Chapter 187: Betrayal on All Sides? So This Demon Lord Truly Did Have a Fine Bunch of Subordinates

Translation by: Weebsread👹

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Krulu was, without question, the weakest among the Demon Generals.

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Her potential was undeniable—given time, she might have become a commander capable of turning the tide of any battle. But a handful of years was hardly enough to elevate her to the level where she could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of the Pope.

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Even so, in the human world, she would be considered a formidable [Legacy]-class combatant.

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Stripped of her battlefield advantages and compared solely to the clergy of the Holy See, her strength likely ranked between that of a Vice Commander and a Grand Commander at minimum.

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And yet, even someone of her caliber now staggered, half-dead, into the Borderlands.

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Lin Wei’s gaze lingered on her, especially the wound that ran nearly the length of her body—flesh pulsing with the corrupt energy of an evil god.

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Whether for the sake of the current crisis or simply out of personal curiosity, he needed to know—what on earth had happened within the demon ranks?

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“I was… wounded and forced to flee by the imposter Demon Lord who now rules the demons.”

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Her first words were almost exactly what Lin Wei had anticipated.

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Krulu, collapsed on the ground and barely clinging to life, did not dare conceal anything from the Demon Lord she once served.

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“[Sabela] approached me that day. She claimed to have intelligence that the Coalition Army was planning a secret assault on us during the negotiations. Naturally, I thought it was another ploy from the Holy See, trying to lure you into a trap.”

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“To steer you back onto the true path of conquest, to see the demon banner raised across the world, I made sure our forces were prepared to launch a surprise attack on the day of the talks… But I never imagined they’d actually joined hands with the Cult of the Evil God.”

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The moment that tide of darkness swept over the battlefield, I realized something had gone terribly wrong.

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It was a scene beyond anything I’d ever imagined—countless soldiers collapsing beneath the evil god’s energy, their screams twisting into monstrous forms, as if the demons themselves had unleashed a beast they could no longer control.

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Yet, even as one of the Demon Generals, I was powerless to stop it.

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“I thought you would appear to set things right. But even after the Coalition withdrew, you never came.”

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“It wasn’t until Sabela told me you’d left the demons—and that a new Demon Lord had ascended—that I forced myself to lie low in the Demon Lord’s castle, investigating in secret, all while sending Catkin agents to the Empire on a desperate gamble.”

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“I never expected… that I’d sense your presence in the very first letter they sent back. To see you again—truly, I am grateful beyond words.”

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Her tone was earnest, almost feverish, and Lin Wei could sense no falsehood in it.

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If she had found her Demon Lord on the day the new one was crowned, there would have been no need for all this subterfuge. She would have assassinated the pretender and brought Lin Wei back to his fief herself.

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“Heh… So what you’re telling me is, Sabela joined forces with those other three fools, crowned a new Demon Lord, and made a pact with the Cult of the Evil God—all while keeping you in the dark?”

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Of all the Demon Generals, only Krulu and Morteir had truly been Lin Wei’s chosen subordinates. The other three had held their titles in name only, until the Demon God’s Divinity was released and granted them true power.

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By comparison, Krulu truly was the more trustworthy one.

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But that didn’t mean Lin Wei was ready to trust her—not after her past betrayal.

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Even if every word she spoke was true, one fact remained: she hadn’t reported to him in time, and that failure had left the demons in this wretched state, forcing him to abandon his people. How could a few words erase that?

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“I… I can’t say for sure whether the others were plotting all along, but I truly knew nothing.”

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“If I had realized they intended to overthrow you and crown a new Demon Lord, I would never have gone along with it, no matter what.”

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“You were the one who plucked me from the battlefield and raised me up. To me, you mean more than the entire demon race. If you wish to punish me, I will accept death without regret. Whatever happens, my life is yours to take—I will never turn back.”

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No matter what, Krulu pressed her forehead to the ground, declaring her loyalty with a ferocity that brooked no doubt. Even if it meant death, she would not betray him again.

