135. Towards the Demon Kingdom (2)

The group passed through the portal.

Although Lilia wasn’t among the six who resurrected Siertia.

Her divine power as a Saintess was connected through Siertia.

‘That’s why there were no problems activating the activation stone.’

The other five representatives of the Order, including me.

Successfully opened the portal by adding each of our powers to Lilia’s divine power.

Upon crossing the portal, we found ourselves in the middle of a forest.

“Is this… the Demon King’s Nation?”

Aylin asked, looking around.

It was an ordinary forest landscape that could be seen anywhere.

But a slight demonic energy permeated the air. This was definitely the Demon King’s Nation.

The group’s gazes momentarily turned to Cecilia.

She blushed as if embarrassed.

“I… I’ve only lived in the Demon King’s Palace, so I don’t really know the geography of the Demon King’s Nation.”

Cecilia was a sickly dragon.

She spent a long time confined in the Demon King’s Palace, making magical tools.

Of course, she was healthy now, having received plenty of my demonic energy.

I quickly helped Cecilia, who wasn’t used to being the center of attention.

“I received a map of the Demon King’s Nation from Tricia. I don’t think you need to worry too much.”

Everyone nodded at my words.

‘A party of six, huh.’

The primeval forest was far from the cities of the Demon King’s Nation.

So, the Demon King’s Nation was actually unfamiliar to me as well.

And more than the Imperials hated the demons. The demons hated humans.

‘No. They loathed them.’

The continuous exploitation and oppression by the Empire were unbearable, and the resulting war was the Great War of 20 years ago.

There hadn’t been a full-scale war between the Empire and the Demon King’s Nation since that Great War.

But continuous localized wars had been ongoing.

‘Especially Southern Caceres.’

The South, ruled by Duke Pedro. One of the South’s sources of income was the exploitation of resources from the Demon King’s Nation and the demon slave trade.

Lucia’s expression wasn’t very good.

Lucia whispered.

“This is the Demon King’s Nation, the hometown of Cecil and Lishi…”

But Lucia didn’t discriminate against demons; rather, she liked them.

She was the one who protected Tricia and Cecilia, even knowing their identities.

‘And it’s reassuring to have Lucia around.’

At the time of the end-of-term ceremony, she was being pushed back by Chloe and Rosette in terms of combat power.

But in just one month, Lucia had gained proper practical experience.

As a member of the White Night.

From the Harsen Siege to the Ostel Reclamation.

She had grown a lot, experiencing life-or-death struggles.

‘Yunir’s incarnation… and she’s using the same Lucia-style Mana cultivation method as me. It’s only natural.’

So Lucia was already showing skill comparable to Uriel.

Already an Aura Expert-level. With a special buff, she could quickly enter the 7th Circle. Lucia was an outstanding knight.

‘Well. Chloe and Rosette’s skills haven’t died either, it seems.’

The most dangerous place in the current Empire.

They had obtained the activation stone near the Old Imperial Capital, a likely place for the resurrection of the Evil God.

Even though it wasn’t a direct battle, but a task of finding an object.

As rivals whose names would remain in the history of the Pantheon. The two were reliable. Both were close to the 7th Circle.

‘Actually, those three are almost on the same level.’

So even with the non-combat party members Aylin and Cecilia. I wasn’t too worried.

Above all. I, who had entered the realm of the White Night and the 8th Circle. I was confident in protecting all of my future wives.

And either way, I couldn’t leave the two of them at the White Lion Palace.

Aylin accompanied me as an attendant, with the qualification of a delegate representing the Empire.

‘Count Mason even acknowledges Aylin’s ability to read the political situation and her practical skills.’

Therefore, my maternal grandfather had specially raised Aylin’s status.

As Count Mason’s niece. In other words, he gave her the qualification of a noble.

‘She’s already been in charge of the practical affairs of the White Lion Palace and Harsen. Her experience is sufficient.’

So Aylin was perfectly adequate to take on the role of practical assistant in this alliance.

And Cecilia also had a big role in this trip to the Demon King’s Nation.

