Chapter 3: Legadon

Legideon

Role-playing games.

Or RPGs, for short.

Most RPGs have a similar ultimate goal.

Rewarding good and punishing evil.

Justice ultimately triumphs, and that was the case here.

This game was no different.

It was a game with the common objective of the ‘Empire of Justice’ defeating the ‘villainous’ demon race.

Of course, if you delve deeper, the reality is a bit different.

Anyway, the biggest problem is this.

The side I transmigrated into was the ‘villainous’ demon race.

I’ve raised dozens of Empire-side characters.

But how did I end up transmigrating into a demon, out of all those characters?

No matter how much I thought about it, that suspicious achievement was the problem.

That special achievement that was completed when I contacted the Demon King.

The quest window clearly stated that its target was me.

That meant the Empire also recognized my existence.

‘Well, I did spread so much information.’

I went around spreading all sorts of information about the Empire, saying I would contact the Demon King.

And there aren’t just one or two spies like Legideon in the Demon Realm.

The Empire couldn’t possibly not know my identity.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

It was literally the perfect situation to be assassinated.

It seemed I was thoroughly screwed.

At least it was fortunate that there was a quest.

If I were in danger of dying, it would immediately notify me of the situation with an emergency quest.

And even the result of whether the situation was resolved.

A quest window floated in front of my eyes.

It stated that the quest was completed and a reward would be given.

I shifted my gaze slightly and scanned the skill window.

The only skill present, ‘Aura’.

‘…It’s good, though.’

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for this.

Because it was a skill I had never seen before.

But Aura’s performance was beyond imagination.

I immediately understood why it was a Special grade skill.

Because it even detected the stealth of the renowned assassin, Legideon.

The combination of the quest and Aura.

With this, I could at least avoid a situation where I’d die without a trace.

But my head had been spinning since earlier.

‘Is it because of mana?’

It was hard to even stand properly.

However, it seemed my mental strength couldn’t even allow for such a weakness.

[Status is unstable.]

[Compensating unstable status with overwhelming mental strength.]

The Demon King, Lashian, had already sheathed her sword.

She stared intently at where Legideon had been, then turned her gaze to me.

Her eyes seemed to demand an explanation.

There was nothing to say just because she stared like that.

Because I had merely recited what the quest window told me.

But there was no need to reveal my hand.

I raised a faint smile.

And acted.

With a face more relaxed and carefree than anyone else.

“I’ve taken care of one problem.”

Perhaps thanks to the correction from my mental strength, my acting seemed quite excellent.

****

“Would it be alright if I embraced you?”

That man, Kyle, blurted out such an unexpected question.

It was truly an absurd thing to say.

His tone was light, as if suggesting a walk.

Even while saying such a thing, his expression remained nonchalant.

Lashian stared intently at him.

Kyle.

Deep black hair, eyes like pitch.

Pale skin contrasting with a jawline as if carved by a knife.

He was truly a man who seemed to embody the word ‘demon’.

Yet, paradoxically, he was also a man who didn’t quite fit the demon race.

Demons are known as a warrior race, so belligerent.

Simply put, many of them would charge in headfirst.

But he was different.

Based on his overwhelming intellect, he created only minimal combat and minimal sacrifices.

He was truly an ideal commander, one never before seen among demons.

How many times had he saved the Demon Realm with his plans?

It had already been two months since they relied on his information, whose source and origin were unclear.

But his words now were utterly incomprehensible.

‘Would it be alright to embrace me?’

“…”

She was the Demon King.

A truly supreme being who had never even touched another living creature.

“…The reason?”

“It’s important.”

He dismissed the answer simply.

As if he couldn’t tell her the reason.

She glared at him, but nothing changed.

Because he wasn’t someone who would yield to such things.

“…”

She intended to refuse.

But past events kept swirling in her mind.

The ambushes and traps they could never have stopped without his advice.

What if this current request was also related to such matters?

What if there was a reason he couldn’t tell her the reason?

Her discomfort and the Demon Realm.

If she had to choose between the two, she would have no choice but to choose the former.

Because she was the ruler of the Demon Realm.

After long deliberation, she accepted his words.

His hand approached immediately.

At that, her face involuntarily scrunched up.

His hand wrapped around her body. Soon, her body floated into the air.

She took a short, deep breath.

Now it was time for the instinctive repulsion to wash over her.

Because that was a common characteristic of all Demon Kings throughout history.

But then.

“…?”

His hand was clearly touching her. Yet, she felt nothing.

‘Why?’

At that moment, he said “Done” and set her down again.

She pressed him for the reason once more, but.

“You must have been under a lot of strain.”

Instead, endless words began to flow from his mouth.

“Haven’t things felt strange lately?”

Whether it was because of his voice or his serious expression.

She found herself listening intently to his words.

Conversations with him were always like this.

