Chapter 85: A Vacation That’s Not Really a Vacation

Only after a significant delay did suspicion creep in, prompting genuine contemplation, when someone abruptly appeared beside me.

He cautiously—truthfully, he flinched—stepped back, not even glancing at me as he instantly halted the seemingly endless standoff between the other two.

“Indeed, Develania. We must prepare for any eventuality.”

“Hmph.”

Develania clicked her tongue and stepped back, while Ben nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Only then did the Demon King turn his gaze to me. As our eyes met, his inverted eyes, white and black reversed, curved into a slight smile.

“You said you weren’t taking the 0th Legion,”

“Yes, I did.”

“Is it because they’d be a hindrance? Or perhaps you don’t want to share your spoils?”

“Excuse me?”

The warning bells that had been faintly chiming finally started blaring in earnest, albeit belatedly.

Too late for my instincts’ warning, I cursed inwardly, unable to respond, and edged backward.

Going to buy clothes is just an excuse; this definitely feels like they’re going to fight. Should I make a run for it now?

However, my feeble attempt was immediately thwarted.

“Then hurry back. Everything is prepared, we just need to depart.”

Whether by coincidence or intention, a white hand with striking black nails rested on my shoulder. I stared at the hand blankly before looking up at the Demon King with an expressionless face.

Then I looked at Develania, who had noticed me and was waving for me to hurry up and get in, then back at the Demon King.

“So backing out is…”

“Absolutely not an option.”

…

For a while after we set off, nothing happened.

I was just incredibly tired from constantly trying to read the room amidst the ongoing tension between Develania and Ben.

Clunk, clunk.

Inside the terribly bumpy carriage, I was preoccupied with enduring motion sickness and the psychological warfare between the two demons.

“Why doesn’t the good doctor get out and run alongside?”

“Forgive me, but a physician must remain within reach of their patient at all times.”

“Then climb onto the roof or something. I’ll signal you if anything dangerous happens—”

“The carriage is spacious enough; I hardly see the need for such measures.”

Don’t mind them. It has nothing to do with me. Nothing to worry about. So just ignore it… ugh, motion sickness.

‘Gods above.’

Why are you putting me through this ordeal?!

For the record, I’m an atheist. Making an atheist cry out to God, these vile creatures.

Oblivious to my distress, Develania, her mood quite sour, crossed her arms and drawled out her words.

“Once the Demon Lord’s personal physician, now you act all high and mighty, hmm?”

“I am currently the 0th Legion Commander’s physician. It’s only natural that I carry myself with a certain pride.”

“The Legion Commander has the authority for immediate execution; unless you want to be on the receiving end, you’d best watch your tongue.”

“If you’re confident you can harm the 0th Legion Commander’s physician and get away with it, by all means, try. I’ll show you just how terrifying a physician can be.”

Oh, please, just be quiet! My stomach is churning, and my head is pounding.

Contrary to the ominous signs, nothing happened at first, which was a relief… but now, I wish something, anything, would just happen.

Anything to get me out of this atmosphere. Please.

—BOOM!!

“Demon-nim, Lady Develania! It’s a monster!”

Not like this.

‘Even so, couldn’t it have been something I could handle?’

I hurriedly opened the window to assess the situation outside.

A black wave of monsters surged towards us. Thankfully, the 2nd Corps members had set up a barrier, initially tripping them, but it was clear it wouldn’t be enough.

Scanning the scene, I spotted an exceptionally large monster among those struggling on the ground and easily understood the source of the earlier explosion.

‘If a behemoth like that falls, wouldn’t it be strange if it *didn’t* make such a loud noise?’

Fighting there would definitely mean my death. Any chance of escape…? Doesn’t look like it.

Wondering what to do, I glanced around the carriage’s interior and froze.

Develania was casually looking out the window, and Ben was rummaging through his medical bag, their nonchalant attitudes completely at odds with the current situation.

Like they were expecting this.

‘…Aha.’

I caught on quickly. I gritted my teeth.

So, going around the outskirts meant this. That damned Demon King.

I should have known something was up with their reactions from the start. If I had been a little more suspicious and thoughtful, I could have figured it out.

‘No, actually, it’s not like I didn’t expect it at all.’

I just ignored the nagging feeling, telling myself, ‘Surely not.’

They said the number of monsters was increasing daily. Even before going to the Empire, their numbers were so high that they had to defend the city. How much worse would it be now?

The numbers would have only grown, not decreased.

And one piece of news I’d heard consistently, even locked away in the 0th Legion Commander’s quarters, surfaced in my mind.

‘After the city defense, they actually stationed a legion commander there.’

And the monsters’ movements had changed.

While some still battered the city walls, others, driven by instinct, sought easier prey, encroaching on the territories of other races. This had led to protests from the leaders of those races.

Monsters are errors born from the Demon King’s power.

So, naturally, the responsibility lay with the Demon King.

He would have to clean up. Patrolling the edges of the demon territory to prevent monsters from invading other races’ lands.

The border shared with other races. Isn’t that what the ‘outskirts of the Demon Realm’ are?

Right now, I was traveling along the edge of the ‘Demon Realm.’ For monster extermination!

‘When the Demon King said to go around the outskirts, he meant to exterminate monsters along the way.’

And naive me readily agreed. Damn it.

‘I can’t do this.’

Look at that. It’s practically a tidal wave of monsters. A black surge rushing toward us. He wants me to face that?

Absolutely not. No way.

My decision was immediate.

