Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 108

EP.108 The Secret of Reltra Part 1

The sickening sound of a blade sinking into flesh echoed through the air, followed by a short, pained cry.

Jeong-hyeon, unfazed, calmly continued, “So, let’s stop playing around now. The warm-up is over.”

Reltra’s face betrayed a whirlwind of thoughts, her eyes darting nervously. Jeong-hyeon, watching this, briefly considered driving the sword in deeper but was interrupted by Shin Si-ah stepping in.

“Jeong-hyeon, please. Reltra is not an enemy. She’s an ally—or at least, she needs to stay one. Let’s leave it at that.”

Jeong-hyeon glanced at Shin Si-ah, his expression neutral. Then, as if struck by a thought, he posed a question.

“…Do allies really need to stay alive?”

Shin Si-ah groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose as if trying to stave off a headache.

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“You know, like they say: ‘A good elf is a dead elf, and the best allies are dead allies.’”

“…No one says that.”

“They don’t?”

Despite her protests, Shin Si-ah’s insistence swayed Jeong-hyeon. He sighed and pulled his sword free, blue blood dripping from its edge. Turning his attention to Reltra, he spoke again, his tone deceptively light.

“Anyway, your name’s Reltra, right?”

At the sound of her name, Reltra flinched and looked up at Jeong-hyeon, still trembling from pain.

“Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be, okay?” Jeong-hyeon said, the barest hint of menace lacing his words.

Though her face was pale and slick with sweat, Reltra nodded hastily. Jeong-hyeon smirked, shaking off the blood from his blade before sheathing it.

“Well, I guess that’s the end of negotiations. Let’s go rest. I’m starting to feel tired.”

“…‘Negotiations ended well,’ you say,” Shin Si-ah muttered, exasperated.

Jeong-hyeon ignored her comment, instead focusing on cleaning his sword. Shin Si-ah’s quiet complaints drifted off into the background as he turned and walked away.

***

Jeong-hyeon settled onto a bed crafted from bone, lying back with a sigh. Though he had expected discomfort, the bed was surprisingly soft.

‘This isn’t half bad.’

Across the room, Shin Si-ah sat deep in thought, occasionally sighing. Jeong-hyeon debated ignoring her but curiosity got the better of him.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

Shin Si-ah bit her finger thoughtfully before exhaling sharply.

“Everything’s going too smoothly. It’s making me uneasy. Things tend to go wrong when they seem this easy. I’m trying to predict what could go wrong.”

Jeong-hyeon chuckled.

“Makes sense. The moment you think, ‘Why is this so easy?’ something usually blows up in your face.”

He leaned back, his voice calm as he offered a solution.

“Don’t worry. Whatever happens, we’ll just smash our way through. Problems solve themselves when you hit them hard enough.”

“When you say that,” Shin Si-ah replied, “it doesn’t sound reckless. It actually sounds terrifyingly plausible.”

Jeong-hyeon laughed, then shifted to the matter at hand.

“So, what’s next?”

“Well, we’ll need to spend a long time in discussions. Either figuring out how to sway the two dukes to our side, or…”

“Absorb their power base?”

“Exactly.”

Jeong-hyeon mulled over the options. His instinct was to storm in and crush everything, but that wasn’t why they had come to the Demon Realm in the first place. For now, he resolved to wait and let Shin Si-ah’s plans play out.

‘They’ll figure something out.’

Jeong-hyeon understood his role clearly: to demonstrate power when the situation called for it. For now, his task was to observe and step in only when necessary.

‘That’s the best way to minimize collateral damage.’

However, there was one glaring downside to this approach—it left him with nothing to do in the meantime. Waiting idly, without any action, gnawed at him.

‘If only someone would pick a fight with me…’

Preferably a strong opponent, he mused, casting a wistful glance at the ceiling. In his heart, he hoped and prayed for some challenge to come his way.

***

Meanwhile, in a grand hall deep within the Demon Realm, one of the three great ducal powers, Duke Pamur, sat with an air of composed authority. Known for his overwhelming influence, his power eclipsed the others when measured in raw force. Yet, at this moment, his attention was fixed on a single figure.

The woman across from him sipped her tea with graceful precision. Her serene demeanor was a stark contrast to the storm of emotions brewing beneath Pamur’s calm exterior.

‘The current leader of the Church. A former saint who once served as a hero’s comrade. The one responsible for killing the current Demon King.’

And above all, his longtime nemesis—a figure he had clashed with repeatedly due to their opposing natures in the previous era.

Pamur felt every one of these reasons culminate into his disdain for her, yet he kept his composure as he spoke.

“An exchange, you say… You’ve certainly cooked up an amusing scheme, Your Holiness.”

The Pope, undeterred, gave a small, derisive laugh.

“Amusing indeed. A leader of the Church coming to negotiate with a demon duke? That alone could be considered comedy gold. And you, who have tried to kill me countless times, now engaging in dialogue instead of curses? Truly, the world is full of surprises.”

Pamur couldn’t help but chuckle at her words. As absurd as it all was, he couldn’t deny the irony.

“So, you want me to send troops?”

“Precisely. Think of it as lending me expendable players for a spectacular performance.”

“Ha! You’re as insane as ever.”

