"Laufey… you…" Qiel widened her eyes in shock, not believing what had just happened. Did Laufey just betray her?
Her entire life flashed before her eyes. She was the one corrupting Laufey into joining the Supreme Devil Organization.
She thought that this was a good accomplishment. In fact, he even stole one of the true inheritances. It was the record of the training journey of a Spirit Transcendence Expert.
He used that book as a gift to join the Supreme Devil Organization. And during that time, Alexander managed to break through to Spirit Transcendence. The other three experts also improved by leaps and bounds.
But when she thought about it, was it truly a gift?
At the last moment, Laufey actually asked a lot of things as if he were trying to pry for more information.
That was right. Laufey knew about her plan with Josephine, their current plan, the situation with the royal family… he knew everything.
And if they joined hands with Josephine, the Supreme Devil Organization would definitely become much stronger. Even if the Greenwood Kingdom and the Zaecuria Kingdom got involved, they wouldn't be able to harm them that much.
That was why Qiel had to be eliminated.
Fifteen years. Laufey had fooled them for a whole fifteen years.
When she thought about it, she noticed that the clues were there. After the execution of Luke and Leysha, they confirmed that they were real.
However, what if they were fake? There was one way to fake their execution. They simply used a body double and provided proof. And that proof was none other than blood, yes, the same ability that Laufey controlled.
What if Laufey had been working with them from the start? What if he used his ability to create fake blood?
It was indeed possible. Then, there was something she didn't understand. Laufey had been trying to harm Noel Ardagan the whole time. It looked genuine. Even the other Devil Inspectors who had worked with him confirmed that Laufey was genuine.
But they had been suffering one loss after another. It was to the point that they had been sending their forces to Noel just to get eliminated.
In this war, Laufey was in charge of gathering their forces.
He had a lot of time, but the only thing he managed to gather was one hundred thousand demons with more than twenty Superior Demons.
It was an amazing number, but if he tried even harder, getting a hundred and fifty thousand shouldn't be a problem. The course of the war should also change.
What if Laufey was doing everything for the Supreme Devil Organization while speculating on Noel's power? What if he did it only at the limit that he believed Noel could withstand?
When all that appeared in her mind, she realized that Laufey had never been on their side. That hatred was genuine, but he might be brainwashing himself so that it looked genuine.
And with her death, Laufey would return alone to the Supreme Devil Organization as the only witness to the war.
Even with Josephine joining the organization and Alexander taking the helm, Laufey would still become a mole. He might become the biggest reason for the organization's failure.
However, Qiel never thought that Laufey was a very intelligent person. But there was one person smart enough to orchestrate the whole thing. She couldn't help but utter his name in her last moment.
"Luke… Ardagan… well… played." Qiel fell to her knees. When Laufey pulled out the sword, her body hit the ground. Laufey didn't even spare her corpse as he controlled all the blood to completely destroy her body so that she didn't have any chance of getting healed or resurrected.
When looking at her gruesome corpse, Laufey couldn't help but recall the memory of the past.
…
Twenty years ago.
"Brother." Laufey looked at Luke with a grim expression. "The Supreme Devil Organization approached me."
"What?" Luke widened his eyes in shock.
"Don't worry, Brother. I am going to reject them and fight them if they appear again." Laufey waved his hand, assuring Luke.
However, Luke looked down as if he were worried about this problem. It wasn't that he was worried about Laufey betraying him, he was just concerned about whether rejecting them was a good thing or not.
"Brother?" Laufey tilted his head in confusion.
Luke took a deep breath. "The Supreme Devil Organization was created by the royal family."
"Wha—" Laufey rose from his seat, but Luke gestured to him to stay silent as this topic was taboo.
"Their purpose is to control the kingdom as the villain. This way, the royal family can eliminate anyone they want."
"But don't they have the Inquisitors and Arbiters to do that?"
"If they are ghosts, the Supreme Devil Organization is like the vengeful spirit. While their purpose is good, they are a double-edged sword."
"Why is that so?"
"With their current growth rate, they will become a force that is capable of destroying the kingdom itself."
"Are you sure?" Laufey was stunned.
"Yes. This is why they have to be exterminated. Unfortunately, the moment we point our swords at them, the royal family will act." Luke let out a long sigh. "At the moment, they are similar to those of a bandit group. So, the other nobles don't bother to look at them as enemies."
"Then…" Laufey looked worried that the Ardagan family would be destroyed if they acted rashly.
"That's why I am thinking about helping their growth."
