episode_0186

“Marriage? It’s too sudden. Let’s talk about this again next time.”

|There’s no need to take it so suddenly. Just think of it as a casual meeting, and maybe we can become good friends even without marriage. It’s necessary to look around in the Demon Realm to adapt, so it would be good to meet my daughter while you’re at it.|

“······.”

Although it was presented in a polite manner, the true intention was different.

Satan, who had been considerate of me until now, was now slowly releasing his pressure on me and subtly threatening me.

It was almost like a half-threat.

“······Understood.”

I had no choice but to agree for now.

In the Demon Realm, Satan was like a king.

If I fell out of favor with him, I could be in danger of being eliminated before returning to the mortal world.

|It seems you’re getting used to breathing already.|

“That’s right.”

“······Hmm.”

“You’re not breathing.”

“······.”

|Now, let me guide you outside. If I roam around recklessly, the people here will be frightened, so these two demons will guide you. By the way, this is Astaroth, and this is Dantalion.|

Astaroth waved his hand with a smirk (it was hard to tell if he actually smiled due to the ambiguous line of his lips), while Dantalion shyly greeted me with his eyes only.

I almost forgot about them since Satan appeared.

These guys were powerful enough to render me immobile.

“Are both of them Great Demons?”

“There’s only one Great Demon here, and that’s me. These guys are just regular demons.|

These two guys weren’t Great Demons?

I paused for a moment.

Wasn’t Belphegor a Great Demon?

If that weakling was a Great Demon, how could regular demons be this strong?

‘That bastard Belphegor… He was lying.’

He was boasting and exaggerating about being a Great Demon.

|If there’s anything uncomfortable while you’re here, feel free to let me know through these guys. I’ll take care of it right away.|

“Thank you…”

At Satan’s gesture, the circular entrance to the lava waterfall opened up again.

I left Satan, who was sitting solemnly, behind and followed the two demons and Mijeong outside.

The sight of a sea made of shimmering lava appeared.

That was it.

Even on the seemingly intact ground, rocks occasionally trembled, and lava spurted out like a fountain.

An extreme environment where humans couldn’t survive.

But the demons seemed unfazed, leisurely strolling through these dangerous streets.

Feeling the intense heat, I tightly held Mijeong’s hand.

“We need to find a way to return to the mortal world quickly.”

“······Yeah.”

Living here was unbearable.

I couldn’t figure out a way out at the moment, but I would definitely return to the mortal world.

I reaffirmed my determination with Mijeong.

“It feels like we’re being watched.”

|Of course. Don’t you think they stand out with their appearances?|

“I know that, but…”

As we cautiously followed the two demons, the atmosphere became increasingly eerie.

Black shadows emerged one by one from the caves, all of them silently staring at us with black pupils.

It wasn’t just a curious or wary gaze towards unfamiliar outsiders.

It was something different…

It could be described as fierce.

|Hmm. Is it because of their fresh vitality?|

|Well, we couldn’t resist and almost ended up dismantling and eating them.|

“······.”

It was indeed fierce.

All those eyes were fixed on me, as if they were savoring the taste of me.

Thinking like that, I unconsciously found myself walking closer to these two demons.

······Their gazes may not be much different.

‘But they are just numerous. Not really that intimidating.’

Just tense from facing unfamiliar threats in a strange space.

I didn’t feel much danger.

At a glance, the power of each demon seemed to be equal to or less than Velfegor.

Frankly, even if hundreds of demons rushed at once, I felt like I could win.

As long as Mijeong stayed by my side, it seemed entirely possible.

Are most demons naturally this weak?

In that moment of doubt.

I gradually felt my clouded vision clearing.

It seems like I’m getting used to the atmosphere here.

Even in this magical realm, I feel like I can control it now.

But somehow, it seems like I handle magic better here than in the mortal realm.

|The place we just toured would be considered the city center in the mortal realm. And this is the path leading to the underground prison|

“Why is there a prison underground?”

|Your future spouse is here|

“······?”

After wandering through the demon realm for a while, we arrived at the destination.

