The Demon's Invitation
The Beast Forest, located on the outskirts of the capital and managed by the Imperial Academy for combat practical classes, was surprisingly quiet at its center—contrary to the rumors. To be precise, only the area around my 'base camp' was eerily silent. Outside the tent, deep in the woods, heavy explosions rumbled periodically, and columns of dust occasionally shot up beyond the treetops. But even that racket faded into distant white noise before the double soundproofing barrier.
I sat on a mat inside the top-grade magic tent procured by Elarra von Sterling from the Sterling Merchant Guild, spreading approval documents across my lap.
'How the hell did that girl sneak in something like this imperial field barracks tent for outdoor training?'
I let the thought drop. Even if she was rotten to the core, she was still the heir to a merchant guild—surely she had her smuggling routes. For me, lounging on the plush premium carpet under the whisper of a silent cooling device, it was just bourgeois peace to savor.
I set my fountain pen on the notepad and rolled my stiff neck. Next to me, Reina sprawled half-prone at the edge of the mat, legs sticking out, fidgeting. Using my arm as a pillow, she raised a finger toward the tent ceiling, poking at the air. Her drowsy purple eyes blankly followed it.
"Cadel."
"Yeah."
"You hear those boom-booms outside?"
"Yeah."
"Not annoying?"
I jotted numbers into the budget draft, replying indifferently. "I'm inside the tent. Not annoying at all."
Reina wiggled her toes. "Can't we just go play somewhere else? Smells like dirt."
"If a student leaves the designated class area without permission, they get referred to the disciplinary committee, Your Highness."
"The class is them out there bleeding. We're just lying here."
"Don't ever repeat that brilliant logic in front of Professor Arthur, who's probably puking his guts out right now."
Reina pouted her cherry lips in dissatisfaction, then rolled toward me in her arm-pillow pose, climbing fully onto the mat. "I'm hungry."
"You had a snack an hour ago."
"That was breakfast snack. This is lunch now."
"It's eleven a.m."
"Late breakfast slash early lunch."
I quietly capped my fountain pen. My decade as a teacher screamed that arguing logic with this oblivious beast was bad for mental health. I pulled an emergency nut pouch from my pocket, dropped it onto her palm, and reopened the notepad.
"That's all?"
"Until lunch break, yeah."
Reina whined in complaint but took the pouch, opening it and munching away. She slinked over to my knee, smooshing her cheek against the mat and lying down. Her gloved hand gripped near my ankle—gently, but unyieldingly.
The forest wasn't quiet. No, the tension outside the tent was sharpening. Leonhardt's golden sword aura boomed dully; Julian von Vander's camp unleashed successive ice spells. For a full turnout of Class 1-A elites in live combat evaluation, their coordination was decent.
'From the sounds, they've pushed into the B-rank spawn zone.'
Leonhardt to the east, Julian to the north. The gap was widening. I'd known since morning that the imperial and noble factions had no intention of cooperating, but spacing out like that left them vulnerable to surprises—their formation could collapse.
'Eh, Vice Professor Arthur's handling the middle. He'll manage.'
Poor guy. Refereeing those bloodthirsty noble brats probably meant half his green potion was stomach medicine, not mana.
"Cadel."
"Yeah."
"Make those noises stop somehow."
"How? Their grades are on the line."
"Just poof, all quiet. Would be nice."
"If Your Highness steps out and smacks 'em once, it'd be dead quiet. Forever."
At my joke, Reina's purple eyes curved into pretty crescent moons. The gaze of a beast innocently asking if she could really go smash everything.
"Kidding. Kidding!"
She pursed her lips at my iron wall, gripping my ankle tighter. I rolled my pen and continued morning budget sorting. Terrain damage from beast kills was billed to academy maintenance. But if Reina intervened, it became 'disaster recovery'—her gravity magic didn't damage; it erased and recreated landscapes.
'Today's goal: perfect non-involvement from Reina.'
As I pressed the pen tip with resolve—
Hummm—Kwarrrgh!
The whole forest shuddered grotesquely. Not mere ground tremor. Air itself screamed, a heavy, sticky pressure assaulting not eardrums but deep in the lungs. Chilling.
I reflexively inhaled. Mana. Overwhelming, unlike Reina's crushing gravity. This was bone-seeping, slimy darkness—cold, damp, laced with rotting corpse stench.
