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Chapter : 39
Time passed again, and we arrived at the imperial capital.
Since it was still midday, we reached the place we had arranged beforehand.
It turned out to be a shabby inn for a business in the capital.
I spoke the preset code to the innkeeper at the counter.
“One room for eight. The payment will be handled by an esteemed patron.”
“…Please wait a moment.”
This tiny inn obviously shouldn’t have any eight-person rooms.
Yet the innkeeper handed us a key and told us the room number.
When we opened the door, there were no beds—only a hard table and wooden chairs.
Thud.
Lenel sat down and remarked:
“Whoever runs this place knows what they’re doing. Looks like a front for black market trade or underground dealings.”
“Agreed. A building disguised as an inn. The customers we passed all looked pretty dangerous too.”
“I get hives just being here. Let’s finish our business and leave.”
“Same. But—”
Crash. Thud.
Something broke.
It was Geren sitting in a chair—or more accurately, the chair breaking under him.
He fell on his rear, face reddening as he stood up.
“The chair is old.”
“Your soul is embarrassed.”
“You brat, I’ve let you get away with too much!”
“I’ve lived hundreds of years longer than you.”
“Sounds like this spot is hurting quite a bit.”
He tapped his own forehead with a finger.
Aritia looked utterly offended.
“Of all people, I refuse to hear that my brain is weird from you or Kris.”
“Huh, Elder? Why me—?”
“Take it back, now.”
“And if I refuse? Think I’ll go easy on you because you’re a kid?”
I spoke to Geren.
“Hey.”
“What? Planning to interrupt?”
“Shut it for a second.”
“…Hmph. Fine.”
Surprisingly, Geren complied by dropping loudly to the floor—yet sitting down he was still nearly as tall as us in chairs.
Arwen whispered in awe:
“He really listens to Mr. Dyle.”
Why?
Because for three weeks on the road here, I beat sense into him.
Not that I picked fights—he provoked me because he found me interesting.
Before regression, I never fought him except that one time he caught me crying.
I won then, and I won now.
The first time, I pretended it was close.
That only made him challenge me again.
So starting from the second, I stomped him flat.
He apparently couldn’t believe being beaten so one-sidedly, so he challenged me nine more times.
After the ninth beating, he finally said:
“I lost. I’ll never beat you.”
From then on, he started listening to me.
And this time proved it.
Aritia began:
“His soul is mortified—”
“Kkh! I said shut it!”
“How about you shut it.”
“Ggh. Fine.”
“Aritia, don’t tease him too much. He’s a lot younger than you.”
“True. As the elder, I should restrain myself.”
Once everyone settled down, I sat straighter and addressed Geren.
“About the proposal from before.”
“Joining your party? Helping kill the Devouring Demon King?”
“Yeah.”
“I refuse. As I said, I won’t leave my Lady.”
Then he gazed at the Demon King of Inquiry with heart-shaped eyes practically popping out.
I rubbed my forehead.
You left her before the regression just fine… What changed?
The Demon King spoke cheerfully:
“Or you could add me to your party. I’ve said this several times.”
“And I’ve refused several times.”
“Let’s be rational. You want Geren. Geren refuses to leave me. Therefore the only solution is to take me too.”
“My brain is full already. Stop saying nonsense.”
Lenel cut in.
“I’ve wondered—what’s the deal between you and this beast?”
“He’s my guard and research assistant. Call him my alchemist’s aide.”
“Let’s hope he doesn’t smash the potion bottles.”
“He’s surprisingly delicate. Easily hurt, deep emotions, tries not to show it—softhearted.”
Geren’s face turned beet red.
“Above all, he protects me.”
“Never thought I’d ask a demon and a human… or human-ish… this but—”
Lenel hesitated, cheeks strangely pink.
“A-are you two… dating?”
“We are.”
“No we’re not.”
“…?”
“…?”
“Lady? I thought we were lovers?”
“Excuse me? You never confessed!”
“I did! I told you your eyes are like the deepest abyss!”
“How is THAT a confession?!”
I inhaled deeply.
Then sighed hard enough to crack the floor.
“Haahhh. Both of you shut up.”
“……”
“I’m not lugging a Demon King around. I hate Demon Kings.”
