I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy-Chapter 386

"Yeah. This is the symbol of that four-winged bitch," Diana muttered in a low voice.

While Ian silently mulled over the name he had just heard, Lucia sighed deeply. "I suspected as much. The war never really ended, did it? This Black Land, it's still the battlefield of the Empire and the demons."

"The Empire and the demons?" Diana let out a breathy laugh, almost like air escaping a balloon.

So she knows how to laugh out loud.

Ian glanced at her sideways, noticing the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she looked at Lucia.

"If that were all there is to it, we'd have all been dead long ago. Even if we'd survived, we wouldn't look like we do now."

"What more is there?" Lucia asked, blinking in confusion.

"You've already seen it." The response didn't come from Diana—it was Ian who spoke. "Just like how a corrupted demon wiped out that lackey nest of the Aki-whatever's followers, the archdemons are at war with each other too."

Both Lucia and Diana turned to Ian, surprise clear in their expressions.

Meeting Diana's slightly dazed gaze, Ian shrugged. "Well, if I'm wrong, so be it."

"No, you're right. Ian Hope," Diana said, reaching out a hand toward him.

What, does she want payment for her story now?

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly, but handed over the bottle of liquor without complaint.

"Akihatara, Dharmaraja, Inaskurgl. All the archdemons known by those names are at each other's throats," Diana began, taking a sip from the bottle before continuing. "And it's continued even after they stopped showing themselves—those demons who serve them, the ones who betrayed them, the newly spawned ones, and the corrupted ones."

She shrugged casually. "Of course, it's not always some grand, bloody battle. It's more like an endless series of skirmishes."

"But," Lucia stammered, her lips trembling slightly as she finally found her words. "The archdemons. Isn't their goal the destruction of the Empire and all other civilized races?"

Diana smirked. "Is that what the books you read said?"

"It's what every book says."

Surprisingly, they're getting along pretty well, Ian thought as he turned the meat skewered on his blade, his brow slightly raised.

If Yog had been awake, it probably would've chimed in with its usual quips by now.

While Ian didn't particularly enjoy delving into lore like this, he figured it was worth listening to. One day, his memory might retrieve this information when needed.

"It's true that their inherent nature drives them toward destruction and slaughter. That's very clear," Diana said, her voice calm. "However, that's not all. Each of them has their own goal, different in ways. What exactly that is, probably only they know."

"So, their differing ideals created the divisions?" Lucia speculated.

"Well, who knows?" Diana replied, taking another sip of her drink before setting the bottle down with a clink. "Honestly, there might not even be a grand reason. The world turned into this mess, and maybe they're just following their desires now. Truthfully, I don't care to know."

"Fair enough," Lucia replied, lowering her gaze to the wooden carving in her hands. Her eyes traced the rough, splintered surface. "In the end, the reason doesn't matter. The only thing that does is that these dark forces are fighting amongst themselves."

"It's no different from the history of the continent," Diana quipped with a sharp smirk.

Despite Diana's sarcastic joke, Lucia couldn't bring herself to laugh. Her gaze remained fixed on the fire, her emerald eyes swirling with a tangle of unspoken thoughts. She simply stared into the fire, her gaze distant and unfocused, as if lost in thought.

Silence fell again, broken only by the crackling of the campfire. Its flickering light painted the monochrome surroundings with a soft, warm hue.

"The archdemons aren't showing themselves, right?" Ian's voice finally broke the quiet. He was prodding the meat with Lucia's dagger to check if it was cooked. "Why is that? It's not like they'd have any reason to let their minions fight proxy wars for them."

"Who knows? It's all just speculation. Some say they're playing demon lords. Others claim they've gained godlike power and can't move carelessly anymore." Diana said, lifting the bottle again.

"Then there's the theory that madness has consumed them, leaving nothing but empty shells. Or that they're preparing something—something powerful to turn the tide in their favor." She took another sip of the liquor and wiped her mouth with her forearm. "The truth is, we won't know until we meet face-to-face."

