Chapter 6
Yoon Sang-hyuk leaned back in the plush seat inside the carriage and looked across at Zeronia. She was no longer wearing a man's disguise. Her short hair had grown long, and the flatness of her chest had given way to full curves.
The appearance of her leather armor had changed as well. It was an outrageous design that only barely covered her chest and vital areas. It was hard not to wonder whether that leather armor offered any real protection at all.
Until now, she had used magic to make herself appear male, but after last night's conversation, she had come before Yoon Sang-hyuk in her present form, her true form.
“Would you like some tea?”
Her attitude toward Yoon Sang-hyuk had changed too. Before, she had been polite but kept some distance. Now she was extremely submissive, as if she were treating Yoon Sang-hyuk like a master.
“I'm fine. More importantly, there's something I want to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you believe me completely? About what I said, that I’d be your backing. You really think I have that kind of power?”
Zeronia smiled brightly and lowered her head.
“You’re someone the Demon King has personally chosen to look after. In the Demon Realm, people are only treated properly if they have strength. Since Lord Sang-hyuk has such power, I assume Baal is showing you special consideration. And frankly, I can't even begin to guess how strong you really are. I feel a vague sense of fear that I never even felt when meeting the high-ranking lords.”
“You’ve got sharp instincts.”
“Pardon?”
“That’s what humans call it. We’ve got a long trip ahead of us, so do you mind if I tell you a little about myself?”
Zeronia’s eyes lit up.
“I fought Baal twice.”
“What?”
“Excuse me?”
Zephyr and Zeronia both stared at Yoon Sang-hyuk in shock.
“Whoa, whoa. Calm down. If you’re that startled, I can't even talk.”
“My apologies.”
“There was a reason for those fights. I’ll tell you the result first. I fought him twice, and I lost both times.”
The second battle, too, was in truth a defeat for Yoon Sang-hyuk. He had chosen mutual destruction with Baal, but Baal had chosen coexistence. The very fact that Baal was able to choose a path in which both of them survived was proof that he was stronger than Yoon Sang-hyuk.
If Baal had truly decided to kill Yoon Sang-hyuk, then the two siblings would not be sitting here talking to him right now.
Yoon Sang-hyuk briefly told them about being dragged to the Roselia Continent, about surviving there through hardship, about finally fighting Baal and returning to Earth, and about being forced to face Baal again.
The two of them could only stare at him in disbelief. But they could not fail to see the truth in Yoon Sang-hyuk's eyes.
When he finished, bright smiles spread across both of their faces.
At least one thing had become certain.
Yoon Sang-hyuk possessed power great enough to fight Baal.
Which also meant the rope they had grabbed onto was a very thick and sturdy one.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-
“It's a Galix.”
“Galix?”
“In human terms, think of it as something like a bison. Galix live in herds. They’re large, and their hides are extremely thick. They may look gentle, but they’re carnivores. So if you try to hunt them carelessly, you may end up being hunted instead. Even so, the meat is excellent, and they’re well known as fine ingredients. You won't find them near the city, though. You have to travel far to hunt them, and because charging in recklessly can be dangerous, not many people go after Galix on their own.”
“So, in other words, it's delicious?”
“Th-that’s right. Huh? Lord Sang-hyuk?”
Yoon Sang-hyuk, who had clearly been sitting across from him a moment ago drinking tea, was gone. No, just as Zephyr thought he had vanished, he appeared again.
“Huh-!”
And when he reappeared, a massive Galix was already collapsed in front of him.
“W-when did you...?”
“Easy. Go over, smack it, pick it up with my hands, and come back.”
“H-haha. Very simple indeed.”
“Let's have the meat be Galix this time. It's got great texture.”
Zephyr's siblings let out cheers and rushed toward the Galix. They skillfully skinned it and separated the bones from the meat.
The Galix herd kept running, never even realizing that one of their own had disappeared.
Yoon Sang-hyuk set a grill over the campfire and laid a slab of Galix meat on it.
Sizzle-
With juices dripping down, an appetite-stirring aroma rose into the air. Zephyr and his siblings also placed the Galix heads over the fire and began roasting them.
Yoon Sang-hyuk took out a dagger and sliced the half-cooked meat into bite-sized pieces before putting them in his mouth.
“Hmm-.”
It was the kind of flavor that made him understand why people said something melted in their mouth. If it were up to him, he would have liked to capture a few Galix and take them back to Earth. If he could raise them properly, he'd be able to eat this delicious meat whenever he wanted.
After finishing the first piece, he ate two more.
Only when his stomach was full did he finally stop eating. Yoon Sang-hyuk normally didn't overeat.
“Incredible.”
“What do you think? Isn't it the best?”
Zephyr asked, his mouth coated in oil.
“It is. It's really good.”
“Thanks to Lord Sang-hyuk, I got to taste Galix meat again after a long time. I'm truly grateful. I'll make sure to store the remaining meat properly.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk took a kettle from his subspace and boiled water. After preparing cups for everyone, he mixed in instant coffee.