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“So tell me… who is this new Demon Lord?”

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If Sabela and the others had planned Lin Wei’s replacement from the beginning, it made sense they would keep Krulu in the dark and use her unwitting betrayal to smooth the way.

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Lin Wei studied her, his mind finally clear after venting some of his anger.

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Letting emotion cloud his judgment was a mistake no Demon Lord could afford. Right now, only one thing mattered: gathering information.

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“In just two years, the demons’ power collapsed almost overnight. I want to know—who among you was foolish enough to let the army fall apart like this? Was it Sabela who finally seized the throne?”

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The demon army had retreated from the Borderlands all the way to their final bastion at the Northern Fortress.

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Frankly, even if their leader had been a pig, it would take years to dismantle an army of that scale. How had so many layers of defense been lost so quickly?

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“She’s someone I’ve never seen before.”

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“But… for the past two years, Sabela has managed nearly all demon affairs.”

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I did catch a glimpse of the new Demon Lord in the castle, when I was forced to swear fealty.

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Krulu hesitated, searching for the right words.

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“She looked like a frail girl—perhaps fourteen or fifteen—long white hair, eyes so red they were almost frightening. Her aura was every bit as formidable as yours, Lord Demon Lord.”

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“When my plan to send spies into the Imperial Capital to search for you was discovered, she tried to kill me herself… If I hadn’t been prepared, I would never have escaped. Even so, her energy attack struck me as I fled.”

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“That power… it was pure, but twisted, and cut straight through my regeneration. It felt exactly like the Cult of the Evil God’s handiwork. If I hadn’t met you, I would have been corrupted into a monster within half a month.”

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Creatures infected with evil god’s energy do not die easily.

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Under that warped influence, they rapidly degenerate into mindless beasts with only animal instincts—terrifying, obedient only to their master.

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They feel neither pain nor fear, and aside from holy energy, have almost no weaknesses.

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If only they retained their skills from life, they would be even more dangerous—capable of crushing foes they never could have bested before.

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“Is that so…”

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So the Cult of the Evil God had allied with the demons to ambush the Coalition, prolonging the war, and then immediately installed a new Demon Lord—one who could wield evil god’s energy at will.

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“Evil god’s energy, hmm…”

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Black, flickering flames danced in Lin Wei’s palm, radiating a chill that was both sinister and cold.

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He stared at his hand. He, too, could wield that energy—he had used it himself when dealing with the Evil God Statue in the Lotai region, setting a trap for the Pope.

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But even he had to admit: to inflict a wound like Krulu’s, one that nearly obliterated her life force, would have required a deliberate, focused effort—nothing like the effortless way this new Demon Lord summoned her power.

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In other words, for the new Demon Lord, evil god’s energy was as natural as breathing.

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Just a few questions, and Lin Wei had already gleaned more than he’d ever guessed.

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Especially this white-haired, red-eyed girl—he had no memory of anyone like her among the demons. With such a striking appearance, even a low-ranking soldier would have stood out.

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“What else do you know?”

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“The reasons for supporting the new Demon Lord, why the demon army unraveled, whether there are secret dealings with the Cult of the Evil God…”

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“And what of pacts with the Empire’s high nobles?”

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Lin Wei did not offer a hint of trust, but his barrage of questions seemed to set Krulu at ease—almost as if they had returned to the old days, when she served him without question.

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Unfortunately, she had little more to offer.

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“Forgive me, Lord Demon Lord. Since the new Demon Lord’s ascension, Sabela has controlled all internal affairs. She is clearly wary of me, and I have been unable to learn anything of their plans.”

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“But from what little I have overheard, I suspect the Cult of the Evil God seeks to revive multiple evil gods. They are desperate to draw necromantic power from the dead and spread their faith.”