She was from the royal family of the Demon King’s Nation.

Although the Dragon Heart was damaged due to the absence of the Demon King and the unreasonable contract with the Archduke of Hell.

Still, Ustina, who had seized power this time, was her aunt.

I heard that the reason she, who had been hiding in her nest, headed back to the Demon King’s Palace was related to Cecilia.

‘I heard that news from the High Elf Remiella.’

And the first thing to do in the Demon King’s Nation was already decided.

The High Elf Remiella.

A loyal subordinate of my biological father, Lucifer. To reunite with her, the leader of the Royal Knights.

I checked the map I received from Tricia.

‘The meeting place with Remiella. It’ll take a few days to get there from here.’

Then I had to hurry.

“Then shall we move?”

I shouted to my future wives.

---

The group moved for several hours.

It wasn’t as big a forest as the primeval forest. But it took quite a while to move without horses or carriages.

‘Still, we moved very quickly thanks to magic.’

Although we were in the middle of the forest. It seemed there would be no problem heading to the meeting place with Remiella on time.

As the sun was setting.

The group discovered a small village in the forest.

“It must be a demon village, right?”

Chloe said to me with a nervous look. As she said.

This wasn’t the Empire. There was no good reason to meet with demons.

So I tried to bypass the village. But an unexpected event occurred.

Kuaaaaaaaak-

“I sense demonic energy!”

Lucia, whose senses had become more sensitive recently, shouted.

As she said, it seemed a sudden gate had formed nearby.

‘The place we are now is relatively the eastern part of the Demon King’s Nation. So is it the influence of the Chaotic Gate?’

Chaotic Gates also existed in the eastern part of the Demon King’s Nation.

As was the case everywhere in Isrand, the Demon King’s Nation also seemed unable to escape the threat of magical beasts.

‘According to Remiella. The Demon King’s Nation is in worse condition than the Western Kingdom Alliance.’

The Chaotic Gate in the east, and the Caceres army in the south.

They had to face that dual enemy.

But the Demon King’s Nation, composed of various races, was originally not very united.

During the reign of the previous Emperor, Lilia’s older brother.

The Empire was declining as the treacherous Grius seized power. But even that Empire was a much stronger nation compared to the Demon King’s Nation.

‘Even if there are dragons. The more powerful the dragons, the more often they enter a period of dormancy.’

Even if they weren’t in a period of dormancy, dragons originally had a strong individualistic tendency.

They were only included in the loose system called the Demon King’s Nation.

Even if a national crisis like this occurred, many dragons would ignore it.

‘At least they’re united now because of the Southern Army, the natural enemy of dragons…’

Anyway, I put my thoughts aside for a moment.

I hurried to the place where the roars of magical beasts could be heard.

As expected, a battle was taking place there.

“T, the magical beasts are too strong! Our village’s forces alone can’t handle them!”

“T, then the Knights… the Royal Knights…”

“No! Even if they come, we’ll already be annihilated… And the Royal Knights are short on manpower right now, so they wouldn’t come to a rural village like this…”

“Ra, Lat died! No! Everyone will die if this continues!”

“There’s no hope but for Hants-nim! Hurry and get Hants-nim…”

“Hants-nim is currently confronting the boss magical beast! He can’t come here!”

Dozens of elf warriors were in despair.

Judging by the demonic energy felt, Type 1 and Type 2 magical beasts were mixed together.

On the other hand, the elf warriors seemed to be just ordinary young people from the village.

There was no way they could handle those higher magical beasts, which even soldiers who had received professional combat training found difficult.

At that moment, Lucia’s gaze immediately turned to me.

The eyes of a knight seeking permission from her lord to enter battle. I nodded.

Seuseuseuk.

Lucia’s sword quickly drew a line.

‘She’s gotten even faster in the meantime.’

The necks of the three Type 2 magical beasts that were attacking the elf warriors were cut off in one go.

Chloe and Rosette, who saw that, also met my gaze.

“Wait. I’ll ask the two of you to protect Aylin and Cecilia.”