"Vague as hell," Ian muttered with a click of his tongue.

I was hoping for a boss fight hint.

There was a stark difference between listening with some prior knowledge and going in blind. Right now, it felt like a blind man trying to piece together the shape of an elephant. Still, one thing was clear: those creatures were holding their positions, rooted firmly in place.

Thinking back to how things were in the game, this was hardly surprising. Ultimately, it meant he would have to march into their lairs. Of course, there was another option: waiting for the Platinum Dragon to tear down the wall someday. Neither option was appealing, and both carried an equally high likelihood of ending in a meaningless death.

"Looks ready to eat," Ian said, shaking off his thoughts.

He picked up the dagger again, its blade sharp enough to cut cleanly through the blackened exterior of the meat. The same blade that often sliced through Lucia's palm was now delicately trimming the charred surface.

"I'll add the seasoning," Lucia chimed in, quickly rummaging through the storage container to grab a spice jar.

She didn't use pepper this time—apparently, she'd decided it didn't suit the meat. Instead, she sprinkled a pale golden powder over the freshly cut slices. Once she was done, Ian extended the skewer toward Diana.

"Help yourself," he said.

Diana, her earlier bitter expression forgotten, eagerly reached out. Ian let the thinly sliced meat slide into her palm. Despite the heat, she immediately popped a piece into her mouth. Her previously languid eyes widened slightly, and her jaw worked faster as she chewed.

"Today's meal is definitely better," Lucia said after swallowing another bite. Though her expression revealed little, it was clear from her tone that she found the food far more palatable than before.

Ian thought the same.

The faint, sharp aroma, it's masking the gamey smell pretty well, Ian thought, nodding as he chewed.

The meat's texture wasn't any softer, but its reduced odor made it much more enjoyable.

The meal continued in silence for a while. Ian sliced off more portions of meat and handed them to Lucia and Diana as they finished each serving.

"I didn't expect to eat this much," Diana finally said, her voice lazier than usual as the meal concluded.

Her thin, elongated lips glistened with oil, and the liquor she had drunk added a faint flush to her cheeks. Her gaze wandered to Ian, who was wiping the black sword's greasy blade with a cloth.

Catching her look, Ian furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Nothing. Never mind," Diana said, turning her head away. A flicker of conflict and longing passed through her eyes.

Ah, right. Now that she's full, she's probably itching for a smoke.

Ian let out a smirk. It wasn't hard to guess what she wanted. The cigarette she'd had earlier had likely rekindled a craving she'd been suppressing. And she knew full well Ian had more tucked away.

I do not know how many of these pointy-eared folks are out there, but offer them a single cigarette, and they'd probably kill someone for it.

Ian recalled her earlier remark about doing anything for a cigarette, which she had already proven through her actions.

Besides, using the fairies for one's benefit was an act that didn't even slightly prick Ian's already rather small conscience.

As Ian pondered a few sly plans he could use if the chance came, Lucia, leaning against a rock and rinsing her mouth with water from a pouch, suddenly spoke up. "It's a mystery."

Ian turned to look at her, still wiping down his blade without pausing. "What is?"

"No matter how much the demons fight among themselves, this place still seems uninhabitable for humans. Just because they're fighting each other doesn't mean they aren't hostile toward other civilized races."

So that was what she had been so deep in thought about.

Ian let out a brief, dry chuckle, as Lucia continued, "Even if there are multiple settlements, exchanging resources or manpower wouldn't be easy. For a system like this to last so long, there must be significant power and authority holding it together."

Lucia's gaze shifted to Diana's now-muted expression. "Is it possible that the one leading the survivors could be the former crown prince? Is it true, like the royal family and the Order claim, that he's still alive here?"

Diana stared at Lucia for a moment before silently turning away. She lifted the liquor bottle to her lips instead of replying. Her refusal to answer was enough—it seemed to signal that she wasn't ready or willing to address the question.

Ian, now polishing a smaller blade, broke the silence.

"Hey," he said sharply, drawing Diana's attention.

