Chapter 387
Chapter 387
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 387
Chapter Title: Demon Realm (2)
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In the Immortal Fortress, the evil stronghold nestled in the northern mountain range of the Ion Continent, Succubus Siana, who oversaw the internal affairs of the Immortal Army, hurried along with brisk steps.
She had been deeply immersed in her duties when the king's sudden summons arrived.
'Sigh, what is it this time?'
Like all the executives here, she had an overwhelming amount of work on her plate.
Officially, she was in charge of internal affairs, but in reality, she handled every miscellaneous task imaginable.
To be fair, what kind of internal affairs did an organization mostly composed of undead even need?
These immortal beings operated flawlessly even in the abyss's boundary, where water and air were absent and space-time itself was jumbled.
Undead were monsters you could just pile up in a warehouse and pull out when needed, so her main jobs inside the fortress amounted to loosely managing the black magicians—who were little more than slaves—and the captive crown prince.
'Hubert Merchant Company... At least they're producing results. They say it's already grown to rank among the top companies on the continent.'
In that sense, overseeing trade with a human merchant company without hiccups was her most tedious responsibility.
Rare materials unique to the northern mountains could be easily gathered by commanding undead, but discreetly trading them was another matter entirely.
Of course, there was no one else in the Immortal Army with the finesse to handle such delicate tasks besides her, so she understood that.
'Anyway, this Immortal King is definitely different from the previous ones who just brute-forced everything with raw power. Pretending to prepare for all-out war to draw attention while quietly infiltrating the continent's economy from behind the scenes? It's like we've already won before the war even starts.'
Through her work, Siana had faintly grasped the grand vision the Immortal King was painting, and she inwardly clicked her tongue in admiration.
The lukewarm actions he'd shown so far were probably all groundwork for this.
Looking back, even the playful three-year grace period that had baffled everyone made perfect sense as a calculated move—it gave her chills.
'I didn't realize it then, but now I know. The Immortal Army's raids afterward contributed massively to the Hubert Merchant Company's growth.'
Wars that consumed vast resources and the merchants supplying them were inseparable.
The Hubert Merchant Company had seized the opportunity presented by the Immortal Army's raids, acting at just the right times with utmost aggression, rapidly expanding its influence.
But how many in the world knew of the Immortal King's involvement behind it all?
'...That sharp intellect that doesn't rely on overwhelming force. Turns out the sexiness isn't just skin-deep on that skull!'
Casually ignoring the fact that the skull was hollow inside, Siana blushed and grinned broadly.
The Immortal Army was a black company with hellish workloads, but having such a dashing direct superior was welfare enough in itself.
Enough to soothe the anxiety stirred by sudden news from her homeland.
"Uh... My king? And who is... this?"
That was why, upon arriving at the Immortal King's summons and encountering an outsider, Siana couldn't help but feel confused.
The Immortal King was sitting there with a woman she'd never seen before!
[Hmm— If I had to put a label on it, I'd say business partner. Or maybe rivals. Heh heh heh.]
"You're too much. I've told you over and over, I'm not that interested in this continent."
The woman conversed casually with the Immortal King, without a hint of formality.
With long horns, black wings, and ruby-red pupils gleaming in the centers of her black sclera, she looked every inch a demon no matter how you sliced it.
Siana naturally felt wary, but the emotion didn't last long.
"Hi there? What a pretty girl. I'm Hela. Nice to meet you?"
A beautiful woman radiating an eerie allure from every inch of her being.
As she flashed a bright smile and spoke, Siana's stomach began to churn.
Just from exchanging glances and greetings, an inexplicable fondness welled up from the depths of her heart.
'...No way. This level of charm! What the hell is she?'
Siana was a succubus.
A member of a prestigious bloodline that could rightfully claim to be the pinnacle of seduction across all dimensions.
Her kind outclassed other races with similar abilities—like vampires, sirens, or lamias—by several levels, granting her near-immunity to such effects.
'Ugh, me, a succubus... And to another woman? I don't swing that way!'
Rationality and gender meant nothing against the natural charm emanating from the being before her—Hela.
