Stimulus #3: "One Arm? Are You Kidding Me!?" An Enraged Leona
Leona's scythe swelled to monstrous size and stopped dead just short of Malphas's throat. The demon flinched visibly and took one involuntary step backward.
"One arm? Are you kidding me!?" she snarled.
"Your Majesty the Queen, I merely stated the required price. Whether or not it is paid is entirely up to the Demon King's wishes," Malphas replied smoothly.
"You disgrace to the Magic Realm...!"
"That accusation is rather excessive. Heh heh..."
Leona looked one heartbeat away from swinging. Yuria was no different—an arrow already nocked, her bow drawn taut and aimed squarely at the demon's skull.
I lifted a hand, stopping them both. Attacking Malphas without cause would force the attackers to pay every single price he had ever received. That was exactly why the creature had survived so long.
Once the two women had calmed, I crossed my legs with deliberate nonchalance.
"One arm, was it?"
"Correct, Your Majesty."
"How exactly did you calculate its value?"
"I cannot disclose that information."
"I see."
I had zero intention of paying Malphas's price. I had already received the hint I needed. The Demon King's flesh is sacred—a truth every monster in existence knew. Demanding one of my arms? The price was so steep because it involved dragging Amon's most closely guarded secret into the light. A secret he treasured more than his own life. In other words, Amon had been plotting rebellion. Even if he hadn't taken concrete steps yet, the intention had been there.
It was as if the information had fallen into my lap without any effort on my part. The others lacked that kind of flexibility. To think they would actually offer up the price when asked... Nothing but rigid fundamentalists.
At any rate, though I had no hard evidence, my conviction was now ironclad. The fates of Amon, Orbas, and Gaap were decided.
It left a bitter taste in my mouth. They had thrown their bodies into the fire for me, and now I had to kill them. The realization that my influence had weakened also set off warning bells.
I need to corrupt Adele as quickly as possible.
Whether it was because I had spent too long in a human body or because Adele's holy power was interfering didn't matter. Once I dragged Adele down, I could return to my true form as the Demon King. My influence would restore itself naturally.
I studied Malphas's grotesque face for a moment, then gave my command.
"Return. The request is canceled."
"As you command. Have you... learned something?"
"That is not your concern."
"Wise words, as always. Then I shall return to my quarters."
Malphas melted into the shadows and vanished. Only then did Leona lower her weapon and blow the hair out of her eyes.
"What a disgusting bastard..."
It was clearly a curse aimed at the departed demon. Yuria nodded in silent agreement.
I gave each of them a look, then smiled faintly and focused my mind. I was calling Amon, who resided in his lofty tower.
Soon, a low rumble filled the air. Black smoke appeared from nowhere, gathering before the throne and coalescing into the shape of a crow's head. A gaunt, feathered humanoid body followed. The moment Amon fully manifested, he dropped to one knee.
"I greet the Demon King."
"It has been some time, Amon."
"Indeed, Your Majesty. If you have orders for me...?"
"Must I have orders before I am allowed to summon you?"
"Of course not."
How should I handle this one? Simply killing him felt like too great a waste.
While I weighed my options with Amon kneeling before me, an excellent idea occurred to me. I would arrange for him to be captured by Silvia and Adele. It would serve the dual purpose of depleting their Aether reserves. Fighting poison with poison. Though comparing Silvia and Adele to barbarians felt wrong, so I corrected the metaphor in my head.
"You charged into Earth with such momentum, yet now you cower in the shadows and spend monsters like disposable tools. I began to wonder what exactly you were doing. Am I wrong?"
"Not at all. Your Majesty has the Queen and Lady Yuria—"
"It is time we struck Earth a truly significant blow."
Amon lifted his head in silence. He was clearly trying to figure out why I was saying this. Acting, are we? What a repulsive creature.
"I will contact you within a few days. Make your preparations."
His shoulders twitched. Afraid of being treated as fuel again, was he? I flashed him a crooked grin and continued.
"Do not worry. I have no intention of sending Leona or Yuria against you. Feel free to rampage across Earth as you wish."
"B-but Your Majesty, Earth has other powerful beings—"
"I will provide you with comrades."
"Comrades...?"
"Orbas and Gaap."
The moment I named the two he had conspired with, Amon's pitch-black eyes trembled. He had realized exactly what I meant. His head bowed even lower.
"Your Majesty... I..."
"You will face no restrictions. Do whatever you desire."
"I was wrong... Until Your Majesty's command, I will not leave the castle. Please, I beg for your forgiveness..."
The way he danced around the issue while pleading for mercy made it clear. He really had intended to stab me in the back.
Why would you think something like that? It actually hurts my heart to make this decision.
Still, the current Amon remained under my influence. The fact that he could not refuse the order and was instead begging me to withdraw it proved that. I needed to cut him loose immediately, before the situation grew any worse.
