NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 41
Chapter 41
It was not difficult for Dekarabia, who had lost both the O Mang Seong and his army, to surrender the Demon King Castle. Although Dekarabia was powerful, it was of no use against Seere, who had joined Nahun on the battlefield long ago.
Moreover, no matter how strong the Demon King was, losing all his subordinates meant he could not confront a massive army. Unless he was the top-tier Demon King.
“Cough…!”
Dekarabia collapsed onto the floor, bleeding. Watching him, the Demon King with a sword lightly draped over his shoulder, Seere von Debata, smiled and spoke.
“You’re not that strong after all.”
“…It seems His Majesty has become too strong.”
The one who replied was Lin. Seere’s fighting style was so unpredictable that even Lin found it difficult to counter. The reason was not only Seere’s superb swordsmanship but mostly due to ancient magic. The incantations were so short and concise that the opponent couldn’t interrupt or effectively respond.
The reason such useful ancient magic has disappeared is simple. All relevant books, records, and knowledge had vanished.
‘Where on earth did Nahun learn about ancient magic?’
One day, suddenly all records and books of magic disappeared, and those who knew ancient magic at that time all died. It was lost in an instant. Even now, the incident is regarded as mysterious in the Demon World, yet no one knows who was responsible.
Dekarabia, who lay in a pathetic state on the floor, barely lifted a hand, trembling weakly, and pointed at Seere.
“Seir, that wicked man created a monster…!”
The moment Seere, who had been smiling moments ago, heard those words, his expression turned stern. Lin let out a deep sigh at Seere’s change in demeanor.
“Your Majesty, Nahun ordered that we spare Dekarabia. Last time you didn’t listen, and if you do it again…”
“I know, Lin Daejeong.”
Seere drew his sword and fastened it at his waist. Then, with a grin, he said,
“Isn’t it enough just not to kill him?”
“…Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Alright.”
Seere stepped forward and grabbed Dekarabia by the throat, lifting him effortlessly. An awe-inspiring sight was before them, as a child who barely reached 160 cm was lifting Dekarabia, who was nearly 2 meters tall, with one hand.
“Cough, what are you doing…?”
“Let’s see how that monster fares now.”
“What?…Cough!”
Seere began to strike Dekarabia with only his fists. The problem was that the strength of a twelve-year-old child was unimaginably powerful.
Each punch that connected with Dekarabia’s body crushed his flesh and broke his bones. Lin, who was watching the scene unfold, urgently called out to Seere.
“Your Majesty, you’ll kill him!”
“…Huh?”
Seere, who had been absorbed in beating Dekarabia, snapped back to reality upon seeing him collapse limp. If he killed Dekarabia here, Nahun would think Seere was disobeying him again and acting on his own.
Then Nahun might scold Seere once again and might even come to dislike him. With that thought, Seere hurriedly released Dekarabia’s collar.
However, Dekarabia remained utterly motionless. Seere shook his head, thinking he must have killed him already.
“I-I didn’t do anything.”
“What?”
“Let’s say it was all Lin Daejeong’s doing!”
“What!?”
When Lin shouted in disbelief, Seere hugged her as if he were being spoiled like a child.
“If the teacher finds out about this, he’ll hate me!”
“Y-You can’t use your cuteness as a weapon against me…”
“Daejeong, please~!”
Lin made an agonized sound, caught off guard by Seere’s plea. Seeing Lin’s reaction, Seere rubbed his face against hers and begged.
“I’ll ask you this way, Daejeong~!”
“……Sigh.”
Where in the world could such a cute demon king exist? Unable to resist Seere’s charm, Lin finally nodded her head. Seere beamed at Lin, grateful.
“Thank you, Daejeong!”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“!!!”
“!!!”
Both Seere and Lin suddenly turned their heads in surprise. Behind them, Nahun approached, not a drop of blood on him.
“T-Teacher.”
“…Nahun, you’ve arrived.”
Seeing Nahun, Lin greeted him while Seere began to act nonchalantly. When Nahun cast a suspicious gaze at Seere, he smiled brightly and ran toward him.
“Teacher~!”
“Stop right there.”
“Eh.”
As soon as Seere halted, Nahun crossed his arms and tilted his head. Seere mirrored the movement, tilting his body to the side.
