Ch. 137: Prologue - A Tale of the Defeated
This is a story about a defeated man.
He had lost long ago, and the memories of him were now fading away with time.
Although he was defeated in every single aspect, he still clawed a deep scar into humanity.
That is why his name has not been forgotten, and even after his death, many people remained terrorized by the thought of him.
But that did not change the fact that he had lost in the end.
<<<<>>>>
In the northernmost region, there was a country called Remnant Wizard Nation.
The country is no more, but at the time, in the largest town, inside a small smith shop, a young man stood there.
“You……you can’t use any Spells?” The master of the smith shop spoke as he looked at the young man up and down sleazily.
The young man stood straight as he answered back.
“Yes, but I will work harder than anyoneーー”
“You think a good-for-nothing like you can get a job here?!”
<WHAM!!>
And with a burst of sound, the young man looking for a job was blown backwards by a Spell.
“BーBut…..please sir! I will work harder than everyone else!”
“Your compatibility is [None] to all Magic Types! How can you even call yourself a person if you can’t even use a single Spell?! Get out of my store, you trash!!”
There was an idealism called Spell Superiority Extremism・Magi-nism.
Man and beast. The difference lies in the use of Spells.
By being blessed with the ability to use Spells by God, man became man and was distinguished from beasts.
But those were the ideals from the days and age of Fairy Tales.
But in this day and age, at least for this country……it was the most accepted ideal at the time.
“(sigh).........that was my 30th interview……no one’s wanting to give me a chance…..”
The young man was born from a poor town.
Because he could not use Spells, he worked physically harder than anyone else.
He worked desperately on the farms. He took care of the farm animals.
But……in the end, being unable to support everyone living there, the town had to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
No matter how hard he worked…..no matter how desperately he fought……he was unable to match the superhuman power of [Spells].
“What should I do…….at this rate…..I can’t afford food……”
The young man looked troubled as he glanced at the bronze coins in his hand.
He had 15 left. That would be barely enough for 2 meals if he’s lucky.
He needs to find a job quickly.
But there was no place that would employ someone who could not use a single [Spell].
“(sigh)........”
The young man sat down in an alleyway as he pondered his future and curled up.
“What should I do…..”
But there was no one who could answer him there.
<<<<>>>>
They say that it only takes a moment for a man to fall away from their humanity.
The young man scavenged through the leftovers in the trash as he agreed to the saying.
There was no job for a [useless] man like him.
There was no place to stay for a [useless] man like him.
It means that without being able to use Spells, there was no way for him to live.
That’s what he was scavenging through the trash for food.
He could no longer recall when he ate a decent meal last.
All he could think about was how not to starve.
All he could think about was how he would make it through tomorrow.
“I’d like to eat bread that’s not spoiled.”
During the night, he would go through a restaurant’s trash as he mumbled to himself.
“I want to drink…..a warm soup….”
But that was food he could eat when he was still treated as human.
It was a luxury that someone who could not even call themselves human could only dream of.
That’s why he was fighting over the leftovers with the rats and insects……
He had to consider himself lucky just to be able to eat leftover trash.
Because everyone who was homeless like him…..eventually died of hunger.
And as the young man dug through the trash, a single beam of light crossed into the alleyway.
“.........!!”
The young man turned pale as he dashed madly away.
There was no time to contemplate who that could have been.
The light was most likely coming from the city security, from the City Police.
They are responsible for protecting the peace of the town.
Hence, countless homeless people were <wiped out> by them.
It’s not someone a young man who can’t use Spells can fight against.
That’s why he ran.
He ran and ran and continued to run without any plans or thought……
<<<<>>>>
By the time his thoughts caught up with him, he was under a bridge.
There was a large sewage pipe there, and water from the city was draining out of it.
The odor was unbearable.
But even the city security wouldn’t bother to check in here.
Because of that, it was the safest place he could think of.
“..........(gasp). (gasp)......”
With a malnourished body, it only took a short run to be out of breath.
“.......(gasp)..........”
But that last breath was not to catch his breath.
He had towering mountains of worries before his eyes any time he thought about the future.
“.........if I die………would it be easier…..?”
It was not the first or second time the thought crossed his mind.
But in a country that revoked his rights as a human being, where could he find a place to easily die? “No………there’s not even a reason for me to try, I guess.”
Yes. In a not-so-distant future, he would meet his end at this rate.
He already knew that. It was obvious.
“.......what’s so great……about [Spells].....”
And why is it so damnably important to everyone?” If you can’t use Spells, are you truly not even human? But the young man lacked education and nutrients for his body to even be able to start thinking of an answer.