"Helping their growth?" Laufey dropped his jaw. "Why are you helping the enemies?"
Luke let out a long sigh. "With their current growth rate, I believe that they will become a nuisance in another one or two decades. However, with a long game like this, the royal family can do a lot of things to brand them.
"If they succeed, we might have no chance of destroying them. That's why if I let them progress much faster, their growth will become uncontrollable. Even if they have a connection, the royal family can't stop the nobles from looking at them as an eyesore.
"In other words, the Supreme Devil Organization has no choice but to become a terrorist organization, meaning that even the Demon Banner Army and the Tower Association have to take action against them."
Laufey gasped. "Are you thinking I can actually make them stronger?"
"…" Luke clenched his fists but couldn't say anything.
"If that's the case, I will do it. As long as I can help the family, I am prepared to do anything."
"But…" Luke was annoyed. On the one hand, this was too much of a burden for Laufey. On the other hand, this was something necessary.
"Brother. Please let me do it. Tell me how to do it!"
"It's going to be long. You are going to suffer and I can't bear this…"
"I am not suffering alone. I know that you are tortured by this, Brother. I've told you this whole time… Please share that 20:44
burden of yours with me."
"No. You don't understand." Luke shook his head. "If you do this, you have no choice but to brainwash yourself to hate me, the Ardagan family, and even your nephew."
"What?" Laufey dropped his jaw. When he thought about it, his words made sense. The organization should have one way or another to check whether he was a spy or not.
And to avoid their suspicion, he had to act like he hated the Ardagan family. However, if it was just an act, it was going to be found sooner or later.
That was why Luke said he had to brainwash himself. He had to genuinely hate them from the bottom of his heart.
His only thought could only be filled with hatred or he would be found out.
"Brother… Are you planning to destroy the organization for Noel?"
"No. There's not enough time. However, I believe that Noel will rise up and destroy the organization."
"I see. So, my nephew will become the hero of an era." Laufey felt relieved when hearing it. If it was going to harm Noel or the family, he would reject this idea.
But he somehow longed for the time when Noel stood proudly as a hero. He suddenly unbuttoned his shirt, showing the spirit mark on his chest. He cut the spirit mark, letting the blood flow out.
"With this blood, I swear that I will do everything for the sake of the Ardagan family, even if I have to become the vengeful spirit of the family." Laufey looked at Luke with a solemn expression. "Brother. I need your blood to perform this blood bond. With your blood and my blood flowing together, it will stop me from killing my nephew."
20:44
"But…" Luke gritted his teeth. The burden that Laufey would
carry after this was unimaginable. He loved the family, he cared for his nephew, and yet, this mission would make him hate that gentle side of him.
"Brother!" Laufey gave a gentle smile. "Noel doesn't have to know about this. It's only right for his elder to carry this heavy burden. He doesn't have to remember me. All I wish is for him and the Ardagan family to prosper. So, please…"
Luke was crying. He couldn't bear to do it, but facing this determination from his brother, Luke had no other choice.
Laufey was his brother as well as his oldest friend. He was the one who witnessed everything about him. He even went to the Demon Banner Army for the sake of family.
Yet, the only thing he could do was just give him another burden.
The last thing he said was, "Please take care of Noel, Brother."
…
It didn't take too long for Laufey to begin brainwashing himself.
For a few years, he had to torture himself by filling himself with that thought. His heart was torn and his mind was in shambles.
After two years, the effect had begun to show. He started nitpicking everything that the family did until he completely believed it.
The last time he visited the Ardagan family was the day when Noel was born.
"I have to kill… I have to hate you…" Laufey was looking at the baby Noel in tears. He was crying out loud while screaming. "I'm sorry, my dear nephew. I have to hate you and try to kill
you to protect you."
Every day, he suffered and cried by himself. The change was gradual, which made Qiel believe that she had managed to influence Laufey. Laufey even tricked Dimitri to assassinate Noel in order to make her believe him. And that was when he joined the Supreme Devil Organization.
When recalling that, Laufey couldn't help but make a sad smile. "It's time to go. Sadly, it's not the time for our reunion, but I'm satisfied with this. I can see that my nephew's fiancee genuinely cares for him and won't be swayed by anything. And the little Noel from back then has become a good warrior that can carry the burden of the world."
Laufey hurriedly left the place. Silvester and Raven found Qiel's body and shouted, "We've found her."
Leysha was staring into the distance, while Luke was looking at the sky with a tired gaze. "I'm sorry for making you do all this, Brother. Once this is over, let us drink every night until we can't drink anymore."
