Chapter 337: A Tense Tea Party

Feeling cornered, the Fairy race leader silently sipped his tea, while the merfolk leader avoided eye contact. As if finding the awkward atmosphere unbearable, the Dwarf leader cleared his throat, changing the subject.

“Are you putting that thing to good use? You remember, the one you commissioned out of the blue, practically grinding me to dust to get it done?”

“…Oh.”

A necklace for concealing magic power.

The Demon King chuckled, lightly brushing the area over his clothes where the necklace would rest.

“Of course. It’s proving very useful.”

“Good to hear!”

“Though it won’t be useful for much longer.”

“…?”

Not becoming unnecessary, but becoming *useless*? Doubt flickered across the Dwarf leader’s face.

‘It’s not like it’s breaking down or anything…’

An item crafted by the esteemed ‘Dwarf leader’ couldn’t simply malfunction. It was clear the Demon King himself was using the necklace, not passing it off to someone else. Which meant…

—Clink.

!

The clink of a teacup being set down broke his train of thought.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked towards the sound and saw the Demon King smiling in his direction. It was unmistakably a smile laced with warning.

And just as he suspected.

“Sometimes, knowing too much can be a shortcut to an early grave, you know.”

“…Bit harsh, isn’t it?”

The Dwarf leader chuckled humorlessly at the blatant threat, shaking his head to dismiss the assumptions forming in his mind.

Right, what good would it do me to know this anyway? Just pointless curiosity. It’s a ridiculous notion to begin with.

‘There’s no way the Demon King’s magic could run dry.’

He was the ‘Demon King,’ after all.

…In any case, thanks to that, they’d moved on from the uncomfortable topic. Somehow, by shifting the conversation, it felt like he was the only one who ended up more uncomfortable, but whatever.

Fortunately, the previous topic seemed to be just a casual probe. The Demon King lightly sipped his tea, then glanced up at the Fairy King, a playful glint in his crimson eyes. It was as if something had just occurred to him, a mix of amusement and mischief in his gaze.

“Speaking of which… I wonder if you know.”

“?”

“Oh, but I suppose it’s natural you wouldn’t. After all, it’s a Demon Realm matter.”

“What are you getting at?”

A sense of foreboding washed over the Fairy race leader, causing him to frown slightly. In stark contrast, the crimson eyes widened into a bright, unsettling curve.

“The Commander of the 1st Corps is going to die.”

“……”

“Or perhaps he’s already dead.”

Clang!

The sound of shattering echoed through the room. Instantly, all the leaders present turned their attention to a single point.

Amidst the gazes of those who were far from allies, the Fairy race leader, belatedly realizing he was the center of attention, let out a soft ‘Ah,’ as he stared at the shattered shards. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet the Demon King’s.

“My mistake.”

Despite the uncharacteristic blunder, his expression remained as impassive as ever.

He must have had a mountain of questions, yet he wouldn’t voice a single one. It was clear he was striving to maintain composure as a leader responsible for his race. The Demon King, noticing this, smirked and feigned magnanimity.

“Don’t mention it. I know your nature well enough to know you wouldn’t apologize to the source of a filthy race even if you were dying. No need for such empty words.”

“……”

“Instead, why not ask about the Commander of the 1st Corps? You must have a lot of questions, no?”

“…Ridiculous.”

He regained his composure quickly.

As if he’d never faltered, he scoffed, regaining the arrogance typical of a leader from a noble race who could read the currents of the world.

The death of his twin brother, who had even held the position of Commander of the 1st Corps, was somewhat unexpected, but nothing more.

“There’s no need to ask. That guy was always one to act as he pleased, from beginning to end.”

Among the words uttered by human sorcerers, there was one fitting to describe his brother.

A harbinger of death. Being twins, perhaps something had gone awry from the start. That guy was drawn to carnage even before becoming a demon. It might be an odd thing for someone sensitive to the world’s currents to say, but perhaps it was his destiny to become a demon.

Even after becoming a demon, if he had stayed by his side, he would have been willing to defy all opposition to protect him. Yet, as if waiting for the chance, the man had headed to the Demon Realm, completely ignoring his brother’s wishes to remain together. So,

“This time too, he must have just lived as he pleased and died as he pleased.”

Surely, that was it.

Otherwise, there would have been no point in abandoning his own brother.

Useless fool. Filthy wretch. A disgrace to the race. The Fairy King coldly remarked, struggling to control his turbulent emotions.

“What good is there in asking about someone like that?”

“For someone who says that, you’re clenching your fist pretty tightly.”

“……”

“Well, it’s not like you’re entirely wrong.”

Now that I’ve stirred things up, shall I poke a bit more?

He had started this whole thing out of boredom anyway. And also because he wanted to see the arrogant, insufferable guy squirm a little.

How would the Fairy King react to these words? The Demon King rested his chin on his hand, eyes curving into crescents.

“He certainly did act as he pleased. The guy betrayed me, you see.”

“…What?”

“From some point on, he started visiting Deon Hart frequently. He sided with the Hero, not the Demon King.”

“…You’ve drawn such conclusions based on that alone? That seems like quite a leap.”

Indeed, it was a leap.

But so what? As long as the purpose of this conversation was to alleviate boredom and provoke the other party, such details were irrelevant.

“If you’re a ruler, shouldn’t you at least be able to tell if someone is on your side just by looking into their eyes?”

