Damn Reincarnation

was Jagon — the Beast of Ravesta.

Truth be told, Count Karad was afraid of him.
The stakes were high in the impending battle against the Dragon Demon Castle, including the fate of Count Karad’s fief and his very life.
That ’s why he had spared no expense in hiring Jagon and his subordinate Beastfolks as mercenaries.
Count Karad had brought Jagon here and offered the demons from his own territory to him every day as a meal.

Despite being the one who had hired Jagon with his money, Count Karad couldn ’t truly consider himself an employer.
Jagon had no official title, but he was the vassal of the infamous Demon King of Incarceration — an unfilial son who had even killed his own father, the Depraved Oberon.
Even as they stood together, Count Karad was acutely aware that if Jagon suddenly decided to turn on him, Jagon could easily rip his head from his shoulders.

‘He’s dangerous… but also sharp.’

A smile played on Count Karad’s lips as he shot a quick glance at Jagon.
He knew that the Black Dragon was the biggest wildcard in the upcoming war, and he had long suspected that the powerful dragon was nowhere to be found.
Now, with the confirmation of the Black Dragon’s absence, Count Karad felt a surge of confidence.

He pondered over the fate of the Black Dragon, but what he knew for sure was that the current lord of the Dragon Demon Castle was not Raizakia but rather his offspring, who had lived for approximately two hundred years.

“Jagon, I wanted to mention that a letter arrived from the Dragon Demon Castle,” said Count Karad.

Jagon had been standing in place for a while, staring at the Dragon Demon Castle.
Even though Count Karad came to stand right next to him, Jagon did not spare him a single glance.

After clearing his throat, Count Karad continued, “There are four old demons in the Dragon Demon Castle.
They call themselves the Four Divine Generals.
They were quite famous three hundred years ago, but they were bred into complacency by the Black Dragon, likened to pigs because of peace and comfort.
They say that they have no intention of fighting this war.”

Jagon listened to the situation silently.

“They are willing to surrender unconditionally.
To prove that, they are going to give us the Black Dragon’s daughter, who has just ascended as the castle’s lord….
If they are willing to forfeit that much, I think this might be a good proposal.
Rather than going to war….”

Jagon ’s expression remained impassive as he turned his head to face Count Karad.
His face consisted of a blend of bear and human features, and his black eyes gave no indication of the thoughts racing through his mind.

”I came all this way to go to war, ” Jagon declared in a low voice, his words almost a growl.
No emotions could be found in his black eyes as he stared at Count Karad.
“If you are not willing to wage war, I have no choice but to go to war with you instead.”

“Wait, wait! Calm down, Jagon.
A war with me—”

“I will kill as many people of your fief as the number of people residing in that floating castle,” declared Jagon.

‘Crazy bastard!’ Count Karad thought before forcing a smile onto his face.

He said, “Calm down, Jagon.
I said… that it was a good offer, but I have no intention of accepting it.
The purpose of this war is also to wipe out those old pigs who sent me this letter.”

Count Karad wasn’t saying this just to appease Jagon, as he had his own ambitions and beliefs.
He was considered a young demon in Helmuth, and he had not participated in the war three hundred years ago.
However, he knew from stories that the massive war had been terrible.
Almost all of the high-ranking demons of Helmuth were those who had actively participated in the war, and the Three Dukes were heroes from the war who had survived for three hundred years after it.

Count Karad didn ’t believe that everyone who had survived the war had become obsolete.
Nevertheless, he knew that there were certainly demons among Helmuth’s upper echelons who had grown weak and entitled over centuries of peace.
These OBs [1] had no real qualifications or authority, yet they demanded respect and special treatment.

The opulence of the ostentatious Noblesse was hard to ignore.
They resided in a grand castle and enjoyed their privileges while the non-privileged inhabitants labored in Karabloom, working for the benefit of those who lived in the sky.

In this structure, the hierarchy was completely corrupted, starting from the top.
It was probable that the Black Dragon had been absent for more than a century, but what had the Four Divine Generals accomplished during his absence?

They had been tasked to manage the territory in the lord ’s absence, but they had done nothing at all.
Instead, they had indulged in luxury like fat, lazy pigs.
The war against the Dragon Demon Castle would be a significant step toward Count Karad ’s ambitious future.

