I Became The Academy Necromancer
Chapter 376: Side Story - Demon Lord

I had heard of Helton, the god of stone a few times, but I didn’t recall any related myths or the existence of a Helton religion.

Compared to major gods like Raizel, the god of lightning and clouds; Velas, the god of festivals and joy; and Hearthia, the goddess of hearth and fire—whom I had once faced—his recognition was significantly lower. In other words, among the gods, he was rather insignificant.

Anyway.

After dismissing the people of Iceburn, who had been forced to worship Helton, I looked down at the kneeling god of stone.

“H-How is this possible…?!”

[Haha, calm down. My man here is that amazing.]

Laila Vesh was flustered seeing Helton on his knees while the Dark Spiritualist reassured her.

I found her tone slightly annoying, but I ignored it and turned to question Helton.

“Why did you do this?”

With his arms bound by chains, he averted his gaze.

I worried for a moment that he might be scheming something, but he already seemed too intimidated to try anything.

“So… the truth is…”

Helton, cautiously gauging the situation, was subtly changing the subject. Deia, who stood beside me, glanced at me and asked quietly.

“Are you just going to let him keep dodging the question?”

“I want to see how long he’ll try.”

“…!”

Realizing I had already seen through his pathetic attempt at deception, Helton trembled.

But Deia, frustrated by my response, immediately pulled out her magic gun and aimed it at the back of Helton’s head, which was pressed to the ground.

Bang!

Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger.

Thud!

Of course, a bullet from a magic gun wasn’t enough to harm a god.

Helton only seemed dazed from the impact, but he remained unharmed.

However, the blow was more than enough to shatter his dignity as a god.

“You…!”

He abruptly raised his head and glared at Deia, but the moment his eyes met mine, he quickly shrank back.

The way he kept switching moods so quickly made him seem more like a mere pebble than a god of stone.

“Talk.”

As I tightened the chains binding him, Helton’s face turned red from the pressure.

I was curious to see how much a god of stone could endure. However…

“A-A bloodbath will soon sweep across the Republic again!”

The words that spilled from Helton’s mouth were something I couldn’t ignore.

“Some of the demon lords, like President Magan, are planning to turn the Republic into their playground again!”

“…And that’s why you and the other gods are running wild?”

“I-If the Republic is thrown into chaos again, humans will seek gods to believe in and rely on!”

“Sigh.”

So they already knew the calamity was coming, and they were scheming to make humans turn to the gods for salvation.

The Clark Republic was already full of superstition, so this was the perfect time for them to reinforce their fading presence.

How ridiculous.

In the end, the so-called demon lords and the gods had become partners in a symbiotic relationship.

After all, wasn’t it said that without evil, there would be no need for good?

The gods’ ugliness, exploiting the evil of the demon lords for their own greed, didn’t seem all that different from the demons themselves.

“What’s their plan?”

At my question, Helton wore a dumbfounded expression. His face alone told me he didn’t know much, so I frowned. That was enough for him to hurriedly press his forehead to the ground and cry out.

“I-I don’t know the details, but it definitely involves Acting President Nicolay Foreman!”

“Hah.”

The lack of concrete information was frustrating, but Helton was little more than a minor deity scavenging the scraps of the Demon Lords.

This was likely all the information I could get from him.

“What are you going to do?”

Deia glanced at me and asked.

If the Clark Republic fell into chaos again, it would return to its former state. The country was finally stabilizing, yet it was on the verge of becoming a land of blood and screams once more.

Even when the story ends, life continues.

Even if the so-called fate called [Retry] had ended, those who lived on this land still remained.

They weren’t just NPCs, and this wouldn’t conclude with a simple “and they lived happily ever after.”

“Are you thinking of getting involved? You said you wouldn’t interfere with the continent anymore.”

At Deia’s question, I glanced at her.

“You want me to stay out of it?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

She responded immediately.

Arms crossed, she gave me a cold stare.

“You’ve already done everything you needed to. Is there really any reason for you to get involved again?”

“…”

“From what this rock-head said, it’s not just one or two Demon Lords involved. And if you act, you’ll also end up clashing with the gods who are trying to exploit the situation.”

“…”

“You already died as Deus Verdi. Do you really need to stand up and fight for this land again?”

The Clark Republic was falling into the hands of demons once more. But beyond that, Deia was worried about me.

“From the Acting President to the Griffin Kingdom, many forces are deeply tied to the Republic. This could still be resolved even if you don’t step in.”

Could it really?

If I hadn’t intervened, Magan’s rule would still be ongoing.

The Clark Republic had only been mentioned in passing, and it never had a dedicated episode in Retry.

“And if your power is revealed? You know how Deus Verdi died. The various nations came after you because you possessed the strength to destroy the entire continent on your own.”

Deia’s voice quickened.

At first, she was calmly analyzing the situation, but at some point, her words turned into a plea.

“Just… come with me to Norseweden. Darius, Illuania, and Sevia are waiting for us.”

We were originally supposed to leave for Norseweden around this time, so she wasn’t wrong.

“Deia.”

