Chapter 78: Back to the Demon Realm

The monsters outside are beyond my control, but even so, moving around feels better than just being cooped up in my room.

Stumbling to my feet, I shrugged on my coat.

I wasn’t planning on going outside the Demon King’s castle, just looking around the vicinity, so there was no need for meticulous preparation. I grabbed the essentials and stood before the door.

Before opening it, I glanced back. All I saw was the completed puzzle sprawled on the floor.

I briefly considered putting it away, but there was nowhere to store it….

‘If I leave it, Ed will take care of it.’

He’ll probably frame it and hang it on the wall, as always.

Satisfied that there was nothing else to worry about, I opened the door and stepped outside without hesitation.

….

“Ah, Demon-nim!”

Yeah, somehow I knew it. I had a feeling I’d run into him, but… I didn’t expect it to be this soon.

I roughly knew his nerve was something else, but I never imagined he could be this brazen.

Hien approached with a carefree smile, acting as if the time I dragged him away for a warning to never approach again was just a figment of my imagination.

I subtly pulled out the secret weapon I’d brought in preparation for meeting him.

There’s no way I’ll be constantly pushed around by him. Rememver might not have given it to me for this purpose… but how I use it is my business.

‘I had a hunch and brought this along… but I’m actually going to use it.’

Sure enough, Hien immediately showed interest in what I was holding.

“Demon-nim? What’s that…? It looks like seeds….”

“Flower seeds.”

“Flowers? What kind of flowers? Do they have eyes or mouths? Or tentacles? If not, do they at least have the ability to charm living things or spew poison? What do they eat? Humans, demons, or monsters? Or all of the above?”

Wow, he’s scary.

I leaned back, trying to escape Hien, who had his face right in front of mine with a glint in his eyes, and hurriedly blurted out,

“I don’t know.”

“…Pardon?”

“I know it’s a seed from a special plant, different from the usual plants in the Demon Realm, but I don’t know the specifics.”

I can’t exactly say it’s a seed from the Human Realm. Well, I could, but revealing that now would put me in a difficult spot.

I plan to use this as bait to send Hien away.

If I give him this, he’ll be preoccupied with germinating it for a while and won’t appear before me. This is the distance I’ve decided on between us.

‘I can’t keep him close, nor can I completely get rid of him, so what else can I do?’

I need to maintain some distance, even if it’s like this.

“Would you like to try growing this?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Can I really grow something this precious…?”

I nodded.

It’s not particularly precious… it’s just a rose seed. It just can’t be grown in the Demon Realm.

Most plants from the Human Realm require sunlight. It would be impossible to grow them in the Demon Realm, where the sun never shines.

I’ll feel a bit guilty thinking about Hien’s disappointed face later, but if it means getting rid of him for now, a little guilt is nothing.

Hien tremblingly accepted the flower seeds. He clutched them to his chest, deeply moved, and bowed deeply.

“Thank you! I will definitely make it bloom and show it to Demon-nim!”

“Um… yes, I’ll root for you.”

As if wanting to start immediately, Hien bowed again and then dashed off somewhere.

Great, dealt with.

I praised myself for neatly disposing of one ticking time bomb and resumed my stroll, leisurely crossing the hallway.

With nothing else to do, should I go down to the first floor? If necessary, I could go outside and take a look around the building.

Going down to the first floor was postponed for a moment. I stumbled upon the library while heading down.

I lifted my head, taking in the magnificent sight of the massive door.

‘Come to think of it, have I ever been to the library before?’

I don’t think so. Should I go in while I have the chance? But is it allowed…?

Contrary to my worries, the two demons guarding the library entrance immediately stepped aside as I lingered near the door, clearing a path.

Their rigid gazes followed my movements. I was unsure if they were telling me to enter or not, but I decided to trust their actions over their expressions.

Stepping confidently inside, the first thing I saw wasn’t books, but the librarian. Seated and reading, the librarian glanced up as if to identify who it was, then returned their gaze to the book.

…….

……!

Thump! Clatter!

The book fell to the floor, and the chair tipped backward.

“D-D-Demon-nim! What brings you here…!”

Ah, they were slow to recognize me. Were they surprised because someone they didn’t expect came?

Or perhaps they were surprised because someone who shouldn’t be here came. Even if I’m a commander in the Demon King’s army, I’m still just a human.

“I simply wanted to look around… Is that not allowed?”

“Not at all! Please, feel free to browse as much as you like! If there’s a specific book you’re looking for, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

The librarian scurried away. Watching them fuss over tidying up, I turned my head to survey the numerous bookshelves filling the vast space.

I only came to browse, so I had no intention of rummaging through the entire space. I casually reached out to the nearest shelf, pulling out a book and examining its cover.

[Information on the Current Empire’s Heroes]

[Author: Idelia, Develania]

‘The current Empire?’

If this ‘current Empire’ is the ‘current Empire’ I’m thinking of, it means they update the information as soon as new details emerge. That’s why this book was nearby.

I opened the book. I was met with a familiar portrait.

[First Hero. Nemesius.]

[…Rose to the rank of Count for actively assisting the current Emperor Eudoardo Deserte, formerly the 9th Prince, during his coup. Later received the title of Marquis for his activities as Commander-in-Chief during the ‘Eight Year War.’ The only noble in the current Empire without a ‘Saint’ title.]

