NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 8
### Chapter 8
“Ah, seriously.”
A few days after Citri visited the 72nd floor, an irritated voice could be heard in the training grounds located in the northern part of the Demon King Castle.
This place was a training area for the soldiers of the Demon King Castle, but complaints were bubbling up among them.
“Why do we have to be here?”
To be precise, it was not the soldiers under Seere Huiha, but those soldiers that Citri had recently reassigned to Seere. Even though they felt like surplus troops, they were dissatisfied about being moved to have a lower rank under Seere after originally being part of Citri’s forces.
“Hey, if you’re so dissatisfied, why don’t you go back to your lord? Like a little dog.”
“Who are you calling a little dog…!”
The complaining soldier fell silent. The person who appeared before him was someone he knew he could never defeat.
It was Baruna, the Vice Commander of the 4th Legion, the only one from the legacy of the former Demon King, Seir von Debata, who had survived. He smiled brightly at the soldier.
“Why did you stop talking? Keep going.”
“…Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
As the former leader of the legion from the previous generation, there was no doubt about his strength. Still, since his lord was of lower rank than their own, they had been dismissive, but now he was their superior.
“If you want to remain as soldiers, pick up your swords and start training immediately. No slacking off.”
“Understood…”
As the soldiers each picked up their weapons to begin training, Baruna crossed his arms and spoke.
“Are we just going to leave them like that, Daejeong?”
In Baruna’s line of sight was a woman with impressive cat ears. Despite her delicate appearance and petite stature not matching the world of swords, she was an exceptionally skilled swordswoman.
Lin El Lazine. She was the commander of the 4th Legion, the only surviving unit from the former Demon King’s forces, and was currently considered the top combat force within Seere’s ranks.
“What can we do? We’ve expected it to be noisy for a while now.”
“Tsk…”
Baruna made a face that showed his extreme dissatisfaction.
“Apparently, it was decided by the teacher who just came.”
“What kind of language is that referring to His Majesty?”
“I don’t know how that woman Citri cooked Seere over, but thanks to her, we’ve been made quite troublesome, haven’t we?”
“Baruna, you shouldn’t say it like it’s troublesome. That’s our job.”
Baruna thought Lin’s admonishment was reasonable in a logical sense, but he couldn’t help but still feel discontent inside. At the very least, couldn’t Lin, who led Seere’s only legion, explain the issues related to the military to him?
“Sigh.”
Lin watched Baruna, who sighed and headed toward the training grounds, with a somewhat sympathetic gaze. Just then, someone approached her.
“Hello. Commander El Lazine.”
“…What brings you here, Nahun?”
As the saying goes, ‘Talk of the devil,’ Nahun had arrived at the training grounds.
“You know who I am?”
Lin replied as if it were obvious.
“Is there anyone who sticks by His Majesty other than Cain, the butler?”
“Oh dear, Seere. We’ve been found out.”
Peeking out from behind Nahun was Seere, who tilted her head slightly. Lin felt an intense urge to ruffle her hair at that cute gesture but managed to suppress it as a loyal subject.
“So, you brought His Majesty here to the training grounds… What’s the occasion?”
“I came to take a look at the place where Seere will practice martial arts.”
Lin tilted her head.
“Are you already going to teach martial arts?”
“To say already, Seere is seven years old. Compared to other Demon Kings, it’s rather late, isn’t it?”
That wasn’t an incorrect statement. Some began learning as early as five years old.
“Did His Majesty agree to it too?”
“Of course.”
Lin glanced at Seere. Today, she was hugging her stuffed bear, looking at Lin with eyes full of curiosity. Although there was plenty of interest…
“Your Majesty.”
“Uh, yes!”
Lin was a bit surprised. Today, for the first time, Seere, who usually responded with utmost respect, had spoken informally to her.
‘She has changed a bit.’
This was a satisfying change. A Demon King should be a being that governs over their forces and must know how to look down upon their subordinates.
“I would like to ask you one thing, Your Majesty.”
“Uh-huh?”
“Could you possibly put down the stuffed bear?”
At Lin’s question, Seere froze slightly. To practice wielding a sword, she would obviously have to let go of her stuffed bear. Lin reminded her of that, knowing Seere’s attachment well.
Seere’s gaze wavered. Lin, seeing her expression, let out a slight internal sigh and turned to Nahun.
“Will this be difficult?”
“Well, it is certainly a problem.”
Nahun placed a hand on Seere’s head and gently patted it. Seere felt his touch and her previously stiff expression softened.
