The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

Under the clear skies, I stood on a steep cliff.

Looking down, I saw a fog of miasma drifting everywhere.

I couldn't see the bottom, but I knew that it was quite deep.

This place was called ‘The Valley of the Dead'.

I was standing at its edge.

Right beside me, stood someone very precious to me.

A friend whom I had overcome this cruel mission with, the only one I longed for.

She, who stood next to me, was the Hero.

Her smile was warm like the blazing sun in the past. But now all that hung over her was a shadow of gloom and resignation.

The fact made my heart hurt, but I could do nothing.

It only served as a reminder of my own powerlessness.

"You evil fiend! How dare you betray us!"

"How dare you return! You heretics!"

"You are a shame to this kingdom! Die now!"

Wallowing in self-hatred, a barrage of curses poured upon us.

I looked behind me.

There was a row of people standing.

They would be no less than a hundred.

They hurled foul abuses at us and mercilessly pelted stones.

The stones hit our back and heads, leaving a dull pain behind.

"…"

Clenching my teeth, I put up with it.

Because the girl beside me was enduring the pain too.

I desperately suppressed my emotions that gushed forth.

As I was being pelted by the stones, I became aware of the shackles on my limbs.

The shackles had the power to seal magic.

Because of these restraints, I could not use magic.

Regardless of my past glory and achievements, even being called a Sage, I was now a powerless man.

The truth made me miserable.

"Silence!"

As I reflected upon my cruel reality, a sharp voice pierced through the place.

Hearing that, the crowd stopped pelting the stones.

I let out a small breath of relief.

It was a middle-aged man, draped in an exquisite robe, standing a little ways away from the crowd.

He was the Prime Minister of this country.

Puffing his chest, the Prime Minister began reading the parchment in his hand.

"Hero Claire Vaton. "Sage Dwight Havelt. These are the names of the ones who defeated the demon king whop had plunged this world into darkness. The two were extraordinary heroes, a symbol of humanity's wisdom."

The Prime Minister paused his words there.

The next moment, he opened his eyes wide and yelled.

"But! The former heroes' souls have been corrupted! They both have now become the next Demon Lords and plan to make the world fall into chaos! We thus banish the two to the Valley of the Dead!"

"You're wrong! "

I unintentionally objected.

Consumed by rage, I raised my voice out of reflex.

The crowd focused its gaze on me.

I felt considerable hatred from them.

Thinking of the restrains on my limbs as annoying, I twisted my body around to face the crowd.

"We are not the next Demon Lords. This is someone's conspiracy. We subjugated the Demon Lord. We only saved the world—"

"Don't spew lies! You are Demons!"

"We trusted you! Why did you betray us!?"

"Die now! I'll crap over your dead bodies![Hasr: this one made me crack up lol]"

The second storm of abuses arrived.

Our desperate pleas were drowned out at once.

It didn't matter what we said.

The spectacle in front of us was enough to make me understand.

As I drowned in deep despair, silence enveloped the place again.

The crowd's gaze turned to the one beside the Prime Minister.

Standing there was a man wearing a red mantle, with a crown on his head.

I could never forget the arrogant yet graceful atmosphere around him.

With grey hair and a fine beard, he was the King of this country.

The one who ordered us to go and subjugate the Demon Lord.

"Pawns of the barbaric Demon Lord. It was my mistake to call you heroes."

The king glanced at us and spat out his words.

Taking that as a cue, the crowd once again began hurling abuses and pelting rocks.

The King and the Prime Minister made no efforts to stop them.

We had no way of stopping them. We could do nothing but silently endure.

Realising my pleas fell on deaf ears, I turned my backs towards the crowd."

My persuasion and insistence of truth made a shred of difference.

Everyone believed us to be evil without a doubt.

Gazing at the ground, I muttered to the woman beside me.

"…Hero, let us run away. It's possible if it's the two of us."

"We cannot. I wish for this world to be peaceful. If I become a sacrifice for that cause, I shall gladly accept it."

Her reply wasn't what I wished to hear.

Closing her eyes, she shook her head.

A line of blood ran down her face.

A stone had hit her head.

I stared at her in a daze.

"Hero…"

"If you care for your life, you can escape by yourself. The one they fear is the hero who killed the Demon Lord. Even if they lose sight of your whereabouts, they won't desperately search for you."

She spoke bitterly.

I caught a glimpse of pensiveness in her profile.

She seemed in pain.

You're wrong. I want to live with you by my side…

I swallowed down the words at the tip of my tongue.

I didn't deserve to confess to her at this moment.

I was too late.

The situation was quite hopeless.

"Dwight."

"…What is it?"

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this. And thank you for standing beside me all this while."

"No, I am the one who should be thankful…"

Moved to tears, I replied with difficulty.

My voice quivered no matter how hard I tried.

My vision distorted and I was about to collapse on the spot.

I stopped it by sheer willpower.

Reflecting on her words, I took them firmly to heart.

"Execute them!"

The Prime Minister's ruthless voice echoed.

I heard something slice through the air.

In no time, a dull pain ran through my back.

At the same time, an arrowhead ripped out through my chest.

It was bright red, dyed in my blood.

Considering its position, it must have pierced my heart.

Looking next to me, an arrow similarly ran through her.

The hero who subjugated the Demon Lord staggered because of a single arrow.

She lurched in the direction of the cliff.

"…"

As I vomited blood, I somehow managed to move my neck.

The people sneered.

The Prime Minister, who had ordered the soldiers to fire the arrows, showed an expression of joy.

The King too wore a dark smile on his face.

At that moment, I felt as if I had experienced the true nature of this world.

My heart seethed with dark impulses.

If the shackles did not exist, I would have unhesitantly used magic.

At that moment, a second arrow came flying.

My face reflected intense pain.

Half of my vision turned dark.

With what little field of vision I had, I saw an arrowhead thrusting out.

"……ah"

I turned stiff.

Pulled by the force of gravity, I fell down.

I could not resist any longer.

I no longer had the power to resist.

The crowd's cheers reached my ears as I fell down the valley.

Hasr: The first few chapters are long af, so I’m gonna split them into parts.

I’ll probably decide a release schedule next month once I have enough chapters for all my series in stock. The smut in Show Must Go On is killing me.

Also, I need an editor for this if anyone’s can spare their talents.