Chapter 73: Back to the Demon Realm (1)
Chapter 73: Back to the Demon Realm (1)
"Lirinel...?"
"Ah, yes! It's nothing, Lord Demon!"
"It doesn't seem like it's nothing..."
"Hehe, but what's that?"
"......."
"Ah, of course, if it's related to the mission, you don't have to tell me...!"
It wasn't because of that that I'd shut my mouth, you know.
But what could I do against a Legion Commander? In the end, I swallowed a sigh and unpacked the luggage I'd carried.
Honestly, I'd unpacked the luggage to get some food and was quite surprised.
Just how much and what exactly did Rememver know...
"Wow, cookies?! I've never seen this shape before!"
He had even packed some pretty plausible souvenirs.
Apart from the shape, they were cookies you could commonly eat at the Demon Castle too, but Lirinel, seemingly fixated on the novelty of the shape, watched me with sparkling eyes, gauging my reaction.
Well, it's not that I didn't understand her reaction. It would be like that, since these were very pretty flower-shaped cookies that didn't exist in the Demon Realm.
To earn some goodwill, I held out the cookie bag to Lirinel.
"It's a gift."
"Ah...? R-Really?! Thank you!"
At times like this, she was utterly no different from a child.
"My goodness, a reverse tribute...! I never thought a day like this would come in my life..."
"?"
Though she seemed to say strange things from time to time.
I watched quietly as she, with an expression of pure joy that made it hard to believe she was a commander of the Demon King's army, immediately took out a cookie and put it in her mouth, then I began to move.
Because the nearby gatekeepers had been watching us nervously for a while. It wasn't because of me, a human without a speck of magical power—it must be because of Lirinel. Though she looked like a child, a Legion Commander was still a Legion Commander.
As I intended, to move away from there, Lirinel immediately followed me.
"You're going straight to the Demon King, right?"
"......I guess I have to."
I didn't want to go, but what could I do? I had no choice but to go.
Unaware of my feelings, Lirinel beamed as if glad and nodded.
"I'll guide you by the shortest route!"
***
Unlike the other gardens of the Demon Castle, the central garden was always restricted. Those permitted entry were only the Demon King, the Legion Commanders, and those authorized by the Demon King himself.
However, the central garden, neglected because even the Demon King and Legion Commanders rarely visited, had been visited by someone for the first time in a while.
"The Empire attacked the Kingdom of Ireon?"
Sitting at the table in the middle of the garden, the Demon King leisurely raised his tea and asked.
"It won't simply end there. The Emperor's goal is continental conquest. The Kingdom of Ireon is merely a stepping stone for it."
A man with pointed ears, pale skin, and brilliant golden hair like sunlight answered. His green eyes stared straight at the Demon King.
The person before him, who looked unlike a demon by anyone's judgment, was, as expected, of a completely different race from demons. The others present here were the same.
Races that were neither demon nor human, who could only appear in a book somewhere.
To clarify something at this point, the original name of this land where the Demon King existed and three moons rose was not the Demon Realm. 'Demon Realm' was merely a name given because it was where the demons were most numerous and controlled the most territory.
A very long time ago, even before the 'demons' were born—
Countless races lived here. At that time, the name of this place was the 'Abyss.'
That name, once thought forgotten, still lived. What could that mean?
──The Demon Realm, no, the Abyss still had other races remaining.
"Well, good."
Putting down the tea he'd taken a sip of on the table, the Demon King lifted the corner of his mouth slightly.
"A being who is the Elf King wouldn't come all the way here to lie, so I'll believe those words. But what I'm curious about is why you're telling me this. I thought you all had no interest in the human world?"
"......Abandon the thought that we would be stupid because it hasn't been long since we changed generations. We are those who bear responsibility for our respective clans. We know that after the Empire conquers the continent, the next target will be this place."
To be precise, they'd target 'the demons of the Demon Realm.'
If humans started setting foot here under the pretext of exterminating demons, it would only be a matter of time before they noticed the existence of the other races.
Then after the demons, it would be their turn.
From the standpoint of the Elf King who valued the world and nature's flow, demons who were no different from 'world's errors' could not be welcome, but the stability of his clan was more important than his loathing of them, so he had no choice but to come here.
"So, don't die?"
"It means don't die a meaningless death and bring harm to my clan."
The Demon King chuckled at the cold words.
But only for a moment; instantly, his smile vanished, and an intense pressure pressed down on the entire garden.
"Good, all well and good, but could you not speak a little more kindly? I know the elf race dislikes demons, but even so, you wet-behind-the-ears—"
The 120-year-old Elf King, still wet behind the ears, bit his lip gently. The Demon King, who had been staring at him with emotionless eyes, turned his head.
Dwarf Chieftain, Mermaid Queen, Vampire Queen.
The leaders of each race, aged 700-800 years, were struggling to endure under the terrible pressure.
"As equals in the position of 'leader,' I don't even expect honorifics. Just do something about that insolent tone, can't you? Honestly, the youth these days......."
"......."
Clicking his tongue and shaking his head, the Demon King stared blankly at those who couldn't even answer, crushed under his power, then let out a deep sigh.
"......Forget it. What's the point of doing this to children."
The pressure vanished.
The Elf King frowned as if his pride had been wounded, but the Demon King pretended not to notice and rose from his seat.
Because something more important than educating a bratty child had just come up.
