Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 83

A descendant of Minerva and Werdeen?

What the hell does that mean…?

And why does it say I already know how to search for them?

<Do you truly know nothing? Hmm… I see. It was kept hidden from you… This will be a long story… Where should I begin? For now, it would be best to ask Meldor.>

“His Majesty? The royal family doesn’t pass down any particular title related to this. But does it have something to do with an old tale?”

<Of course. In the first place, it was Meldor’s plan. There is no way he wouldn’t know.>

…What?

A plan?

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

<You don’t know that either? Then you truly need to hear this. WOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!>

Suddenly, the voice let out a loud roar.

At the center of the stone monuments, something began to glow—faintly at first, but then brighter.

The golden light swelled, growing larger and larger, until it surpassed the height of a man.

It didn’t stop until it reached the size of a giant minotaur, and then, it descended to the ground.

<Follow me.>

With heavy, earth-shaking steps, the figure began marching out of the ruins—straight toward the royal castle.

Naturally, the castle gates descended into absolute chaos.

…I’m not going to be labeled a traitor, am I?

“Lax, what is the meaning of this!?”

“Bringing such a monstrous figure to the royal castle!?”

“We will not allow you to pass! If you wish to proceed, you’ll have to defeat me first!”

I was already under suspicion.

…What do I do now?

<SILENCE, STAND DOWN!!!>

“Uwaaaaaaaahhh—!!”

I seriously messed up…

“You’ve arrived.”

As we climbed the steps and entered the grand hall, King Fanat was already waiting for us.

His face bore the look of a man who had resigned himself to fate.

<Hmph. So you are the current King of Meldor. I am—>

“The Reckless Warrior, Halder Werdeen, I presume?”

<That is correct. I will speak in place of my descendant, who cannot voice his own questions. I do not condemn you for carrying the burden of past sins. However, I must ask—why have you kept it hidden from those around you?>

“The answer is simple. I could not acknowledge my sins.

To maintain the stability of the nation.

For many reasons.

But those two are the most significant.”

The king answered humbly, as if he had long been prepared for this moment.

What followed was a truly horrifying tale.

The Truth About the Past

Long ago, the head of Meldor—a warrior of great renown—formed a party with his fiancée, Minerva, his subordinate, Werdeen, and an ally, Claire.

Together, they ventured into a dungeon that had emerged beneath the royal capital.

They were all exceptional fighters, strong enough to reach the lower levels.

But no matter how many times they defeated the Floor Boss, the dungeon remained active.

If left alone, the boss would simply resurrect, and if ignored for too long, a Stampede would occur.

As time passed, the dungeon became an increasing nuisance, and the party began contemplating ways to eliminate it entirely.

That was when Meldor devised a plan.

They tricked a dungeon administrator—one that was known to be more sympathetic toward humans—

And stole its Orb.

The Administrator’s Orb and Betrayal

The Orb of the Administrator contained a massive reserve of magic power.

If they could control that power, perhaps they could stop the dungeon from growing.

Perhaps they could halt the Stampedes.

The plan was carried out immediately.

Meldor and his group seized the Orb, and when the Administrator emerged from the dungeon to retrieve it—

They ambushed it.

They couldn’t kill it completely—

But it was recorded in history as a monumental achievement.

In reality, the true reward was that the stolen Orb bestowed skill points upon them, allowing them to acquire powerful new abilities.

The Unforeseen Consequences

However—there were two unforeseen consequences.

One: The Administrator survived and disappeared.

Two: Disemna emerged, pursuing the Administrator.

Disemna had once been a gentle demon.

And so, Meldor captured it immediately.

Meldor decided that even a demon could be useful.

He proposed that having a common enemy—a demon that lurked within the kingdom—would unify the people.

Thus, Disemna was turned into a scapegoat.

The True Purpose of the Royal Family’s Scheme

The ones chosen to be sacrificed in this deception—

Were the corrupt nobles.

Disemna was released into their lands.

The infected nobility—those who had been corrupted by Disemna’s presence—

Would eventually self-destruct.

And when that happened—

The royal family would step in as heroes, execute the “tainted” nobles, and maintain order.

It was a flawless method of eliminating internal threats while keeping the kingdom united.

The Neighboring Nations’ Response

However, the neighboring kingdoms did not approve of this scheme.

They couldn’t openly oppose Meldor—

But they also couldn’t risk Disemna being directed toward them.

That was when Minerva, Werdeen, and Claire turned against Meldor.

By that time, Minerva had already broken off her engagement with Meldor.

In her place, the eldest son of Werdeen, who had renounced his claim to the Werdeen estate, married Minerva—

And entered the royal family of Elver, the Magic Kingdom.

They gathered allies and confronted Disemna, but their attempts at persuasion failed.

In the end, they had no choice but to seal it away.

If they didn’t, Disemna would continue to be exploited.

However, Meldor interfered even with that plan.

Using another demon, he broke the seal that bound Disemna within the Demon Forest and turned it into a living shackle.

He had completely reduced Disemna to nothing more than a tool.

From that point on, they cut off any suspicious connections, erased all traces of information, and ensured that no one would question the truth.

Periodically, they staged Disemna as a public enemy, justifying military budgets under the pretense of preparing for its extermination while freely using the funds for their own interests.

Honestly, it was disgusting.

So that’s why they created a policy of non-intervention in power struggles—to avoid interfering too soon.

They let Disemna fester, only taking action once it became a visible and well-hated enemy of the people.

I understand that governing a nation sometimes requires ruthless pragmatism—using whatever resources are available to maintain control.

But there has to be a limit.

Without even the bare minimum of morality, no one would ever follow them.

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