The Villainous Son Loves His Mother - Chapter 91

◆

Deep within the great forest, the final tower stood tall.
With three towers already lost, this was Fabian’s last stronghold for his resurrection.
At the tower’s summit, a Dullahan stood motionless.

This was no ordinary Dullahan.

Clad in black armor adorned with silver, his imposing presence set him apart from his kin.
In the old Demon Lord’s Army, he was known as the “Silver Moon Knight Commander,” the Dullahan Lord Kasparius.
Kasparius stood motionless, the miasma rising from his headless torso swirling around him.

『It cannot be helped. Even with the loss of three towers, the ritual must proceed.』

Originally, the combined power of all four towers was meant to fully resurrect the Undead King Fabian, who had been sealed in the Imaginary Space by the First Holy Maiden Maria.
But reality had diverged from this plan.
A single tower could only create a crack in the Imaginary Space at best.
Yet they had to proceed.
It was far better to resurrect their lord, even imperfectly, than to perish without even trying.
Kasparius slowly raised both arms.

『My life, my soul, I offer all.』

The silver-adorned armor gradually began to glow.

『My lord, sealed beyond the ages…』

Kasparius’s body gradually became transparent, his very existence transforming into magic power.
The entire tower began to tremble.
The bones and flesh that formed its walls creaked and groaned, emitting a sound like a mournful scream.

『Lord Fabian…!』

With a final cry, Kasparius’s figure completely vanished.
At the same moment, a loud crack echoed through the air.
A “hole” into the Imaginary Space—no, perhaps it should be called a fissure.

From that narrow gap, something began to seep out.
The tower shook violently and began to collapse.
The bone and flesh structure, now without support, could no longer maintain its form.
As the tower crumbled with a deafening roar, a shadow materialized.

It was humanoid in shape, but its presence was utterly unnatural.
A skeleton crowned with a decayed crown and draped in tattered royal robes.
Purple flames burned in its eye sockets, and an overwhelming aura of death radiated from its entire being.

Undead King Fabian.

One of the Four Great Demons of the Old Demon King’s Army, sealed away after a mutual defeat with Saintess Maricia.
But his current form was a far cry from his prime.
Originally, he should have been fully resurrected by the power of the four towers, but with only one tower’s energy, he could only achieve an incomplete revival.
He had lost most of his power during his escape from the Imaginary Space into the Real Space.

“…So this is the mortal realm,”

Fabian said gloomily.

“I seem to have weakened considerably,”

He muttered self-deprecatingly.
In his full power, transforming this vast forest into a domain of death would have been effortless.
He could have poisoned the atmosphere with toxic mist, turned the land into a swamp of decay, and transformed every living creature within his domain into undead with a mere flick of his finger—truly the work of the King of Death.
But in his current state…

“At best, I can only summon these feeble creatures… Well, no matter. First, I must regain my strength.”

Fabian waved his hand, and countless undead crawled forth from the ruins of the collapsed tower.

『Obey me, ye dead.』

The Undead obeyed their new master’s command.

◆◆◆

Through the decaying forest, the army of the dead advanced silently.
Leading the vanguard was Valkyrie Ayla, once the leader of the Holy Maiden’s Covenant.
Clad only in a crude cloth given to her, she stared blankly ahead, her eyes hollow.
Around her marched the subordinates Hein had granted her: Zombies, Skeletons, Dullahans, and three Phantom Warriors who had once been her comrades.
Under perfect discipline, the dead marched deeper into the forest.

“Marcia, maintain perimeter security.”

At Ayla’s command, the pale, flickering Phantom nodded silently and detached from the formation.
Her former comrades now served as her subordinates.
This fact stirred no emotion in Ayla’s heart.
Or perhaps she simply refused to feel anything.

Ayla’s feet unexpectedly came to a halt.
A terrifying, malevolent energy, piercing through her entire being, emanated from the deepest part of the forest.
Something cold shot up her spine.
Her body, bearing the bl00d of Saintess Maricia, instinctively issued a warning.

“This sensation…”

She murmured, her voice trembling.
Deep within her body, her bl00d pulsed violently, sounding an alarm.
It heralded the resurrection of a terrifying entity.

“The Undead King… Fabian.”

The moment she spoke his name, her certainty solidified.
The bl00d of the Saintess never lied.
The Undead King, whom Saintess Maricia had sealed at the cost of her own life, was now on the verge of returning to the mortal realm.
Ayla turned to survey the legion she commanded.
Twenty Zombies, fifteen Skeletons, three Dullahans, and three Phantoms.
A formidable force, by no means insignificant.

But—

“We can’t win.”

It was a cold, rational assessment.
Even with an incomplete resurrection, their opponent was one of the Four Great Demons.
With their current forces, they would be annihilated without a trace.
Ayla’s mind raced with possibilities.
Above all, Hein’s orders were paramount.

“Clear the path…”

She murmured.
Yes, her mission was to eliminate any obstacles in the forest efficiently and decisively.
Therefore—

“Changing strategy,”

Ayla announced, turning on her heel.