“…And yet, I see that you’re tempted by the terms I’ve proposed,” she replied, her voice sharp and cutting.

Pamur stared at her in silence, recalling the offer she had presented:

‘The Church’s paladins will assist you in defeating Duke Betica.’

It was a simple proposition.

Currently, Duke Betica and Pamur were locked in a bitter struggle for the title of Demon King. Duke Reltra, however, opposed their ambitions, complicating matters.

‘Join forces with Duke Betica to eliminate Reltra first.’

The Pope’s proposal went further. Once Reltra was out of the picture and Duke Betica stood alone, the Church would send reinforcements to help Pamur defeat Betica, securing his claim to the throne.

‘In essence, we share the burden of sacrifices.’

Normally, such words would never leave the lips of someone hailed as the beacon of humanity’s light. Yet here was the Pope, calmly making the suggestion as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“So? If we proceed as I’ve outlined, you’ll gain the Demon King’s throne, even if you fail to conquer the human realm,” the Pope said, her voice honeyed with persuasion.

The arrogance in her tone grated on Pamur. A mere human, so emboldened by her fleeting authority, dared to crawl toward him with such audacity. He narrowed his eyes, barely containing his irritation.

Still, he couldn’t outright reject her. He knew well that if he did, she would simply turn to Betica with the same proposal. As distasteful as it was, Pamur found himself considering the offer.

The Pope’s unflinching gaze met Duke Pamur’s as she pressed for a response.

“So, will you join hands with me? Or will you turn me away?”

Pamur swirled the wine in his glass, sipping it leisurely as if unfazed by her impatience. After a moment of contemplative silence, he posed the question that had been troubling him since the start of their meeting.

“Before I answer, there’s something I’ve been wondering. How exactly did someone like you manage to contact me in the first place?”

The Pope’s lips curled into a faint smirk.

“Oh, that’s simple. You and I are far more alike than you’d care to admit.”

The cryptic response hung in the air, but Pamur understood her intent well enough: We think alike. Her words amused him, pulling a chuckle from his lips.

“True enough. After all, we’ve been at odds for quite some time now.”

“A sentiment from someone who’s lived for millennia feels strangely hollow,” she countered dryly. “But yes, we have.”

Pamur’s thoughts turned inward, pondering the network of spies undoubtedly embedded within his domain. He made a mental note to root them out sooner rather than later, then redirected his focus to the matter at hand.

“There’s one condition,” he said firmly. “Betica is the strongest among the dukes, as you are well aware. Your paladins alone won’t suffice against him. If this plan is to succeed, I’ll need your paladins and your holy knights involved in the campaign.”

The Pope’s expression darkened, her eyes narrowing into icy slits. For a moment, she held his gaze, and then, to Pamur’s mild surprise, she nodded.

“If that’s what it takes… so be it.”

Pamur’s instincts screamed that this was a trap. He knew the Pope would eventually betray him, her agreement merely a prelude to the inevitable. Yet, he resolved to proceed with the deal for now, planning to strike first when the time came.

***

Growing restless from inactivity, Jeong-hyeon decided to explore his surroundings.

‘Not like I’ll have many chances to visit the Demon Realm again.’

He began to wander, treating it as an impromptu sightseeing tour.

As he strolled, he caught sight of a familiar face—Duke Reltra. She was giving stern orders to her subordinates, her expression grave.

‘Finally, someone I know.’

Jeong-hyeon approached her, a sly grin spreading across his face. The moment Reltra noticed him, her complexion paled as she turned to greet him.

“Do you require something, Hero?”

“Something? Hmm…” He pretended to ponder for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Ah, there is something.”

Reltra’s already tense face grew more rigid as she awaited his request. Jeong-hyeon didn’t hesitate to share his most pressing concern.

“I’m bored.”

“…”

Her expression wavered between frustration and resignation, but Jeong-hyeon’s amused grin only deepened.

‘Some might think I’m bullying her unnecessarily… but keeping pressure on someone who dared to test me ensures they’ll never step out of line again.’

Jeong-hyeon was prepared to use any excuse to keep her in check. However, Reltra surprised him. Instead of bristling under his goading, she responded with unexpected composure.

“In that case, Hero, I have some information you might find… entertaining.”

Jeong-hyeon raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Oh? What kind of information?”

“Follow me,” Reltra whispered. “There are too many ears around here.”

She led him to a secluded, dimly lit area and turned to face him, her tone growing serious.

“Hero, what I’m about to tell you is both an apology for my earlier actions and a gesture of goodwill to improve our relationship. This information is for your ears alone.”

Jeong-hyeon’s curiosity piqued, and he nodded for her to continue. Reltra leaned in close, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“The Demon King has a birthmark beneath her chest.”

Her words landed like a bolt of lightning, and suddenly everything clicked into place.

Reltra’s unwavering support for Shin Si-ah, even after her supposed death. Her warm reception when Shin Si-ah appeared. Her quick agreement to Shin Si-ah’s alliance proposal.

‘Reltra is a Shin Si-ah… fan?’

Jeong-hyeon barely held back a laugh, masking his amusement with a neutral expression.

Translator’s Note:
From this chapter forward, I will use ‘she/her’ pronouns for the Pope, as explicitly described in this chapter. Thanks!