< Demon Tribe (3) >
In Tarak, located in the northern region of the Tulke Kingdom.
Hoo~ Ha— Ah, the air in this town is just divine. No matter how much I breathe it in, I never get tired of it.
A young man with black hair, strolling through the streets, took a deep breath and smiled with satisfaction.
Miyamoto Ken, a demon who had transformed to take on the appearance of a human.
He slowly stepped forward, enjoying the busy city life all around him.
‘I really made the right choice coming here. I already don’t want to head back.’
The environment filled with negative energy of the Demon Realm was no small ordeal for him, who was once human and an Earthling.
Of course, now that he was in a demon’s body, it was beneficial for him…
‘Still, I like this fresh air better than the stinky air over there.’
He thought he had become accustomed to the Demon Realm after living there for so long, but stepping outside made all his dulled senses come rushing back to life.
‘I guess it’s been over twenty years since I fell into the Demon Realm.’
And that meant it had been nearly thirty years since he was transported to this miserable world.
Then suddenly, Ken furrowed his brow as he halted in his tracks.
A sudden thought made his head feel like it was getting tickled.
If he had properly returned, he would have been living a life of luxury back on Earth by now.
He had that level of ability.
But how did it end up like this…?
“… Well, whatever. Just in time, I found someone useful.”
However, the burning thoughts quickly fizzled out as if someone had thrown a bucket of water over them.
A whoosh as he recalled yesterday’s encounter with a more relaxed expression.
Tasked with a mission, he had been dispatched to this continent to gather information when he discovered a shocking fact.
Goods from Earth that he thought he would never see in Auterica were openly circulating.
Though still traded only among the elite, that alone was quite remarkable.
‘There were more than just a couple.’
It wasn’t just a few items belonging to a transported Earthling.
A massive trading company had stepped in to conduct large-scale distribution.
Moreover, the items acquired in that process were extraordinary.
Click— Sizzle!
Entering an empty alley, Ken pulled out a metal lighter from his pocket, opened the lid, and lit it.
A small flame flickered as it cast a soft oily smell.
This was one of the “Earth goods” being traded by an Awakened One named Hubert.
“… I never thought I’d see something like this here. What a fascinating ability!”
An item commonly seen on Earth, but in this world, it was like a piece of technology from another realm.
The fact that such things could be brought over freely was simply mind-boggling.
He imagined Hubert whipping up a lavish feast with freshly made Earth foods and licked his lips.
“… I can’t just leave this alone.”
The reason he had obediently provided the desired information and left quietly was not merely out of goodwill.
He was just trying to reassure the other party, as he wasn’t fully prepared at that time.
‘That level of ability can only be credited to a Unique Skill.’
Since becoming a demon, he had become unable to use his Unique Skill.
That kind of ability couldn’t be stolen.
The best approach would be to capture him and make him a slave, but there was the risk that the other party could escape back to Earth using ‘Return.’
Besides, he couldn’t stay by his side forever to monitor him.
‘Indeed, the best method in this situation would be mental manipulation.’
If he could ensure the other party never even thought of escaping and made him use his abilities to serve him, there would be no need for further concern.
Of course, someday Hubert would become a Settler and lose that valuable ability, but as he hadn’t been in Auterica for a decade yet, there was still ample time left.
‘The problem is that I have no aptitude for that…’
This was why he needed time.
But that problem had just been resolved.
“You’re here.”
Ken’s voice rang through the alley.
“Tsk, even when I’m busy, you had to make me come here like this?”
In response to his words, a gruff, elderly voice echoed from deeper in the alley.
Then, with a pat-pat of footsteps, an old gentleman emerged.
Dressed in a pristine white suit, holding a finely crafted wooden cane, he casually tipped his white top hat and glanced over at Ken.
“No one gets anything for free, not even you. You know there’s a price, right?”
“Isn’t that already settled? Let’s stick to the contract and get going.”
“Tsk tsk.”
Ken wasn’t the only demon dispatched to this land from the Demon Realm.
Some among them had proficiency in mental manipulation, which provided them means to request cooperation from others.
‘I’ll have to help this guy with something in return, but that’s a fair trade.’
After experiencing Earth food loaded with MSG for the first time in thirty years, he was in a frenzy.
Naturally, he wasn’t about to cooperate with Hubert to receive goods.
After all, he was a noble-ranked demon in the Demon Realm.
There was no way he’d bow and scrape to a measly human merchant for scraps.
‘Who knows when he will go back to Earth?’
It was likely that by growing the trading company, Hubert was amassing quite a bit of karma.
With decent physical abilities and the unrestrained use of his Unique Skill without any significant delays, he likely had accumulated points enough to ensure a safe return whenever he wished.
“I’ll take the lead.”
“Go ahead.”