Saying that, I quickly drew Siertia. And quickly moved to the place where the demonic energy was strongly felt.

As expected, there was a Type 1 magical beast there. It was in the middle of the village.

‘The Type 1 magical beast seems to be the boss. If I catch that guy, the sudden gate will close.’

The Type 1 magical beast was a giant chimera.

Its appearance, a mixture of ogres, trolls, and all sorts of hideous monsters called upper monsters, was quite disgusting.

Kwakwakwakwakwang-

The guy opened its mouth and spewed out a huge projectile of demonic energy.

The elf village was being ruined by that attack.

“Damn magical beast! I won’t let you destroy this village!”

And there was an elf warrior confronting that boss.

Unlike the young elf warriors I saw a little while ago.

It was an elf who looked to be middle-aged.

Judging by the scars on his face and his eyes, he seemed skilled. But something seemed to be wrong with his body.

‘It’s dangerous. That man is at a disadvantage.’

His swordsmanship was quite good, so he was somehow managing to block the Type 1 magical beast.

But his body wasn’t keeping up.

His injuries were already severe. His whole body was a mess with blood flowing out.

“I… If this happens, even if I have to sacrifice my body!”

He clutched his chest.

Probably a special spell to destroy the Mana Heart. It seemed he was thinking of self-destructing with that boss magical beast using that spell.

‘His resolve is amazing.’

I saw many soldiers risking their lives to protect their hometown like that during the Harsen Siege.

It didn’t feel like someone else’s business.

I moved.

I stood in front of that man who had resigned himself to death with a determined look.

“Please step back.”

Sashasasasak-

And the Lion Heart Sword.

That Extreme Destruction Form severed the Type 1 magical beast’s life in a single blow.

“Are you alright?”

As I turned around as if nothing had happened.

That elf warrior was gaping as if he had seen a ghost.

And he belatedly shouted.

“L, L, Lucifer-nim!”

---

Fortunately, the damage to the village wasn’t too severe.

Nearly a quarter of the villagers were casualties. But still, the elf village had avoided the worst damage thanks to the group’s intervention.

“Thank you so much. Yulian-nim.”

And the middle-aged elf man, sitting on the bed with bandages all over his body.

The gray-haired man bowed to me very politely.

“Keuheuk…”

“You don’t have to push yourself. You don’t have to be so polite to me.”

I was the successor to the Frontier Count.

But I had never had my official position recognized in the Demon King’s Nation.

But Hants had taken a respectful attitude towards me like this since we introduced ourselves.

• If you are the son of Lucifer-Heika! Then you are no different from my lord to me!

He was a former elf knight from the Royal Knights.

He had retired from being a knight due to injuries sustained during battle, and had returned to his hometown village like this.

He said that he had even gone into battle with my father during the Great War 20 years ago.

Anyway, because of that connection, he was almost mistaking me for my father.

‘Do I look that much like my father… Lucifer?’

My mother was also famous as a beauty of Essenmund.

But it seemed my appearance resembled my biological father more.

I left Hants’ house.

Hants was a figure who was more respected than the village chief in this village, and was treated as an elder of the village.

So even though everyone in the group except Cecilia was human.

The villagers didn’t ask about our identities at all, and even provided us with food and lodging.

‘There are still many things I want to ask…’

Right now, the village was very chaotic due to the attack.

I decided to talk to Hants about the recent situation in the Demon King’s Nation and about our work tomorrow.

I returned to my room.

It was a small village.

But still, there was a sufficient room in the village chief’s house for guests to stay. The group was assigned their own rooms.

‘Somehow, I don’t think this night will be quiet either.’

Erti chirped as if reading my thoughts.

[Everyone is a female who is happy to be in your harem… no, women. It’ll be hard for this night to pass quietly.]

She was openly teasing me. But the truth was the truth, so I couldn’t help it.

Any of my future wives. They all desperately wanted me.

‘Still, having a promiscuous night in a foreign land like this is a bit…’

But it was as I and Erti had expected.

Late at night. Someone opened my door and came in.