“Seere, come here.”
“…There’s nothing here!”
“Then where did Dekarabia go?”
“……He wasn’t here.”
“Not here?”
Nodding vigorously, Seere lied, swaying his head. Nahun looked at him once and then directed his gaze toward the space where Dekarabia could be seen, exposed because Seere had not concealed him properly.
“Then what is that?”
“……Huh?”
“I’m talking about the one collapsed over there.”
Seere turned his head creakily, and Nahun’s gaze landed on the top of Dekarabia’s slumped figure. Seere shut his eyes tightly and thought.
‘If only I were a little taller…!’
Seere lamented while giving Nahun a furtive glance. Nahun stared at him with slightly narrowed brows, looking at Seere. Seeing Nahun was angry, Seere pouted and clung to Lin next to him.
“Waaaaah, the teacher is mad!!”
“Well, why did you lie with such an obvious falsehood…?”
“Seere.”
Nahun called Seere. The icy tone made him tense as he looked at Nahun with wide eyes. Nahun sighed deeply and said,
“You shouldn’t lie to the teacher. If you did something wrong, you should admit it honestly.”
“…Yes.”
“And it seems Dekarabia is not dead after all.”
“Yes?”
Nahun walked over and grabbed the limp Dekarabia’s head. After listening closely, he confirmed that there were faint but distinct sounds of breathing.
“With treatment, he’ll definitely survive.”
Lin tilted her head at the idea of saving another layer’s demon king through healing.
“But Nahun, why do you want to spare Dekarabia? He doesn’t have a personality like Dantalion that would make him compromise with others.”
Dekarabia was a demon king similar in temperament to Andromalius. He had a slightly weaker personal power than Andromalius but was less trouble overall. This explained why his scale of influence was far greater compared to Dantalion’s.
Nahun simply replied to Lin’s concern.
“I have no intention to let him live.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m temporarily sparing him. I need some information.”
Seere tilted his head in confusion.
“Information?”
“Yes, have you ever heard of the Stardust Ore?”
“It’s a specialty of the 68th layer, right?”
“Only the Demon King of the 68th layer and his subordinates know the location of the Stardust Ore mine. Now that I have captured Crawly from the O Mang Seong, I’ll cross-verify the testimonies of the two to find out the location of the Stardust Ore mine.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Seere grasp Nahun’s reason for sparing Dekarabia. But if that was the case, it seemed better to spare the two other O Mang Seong generals instead.
“Then wasn’t it Krwah and Dahak? Wouldn’t it have been simpler to capture those two alive rather than kill them?”
“……”
That was indeed Nahun’s mistake. At that time, Nahun hadn’t yet gauged how strong he was, resulting in failing to control his power and accidentally killing both Krawah and Dahak.
However, he assumed revealing this would diminish Seere’s trust in him, so Nahun made an awkward excuse.
“…They resisted too fiercely; I couldn’t help it.”
“Oh, that would indeed be troublesome.”
Just moments ago, he had told Seere not to lie while he himself had lied, causing Nahun to chastise himself inwardly.
‘This is sheer hypocrisy….’
Maintaining trust was as crucial as keeping good relationships. If Seere were to lose trust in Nahun and dismiss him, Nahun would never be able to return to his previous life again.
Regardless of his justifications, Nahun felt a little guilty.
“How will you find out if the Demon King cannot be enthralled?”
“Enthrall? Why would that be necessary?”
“Excuse me?”
In response to Seere’s question, Nahun simply answered.
“By beating him, the answer will eventually reveal itself.”
#
In the 68th layer dungeon. It was a prison used to confine prisoners captured by Dekarabia in war or to imprison criminals.
Dekarabia was unaware. He never imagined that he would soon find himself trapped in this place.
“Dekarabia.”
“…”
“Answer me. Where is the Stardust Ore mine?”
And he certainly never expected to be beaten in this cold underground prison. Dekarabia looked at the foolish person demanding confidential information while he was being beaten.
It was Nahun. He usually employed more strategic methods but was resorting to such a brute approach, which was quite unusual.
“If I say it like that, will you answer…!”
Dekarabia couldn’t finish his sentence. Another punch landed, knocking his jaw loose. Nahun raised his fist again and said.