He could not rob the Black Dragon’s title in his absence.
However, if Count Karad could use this war to cause the Dragon Demon Castle to fall, he would receive the attention of all of Helmuth.

‘Then I will be able to achieve a higher rank and title.’

His ambitious plan would start there.
Count Karad ’s mind trailed off to another train of thought as he envisioned himself standing among the highest echelons of Helmuth ’s demon society.
He knew he had the cunning and ambition to climb the ranks, and defeating the Dragon Demon Castle would be the first step.
Count Karad was determined to show the other demonfolks that he was not to be underestimated — that he was capable of greatness.
One day, he would stand at the highest peaks of Pandemonium, the capital city of Helmuth, alongside the Three Dukes.

“This is different from what you said initially,” Jagon muttered, causing Count Karad ’s daydreams of ambitious plans to quickly dissipate.

”Count, you promised me a war against the dragon, ” Jagon reminded him, his tone unwavering.

“Raimira, the Dragon Duchess.
She is also a dragon—”

Jagon interrupted him, saying, “The dragon I wanted was Raizakia, the Black Dragon.
The Demonic Dragon from the era of war.”

“Even a dragon… will have affection toward their child.
Don’t you think so? Who would have imagined that the Black Dragon would have had a child? Moreover, he made sure to hide his one and only flesh and blood deep in the castle, away from the prying eyes of Helmuth,” Count Karad continued while stealing a glance at Jagon.
“If you kill the Dragon Duchess and make it known to the world, the Black Dragon will come out of hiding.
And even if the Dragon Duchess is a hatchling, a dragon is still a dragon.
She may be lacking for your full enjoyment, but she will indulge you with a rare taste of what you’re seeking.”

“Tomorrow,” said Jagon, “we will attack the Dragon Demon Castle.”

Count Karad felt a jolt of surprise at Jagon ’s sudden declaration.
They were close enough to the Dragon Demon Castle to launch an attack tomorrow, but Count Karad knew that there were protocols to be followed.
He needed to respond to the letter in a way that would show his disdain and report to Babel about the ongoing territorial war.
Additionally, there were many other preparations that had to be made before they could launch a full-scale attack.

“An ambush is quick and fast,” said Jagon in an almost indifferent voice.

He was dismissive of Count Karad ’s caution.
Ravesta, where Jagon was from, was a lawless place, unlike the rest of Helmuth, where rules and orders held sway.
This was why Jagon believed in taking swift action without worrying about rules like territorial wars or hierarchical rankings.
In Ravesta, everyone did as they pleased; they killed if they wanted to kill and ate if they wanted to eat.

“If we give them time after declaring war, the prey of the Dragon Demon Castle will run away.
Count, you hired me and my subordinates to go to war.
You will have the honor of the victory, but I will have the war,” said Jagon while tilting his head.

The scent of blood around Jagon overwhelmed Count Karad’s sense of smell.

Jargon declared, “Tomorrow, I will attack the Dragon Demon Castle with my subordinates.
I will leap up to the sky and smash that barrier.
I will kill and eat everyone in the castle without giving them time to run away.”

“That’s—”

Jargon continued, “As promised, I will have the blood, flesh, and heart of the Dragon Duchess.
I will destroy the city after killing everyone inside.
Then, I will hang the flag of your family.
That will conclude my contract with you.”

Jagon could not be persuaded, and Count Karad did not want to peer into Jagon’s eyes at such a close distance.

Count Karad took a few steps back and nodded.
“I understand.
However, if you want to invade this quickly, I will go with you.
I was the one who started this war, and it will be a historic moment for me.
So, I should be present.”

“As long as you don’t get in my way,” said Jagon, his lips curling up into a twisted smile.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from ”pawread dot com ”.

He turned his head once more toward the Dragon Demon Castle.
To him, the floating castle was no different than a dish with a lid waiting to be enjoyed and devoured.

1.
The raw gives this word in English as “OB.” The most reasonable guess would be Old Boys, which refers to a long-standing, influential clique.
Obviously, in this context, it’s used with a negative connotation.
See for more info.
☜