“Damn it!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

She must have already sensed my answer in my voice. Frustrated, she fired several bullets into the back of Helton’s head.

“It’s not just because I live in the Clark Republic that I’m doing this. And it’s not simply because I pity the people who live here.”

“Then… why?”

“If I don’t extinguish this fire now, someone else will take up her axe again and charge forward in the name of reclaiming freedom.”

“…”

Deia clamped her mouth shut at my words. Right now, Findenai might seem a bit reckless, but she was a woman who had waded through countless corpses to seize her own freedom.

If someone threatened the hard-won freedom she had fought for, Findenai would undoubtedly swing her axe, even if it cost her life.

“It’s for the woman I love.”

That reason alone was enough.

It gave me a justification to risk everything and take action.

“Damn… it.”

Realizing she couldn’t stop me, Deia bit her lip and slightly lowered her head.

Her shoulders trembled as if she was clenching every muscle in her body.

“Finish it as quickly as possible. Then come with me to Norseweden and take a break. Stop getting caught up in this shitty continent’s affairs, demon lords, and gods!”

As Deia let out a sharp cry, I smiled gently and nodded.

I had no intention of dragging this out, either.

“Dark Spiritualist.”

[Yes! Should we charge right away?]

The Dark Spiritualist, thrilled by the idea of storming into Clarkwork, the capital of the Republic, was practically bouncing with excitement. But instead, I shoved Deia toward her.

“Take her home.”

[…Huh? You’re going alone?]

“Yeah. Just in case, make sure you protect Deia. If the gods are making a move, that means someone out there is keeping an eye on me.”

[Hingg, but I wanted to show off my skills too.]

“Forget it. I won’t take long.”

Although reluctant, the Dark Spiritualist took Deia and headed back home, leaving only Helton, Laila Vesh, and me behind.

“Can you prepare a carriage to take me straight to Clarkwork?”

“Ah, y-yes! Of course!”

Laila, who had been listening to Helton’s report, might not have understood everything, but she at least grasped that the Clark Republic was facing another crisis.

And finally—

“You go and tell the other gods.”

Helton, still kneeling before me.

“Tell them that I’m making my move.”

I released his bindings and, without meaning to, spoke in an ice-cold voice.

“And tell them not to show themselves carelessly.”

***

[Wow, I didn’t think they’d actually go for it.]

“Sigh, that just proves how serious they are.”

Deia sighed as she returned home with the Dark Spiritualist. They had been attacked by the demon’s underlings on their way back.

That meant those forces were also keeping an eye on Kim Shinwoo, in case he decided to act.

[If they’re aware of Kim Shinwoo’s existence and still make a move, it means they’re confident they can handle him.]

“It’s not dangerous, is it?”

Deia asked as she opened the door and stepped into the living room. The Dark Spiritualist simply grinned.

[Who? Kim Shinwoo? Do you really think that man could ever be in danger?]

Since she had already said that, it felt somewhat reassuring.

The Dark Spiritualist might have a goofy personality, but she was still Kim Shinwoo’s teacher when it came to necromancy.

If she was that certain, there was no need to worry for Deia.

[But it might take some time. You know how complicated his way of handling things is. In situations like this, it’s actually easier when people like Findenai step in.]

Just storm in, destroy everything, and be done with it.

“Why me?”

Findenai sat at the table, munching on a piece of bread. The apologetic figure who had bowed her head in remorse yesterday was nowhere to be seen—she was back to her usual self.

It’s better not to say anything, right?

If Findenai found out the Clark Republic was in danger, things could escalate quickly.

Deia tried to gloss over the situation, but—

[Oh, the Demon Lords are targeting the Clark Republic again, so Kim Shinwoo went to deal with it.]

With a bright smile, the Dark Spiritualist casually spilled everything that had happened that day.

“…What?”

At first, Findenai’s expression showed that she didn’t fully understand.

But the atmosphere quickly grew ominous.

It felt like the very air around them was being dyed in blood-red hues.

Seriously.

Was this truly the same woman who had been casually munching on bread just moments ago?

That thought crossed their minds.

“Sigh… those fucking bastards.”

Letting out a low growl, Findenai ran a hand through her bangs and stood up.

“My halberd. You put it in storage, right?”

[Yes! It was so cold that I wanted to sleep hugging it during the summer, so I covered it with cloth to keep it from getting dusty!]

At the Dark Spiritualist’s cheerful reply, Findenai immediately kicked open the door and stormed outside.

“Weren’t you not supposed to say anything?”

As soon as Findenai left, Deia turned to the Dark Spiritualist and questioned her.

[Don’t worry! I’ll stick close and make sure she doesn’t cause too much trouble!]

The Dark Spiritualist declared, rolling her shoulders as if she had been waiting for this moment.

Ah…

And only then did Deia realize, the Dark Spiritualist had been disappointed that Kim Shinwoo had gone alone.

The self-proclaimed greatest Necromancer was, quite frankly, bored.

[Stay here with Stella and be careful. Besides, those trashy demons wouldn’t even dare meet Stella’s gaze anyway.]

“…”

[Findenai! Wait up, I’m coming with you!]

***

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