“……”

“Just kidding. I am the ‘Demon King,’ the master of all demons. Even if I can’t monitor every single demon in the Demon Realm, I always keep an eye on the movements of key demons like the legion commanders. Especially if it’s something happening within the Demon King’s castle.”

Of course, that was a lie.

Why would I need to monitor the movements of ants? Whoever’s side they take, they’re just ants in the end.

It was just something he noticed, and his experience allowed him to interpret it.

“In that sense, my loyal 1st Corps Commander had definitely sided with the Hero. And even funnier, it’s because of you. Want to take a guess why?”

“…I must not have made myself clear earlier. I clearly said there was nothing to ask…”

“Still, you’d better know. It involves you, after all.”

“……”

“Shall I give you the answer?”

From this point on, it was pure fabrication and conjecture.

There was nothing concrete, yet the audacious Demon King smiled sweetly at the man who couldn’t bring himself to ask, his confidence unwavering.

“Because ‘back then,’ you tried to save the Hero.”

“……”

“You understand when ‘back then’ refers to, don’t you? No need for me to elaborate, right?”

…When the Vampire leader stormed into the Demon King’s castle to kill Deon Hart.

At a gathering of all legion commanders, the Fairy King had clearly intervened to stop her. In other words, he was saying that he was the cause.

As if stabbed by a blade, the Fairy King froze. The Demon King’s voice poured over him.

“Given your nature, I figured you wouldn’t save someone not of your own race without a reason. I assumed you must have had an objective, and concluded that for your objective to be achieved, the Hero had to survive and fulfill his role.”

“……”

“To keep the Hero alive until he fulfills his role, and to shorten the time until your ‘objective’ is achieved, he must have sided with him.”

“…How does that connect to Jaykar’s death?”

“The Hero desires the death of ‘all’ legion commanders, doesn’t he? Since he cooperated with such a being, wouldn’t it be natural for him to be killed once he’s outlived his usefulness?”

“…Laughable.”

It was so absurd it was beyond words.

Contrary to his words, his eyes, devoid of any sharp emotion, lowered slowly. Fixating his gaze on the table, the Fairy King quietly murmured.

“Using me as an excuse.”

Hypocritical bastard.

“In the end, it’s still true that he lived and died as he pleased.”

“I’m curious why you say that.”

“Even if he talked about acting for me or for the race, his real goal was probably just to die in battle.”

This wasn’t a guess, but a certainty.

He hated to admit it, but the Fairy King knew his twin brother well. That was the kind of guy he was.

“So there’s nothing for us to concern ourselves with.”

“……”

“…Let me say this now. Don’t try to shake me with pointless words, Demon King. It’s just a waste of time. I’m not so idle as to worry about someone who isn’t even of my race.”

Instead of replying, the Demon King flashed a blatant smile.

Then, abruptly, he dropped his smile and turned his head. He stared into empty space as if looking at something. A moment later, he tossed out words in the lightest tone, words the leaders had been waiting to hear.

“We have a guest.”

“…!”

No one present was ignorant of the meaning of those words.

The Fairy race leader exchanged a glance with the merfolk leader, then abruptly pushed back his chair and stood.

“Then I suppose I should take my leave.”

“I too have preparations to make.”

“Judging by the atmosphere, tea time is over, it seems. I shall return as well.”

“……”

The Vampire leader, who had been sitting with a consistently uninterested expression, cast a peculiar glance at the Demon King before silently turning to leave. Following suit, the Dwarf leader also departed, and the Fairy race leader, who seemed to hesitate as if wanting to say something, also returned to his territory. The merfolk leader, who had already submerged himself in a small pond to one side, briefly looked back at the Demon King.

His lips, which had been parting and closing as if about to speak, finally formed words.

“…I pray that you may achieve what you desire.”

“Ah-ha.”

He understood what the Fairy King hadn’t said. The Demon King let out a blatant sneer.

“Because that’s how your race will profit, isn’t it?”

“……”

“I shall refrain from thanking you for your offered luck. Now, be on your way.”

***

Deon, nonchalantly passing by the gatekeepers guarding the Demon King’s castle, hummed a tune as he walked. The demons’ reactions, showing curiosity about his solo return yet remaining subservient, amused him, but it was clearly advantageous, so he saw no need to reveal the truth.

‘First, I should change my clothes.’

The damp, clinging clothes were incredibly uncomfortable. They would surely hinder his movements.

Not wanting to start at a disadvantage against the Demon King of all people, Deon hurried towards his room in the inner section to change. As he walked, familiar faces appeared in his peripheral vision.

The faces were so familiar that there was no need to strain his memory to recognize them.

‘…Ben, Ed.’

Deon froze in his tracks as soon as his eyes met theirs.

“……”

“……”

The physician demon and the adjutant demon were looking his way.

Judging by the atmosphere, it didn’t seem like a casual greeting; they seemed to know something. Or perhaps they sensed it.

Nevertheless, their wavering eyes, uncertain how to react, betrayed their precarious state. After briefly meeting their gaze, as they seemed to hesitate even about approaching, Deon feigned ignorance and turned away.

Ed hesitantly opened his mouth to call out to his former superior as Deon calmly tried to pass by…

“De…”

“Sir Deon.”

The 3rd Corps Commander appeared, blocking their path, accompanied by about half of the 3rd Corps who remained in the Demon King’s castle, cutting off Ed’s words.

Without sparing Ed a glance, Deon stared intently at Asild, who, unlike his usual demeanor, wasn’t trying to gauge any hidden meaning in his gaze. Asild opened his mouth with a stiff expression.