Chapter: 171
(I think some of you missed the illustrations from the last chapter, so I’m reposting them!)
Unlike residents of the comedic world like Lian, the Demon King’s healing wasn’t instantaneous, but given their status, the speed of recovery was nothing short of remarkable.
It seemed the Demon King was well aware of their own regenerative abilities, leaving the blade to fester in the ruined wound.
[ Ugh… What if that turns into a scar? ]
As the saying goes, sometimes seeing something hurts more than actually feeling it, and Lian zipped around the Demon King with a face full of worry, resembling a concerned otter.
[ If only they could use Divine Power, maybe they could get some help… oh wait, being the Demon King, it might backfire instead? ]
Lost in his self-pondering, Lian looked down at the Demon King, who had collapsed onto the bed.
[ What on earth happened here…? Hm, since I have nothing else to do, maybe I should investigate a bit? ]
Though he’d explored the Demon King’s Castle quite a bit, it had mostly been a matter of ‘sightseeing.’ With such a vast space, it was tough to sit in one place and gather detailed information.
Having a definite purpose of discovering ‘the Demon King’s backstory’ made it far easier to gather info than just vaguely searching for a final boss.
As soon as he made up his mind, he started wandering around looking for places to find info.
*
Staying close only when the Demon King left the room for official duties, Lian wandered around looking for information when the Demon King returned.
Finding relevant materials was easy since it was a place only accessible to the castle’s executives. The problem, however, came after that.
[ Ugh… just a little more… ]
To investigate information quickly, Lian needed to skim through related books, but with his weak spiritual power, it took ages just to pull a book out and flip through the pages.
Still, those efforts weren’t entirely in vain as he managed to find information on the previous Demon King. And what he found was quite astonishing.
[ The original Demon King was the previous Demon King? ]
It recorded that the Demon King from the original story, who had played the role of the ultimate boss, was noted as the previous Demon King. The record even mentioned that the Demon King’s daughter had executed him after he went berserk under the influence of madness.
[ The Demon King had a daughter…? ]
Lian was stunned by the fact that had never been mentioned in the original, but he quickly shook off the surprise. As he struggled to flip through the book, he came across information about the current Demon King.
[ So the Demon King’s daughter who sits on the blood-soaked throne after taking down the previous one is that girl. No doubt, she definitely looks like him. ]
Having spent so much time together, he felt an odd bond forming, and he didn’t even realize he’d started to think of the Demon King as someone familiar. He closed the book, still unaware of these feelings, and struggled to put it back in its original spot.
[ Shall I call it a day here? ]
It seemed time had flown by, and it was almost the Demon King’s busy hour, so he headed towards the Demon King’s room. Initially, he entered without any thoughts as a ghost, but after getting attached, he opted not to intrude out of respect for privacy.
…And also because it was hard to watch the Demon King harm themselves.
[ Huh? This place is new to me! ]
As usual, the masked Demon King walked in an unusual direction, and Lian followed closely behind. Recently, due to the need to enhance their physical form, they had moved to a different location, making it easier for Lian to reach places he’d never been before.
[ I really wish they’d add a transformation feature or something. ]
Thoughts popped up in his mind of black sorcerers soaking in green liquid-filled bathtubs or injecting themselves with potions in a rather ‘humane’ manner of enhancement—though he doubted they’d experience anything as dynamic as transforming into a robot, his anticipation hadn’t completely faded.
While reminiscing about his time being snatched by a mad scientist and transformed into a robot—thinking, Good times, good times, he didn’t realize he had arrived at the destination until the Demon King stopped.
A door, lavishly embossed with images of demons and the underworld, exuded a sinister atmosphere. The purple jewels embedded looked almost alive, glimmering ominously.
Kukung…
The door sounded heavier than it actually was, creaking as the Demon King pushed it open and stepped inside.
The room inside seemed to serve as both a dining area for nobles and a meeting room. A long table, engraved with ornate patterns, dominated the space, surrounded by red leather and dark wooden chairs typical of the Demon King’s domain, spaced evenly apart.
[ Oh? It’s those guys from before. ]
Lian’s eyes widened as he eyed the figures cloaked in black robes—the Demon Race—filling the room. Unlike last time, around two of them had their robes pulled back, revealing their faces.