Her narrowed eyes focused on him, and her voice dropped to a low tone. "When it comes to this matter, I can't give you an answer yet, Ian Hope. Even if you put a blade to my throat. You'll learn everything naturally once the process is complete—"

"That's not it." Ian shook his head. Diana, who had momentarily hesitated, narrowed her eyes as he continued, "Are you planning to finish the whole thing?"

"Huh? Ah, right. That's why you called me, huh." She tilted her head briefly before blinking in surprise. She extended the bottle of liquor she had been about to raise to her lips.

Avoiding Ian's gaze, she added sheepishly, "It's been so long since I tasted proper liquor. I didn't even realize."

"Just buy me a bottle of that potato liquor they make when we reach the stronghold," Ian said, taking the bottle from her.

With one glance, it was clear the contents had significantly diminished. Barely a quarter of the bottle remained.

Diana nodded. "Sure. If you really want to endure that hellish taste, I'll gladly buy one for you."

"As long as it's drinkable."

I'm already used to hellish tastes, after all.

Adding this thought silently, Ian moistened his lips with the liquor.

As for the part about the former crown prince, there wasn't much need to hear Diana's answer. Ian was already nearly certain the man was alive.

After all, the world wasn't just filled with demons bent on killing each other at every opportunity. Civilized races, including humans, could be even more vicious, targeting and exploiting one another relentlessly. As Lucia had said, maintaining such a system would be impossible without overwhelming strength or authority.

The former crown prince perfectly met both conditions.

No matter how Ian thought about it, there wasn't anyone else who could govern the survivors of this demonic realm.

The Emperor and the Order sending their support probably don't even believe he's truly alive, though.

Ian took another sip of the liquor. Either way, it wouldn't be long before the truth came to light. If he truly was alive, there would eventually come a day when they would meet face to face.

The Son of Light, they used to call him. Would they still?

As Ian pondered, a soft, rhythmic sound of breathing reached his ears. Beside him, Lucia, who had been sitting curled up, had fallen asleep.

"War... war..." It was then that a murmuring voice broke the quiet. It was Diana.

With one arm still resting on her bent knee, she gazed at the campfire through half-lidded eyes. Given how exhausted she was, on top of being full of a meal and having had a drink, it was no surprise that sleep was overcoming her.

"I've lost count of how many times I've heard that word today..."

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Ian, who had been closing the bottle cap, glanced at her with just his eyes.

"What we're doing... this isn't war..." Diana murmured, blinking her heavy eyelids slowly. "War has... winners and losers... and most importantly... an end..."

"Then what do you call what you're doing?" Ian asked bluntly.

"We? What we're doing is..." One corner of Diana's lips twitched. It was unclear whether she was scoffing or attempting a bitter smile.

"Struggling... That's all it is. Struggling to keep living... to survive... utterly meaningless..."'Her eyelids fluttered shut.

"You'll understand soon enough... Ian..." Her voice trailed off, and the fairy scout fell into a sleep as still as death.

What expression would she make if she realized the day to leave this place was drawing near?

Murmuring inwardly, Ian uncapped the bottle of liquor once more.

He already understood perfectly what Diana's words meant. After all, he had been in a position no different from hers for a very long time. The simple life he had once lived in the original world still lingered in his heart with an ache he couldn't shake.

But his thoughts also drifted to those who had nothing to do with that world.

His legion, the Platinum Dragon, the knight who had sworn unwavering loyalty to him, the beastfolk who had returned to save their people, and the dwarf fascinated by dark magic. The elder fairy who had reclaimed their roots, the red-haired female knight who resembled the one sleeping beside him, and even the grumpy priest with the iron prosthetic hand.

A faint, bitter smile crept onto Ian's lips as he picked up the bottle of liquor. He had suddenly realized how much he cared for and missed them, just as much as he longed to return to his original world.

I've lived here far too long.

Ian slowly tilted the bottle to his lips.

The soft crackle of the campfire echoed faintly in his ears. The sound did not differ from the ones beyond the wall or from the world he had once known.