Chapter 14: A New Journey (1)

After the Demon King finished everything and left the scene, a person wearing a hood arrived late, looking around at

the ruined facilities, strongholds, and concentration camps.

“…How should I report this…?”

There was a slight tremor in the voice, filled with worry.

The scene was truly devastating.

The concentration camps were shattered as if they had been targets of someone’s fury, and the strongholds, having

lost their masters, barely retained any trace of human presence.

The person sighed and removed the hood.

As soon as the hood was removed, her blue hair and eyes stood out sharply.

The short-haired, beautiful woman continued to inspect the scene, which was difficult to comprehend.

As far as she remembered, she was the only resistance agent dispatched here.

When she heard that the concentration camps had collapsed from within, the order was immediately given to her, as

she was the closest agent.

She had been rushed into the mission without proper preparation, and she even had to prepare herself for the

possibility of dying.

But when she finally arrived, all that remained were the remnants after everything had already been completed.

It was hard to believe that the demons in the concentration camps had caused all of this.

Individuals, teams, groups—someone incredibly powerful must have passed through here, and she was strongly

convinced of that.

But who could it have been?

Who, if not the resistance, could be fighting for the demon world?

Since she was sent here, knowing the identity of this person and reporting back was crucial to the mission’s meaning.

“To ensure the freedom of the demon world and the return of the Demon King…”

Though the task ahead was uncertain, she gathered her resolve, reciting her organization’s pledge and began to move forward in search of clues.

The flowers in the plains released their pollen to the wind, unseen by anyone. Though these flowers caused

discomfort to many, their appearance was similar to the demon kind fleeing their homes.

Unseen by others, yet when their presence is discovered, they bring trouble to those around.

They carried hope, just like the demons leaving for a new beginning.

“Cluck cluck.”

The sound of Lerazier’s coughing broke the long silence of the plains, and the colorful flowers, their pollen scattering,

fluttered in the air as the Demon King and Lerazier walked together.

Lerazier had chosen to stay by the Demon King’s side.

She felt it was the best thing she could do for her friends.

Helping the Demon King to liberate the demon world was surely the greatest thing she could do for them.
Also, Lerazier had a new dream.

She wanted to see the Demon King happy and the demon world freed, all while staying by his side.

As Lerazier walked alongside the Demon King, she remembered the moment she parted ways with her friends and grandmother.

“So… we’re really parting ways?”

“….”

“Will we meet again?”

“Of course.”

“Make sure you do well.”

“Yes, Grandma.”

The moment they said goodbye still lingered in her mind.

She didn’t know how long she had cried, but it delayed the departure of the freed slaves.
That moment would stay in her memory forever.

While Lerazier was lost in thought, a beast in the distance was charging toward them, targeting the two of them.

Lerazier stopped reminiscing and pointed her hand toward the beast.

The Demon King silently watched her.

Five magic spears, made from pure magical energy, appeared around Lerazier.

Following her command, the spears flew toward the beast’s head, and the creature fell without offering any resistance.

“Demon King! I did well, didn’t I?!”

“Your casting speed is still slow. Improve more.”

“Ugh… could you at least give me some praise?”

Lerazier had stayed by the Demon King’s side, but it seemed she still had a long way to go to earn his approval.

“…There are many beasts around.”

“Yes, I think I’ve already encountered over five on the way here.”

“There may be many beastfolk living around here.”

“Really? Does that connection make sense?”

Lerazier asked, seeming unsure.

“All beasts were once beastfolk.”

“…Oh? But my friends…”

“Becoming a beast requires certain conditions. It’s determined by the environment during childhood.”

The Demon King’s explanation was simple.

All beastfolk undergo a phase called “adaptation” during a certain period of their lives.

During this time, based on their surroundings, if it is more advantageous to live as humans, they become human.

If it is more advantageous to live as beasts, they become beasts.

In the current colonized demon world, becoming a beast is often the better choice than becoming a proper adult.

In a world where beasts live better and more easily than humans, many would prefer to be a beast.

Lerazier could sense the troubled heart of the Demon King.

“When we choose a place to rest tonight, we must be cautious.”

“Yes! I’ll be careful.”

The two of them walking through the plains had no fixed destination.

Originally, the Demon King had planned to head straight to the next concentration camp, but upon seeing Lerazier

by his side, his mind changed.

For the future liberation of the demon world, the growth of talented children like Lerazier was essential.

Up until now, there had been no time for such things, but whenever there was a chance, they had to make use of the time for growth.

To achieve that, the Demon King and Lerazier made a promise.

Lerazier, after assessing the surroundings, quietly closed her eyes and focused on her magical energy.

The results that Lerazier was showing now were already beyond the level of most beginner magicians, but in terms of

detailed growth, she hadn’t even taken her first steps as a proper magician.

Relying on raw talent alone would eventually cause problems.

This is why the two of them made the following promise.

Immediately after using magic, if the surroundings were safe, she would focus and feel the flow of mana.

As time passed, this became Lerazier’s habit.