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“The demons, meanwhile, want to use that power to crush humanity. The new Demon Lord seems obsessed with reviving the evil gods. Over the years, they have handed over countless corpses to the Cult… Oh, do you remember the goblin disaster?”

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Of course Lin Wei remembered—the memory was vivid as yesterday.

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He nodded, signaling her to continue.

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“The goblin disaster near Lotai was no accident. It was a joint experiment by the Cult and the demons. Over a year ago, they planted the [Fertility Mother]’s statue there.”

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“When I learned the name of the adventurer who resolved the disaster, I made certain our agents watched him closely—hoping we could glean something from his account.”

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“I never imagined that adventurer would turn out to be you, Lord Demon Lord… In any case, I count myself fortunate.”

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So the labyrinth disaster had been orchestrated by both the Cult of the Evil God and the demons?

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Lin Wei frowned, ignoring Krulu’s excitement. He had suspected something was amiss at the time, but he had not guessed it was part of a larger conspiracy.

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“An experiment? Combining the Fertility Mother and goblins? What was their aim?”

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Krulu, still kneeling with her forehead pressed to the ground, had no answer.

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Lin Wei tapped his arm, deep in thought. Evil God Statues were priceless to the Cult—sources of corrupt power, radiating evil energy, granting blessings to their followers.

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“From the [Blood Sacrifice Mother] statue revived in the Lotai region, to the [Fertility Mother], to the Dream-Mother cult that attacked the Imperial Magic Academy… Was it all orchestrated together?”

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All signs pointed to yes: recently, the various cults had begun cooperating.

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For centuries, disasters linked to evil gods had erupted across the land, but rarely had the cults joined forces—they had always competed for followers and influence.

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“And now, even the Empire’s nobles are colluding with the cults—the demons are in on it as well…”

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Even Lin Wei felt a chill at the thought.

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If, in the past, the Coalition had targeted the demons, now a new alliance was forming in the shadows, every bit as formidable.

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So… who were they targeting?

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“All the races that once fought the demons, including the Holy See itself?”

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It was a terrifying prospect, but the evidence was mounting.

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Lin Wei glanced at Krulu, then suddenly asked, “Did the demon army truly collapse, or was it ordered to withdraw?”

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Even if Krulu had been excluded from the inner circle, she would have noticed troop movements.

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“It was Sabela’s order,” she replied. “After we lost your leadership, chaos reigned for a time. But half a year ago, the army stabilized and slowly pulled back to the Demon Lord’s castle. I never understood why we didn’t return to the front lines… but we were commanded to hold the Northern Fortress at all costs.”

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That only deepened the mystery.

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By now, Lin Wei had probably extracted all the information he could.

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The new Demon Lord had ordered a full retreat to the castle—were they guarding something, or merely huddling in fear?

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The Cult of the Evil God was plotting something monumental in secret.

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And within the Empire, high nobles were involved. Was Duke Mel among them?

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“What about Morteir?”

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He recalled the Headless Horseman he’d encountered along the transport route.

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Lin Wei tapped his arm again and asked, “According to my sources, he’s been active in the Northern Countries, colluding with human nobles.”

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“That was Sabela’s order. He’s been operating in the Northern Countries, plotting something… He also tried to hunt me down in the last two months, but I know his tricks too well—he never caught me.”

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“I see…”

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So Morteir had pledged himself to the new Demon Lord as well.

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Lin Wei had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed left a bitter taste in his mouth. For a moment, he felt the sting of betrayal.

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Of course, all of this assumed Krulu was still loyal. If she was the true traitor, everything would be turned upside down—and this meeting could be the spark that ignited disaster.

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“Krulu.”

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A surge of hidden energy gathered at Lin Wei’s fingertips.

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He gazed at the catkin who had once betrayed him. Only by eliminating every threat could he feel secure.

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“From this moment on…”

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His fingers flashed forward, energy crackling, his crimson eyes burning brighter than ever.

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“It’s time… to face your punishment.”