Chapter Eighteen: The Forgotten Terror
Rain sat in the shadows of the ancient study hall, the old fire quietly crackling behind him in the hearth. Silence hung heavy in the room, broken only by the faint hum of mana in the walls.
Then he finally asked:
"Why is there so little mention of the ancestor of House Aldritch… Zargon Aldritch?"
Malfos stood by the edge of the heavy window, his eyes fixed on the swirling black clouds outside. His voice came out slowly, in a heavy tone:
"Because his name alone… terrified all living beings—humans and demons alike. No one dared to speak it. They only called him: 'Lord Aldritch.' His name became a nightmare, buried in fear. And over time… it was forgotten."
Rain fell silent for a moment, processing the weight of his words.
Then he asked, "Do you know what happened to the heroes during the Holy War?"
Malfos let out a dry breath, like a bitter laugh.
"You mean the great hero… and the head of House Lumiora… and the others?"
Rain nodded.
Malfos's voice dropped further:
"They all fought against Zargon. Together."
Rain blinked in disbelief. "What?!"
"They tried to stop him. The head of Lumiora, the hero… But Zargon defeated them all—alone."
He paused for a beat, then added coldly:
"And he severed the hand of each one of them."
Rain's eyes widened slightly.
"That's why our relations with Lumiora and the others are bitter… except for House Kraimora. Their ancestor never fought Zargon. That's why they still respect us."
He turned to him with a deep, piercing gaze.
"This is knowledge known only to the heads of the Three Great Houses… and the Emperor himself."
Rain asked softly:
"If Zargon was that powerful… why didn't he wipe out all the demons?"
Malfos gave a cold laugh.
"Because he let them live… so that his children and descendants could harvest death mana from them."
He stepped toward a map of the western border, glowing faintly with swirling mana.
"The demon race possesses immense vitality. And when they die… they release far more death mana than humans. That was Zargon's understanding."
Rain asked, "And what about the Demon Emperor at the time?"
Malfos's eyes glinted.
"He was unbeatable… not by the head of Lumiora, nor the head of Kraimora, not even by the hero—ancestor of House Falkondra. All of them were defeated."
He stopped, his voice now like distant thunder:
"Until Zargon intervened."
Malfos slowly clenched his fist.
"Zargon defeated the Demon Emperor and absorbed his death mana… which made him invincible. His strength became unmatched… and beyond any known classification."
Rain swallowed silently.
Then Malfos continued in a deeper tone:
"That's why… I want to fight the duke who appeared on the western border. To absorb his death mana… and more."
He turned fully toward him, his voice growing colder:
"This battle will take time. Years. I estimate around six years… to gather enough death mana. I will kill the duke… all the demon forces… and—"
He paused.
"…I'll wipe out half of Marquis Valeros's troops. The imperial family's lapdogs. They need to be reminded of their place."
He stepped closer to Rain, his voice a seismic whisper:
"The world has started to forget… the terror of House Aldritch."