Chapter 43: The King’s Disappearance and a Dire Alliance

“King Gapp has vanished from the palace?! Is this news reliable?”

After meeting Peter in his office, Ellis had just taken a sip of tea to calm her nerves when Peter dropped such a bombshell. She was so startled that she bolted upright.

Peter, with a grave expression, replied, “My informant in the palace stumbled upon this, and it’s true: King Gapp hasn’t received any ministers for several days. He’s also been remarkably passive regarding Daisy’s rebellion. We initially thought he was simply devastated by Bruno’s betrayal, but it seems we were all mistaken.”

“After hearing this, I immediately inquired with the military. Sure enough, a contingent of Royal Guards secretly departed the capital, their commander’s identity unknown. It appears to have been King Gapp himself.”

Larry asked in a deep voice, “Where did they go?”

“I sent a veteran scout to track their movements,” Peter explained. “They were headed in the direction of Aethelred County.”

Ellis asked, a hint of confusion in her voice, “Aethelred County? Wasn’t that the territory King Gapp’s brother ceded? What would he be doing there? It’s not yet time for the handover, wait, could it be…”

Peter nodded, his voice grave. “Since he’s going personally, I suspect he might be planning to expedite the territorial handover.”

Ellis pondered aloud, “What exactly does he want? Is he Jipp’s spy, already turned by them, or has Jipp offered him some significant incentive?”

Peter offered a bitter smile and shook his head. “I don’t know any of that. At this point, no one can fathom what he’s truly thinking.”

“It’s not necessarily Jipp who’s pressing him.”

Larry suddenly interjected, “Don’t forget there’s another party he’s collaborating with.”

“The Demonkind?”

A sharp glint flashed in Ellis’s eyes.

“It seems we’ll need to visit the palace again tonight.”

In a desolate wilderness near Aethelred County, an army of nearly a thousand soldiers was encamped.

Leading them was none other than Gapp, the current King of Danga. His face was considerably haggard, and his once brilliant golden hair was now streaked with white.

All of this was a consequence of learning about his own son, Bruno’s, betrayal. The crushing blow had nearly made him faint upon first hearing the news.

Gapp let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Is this my retribution? It’s truly merciless.”

“What does it matter? It’s merely one descendant. Don’t you have others? Like your eldest son, for instance.”

Marjorie’s chilling voice echoed from within Gapp’s shadow.

This did nothing to ease Gapp’s composure; instead, his expression grew even more somber.

Gapp’s eldest son was currently held as collateral for their cooperation—essentially a hostage, imprisoned by Marjorie.

Gapp did not know the location of his son’s captivity, but he had already inwardly given up on him. After all, these Demonkind before him were clearly not benevolent beings, and there was no hope of them honoring any promises. Even if his eldest son were to return… would he still be himself?

This meant that Bruno was Gapp’s only remaining child. Yet, Bruno’s recent actions had left him profoundly disappointed, solidifying a grim resolve within him.

He stated coldly, “I’ve already contacted Jipp, and their army is also on its way to Aethelred County. Just ensure there are no mishaps on your end.”

“Rest assured, I’ve been preparing for this for a long time,” Marjorie said with brimming confidence. “As soon as that army enters Aethelred County, I will immediately initiate the ritual. At that point, those soldiers will transform into my Demonkind army, and I will naturally help you quell all internal strife.”

King Gapp responded indifferently, “That truly sounds reliable.”

King Gapp lowered his head, his thoughts inscrutable to anyone present.

“So, they truly did escape?”

Ellis and Larry had scoured the entire palace, yet unlike last time, they weren’t detected by the Demonkind or chased away by guards.

Larry analyzed, “If I’m not mistaken, they must have gone to Aethelred County with King Gapp.”

“What exactly is in that place that so captivates the Demonkind?” Ellis wondered aloud. Suddenly, a flash of insight struck her. “Wait, if King Gapp wants to expedite the territorial handover with Jipp, wouldn’t Jipp also need to make immediate arrangements?”

Larry nodded. “Of course. Land transfer isn’t a toy; it’s not simply given away. All personnel matters need to be clearly handed over, and troops must be stationed there…”

At this point, Larry seemed to realize something. He looked at Ellis in disbelief. “Are you saying his target is the army Jipp sent?!”

“This sudden handover not only disrupts our domestic situation, but it should also throw foreign affairs into disarray. Jipp simply won’t be able to make full preparations to take over this land. However, with Danga in internal turmoil and King Gapp at risk of being overthrown at any moment, that territorial transfer agreement could easily be voided. So, Jipp likely won’t refuse this expedited handover.”

“But to fully occupy that territory without complete preparation would require a large number of troops to be stationed there.” Larry finished Ellis’s thought, drawing a sharp breath. “King Gapp’s target is Jipp’s army. He wants the Demonkind to wreak havoc on Jipp’s forces!”

“Most likely,” Ellis said, gritting her teeth. “While the Demonkind can parasitize any creature, the strength of the host creature itself ultimately affects the power of the Demonkind offspring born later.”

“From what we’ve learned recently, Jipp is a powerful militaristic nation. The quality of their army surpasses that of surrounding countries, making them the ideal hosts for the Demonkind.”

Larry nodded. “If this plan succeeds, Jipp will suffer a severe blow, and King Gapp can use the Demonkind’s power to eliminate Jipp, a powerful hostile nation, from oppressing Danga, thus buying Danga a chance to breathe.”

Although they hadn’t received confirmation from Gapp himself, they felt they were almost certainly correct. Ever since hearing King Gapp’s words at the banquet, Ellis and Larry had felt that he was not as simple as he appeared. At the very least, for Danga, he should be harmless.

Ellis’s face darkened. “We must go to Aethelred County immediately!”

If the Demonkind truly succeeded in their transformation, they might spare Danga due to their collaboration, but the impact on neighboring countries would be catastrophic. So many high-quality Demonkind, once spread, would require unimaginable sacrifices to eradicate completely.

For a nation protected by two S-rank adventurers to face such a monumental disaster would surely bring lifelong ridicule at the Adventurer’s Guild, even if they returned.

Even setting aside such concerns, their own consciences could not accept it.

A glint flashed in Larry’s eyes. “Right, we also need to inform Daisy so she can prepare.”

Ellis asked, puzzled, “Prepare for what? Even if Daisy arrives with her army, they can’t fight the Demonkind, can they?”

“It’s not for them to clear out the enemies, but to clean up the aftermath.”

Larry analyzed the broader picture. “Think about it: the current king is desperately eager to cede territory, humiliating the nation, and he’s collaborating with the dangerous Demonkind, who are openly hunted by the Adventurer’s Guild. Meanwhile, Daisy is risking her life leading an army to defend her homeland and repel foreign invaders. Compared to that, Daisy’s prestige in Danga will become unprecedented, and her eventual ascension to queen will be seen as perfectly natural.”

Ellis patted Larry’s shoulder. “You can even account for that. I dub you the ‘Shadow King’.”

Larry rolled his eyes. “What kind of bizarre title is that? We don’t have time to waste here. Even if we’re faster than them, we need to arrive in Aethelred County a bit earlier.”

Ellis pulled out her flying broomstick. “No problem. Aethelred County, right? Let’s go!”