“I’ll ask again.”
The issue was this: Every time Nahun hit him, it hurt so much that he genuinely considered if death would be better. Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if his jaw broke, yet for some reason, his bones weren’t breaking, and he wasn’t getting injured at all. He was only experiencing overwhelming pain.
Naturally, it was due to the power of magic, but Dekarabia was oblivious to it since it belonged to an ancient power that no longer existed.
“Where is it?”
The sound of flesh being struck echoed throughout the dungeon. Seere and Cain, who were standing in the prison corridor, looked at each other, feeling somewhat absurd.
“Your Majesty, is this really okay?”
“Well, it’s the teacher doing it, so…”
Seere felt a bit uncomfortable too. This was the first time seeing Nahun in such a violent manner. It was somewhat different from how he carried himself during battles.
He had looked like a magnificent hero back then, but now he seemed to just be acting like a thug. There were many other ways to torture, so Seere couldn’t understand why he had to beat him personally.
‘Still…’
Since it was the teacher, Seere thought he could also act like that in the future.
At that moment, someone descended into the dungeon. When Seere and Cain turned around, she greeted them cheerfully.
“Seere, and the butler. Long time no see?”
“…Citri?”
Today, the Demon King Citri, with her beautiful golden hair shimmering, appeared. She smiled and explained the reason for her visit.
“Nahun called for me; where is he?”
“Teacher is calling for Citri?”
“Yes, he said he needed me?”
“W-Why does the teacher need Citri?”
“He mentioned he needed my abilities; didn’t you hear?”
Upon hearing Citri’s mention of her abilities, Seere suddenly realized why Nahun was assaulting Dekarabia.
While regular enthrallment wouldn’t work on a demon king, it would be different if it were the power of another demon king. By striking him to weaken his mental power, it would be entirely possible to infiltrate his mind.
With the combination of injuries and violence, Dekarabia’s mental resistance was significantly weakened. At this moment, he was more likely to provide the information they sought.
If Dekarabia still managed to hold on and tell lies during the process, they could cross-verify with Crawly, who had already been enthralled.
Citri called to Nahun, who was beating Dekarabia inside the prison.
“Nahun.”
“Oh, you’ve arrived.”
“…Why have you turned him into a mess?”
“I need to weaken his mental power.”
“Are you not confusing mental power with life?”
Citri laughed while joking, and Nahun chuckled at the silliness. Upon seeing Nahun laughing blankly, Seere narrowed his brows and looked at Citri.
‘That girl is….’
Citri, of course, noticed that gaze. Even while pretending to look perfectly fine on the surface, she was harboring immense feelings inside. Citri cast a fleeting glance at Seere and then turned back to Nahun.
“You, get out quickly.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“This is enough to use my power without any problem. Get out so I can focus.”
“Do I really need to concentrate that much?”
“YES!”
“Y-Yes…”
Nahun scratched his head and exited the prison. As soon as he did, Seere’s attention shifted away. Only then did Citri breathe a sigh of relief.
‘Citri must have dealt with Dantalion’s Demon Castle alone and has subdued Dekarabia as well…’
Citri thought it would be best to align with Seere until she regained her strength. She didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention and have it bounce back on her.
“Well then…”
Although she had no particular grudge against Dekarabia, she had to comply with the request of her steadfast ally. No, beyond being steadfast…
‘He’s an ally I absolutely cannot let go of.’
Even though she had waited five years, she could see how quickly Nahun’s skills and Seere’s strength had conquered two layers in no time.
To reclaim the power sealed away, she would undoubtedly need their help. In that case, she could agree to as many requests as necessary and somewhat cater to the feelings of a little child a lot younger than her.
“Dekarabia.”
“Ugh, you…Citri?”
“I want to know the location of the mine that produces Stardust Ore.”
Citri’s eyes sparkled. And as she met Dekarabia’s gaze, it became dazed. With a bright smile, Citri winked at him, displaying her charms.
“Can you tell me?”
“U-Um…”
“Please tell me, okay~?”
“Th-Then…I have to tell you…”
Watching that scene unfold from outside the prison, Nahun nodded with satisfaction. That was the unique ability Citri possessed.
