Chapter 279
Saaa—
Silence descended upon the King's office.
Everyone maintained their silence with stiff faces at Hanbit's warning.
Then, after a short while, a sound came from the closed door.
Knock, knock—
A mysterious knock that was completely out of place in this situation.
Even though there was no answer, the closed door slowly opened.
“Ah, so this is the place.”
The person who entered through the open door was a tall man with a pale face.
His eyes, a mixture of various colors, and the black wings sprouting from his back told everyone that he was a demon. *
Smack—*
The demon walked leisurely inside and looked at the people seated at the table.
Then, he abruptly sat down in an empty seat a short distance away.
“I followed the mark, but I almost got lost. There was a strange power swirling around. I nearly killed all the humans. I shouldn't have been mistaken.”
The demon spoke with a relaxed hand gesture.
Since he was a being capable of such things, no one could take it as a joke.
Hanbit looked at the name tag floating above his head.
[High-Ranked Demon: Neron Belzenor (Lv. 1442)]
A classification outside the system of ordinary monsters.
High-ranking demons referred to demons classified as nobles.
“…I did not expect you to come this soon.”
The King spoke, maintaining his composure.
Even though the shadow of death had fallen upon him, his gaze did not waver.
“The contract must not be disrupted. I hurried to clean up the mess Asperas made.”
“Asperas…!”
At the mention of the name he had been searching for, the King rose from his seat.
Rage surged within him in an instant, but he barely managed to suppress his emotions as he spoke.
“Where is he… now?”
“Well. Since the Head of the House personally captured and took him away, wouldn’t he be dead? There is no such thing as a noble who does not fulfill a contract.”
“Took him away…? Are you saying he didn’t return on his own?”
“Asperas was desperate enough to resist by tearing down the castle. I suppose you can’t imagine him returning under duress. Of course, even that is nothing more than a petty tantrum to the Head of the House, but the punishment was bound to be harsher.”
The demon Neron shrugged, remarking that everything was meaningless in the presence of the Head.
The Head of Belzenor was a Great Demon.
He was an existence that no High-ranking demon could ever defeat.
“A life… such nonsense…”
The King was thrown into confusion by the unexpected news of the death.
But Elencia was different.
“Did you see Asperas die with your own eyes?”
“Elencia!”
As she abruptly asked the question, the King quickly raised his hand to stop her.
However, his movements froze.
“Ugh…!”
The King, frozen in place, met Neron’s gaze.
He had been merely smiling, and looking at Elencia, he spoke.
“So you are a human descendant of our blood. I had my doubts, but I never imagined such a thing would actually exist. Asperas has created something interesting, too. When one loses self-control, things turn out like this…”
“I asked if you saw Asperas die with your own eyes.”
Despite the sly provocation, Elencia steadfastly changed the subject. With
demon blood flowing through her veins, she held no fear.
“It seems your blood is not a lie.”
Nerion calmly accepted the gaze filled with intense rage.
Then, shrugging his shoulders, he continued,
“I certainly didn’t see Asperas die. But if he is alive, wouldn’t that be an even greater tragedy?”
“What do you mean?”
“It is exactly what I meant. The Head of the House would never leave a member unscathed who disobeyed orders and refused to fulfill the contract. The hierarchy of demons is different from that of humans.”
The values accepted in demon society are bloodline and power.
In particular, order based on power was stronger and more important than anything else.
The clan head was not one to simply stand by and watch it be scattered.
However, this time was slightly different.
“Ah, there isn’t much time.” *
Swoosh*
—just then, darkness descended outside the window along with Neron’s voice.
It was a pitch-black night, with the bright sunlight that had been streaming in completely vanished.
Amidst it, a faint streak of purple light shimmered softly.
“…Did you remove the barrier?”
The King, noticing the change, asked with a grim expression.
Neron shook his head and said,
“No, I did not remove the barrier. To be precise, it should be said that it was destroyed on its own.”
“Why would you do such a thing… If you failed to fulfill the contract in the past, wouldn’t it have been enough to just take my body?”
“Ah, didn’t I tell you? We have decided to end the contract.”
“…Huh? Didn’t you clearly say you would fulfill the contract?”
“Visiting the imprinted human’s eyes is also part of the contract. Please do not worry about trivial matters.”
“…….”
The King’s eyes wavered greatly at the unexpected words.
It was the end of the contract that he, originally, intended to request first.
