I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy
Chapter 435

Chapter 435

"It's not me who turned my back, Priestess. It's them," Hyked replied, the smile never leaving his lips as he met Lucia's gaze. "Worse, they're using us, aren't they? Dressing it up as a martyrdom expedition—wielding the fear of this Black Land like a weapon.

"The people here have been abandoned. And though I rule over them, that doesn't give me the right to forgive in their name."

Lucia stared into Hyked's crimson eyes, as if drawn in, and let out a quiet hum.

Ian clicked his tongue softly. He had expected as much, having only confirmed the reality of what he'd secretly hoped wouldn't be true. Lucia's reaction seemed to come from the same place.

"But, Your Highness," Lucia replied with a tremor in her voice "if what you say is true, then even if the Black Wall falls... won't another war begin?"

Hyked's smile turned bitter. "Most likely. Unless they truly repent—not to the gods above, but to the people of this land. Sadly, I don't see that happening. And honestly, even if my people forgive them, I doubt they'd be willing to accept us as part of the Empire again."

"They won't," Lucia muttered. "They won't, Your Highness."

Hyked tilted his head slightly. "Then let me ask you something, Priestess. Just as I'm being honest with you now, please answer me truthfully."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"If the Great Church—or rather, the people beyond the Black Land—were to see me as I am now, what do you think they'd call me?"

Lucia held her breath. Ian, too, stared at Hyked in silence. His calm gaze and even tone made it seem like he already knew the answer.

After a brief silence, Lucia answered, "You would... most likely come to be known as the Dark Prince."

Her voice now shook so much it was obvious.

Hyked chuckled. "The Dark Prince, hmm? Not wrong, I suppose, since I've been tainted by darkness. I expected something more like the 'Corrupted One' or perhaps even 'Demon.'"

Still smiling faintly, he looked at Lucia again. "At least, it's a more flattering title than either of those. I rather like it. Thank you, Priestess."

Ian, the one who had come up with the title, stifled a dry laugh. He really liked that?

Lucia didn't smile. Her breath, like a soft mist, spread faintly around her mask—a soundless sigh, perhaps.

"Yes. Everyone will call me that," Hyked said with a nod. "Not just the Great Church. The entire continent. Perhaps even my own brother."

"Your brother, Your Highness?"

"Richard. The Emperor, I mean."

Lucia's hesitation faded away almost instantly.

"Then you must realize what will happen to those who follow me, the so-called Dark Prince." Hyked calmly met her eyes. "Even if they've kept their innocence, the Great Church will never take their word for it. Especially since it was the Great Church that wanted them dead in the first place."

Lucia said nothing. But that silence alone seemed enough of an answer for Hyked, who added, "If repentance would be enough—if it meant my people could return home safely—I'd offer up my head without hesitation. But if it's not..."

He grew quiet. The red in his eyes deepened, sinking like blood pooling in the dark.

Lucia sighed. "Your Highness—"

"Ah. I've gotten a bit too serious, haven't I?" Hyked blinked, then curved his lips into a teasing smile again."We don't even know if we can bring down this demonic realm yet. Realistically, it makes more sense to worry about how much time might have passed out there—or whether this demonic realm will end up consuming the entire continent."

He was likely trying to lighten the mood, but it only made Lucia freeze further.

Ian glanced sideways at him without turning his head. It was a relief that Lucia's mask covered half her face. Otherwise, someone might have caught on that there was another reason her expression had turned to stone.

There's probably less than a year left before the wall falls.

The thought made Ian tilt his head slightly, and with it came the realization that even less time might remain than he'd feared. He, too, had lost his sense of time in this place.

"I owe you an apology, Priestess. I said more than I should have," said Hyked, his gaze still fixed on Lucia. He dipped his head slightly. "I don't intend to hold all followers responsible or pass judgment on the children for the sins of their fathers. I won't force my will upon either of you."

There was a mix of regret and resolve in his eyes.

After glancing at Lucia, then at Ian, he added, "Even if you decide to stop me in the end, I understand. You both have every right and every reason to do so."

Ian didn't ask if he meant it. He didn't have to. Everything about Hyked so far had made it clear—he wasn't the kind to speak empty words.

Hyked held Ian's gaze a moment longer, then offered a faint smile. "But at the very least, until this demonic realm is brought down... what do you say we stand together? We have a common problem—one that needs solving."

"Of course, Your Highness," Ian answered without hesitation.

Lucia whipped her head toward him, eyes wide. Her look seemed to ask if he really meant to end the conversation just like that.

It's fine. Cool your head a little.

With a slight nod, Ian added, "If it's all right with you, I'd like to move on to that shared problem."

Truthfully, now wasn't the time to quibble over things that couldn't be resolved through persuasion. After all, they were still inside Inaskurgl's barrier—practically on the creature's doorstep.

"That's exactly what I was hoping for, Agent of the Saint," Hyked said with a nod, though he cast a brief, apologetic glance at Lucia.

She stepped back with a small bow as Hyked cleared his throat.

He then continued, "I understand you're under no obligation to follow me, let alone offer further help. Escorting the support unit here was already more than enough. But shameless as it may be, I must ask something difficult once again."

He paused, locking eyes with Ian. "Agent of the Saint, Will you help us subjugate the greater demon Inaskurgl?"

Almost at the same moment, a quest window popped up before Ian's eyes.