“What……am I even doing here……”
As if to give up on everything, he laid on his back and let out his frustration.
“It…….it wasn’t……..it wasn’t supposed to be like this at all…….”
When he was little, him and all his peers dreamed of becoming a [Hero].
A Flame Wizard who enveloped the power of Fire and defeated countless Monsters.
A Water Wizard who would protect countless Adventurers as they fought against evil.
An Earth Wizard who would use the earth as his weapon as he fought in wars.
A Wind Wizard who would use the gales to cut everything down and support his comrades.
He wanted that more than anything else in the world. It was what he aspired to his entire life.
But when he reached the age of 12 and arrived at the Compatibility Ritual, they announced the word [none] repeatedly across the board.
Against all Magic Types, he was a compatibility-less trash.
“...........I want to die…..”
But he couldn’t so he gazed up at the sky.
He would crawl around on the earth miserably and live another day.
“I want to die.”
“You’re going to die?” The young man thought the voice answering his own voice was a delusion.
“..............who?”
But the voice came from a young girl.
Her clothes were ragged and drenched in the sewage as she popped her head out of the pipe.
“I could ask the same thing to you, mister. Who are you?” “I……I’m Luci. What’s your name?” “I’m Lanaana.”
“ “ So why are you here? ” ”
The two asked the question in unison.
Luci: “.........IーI can’t use any Spells so……I’m just waiting here for the City Policy to pass by.”
Lanaana: “Really?” As Luci spoke, Lanaana’s face brightened instantly.
Lanaana: “You really can’t use Spells?” Luci: “YーYes. I can’t at all.”
Lanaana: “Then, you’re the same as me.”
Luci: “The same……?” Lanaana: “I can’t use Spells either.”
This was the very first person Luci met that <was the same as him>.
Lanaana: “So, really? Really, really? You really can’t use Spells?” Luci: “Yeah, I really can’t. You too?”
Lanaana: “Call me Lanaana.”
Luci: “.......you can’t either, Lanaana?”
Lanaana: “Yup. Since I can’t use any Spells, they threw me away.”
Luci: “Me too.” Lanaana: “Then we’re the same!”
Luci couldn’t understand why Lanaana was so happy, but with every question he answered, her smile brightened more and more.
After that, they spent more time together.
Lanaana knew the layout of the sewage system that was strewn throughout the city by heart, and they didn’t have to worry about getting caught by the City Police if they used it to travel. The stench was awful, but it was warmer inside the sewer pipes than walking outside.
And there were no others inside the sewers besides themselves.
There was something very comforting about that.
It was as if they were able to escape into their own separate world.
Lanaana: “Luci, do you have a dream?” Luci: “Nope. What about you, Lanaana?” Lanaana: “Me? My dream is to just be with you.”
When they slept, they held each other every night.
Both of them feared the day they would wake up and see the other gone.
Luci: “Then that’s my dream too.” Lanaana: “He he he.”
And they were both scared.
The two [useless], lonely people would not be able to live without one another.
Lanaana: “Hey, Luci.” Luci: “What is it?” Lanaana: “I like you, Luci.” Luci: “I like you too, Lanaana.” In a world where they were left alone, as long as they had each other.
Luci: “Hey, Lanaana.” Lanaana: “What is it?”
Luci: “Do you want to run away from here?” Lanaana: “Where do you want to go?”
Luci: “I want to live in the forest.” Lanaana: “I don’t care as long as you’re there.”
Lanaana spoke matter of factly and hugged Luci tightly.
And in response, Luci hugged Lanaana back.
That day, they left the city.
If they had one another, they believed that they could live anywhere.
If they had one another, they believed that they could go anywhere.
Lanaana: “Luci, look. The sun. It’s so beautiful.”
Luci: “I think you’re more beautiful, Lanaana.” How long has it been since they were able to walk boldly under the light of the sun? And the two walked and walked, and walked farther into the horizon.
And eventually, they settled down in a forest that was far from the main road.
Luci: “Let’s live here, Lanaana.”
Lanaana: “It’s a wonderful location.”
Inside the forest, the sunlight filtered through the canopy of leaves and branches, and the view was serene.
Luci: “I’ll build a house here.”
Lanaana: “Can you build one?”
Luci: “I’ll do my best.” Lanaana: “I’ll help you too.”
First, they had to make the tools for construction.
They needed an ax to cut the trees and a blade to help make the ax.
Since there wasn’t any metal, they started with sharpened stones.
They collected food from the forest by eating fruits and nuts and also by hunting animals.