“I believe in Seere. She will do well.”
“You seem to mean that you don’t plan to train today?”
“Today, I only came to check the state of the training grounds. And I also have some matters to settle.”
Lin vaguely sensed what Nahun intended to do. He had brought in the troops assigned to Seere as a result of the trade he made with Citri. It seemed he intended to quell their dissatisfaction.
“If you were going to make such a decision from the beginning, I would have preferred you informed me about it.”
“I do feel a bit guilty about that. I didn’t have much time, which is why I’m here to handle things.”
“How do you plan to resolve this issue, Your Majesty?”
“I’ll start by looking around the training grounds. By the way, let’s skip the formalities. Just call me by my name.”
Lin nodded as if she understood. There were still doubts, but that Citri was indeed the one who had stirred things up.
‘He must have some plan.’
Nahun appeared to appreciate Lin’s demeanor of not pressing further with questions, grinning satisfactorily. Then he extended his hand towards Seere.
“Be careful as there are many people in the training grounds and don’t stray too far.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
Her small hand tightly gripped Nahun’s hand. It was small but definitely strong, causing Nahun to internally chuckle.
‘This child might become the strongest Demon King in the future…’
It was hard to imagine right now, but it would undoubtedly come to pass. After all, he would be the one to raise her. Nahun spoke to Lin.
“I’ll look around now.”
“Yes, please feel free to inspect it.”
Nahun began to walk around the training grounds with Seere clinging to him. The sight of Seere walking alongside him was enough to catch the attention of the practicing soldiers.
“Wait, is that…?”
“Isn’t that the Demon King?”
“Why is she here? And who’s next to her?”
It wasn’t just the soldiers who noticed them. Baruna, who was instructing the elite soldiers of the 4th Legion, frowned slightly.
‘Is that him?’
His new teacher who had cooked Seere over, the one who had drawn Baruna’s attention, suddenly stopped instructing the soldiers and approached them.
“Your Majesty.”
“Hello… or rather, ah, hello…”
Baruna, like Lin, was slightly bewildered by Seere’s informal way of addressing her and proceeded without further comment.
“What brings you here? And who is this next to you?”
“My teacher.”
“I see. What brings you to the training grounds, Your Majesty?”
“Oh, you don’t need to mind us. You can continue your training session, Vice Commander Baruna.”
“…What?”
What did that mean? Nahun’s words seemed to tell Baruna to ignore him, which made him furrow his brow slightly.
“I’m asking why you brought His Majesty to the training grounds, Your Majesty.”
“Are there places where His Majesty should not go?”
“That’s not quite it, but it can be dangerous right now. As you know, someone is integrating troops from the 71st floor into our ranks without permission, and the command structure is still not properly established.”
Baruna made an indirect jab at Nahun, implying that he should’ve discussed this matter with them first. Nahun mulled over Baruna’s words and nodded.
“That’s true. However, it’s still fine.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m here beside her. And the purpose of my visit today is to resolve that issue.”
“Excuse me?”
Did he intend to resolve the issue that had been troubling him and the Daejeong?
Baruna let out a small chuckle.
“Your Majesty, do you have any experience leading troops?”
“None.”
Nahun hadn’t needed to provide the answer, but Baruna was unaware of that.
“I have no intention of belittling you, but it’s not easy to integrate soldiers from a completely different faction into ours. How do you plan to solve that?”
“Would you like to see?”
“Excuse me?”
Nahun smiled confidently.
“You said you were curious about how I would resolve it.”
#
Nahun was leading Seere and Baruna toward the 3rd training ground. This place was where soldiers from Citri’s army trained.
‘As planned.’
In truth, Nahun could have gone directly to the 3rd training ground without passing through the 2nd training ground where Baruna was stationed. Nevertheless, he had chosen to pass through the 2nd training ground to draw Baruna in.
Baruna. As commendable as his strength and loyalty were, that loyalty was only directed towards his lord, the former Demon King Seir and the current Demon King Seere.
‘That won’t do.’
Considering the plans he had to carry out as Seere’s substitute in the Demon King Castle in the future, it was crucial to first win over and establish a rapport with someone like Baruna. Nothing was as troublesome as internal obstacles arising.
Lin El Lazine, the commander, was among those targets as well, but compared to this man, she was considerably more flexible, so she could be prioritized later.
Thus, Nahun intended to show Baruna something unmistakable. He would engrave his abilities into Baruna, so that no matter what decisions he made in the future, Baruna would understand.