Even a golem without emotions might fall under its sway.
Blood trickled from Siana's gritted teeth.
"Hehe, not bad, huh?"
[That's enough games. We have much to do ahead.]
Thanks to her desperate resistance, she held out until Hela withdrew her power.
She couldn't say for sure what would have happened if the standoff continued, but this was a meeting for cooperation—the Immortal King wouldn't let his subordinate be further disrespected.
Siana let out a sigh of relief, snapped her head up, and glared at Hela.
'No doubt about it. That power just now... She's kin, just like me.'
It was slightly off from a full succubus, so it took her a moment to recognize, but now she was certain.
They shared the same origin.
'But that's one thing, and this is another.'
Her curiosity about this Hela woman was separate from her bruised pride.
No matter that the Immortal King was present, she couldn't just swallow the insult without retorting.
Siana looked Hela straight in the eye and opened her mouth confidently.
"Um... C-can I call you sis?"
In a shy voice that didn't match her expression.
It was embarrassing for a succubus to falter under another's seduction, but if it was from a 'big sis' of the same kin, it was no issue at all!
With that logic, Siana fidgeted her fingers like a schoolgirl. Hela replied with a beaming smile.
"No."
A firm refusal laced with unyielding conviction.
Siana deflated at the resolute answer, and with that, the proper meeting finally began.
To overcome the chaotic politics of the Demon Realm and enthrone a true Demon King.
For the progress of "Operation: Demon King Ears."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Cross-verification was essential when gathering information.
Even if the witness firmly believed their account, no one could guarantee it was the absolute truth, right?
In that regard, Siana's testimony—following Ken and Frances—provided invaluable insight into the Demon Realm's situation from multiple angles.
Especially since her faction was hostile to those of the other two demons.
'The faction Siana belongs to is the one getting pushed back helplessly right now.'
The Demon Realm's affairs were more complicated than expected.
After the 14th Demon King Reraye invaded the continent and was subjugated, the selection of the 15th proceeded without major issues.
Of course, per Demon Realm custom—where the strongest in power, influence, or popularity claimed the throne—it wasn't exactly peaceful.
Still, they had successfully reached a consensus.
The trouble started shortly after the 15th Demon King ascended and then abruptly vanished.
Demons weren't exactly known for responsibility, so at first, they shrugged it off as a vacation.
But as the vacancy stretched from decades to over a century, things escalated.
The unprecedented disappearance of a Demon King in Demon Realm history naturally led to chaos.
Various factions rose to claim the throne, clashing against those still loyal to the 15th.
That was the war spanning centuries mentioned earlier.
'But that's not the whole story.'
Wars weren't rare in a realm where conflict was daily life.
Most past Demon Kings had risen through similar strife, hadn't they?
Yet this war, erupting right after the previous king's disappearance, ballooning into an unprecedented great war... felt off.
'Something unnatural. Like artificial external interference.'
And that was likely the root of his unease.
He had a rough guess already.
'Whenever something big goes wrong in Aouterica, it's reasonable to suspect that guy first.'
How many years had it been since he arrived on this land, faced various incidents, and resolved them?
This judgment came from hard-earned experience.
『Sealed Divine Fragment of XXX (15,500,000)』 'It was around 30 million when I first saw it, and now it's down to nearly half.'
The obscured text had mostly cleared up too.
Though the last word was obvious anyway.
'The number dropped sharply the moment I arrived here.'
It had steadily decreased through repeated entanglements with that guy, but plummeting by nearly half had happened just minutes ago.
"Feels kinda weird. It's got a vibe similar to the 「World of Machon」 for sure."
Hela slowly raised her head and gazed at the sky.
Though it should be daytime, no sun-like body shone; instead, a faintly glowing purple sky illuminated the ground.
And in its center, as if something had sliced through, the Milky Way of the night sky peeked through the rent heavens.
"...That's a sword scar, no matter how you look at it?"
A dry wind brushed past Hela's ears as she stared blankly at the mark etched in the sky.
The ambient yin energy in the atmosphere invigorated her inner power, but before this majestic sight, it felt trivial.
'What a view. Worth coming here.'
