The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate-Chapter 364. If It Was Now (2)

"Huuurghhh!"

The moment Caron broke free from the illusion Cardan had conjured, nausea surged up his throat.

Guillotine had filtered some of the memories, but even the fragments that had seeped into his mind were enough to make him sick. Only then did he truly understand why the Caron of Void had lost his sanity.

That memory wasn't something a human mind could bear. No—calling it memory was far too generous. To Caron, it was nothing short of a curse.

"That insane bastard," Caron muttered.

Even a brief glimpse into those memories was enough to reveal what kind of being Cardan, the Demon King of Havoc, had been.

What Cardan had done couldn't be called reincarnation. He had turned back time again and again, desperately struggling to kill the Demon King of Void.

Regression—that was the right word for it.

Each time he died, Cardan had returned to the past, and the source of that regression was none other than the power of Void itself. The faint presence of Void that Caron had once sensed in him must have been what allowed Cardan to defy time.

Even skimming through those memories made it clear.

At first, Cardan had tried to destroy the Demon King of Void with his own hands... for a simple reason. He wanted to die.

"That crazy, suicidal bastard," Caron muttered bitterly.

Cardan's mind hadn't been strong enough to endure thousands of years. He'd longed to end his story, to finally rest in death. But his power alone wasn't enough to resist Void. And so, he had chosen to give the chance to Rael Leston's reincarnation—to Caron Leston himself.

"Caron," Halo called as he rushed over to Caron, who stood frozen with his expression twisted in disgust.

"Are you all right?" Halo asked.

"Halo..." Caron said.

"Your core's unstable," Halo said.

"...The core's fine, but my mood isn't," Caron said flatly.

Cardan had committed atrocities to destroy the Demon King of Void. And no word like "justice" could justify what he had done.

"Ha..." Caron let out a harsh breath. He felt filthy.

In the end, it had been Cardan who toyed with Caron Leston's destiny. This lifetime was even worse, because he'd forcibly wedged in the existence of Cain Latorre.

"Once more, I twist Caron Leston's fate through another life."

"To destroy great evil, one must first learn what is precious."

"To a vengeful spirit, only more revenge shall remain."

Cardan had told him never to meet again. That had been his way of saying he hoped Caron would one day destroy the power of Void.

That was the only difference between the Caron of today and the Caron who had become the Demon King of Void: One had nothing left to protect. The other still did.

The vow between Cardan and Rael Leston had always been just one thing...

"To destroy the Demon King of Void," Caron muttered.

If one merely absorbed the Demon King of Void, then another Demon King of Void would simply be born in his place.

At the end of this war, Caron finally understood what he had to do. He thought, I'm supposed to disappear from this world, along with the power of Void? 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

To sacrifice himself for the sake of his comrades and family—that was the damned ending this stage demanded.

The deeper he traced through Cardan's memories, the more painfully he realized there was no other way.

"Halo," Caron called.

"I'm listening. Say it," Halo replied.

"We don't have time. We need to move now," Caron said.

He couldn't afford to abandon the opportunity Cardan had created.

"Is Cardan dead?" Halo asked.

"I don't know yet," Caron answered.

"What's that supposed to mean? Say it in an understandable way," Halo snapped.

"If we fail to destroy the Demon King of Void, that bastard will just be reborn," Caron said grimly. "Ha... Now I understand why they called him the Demon King of Havoc."

It had been the Demon King of Void who granted Cardan such power. In a way, the Demon King of Void had been another father to him. And Cardan had chosen to kill his father to end the wretched cycle of his life.

Rael Leston hadn't been able to accept him for it, but for the sake of their shared purpose, he'd had no choice but to join forces with Cardan.

"Listen carefully. I won't repeat myself," Caron began.

He briefly recounted the fragments of memory he had pieced together. About ten minutes later, Halo, having grasped the situation, scowled in disgust.

"So, the Demon King of Havoc was a regressor?" Halo asked.