A power that makes anyone who meets her fall in love for life. It was a strength that surpassed the temporary seduction of succubi or incubi. While it wouldn’t work on demon kings of equal or higher standing than Citri, it was perfect for situations like this, where the mind was already disoriented.
The combination of injury and violence had somewhat broken Dekarabia’s mental power. At this time, he would undoubtedly provide the desired answers.
If Dekarabia dares to hold on with lies during this process, they could just cross-verify with the already enthralled Crawly.
Citri called out to Nahun, who was still assaulting Dekarabia.
“Nahun.”
“Oh, you’re here.”
“…Why have you turned him into a mess?”
“I need to weaken his mental power.”
“Are you not mistaking mental power for life?”
Citri laughed jokingly, and Nahun chuckled in disbelief. Seere looked at Nahun, curious about the contradiction.
‘What the heck is going on here?’
Citri, of course, caught the subtle tension in Seere’s gaze. She turned to Nahun, her expression growing serious.
“Get out.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“You can concentrate just fine in there. Focus on getting out of the way.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“YES!”
“Y-Yes…”
Nahun scratched his head and exited the prison. As he did, Seere’s gaze drifted off. Citri finally let out a breath of relief.
‘If Dantalion’s castle has crumbled and Dekarabia has been dealt with by that child…’
Citri concluded it was wise to support Seere until she regained her strength, to avoid any potential backlash.
“Well…”
She didn’t harbor any ill intentions against Dekarabia, yet Ali that could serve as her unwavering ally, and indeed a fundamental partner.
Even after five years of waiting, seeing the rapid conquest of two layers only confirmed Nahun’s aptitude and Seere’s increasing power.
To reclaim her sealed strength, she knew they would be indispensable. This meant there were countless requests she could afford to make, and accommodating a child younger than her was too easy.
“Dekarabia.”
“Ugh, you…Citri?”
“I want to know the location of the Stardust Ore mine.”
Citri’s eyes shone brightly. As her gaze met Dekarabia’s, he was left in a daze. With a charming smile, she gestured alluringly.
“Can you share that with me?”
“U-Um…”
“Please tell me, okay~?”
“Then, I must tell you…”
Watching that scene unfold from outside the prison, Nahun nodded with satisfaction. That was the unique ability possessed only by Citri.
A power that compels those they meet to love them for life. While temporary enthrallment isn’t normally effective on a demon king, this power was strong enough to bend wills when the mind is in disarray
“Stardust Ore mine is located…”
“Yes?”
“It’s…50 kilometers west from here…”
“Oh, really?”
Citri giggled and pushed Dekarabia away. She laughed heartily and added,
“Thank you for sharing, you idiot~.”
“Uh…”
Dekarabia was still disoriented. As Citri exited the prison, she said,
“Did you catch that?”
“Yes, thank you for your help.”
“It’s nothing.”
Fifty kilometers to the west was quite a remote area.
“Are you planning to trade with Stardust Ore?”
“…Yes, we have to. We can’t keep selling just weapons and slaves indefinitely.”
Moreover, recently the number of humans entering layer 72 had drastically diminished. There had been a surge initially due to the chaos of war, but suddenly, the numbers had fallen again. Even though the war was still ongoing.
One of the reasons for sending Dein and Eri to the human realm was to accurately assess and respond to such changes.
Of course, the reason Nahun sought the Stardust Ore mine wasn’t solely for trading. When he conquered the Ebel Queen Maker and reached the 68th layer, there was an item he absolutely needed to obtain. Unlike the Bloodwound Blade, it wasn’t an equip item.
Citri had no idea about this fact and continued speaking to Nahun.
“Nahun, since I’ve helped you find the location of the Stardust Ore mine, can I have a little…”
“I was going to give it to you without you even asking.”
“Really!?”
“But now that you’ve asked so plainly, it makes me want to give you less.”
“That’s not fair!!”
Seeing Citri protest loudly, Nahun grinned slyly.
“Then in exchange for the Stardust Ore, how about you grant me one favor?”
“A favor? What is it?”
“Will you agree to it?”
Citri raised an eyebrow, finding it amusing that he would ask if she would consent before stating the deal.
