Chapter 85
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 85
Without a word of reply, the Demon Kings simply bowed their heads. The Demon Kings of the northern continent were known to be crude due to the harshness of their lands, but even so, this greeting was an act of insolence that could not be overlooked.
“I, Biermann, representing the northern Demon Kings, would dare to speak,” the Demon King at the forefront said, cutting straight to the point.
Biermann… a descendant of Beelzebub, perhaps? Yubar recalled hearing he was a rising power in the north, one who had built a formidable force and was rapidly expanding his territory.
Perhaps he was overflowing with pride from his achievements, as his voice carried a distinct weight when he introduced himself.
“Speak.”
“None of us can agree with your recent actions, Lord Yubar.”
“Explain yourself.”
“We are well aware that Swallow is an ancient monster, one of the strongest even among the Great Evil Caves. However, even taking that into account, we believe your choices were excessive. That is why we have come to speak.”
When Yubar showed no reaction, Biermann continued. His petition argued that as the leader of all Demon Kings, Yubar had a duty to maintain his dignity at all times.
Disappointment was thick in Biermann's voice.
Indeed, Yubar bowing his head so readily must have been a shock to the other Demon Kings. It was something he had anticipated.
“I have taken your petition to heart,” Yubar replied after a moment of deliberation. “You worry about my senility. You worry that I will tarnish the authority of the Demon Kings.”
“Lord Yubar, it is not that…”
“Perhaps it is.”
“…”
“If things like this continue, I believe the number of Demon Kings who think so will only grow, Lord Yubar.”
Another Demon King waved his hands in panic, but Biermann paid him no mind, finishing his statement in an even firmer voice.
Finally, Yubar turned a grim face toward them.
“Foolish underlings.”
Unlike the other Demon Kings, who had no major physical differences from humans aside from their horns and wings, Yubar was a being much closer to the bloodline of the previous Demon Kings.
His face swelled, twisting and contorting.
The visage that soon revealed itself was grotesque, a horrifying mix of a deep-sea creature and a goat.
“Did you mistake my tolerance for permission to be insolent?”
His voice echoed, overlapping in multiple layers.
At the same time, an explosive surge of demonic energy erupted from his body. Startled by the unexpected reaction, Biermann realized his mistake and reached out, but it was too late.
“What are you—!”
In an instant, a giant hand of darkness materialized behind Biermann and seized him by the head. It was an upper-tier spell called the Hand of the Giant, which Yubar had cast in the blink of an eye.
Gripped by the head, Biermann was slowly lifted into the air. He kicked his feet frantically, overcome with unspeakable agony. He flailed wildly, trying to break free, but he could not escape. He couldn't use magic, let alone physical force.
Yubar's power was suppressing all of Biermann's.
“Did you think that I, Yubar, knelt because I have grown weak? A truly reasonable assumption.”
“L-Lord Yubar! Please, calm your anger…”
“But if you are so worried about me, the leader of all monsters, why don't you simply take the throne I occupy?”
The more Yubar spoke, the more force the giant hand applied to Biermann's face.
Creak. Crackle.
At the ominous sounds, Biermann's struggles grew more violent. The faces of the other Demon Kings turned deathly pale.
“I am old and decrepit. I have grown so weak that I must expend my attention just to deal with a speck of dust like you. If that is the case, what have you Demon Kings been doing while I, old and weak, sit on this throne? Why have you not deposed such a pathetic ruler? My decaying mind simply cannot comprehend it.”
“L-Lord Yubar, please… at this rate, Biermann will truly die…”
Squelch.
As if he had no intention of showing a shred of mercy, a wet, bursting sound echoed the moment the other Demon King spoke.
The object caught between the fingers of the dark hand was completely crushed, and filth oozed out from the clenched fist.
Only then did Yubar dispel the magic and return to his form as an old tortoise.
“Why do you think I bowed my head to that ancient monster? Is there still anyone here who thinks I bowed because I am weak?”