They looked at the Demon King with a gaze that was unlike any he had seen before: disdain, contempt, amusement—definitely no friendly eyes were present.
The Demon King seemed accustomed to such stares and started walking forward with an indifferent expression. Lian’s gaze was fixed on the tightly clenched fist of the Demon King.
[ I don’t know what’s going on, but I can tell this isn’t a good situation. ]
Barely finishing his thought, something protruded unexpectedly from beside the table and tripped the Demon King.
“Ugh..!”
Caught off guard, the Demon King stumbled and almost faltered. Watching this unfold like a scene from a drawing, Lian felt anger rising alongside overwhelming curiosity.
[ There’s nobody sitting sideways or with their hand down; where on earth did that stick come from? ]
Had it been a delayed magic attack? Though he pondered that, his curiosity got the better of him, and he ducked under the table to see what was happening.
[ Whoa… ]
Creeeek, squelch…
What lay beneath the table was a stick that looked like someone had glued thick branches, painfully resembling something found in the woods.
The branch started at a figure who had been sitting halfway up inside the robe. Lian thought, Isn’t that basically naked? but he quickly shook off the thought and returned to the Demon King’s side.
Lian hadn’t thought much of it up until now. Though he had developed some affection for the Demon King, it was mostly sympathy—a significantly lower fondness than that. Besides, what he thought of as harassment were really just things like tripping or forcing someone to eat salty food.
But it didn’t take long for that perception to shatter.
“This cold? I didn’t think you’d be so weak as to not endure this…”
“Tsk tsk, without His grace, you’re just an inferior being.”
“You should always be thankful.”
The figures cloaked in black had begun activating what clearly looked like dangerous magic, while spouting condescending remarks. The meeting room transformed into a hellish scene of magma flowing, or into a snowy mountain with the snow up to one’s waist.
Storms erupted, or salty seawater surged from nowhere. Initially, Lian was amazed by the awe-inspiring natural disaster-like magic, but when he realized it was all intended to torment the Demon King, his expression hardened.
[ Even so, this is crossing the line. ]
Even if there are no nice folks in this world, seeing the Demon King forced to endure pain while being watched with amused expressions felt utterly malicious.
Ever since Lian’s soul had been separated from his body, he had been less affected by the comedic filter, allowing him to think a bit more clearly. As a result, what had always felt light and humorous when faced with incidents or issues became somewhat heavier now.
[ Are you picking on someone who’s basically a kid because you have nothing else to bully? ]
Lian’s eyes sparkled ominously as he approached the chuckling figure in the black hood—the dark sorcerer.
[ If I had my body, I’d have diced you into 108 pieces with Gargantoa… ]
He clicked his tongue inwardly and pulled out his trusty weapon from the comedic world—a black-handled… metal ladle!
[ I really didn’t want to use this sacred kitchen utensil here… but oh well, can’t be helped! ]
Muttering that, he swung the ladle down onto the floating magic circle above with a clang! and the circle crumpled like paper.
“Umm…?”
The black-robed figure gawked in surprise at the sudden change. Lian’s grin broadened as he felt the pleasant jolt at his fingertips.
[ Wow, it’s got some decent attack power! Not sure why, but score! ]
A broad smile blossomed on Lian’s face, cast in shadow just above him, accompanied by a deranged grin.
Clang! Clang!
“What the hell! Ugh…!”
“Ahh! My knee…!”
“Damn it, where are you!? Who dares—crack!”
Lian retaliated against those attacking with their bodies while twisting the magic of those using spells. Those figures, completely unaware of Lian’s presence, had no choice but to serve as a punchline for the comedic filter.
Crack! Bang! Bang!
Amidst the echoing screams and the sounds akin to a blacksmith’s workshop—
“Ugh…”
“Aah… is this a dream…?”
Cough…
The black-robed figures lay scattered around haphazardly or draped over chairs like laundry. Despite being incorporeal, Lian mimicked wiping the sweat streaming down his forehead, slid the ladle back into his arms, and turned to glance at the Demon King.
“…”
The Demon King was staring blankly at the disarray in the room, astonished as if they had never seen such chaos before.
Author’s Note: Thank you for reading today! Have a happy day :3
I can almost hear the magic sword getting jealous over here.
Your likes and subscriptions are appreciated! Enjoy the next chapter!
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