‘Every time you call me a tyrant…’
But considering the trade wasn’t with just anyone but Nahun, and given that the Stardust Ore was a precious gem even in the Demon World, Citri nodded.
“Alright, tell me.”
“Let it be known that Your Majesty conquered the 68th layer.”
“…Huh?”
Citri tilted her head, realizing that the condition Nahun proposed was ultimately beneficial to her. Seere, who heard Nahun’s words, also tilted his head in confusion.
It was evident that Citri was in favor of this.
“Sure! So does that mean I can take the Demon King Castle of the 68th layer for myself?”
“Oh, that’s not it. I only ask that it be publicly understood that you conquered it.”
“……What?”
Nahun narrowed his eyes, pointing out Citri’s greed.
“Have you ever sent a single soldier while trying to take over without lifting a finger in battle? Do you really have no shame?”
“Ah, no, you said to let’s say it occurred!!”
“Exactly. I’m only asking for it to be acknowledged publicly as such.”
“Then isn’t this too much of a disadvantage for me? If I keep gaining fame for conquering layers, the upper layers will grow wary, and it’ll become even harder for me to regain my strength!”
Nahun’s expression shifted as if he were in awe. It seemed he hadn’t anticipated Citri thinking to such an extent.
That was indeed the reason Nahun wanted Citri to be credited instead.
It was to maximize the secrecy of their power in layer 72. The news of the 68th layer being conquered wouldn’t have reached the upper layers yet, so if it were known that Citri was responsible for the conquest, they would be able to conceal the strength of layer 72 further.
While it would still be known that this area was dominated by Dantalion, the higher-level demon kings wouldn’t be overly concerned about layer 69 being conquered.
Citri felt a strange sensation and narrowed her brows.
“What’s with that expression?”
“In return, I will give you half of the Stardust Ore’s production.”
“…Huh?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I’ll give you half of the Stardust Ore production.”
“R-Really?”
“I think selling it through the trading company dealing with us will yield quite some profit.”
Nahun extended his hand. It was a gesture for her to accept the offer. Citri hesitated slightly as she thought of the substantial amount of Stardust Ore piling up in her storage, reaching for his hand instead.
“Alright, so this means the trade is established?”
However, there was someone who intervened, clasping both hands in between Citri and Nahun. It was Seere.
He smiled broadly at Nahun, but upon looking at Citri, his eyes instantly turned icy, as if questioning why she was attempting a hand clasp.
Citri felt a cold sweat when she withdrew her hand.
“Y-Yes. I must ensure the Stardust Ore is properly taken care of!”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
“I’m leaving!”
Citri quickly exited, as if fleeing the scene. Nahun watched her leaving, puzzled, and then turned to Seere, who was still holding onto him.
“Seere?”
“Yes?”
“Could you let go of my hand?”
“Ah!”
Seere hurriedly released his hand, then stared blankly at the right hand that had just held Nahun’s. After a moment, he slyly glanced at Nahun and asked,
“Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“It’s time to fulfill that promise you made last time.”
“Oh, that thing. Don’t worry, we’ll just stop by the Stardust Ore mine and head right back.”
“Really!?”
“Of course, I promise.”
When Seere smiled brightly, Nahun also returned a warm smile. Though it appeared Seere had grown a lot, she was still just a child.
“I’ll go to the Stardust Ore mine, so you take a little break, okay?”
“Ah, yes.”
“Cain.”
Before departing, Nahun commanded Cain, pointing at Dekarabia still confined in the prison.
“Take care of him. He’s no longer worth keeping alive.”
“Understood.”
#
Following Nahun’s words to take a break, Seere entered their bedroom for a moment of rest. He sat down and then gently opened up his right hand, which he had been tightly holding onto earlier.
“It’s been a while….”
I held the teacher’s hand. I used to hold his hand often, but recently he hadn’t given me the chance…
Seere knew it wasn’t because Nahun disliked him. It was rather consideration for how he was maturing. However, if he laid bare his true feelings, he would hope Nahun would continue to hold his hand.
Seere looked at his right hand, as if it were the most precious thing in the world, while his left hand began to play with his hair.
“Teacher….”
When we go out, if it’s just the two of us…
“…I want to hold hands a lot.”
His thoughts still retained a childlike quality.