Slither.
Reina's hand slipped from my ankle. I snapped my head up. She'd bolted upright, lips sealed, drowsy purple eyes now icily fixed on the tent's outer depths—the darkest woods.
No more playful whine or boredom. This was a predator sensing territorial intrusion: perfectly cooled.
"……."
Her silence alone chilled my veteran teacher's spine. I closed the notepad quietly, rose from the mat, unzipped, and peeked out.
The forest was dead silent. Leonhardt's sword bursts, Julian's chants, students' yells—all cut off like lies. No birdsong. Leaves frozen. Horrific stillness swallowed the center.
Then, my eyes caught thread-thin blood-red lines spiderwebbing the air everywhere, forming a vast dome cage over the forest.
'Isolation barrier?'
Acid reflux hit. Locking first-years inside perfectly. No individual or local terrorist could deploy this scale instantly.
"Cadel."
Reina's voice from behind—flat, dry baritone, not her usual high pitch.
"What's that disgusting smell?"
I had no answer. No time.
Central clearing where students clustered: the air tore like paper with grotesque rip. From the pitch-black rift, a humanoid 'something' emerged.
Taller than me by a handspan, pitch-black suit. Neatly combed-back black hair. Aristocratic features, ageless face. Too pale skin, too intense golden eyes for human.
He slowly surveyed the forest, turned to the dust-caked, frozen students, and smiled elegantly. Lips curling predatorily—like overlooking prey.
"Wait."
Reina stepped forward. I grabbed her thin shirtsleeve reflexively.
She turned, purple eyes ice-cold. Not aimed at me, but her body screamed to rip out and shred that thing.
"Gonna go where the students are. Stinks, annoying."
"I know."
I tightened my grip. "So stay put first."
Outside, students desperately formed ranks. Desperation visible afar. Former rivals imperial/noble factions merged: Leonhardt drew his greatsword frontline, Julian pale-layered defense arrays. Frontmost, Vice Professor Arthur bit his lip, staff aimed at the demonkin.
'Leonhardt drew his greatsword.'
That arrogant punk's first time since enrollment—even duel challenges against me, he'd held back. Meant this guy instinctively screamed death to elites.
The man spoke. No shout, yet his creepy voice, scraping inner ears, echoed crystal-clear.
"You must be quite startled."
Courteous tone. Made it worse.
"Apologies if I've offended. But proper greetings required this preparation."
Arthur stepped forward, blood drained. "State your identity."
His lips curled grotesquely again. "Of course."
Hand to chest, nobler bow than nobility. "Servant of the great Demon King Balmore. Cassius."
Forest time froze. Leonhardt's sword-grip veins bulged; Julian's arrays sparked wildly. Elarra collapsed behind; Oscar clutched her sketchbook, trembling aspen-like.
Demon King. Panic spread horrifically. Noble spawn, bred on victory/glory, eyes flooded primal despair at first 'overwhelming predator'.
'Arthur needs to hold mental. Formation crumbles there, we're done.'
I sweated in the tent, watching. His legs quivered faintly, but he never bowed before students.
"Leonis! Vander!"
Arthur bellowed rearward without turning, voice blood-curdling. "The students are yours."
They startled, whipped around, rallying cadets. Frozen ranks slowly, solidly reformed under his guts-spilling command.
Arthur faced Cassius again. "Your purpose?"
Cassius eyed the reorganizing formation leisurely. Amused. Untouchable strongman's leisure.
"Purpose?" Slight head tilt. "I knew who attended today. Came for that. Sufficient reason, no?"
"Targeting Reina de Astrea."
"'Targeting' is crude. Call it an 'invitation'."
"This blood barrier an invitation?"
Cassius chuckled. "Host improper if protagonist wanders off. Courtesy to prevent escape."
At the tent flap, overhearing, I clenched Reina's sleeve harder. His gaze swept past formation—to our base camp.
Invitation. Barrier. Students as bait. Stage to draw Reina.
I glanced inward. Barrier lines vivid. No exit, no aid. Handle with who we had.
'Kids can't handle him.'
If I felt his mana density this much, his level dwarfed mine.
"Calming panic this fast with these numbers."
Cassius mock-applauded genuinely. "Imperial Academy indeed. Noble bloodlines shine. But…"
Golden eyes fixed past formation—on our tent.