After lingering a while, she smiled faintly and began walking slowly.
Toward the horizon, where black stone walls of a fortress came into view.
A blackened earth barren of even a single tree stretched across the vast wasteland.
This land Hela now trod was the demons' homeland.
And soon, her own—
the Demon Realm.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Hela narrowed her eyes and stared at the gate before her.
'First things first, figure out where I am.'
Getting to the Demon Realm wasn't hard.
With the Immortal King and Demon King allied, a mere dimensional barrier wouldn't stop them, right?
The issue was she couldn't choose her arrival point afterward.
This was her first time here, after all.
'Would've been easier if I came with the others as planned.'
Ending up alone in the Demon Realm deviated from the original plan.
She had two locals to guide her and one immigrant ready—why come solo to foreign soil and dive headfirst into the unknown?
'I wondered if traveling together would change things, but nope, same result.'
Unlike her—a Demon King who'd never set foot here—they had descended to the continent via official routes.
Naturally, their return coordinates were preset, auto-teleporting them upon breaching the Demon Realm's barrier.
Leaving Hela stranded alone in this remote spot.
"Eh, what can you do? Not my first time crash-landing solo in another world."
Besides, her power was more than sufficient—it overflowed.
Hela shrugged lightly and strode boldly toward the gate.
"Huh?"
"Hey, look over there."
"What?!"
The gazes of nearby demons focused on her.
From frog-like ones to a giant seemingly four meters tall, dinosaur-like quadrupeds, and shadowy figures made of smoke.
Truly a diverse lineup that screamed "demons."
'They're all so unique. Feels like a zoo.'
No need for troublesome disguises here in the Demon Realm, then.
Cowering would only make her look more suspicious.
Hela squared her shoulders, kept her chin high, and marched forward confidently.
'It's fine. I've disguised myself to blend in as much as possible.'
Thanks to the 「Nation-Toppling Beauty」 effect.
A beauty that could "topple nations" should satisfy any aesthetic taste.
Though limited to beautiful female forms, it was enough to conceal horns, wings, and unique eyes.
'Practicing on Siana helped me control the charm aura perfectly.'
Suppress her distinctive allure, and in a place teeming with all sorts of demons, a pretty humanoid one wouldn't draw much attention.
Like spotting a cute cat or dog.
"Hold on, please wait a moment!"
But apparently, that was just wishful thinking.
A Doberman-headed demon—seemingly the gate's guard captain—pointed right at her and approached swiftly.
With a posse of other demons in tow.
"Phew, from House Coatl to Lord Dalrun's domain—what brings you here? We haven't received any prior notice."
He eyed Hela with subtly deferential speech, posing an enigmatic question.
His voice strained to suppress tension and unease.
She subtly scanned the surroundings without drawing notice, but no one else was around.
'House Coatl... One of the central forces dominating the current war, right? Why do they think I'm from there?'
A name she'd overheard while gathering intel.
Even Ken and Frances's faction held significant sway there.
Hela kept her composure while rapidly assessing.
There had to be a reason for their misunderstanding.
They wouldn't spout nonsense at a stranger without basis.
Misinterpreting her silence, the Doberman demon swallowed hard and spoke even more cautiously.
"...We'll escort you inside first. Seeing you're in full battle gear, there seems to be a misunderstanding. Shouldn't we get a chance to explain? Just a moment, please spare some time."
Battle gear.
Hela glanced down at her outfit.
A Demon Realm magic tool from the 「Golden Treasury」, picked as the best fit since she lacked other clothes for the trip.
'Was this from House Coatl?'
And apparently, one symbolizing high rank.
No wonder it was so comfortable with diverse enchantments.
'Those guys should've mentioned stuff like this sooner.'
Anyway, resolving this misunderstanding took priority.
She sighed softly and met the Doberman's eyes directly.
"Lead the way."
In an arrogant tone ingrained in her very being.
"...Y-yes, right this way. We've notified ahead, so they're prepared to receive you inside."
"Hmph. Let's see how well they've prepared."
Hela, the Demon King who descended personally to devour the Demon Realm.
She never missed an opportunity.