Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight-Chapter 382: SS 30

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Side Story Chapter 30: Death Knight (3)

-You little brat, speaking so thoughtlessly.

Dorugo sneered at me.

Unlike her, I could not smile at all. I was very angry.

“It’s only natural that people blame my uncle. Because they suffered on his account.”

Many people lost their families because of my uncle. It is a situation where they have no choice but to hate him.

Even if the truth that he was being controlled by Dorugo was revealed, not much would have changed.

“It’s also natural that my uncle feels guilt. Because he killed people with his own hands.”

He may have been dominated by Dorugo, but in the end, it was my uncle who killed those people.

My uncle must have thought this way. That he, too, bears responsibility.

But even so, even if that is natural.

“For you, of all people, to criticize my uncle is absurd.”

It was Dorugo who modified my uncle into a Death Knight, and it was Dorugo who gave the order to kill people.

And yet, how can you blame my uncle? How can you mock my uncle’s choice?

“Dorugo, you are a coward.”

No, that is the wrong word. This is not cowardice.

It is shameless, selfish, rude, and deceptive.

To summarize it in one word.

“You are ugly.”

After saying it, I felt a little relieved.

Dorugo was silent, as if in shock. Then, she erupted in anger.

-No, those are not the words that should be coming out of your mouth!

“No, these are exactly the words I should be saying.”

-Why do you think I went through all this trouble! Spreading the fragments to divert Damien Haksen’s attention! Barely managing to build up strength inside you! Why do you think I endured all that hardship!

Dorugo’s body, which had turned into a skeleton, collapsed again.

Darkness flowed like a torrent and covered the entire world.

-It was all for this moment! To see you be disappointed in Damien Haksen, to see you criticize him!

“Why should I do that to my uncle?”

-Because that is how Damien Haksen will be hurt! Because his soul will lose its strength! Because that is how I can make Damien Haksen submit!

The darkness wrapped around my entire body.

I could feel a physical force.

It felt as if my whole body would be crushed if Dorugo applied even a little more pressure.

But I was not scared. There was no reason to be scared in the first place.

“My uncle will be really angry if you touch me.”

-Ha! Do you think Damien Haksen can come here?

Dorugo snorted at my words.

-This place is the deepest part of Damien Haksen’s unconsciousness! It is the place where the secret he wants to hide the most is trapped!

“Is that so?”

-Damien Haksen can absolutely not come here! He probably hasn’t even realized that you are here!

She is probably right.

From what I had vaguely heard from my uncle, Dorugo was a very smart and talented person.

But it seems she has completely forgotten.

That my uncle is a far greater person than that.

“Uncle, I am here.”

-Nonsense! Damien Haksen can absolutely not co…

With the sound of tearing cloth, the darkness split apart.

A brilliant light poured in.

My uncle was standing in the gap.

Contrary to my expectation that he would be furious, he was emotionless.

“…Grrrrr.”

Ah, correction.

He was so angry that his emotions were not showing.

My uncle slowly walked inside.

I could see Dorugo’s face stiffen in real time.

-Theodore Haksen! Come over here!

Dorugo belatedly came to her senses and tried to grab me.

But my uncle was faster.

My uncle blocked Dorugo’s path and grabbed her neck.

-Kraaak! Let go! I said let go!

Dorugo’s body turned into tentacles and wrapped around my uncle.

It tried to crush my uncle’s body.

But my uncle did not even bat an eye.

“I thought it was suspicious that only your fragment was nowhere to be seen… don’t tell me you were living as a parasite inside Theo?”

My uncle glared at Dorugo, growling like a beast.

“I see. You ground up a part of your own soul. That’s why you were able to act a little more rationally than the other fragments.”

-Let go! I said let go!

“But in the end, a fragment is just a fragment. You’re shortsighted. Even the original couldn’t do anything to me. Did you really think your little tricks would work?”

When my uncle put strength into his arm, Dorugo’s body swelled up.

-Aak! Kkeuaaaak!

“Get lost now. You thing that smells worse than the stench of garbage.”

With a final scream, Dorugo’s body exploded. At the same time, all the darkness was lifted.

“Uncle!”

I ran to my uncle. My uncle gently pulled me into a hug…

“You punk! You should have called me right away when a suspicious entity appeared! We were almost in big trouble!”

…he did not, and instead pinched my cheek.

“Uwaah, I’m sorry.”

My uncle did not forgive me easily. He only let go of my cheek after shaking it several times.

“Hing, that hurts.”

“I pinched it to make it hurt, so it should hurt.”

My uncle touched his forehead with his hand as if he had a headache and said.

“From now on, if even a slightly suspicious entity appears, you must call me first. Got it?”

“Hing, okay.”

“Now, let’s go back.”

My uncle showed me his back. I obediently got on his back.

My uncle started walking with me on his back.

Every time he walked, the surrounding scenery changed in real time.

I stared at the scene blankly.

Then a thought suddenly occurred to me.

That it had been a long time since I had spent time with just my uncle like this.

“…”

In truth, my uncle’s past had remained in my mind since a while ago, not being erased.

I hesitated for a long time, then spoke to my uncle.

“Uncle.”

“What.”

“Did you regret not being able to die that day that much?”

My uncle did not say anything to my question.

I realized that was the answer.

“I think it’s a good thing you didn’t die that day, Uncle.”

“Is that so.”

“If you had, I wouldn’t have been able to meet you.”