Following a cylindrical deep pit, we descended endlessly down the spiral staircase.

The demons, all seemingly in great physical shape, had to request breaks several times in the middle.

“······Ugh.”

“Speak.”

“······Ugh.”

Mijeong tugged at my sleeve as I tried to sit down to rest.

Is it too much to even ask for food now?

When I accidentally cut my elbow, Mijeong rushed over and started sucking on it eagerly.

“But I’m hungry. Is there nothing to eat?”

|To eat? Hmm······. Ah, that’s the problem······ Demons gain vitality through contracts with living beings, so there may not be anything suitable for humans to eat······|

“Ah······.”

|Let’s catch a dragon and see if it suits your taste!|

In the blink of an eye, the two demons disappeared, tearing through space.

And shortly after, they returned with a giant monitor lizard.

I struggled to figure out how to prepare it, but eventually managed to cut and grill a part of the hind leg that looked edible.

Only then could I finally take a bite, and the taste was······

“Let’s go back.”

“······Okay.”

We must return.

That determination only grew stronger.

After finishing our mid-supply.

We began descending back into the underground prison to meet the demon who was supposed to be my soulmate.

As we descended, it grew darker, and the appearance of the demons behind the iron bars became even more eerie.

“Didn’t they say my soulmate was a descendant of Satan?”

|That’s right, but they’re such a troublemaker. They escaped and were recently recaptured and locked up|

|They might run away again and be missing for thousands of years, so we had no choice but to confine them|

“······.”

So they want me to deal with this troublesome daughter.

Sorry, but I won’t be following Satan’s wishes.

I’ll do whatever it takes to escape the demon realm.

There’s no future for me where I have a demon wife, raise rabbit-like children, and live a peaceful life.

|Here we are|

“······?”

The lowest level of the underground prison.

As we arrived, a dark shadow swirled behind the dark iron bars.

A strange connection in a strange land.

For some reason, I felt a sense of foreboding from the figure behind the bars.

The demons all looked similar with their dark appearances.

As soon as I saw the face revealed in the darkness, I recognized him.

This bastard.

“Hey you son of a b*tch-”

|Whoa?! Stop him!|

|No! She’s your future wife!|

It was none other than Velfegor.

I couldn’t control my anger and rushed towards him, swinging my arms, but in an instant, I was overpowered by the two demons.

“What the hell?!”

|Look! You’re getting too excited and forgetting how to breathe again!|

In the midst of it all, I accidentally inhaled wrong, feeling my lungs fill up with magic.

In a moment, I felt my entire lungs being shredded, blood spewing out.

The demons immediately tried to help me, but I raised my hand to stop them.

“I’ve become quite accustomed to the magic here.”

I roughly understood how to use magic.

Unlike in the mortal realm, magic in the demon realm is very heavy.

But that doesn’t make it harder to handle.

If you know the tricks, it’s actually easier to handle more magic at once.

Slowly, I grabbed the magic filling my lungs and pulled it out.

Then a bitter black smoke came out through my mouth.

Quickly, I took out a healing potion, shoved it down my throat, guiding it through prayer into my lungs.

It was very painful.

But in the end, I was able to completely heal myself.

If I run out of healing potions, this will be difficult to do again…

Of course, that’s not important right now.

|H-hic…! Why is that human here in the demon realm?!|

“I have a question. Why are you here, Velfegor?”

|This is my resting place, isn’t it obvious?|

“This guy can’t get his act together and-”

|Hiiieeeek!!!|

As I raised my fist, Velfegor’s mask fell off and he trembled in fear.

I wanted to kill him on the spot, but the two demons beside me seemed ready to attack me again, so I had to stop.

|Were you going to kill him…?|

“What a terrible fate. But the fact that he’s here means he might be a candidate for negotiation…”

|Yes, that’s right. Once known as Nata, a demon who was once in the seat of the Great Demon but was overthrown. Velfegor is Satan’s daughter.|

As I approached, the darkness and magic covering him dissipated.

A woman with pale skin was revealed.

Suddenly, my head started throbbing.