"You said the Empire attacked the Kingdom of Ireon? That's just perfect."
The location tracking mark I had inscribed was signaling that 'he' had arrived here.
"The informant dispatched to the human world just returned just now."
"As for that 'informant,' I know of him too."
Perhaps because racial traits didn't easily disappear, the Elf King stubbornly maintained his insolent tone and spoke.
"He's said to be of human origin. Very suitable to use as a spy, but before that, there's one thing I'd like to address."
"......."
"Is that human a trustworthy being?"
"......I wonder."
Walking leisurely, the Demon King placed a hand on the garden entrance door and smiled.
"As long as he is here."
"......."
"He'd be very reliable."
***
"Welcome. I had a lot of things I wanted to ask anyway, so you did well to come."
With arms wide open welcoming Deon, the Demon King brushed past his collarbone, then naturally began to lead him somewhere. Deon's eyes narrowed at some point as he was being led by the hand, while he touched the spot where the mark had disappeared.
The direction he was going was none other than the central garden.
The central garden was shaped like a greenhouse to make it easy to control entry by outsiders. He was heading to a place that, unlike other gardens, was restricted so that even the Demon King himself didn't visit often.
At the unusual sight, Deon, who had been staring at the Demon King's back, soon lowered his eyes without a word.
Eventually, at the garden they arrived at, the Demon King offered another chair and immediately began to throw questions.
"I heard the Empire attacked the Kingdom of Ireon. The Emperor's goal is continental conquest, right?"
Standing blankly without sitting in the chair the Demon King had offered, Deon slowly nodded as he looked around at the different races present.
"Yes."
He didn't worry about whether they would hear.
Because there must be a reason for bringing him all the way here and asking questions in front of others, even though they could have spoken separately.
"What was the order the Emperor gave you?"
"[Watch the Demon King, and prevent him from interfering in this game.]"
"And?"
"If the Demon King decided on war, I was to return no matter what."
"Hmm, as expected."
At any rate, he intended to sit back and watch until the Emperor swallowed more than half the continent, so there was no need to be greatly concerned right now.
The Demon King, who had pretended to ponder while stroking his chin, soon raised his head and faced Deon.
The Demon King's characteristic Inverse Eyes curved softly, and an affectionate voice came out.
"Besides that, is there nothing else you'd like to tell me?"
"In the human world, 'magic' was discovered."
"Huh?"
As if having heard unexpected words, the Demon King's eyes widened round.
Deon could easily read the blatant emotion in those wide-open eyes.
Flustered.
Yes, flustered. That was all. Pure fluster, with no trace of anger about 'someone using magic in the human world without permission' whatsoever.
Deon, who had been carefully observing it, slowly opened his mouth.
His red eyes faced the Demon King directly, and a calm voice came out as if he had noticed nothing.
"In a certain building, magic, not sorcery, was used."
"Ahh- Is that so?"
"......."
"I see. I'll look into it once."
"You may go now."
The Demon King casually waved his hand. As if sensing something, Deon's gaze persistently clung to him, but his firmly closed lips said nothing.
Unable to stay any longer, Deon finally turned around, and the lips that hadn't opened until he reached the garden entrance slowly parted only after he stood before the door.
From those leisurely opened lips, words completely unrelated to the previous conversation came out.
"The movement of your left arm looked unnatural; have Ben take a look at it."
A voice that couldn't be more affectionate.
"......Understood."
The red eyes that glanced at him obediently averted their gaze. Instead of saying anything more, Deon opened the garden door.
After Deon disappeared, the one who broke the brief silence was none other than the Elf King.
"You'll look into it?"
A cold laugh pushed aside the silence and spread low across the garden.
He, who had been laughing coldly enough to be chilling, suddenly turned serious as if he'd never laughed and glared at the Demon King.
"Who else would use magic in the human world?"
Demons basically follow the Demon King. It would be absurd for them to cause not a minor deviation but an outrageous incident.
"It's you, isn't it?"
"Watch your mouth."
"Is that what's important right now?!"
"Even so, it's not something for you to meddle in."
"Are you not afraid of the future?!"
The Elf King, unable to contain his frustration, finally burst out shouting.
As someone who sensitively felt the flow of the world, he could know for certain.
──That the world was gearing up.
Soon, the world would send a Hero. Unlike before, it would send a Hero highly threatening to the Demon King. No, if it was preparing this much, it might send a Hero 'capable of definitely killing him.'
But the Demon King, whether he knew the situation or not,
"Why should I fear the future?"
"......What?"
"There's no reason to be afraid. A Hero will appear anyway, and I will welcome him. This is how it's always been. There's no reason to suddenly be afraid now."
"Ha......."
A laugh of disbelief burst out, but it was only for a moment.
The Elf King, his face hardening coldly, rose from his seat without hesitation.
"Fine, it's not something I can interfere with. Do as you please. I won't concern myself with it anymore."
The meeting ended here.
Even though he didn't like it, since he was the leader of a race that served as a kind of first line of defense, he had given it some thought.
Envisioning the humans who would drive a sword through the Demon King's heart and push all the way here, the Elf King unhesitatingly left to devise a countermeasure.
The others, since the Elf King had already said what they wanted or needed to say, made dissatisfied expressions but rose from their seats without any particular words.
"I'll be going then. Oh, and I'd appreciate it if you could manage the demonic beasts properly. Lately, they've been wandering around near our territory."
"......I'll see to it."