Chapter 276
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 276
Chapter Title: Lesson 54. Don't Touch This – 1
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“Eat up, everyone! Demon Realm cuisine boosts a warrior's vigor and heightens a beauty's allure. Its flavor is so renowned that even those pompous S-grade dimensional folk come seeking it out.”
“What is this?”
Ban Yu-won wondered if the Demon King might have a split personality.
Until just before Moomyeong had shown up, the Demon King had been ready to ditch his promise with his daughter and go after the group hammer and tongs. Now, though, he was urging them to tuck into a feast so lavish it could buckle the tables, beaming with the warm smile of a friendly neighborhood uncle.
“Come on, dig in. Especially you—you look like you'll be putting in a lot of effort from here on out!”
“Thank you……?”
Whether the Demon King had a split personality or not, the food was blameless. For now, Ban Yu-won focused on the fried pork ribs right in front of him.
The boast that even upper-dimensional folk adored it wasn't empty talk. It was a sublime taste, one you wouldn't easily sample even in Union's finest restaurants.
As a bonus, his primal spirit and vitality were inching upward ever so slightly—undeniable proof that this was cuisine crafted from top-tier demonic beasts.
“You sure chow down! The rest of your crew's acting like there might be poison in it!”
“Ah, I know there's no poison.”
“I see…… You're an intriguing one.”
The Demon King eyed him with a glint of meaningful interest, but Ban Yu-won had encountered plenty of middle-aged and elderly gentlemen licking their chops at the sight of him ever since awakening his powers. It barely registered.
But the Demon King's glance toward Shati—complete with a gesture screaming what are you waiting for, eat him already—was something he couldn't stomach.
“If you got your ass handed to you that bad, give up on laying hands on my junior, Demon King. Oh, and hurry up and croak. How dare you strut around calling yourself Demon King when you can't even control your own magic power?”
Shati spoke bluntly as she snatched up a fried rib of her own.
Her little brother Kron, off to the side, was prattling on about how she shouldn't use such barbaric language and ought to eat with more refinement—but she ignored him utterly.
On top of that, Kron was pretending to fuss over his sister while slyly stealing glances at Dokgo Yeon.
“She's a powerhouse like that. And she might even resolve my centuries of torment. I knew I shouldn't, but my blood surged, and all reason went flying. Kahahat!”
“Ugh, you're embarrassing me in front of the juniors……”
That was when Ban Yu-won finally pieced together what the Demon King had meant about failing to control his magic power.
The sudden outburst earlier had been heavily influenced by his blood demonic power, no doubt about it.
Even granting that Dokgo Yeon and her home dimension held massive secrets, for the Demon King to blow off the very mission he'd assigned Shati and charge straight in? Hardly the mark of a proper ruler.
“You seem stable now. Calmed down after rampaging enough to level the castle?”
“Hardly. Once blood demonic power goes berserk, it doesn't settle until it tastes blood. The Heavenly Demon left me with a curse and a gift.”
The Demon King clenched and unclenched his fist, eyes narrowing.
He appeared to have grasped just what the Heavenly Demon had done to him—a strongman recognizing another.
That it had even suppressed his blood demonic power, though…… That caught even Ban Yu-won off guard. But given the nature of the power permeating Moomyeong's martial arts, it made sense.
Maybe that force even shares something with the severing power dwelling in the Executioner's Longsword……
I could probably learn it. Say, if I became a live-in son-in-law to Yeon's clan—the Divine Cult, that is.
Incidentally, the group was currently in the grand dining hall on the first underground floor of the Demon King's Castle.
Astonishingly, the underground levels were far sturdier than the aboveground structure. Even with the upper sections completely demolished, the dozens of floors below remained rock-solid!
When they'd asked Shati how that was possible, she'd explained that the castle used to get blown to bits all too often up until a few thousand years ago. So they'd cheaped out on the surface and poured everything into fortifying the depths.
It was such a convincing explanation that they'd bought it on the spot.
“A gift? Hmph. Won't buy you much time anyway—not my problem.”
“Kahahahat! Just like your mother, still as coldhearted as ever.”
“Don't…… bring up Mom. And yeah, I'm heartless—but only to scum like you.”
The Demon King caught the instant her gaze lingered on Mira but said nothing of it.
Instead, he held out a slab of rib to Ban Yu-won, his expression turning uncharacteristically grave.
“You're our only hope. I'll back you—give it your all.”
“No idea what you're on about, but these ribs are delicious.”
Truth be told, Ban Yu-won had zero desire to linger in this madhouse of a Demon King's Castle.
The Demon King might play the kindly friend's dad, but deep down he just wanted to pair him off with his daughter now that the Heavenly Demon had pegged him as son-in-law material. Meanwhile, Kron was ogling Dokgo Yeon without a clue!
“Your Majesty.”
The dining hall doors swung open then, admitting an Evil Knight clad in full armor.
Even knowing the Demon King had just mulched dozens of Evil Knights to prep for his duel with Moomyeong, the knight betrayed zero reaction. A testament to the Demon King's iron grip on the Demon Realm.
“The Empire picked up on the disturbance at the castle and is mobilizing its forces. They seem convinced the princess has gone against us—probably assuming civil war's broken out.”
“Aha, so they think my little girl snatched up the royal scepter and stormed the keep?”
“It's been years since the castle last crumbled. Back then, the princess handled it personally……”
“……”
As every eye in the room snapped to her, Shati whipped her head away with a sharp hiss.
The Demon King threw his head back and guffawed, clapping his hands.
“If they're dumb enough to underestimate us, we'll turn the tables on the lot of 'em. Perfect timing, too. Shati, don't you wanna test the might of the Black Demon Legion I'll hand over to you?”
“Making me go out and fight again?”