“What is that?”
After wiping her mouth, Zeronia asked.
“It's a drink called coffee. Humans drink it after a meal to clear the palate.”
When he handed her a cup, Zeronia first savored the aroma.
“That's an unusual scent.”
“The taste is even more unusual. I guarantee you're going to fall for coffee before long.”
“Ahh- the taste really is unusual. How should I put it? It clears away everything left in the mouth after eating meat. Just like you said, Lord Sang-hyuk, it's incredibly charming. I think I'm getting addicted.”
Zephyr and his siblings came over. When Yoon Sang-hyuk made coffee for them too, all of them praised it without holding back.
Leaving the dark elf siblings behind as they boiled water for another round of coffee, Yoon Sang-hyuk stepped into the container box.
Lying down on the bed, he stared at the Demon Realm's night sky through the small window. It was a black-red sky with neither stars nor moon, but the more he looked at it, the more it had a strange sort of appeal.
“Hoo-.”
A light sigh.
He had no idea how long he would have to remain in the Demon Realm. There was no telling when he'd be able to return to Earth, and no certainty that he could return at all.
Could he take Satan's heart, when Satan might even be stronger than Baal?
Questions about himself kept piling up, and so did the fear.
He took a bottle of strong liquor from his subspace, removed the cap, and drained it in one go. Setting the empty bottle down, he wore a disappointed expression. As he'd felt again while drinking Twilight's Cry, his detoxification ability wouldn't let even the strongest alcohol make him drunk.
He considered opening another bottle, then simply lay back down and closed his eyes. Just as he was about to try to sleep, Yoon Sang-hyuk had to open them again almost immediately.
Something was tapping at the window. He could hear the beat of wings from some flying creature. When he looked toward the window, he saw something black outside.
He opened it, and a black-feathered bird flew inside and landed on the table.
It was an unusual bird with three eyes. Its body resembled a crow's, but the three eyes shone like black jewels set into its face.
“What are you?”
Then the bird's black eyes turned red.
“Heh, to ask a bird a question like that.”
“Huh?”
Yoon Sang-hyuk stared at the bird in surprise. When it opened its beak, words spilled out. It was a familiar voice.
“Vassago?”
“I wonder whether you’re enjoying your journey.”
“It's not a journey I chose for myself, so I wouldn't know whether I'm enjoying it.”
“If it is a journey you did not choose, then you may return as you are. So long as you can bear the regret.”
Yoon Sang-hyuk frowned.
Even if it hadn't been his own choice, there was no way to refuse it.
“The Blood Festival is in full preparation here at the moment. It's a pity that you can't join us.”
“The Blood Festival?”
“The largest festival in the Demon Realm. Of course, you cannot enjoy it with us, but I believe you will enjoy it well enough all the same.”
He had no idea what the hell Vassago was talking about.
“You can look forward to it. You, too, shall enjoy the Blood Festival that everyone else is celebrating.”
Maybe it was his imagination, but it felt as if the bird were smiling. Its head seemed to overlap with Vassago's face.
“I do hope this becomes a successful journey in which you obtain everything you desire.”
Phwoosh-
After leaving those final words behind, the bird's body burst in a small explosion. Feathers, flesh, and blood splattered over the surrounding area. Yoon Sang-hyuk paid it no mind.
“The Blood Festival.”
“I said I felt a powerful dark force last night, and I was right after all. For Vassago to send a messenger personally is astonishing.”
Zeronia was truly surprised.
“What is the Blood Festival?”
“Ah, so it's already that time. The Blood Festival is... well, it's less of a festival and more of a curse, really.”
Zeronia began explaining the Blood Festival.
For just two days out of the year, the Demon Realm became saturated with dark energy. Dark energy was precious to the beings living in the Demon Realm, because it elevated their rank.
However, exposure to dark energy beyond what they could endure would drive them insane.
“In the end, the demons and beasts that fall into madness begin rampaging. They bite each other apart and try to steal one another's lives. Once they destroy an opponent and absorb its dark energy, the madness only grows worse. After two days pass, the whole scene is nothing but blood, blood, blood. It's absolutely soaked in it. That's why they call it the Blood Festival.”
“Why does dark energy suddenly become so abundant?”
“According to Lord Vassago, who is the wisest among the Demon Realm, the barrier separating the Abyss of the Void from the outside world weakens for just two days each year. When that happens, the dark energy spilling out of the Abyss of the Void fills the entire Demon Realm.”
“Vassago said I would enjoy the Blood Festival too. Don't tell me you and your siblings go mad as well?”
Zeronia shook her head.
“We aren't that weak.”
“Then why did Vassago say that?”
Zeronia looked around and then whispered, “Though we can't see them right now...”
Her voice trailed off.
“There isn't a place in the Demon Realm without demons and beasts.”