The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years – Chapter 209 – Hell (6)
Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey looked at Lord for a moment before he finally spoke.
“I met God.”
[Hoh.]
“To be precise, it was a being who referred to himself as God. He looks just like you do. No. It would be more accurate to say that you copied his appearance.”
[…]
Lord went silent.
Frey couldn’t help but feel it was regrettable that he couldn’t see his expression. But if he had any features, he was certain his expression would be terrible.
[What did he tell you?]
“I have no intention of telling you.”
[Hmm. Then why did you say anything about this God in the first place?]
“Can’t you tell? Just as you know secrets that I don’t, I am the same. He told me a lot of interesting things. For example… about the <Celestial World>.”
[…!]
There was a reaction for the first time.
Frey didn’t miss the faint reaction.
‘I’m not sure how much he knows.’
Frey didn’t believe every word God told him. He’d said that Lucifer was the only one in the world who knew the things he’d told him, but he’d also said that he didn’t pay much attention to the world as he was always busy.
‘This means that even if Lucifer was the only one who knew it in the past, that might not be the case now.’
Lord also knew something about the Celestial World. His slight reaction to his words had proved that.
That was part of the reason why Frey had brought up God in the first place. Because he felt that Lord would try to tell him lies.
‘Most of what he said so far is probably true.’
The vicious attitudes of the Dragons thousands of years ago, the miserable lives of humans at that time, and what would have happened if the Dragon Lord won.
Of course, since it was coming from Lord’s mouth, it was definitely somewhat biased towards the Demigods, but other than that biased interpretation, most of it should have been true.
This conclusion came from Lord’s attitude and the information Frey already knew.
‘But it might be different from now on.’
‘He could make things up.’
Lord is an insidious creature.
He was different from the other Demigods. This was a being who knew how to scheme properly.
‘Hiding one lie amongst nine truths.’
The truth that he told so far could very well be preparation for the lies he intended to tell.
That was why Frey mentioned the Celestial World. He made it so Lord thought he already knew some of the information he was about to tell him.
That way, he would feel uncomfortable telling any lies. Because Frey might already know enough information to see through his lies.
That was enough for now.
He could be satisfied with the fact that he’d suppressed Lord’s possible lies to an extent.
‘Lord is trying to gain my trust.’
There was one thing he could be certain of.
Lord’s biggest enemy at that moment was not him; it was Lucifer.
It was the same for Lucifer.
They were beings who would never be able to see eye to eye, and they were desperate for Frey’s help to get rid of the other.
[…fine. Let’s start the conversation.]
After a brief silence, Lord opened his mouth and spoke in a serious tone.
From his tone, Frey noticed that Lord’s thoughts had changed a little. Something had changed.
Frey only hoped that this would mean a positive result for him.
[5,000 years ago. Before the battle between the Dragon Lord and I, we made a promise.]
“A promise?”
[The winner would become the Continent’s balance.]
Frey didn’t ask what the balance was.
Lord looked at him in silence as though he found this fact interesting.
‘I should have pretended that I’d never heard of it before.’
Frey lamented for a moment before shaking his head.
Hiding his inner thoughts, he continued to listen to Lord.
[It was a fierce battle. If there were maps in those days, it would have taken at least a few days to fix it. Dozens of mountains disappeared, and the sea was overturned. This fight lasted for decades.]
That would have been a terrible disaster for the Continent.
If the Dragon Lord’s power was comparable to Lord’s, dozens of civilizations would have disappeared during that fight. They would have been like shrimp in a fight between whales.
[My kind and the Dragons did not get into the fight. Because we didn’t want them to. And in the end, I won. I was the one who won. But the Dragon Lord didn’t keep his promise.]
“You mean he didn’t give you the right to become the balance?”
[That’s right. And because I couldn’t kill the Dragon Lord, I decided to bury him in Hell. To later absorb him when the connection between him and the Continent had faded.]
“…”
[So I want to ask. Was I wrong? Or is he the one who was in the wrong?]
“Generally speaking, the person who didn’t keep their promise is wrong.”
Frey, who had been speechless for a while, continued before Lord could speak.
“And the one who dares to tell lies is also wrong.”
[…you think I’m lying?]
“Don’t you think my accumulated hatred is too deep to try to earn my trust with just a few words?”
Lord shrugged his shoulders as though he agreed.
“Tell me why you say Lucifer is dangerous.”
[He is greedy.]
Frey frowned.
“That’s a little different from what I know. God said that he was the most arrogant being in the universe.”
[Both are true. And in a way, they are related.]
Lord turned his head to look out over the Demon World.
[This world won’t last much longer.]
“…what?”
[Hell will disappear. It is something that was set to happen a long time ago. It’s also something that can’t be changed. Right, since you know about the Celestial World, it’s easier to talk about this. Sooner or later, the same thing will happen here. Possibly sooner.”
“Why?”
[Because Lucifer couldn’t become the balance.]
“He devoured Satan but couldn’t become the balance.”
[Hoh.]