"I am giving you this opportunity because of your long years of loyal service."
"An... opportunity?"
"If you can capture even one of the remaining Beast Slayers alive, I will grant you a single wish—whether it be forgiveness or freedom. I swear this on the name of the Demon King."
Rather than simply driving monsters to slaughter as before, I had given him a mission with a reward. He was probably not interested in "forgiveness." The word that mattered to Amon was "freedom." To someone desperate to escape my control, freedom was an irresistible temptation. On top of that, while he had been helplessly awaiting punishment, I had now given him an official path to escape it. He had no choice but to accept.
"You said Her Majesty and Lady Yuria would not be participating...?"
Look at him. The second he saw a way out, he lunged for the bait.
"Correct. Though I may still send them to handle something on the scale of Orbas's legion."
"If I am not the one facing them, then it is no problem! I will definitely succeed!"
Just as I had predicted, Amon accepted the order with burning determination. For someone who had tried to rally comrades, he showed zero loyalty. A pathetic opportunist.
After dismissing him, I leaned my head against the throne's backrest. I had prepared for the worst-case scenario of fighting Amon myself, so it was a relief that no battle would be necessary. I had thought returning home would bring comfort, yet I only felt discomfort. I needed to return to Earth quickly.
After returning to Earth, I spent an entire day meticulously purging every trace of demonic energy from my body before heading to the laboratory. The Doctor had contacted me to say she was there. Silvia was present as well.
She had been watching the creation of her Device with great interest. When I entered the lab in a suit, her eyes sparkled.
"You went on a business trip, right? How did it go?"
"It went well. What brings you here?"
"I just started my cycle, so I stopped by for some exercise."
"From Uijeongbu? That's over fifty kilometers."
"I figured it was the perfect distance for a workout."
Is this girl obsessed with exercise? It would take three hours by bicycle. I let out a helpless chuckle and turned my gaze to the Doctor, who was seated at the workbench.
She was fidgeting, clearly fighting the urge to throw herself into my arms while being mindful of Silvia's presence. She even shot the other woman a pointed glare—one that very clearly said, Get lost already.
Perhaps the Doctor's wish was granted. Silvia offered her a polite farewell, pulled on her helmet, gave my shoulder a light tap, and slipped on her shoes.
"Thanks as always."
"Where did that come from?"
"You came all the way here to work on the Device even though you must be exhausted from your trip. Am I wrong?"
"Well, no, but..."
"That's why I'm thanking you. Take care of things for me."
"Of course. Safe travels home."
Silvia nodded and started to leave, only to pause at the door. She turned back and whispered softly.
"Contact Adele. She's pretty upset."
"I did tell her I was going on a trip... Understood."
With a dry smile, Silvia left the laboratory. The moment the door closed, the Doctor shot up from her chair and ran straight into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hooked her legs around my waist, and showered my throat with passionate kisses.
Supporting her by the hips, I carried her into the break room and sat down on the bed.
"It's only been two days. You're making it sound like a catastrophe. We talked on the phone yesterday, remember? Calm down."
"I missed you, that's all... What did Silvia say before she left?"
"Just that I should take good care of things."
"I see... Oh, and I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"Have you been learning the Bible from Adele lately?"
That Silvia... Her mouth runs too freely. Well, I hadn't told her to keep quiet, and the Doctor finding out was inevitable anyway. I decided to let it slide.
"I'm just learning about the religion of another planet. It's fascinating."
"It doesn't seem like you're only studying the Bible..."
"What are you getting at?"
"Silvia told me. She said your relationship with Adele is really good. That you two have feelings for each other..."
The Doctor's eyes blazed with jealousy even as her face paled. She looked half-mad with it.
I snorted and cut her off cleanly.
"It's a misunderstanding."
"Right...? Just a misunderstanding?"
"Yes. Why didn't you ask Adele herself?"
"I did. I asked what she thought of Jihyeok."
A chill ran down my spine the instant I heard those words. She actually asked?
I kept my expression neutral.
"And what did Adele say?"
"She just said you were a good person."
I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. Adele had probably been too embarrassed to admit her feelings, so she had given a vague answer. That was why the Doctor was only reacting like this. As expected, Adele really was the best. Unlike Silvia, she did such cute things. I wanted to hold her in my arms right away.
"She didn't say much, then."
"No."
"You didn't have any morning sickness while I was gone?"
The Doctor chuckled and gave my shoulder a light smack.
"It's not time for that yet."
"True enough."
While holding her waist and moving slowly back and forth, I calculated how much Aether the three S-class demons—including Amon—could drain from Silvia and Adele. Aloken had been purified in a single strike before he could even show his full power, but three S-class monsters should still consume a considerable amount.
Tomorrow, I would meet Adele and explain the Device's charging method. It was about time she learned just how mischievous Aether could be.