"Considering I could reincarnate, what's so strange about regression?" Caron countered.

"Then that Caron who became the Demon King of Void..." Halo trailed off.

"That was his greatest creation," Caron finished for him. "A monster made entirely of hatred, driven only by vengeance. Cardan made him in his third life cycle, but in the end, that thing became the Demon King of Void. He and I are completely separate beings."

"So you're saying that you're the only Caron with a past life as Cain Latorre?" Halo asked.

"The World Tree protected my soul," Caron replied. "I was the anomaly that slipped free from Cardan's grasp. The World Tree shielded me from the Demon King's power and led me down a path Cardan could no longer control."

He drew a slow breath before meeting Halo's eyes, saying, "I stand here by my own will alone. Not Rael Leston's, not Cain Latorre's—mine. Caron Leston's will. Do you understand?"

The more Cardan had tried to meddle with Caron Leston's fate, the worse the outcomes had become. That was why, in the end, Cardan had chosen to let go of everything.

"Whether or not dozens of Carons may have died before me, none of them were actually me, so I don't care," Caron said coldly.

A flicker of light returned to his eyes. There was only one way to cleanse this vile feeling festering inside him.

"I'll end the Demon King of Void, and that fake bastard too. Let's finish this quickly, Halo," he said.

He wouldn't hesitate. He would stride straight toward the end of this path, his purpose clear and unwavering.

Halo nodded firmly and said, "That's the Caron I know. The knights and mages are fully prepared. Just give the order."

"If someone heard this, they'd think I was the commander," Caron said dryly.

No matter how many lives he had lived or how many versions of Caron Leston had existed across worlds, he only had one and only conclusion.

"The only one living now is me," Caron declared.

At Caron's resolute tone, Halo laughed and slapped him hard on the back, saying, "Now that's more like you."

"And I wasn't before?" Caron asked.

"There's nothing stranger than watching you actually think with that thick skull of yours," Halo replied.

"Are you calling me an idiot?" Caron snapped.

"Are you not?" Halo said.

They traded jabs, then turned their gaze toward the distant city, Glory. While its ruler lay unconscious, the expedition and Caron's army would strike the city.

"Oh, right, Caron," Halo began. "There's something I didn't tell you..."

"What is it?" Caron asked.

"I was going to leave him behind, but his will was way too firm," Halo answered.

"What do you mean—ah," Caron said.

"Caroooon!"

From afar, Leo came running with his usual dazed expression.

Caron sighed heavily and shook his head, then said, "I suppose there's no avoiding it in this lifetime."

"Just accept it. He begged me to let him come. He even said that even if he dies, he wants to make sure you live. How could I stop him?" Halo said.

Caron waved at Leo, who sprinted toward him, with a faint, bittersweet smile tugging at his lips.

The final battle was upon them.

***

Caron began to speak, his voice carrying across the field toward the gathered demons and demonic monsters that stood before him.

"I won't speak for long," he said. "This is our final battle. Destroy everything you see before you, and wash away your sins. In the very place where evil began, your sins shall find their end. I promise you salvation and liberation."

It wasn't a grand or rousing speech. There was no flourish meant to stir hearts. Only a goal set clearly before them, and the promise of reward.

Their destination was the city of Glory, the Core of Sin. That was where this story would finally end. No one knew what that end would look like, but even the faintest sliver of hope was enough.

"Warriors of the continent! Raise your weapons high!" Halo cried beside him, rallying the finest warriors of the expedition.

From Caron's personal unit, the Avengers, to the Oceanwolf Knight Order and the Imperial Guards. From the paladins of the Holy Kingdom led by Beatrice, to the orc and giant troops, to the scouting parties of elves and dwarves. Even the united warriors of the beastkin had gathered for this battle.

It was a place where death could claim them at any moment, yet their faces shone only with pride.

"Today, we shall forge a new world!" Halo shouted. "With your strength, open the path to the future!"