Ironically, they lives more like people here than when they were living in the city.
Lanaana: “Luci.” Luci: “What is it?”
As the campfire was dying, Lanaana smiled.
Lanaana: “I’m so glad that we met.”
Luci: “Me too.” And the next days and months flowed by quickly.
<<<<>>>>
And finally, in an uninhabited forest, a small house with a small farm appeared.
It took a few hours, but they could walk to the nearest town.
It was far from the main road and very inconvenient to travel to.
But for the [useless] people who could not use Spells, it was paradise.
And it was no longer just the two of them.
Luci: “Saara, over here.” Saara: “Papa, look! Fishies!”
A few years ago, they had a daughter together, and she was now peeking into the river.
Just like them, she had no talent for Spells, but it was their precious and only daughter.
Luci: “If you fall into the river, you’ll get wet.”
Saara: “Okay!”
And she was a very obedient and dutiful daughter.
She listened to Luci and Lanaana very well.
For her, she did not care about what lay outside the forest.
Because this small piece of land was everything to them.
And that was all that mattered.
Saara: “Papa, what are you doing?” Luci: “I’m preparing for the winter. It’s going to be winter soon, so we need to catch some food.”
Saara: “Will it snow?” Luci: “Yes, a lot.”
They lived in the northernmost country on the continent.
The winters were harsh and difficult.
Since they could not use Spells to stay warm, they would have to collect enough firewood to stay warm.
That’s why they needed to collect enough resources to survive the winter, and even more importantly, they would need food too.
But neither Luci nor Lanaana were worried about that.
They have overcome many winters together.
This year, they have more resources stored than usual, and they now only needed to work through another winter.
Luci’s skill with hunting was not great but enough.
He had confidence that he could out-do anyone in a non-Spell hunting competition……but in this world, that was a pointless strength.
Luci: “I’m back, Lanaana.”
Lanaana: “Welcome back, Luci.”
When he arrived home, Lanaana was preparing dinner.
Saara: “Mama! I’m home!!”
Saara ran and jumped into Lanaana’s arms.
Saara’s beautiful golden hair danced into the air.
Lanaana: “What’s wrong, Luci?” Luci: “No, it’s nothing. I was thinking about how happy I am.”
It was an ordinary sight, but Luci enjoyed every second of it.
He hoped that things would stay this way forever.
He wished from the bottom of his heart that things would continue this way.
Even if it was something he didn’t deserve.
And as time passed, winter came.
Saara: “Look, Papa! Snow!”
Luci: “...........there’s so much snow….”
In winter, there is heavy snowfall.
Living in the north part of the country, it was what everyone expected.
Saara: “Papa! It’s amazing! It’s so fluffy and soft!”
Luci: “Saara, you’ll catch a cold.”
Saara: “Mama, lookー!”
And though Saara usually listened to her parents well, seeing the first snow of the winter, she couldn’t hold back her childish glee.
Luci thought about how he needed to remove the snow from the roof. But as he thought of the chores to come, he smiled as he watched Saara.
Luci: “Lanaana, please play with Saara.”
Lanaana: “Is that okay, Luci?” Luci: “I need to go on the roof to shovel the snow off.”
The winter forest was incredibly quiet, and Saara’s excited voice carried through the air clearly.
Saara: “Mama! Icicles!”
Lanaana: “Yes, there are icicles.”
Lanaana picked Saara up and let Saara pick up an icicle in her hand.
Saara studied the icicle intently as if it was the first time she saw one.
Saara: “It’s pretty……..”
Lanaana: “Your hands will get cold.”
Saara: “I want to show it to Papa!”
Lanaana: “You do? I’m sure he’ll like that.” Saara showed off the icicle to Luci.
Luci received it with a smile.
And the ordinary days continued to pass.
They passed day by day, and continued to move on to the next day.
But it only took a moment to shatter it.
It was July, but the winter persisted.
It is indeed the northernmost country, so winter is longer in comparison to other regions.
But even so, it was unheard of for the snow to not melt by July.
By May, the snow would start melting, and new life would start sprouting from the ground.
But even so, rather than melting, more blizzards continued to ravage the area.
Saara: “Papa, when will spring come?” Luci: “Hmmmー.....even Papa doesn’t know that.”
Luci fed the fire in the stove more wood as he strained a smile.
And that year, August and September passed………and after a full year, the next winter started.
Lanaana: “The winter was long this year……”
Luci: “I hope we get to see summer next year.”
And neither Luci, Lanaana, nor Saara knew.
Nearby in the forest, a Dragon with the title of [Winter] resided.