[Subjugation of Inaskurgl.]

His gaze narrowed slightly. It was nearly identical to the Time to Hunt quest he'd received earlier—only the rewards were different.

So I've received both a corrupted-only quest and a regular one at the same time?

Not that it really mattered. All that did was that killing Inaskurgl would yield greater rewards.

Watching Ian's expression, Hyked added a bit sheepishly, "Of course, I won't hold it against you if you refuse. It'd be a bummer, sure—but I won't try to force you. This mission could cost lives, after all."

"I wasn't hesitating to refuse," Ian replied as he closed the quest window and met Hyked's gaze. "I was waiting to hear the details of the situation—and the terms you would propose."

"Terms? Ah. You mean the reward." Hyked tilted his head, then let out a short laugh. "Goodness. Truly, Agent of the Saint, you never fail to surprise me—in more ways than one. I'd have believed it if someone told me you were a mercenary."

"I am a mercenary."

"What?" Hyked blinked, caught off guard.

"That's why, aside from a few close companions, I don't move on requests alone. I hear the terms, agree on a fair reward—then I act."

“So... is that why you came here?” Hyked asked, somewhat dazed.

Ian simply shrugged and lifted the sacred box slightly with one hand.

Hyked laughed and shook his head. "So that's why you draw such clear lines. To think you were a mercenary... though I suppose that's for the best."

Still am, Ian thought, clicking his tongue silently as Hyked cleared his throat once more.

"Inaskurgl likely can't leave the forest. If it could, it would've already shown itself and killed us. After all, we're still inside its barrier."

"Of course." Ian nodded, pretending not to know much about the monster—even though he'd already caught a sense of its condition through his vision.

Hyked looked out over the landscape beyond the tower. "There's no way a barrier of this scale can hold forever. But we can't afford to sit and wait for it to break or for reinforcements from the other Lions."

"You're worried its minions might return."

"Exactly. Inaskurgl's followers are few, but each one is terrifyingly powerful. Even if only a handful come back, our odds will drop dramatically."

Ah, so this is a timed quest, Ian concluded.

In the game, it was probably designed so that more mid-bosses would appear as time went on. Maybe the so-called veterans had even looked forward to that sort of challenge. But Ian had no intention of doing the same—especially now that it had become a reality.

"We have to kill Inaskurgl before that happens. But as you might expect, I can't take all the Wolves with me. Even with me there, not everyone would be able to survive the creature's frenzy. And those who can... most of them would still die in the end."

He turned back to Ian. "So we'll break through the forest with only a small group. We'll cut across the shortest route and head straight into its lair. The journey itself will be dangerous—and the fight with it even more so. As things stand, I can't guarantee victory."

His unshaken crimson eyes locked with Ian's. "But if you lend us your strength, Agent of the Saint, our chances will rise significantly."

"I'll help too," said Lucia.

As Hyked turned to her, she stepped lightly to Ian's side. "I'll also be going, Your Highness."

Hyked turned his gaze back to Ian.

Ian gave a small nod. "She'll be every bit as powerful as one of your Lions."

"In that case, I have no reason to refuse. Understood. I'll prepare rewards accordingly—for both of you."

He briefly stroked his chin in thought before continuing, "The armory of Lu Byle holds weapons and relics once used by the Purifiers and Crusaders. Many have been left behind by fallen warriors or have yet to find a rightful owner. They've all been properly maintained, of course."

"Lu Byle still exists?" Lucia asked carefully.

Ian glanced over. She hadn't fully recovered from the earlier shock, but it was clear she'd chosen to focus on the crisis at hand.

"Of course. Less than half of what it once was remains, and now it's buried beneath the earth—but it still stands strong," replied Hyked.

His eyes shifted between Lucia and Ian as he added, "I know you're both already well-equipped. But given where we are, it's wise to bring extra gear, just in case. These items were meant for apostles originally, so I assure you they'll meet your standards."

Ian furrowed his brow, pretending to think it over. But in truth, there was no reason to refuse—it was Purifier gear, after all.

Hyked licked his lips slightly. "I'll arrange for the two of you to look through the armory yourselves and take what you need—even if I can't accompany you."

"Just one more thing," Ian said.

Hyked jerked his chin slightly, signaling him to go on.

"If we succeed in killing Inaskurgl, I want the first pick of the spoils. At least one item."

"A fair condition. It's yours." Hyked extended his right hand. "Now, then. Do you accept my request, Agent of the Saint?"

Ian transferred the sacred box to his left hand and then took Hyked's offered hand. "I accept, Your Highness."

"I didn't expect those words to be so reassuring. I trust you'll give it your best." Hyked gave their clasped hands a light shake, a smile of relief breaking through.

Showing that much excitement? He's really not cut out for haggling—or maybe it's the opposite.

Hyked turned to Lucia and extended a hand to her as well. "Once again, I apologize for what I said earlier, Priestess. It was far too heavy a subject for a conversation today."

"No, Your Highness. I was the one who asked," Lucia answered, gently taking his hand in both of hers. Her voice still carried the weight of the earlier conversation.

"You've come a long way. I shouldn't keep you any longer. Get some rest—you'll have a grueling schedule ahead, so make sure you recover from the journey..." Hyked's voice trailed off as he released his grip. His gaze drifted back beyond the tower.

"... Ah." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Uninvited guests are making their return."

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