“Please… forgive our foolishness…”
The Demon Kings prostrated themselves as one. Their lives could be snuffed out in an instant. They were not so foolish as to need another example.
“The authority and pride you so craved. I discarded them to save your lives. Keep in mind that if you show such stupidity again, even I will not be able to govern you with tolerance.”
“W-we have committed a grave insolence.”
“Withdraw.”
The five Demon Kings bowed repeatedly before scrambling to clean up the mess.
Watching them collect Biermann's corpse, which was missing everything above the neck, Yubar fell into thought.
Fear spreads quickly. Those easily swayed by emotion and impulse usually have loose lips. Therefore, no further action was needed. The five northern Demon Kings would spread the terror on their own.
Now that things were reasonably settled on this end, only one question remained.
Just who is that daughter of Agrea?
How did Melju de Limp Agrea establish contact with that ancient monster, who so rarely showed himself? And why did that ferocious beast show favor to a young Demon King?
“Lord Yubar.”
As he was pondering, a voice called out to him. In truth, he already knew. His skin, which still remembered the terror, had suddenly begun to tremble.
He could feel Swallow's presence.
He was approaching. The presence was moving in a straight line, leaving no doubt that he was coming here. And he was already close.
Damn it. Once again, he appears without any warning.
What on earth do you want, Swallow?
There was no time to think. Yubar ordered them to disperse, and the Demon Kings, lacking the courage to face Swallow, fled the scene using teleportation magic.
Immediately after, the door opened, and Yubar’s eyes met Swallow's.
“Ah, found you.”
Swallow spoke the moment he stepped into the dark room, his chilly voice blending perfectly with the shadows.
“So you were here, Yubar. I was looking for you. I felt your energy clearly from this direction, and sure enough, I was right.”
After that greeting, Swallow glanced down at the floor, where blood that hadn't been fully wiped away was still pooling. He scanned it for less than a second before looking back at Yubar, his expression as calm as if he were looking at a pristine floor.
“What brings you here this time…”
“Ah, right. I should tell you why I’m here. We wrapped things up too hastily earlier, didn't we? I kept forgetting…”
At Yubar's question, Swallow smirked.
“…I have some unfinished business.”
Just like Yubar’s voice earlier, Swallow’s words echoed in multiple overlapping layers. The moment he heard that voice, Yubar resigned himself to his fate. That solemn statement was, without a doubt, a death sentence.
Of course. There was no way he would let this slide so easily.
Thinking back, it was a ridiculous situation. They had laid hands on Melju, who was to become a member of the Primordial Core. How could it possibly end without consequences?
His instincts screamed that the Demon King Yubar would be torn to shreds right here, right now, by the ancient monster.
“I didn't want to do this either.”
Swallow smiled. His cruel smile seemed to choke the very breath out of Yubar.
Letting out a chuckle, Swallow finally moved his hand, pulling something from the inner pocket of his shabby coat.
“You guys are Demon Kings, right?”
Dungeon Subjugation Requests.
As if the requests themselves were a powerful spell, Yubar froze.
A subtle tension filled the air.
Staring at Swallow, who had suddenly produced the requests, Yubar asked with great difficulty, “What is the meaning of this…?”
“Ah, explaining is such a pain.”
Swallow scratched his head vigorously and yawned. Seeing his relaxed expression, Yubar's mind raced, balancing on the razor's edge between life and death.
“…Should we hunt all the monsters listed in those requests and present them to you, Lord Swallow?”
“Is that how you’re interpreting this…?”
Yubar, having squeezed out his best guess, asked cautiously, but Swallow only sighed in frustration. In the end, he had to explain it himself.
“We need three more recruits for our dungeon, but Rene and I can't tell who's good and who's bad just by looking at these. You’d know about this kind of stuff, wouldn't you?”
“D-Do you mean…”
“Yeah.”
