Haaa.
I sighed heavily as I walked the road out of town.
The road was quiet, but I knew better. There should be cultist forces just outside preventing anyone from leaving.
Oh well, it's not like I can't just kill them.
Haa.
Mehn. This sucks.
[Yikes. Looking at you now, one would never guess that you were once the mighty First King of the Demon race.]
"Shut up." I muttered, annoyed at the annoying system's words.
"And what the fuck do you even mean by that?" I asked.
[Well, the great Demon King is feeling down from an argument he had with a girl. If the world were to hear about this, they'd be in shock] the system said, in a manner that just quite annoyed me.
"I'm not feeling down, I'm just..." I stopped saying anything. Honestly as much as it's words are annoying, it's right.
I keep replaying that argument in my head. But really I had no choice. I didn't erase my mana signature, and a Paladin was around.
Besides I didn't lie or exaggerate. If the Paladin had figured me out on killing a hero candidate, he would execute on the spot.
And if the girls try to help me, which I know they will, then unless the paladins have changed from how they were during my time, he'd kill the girls as well.
Haaa. Even then. The look in her eyes tho, I thought, remembering the look she had in her eyes.
Enough. Just, focus on the task at hand. Regaining my strength. On that note...
"System. How exactly do I regain my other fragments."
As I asked that question, an interface appeared in front of me. It was like the system window but different.
For one, my stats weren't here. Rather, it seemed to be a map of sorts.
There were about nine glowing red dots at different points on the map. And a white dot?
[The red dots represent the fragment stones. The white represents you.]
Hmm. I see. I nodded my head as the system confirmed what I thought.
So there are different locations huh.
[Yes. As you can see, some of the fragments are together and are closer to you than others.]
"Yeah."
[Those are the ones within the empire.]
As the system said that, different labels started appearing above different landmasses.
From the map, I could tell there were three fragments located in this country, there were two located in the neighbouring Vellion Empire, and Dragonstone.
There was one more in the Blade sect? What the heck's that?
[It's a sect dedicated to swordsmanship, inspired by the Sword King Joseph. It was founded by the Sword King's disciple.] The system responded to my inquiry.
I see. Moving on, I looked at the location of the final three fragments. And I couldn't help but smile. No, grin.
Why?
It seems like fate has destined me to return there huh. My final three fragments were located in the Demon continent.
Hmm. Rubbing my chin, it seems like a good idea to go after the ones in this country first.
[Obviously. Tho, there is a problem with that. Two of the fragments are currently in the possession of the emperor.]
"Huh?" I muttered, confusion clear in my voice.
"The fuck, you mean by that." I asked, almost annoyed now.
[Just as I said. While the commoners are unaware of your fragments, the powers that be in this world are.
They've taken your fragments. To keep away from you in the unlikely situation you come back.]
"So you're telling me that each of my fragments are in the hands of—"
[Each nations ruler. Yes.]
Huh. Crap. Then to get them back, won't I have to–
[Kill those kings? Of course. You're going to have to. Although you aren't completely hopeless. One of the three fragments the Imperial family of this Empire had, was lost.
I know where it is, but you can't go there yet. You'd have to wait two years to get them.]
"I see." I thought, nodding my head. Okay, I'll bite. "So till then what?"
[Till then–]
The system stopped talking. I didn't ask why, because I already knew why.
I had already prepared myself for a fight. I thought i would have to fight. But I didn't.
Why?
Scattered in front of me were corpses. Their bodies twisted, heads caved in, limbs bent at unnatural angles.
And what's more?
The sheer number of them. This is basically all the cultists posted outside the town.
But the town didn't have anyone strong enough to do this. And it couldn't have been the Order.
They just got here. And I would've seen them. Plus they'd still be here.
Could it have been Evelyn?
No. I admit Evelyn's kinda been suspicious ever since I got my memories back.
I mean she even lied about this body having parents.
But it can't be her. She's weak. She couldn't even defend herself against the serpents. Could she?
Hmm? Looking up, I saw another military aircraft, smaller than the one the Order came with, flying towards the town.
Aaagh come on. Who is it now?
More and more shit just keep popping up.
[The only thing you can do about it now, is to get stronger. Grow stronger till it's time to retake your fragments.]
Yeah. The system's right. Ultimately that's the only thing I can do. Bide my time, grow stronger and then...
So for now, guess the first thing to do is register as a hunter and see what I do from there.
Time to see what this 'new' world is all about.