That the Dragon brought disruptions to the weather as it traveled.
The next year, a severe famine struck the Remnant Wizard Nation.
There was nothing hardy enough to harvest when winter never ended. Though they sent requests to other countries for assistance, no one lent a helping hand.
The Remnant Wizard Nation took all of its finances and resources to support its citizens, but it was impossible to meet all the needs.
If they could leave the country, they would have, but the majority of townsmen and poor citizens had nowhere else to go.
So anything that could be eaten was eaten.
Any grass or weeds that survived the winter, any tree roots that were clinging to the last bit of life…..and they even ate the horses which were their only means of transportation.
Even then, the famine was not satiated.
Luci: “I’ll go for a hunt.” Lanaana: “Will you be okay, Luci? I know the weather is better but…..”
Luci: “The winter could turn bad again, so I want to go out and hunt something while it remains calm.”
And Luci and his family were no exception. They had already reached the bottom of their food supply.
If he’s going hunting, he would be looking for rabbits, deer, or even a hibernating bear.
They needed to eat something to prevent them from starving to death.
That’s why Luci wanted to go hunt for food.
Saara: “Hey, Papa. I want to go with you.” Luci: “You want to come, Saara?” Saara: “Yes, I want to help.”
Luci: “Saara, it’ll be dangerous so please stay home.” Saara: “But I want to go!!”
Seeing Saara throw a fit, Luci could not help but hide his smile.
Luci: “Okay. You can come too, but you can’t talk. And you have to listen to everything I tell you.” And Saara nodded to Luci’s words.
And it was something Luci knew that he had to do sooner or later.
He had to teach Saara how to hunt.
<<<<>>>>
That was just a single miracle from Heaven that sailed down among the torrential nightmare that was about to befall them.
Saara followed after Luci.
And that’s why Luci did not lose everything.
<<<<>>>>
Humans are foolish and wickedーー
That was all Luci could think about as he stood there and watched the world tainted in crimson from the evening sky.
He held a rabbit in his right hand and was on the way back home.
He expected that Lanaana must have been quite bored waiting at the house and was waiting for them to come home.
That was supposed to be the case.
Luci watched the tragedy unfold before him and saw it through the lens of someone else’ eyes.
Luci: (People are such fools………)
The thought rang emptily inside his head.
Why did he think that they could live in peace forever? Why do people think that things they take for granted would last forever?
Even though it could all end in an instant.
Luci: “Lanaana!!!”
Without even realizing, Luci ran towards the house.
Luci and his family did not know.
That in the winter forest, their voices carried through the air quite clearly.
And the town’s folks nearby who heard it began rumoring that it was the voice of the devil.
They did not know. They could not have known.
And the rumors were kindled into a blatant accusation, and the blame for the supernatural phenomenon of the winter lasting more than a year and the cause of the famine was solely placed on the family.
There was no way that he could have known.
That’s why the young men of the town attacked the house.
They beat Lanaana inside the house to death, and hung her with her arms stretched out in front of the house.
Luci: “NーNo……!! This can’t be……..!!”
Luci felt something like heat burn deep inside his brain.
Luci: “No!! No-no-no-no-no-NO!!”
She was his other half.
They promised to always be together.
Until the moment of death, they were going to be together.
Someone must have bashed her head. Her skull was split open and its contents were visible.
You could no longer recognize her because her face was beaten, swollen horribly, and bright red.
And………there was nothing she could do.
She……….could not use any Spells to defend herself.
Saara: “.........Mama?” No one could know what went through Saara’s thought as she witnessed everything.
No one could imagine what she could have possibly felt at that moment.
“There they are!! It’s the devil!!”
“Kill them!!”
And the young men who were waiting inside the house saw Luci and came running towards him.
Luci: “Why………….God………….”
Luci grasped both his hands tightly and prayed to God.
It was the very first time he prayed, and he prayed as if to offer everything he had in that single prayer.
Luci: “I promised Lanaana.” But that was not a miracle.
Luci: “That <we would always be together>”
And Lanaana who was already dead began to stir.
Luci: “..........Lanaana?” “....................”
Without saying a word, her cadaver stood up.
She struck one of the young men in the chest with her arm……….and pulled it out.
Luci: “LーLanaana? What……..what’s going on?” “Eek…….iーit’s moving! They are real devils! We need to kill them!!”
And next, the man who had his heart removed from his chest stood up……..and bit into another young man’s neck and killed him.
Saara: “Papa……….?” Luci picked up his daughter who looked up at him with concerned and worried eyes.
He also did not know what was going on.
That’s what he wanted to say.