The friendly atmosphere from yesterday’s meeting provided an opportune moment while his counterpart was off guard.
After a brief moment passed, the two demons burst into Hubert’s office.
*
The peaceful meeting had taken place yesterday, along with the exchange of information over dinner.
“… What is this?”
In the space where a pile of documents lay scattered across the floor, a stiff but bewildered voice emerged.
Hubert, who had abruptly sprung up from his chair, glared at the unexpected guests with gritted teeth.
“Well, it’s just as you see.”
In response to Hubert’s reaction, Ken, with a cheeky grin, shrugged his shoulders.
His expression was mismatched with the deadly intent of taking a head without hesitation should anyone attempt to escape.
The ambush was instantaneous.
He had already stealthily entered the office before without anyone noticing.
Though security had gotten a tad stricter since he left, it was nothing more than a minor adjustment for him.
“Oh? This girl is… ? How very interesting.”
From behind him, the elderly gentleman, clad in white, inspected the girl lying unconscious on the floor while stroking his chin.
Diana, the secretary for the trading company, who had been carrying out trivial tasks downstairs.
She had ended up here due to her keen sense of smell alerting her to intruders.
Unlike yesterday, when she had been slow to recognize the visit, she rushed to warn Hubert upon noticing something unusual, only to become a victim herself.
“Why? Is there something about the kid?”
“… Ah, she has quite impressive potential for a human. If trained properly, she could become a fine asset. Ho ho ho.”
“Tsk, we’ll handle that later. For now, let’s finish up our business here.”
The old man casually uttered a lie while shrugging his shoulders.
No matter that they were in the same boat, he had no intention of sharing information about treasure.
‘Oh, I never thought I’d find a child carrying a shard of a god in a place I was dragged to against my will. Truly a stroke of luck thanks to that foolish fellow.’
Having lived for merely several decades compared to Ken, who was a fighter, he had spent over a millennium studying the mysteries.
Though he was still only a minor-ranked demon due to a deficiency in power, this only meant he had additional perspective and insight.
Calming his excited mind with his experience, he approached the owner of the office, who was left helpless.
‘Wonderful. If I can load this insolent fool with debts and acquire a shard of a god, then…’
A dark desire bubbled up from within, curling the corners of the old man’s mouth into a sly grin.
At the same time, his fondness for Hubert, the trading company’s leader, soared unexpectedly.
Wasn’t it all thanks to the author?
‘Though, I wouldn’t consider it a favor. I’ll at least make sure it doesn’t hurt too much.’
That would be the utmost kindness he could offer.
As the confused Hubert stood before him, the old man raised his top hat.
And in the moment his eyes sparkled with a sinister purple light…
“Cough, what is this…!”
“Ho ho ho, it won’t take long, so just don’t resist. You’ll just end up suffering more.”
Mental barriers, including ‘Calm Mind,’ began to effortlessly crumble.
Collapsing weakly onto the office chair behind him, Hubert wasn’t able to put up any resistance.
The malicious energy that surged into his mind crashed through everything blocking its path and penetrated deep within.
‘Impressive. With this level of mental strength, he might even surpass an average high sorcerer. If only he had earnestly honed his skills, he might have reached transcendence one day.’
Despite lacking any significant power, his mental prowess had reached extraordinary heights.
Had the mage not been himself, most would have found it impossible to breach thick walls and would have instead faced backlash affecting their psyche.
It was evident that gathering such notable associates was not a mere coincidence; his mental strength was exceptional.
‘Alas— what a shame. If it weren’t for this Frances, definitely a talent that could have become a hero, now fated to be broken. How tragic, how tragic indeed.’
However, contrary to such thoughts, a subtle smile of enjoyment lingered on his face as the situation unfolded.
Despite maintaining a composed demeanor, he was still a demon who took pleasure in the ruin of others.
‘Alright, let’s start…’
But that smile would not last long.
The unyielding resistance had dissolved, leading him into a realm of the mind.
There he beheld a grand landscape he had never seen before in his life.
“What… is that?”
A fortress.
No, just a wall?
He couldn’t comprehend, even as he watched.
The elongated wall stretched as far as the eye could see on either side, soaring up to touch the sky.
It was as if a boundary separating dimensions.
‘How could something like that exist?’
At the moment he gazed upon that wall, Frances understood instantly.
That this was not merely a matter of size.
Even a hundred strikes would not even leave a small scratch before his body crumbled instead.
It was the very definition of an impregnable wall.
No matter that they were in a formless mental realm, this was something beyond the limits of his imagination.
Such a thing could not belong to a common merchant’s inner world…
‘… I must retreat.’
Without fully grasping the situation, Frances swiftly moved, guided by his instincts.
A sharp warning rang through his mind, indicating something was seriously wrong.
But.
“Whew, leaving so soon?”