“All forces, reverse course. We’re heading to the Yggdra Capital.”

Her Undead subordinates obeyed without question.
They were already under Ayla’s absolute control.
Soon, the edge of the forest came into view.
In the distance, they could make out Yggdrasil’s Walls, the capital of the Duchy of Yggdra.
Of course, she couldn’t lead an Undead army into the capital.

“Wait here,”

Ayla instructed, concealing her subordinates in the shadows of the forest.
Her mission was clear: to deliver vital information to the right people. Ayla planned to mobilize Yggdra and bolster their forces to defeat Fabian.
Alone, Ayla approached the Capital’s gates.
The moment the guards recognized her, cries of astonishment erupted.

“It’s Lady Ayla!”

“The Valkyrie is alive!”

To them, Ayla was a hero—one of the strongest adventurers who had vanished without a trace. Her return was meant to rekindle hope in the hearts of the despairing populace.

–If only she were still the same person she was before.

◆

The Adventurer’s Guild headquarters buzzed with excitement at the long-awaited good news.

“Lady Ayla has returned!”

“The leader of the Holy Maiden’s Covenant has returned alive!”

The adventurers’ cheers echoed throughout the hall.
But their joy quickly turned to confusion.

“Huh?”

“W-why…?”

Ayla was completely naked, wearing only a crude cloth wrapped around her waist. Her large br3asts spilled out from the makeshift garment.
Yet despite her provocative state, Ayla showed no hint of embarrassment.
With an expressionless face, she walked straight toward the Guild Master’s office.

“S-someone get her some clothes!”

A flustered Guild staff member rushed forward with a cloak.
Ayla accepted it silently and draped it over her body. Her movements were mechanical, as if she felt no shame whatsoever.
She knocked on the office door.

“Enter,”

Webster’s voice called out.
Ayla opened the door and stepped inside.

“Ayla!”

Webster rose from his chair, relief and joy flooding his face.

“I’m so glad you’re safe… but what happened to you?”

“I have a report,”

Aila said, her voice flat and emotionless.
Webster’s expression tightened. Something was wrong. The woman before him was undeniably Ayla, yet something fundamental had changed.

“Undead King Fabian has been resurrected.”

At those words, the color drained from Webster’s face.

“What…?”

“In the deepest part of the forest. At the place where the last tower was.”

Eyla continued in a calm tone.

“He’s only just resurrected, but he’ll regain his strength over time.”

Webster clenched his fists. This was the worst possible scenario.
With the resurrection of one of the Four Great Demons, this was no longer an issue the Adventurer’s Guild could handle alone.

“Tell me everything. What’s the situation at the tower? What are the enemy’s forces? What happened to your companions?”

“That’s all I have to report. Mobilize the Guild and the military, Webster. We can’t let the Undead King consolidate his forces.”

Ayla turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Webster called sharply.

“We’re not finished here. Why did you come back alone? What happened to the others?”

Aila didn’t stop walking. She continued toward the door.

“Ayla!”

Webster came around the desk and tried to grab her arm.
In that instant, Ayla turned back. The light in her eyes was different from before—hollow, as if she were looking at something far away.

“Let go of me.”

A quiet yet commanding voice.
Webster instinctively withdrew his hand.

“I still have things to do,”

Ayla said, leaving the office.
The adventurers waiting in the corridor parted to make way for her, sensing her unusual aura.
No one dared speak to her.
They could only watch her go.

Leaving the Guild, Ayla headed back into the forest, toward the place where her subordinates awaited.
To fulfill the mission given to her by her master.
Left alone in the office, Webster remained stunned for a moment.
But he quickly regained his composure.
Now was not the time to be dazed.

“Someone!”

He opened the door and called to a staff member in the corridor.

“Y-yes, sir!”

“Send a messenger to the National Army Headquarters immediately. Report the resurrection of Undead King Fabian.”

The staff member’s face paled.

“And to the Holy See as well. Make it top priority.”

“Understood!”

The staff member rushed out.
Webster returned to his office and exhaled deeply.
The Undead King had been resurrected.
Even in an incomplete state, he had already manifested in the mortal realm.
The longer they waited, the stronger he would become.
His undead forces would multiply as well.

“Even if it means deploying the entire army…”

Webster steeled his resolve.
This was no longer a matter for a single Guild Master to decide.
The very survival of the nation was at stake.
He picked up his quill pen and turned to the documents before him.
Letters of recommendation for the King, the Pope, and the Commander-in-Chief of the national army.
He would request the full deployment of the military to eliminate Undead King Fabian.
There was no time for leisurely strategies like erecting barriers or sending reinforcements.

Doubts lingered about the truth of Ayla’s claims.
Webster instinctively knew it was true.
It was the intuition of a seasoned adventurer.

“If we don’t strike now, it’ll be too late. I’ve already sent the letter—no, perhaps I should go myself.”

Webster began preparing to head to the royal palace.