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

A roar answered him. Even in the face of despair, the morale of the expedition remained unbroken.

Caron stood at the very front alongside Halo. Behind them were the elders of the Ducal Family of Leston and his closest comrades.

Neighhh!

His pure-white steed reared and neighed sharply.

"The unicorn seems to be in high spirits," Caron said.

"When the war's over, I'll be sending you the rental bill," Seria said.

"Come on, I'm the Warrior—do I really have to pay rental fees?" Caron asked.

"Maintaining a unicorn drains an enormous amount of holy power, you know," Seria countered.

"I'll pay the most expensive rate you've got. Don't worry, Seria—I'm not the kind of guy who runs off on debts," Caron said.

"Lying with a straight face really is one of your talents, isn't it?" Seria asked.

"Thanks for the compliment. That actually makes me feel better," Caron said.

Behind him, Seria continued to pour out her holy power, blessing him without pause.

And beside him...

"My apologies, Leo Leston!" a booming voice called. "Giants don't get along well with horses!"

"It's fine, but could you maybe hold my waist gently? Wait, Orion—it seemed as if the elves' wolves could handle giants," Leo said.

"Unfortunately, we're short on wolves," Orion replied. "Quite a few died in battle."

"Caron! Got anything that Utula can ride?" Leo asked.

"Good grief..." Caron muttered.

Caron's longtime companions were exchanging words as they prepared to charge. With a resigned sigh, Caron summoned a massive wolf-shaped demonic monster and handed its reins to Utula. It was a monster known as a Fenrir.

The demonic monster that could bite even angels approached Utula like a docile hound, and the giant climbed on with a delighted grin.

At last, all preparations for the charge were complete.

Caron turned to his companions with a teasing smile and said, "Whoever dies first, I'm not holding a funeral."

"Usually the one who says that dies first," Orion said, shaking his head.

"Not me," Caron replied confidently.

"And what makes you so sure?" Orion asked.

"Because I'm the protagonist," Caron answered proudly.

Leo groaned, rubbing his temples, then said, "Everyone, please understand. He's gotten even crazier from all the stress."

"The only one who supports a brother's nonsense is another brother!" Utula declared. "Leo Leston, I've learned something from you!"

They exchanged ridiculous jokes as always, easing their tension before the battle. Caron wondered if they would still be able to laugh like this after it was over.

His thoughts drifted for a moment, but he quickly shook his head with a faint smile. Now wasn't the time to think about the future; there was only the present.

With a slow breath, Caron drew Guillotine from its sheath.

Though the final battle loomed before him, he felt strangely calm. The turmoil that Cardan's memories had left in him had completely faded.

This was the last step. Once he took a single step forward, everything would end.

Whatever awaited him at that end, there was nothing left to do but advance. Ruminating on the past was for those on their deathbed.

"Let's crash through," Caron said.

Thudududududu!

With a kick, Caron spurred his unicorn into a gallop. The unicorn tore across the field toward Glory at blinding speed. The others followed, hooves pounding close behind.

Thududu!

Thududududu!

The earth shook like an earthquake as countless warriors charged forward. From the radiant city in the distance, enemy forces began to stir. But the expedition only accelerated, uncaring.

Moments later, thousands of spells flared in the ashen sky.

"Use up every mana stone we've got!"

"Heh heh heh! Once this war's over, we'll never get to do this again! Let the magic fly!"

"Don't save your cannonballs!"

"Fire until the barrels melt! Don't lose to the mages! Show them the power of science, you damn dwarves!"

With bloodshot eyes, mages and dwarves alike unleashed every ounce of their firepower, howling with battle-crazed laughter.

The expedition, infected by Caron's madness, no longer cared about holding back. They poured out their fury with reckless abandon.

Caron grinned up at the sky filled with his allies' attacks. He remarked, "How did they even hold it in until now? All of them are such lunatics."

Their target was the Core of Sin.

The final battle of the expedition had begun.