Chapter 686: An Unexpected Proposal

An unexpected proposal! Everyone present was thrown into utter confusion by the offer. A demon proposing an alliance? It was surprising enough to receive a secret alliance proposal the moment he secured the kingdom, but the fact that it came from a demon was even more shocking.

No matter how things are, why would a demon propose an alliance?

Even if it's Lord Tae-hyun, I never expected a demon to offer him an alliance...

Tae-hyun was the first player ever to receive a secret alliance proposal from a demon! Yet, he didn't look surprised at all.

"Aren't you surprised?"

"Not really. It's not like this is the first time."

"!"

Ah, that's right! Come to think of it, Tae-hyun had already secretly joined hands with the sealed Madness Duke, Esla. And wasn't Saruon, the demon blacksmith currently residing in his territory, one of Esla's subordinates? At this point, there was absolutely no reason to be shocked by a demon requesting a secret alliance!

"Of course we have to reject it! Hyung, should we attack again right now?!" Unaware of the circumstances, Yu Ji-soo immediately went on high alert. To her, a demon was simply a boss monster. If one appeared, you had to kill it; they were not entities to negotiate or trade with!

"No, wait. We could actually make a deal."

"But it's a demon! If you make a deal, you'll just get tricked or betrayed!"

"Well... about that..."

"Mmm..."

"??!" Yu Ji-soo was flustered by Cain and Lee Da-bi's skeptical reactions.

"It's a demon, can we really trust it?"

"Of course we can't trust it, but honestly, I don't think Kim Tae-hyun is the one who's going to get scammed here..."

"If anything, he'll be the one doing the scamming. I bet he's already planning to rip them off."

"That demon is fearless. What on earth made him think it was a good idea to come here and try to make a deal?" Cain and Lee Da-bi whispered to each other, looking almost pitying. Hearing their conversation, Yu Ji-soo grew even more bewildered.

As they chattered among themselves without giving him a proper answer, Dervene smiled understandingly and spoke. "Fufu. Your Majesty. I understand that this proposal may feel unfamiliar, perplexing, and even terrifying to you."

"Not really. It's neither unfamiliar nor terrifying."

"Fufufu. There is no need to bluff..."

"Ah, cut the crap. Just tell me the details."

"Hu, fufu. My master does not reveal his identity so easily."

"Sure. That's fine."

"I understand. I know, Your Majesty. You cannot possibly accept a proposal from someone whose identity is unknown... Wait, what did you say?"

"I said it's fine."

"...???"

...I really didn't do anything this time. Tae-hyun wore a thoroughly disgruntled expression.

"Is it really alright?"

"Ah, I said it's fine!"

"I-In that case... very well."

"More importantly, what kind of support are you going to provide? Give me the details."

"......"

Thanks to his Supreme Eloquence skill, the opponent's inner thoughts were displayed in a message window. Tae-hyun realized he needed to act a bit more reluctant.

"O-Oh dear! Accepting a demon's proposal so easily... Am I making a grave mistake?"

"Fufufu. I knew you would feel that way."

"However, once you hear my proposal, those doubts will vanish completely. The power my master can bestow is truly magnificent."

. . . . . . . . .

Dervene certainly had a reason to boast. It was literally support for everything! With this aid, the ruined capital could be restored in an instant, and the soldiers could be fully armed. Not only that, but they could also attack other nobles in the provinces and seize their territories.

But Tae-hyun did not let his guard down. It was common sense to be suspicious when an offer was too sweet. Why would the opponent make such a proposal?

But seriously, why did they do this? He couldn't fathom it. Giving all of this away for free? Did they plant a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bomb inside it or something? If not, there was absolutely no reason to give it. Frankly speaking, if Tae-hyun decided to pull an eat-and-run, there was nothing they could even do about it.

I need to think about this a bit more.

"There's no way you're giving all this for free. What do you want in return?"

"Fufufu. Your Majesty. Your great deeds have reached even the Demon Realm. The hero who defeated the demons!"

"You ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mean 'the scammer who ripped off'?"

"Pardon?"

"Ah, nothing. Anyway, keep talking."

The rumors seemed to have spread in a slightly distorted manner, but Tae-hyun let it slide. It wasn't important.

"What we desire is Your Majesty's capability. As long as you eliminate the demons my master wishes to destroy, those rewards will be yours!"

"Mmm..."

In short, in exchange for the support, he was to become a hunting dog that fought according to the whims of Dervene's master. It wasn't an incomprehensible demand, but doubts still lingered.

It's too generous. There's no need to target me specifically and offer this much support. Either the opponent was an incredibly powerful demon, or they had some other scheme up their sleeve! Tae-hyun decided to send Dervene back for now.

"It's a very good proposal. My score is..."

"Pardon?"

"Ah, a slip of the tongue. Would it be alright if I gave you my answer after some consideration?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. I shall eagerly await a favorable response!"

Dervene bowed politely and departed. Once the demon had left and only the party remained, Tae-hyun spoke up.

"What do you think their angle is?"

"Well... maybe the demon we have to face is insanely strong? If it's someone on the level of a ruler of the Demon Realm, it's not something players can handle yet."

Boss monsters that exceeded level 500 or 600 were fundamentally beyond the reach of current players. Examples included the dragons in the far-off unknown lands or the Demon Dukes of the Demon Realm.

"I think there's a deeper motive. Oh! What if they received a proposal from Edaor or Adad and are trying to set a trap?"