“But if you want Geren, that’s the only way.”
“Then answer this—why do you want to join us?”
At that, her eyes wavered.
Calmly she answered—in a garbled, robotic cadence:
“I-don’t-particularly-want-to-join-your-party-at-all.”
In Quadrangle’s voice.
“It’s just that Geren—”
“Don’t blame him. You want us. More precisely—you want our strength.”
“…!”
“Back when we traded ‘escort to the capital,’ you wanted something in return. Feels like the same thing.”
Aritia had said it:
She wants freedom.
Meaning something binds her.
“You said you belong to no faction. No Demon King controls you. So what exactly are you seeking freedom from?”
“…! How did you know I wanted freedom?”
Aritia raised her hand.
The Demon King grimaced—she already knew Aritia was a soul-seer.
Geren stood, towering enough to block the ceiling lighting, placing himself between her and us.
“Dyle Magnus. Frankly—I do not dislike you.”
“……”
“Please. Don’t pressure the Lady.”
“I’m only asking questions.”
“Even that troubles her. I ask that you refrain.”
He bowed his head.
Knowing him, that bow meant immense resolve.
I opened my mouth to reply—
Knock knock.
The door opened.
Sillia and Fiedre stood there, smiling lightly.
“It has been a while.”
“A long while.”
We stood out of courtesy.
Sillia scanned the room—froze at Geren’s bulk.
“T-that one is the Demon King of Inquiry?”
“Impossible. The Demon King’s appearance is well documented.”
“S-sorry! He just looks so Demon-King-ish— I mean— never mind!”
Red-faced apology.
Fiedre spoke:
“So this one is the Demon King.”
The Demon King smoothed her clothes and curtseyed lightly.
“Yes. I am the Demon King of Inquiry.”
“…To be greeted politely by a Demon King. Huh.”
“I’m quite accustomed to human manners. Half my clients are human.”
“Mm. Seems genuine.”
He signaled Sillia.
She smacked her cheeks lightly and declared:
“Your quest is complete.”
“Excellent. Then the reward?”
“Of course. Here.”
She withdrew a sealed envelope.
“Inside is information on the Devouring Demon King.”
Her voice was her own—meaning truth.
I smiled.
At last. Real intel on the Devouring Demon King.
I pocketed it and turned to Fiedre.
“And the other reward?”
“Here.”
He pulled out a potion.
Liquid gold shimmered within—impossible to mistake.
Arwen brought her hands together, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.
“No doubt. That’s an Elixir.”
“I’ll manage its custody,” Lenel said. “Not Dyle.”
“I was going to hand it to Arwen anyway. Every party protects its healer first.”
Arwen had clearly been forming arguments for why she should hold it.
My answer made her face brighten considerably.
She took the Elixir with care.
I spoke sincerely:
“A most satisfying quest.”
“Hard, wasn’t it?”
“Not at all.”
“Clearing the Demon King of Inquiry’s dungeon isn’t easy… but I suppose anyone capable of slaying a Rank 20 Demon King would manage.”
The reaction came from the Demon King.
Her eyes went huge.
“You slew a Demon King? Rank 20… You mean the Immortal Demon King?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you SAY so?”
“Why should I? You never asked.”
“Unbelievable. Humans who can slay a Demon King with this few people…”
She bit her thumbnail.
“If I’d known, I would’ve—”
“What?”
“Nothing. You despise Demon Kings anyway.”
“……”
“So in the end, I can rely only on the Empire. Thank you for everything.”
I frowned.
“Thank us? We just kidnapped you.”
“Hehe.”
“What’s funny?”
“You finally admit it was kidnapping.”
“……”
“I may be a Demon King, but I don’t hate humans. Truthfully, in my short hundred years, these past three weeks were the third most enjoyable time I’ve ever spent. You’re good people.”
I wondered what first and second place were.
Not enough to ask though.
Only one thing about her still drew my curiosity:
Her ring.
The one always on her right middle finger.
“What’s with that ring?”
“Pardon?”
“That thing you always wear. Doesn’t suit your outfit.”
“Such a sudden question.”
She stroked the ring and answered casually:
“This is my lifeline.”