Seeing her efforts, the Demon King didn’t worry much about Lerazier’s lack of immediate growth.

Rather, the Demon King’s concern was that only one talent with a promising future existed.

He wished there were at least one representative from each faction: Aine, Beastfolk, Demonkind, and Immortals—at least four people.

Watching Lerazier’s magic slowly establish its foundation, the Demon King thought about the future.

“That’s enough. We’ll rest now, Lerazier.”

The place the two chose to spend the night was a cave.

At first, they had planned to set up a campfire near the entrance and unpack immediately, but as monstrous beasts

kept rushing out from inside the cave, they decided to push deeper into the cave and clear the area.

“…There are so many monsters. Did all the beasts from the plains come from here?”

“It might be a cave where the Beastfolk abandoned their children.”

“…What?”

“This place is called a ‘dungeon.’”

The Demon King cautiously surveyed the surroundings.

Despite the many monsters in the cave, there were also traces of human presence.

And most of these traces were from Beastfolk parents.

The Demon King picked up a torn letter from a corner of the cave and handed it to Lerazier.

Inside the letter was a note from a mother to her son.

“…Why is this here?”

“Parents can’t raise children who are becoming monsters.”

It was tragic, but the parents had to part with their children.

However, they could never kill their own child.

“So… they left them all here?”

Caves like these naturally became ‘places of promise,’ where many parents, even knowing the danger, left their children behind.

It was a ritual of sorts, urging the children to make friends even if they turned into monsters.

The Demon King recalled research records that noted that this practice was essentially useless in terms of practicality.

At any rate, such places naturally became dangerous locations where many monsters gathered.

“If we’re going to rest here tonight, we’ll have to clean it up first.”

“Yes! I’ll help you with that.”

The Demon King looked at Lerazier without saying a word.

Lerazier, sensing something from the Demon King’s gaze, turned to face him.

Then, feeling embarrassed, she quickly looked away.

“I trust you.”

“Ugh! Yes, yes, yes!”

The two of them entered deeper into the cave and continued fighting the monsters.

Massive monsters charged toward them, targeting the Demon King and Lerazier.

The Demon King summoned threads of necromantic magic. Even the knight Anjak couldn’t move against these

threads, yet the monsters tore through them with sheer strength and continued to charge.
“You’re quite strong.”

However, the Demon King didn’t panic. He drew his sword—the very sword he had taken from the knight.

With a single strike, he pierced the monster’s front paw, pinning it to the ground like a dart.

“Lerazier!”

“Yes!”

From another direction, flames flew toward the monster.

Lerazier, with firepower beyond expectations, was roasting the monster.

The monster, letting out a painful screech, swiped its claws at Lerazier with its last effort.

Lerazier couldn’t dodge it.

Flinching and bringing her arms together, the Demon King leaped in front of Lerazier to block the monster’s attack.

“…I-I’m sorry.”

“You did well.”

“Ah, yes…!”

“Think of a small circle around you protecting you.”

“Yes!”

As always, the Demon King gave Lerazier lessons in real battle.

Every time, the number of spells Lerazier could use grew.

Following the Demon King’s command, Lerazier soon succeeded in creating a protective barrier.

The Demon King smiled as he tapped the shield with his hand.

Seeing this, Lerazier puffed her cheeks and spoke.

“Why do you always teach me after it’s too late?”

“You understand it better that way.”

With that cold reply, the Demon King ventured deeper into the dungeon.

Lerazier, who had been turning the shield on and off, followed a beat behind.

The deepest part of the dungeon was completely dark.

Lights, like fireflies, illuminated the darkness from all directions.

These light sources were also the result of magic Lerazier had cast.

“This is the last… right?”

“It should be.”

Lerazier manipulated the light sources to push further inside.

In the vast space, there were no visible traces of monsters.

“…Nothing? Is the dungeon cleaning done?”

While Lerazier found nothing, the Demon King noticed something and moved his hand.

The Demon King took control of Lerazier’s light sources and moved them forward.

To make the large space seem insignificant, what was in this place wasn’t a monster.

“…This is…”

A silver-haired girl with a calm, serene beauty, the complete opposite of Lerazier’s fiery presence.

Her impression was as tranquil as water, with ears sticking out above her head and a tail visible from her backside.

A Beastfolk girl was sleeping soundly with her eyes closed.

The Demon King carefully brought the girl to the dungeon entrance and laid her next to the campfire.

He then deeply pondered how the girl ended up in such a place.

The ones who left her in this dungeon couldn’t have ventured so deep.

If they had, the monsters wouldn’t have left them alone.

This meant the girl had somehow walked into the deep dungeon on her own.

The Demon King cautiously touched the girl’s arm.

No strength could be felt there.

The monsters hadn’t eaten this weak girl.

This meant that the monsters instinctively feared her.

The monsters must have seen ‘something’ in the girl that was not visible on the surface.

And that could only mean one thing.

This girl was not a girl; she was a ‘monster.’

“So, this is how you found her.”

This girl was the new genius the Demon King had been seeking, on the same level as Lerazier.