Malkuth's Offer
“Who the hell are you trying to seduce?!”
“You’re here.”
When we opened the door and stepped inside, a woman was already waiting for us, sitting with her long legs crossed in an elegant, haughty pose. Her attire was refined yet subtly revealing, as if she were a wealthy noble from the capital, and she wore ornate accessories in her hair and ears. Everything about her felt out of place in this small rural village.
As we entered, she gracefully uncrossed her legs and rose to her feet.
“Are you the one? Glinis’s son, Roen.”
“Uh, yeah. That’s me.”
“A pleasure. I’m Malkuth, the Youth Association’s vice president.”
Malkuth extended her hand toward me for a handshake. Just as I reached out to take it—
“What brings you here, Malkuth?”
A chilling voice came from behind me. Ilena was smiling brightly, yet her eyes were sharp as she stared at Malkuth.
“Malkuth? I asked why you came. What’s your business?”
“I came to invite him to join the Youth Association.”
“Oh, is that so? Then please finish your business and be on your way. We still need to have a late lunch.”
Ilena was clearly trying to keep Malkuth at a distance. Unlike her, however, Mother welcomed Malkuth warmly.
“It’s not every day such a kind person visits. We can’t just send her away. Stay and have lunch with us.”
“Thank you, Glinis.”
“Kh…….”
Ilena turned her head away and let out a strange groan.
“Let’s sit and talk. The two of us will prepare lunch.”
“Do you not require assistance, Mother?”
“No need. The Youth Association’s work is important. They’ve brought life back to our once-dying village.”
The village had changed so much it was almost unrecognizable. Still, even though I’d heard the name “Youth Association” several times, I couldn’t quite get used to it. The name itself was plain and rustic, yet its members were none other than the terrifying legion commanders of the Demon Realm.
Since I had been given permission not to help, I sat across from Malkuth at the table without worry.
“So, Malkuth, what exactly does the Youth Association do?”
“It’s simple. You go about your own business as usual, and when something important happens in the village, you come out and lend a hand.”
“That doesn’t sound difficult. Since I’ve returned to my hometown, I’d like to help however I can.”
“Wonderful. I’m glad you accepted so readily. And—”
Malkuth extended the hand I hadn’t been able to take earlier.
“While the two of them prepare lunch, let’s step outside for a moment. There’s something important I need to discuss……”
Crash.
Both Malkuth and I turned toward the kitchen at the loud noise. It was the sound of Ilena slamming down the new kitchen knife she had bought, splitting an ingredient clean in half.
“This new knife cuts really well, Mother.”
“It does. You chose well. But be careful with your wrist. If you swing it that hard, you might get hurt.”
“But it cuts so well that I like it. If I ever run into someone I don’t like……”
Ilena glanced sideways at us as she spoke.
“I feel like I could split them right in half.”
Unlike me, who was tense and unsure why Ilena was being so wary, Malkuth remained perfectly calm.
“The kitchen seems rather noisy.”
She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door.
“Let’s go outside.”
“Ah……!”
“We’ll be back shortly, Glinis.”
“I’ll call you when lunch is ready, so don’t go too far.”
The moment we stepped outside and closed the door, Malkuth lightly touched the earring she was wearing. A small mana barrier formed around us.
“You blocked the sound?”
“Yes. The Demon King was trying to eavesdrop.”
It was the same with Lilia last time. Ilena always tried to listen in whenever I talked to someone.
“So what’s the real reason you’re here? I doubt the Imperial Guard Commander and chief strategist of the Demon King’s army came all this way just to recruit me for the Youth Association.”
“It’s simple.”
Malkuth pointed a finger straight at me.
“I want you.”
“……What?”
She wanted me. First Ilena declared she would have me, and now Malkuth too?
“In what sense do you want me?”
“Exactly as I said. I want you to join the Demon King’s army.”
“You’re saying that even though you know who I am?”
“Of course. The one and only Swordsman Who Cuts Magic, the former Hero. And……”
Malkuth smiled strangely as she added,
“Now you’re just a discarded hunting dog, aren’t you?”
“H-How do you know that?”
“I’ve been watching your every move. From the last war until now—and I’ll keep watching.”