Eyes appeared on Lord’s face, a light of interest shining within them.
However, a shadowed look appeared in his eyes not long after.
[You know quite a bit. That’s something that happened during the period of the world’s creation… So it seems you truly met God.]
It seemed Lord had also been testing to see if Frey was bluffing or not. And the words he’d just said seemed to prove that he wasn’t bluffing.
‘On the bright side.’
He wasn’t sure why, but the negotiation felt more dangerous than the numerous life-or-death battles he’d had up to that point. Perhaps because his opponent was Lord.
[Lucifer tried to become the balance without permission. But it didn’t work because Satan was already dead at that time. He’d absorbed Satan’s corpse.]
“The balance was already dead? Then why wasn’t the Demon World destroyed?”
[It is going to be destroyed. It’s happening even right now. It’s just that it’s happening slowly. Even at this moment, Satan’s body is still being digested in Lucifer’s stomach. It was a pretty good plan. Hell managed to last a pretty long time as a result. But when that process is over, this world will also be over.]
“…”
Frey frowned.
“Then what is Lucifer’s goal?”
[To reign over a new world.]
“So he plans to head to the Continent.”
Frey sighed.
In the end, it was as he expected.
Lucifer also had an insidious goal.
“But how does he intend to ignore the laws of the world? Aren’t demons unable to move freely on the Continent?”
“If it’s a pure demon, then yes. But that’s not the case for the current Lucifer. Now, he has the power to travel freely between the Continent and Hell as he pleases.”
“What?”
[You know what my power is, don’t you?]
Frey nodded.
“Dominion over space.”
[Soon after first coming to Hell, I went directly to the place where the Dragon Lord was buried. It wasn’t hard to deceive the eyes of Barbatos, the owner of the Despair Hell. But it was too late. The ‘core’ was already gone.]
“The core? Are you talking about his Dragon Heart?”
[It’s a bit different, but I won’t say you’re completely wrong. The core is in the Dragon Heart. To put it simply, it is the qualification to become the balance in a material form.]
“…”
[You must have met Dro. And I assume you believe he is the Dragon Lord.]
“No, he’s not.”
[Huht.]
Lord chuckled.
[That’s right. He isn’t.]
* * *
Dro began recalling memories from the past. The distant past.
Fragments of things that he thought he would never have been able to remember once again appeared in his mind. Then they began to merge.
[You lost.]
He heard a voice.
A being that constantly radiated white light was the one talking to him. It was the Demigod Lord.
But he couldn’t understand what he was saying. He didn’t lose. He wasn’t defeated.
It wasn’t a fair fight.
While he was obligated to take care of and protect the Continent, Lord didn’t have those restrictions.
They were the one that carried and the one that wanted to take.
That was the difference between winning and losing.
‘I didn’t lose!’
Dro’s scream was swallowed by the darkness.
He was buried alive beneath the Demon World.
He had no strength at all. He couldn’t even move a muscle.
Nevertheless, he could feel it. His ‘connection’ to the Continent grew weaker as time passed. He was constantly in pain as what seemed like an eternity went by.
To him, this was far worse torture than being imprisoned in Hell.
‘Lord is going to swallow me.’
He would try to take the right in an unjust manner.
It was unacceptable. He couldn’t hand the Continent over to a guy like that.
But there was nothing he could do. The fierce energy that permeated the ground of the Demon World constantly weakened him.
His mana couldn’t move. Even his voice could not be heard.
He was being forced to die slowly.
Time passed.
How long had it been?
He didn’t know.
He hated this place. It was cold. Damp.
He wanted to go back.
‘To my world… to my continent…’
“Are you still alive?”
Then he heard a voice.
Dro opened his eyes. And for the first time, he was actually grateful that he was able to do that.
Because for the first time, he was able to ‘see’ something.
It was a man with incredibly pale skin.
“It seems you’re still conscious. That’s good. What a relief.”
“…you…. Who are… you?”
“I’m Lucifer, Balance of the Continent. It’s sudden, but I have one thing to inform you about. Ah. Of course, I’ll tell you in advance that it’s not harmful to you in any way.
“In… form?”
Lucifer smiled brightly and said.
“That fight—I don’t think you lost it.”
“Fight…”
Dro, who was blankly looking at this man, nodded slowly but without hesitation.
“Right. Didn’t lose… I didn’t lose.”
“But I can’t say you won either.”
This time, the answer did not come immediately.
But this was a fact that even Dro knew.
“That’s… right. That’s right. I didn’t win. Then the fight is…”
“It’s a draw.”
“…!”
It was as though a bolt of lightning struck his head.
Dro trembled in excitement.
“Just now… what did you say?”
“The fight was a draw. Wasn’t it?”
“Right! Right…”
Dro repeated Lucifer’s words as though he was out of his mind.
Why didn’t he realise it when it was so simple?
The fight was a draw. There was no conclusion!
It was a tie!
Dro spoke with confidence.
“Right. You’re right.”
Lucifer drew a line around his mouth as he agreed with Dro.
“A draw.”