‘Let’s just run.’

If I head straight for the Second City without looking back, I have a good chance of survival. Unlike the horses in the Human Realm, the steeds here are closer to monsters.

The problem is how to convince the ticking time bombs in this carriage to let me flee…

I was pondering how to phrase my suggestion when Develania, who had been playing with a transparent thread in her hand while looking out the window, grinned and abruptly stood up.

“Well, I’ll go out and deal with them first, so Demon-nim can come out at your leisure.”

“…Excuse me?”

What? No, wait…!

Before I could say anything, the carriage door opened and closed.

I froze, my hand awkwardly reaching towards the door.

Turning my head stiffly, I could see fragmented monsters falling in droves each time something flashed outside.

…Right, the 2nd Corps Commander’s main weapon was the thread extracted from monster hides. Impressive. It is impressive… but damn it. This has ruined my plan to ignore everything and bolt to the city.

Lowering my still outstretched hand, I turned to look at the person remaining in the carriage. Our eyes met, and an awkward silence descended.

…

…

Ben was the one who broke the uneasy quiet.

He casually looked down, rummaging through his bag again, and spoke nonchalantly.

“I understand how you feel, Demon-nim.”

…

No, you don’t.

The fact that he’s bringing this up out of the blue proves he doesn’t.

“It’s a rare opportunity for battle, so you probably wanted to take it all for yourself. However, there are enough monsters, so there’s no need to stop the 2nd Corps Commander.”

See? He doesn’t get it. Not that I expected him to.

With a ‘that’s what I thought’ look, I watched Ben’s movements. He seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled something out of his bag.

The moment I recognized the object, my eyes widened slightly.

“Of course, I apologize that this might have dampened your enthusiasm, Demon-nim. So, to lift your spirits, I’ve prepared this.”

In his hand was none other than alcohol.

I stared blankly at the alcohol, then at the medical bag, swallowing the words that were about to burst out.

Why… is that in there?

“Since this is all the alcohol we have, I won’t object to how much you drink. Just drink your fill and cheer up.”

Well… considering the situation, it seems this damned fight is unavoidable, so perhaps having some alcohol to ease the tension wouldn’t be a bad idea…

With complicated eyes, I looked down at the glass being filled in my hand.

…Right, dying sober is no way to go, is it? It’ll probably hurt.

I downed the drink in one gulp.

***

The physician, Ben, had stubbornly followed Demon Hart, who had left with the 2nd Corps Commander, Develania, without even his adjutant, claiming it was just the two of them.

It was on the Demon King’s orders.

The official reason was for Demon Hart’s health, which could deteriorate at any moment. But the secret order was…

“Demon might hesitate to fight.”

“Lord Demon, you say?”

“Yes. Of course, if things get too dangerous, he’ll snap and wipe everything out, but normally, he’s too gentle. Honestly, more than gentle, he’s docile… no, not docile, weak would be a better word.”

“That’s…”

True. Unless he was drinking or facing imminent death, he always avoided combat.

If a demon unfamiliar with his true nature were to see him, they would undoubtedly see him as easy prey.

As Ben hesitated, unable to respond, the Demon King, seated at the head of the table, chuckled softly and gestured.

The servant who had been standing silently approached and placed the tray he was carrying in front of Ben.

Following his gaze, Ben saw bottles of alcohol.

“He definitely enjoys fighting, but he usually endures more than necessary without a reason. Then, at some point, he explodes over something small and sheds more blood than needed.”

Wouldn’t it be better to let him release that pent-up energy when he can?

His contradictory behavior flashed through Ben’s mind. The Demon King spoke softly to the silent physician.

“If we had the leisure like during the last city siege, it would be fine to wait until he acts on his own, but we’re short on time. But I don’t want to deliberately put him in danger either.”

…

“So, I’m giving you an order.”

In the dimly lit space bathed in the faint moonlight, the Demon King rested his chin on his hand, tapping his temple with a finger, a faint smile on his lips.

The only part of his face illuminated by the moonlight was his perfectly symmetrical smile.

“If you sense any hesitation to fight from Demon, ply him with alcohol.”

Ah, Ben closed his mouth, which he had opened slightly.

He was a Demon King after all.

Utilizing everything within his grasp to its fullest potential, the ruler of the Demon Realm.

Faced with his unfathomable smile, Ben simply bowed his head and quietly gathered the bottles.

‘I was a little worried, to be honest…’

It would be a disaster if the 0th Legion Commander started rampaging, friend or foe. His drunken antics were nothing short of a calamity.

However, the Demon King seemed to have anticipated his concern, providing specific instructions.

Give him alcohol with an alcohol content of exactly 25%, and no more than five bottles. Any more, and his drunken rampage would begin.

And now, back to the present.

“Alcohol, huh….”

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

White fingers tapped rhythmically on the carriage seat. A peculiar smile lingered on his lips, and an unusual red glint flashed in his eyes.

The glass he had been drinking from had been tossed to the carriage floor at some point.

Lowering his gaze, Demon, who had been twirling the bottle, tilted his head and slowly looked up at Ben.

Their eyes met, and in that instant.

Tap.

The tapping stopped.

…

…

A suffocating silence that seemed to constrict the very air.

In the stifling quiet where even breathing felt like an intrusion, Demon, who had been staring unblinkingly at Ben, smirked.

At the same moment, as if a dam had broken, madness surged forth from his blood-red eyes, overflowing with unsettling emotions.

He spoke.

“You put some thought into this, didn’t you?”