[A commoner who worked as a gladiator in the arena to earn money. Met the current Emperor Eudoardo Deserte. Eudoardo, who was the 9th Prince at the time, valued his swordsmanship and spared no expense in patronizing him on the condition that he become his man….]

It feels like I’m prying into someone’s personal life. I quickly flipped to the next page.

More information about the General. I turned another page.

‘Just how much did they investigate… Why do they even know the General’s preferences?’

The hand flipping through the pages quickened.

My rapidly moving hand stopped when a new figure appeared. A portrait with piercing eyes glared at me.

[Second Hero. Stigma Primiro.]

[Bastard son of the Lowfell Viscount family. Recognized for his contributions during the ‘Eight Year War’ and received a new surname and the title of Marquis. Currently focusing on suppressing barbarians on the Empire’s southern border, possessing overwhelming power….]

Oh… wait, if it’s like this, there might be something about me too?

I hurriedly flipped through the pages. After the information about Stigma, my name appeared.

There was no portrait there.

[Third Hero. Deon Hart.]

[Investigation prohibited by the Demon King’s order.]

[Do not be curious.]

The tension completely drained away.

That’s right. There’s no way the Demon King would handle things sloppily.

Thank goodness. I let out a sigh of relief and turned the empty page, revealing another portrait. Black hair and green eyes. A man with a cold aura, staring straight ahead with a blank expression.

[Fourth Hero. Cruel Hart.]

[Known to be related by blood to the Third Hero, Deon Hart. Known to be affiliated with the Duke, who is in opposition to the Emperor….]

Just looking at him makes me annoyed. I closed the book. As I was about to put it back, a book caught my eye.

The title was written in an antique script, as if someone had written it by hand.

[The Hero and the Demon King, Regarding Heroes]

[Author: Caber]

Without thinking, I reached out and pulled out the book.

[Hero.]

[A human directly chosen by the world and given power to kill the Demon King.]

[Talent in weaponry, innate strength, intellect, and even lifespan. Everything that makes up the individual far exceeds human standards.]

[When a Hero dies, they have two choices….]

I thought there would be something special, but what’s this? It’s all stuff I already know.

I flipped through the pages carelessly, even skipping two or three pages at a time. After a few flips, an explanation about ‘Heroes’ appeared.

[…Scraps of the Hero. What is called fragments of the Hero in the Imperial language can also be called ‘fragments of talent.’ These invisible and intangible fragments float around and are absorbed by humans due to pure chance, without any premonition or reason. These are the ‘Heroes’ who possess fragments of the Hero. Although not as powerful as the Hero, they exceed the human average….]

[※Originally, humans possessing fragments of the Hero were called ‘Heroes,’ but in the Empire, the term ‘Hero’ began to include humans who achieved universally recognized merits regardless of whether they possessed fragments of the Hero, causing confusion in meaning. ‘Hero candidate’ and ‘true Hero’ are mainly used to refer to humans possessing fragments of the Hero. If you are worried about confusing the other party, use these two terms appropriately depending on the situation.]

This is also something I vaguely know… Is the section about the Demon King any different?

Demon King, Demon King… Ah, found it!

[Demon King.]

[The world appoints a Hero to….]

Before I could even finish reading the sentence, a voice spoke from right beside me.

“What are you doing here?”

!

My ear! I felt his breath on my ear!

Startled, I dropped the book. The pages of the haphazardly strewn book flipped over and stopped at one spot.

Crap, I hope the book isn’t damaged? What if the demon who manages the books holds a grudge against me? I quickly reached out.

The writing on the page it had opened to, seemingly the last page, caught my eye. Only a single sentence was written there, as if summarizing the key point.

[The Hero and the Demon King are proof that this world is immature.]

Forget about immaturity, is the book okay?

Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any significant damage at first glance. After checking the cover, I dusted off the surface.

Only then did I remember something I had momentarily forgotten.

“Oh….”

“You finally noticed me.”

What was the reason I dropped the book in the first place? Wasn’t it because someone suddenly spoke to me?

I stiffly lifted my head with great effort. My eyes met those of a man with a mask-like smile.

‘Sh…it….’

As I suppressed the scream that threatened to erupt, a groan-like voice squeezed out between my lips.

“D-Demon King?”

“Yes.”

“Why are you… here….”

“I came to get a book.”

He gestured with his chin towards the book in my hand.

Looking back and forth between the book and him, I offered the book. The Demon King naturally took the book from my hand, tucked it under his arm, and called out to me.

“What about you? Why are you here?”

“Ah… I just wanted to look around….”

“Aha.”

…….

…….

An awkward silence flowed. This had never happened with the Demon King before, unlike with other demons.

As I shifted my gaze around, unable to leave in this unfamiliar situation, the Demon King, who was looking at me with an inscrutable expression, opened his mouth with an ‘ah’ of realization.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought for a moment. Will you be staying here longer?”

“No.”

I’d have to be crazy to stay here any longer after running into the Demon King.

“If you’re leaving because of me, I’m leaving too, so don’t worry about it.”

“No, that’s not it.”

There’s nothing else to do here anyway. I’ll just stick to my original plan and go outside the building.

Avoiding the Demon King’s gaze, which seemed to be gauging whether I was telling the truth or not, I fled the library.

And I successfully made it outside as planned, but… I got lost.