As if they were finally on the same page, Swallow smiled—the same chilly smile as before.
“You can help me, right?”
When Yubar missed his cue to answer, lost in bewilderment, Swallow put some weight into his voice and spoke once more.
“You're going to do your absolute best to help me, right? Hmm?”
* * *
“I wondered why the Demon Kings suddenly called an emergency meeting, but to think such a thing happened without my knowledge.”
“They're friendly guys. I didn't expect them to put in that much effort.”
Though, of course, things would have gone badly for them if they hadn't.
Dawn broke. The carriage prepared by the Demon Kings was parked outside, ready for departure.
Swallow and Rene slowly packed their belongings, which consisted entirely of things they hadn't had upon arrival—mostly food Swallow had plundered from the banquet.
“Still, I never imagined you would be so enthusiastic about this, Lord Swallow. I am truly, endlessly happy.”
“If you're endlessly happy, then you don't need to be any happier in the future,” Swallow replied with equal sincerity to Rene's heartfelt smile.
Enthusiastic… He had indeed worked hard in Judeca. So hard that he hadn't had a moment's rest. Even his business at dawn was something he hadn't intended to do. Rather than return to the inn to rack his brains over the requests, he had simply chosen to outsource the task to the Demon Kings.
“Still, Lord Swallow, you were absolutely amazing yesterday and today. I was deeply moved. Especially how you didn't kill all the Demon Kings… that was to prevent a major disruption in the monster ecosystem, right?”
“Huh? What ecosystem?”
“……Never mind.”
So you really just didn’t think about it at all.
Rene coughed, as if she were about to spit blood in frustration. Swallow stared at her as if she were strange, then slung a bundle stuffed with banquet food over his shoulder and looked out the window.
“It's time to move, Lord Swallow.”
Melju was already prepared. It was time to return to Knecht.
“We should get going.”
He had gotten the information he wanted by putting the Demon Kings to work, and he had secured Melju. He felt like he had done half a century's worth of work all at once.
“Please, just let me rest this time.”
*
In a small room in a corner of the abandoned monastery, after Judeca had ended.
Marmolia regained consciousness and looked around with dazed eyes.
The floor was damp. There were no iron bars or jailers, but it was hardly a place where a Demon King should be staying, even temporarily.
She pressed a hand against the floor. Despite the cold air, it was warm. Someone must have heated it with magic.
“…”
Staring blankly, Marmolia clutched her head with her other hand. Her tangled hair was a mess. Frowning slightly, she felt the dried scab near the crown of her head. She immediately moved her hand to the side.
Her fingers should have met something, but they met only empty air.
“…My horn.”
All she could feel was the stump of her dark red horn.
The moment she realized this, a throbbing pain shot through her head. The agony radiating from the severed area made her vision spin. Still, considering she only felt this much pain, someone must have layered pain-relief magic over the wound.
She wasn't surprised.
“…This can't be a dream.”
She was simply in despair.
Only then did she look around properly. Her gaze, as lifeless as a corpse's, silently registered the two monsters watching over her. The Lycanthrope and the Incubus, the executives from her Demon King's army she had brought as escorts, were steadfastly guarding her.
“…My Lord.”
The Incubus spoke in a lifeless voice. Marmolia glanced at them and lamented quietly.
Even her seductive voice, which once captivated monsters, sounded like a distorted mess now that her fangs were gone.
My hands…
Next, she checked her fingers. The ones that had been severed by the blade homunculus were all neatly reattached. The other Demon Kings must have fused them back together with magic.
It would take time, but her fangs would eventually grow back.
…But her broken horn would never sprout again.
“You have been asleep for a full day.”
This time, it was the Lycanthrope, who had watched over her without moving for a day and a night, who spoke.
Melju had left immediately after the punishment was over. The other Demon Kings had pleaded for clemency on Marmolia’s behalf. In the end, through Yubar's mercy, her remaining crimes were pardoned.