"!"

Lee Da-bi certainly had a better imagination than Cain. It was the insight she had gained from running the Power Warrior Guild!

"That's definitely..."

"It's a possibility..."

"But still, would they really go that far just to catch you, Hyung?" Yu Ji-soo asked, as if it were absurd. At that, everyone nodded.

"They absolutely would!"

"R-Really?"

"If it were me, I'd bet my entire fortune on it."

"Didn't Cain actually bet his entire fortune before?"

"Shut up!"

"Alright. Let's assume the other party has an ulterior motive for now... Is there any way we can eat-and-run with the support first?"

"!"

This was the real point! Even before signing the contract, Tae-hyun was already brainstorming ways to pull off an eat-and-run.

"Wait, is it really okay to scam them? They're demons... Actually, now that I think about it, it's totally fine."

It was too late to call it dangerous, considering how much of his life had been spent pulling off scams!

"What if we ask for the support upfront?"

"Would they even give it? What if they refuse?"

"I think it wouldn't hurt to probe them first."

"How about we capture the demon and threaten him?"

"That's a bit reckless... Wait, who just suggested that?" Yu Ji-soo blushed and raised her hand. She had adapted to the group's chaotic nature in the blink of an eye.

"Won't there be a trap? Since they're demons, they'll surely prepare for the possibility of us eating-and-running."

"That's what's bothering me too."

"Your Majesty. Another guest has arrived."

"What? Why are they so impatient? Tell them to wait."

"N-No, it's a different guest."

...???

Tae-hyun had the guest guided in. Just like before, it was a suspicious figure completely covered in a robe! Tae-hyun was absolutely certain.

"That is 100% an assassin. There's no way it's not, two times in a row."

"......"

"......"

"Alright, Cain. When I give the signal..."

"No way, you jerk! You do it this time!"

Having been tricked once, Cain was completely fed up. If it turned out not to be an assassin again, how embarrassing would that be!

Whoosh! As the guest threw off the robe, gasps erupted. A sacred holy power radiated from their entire body, and white wings were spread behind them! An angel!

"An-An angel!"

"It's my first time seeing an angel...!"

"They really exist!"

In a way, angels were an even rarer sight than demons. Ever since the gods had departed the continent, with the demons retreating to the Demon Realm and the angels to the Heavenly Realm, there was no reason to encounter an angel. While demons coveted the continent and constantly tried to crawl out of the Demon Realm, resulting in occasional encounters, angels had no such inclinations.

However, Tae-hyun couldn't bring himself to rejoice. Which god's angel is this? He had scammed so many religious orders, and Akisus was hardly a popular deity.

I know already, so shut up. How kind of Carbanog to go out of its way to emphasize that no god liked Akisus!

- Guys. Prepare to attack.

- ?!?! In some ways, Tae-hyun was far more tense now than he had been with the demon.

"Your Majesty, the great hero of the continent, it is an honor to meet you."

"Y-Yeah. I'd appreciate it if you didn't come any closer than that." Tae-hyun maintained a safe distance!

"I am Yohas, an angel."

"Which god do you serve?"

"I cannot disclose that. It must not be leaked to the outside world that we are supporting a specific human."

Extremely suspicious. The moment the angel refused to name his deity, Tae-hyun's guard shot up.

I know, I know.

"Ahem. So... what kind of budget are we looking at here?"

"?"

"?" Tae-hyun and the angel exchanged utterly bewildered looks.

"Surely you didn't come here empty-handed without any support?" He barely swallowed the urge to add, even the demon brought some.

"I have come here for a noble purpose, Your Majesty."

"And the support?"

"The gods watch over you all, so even when the demons of the Demon Realm attempt to corrupt you..."

"Ah, so you really didn't bring any support?"

"...Of course, I have brought support as well."

"Phew. Thank goodness. I was about to kick you out."

"……." Even information he had absolutely no need to know!

"Your Majesty. Now that you have ascended the throne, temptations unlike any you have faced before will seek you out. The most wicked of these is the temptation of demons. Has a demon not visited you already?"

"Hmm. Well, I'm not sure. People are so wicked these days, you see. Ah, that's right. There's an organization called the Guild Alliance over in the Auston Kingdom, and rumors say they're quite friendly with demons." Tae-hyun threw a jab without a moment's hesitation! He was doing his absolute best to screw over the Guild Alliance even more in the future.

"I am not sure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about that... Regardless, the demon's intentions are obvious. You must not be deceived."

"What are they?" Tae-hyun was slightly expectant. He was already suspicious, so if the angel could provide some information...

"They wish to tempt you by showing you the sweet power of demons, ultimately corrupting you!"

"...I-Is that all?" Isn't that actually a good thing? Tae-hyun thought.

"No! Corruption! How incredibly wicked is that?!"

"Can't I just take the power and wipe my mouth clean?"

"Once you accept their power, you will be unable to refuse them. You must cut them off resolutely from the very beginning!"

"Hmm. I feel like I could just take it once and then cut them off... More importantly, Yohas. I don't know much about demons, so could you tell me specifically what they are planning and which faction they belong to?"

"If I tell you, will you remain cautious?"

"Of course, of course~ Absolutely. You have no idea how terrified of demons I am."

"Normally, this is a secret, but..."

Listening to Yohas begin with "This is a secret, but...", Tae-hyun smiled warmly. Angels are so easy!