Is it because my uncle’s back is so warm? Drowsiness slowly started to wash over me.

“I like you, Uncle.”

“I feel the same.”

“So I want you to be happy.”

My uncle fell silent again.

I felt like I knew, to some extent, what my uncle was thinking.

He is probably thinking that he does not deserve to be happy.

“I want you to forgive yourself.”

“Theo, I…”

“I know. You killed a lot of people. With your own hands, no less.”

I hugged my uncle’s neck tightly.

“But it wasn’t your fault, Uncle. It was because of Dorugo.”

“No, it wasn’t. I…”

My uncle could not bring himself to say the rest.

He is probably blaming himself for thinking he wanted to live.

“It’s okay if you call me selfish. You’re more important to me than anyone else, Uncle. I want to see you be happy.”

The drowsiness grew a little stronger.

I resisted the sleepiness.

I wanted to say this before I fell asleep.

“Please forgive yourself, if only for my sake, for me who wants to see you be happy.”

The drowsiness grew stronger and stronger.

I started to nod off.

In a half-asleep daze, I heard the sound of a water drop falling from the edge of the eaves.

As I focused on that sound, I fell completely asleep.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the basement.

But my uncle was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, I saw the faces of my family.

“Mom?”

“Theo, did you sleep well?”

“Where’s Uncle?”

My mom pointed to a corner of the basement.

There was something like a pure white cocoon there.

I shot up and touched the cocoon.

Unlike its appearance, it was very smooth and warm.

“He said he would be back soon.”

When the news about my uncle spread, many guests came to visit.

Not only my four aunts, but also His Majesty, Mister Mercenary King, the Holy Empress of the Church, and the Five Great Elders came.

“This is Damien Haksen…?”

“What is happening inside?”

Everyone was shocked when they saw the cocoon.

They were worried about my uncle’s well-being.

“Regeneration is occurring inside.”

The only person who recognized my uncle’s state was Mister Imperial Supreme Sword.

Mister Imperial Supreme Sword placed his head against the cocoon for a long time, then spoke to us.

“Damien Haksen is now returning to being a human.”

“Then when will my uncle be back?”

Mister Imperial Supreme Sword shook his head at my question.

“That, I do not know. He may not be able to return at all. Because his body must be created anew from the very beginning.”

My mom squeezed my hand tightly.

I hugged my mom tightly.

Unlike his words that he would be back soon, my uncle remained as a cocoon for a long time.

I visited the basement throughout the vacation.

Because I wanted to be the first one to greet my uncle when he woke up.

The vacation ended, and I had to return to the Academy.

Even at the Academy, I contacted my mom every day to ask about my uncle’s well-being.

“He’s still in the same state.”

My uncle had still not awakened from the cocoon.

The semester ended, and winter vacation came.

I visited my uncle every day again.

As expected, my uncle had not woken up.

Winter vacation ended, and I returned to the Academy again.

Even after that, I continued to contact my mom to ask about my uncle’s well-being.

Time continued to flow, and I became a second year, a third year, a fourth year, and finally, the day of graduation arrived.

Still, my uncle had not woken up.

He was still in the same cocoon state.

In the meantime, I had grown a lot.

I was now two hand spans taller than Hazel.

“Now you really look like an Oppa.”

“What? So you were just calling me Oppa for the sake of it until now?”

Hazel really liked the way I looked now.

Just as I had grown taller, Hazel had become really beautiful.

To the point where my heart would pound sometimes when Hazel smiled.

I consulted Geisel, wondering if I had caught some kind of disease, and wouldn’t you know it, he treated me like a fool.

“You idiot, that’s love.”

“You’re talking bullshit.”

“This bastard, I go to the trouble of giving you advice and what do you say?”

I’m getting along quite well with Geisel.

We fight once every two days, but considering the past, it feels like a different era.

After the graduation ceremony, I returned home with my family.

I headed straight for the basement.

“Uncle, I’m here!”

My uncle was still in the cocoon state.

I soaked the towel I had brought in water and started to wipe the cocoon.

No matter how great my uncle was, he could not stop dust from settling on the cocoon.

“I graduated today.”

Life at the Academy was not easy.

There was a lot to learn, and a lot to know.

At first, it was hard just to keep up with the classes.

It was the same even when I became a second year.

“It seems I have no talent for studying at all. For all four years, I barely avoided failing grades.”

If Hazel and the Princess had not been there, I might have really failed.

I cannot thank those two enough.

“I heard my aunts visited often while I was away. Those four are still the same.”

Even though my uncle had become a cocoon, there were people who did not forget and came to visit.

My aunts were like that, His Majesty was like that, and Grandpa Cheongyeum was like that.

“Oh, right, His Majesty asked me what I thought about working as an official in the Imperial Palace.”

If I go to the Imperial Palace, I would be able to gain a lot of experience.

But I am a bit hesitant.

“Then the time I get to see you would be reduced, wouldn’t it.”

“That would be a problem.”

My body stiffened.

I slowly raised my head.

Like an egg cracking, the cocoon began to split from the very center.

As the cocoon opened to the left and right, someone revealed themselves.

His build was ordinary, and his skin was not gray.

His eyes were not red either.

Not a trace of his former appearance remained.

But I could recognize him in a single glance.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

I held back the tears that were about to burst out and shouted.

“Welcome back!”

(The End of the Return of the Calamity-Class Death Knight’s Side Story)

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]