No matter how wary she was, there was always a strange way his words drew her in.

To regain her composure, she strongly released her killing intent.

However, he simply continued speaking as if unaffected.

Feeling displeased, she shot back.

“What are you talking about?”

“You can’t focus on your work, and other thoughts keep creeping in, can’t they?”

“Stop playing games.”

However, the next words were utterly shocking.

“There’s someone you suspect, isn’t there?”

Lashian’s eyes widened.

“…What?”

“Didn’t you already know?”

She involuntarily took a step back from him.

‘How?’

She knew he was excellent at gathering information.

She also knew his mind was extraordinary.

But what he had just said was something she had never told anyone.

It was a doubt she had harbored alone.

“I’m talking about the rat still hiding and listening, even now.”

‘Even now?’

What was he talking about now?

Just as she was about to press him for answers.

“…!”

Her mouth wouldn’t move.

It was as if something heavy was pressing down on her entire body, preventing her from moving properly.

‘What is this?’

This was unexpected.

His main weapon was his extraordinary intellect, not brute force.

In reality, the demonic energy he possessed was very small.

That was also why she could keep the suspicious man by her side.

Because she was confident she could overpower him with force at any sign of strange behavior.

Of course, it was possible to hide demonic energy. For ordinary demons, that is.

But for it to evade the eyes of her, the Demon King, was almost impossible.

So what exactly was this unknown power?

‘Was this his intention from the beginning?’

She didn’t know how, but he had been hiding his power.

However, she had no intention of simply letting herself be defeated.

As she gathered demonic energy throughout her body, something finally became visible before her eyes.

Hazy, smoke-like entities completely dominated the surrounding space.

‘No openings.’

Incredible density.

It seemed difficult to break through it head-on.

So she gathered the demonic energy to the center of her body.

She intended to unleash the demonic energy explosively, momentarily blowing away those intangible energies.

But then.

Thud!

Something fell weakly from a corner of the ceiling over there.

And upon seeing it, her pupils widened.

‘What is this?’

It was a familiar face.

The one she had suspected all along.

That guy had been hiding in a corner here.

At that moment, the pressure on her body vanished eerily.

Lashian instinctively whipped her head towards Kyle.

However, the expression of the one who had orchestrated all this was indifferent.

He was merely looking at the guy writhing on the floor.

As if that guy had been his target all along.

‘…He knew all along, didn’t he?’

Her fists clenched tightly.

It was stealth that even she, the Demon King, hadn’t noticed. And he…

A strange emotion surged within her.

At that moment, killing intent erupted from the writhing body of the guy.

He even adjusted his stance as if to attempt an attack.

Seeing him, irritation welled up.

‘I should have dealt with him sooner.’

She imbued demonic energy and struck the ground.

At that, the guy, who was trying to stand, stumbled.

Lashian immediately transferred the demonic energy condensed within her body to her right hand.

Then she drew her sword and lightly swung it.

Demonic energy unleashed with a massive roar.

As a result, he vanished without a trace.

It was an obvious outcome.

Even if his stealth was at its peak, there was no way a mere assassin could block her attack.

She sheathed her sword.

After unleashing a burst of anger, her head cleared.

‘So…’

Now she understood. The reason he embraced her.

That unknown power from earlier.

Perhaps it was a procedure to minimize the pressure applied to her.

At that moment.

“I’ve taken care of one problem.”

He left only that one sentence and immediately turned his back.

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped her lips.

After orchestrating such an event, that nonchalant single sentence was all he offered.

Kyle.

There was so much she was curious about regarding him.

So much that she wanted to seize him immediately and make him explain everything.

But what was clear was that, at present, he was more helpful to the demon race than anyone else.

He was the goose that laid golden eggs.

She wasn’t foolish enough to cut open the belly just because she was curious about its insides.

Especially in a situation where the Demon Realm was so cornered.

Use him as much as possible.

Deal with him immediately if any suspicious signs appear.

She organized her thoughts that way.

Although that unknown power felt unsettling, he was a demon regardless.

As long as demon blood flowed through him, it was impossible for him to directly harm her.

Because if a Demon King died without a proper succession ceremony, all demons in the Demon Realm would instantly perish.

So she opened her mouth as if she knew nothing.

“There’s one more thing I’d like you to do.”

However, despite her words, his footsteps did not stop.

Was he ignoring her?

Lashian’s brow furrowed.

Just as she was about to open her mouth again.

“Understood.”

“?”

Her mouth, which was about to open, closed again.

She hadn’t said anything yet?

“You must have had many complaints. You should come back when you’re qualified.”

He turned diagonally and bowed his head slightly.

Then he went his way again.

“Haa.”

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

Since knowing him, her sighs had only increased.

“Does he have mind-reading abilities or something?”

She stared at the door he had exited through for a long time.