But he knew that he was one who was doing this.
He knew this without a doubt, with 100% certainty though he wanted to deny it.
His anger towards Lanaana’s death, the sadness that overflowed out of him mixed violently with his rage, and he felt his Magic Power activate for the first time when he felt that burning sensation in his brain.
He gave life to a cadaver and brought it back to life.
This was impossible to do with any Spell.
It completely exceeded the realm of Spells itself.
Yes, Luci could not use Spells. He could not become a Wizard.
But by some cruel ironyーーhe was a Magician.
Luci: “.........why did you kill her……”
The young men of the town panted as they desperately answered Luci’s question.
“IーIt’s all your fault! It’s because you made winter continue for so long!!”
Luci: “We……we can’t even use Spells!! We can’t make fire easily like you do! We have to go get water from a river if we want to drink!! So what could we have possibly done!! What…….could we have done to you!!”
But none could give Luci a satisfactory answer.
And responding to Luci’s rage, one of the living cadavers killed the last remaining man………and he also became a moving cadaver.
And Saara watched all of this without saying a word.
That night, with the young men not returning, the men of town put on their weapons and equipment and came to the house.
Luci gave the bodies of the young men back and revealed to them that they could not use Spells.
And that all they wished for was to be left alone.
Losing Lanaana, for Luci, Saara was the only reason to live now.
That was his only remaining hope.
But the mayor of the town refused his request.
And taking Saara hostage, tried to kill Luci.
That’s why he killed them.
As the young men began to stir, the townsfolk believed that they somehow survived and rejoiced at the sight with tears in their eyes. And with their tears still staining their faces, they became Luci’s subordinates.
Luci had no desire to prolong this conflict.
But as one town disappeared…….another nearby town heard the rumors about the family of devils faster than anything else.
The Wizard Nation who could not kill the Dragon desired to establish their strength and fame through some kind of heroic deed.
They wanted to give hope to their despairing citizens by defeating this evil.
That’s why an extermination squad was quickly readied and sent to destroy the devils.
And none returned.
Luci: “Saara, let’s go.” Saara: “To where?” Luci: “We’ll go to where the King of this country lives. Are you okay? Are you feeling cold at all?”
Saara: “No. As long as I’m with you, Papa, I’ll be fine.” And the place they used to live with Lanaana was no longer a forest.
Magic Power overflowed out of Luci triggered Saara’s dormant Magic Power. Her Magic Type was [Unique Original] : [Corruption].
It was the worst Magic Type that would taint and corrupt everything just by being in that place.
Unfathomable Magic Power overflowed, stagnated, and birthed Monsters ー the Magic Type of the Devil.
But Luci protected Saara.
Because that was the only reason he lived ー his only hope.
Her golden hair identical to her mother was not tainted to purple, she was still his daughter.
And even if their former home now became a Corrupted Magic Area that no one could enterーー
Luci wanted to protect Saara.
And seeking his peace and safety, Luci declared war against the Remnant Wizard Nation.
If his subordinate cadavers killed anyone, that victim became Luci’s soldier.
Those without life now moved with life through the [Miracle of Indestruction].
A pitiful, tragic beginning to humanity’s very first Magician.
But he was not an [Extreme].
There was no way that he could have become an [Extreme].
That is because the title was only given to Magicians who were the guardians of humanity.
Luci: “Let’s go, Saara.”
Saara: “Okay, Papa.” Luci held his last remaining family member’s hand tightly.
Saara. That was a name with a pronunciation from an ancient country that was no longer.
Hence, in modern days, they do not call anyone Saara. The sound had morphed over time.
Nowadays, the girl is called, “Sara.” Luci.
He did not have a Wizard’s Title or a last name.
Such things were given to Royalty or Nobles……….or even to those who accomplished something amazing.
That’s why his name was not recorded into history.
There was only one who knew his name.
But because he had no name, people cowered in terror……and bowed before him.
Watching him lead a countless number of undead soldiers, people called him a “King” as he continued to wipe out countries.
It was just a single person.
He was unable to defeat one single person, and humanity lost 99% of their population and territory, and only a few hundred thousand people survived.
That is why people continued to fear him after 100 years.
The King of Demons.
As the King of all Demons.
The very first Magician, Luci.
He had no compatibility to any Spell, and he was able to use a single Magic Spell.
He is already dead. Hence, he is grouped with the losers.
He is already dead. But he left a giant claw mark deep into humanity.
He is already dead. But even now, he is still feared.
Luci. Luci, with no other name.
But many people called him this with fear.
ーー[The Demon King].