“You’ve been spying on me?”
“That sounds too sinister. ‘Watching over you’ fits better.”
Malkuth began slowly circling me as I stood there with a stiff expression.
“Your value is immense. While the Demon Realm’s magic is far superior to the human world’s, there are still plenty of competent mages here. But if we had you, all of them would become useless.”
“It’s true that I was discarded. But that doesn’t mean I’m willing to betray the world I protected. And……”
“Hup.”
Before Malkuth could react, she found my hand at her throat.
“That sounded like you’re dreaming of another war. Am I wrong?”
“You’ve got it wrong, Roen. I simply want to be prepared. If you prepare for everything in advance, you won’t have regrets later.”
Even though I could have taken her life at any moment, Malkuth smiled faintly and gently took hold of the hand that had been about to strangle her.
“How about the term ‘reserve forces’?”
“In the end, you still want me to join the Demon King’s army.”
“But the Crusader idiots abandoned you. They even tried to kill you. Don’t you want revenge on those who used you and the Hero party?”
“Just how much do you know……?”
“Think about it. Who do you think made it possible for those vulgar succubi to infiltrate Crownland so perfectly?”
I found the missing piece of the puzzle.
“So it was you, Malkuth. You were the one controlling Lilia from behind the scenes.”
“How harsh. I simply want you. What do you want? Tell me what you want. I’ll give you anything.”
Malkuth brought my hand to her cheek.
“If you want revenge, I’ll help you. If you want a new life, I can support that too. Even……”
She slowly began lowering my hand. It stopped between her neck and chest.
“I’m willing to offer this as well.”
As she tried to lower it further, I shook her hand off.
“Hmph.”
“Oh my. Roen, are you even a man? You’re rejecting me even when I say you can touch as much as you want.”
“Sorry, but you’re not my type.”
“Ah, right. I forgot who you liked.”
Malkuth looked at me with narrowed eyes.
“It was the innocent Saintess who captured your heart, wasn’t it? Do you still like her?”
“Malkuth……”
“If you want the Saintess in exchange for cooperating with the Demon King’s army, just say the word. She’s in quite a pitiful state right now. If I target her emotional weaknesses, I’m confident I can break her quickly……”
Clang.
Unable to listen any longer, I swung my arm. The sound-blocking barrier around us shattered into pieces. Yet Malkuth’s expression was filled with delight.
“Oh my, you can do that without a sword? How fascinating!”
“Don’t cross the line, Malkuth. Don’t even think about touching Eris.”
“Why? Even if she was threatened, the Saintess stayed silent about the plan to kill you. Isn’t that hateful? She abandoned the Hero party she gathered with her own hands!”
“Threatened……?”
So that was it. Eris had stayed silent because she was threatened. But what kind of threat……?
“You know, don’t you? Tell me. What kind of threat did Eris receive?”
“Oh, I like that look on your face!”
Malkuth laughed with great satisfaction as she looked at me. I didn’t know what expression I was making, but I was certain it wasn’t a pleasant one.
“If you want to know more……”
Malkuth extended her hand again.
“Join the Demon King’s army?”
“No. Join the Youth Association. Do you think I’m that petty? I can tell you what kind of threat the Saintess received without any conditions.”
“Nonsense. You wouldn’t do anything for free.”
“How cold. Of course, I do want something. What I want is……”
Since I didn’t take her hand, Malkuth pressed her chest against me instead. I felt two soft sensations.
“I want us to become a little more intimate and special. Kyah……!”
I firmly pushed Malkuth away.
“I’ll join the Youth Association. But that doesn’t mean I want a special relationship with you.”
“That’s basically the same thing.”
“And it seems like you have a more pressing problem than me right now.”
“A more pressing problem? Hup…….”
Malkuth’s face turned deathly pale. Ilena had appeared behind her via spatial transfer, glaring at Malkuth with the same expression I had seen before.
“Malkuth, what did you just say? Something about an intimate and special relationship?”
“D-Demon King? I-I meant……”
“Hey, you rotten bitch! Who the hell are you trying to seduce right now?!”
Ilena shouted as she charged at Malkuth, wearing the expression that had once plunged the entire world into terror—the face of the Demon King.