The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 208 – Hell (5)
Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
‘Did I hear that incorrectly?’
No. It wasn’t possible.
Frey didn’t even know what kind of expression he was making at that moment. He even wanted to feel his face to check.
The words that Heimdall had just said were too unbelievable.
Be polite? Like he was one of their kind?
He couldn’t believe that Lord would say such words.
Frey spoke coldly.
“Nonsense.”
“Right. Don’t be ridiculous, Heimdall.”
One of the Demigods beside him agreed with Frey’s words. His voice was fierce, and his eyes had a hideous glow, as though he was ready to tear his opponent apart without any hesitation.
“He is an enemy who has killed many of our people. I don’t need to talk. I’m going to kill him here.”
“You are no match for him, Kullis.”
Crunch.
The Demigod named Kullis grit his teeth at those words, but he held back his violent behaviour.
It was a sign that the Demigods’ thoughts had changed a lot.
He didn’t vent his anger even though he was told he was weaker than a mortal. In fact, Kullis was not confident that he could defeat Frey on his own.
Heimdall looked at Frey again and said.
“Frey Blake, it doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. However… Lord seemed certain of your arrival.”
“…”
Frey guessed the reason.
Iris Phisfounder.
Was he using her as a hostage?
The situation wasn’t good. Nevertheless, a smile spread across Frey’s lips.
Of course, it was a smile colder than ice.
“Right. That’s more like Lord.”
He would not have understood if he hadn’t said that. Even if he pretended to have suddenly gotten a change of heart, he would only feel suspicion.
Frey pointed to Lilith, who was still staring without understanding what was going on.
“Do not touch Lilith anymore.”
“Ha. Why the hell would we listen to-”
“We understand.”
Kullis opened his mouth to retort, but Heimdall nodded gently.
It seemed that Heimdall’s position was higher than the other Demigods’ there.
Of course, all Demigods were viewed equally by each other, but it was a difference in speaking right.
Lord and the Apocalypses were representative of this.
“Follow me.”
After saying that, Heimdall turned around. Most of the other Demigods seemed to be just as displeased as Kullis was, but they didn’t express it openly.
Lilith urgently called out to Frey, who was about to leave.
“Y-, you. Why did you save me?”
“Because it’s not time for you to die yet.”
“What?”
“Tell Asura. Tell him that he must not trust Lucifer.”
“W-, wait.”
Frey didn’t listen and followed Heimdall away.
Except for Lucifer, the five Lords of Hell must not be allowed to die. Because they were the best deterrent to hold Lord and Lucifer back.
* * *
Lord looked no different from the last time he saw him.
He was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking at Frey.
What was unusual was that the land around him was not black. Instead, it was fertile and grassy as though they’d returned to the continent.
[Welcome.]
“…”
Frey didn’t know what to say.
He never could have imagined that a day would come when he’d hear this word from Lord.
He felt strange.
Of course, it wasn’t a good feeling. Instead, it was a feeling so unpleasant that it gave him goosebumps.
His disgust increased, and Frey didn’t try to hide it.
[You’re too quick-tempered. Why don’t we sit first?]
The space split open, and two chairs appeared.
[There is none of that murky energy unique to hell around here. I purified it. I made it so that it would make people from the continent like us more comfortable. Do you like it?]
“You’re out of your mind. Are you trying to build rapport? Are you foolish enough to think we could ever be close?”
[Not at all. I just want to talk.]
“Talk. Talk?”
Frey let out a cold laugh.
“It’s too late for that. 4,000 years too late.”
Lord’s attitude didn’t change even after hearing Frey’s cold words.
Of course, he didn’t suggest he sit down again either.
[I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d come here so easily. It seems you knew this wouldn’t be a trap. Hmm. Or perhaps…]
Lord chuckled softly and said.
[Do you have the confidence to defeat or run away from all of us?]
“I can take at least half of you down with me. Then you would not win against the demons.”
[Right. You calculated it well. You’re correct. I don’t want that kind of result.]
After a moment of silence, Lord spoke once again.
[Frey Blake, would you like to become one of our kind?]
Those words made the surroundings as quiet as death.
The Demigods around him looked at Lord in disbelief. A few of the more hasty ones took steps forward to tell Lord something, but it was Heimdall who silently stopped them.
Nevertheless, his expression was also one of shock.
He couldn’t understand Lord’s intentions.
[You have the power of origin. This is a very special type of energy. It must have caused many changes within you. I’m sure I don’t even need to explain this. You must already feel a sense of solitude as though you are floating alone in space.]
There was great emotion in Lord’s voice.
[If it’s me, no, if it’s us, we can fill that solitude. Become one of us. Then, everything you desire…]
“That’s enough of your bullshit.”
Frey’s tone was harsh.
He rarely got excited, and his time in the mental world had given him even more control over his emotions. But Lord’s words seemed to reach past all of his safeguards to his most sensitive parts, causing Frey to feel an unprecedented rage.
“This is the last warning. Get to the point. What you wanted to say was not this proposal but to make a deal, right?”
[Huhu.]
Lord chuckled before muttering.
[You don’t compromise… just like Riki.]
