conflict was inevitable.
Not knowing the extent of the enemy’s power, the only rational move was to retreat and prepare for a defensive battle.
“Y-Your Grace! Signal fires and horns—!”
“Damn it…!”
Smoke was rising in the distance.
Shrill horn blasts rang through the air.
It was a signal—the fortress city was under attack.
They rushed back in a panic—only to find.
Countless monsters besieging the city walls.
A mountain of corpses piled high enough for monsters to scale the walls.
And even flying-type monsters were soaring over the battlements.
“All the monsters of the entire Demon Realm have gathered here…”
It was several dozen times more than any major Monster Wave he had ever seen.
Was this why monsters had been so scarce lately—because he had been gathering and stockpiling them all?
There was no way the fortress walls could withstand such an assault.
The defensive forces would be annihilated.
At this point, the problem wasn’t just the fortress city—it was the very survival of the Empire itself.
[Did I not tell you? You would regret this.]
“…!”
[Resume the excavation immediately. The attack will stop if you do.]
Just then, the ancient being’s unpleasant voice rang out again from beneath the ragged covering.
The Northern Archduke met eyes with his sons.
No one said a word, but each knew exactly what the others were thinking.
‘We attack him.’
There was only one way to stop this attack.
Take down the ancient being—smash him to pieces.
Just as the Northern Archduke and his sons subtly reached for their weapons, pretending nothing was amiss…
[Do not even think of resisting me. It will only result in needless deaths.]
“…What!?”
BOOM!
A red flash burst from the hand the ancient being extended.
The beam shot forward in a straight line, and in an instant—it struck the fortress wall and blew open a massive hole.
Through that gap, monsters poured in by the hundreds.
As he watched the scene in helpless disbelief, the Northern Archduke’s face went pale.
‘We can’t win.’
At least not with the current forces present.
Even this rusty, decrepit machine held overwhelming combat power—enough to crush elite soldiers.
Then, there was only one thing to do.
‘We fight to the death and buy time.’
Before that thing could make another hole in the wall—they had to delay him, even if only a little.
As one, the Northern Archduke and his soldiers drew their weapons with grim resolve.
And then—the ground rumbled.
The Great Spirit of Earth, Dirt-Dirt, rose behind the ancient being… and joined his side.
“Cut off that arm that shoots the beam! Until then—no one dies without my permission!”
[Kyaaaah! Do not harm my precious humans!]
The towering mass of Dirt-Dirt lunged toward the ancient being.
Spears, swords, and magical attacks from the soldiers and mages followed suit in a relentless barrage.
Then—the ancient being let out something like a quiet sigh.
“My legs!?”
“Ghhhk—my body’s not responding!”
Psssshhh—
The fire magic that had been hurtling through the air with enough force to shatter boulders faded away.
The Northern Archduke and his soldiers, who had been charging with gritted teeth, collapsed helplessly to the ground.
An eerie sensation unlike anything they’d experienced before clouded their minds—and the Archduke’s thoughts went blank.
He lifted his trembling head—and saw it.
Behind the ancient being… faint black tendrils shimmered, like writhing tentacles made of shadow.
The moment he saw them, he understood.
‘Black Magic…’
The ancient being was wielding Black Magic (Anti-Mana).
Powerful enough to completely immobilize them.
Looking around, he saw all troops had collapsed to the ground.
And Dirt-Dirt—had vanished. When had it fled?
[If you refuse, so be it. Manpower is something I have in abundance. I’ll just find more obedient humans to do the excavation.]
“Gah…!”
Then—his breath was being crushed.
All around, painful groans rang out.
The Black Magic had reached its threshold, forcibly drawing mana from human bodies.
This is the end.
They would die here.
Without even touching a hair on that repulsive creature.
The Northern Archduke’s eyes began to close as he despaired—
“If you fall asleep here, your face will get stuck like that, Your Grace. Time to get up.”
[You… who are you?]
Suddenly, his vision cleared.
His breathing eased.
A familiar voice in his ears.
He turned his head in relief—and there stood Aslan Vermont, walking toward him with a sly smile.
Behind Aslan, something shimmered—
A towering mirage like massive black tendrils reaching across the sky.