"Protagonist hasn't appeared."
I slowly released Reina's sleeve. Quick decisions best. Delay, and hero Leonhardt charges or Arthur dies pointlessly. Top nobles massacred, academy flips—I'd face imperial probes till death as survivor.
I turned to Reina. She stared up intently. Ferocious beast eyes. But purple focus solely on me—like thirsty animal awaiting next command.
I gripped her hand firmly. Glove surface met palm. Cool dragon leather. My rule: never remove except washing or fighting.
I remembered.
Slowly unbuckled her wrist. Click. Click. Metal whispers. Reina gulped, eyes widening.
Last buckle undone, I peeled the glove like snakeskin. Her pale bare hand emerged. Seal broken—instantly, tent air warped; outside demon mana shriveled rat-like.
Clutching the glove, I locked eyes. "One minute."
Her eyes sparkled. "No collateral. Ease up toward students."
"Yeah."
"Come right back after."
"Yeah."
Reina beamed—purest, loveliest smile—nodding vigorously. She flung open the flap, leaped out.
Silent. Mid-leap, forest atmosphere expanded, contracted—like world inhaling deeply. Grotesque.
Cassius wiped smugness, eyes up. Capturing airborne silver-haired reaper Reina simultaneous with her subspace massive sword Hesperos plunging down.
No flashy arc. She just changed the 'weight' of his space.
Kwaaaaa—!!!
Sound hit late, light-speed lagged. Crushing gravity first crushed earth; roar followed. Ten-meter radius around him cratered circularly. Soil/rocks tsunami'd outward.
High demon mocking elites? No resistance, no scream. Crushed paper-thin under violent gravity.
But split-second pre-obliteration: his golden eyes whirled, locked one way. I saw clearly.
Me. Not aerial Reina—me at tent mouth.
Vanishing instant, lips curled again. Smiling despite failing Reina. Like confirming desire.
Dust settled. Nothing left where Cassius stood. Not even blood. Just massive, smooth meteor crater.
Blood barrier shattered glass-like. Somewhere, terrified bird flapped wildly—sole sound piercing silence.
Pat, pat.
Not sure if apt, but closest. Earth-sinker, demon-vaporizer hummed tunelessly approaching me.
Silver hair swayed. Hesperos resubspaced. She reached me, bowed head offering crown.
"Finished quick, like Cadel said. Under one minute."
"Yeah."
"Did good? Clean wipe, no mess."
I clenched/released dragon glove, deep breath. Placed hand on her silver crown, stroked softly as always.
"Good job."
Her shoulders danced happily. I took her pale hand, slowly re-gloved: fingers one-by-one, clicks buckling.
Motions identical to routine. But final release, my heart raced wildly.
Cassius's last golden glare wouldn't fade. Not Reina—me-piercing creepy smile.
'What insane delusion did that demon die believing?'
Full story unknown. But instinct screamed: massive red flag for my quiet life plan.
"Cadel, not letting go?"
Reina tilted head. I realized I gripped her fully-gloved wrist, yanked away hastily.
"Let's eat."
"Yeah! Steak?"
"No steak."
"Then what?"
"Tent stuff."
She pouted but grabbed my sleeve hem. Gloved hand.
I stepped to tent, glanced back once. Demon crater front: wrecked Class 1-A elites and Arthur frozen statuesque.
Greatsword Leonhardt, array Julian, disheveled Arthur too. Vacant stares not on Reina—but impassively gloving/stroking me.
Horror, terror, blind awe. Horrific silence, no one dared speak. Arthur's gaze met mine mid-air.
No words. None from me. Couldn't.
I averted coolly, zipped flap fully. Outside noise cut; cool magic wind blew. Reina smooshed to my lap, whining for meat. Her warmth seeped through clothes.
Forest quieted again. Faint Arthur rallying students; Leonhardt low orders mixed in.
I opened bento lid. What Cassius last saw? Unknown. Barrier group? Balmore? All mysteries.
But today's trap targeted Reina. And wouldn't end today.
Reina hummed picking meat chunks. I opened rice listening.
'For now, eat.'
Thought stopped; scooped rice to her bowl.
Daily life. In demon-vaporized forest, tent fifty meters from crater: Reina munching meat, me serving rice. Routine.
And afar, wrecked Class 1-A's crater-gazing silence wafted faintly on wind.