He was already too deeply entrenched to pull back quickly.
Blocking his path was something.
As they faced each other directly, Frances felt his soul tremble violently.
‘Cough! What is… !’
In this realm, where superiority was determined solely by mental strength, everything converged, becoming a world where spirits were at their most vulnerable.
As he locked eyes with a pair of ruby-like shining red ones, the very essence forming Frances began to twist and reassemble.
‘No, this can’t…!’
He struggled to resist as much as he could, but in a space where time lost its meaning, his struggles only scattered into nothingness.
A seemingly eternal moment passed.
“After coming all this way, how about we have a little chat?”
Before him stood a presence that had blocked his retreat, presenting a sweet voice.
“… Gladly.”
The dazed old man replied with an excited tone.
“I’ll comply with your will…”
He spoke as if he had been enchanted by something.
*
“… Frances?”
Ken’s eyes twitched.
Carefully, he called out to his companion beside him.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem? How’s the operation going?”
His tone was infused with irritation rather than concern, but Frances, wobbling slightly, offered no response.
No, there was indeed some change.
Wobble— Wobble—
The once proud white-clad elder was now visibly staggering in place.
The wooden cane he had held dropped to the floor, and the top hat precariously balanced on his head swayed as if it might fall.
“… Damn.”
At that point, Ken couldn’t deny something was off.
Mental abilities were potent and came with significant penalties.
Incredible as it was, it seemed the old man had failed in his mental manipulation attempt.
Against a common merchant with no notable power.
‘I should probably kill him.’
Ken’s gaze shifted towards Hubert, who still had his head bowed.
It was unfortunate, but there was no other choice.
Having failed at mental manipulation, he couldn’t leave such an unpredictable risk factor unattended.
Just as he was about to take action out of regret.
Frances, who had been staggering, suddenly froze solid.
As if someone had pressed the stop button, he went rigid in place.
“Whew— I apologize for that.”
And in the next moment, as if ice was melting, he began to move gently again, letting out a deep sigh and straightening himself.
He picked up the cane that had fallen to the floor, adjusted his crooked top hat, and tidied up his rumpled suit.
“… Frances? Are you really okay?”
“Ah, do not worry. I am more than fine right now.”
“Was the mental manipulation completed properly?”
“Ho ho ho, I am Frances. No issues here.”
Ken stared intently at the old man, who responded in his usual relaxed manner.
He certainly didn’t feel anything particularly amiss.
What had seemed unbalanced just moments ago now resembled an illusion.
“But what happened? Why were you acting like that?”
Thus, he had no choice but to inquire.
What went wrong during the mental manipulation process?
Why had such a powerful demon wielding dangerous abilities reacted like that?
“Oh, it was nothing serious.”
Thus.
Upon hearing the reply, Ken couldn’t help but frown.
“I just briefly met with my master.”
“… What?”
“Ah— are you perhaps jealous? Ho ho ho, do not worry. He is our supreme master, and you’ll see him soon enough.”
An utterly absurd non-answer.
Feeling a chill from such the sudden gibberish, Ken scrutinized Frances once more.
White top hat, white suit, white gloves, and polished wooden cane.
The old gentleman appeared impeccably neat as usual.
Yet, there was one telling difference.
That strange element vividly penetrated his eyes.
‘His expression…’
Unlike the usual unreadable expression hiding some plot, it was now softened.
His eyes were gently curved, and his lips curled up slightly.
His face radiated a cheerful and ecstatic joy as if he had met a cherished idol.
“… Damn.”
A curse slipped out of Ken’s mouth.
There was no mistaking it; something was amiss.
He had completely lost his mind.
And the cause of it had to be Hubert, the trading company’s leader, who had just attempted mental manipulation moments ago.
‘If I handle him now!’
Turning his head once more towards the direction of the office chair, he…
“Huh?”
At that brief moment, he exhaled in shock at the sudden shift in reality.
What had just been the trading company’s office.
Now, that very space transformed into an oddly familiar scene.
The purplish sky, the darkened land devoid of trees, an expanse of desolation, and the dry wind brushing against his skin.
And the abundant energy in the air.
“… The Demon Realm?”
It resembled nothing short of the abandoned wasteland that was known to be the most desolate in the Demon Realm.
And—.
“How’s it? My ‘Demon’s World’?”
With a captivating voice that rattled the soul, a being suddenly manifested right in the middle of it all.
Somehow incongruous with this world.
“Welcome. To my realm.”
It was someone who, by all reasoning, shouldn’t belong here.
A person of unparalleled beauty and grace, to the point where one would instantly want to offer their heart.
“So, now…”
Like a flower blooming in the midst of a desert.
Solitary and pure— the King of the World smiled.
“Before my good words run out, kneel. If you don’t want to die.”
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