“…”
[Fine. Let’s move on to the deal.]
With whose words, Lord’s demeanour changed.
[Lucifer is dangerous.]
“You’re one to talk.”
[I understand your hostility towards me, but that kind of attitude makes it difficult for us to communicate.]
At Lord’s words, Frey shut his mouth for a moment. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew he was being too emotional.
Although it was better to keep your calm in front of an enemy, he didn’t intend to fight right away. So he decided to focus on what he was saying first.
[Lucifer is more dangerous than I am.]
“Do you know what he’s after?”
[I know much more than you do.]
Frey recalled his conversation with God. The flaw of the Celestial World, the most arrogant being in the universe.
Did Lord know about this? Did he know about his origin?
‘Michael.’
The balance of the Celestial World.
Frey looked at the leader of the Demigods who was imitating God’s appearance.
[Do you know that the Dragon Lord is in Hell?]
“Yes.”
[About 5,000 years ago, we fought and I won. It was a bloody battle for the fates of our respective races. After I won, the Dragons should have submitted to us. And given their authority to us. They shouldn’t have rebelled against us. That was against the agreement.]
“So they were supposed to watch as you reigned over the continent as gods?”
As Frey laughingly said those words, Lord nodded.
[Exactly.]
“Ha.”
[I don’t think it’s wrong. We just wanted to rule in a peaceful manner, and that thought remains unchanged. If not us, who could play such a role?]
“It would be different if it were the Dragons.”
[Haha! Really? Do you think it really would have been different if it were the Dragons?]
“…what do you mean?”
Lord’s mouth appeared as he let out a hearty laugh.
[Long before 5,000 years ago. Before our battle with the Dragons. Do you know how the humans at that time lived?]
“Those are ancient that couldn’t be recorded in history. I don’t…”
[They were slaves.]
“What?”
[They were the weakest and most insignificant beings on the entire continent. This was natural. Their bodies weren’t strong like the orcs’. They couldn’t communicate with Spirits like the elves. Nor were they as strong as the dwarves.]
“Humans had magic.”
[That might be the case now. However, humans at that time could not even feel mana. Because that was before the concept of Magical Science was established.]
“…”
[But there were many of them at the time. At least enough to overcome the innate weakness of the race. Nevertheless, they were slaves. Why do you think that is?]
Frey felt that there was a deeper meaning behind Lord’s smile.
[Because the Dragons made it that way.]
“…!”
[There weren’t any special reasons or circumstances. The Dragons at that time were nothing like what you knew. They were arrogant and greedy. They needed slaves to satisfy their desires. And the humans were the best race to satisfy their lowly desires. They were moderately intelligent, knew how to bow their heads, and were well suited to the tasks. And more importantly, they were so weak that they couldn’t even think about rebelling.]
“…”
Frey didn’t know what to say.
He wanted to shout that Lord was speaking nonsense, but his voice refused to come out at that moment, as though it had been stuck in his throat.
He couldn’t help but recall Isolla’s words.
‘…while fighting the Demigods, I thought we were the good guys. But it is possible that the Dragons were not a good race.’
[Then who do you think it was who freed the humans?]
Lord continued, his eyes locked onto the speechless Frey.
[It was us, Frey Blake. We changed your fate with our hands. It is the Demigods, whom you hate, who freed you from a life of slavery.]
“…”
[I’ll ask you again. Do you really think your fate would have been different if the Dragon Lord was the one who defeated me 5,000 years ago? Do you believe they would have respected you and cared for you?]
Lord clenched his fist and shouted.
[No! Nothing would have changed! The only thing that would have changed is that the Dragons would be the ones in our place right now!]
“…”
Frey closed his eyes.
He was confused. He didn’t believe everything Lord said, but he was certain that at least most of what he said was true.
‘Is that really possible?’
The possibility of humans joining hands with the Demigods to fight against the Dragons.
It was hard to accept.
Naturally, he was shocked. But the chaos in his head didn’t last very long.
Frey quickly regained his stability. His mind became cool once again, and he was confident that he could dismiss Lord’s words as simple information.
He took a short time to organise his thoughts before he opened his mouth again.
“You have the Dragons.”
[Right. They’re not as noble as you think they are. At some point, they stood together with the weak and fought against us. Declaring that the Demigods were evil. Their hypocrisy was disgusting to me. Nothing more. Most importantly, the Dragon Lord…]
Blood vessels sprang up on Lord’s face.
Frey could clearly see that he was angry.
[Deceived me.]
“Deceived you?”
Lord forcibly controlled his anger.
Then, after a moment, he spoke in a calm voice once again.
[…I will tell you everything I know. After that, think and decide for yourself. I don’t know what decision you’ll make.]
“…”
Frey finally understood the situation.
Lord and Lucifer.
Demigod and Demon.
Their powers had reached their peaks centuries ago. If they were to fight with everything they had, it was highly likely that they would annihilate each other.
Therefore, they turned to Frey. A being who had managed to surpass the limits of mortality. The only one who could break the balance of power.
The third power.
Frey’s choice would be the deciding factor that determined victory or defeat in this battle between absolute beings.