“Tch. I had high hopes once you absorbed that invitation's power, but you're still allergic to battle.”
The Demon King looked dissatisfied but soon shook his head.
“I meant it'd let you inspect the quality of the troops I'm giving you. A chance to flaunt your prowess as their new lord. But if you're not into it, can't be helped. Actually, works out better. A Demon King like me only showed getting pummeled to a pulp……”
He crammed a fried rib into his mouth and rose to his feet.
“Time for a real show of strength. I'll head out first—finish up and follow.”
Grinning fiercely, he gripped his greatsword—which had reformed into perfect condition in short order—with one hand. His free hand clenched at empty air a couple times, and he smacked his lips.
“Performed better than any blade…… but I smashed it to bits.”
“Hmph. Count your blessings you kept your head.”
“Fair point. A laughably feeble man for all that power. Kahahaha!”
The Demon King chuckled at Shati's peevish jab, nodded, and strode out.
Mira dabbed delicately at her lips with a napkin before setting it down and speaking up.
“Shati, mind if I trash-talk your dad?”
“Go for it.”
“He was like a total nutjob. How does his whole demeanor flip like that?”
“Now you get why I despise blood demonic power?”
“Sister! You can't say things like that!”
“You're still hanging around?”
The moment the Demon King was gone, Shati narrowed her eyes at Kron as he raised his voice at his sister again. She flicked a glance at Dokgo Yeon's expression, then Ban Yu-won's.
“You. Out.”
“But Sister……”
“Find someone who can actually prop you up. Don't go getting yourself hurt for nothing.”
“Eek?!”
Evidently not expecting to get called out, the boy flinched and darted his eyes back and forth between Shati and Dokgo Yeon.
Shati merely stared him down impassively, while Dokgo Yeon remained too preoccupied wondering why Moomyeong—the Cult Leader—had shadowed her to spare Kron a thought.
“Urk…… Um!”
Yet even with his sister's warning and the sour mood hanging in the air, Kron mustered the guts to take a step forward.
He approached Dokgo Yeon and extended a hand—
Swipe. In the next instant, a blade hovered at his throat.
“What?”
Dokgo Yeon spoke in an icy tone, having sensed his approach and instinctively leveled her knife beneath his chin.
As if he'd anticipated exactly that reaction, he doggedly pressed on.
“I've fallen for your strong, elegant figure……! Before you leave this place, grant me just one chance! I'd like to ask you out!”
“?”
Dokgo Yeon blinked, clearly caught flat-footed by those words from Kron.
She was convinced that Lucien Ortima—who'd dogged her steps since the semester's start, pestering her with professions of love—only drew near because of her abilities or the secrets of her home dimension.
Romantic signals between the sexes? She was disastrously oblivious to such things. Unlike Shati and Ban Yu-won, who'd sussed out Kron's feelings ages ago, it hadn't even crossed her mind.
As flustered Dokgo Yeon floundered for a reply, Ban Yu-won stepped in.
“You. Outside with me.”
“Sorry, but right now, I'm at the most crucial juncture of my life. Human, don't butt in— Eek!”
Ban Yu-won's slick right hook sent Kron crashing into the wall.
“This little shit, trying his games right in front of me.”
If anyone tried making moves on a cherished comrade—no, on the girl he liked—he'd flatten even an heir to one of the Ten Great Clans without a second thought. No way was he pulling punches for the Demon King's brat.
Kron, no slouch himself, couldn't withstand that pristine punch and crumpled in a faint.
Dokgo Yeon blinked at the sight, then offered a small clap.
“Your hand-to-hand combat skills have improved. That was a fine punch.”
“Dokgo Yeon, that's your takeaway from that scene?!”
Lucelle finally lost it at her oblivious response and shrieked.
“I know he was protecting me. But this isn't the first time he's stepped in to fend off some repulsive creep hitting on me. Beyond that…… all that's left is appraising his fighting technique.”
“Poor kid—not even a whiff of his pure intentions gets through……”
“At this rate, it's borderline obsession. Wait, no—is our junior's heart actually getting across?”
“……”
Only then did it dawn on Dokgo Yeon what they were getting at. She cleared her throat with a hem.
“Are you referring to the possibility that your brother just propositioned me for a romantic rendezvous out of genuine affection?”
“Duh! Sure, I get there's some huge secret tied to your powers or your home dimension. But the Demon King lusted after it and got his clock cleaned for it—there's no way Kron's dumb enough to repeat that! He just likes you!”
“Ah— r-really?”
“……Huh?”
Dokgo Yeon's reaction was off, though.
Normally, she'd insist no guy could possibly like her and accuse them of hidden agendas. But now…… she wasn't denying it outright. Instead, she kept sneaking peeks at Ban Yu-won.
“Well…… I'm not sure. Besides—even if it were true, it wouldn't matter much to me……. It'd be weird to fuss over some guy who means nothing, right?”
“What do you…… Ah?”
“……!”
“?!”
“Ha.”
Lucelle got it first, then Mira.
Shati next, and Aire last—they all widened their eyes as her meaning sank in.
She did know about Kron's feelings.
Dense as she was, after multiple different guys had steadily professed their interest…… it was about time she realized she had appeal.
She'd simply feigned ignorance, terrified that showing any interest in another man might make Ban Yu-won care!
“……Whoa, chills.”
“Never pegged her for the type. Kinda scary. Is this why Yu-won frets over her most?”
“Kuh…… Strong in a fight and here? Not fair……!”
As the others gasped or groaned in admiration, only blissfully clueless Aisha tilted her head.
“What'd she just say? I get Dokgo Yeon's super dense, but……”
“Queen, you've got a ways to go. Keep grinding.”
“I told you not to call me queen!”