Chapter 137

“Are you mad?” Decio shouted in shock. “Do you have any idea what will happen if someone like you opens the gate?”

Slowly, the entrance to Pandemonium was opening. From the cracked ground, a massive, hissing sound emerged, accompanied by a hot, unpleasant wind.

I buried my face in Ludwig’s shoulder, clinging to him tightly. He held me firmly, making sure I wouldn’t be swept away by the monsters from Pandemonium.

“This is suicide!”

Ludwig said nothing more, while Decio’s voice rose in panic. His fear was palpable.

Of course it would be.

The monsters of Pandemonium only obey the one who opens the gate.

The tide of battle was about to turn.

We had deliberately engaged Decio in an unwinnable fight, making him exhaust his magical energy.

The moment the gate opened, he would be helpless.

If he had retained much of his magic, he might have been able to fend off the monsters and seize Ludwig’s sword, but now he couldn’t.

The creatures of Pandemonium crave concentrated life force the most.

That is dark magic.

Without control over the monsters, Decio would be the first to become their prey.

But Decio wasn’t entirely wrong.

Opening the gate to Pandemonium was a foolish act for an ordinary person.

Pandemonium is, quite literally, hell.

No ordinary person could withstand the mental strain of opening the gate.

But Ludwig had insisted on being the one to open it.

‘Isn’t this the way to cause the least harm to the Arlo Kingdom?’

His words echoed in my ears from when we planned this.

* * *

I had objected.

Opening the gate to hell would place immense strain on Ludwig’s body and mind.

His other subordinates also protested vehemently.

But Ludwig was resolute.

“But what if the Rohitham sword is taken? Decio Crestwell will amass enormous dark magic and storm the capital.”

If that happened, the Red Crows would ravage the land in search of the sword, leaving destruction in their wake.

Even if our mages strengthened the barrier, the Red Crows’ guerrilla tactics would lead to accumulated damage.

Ludwig’s proposal was to lure them into one place and annihilate them all at once.

“But what if something happens to the Duke after opening the gate?”

The king had asked Ludwig.

Ludwig answered firmly.

“Then kill me. The monsters of Pandemonium will lose their focus and return underground.”

I had suggested breaking the sword to prevent it from being used as a key, but there was no such way.

If there had been, it would have been destroyed long ago, not passed down as a family heirloom.

The king seemed satisfied with Ludwig’s strategy.

Countless plans were drafted based on his proposal.

Plan B, C, D… it was overwhelming.

By then, all I could do was hope Plan A would succeed.

“What happens to the person who opens the gate to Pandemonium?”

“They gain the obedience of the monsters, but they also face constant temptation.”

Ludwig smiled at me.

“Like the shards of the goblin’s mirror in ‘The Snow Queen.’”

The analogy made my heart sink.

“But Kai returns home, doesn’t he?”

Understanding my distress, Ludwig tried to comfort me.

It was then that I decided to be Ludwig’s Gerda.

To hand him the sword and stay by his side, keeping him from being dragged into hell.

Ludwig tried to dissuade me, citing the danger.

But he was equally at risk.

“I want you to think of protecting me,” I said.

Ludwig gazed at me for a long time.

“I want you to hold me and never let go.”

In the end, Ludwig yielded to me.

I was assigned the role of hiding with the Rohitham sword while Ludwig fought Decio.

After that, it was practice, practice, practice.

War drills were no different from stage rehearsals.

And as I mentioned before, my specialty was acting.

* * *

The means to control the monsters of Pandemonium were either dark magic of the same kind or a noble spirit and will.

The horrific cries of the monsters assaulted my ears.

Yet I didn’t look back.

I didn’t want to be swayed by the hellish scene.

I clung to Ludwig, focusing only on his face.

His jaw clenched with such force that his veins bulged.

The blood vessels in his eyes burst, staining his whites red.

“Devour my enemy,” he commanded the monsters.

It was the first time I heard his voice so cold.

The monsters immediately obeyed the one who opened the gate.

I heard the unsettling sound of them charging.

The unearthly wails of the monsters were punctuated by Decio’s screams.

“No, what is this? Aargh!”

The leader of the Red Crows.

Such a pathetic end for him.

Some might say it was an anticlimactic finish.

But for me, it wasn’t over yet.

I was desperate.

“Roche…”

I called him by the name I had given him, not the formal name of Rohitham.

But Ludwig did not respond to my call.

He stared off into the distance.

His face was a mask of determination, battling an inner struggle.

He trembled, clenching his teeth.

Resisting the allure of evil.

Holding me tight in his arms.

I wrapped my arms around Ludwig’s neck tightly.

“Roche…”

I’m here.

“Deactivate the barrier! All tower mages, retreat!”

Commands were shouted from behind us.

The mages who had bound the Red Crows and erected the barrier were to retreat as soon as Decio was subdued.

As a precaution.

Ludwig would then command the monsters to wipe out the Red Crows.

That was our plan.

“Let the festivities begin!”

As the mages retreated, Ludwig shouted.

The monsters obeyed his command once more.

I heard the unsettling sound of footsteps, fast and predatory, chasing after the fleeing Red Crows. They would feast on their dark magic.

I kept my gaze fixed on Ludwig’s face.

His eyes darted around constantly.

I knew instinctively.

He was connected to some of the monsters, sharing their vision.

Probably…

“To the south!”

Ludwig shouted.

Toward the Duchy of Rohitham.

He planned to drive the monsters to reclaim the duchy, which had become the Red Crows’ nest, until he reached his mental limit.

His body began to grow cold.

I immediately removed his gloves and held his hands.

Whispering into his ear.

“Roche…”

His breath was ragged.

Roche did not respond.

He continued issuing commands to the monsters.

I didn’t know if he could hear me, but I kept calling his name.

I stroked his soft curls, warming his cold body with my own.

Whenever anxiety and helplessness threatened to overwhelm me, I thought of Gerda.

Foam trickled from between Ludwig’s clenched teeth.

His body shook uncontrollably.

I cupped his cheeks, turning his face to look at me.

At first, I wasn’t sure if he could see me.

His face even seemed frightening.

If he lost his mind, the retreating mages would bombard this area, wiping us out.

I couldn’t let that happen.

“Roche.”

I called him softly.

And I smiled.

“Roche…”

I’ll keep calling until you answer.

His hand was still cold.

But his eyes began to move, focusing on me.

“I’m here.”

So don’t go anywhere; don’t get distracted; think of me.

We haven’t done anything yet.

It would be a waste to lose our lives to such a dangerous plan.

“Roche.”

I didn’t know how many times I called.

But I kept calling, over and over.

Time seemed to drag on.

Ludwig’s stiff arms finally went slack.

He swayed.

“Yes… Countess.”

He managed to whisper, his voice a pained sigh.

His words made me want to cry.

Ludwig swayed and fell forward.

I fell backward, cushioning his fall with my skirts.

The first thought was the pain of the fall.

Then I smiled, thinking it was like the day we first met.

…Is it over?

I brushed my fingers through Ludwig’s hair.

And for the first time, I looked away from him.

If everything had gone well, a mage would come to inform me of the outcome, having received communication from Ludwig’s people, Chris.