“Huh?”
“Hey, that’s… Seere-sama, isn’t it?”
“Who’s next to her?”
The soldiers murmured as they saw Nahun, Seere, and Baruna in the training ground. A man guiding the elite soldiers of the 4th Legion approached them.
“What brings you here, Seere-sama?”
“Nice to meet you, Epsilon.”
It was Epsilon, the man leading Citri’s forces. Seeing Nahun respond on Seere’s behalf, Epsilon squinted slightly. However, whether Nahun simply ignored it or didn’t realize it, he extended his hand.
“I’m Nahun. You’ve heard that Seere has a new teacher, right?”
“…Ah, I see.”
Epsilon raised the corners of his mouth slightly as he shook Nahun’s hand.
“Aren’t you the one responsible for separating us from Her Majesty Citri?”
The nuance hinted at why he caused this unwanted situation. However, Nahun maintained a friendly smile and nodded.
“You’re exactly right. That would be me.”
“…What?!”
“That’s right, I did it. Wow, while I did it, I really think I did something good.”
Epsilon almost let out a laugh but managed to hold it back due to the situation. Then, staring at Nahun’s smile, which made him feel uneasy, he spoke in a low voice.
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? Epsilon, are you… unable to understand my words?”
As Epsilon’s expression suddenly turned into a frown, Nahun poured more oil onto the fire.
“I’ve picked you up since you lost your way. What a good deed I’ve done.”
“What are you saying…?!”
He hadn’t only poured oil onto the fire; he was igniting it. Epsilon glared at Nahun as if he was ready to kill him instantly, unknowingly tightening his grip on their clasped hands.
But…
“Ugh?!”
“Oh dear, Epsilon, your handshake is too rough.”
The one to let go first was Epsilon. For a fleeting moment, Nahun displayed an overpowering strength that made Epsilon’s body freeze. He looked at Nahun as if asking who he was.
“Epsilon.”
Nahun dropped the honorifics. The suddenly shifted atmosphere made Epsilon, as well as Baruna, stiffen in surprise.
‘What…?’
What on earth was going on? Even if he was someone who had entered as the Demon King’s teacher, this overwhelming aura couldn’t be solely explained by that reason.
Nahun openly revealed his emotions and glared at Epsilon.
“Know the hierarchy. The lord you are to serve is right here, and are you trying to match power with me, who is the teacher of that lord?”
“……”
“And to ask your new lord a question as your first words—did Citri instruct you to do that?”
As soon as Epsilon heard Citri’s name, he clenched his teeth and shouted.
“Mind your language, Your Majesty! How dare you insult Her Majesty Citri!”
“You still believe your lord is Citri?”
Nahun sighed, suddenly releasing the hand of Seere, who had been clutching his hand, and lifted her up, holding her with both hands.
“Huuh?”
Nahun brought the lifted Seere right in front of Epsilon. As her cute, plump features approached, Epsilon was slightly taken aback.
“Look closely. Your lord is not Citri, but Seere right here. Though she appears small and cute as a child, she is indeed your rightful lord.”
“…My lord is only Her Majesty Citri!”
“Are you saying you can’t serve?”
“Then what will you do…?”
At that moment, a change occurred throughout the 3rd training ground. The soldiers suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and both Epsilon and Baruna felt an overwhelming pressure, rendering them incapable of moving.
Baruna managed to stand, but Epsilon couldn’t hold on and sank to the ground, realizing in horror what kind of pressure was pressing down on him.
‘Magic?’
Magic had enveloped and suppressed the entire training ground. The immense pressure weighed down on their bodies, leaving only Seere untouched by it.
Nahun briefly set Seere down and leveled his gaze with Epsilon’s.
“A dog that cannot serve is of no need. It shall be disposed of.”
“…!”
“I’ll give you one last chance.”
The magic that had enveloped the training grounds was lifted. A few soldiers rolled their eyes and fainted, but the comrades didn’t have the stamina to pay attention; they were too busy gasping for breath and regaining their composure.
Epsilon, struggling to catch his breath, looked at Nahun. This time, his eyes were different from before. Fear and awe began to show in his gaze as he looked at Nahun.
“Will you continue to deny reality and be treated as a useless dog, or will you—”
Nahun lifted Seere again.
“Hoo…”
Seere, clutching her stuffed bear tightly, once again made eye contact with Epsilon. It was as if a familiar melody played in the background.
Holding Seere in front of him, Nahun posed a final question to Epsilon.
“Will you expect a new future?”