However, the demon side had brought up the proposal first.
The problem was why such a decision had been reached.
“May I… ask the reason?”
“It is because this contract is no longer necessary. In the past, forced meals obtained through hunting were restricted, but now that is no longer necessary. In other words, the food chain based on power has regained its true form. Thanks to a new contract made with a very amusing and greedy human.”
Nerion rose from his seat and walked slowly toward the window.
Watching his retreating figure, Hanbit expressed doubt.
'A human?'
A figure who seemed to be the cause of this sudden variable.
The Belzenor family had never once entered into a contract with another human.
Is it a coincidence that the Holy Faction, and specifically the Rankers from there, come to mind?
“The weather is nice.”
Neron gazed at the clear sky outside the window.
Then, he continued speaking leisurely.
“By the order of the Head, the Kingdom of Livray will serve as a breeding ground and colony for our Belzenor family. For that purpose, let’s do a little cleaning today.”
Rugugugu—
As soon as he finished speaking, a violent vibration rang out.
And the disaster began.
Kwakwakwang—!
“Aaaargh!”
“W-what is this!”
“It’s a monster!”
Screams and shouts, mixed with noise, filled the area around the royal palace.
Neron, who had been listening nonchalantly, turned his gaze and said,
“Ah, by the way, you, who have the blood of a demon, will be taken away by the order of the Head.”
“I have no intention of obeying such an order.”
Crunch—!
Elencia shattered the ground and took a stance to attack.
But her opponent was a High Demon.
Snap—
As Neron snapped his fingers, a translucent black sphere enveloped Elencia's body.
“Ugh!”
Unable to dodge, she was trapped inside the sphere.
It quickly shrank, shrinking to the size of a palm. Even as she
thrashed about and screamed inside, not a sound could be heard.
“Elencia!”
At the sight of his vanished daughter, the King moved urgently to grab it.
Seeing this, Hanbit quickly reached out and pulled his arm.
Swish—!
In an instant, a black blade fell right in front of the King's nose.
It sliced the office in half.
Had he taken just one step forward, his body would have been split in two.
“You have good eyesight.”
Neron grinned.
Then, shrugging his shoulders, he said,
“It was just a joke. I have to keep the royal family alive to run the fish farms and colonies.”
Stride—
He took a light step and stood before the cracked floor.
His eyes, a mixture of multiple colors, emitted a strange light.
“But what about you? There was no order not to kill outsiders, you know. If you don’t mind, may I take my time enjoying my meal?”
Neron licked his lips as he looked at the four investigators.
Meeting his gaze, Ivela tilted her staff and asked Hanbit,
“What are you going to do? I don’t think we can beat that.”
As the investigators’ strongest mage and a disciple of the Sage, she saw through the enemy’s strength in an instant.
Power that defied the standards of common sense.
Engaging in battle here offered absolutely no future.
Hanbit felt the same way, but fortunately, there was one chance.
‘Lady Aerial, may I ask you a favor?’
“…You won’t be able to use your powers for a while after dealing with that.”
The voice of a top-tier spirit, tinged with slight hesitation, echoed in her mind.
Even if her true form were to manifest, it would be difficult for her to fully unleash her abilities.
Not only was she not Hanbit’s official contractor, but there were clear limits in this space where demonic energy had spread.
However, dealing with this rapidly changing situation was the priority right now.
‘I will figure out what to do with the rest.’ "Can we send that demon back to the underground?"
"Underground…"
Ariel pondered for a moment at Hanbit's question.
And a conclusion was reached in no time.
"It’s not something I’m particularly keen on, but there is a way. Just stall for a moment."
"Understood."
Hanbit answered immediately and gathered his thoughts.
Nerion, standing directly in front, looked as if he were gazing at prey inside a fence, without the slightest hint of wariness.
“I know I can’t defeat you anyway. So, may I ask you just one thing?”
“I will. After all, there is a saying that a human who dies with a relieved look on their face tastes good.”
At that question, the demon nodded leisurely.
Hanbit, who had glanced sideways at Ivela standing beside him, immediately continued.
“You mentioned earlier that you made a new contract with an interesting and greedy human. Who is it?”
“It was a human who worships the Goddess of Turmoil. His name was definitely… Ah, Sirius. It was quite impressive that he did not collapse even in front of the Lord.”
“…….”
The uneasy premonition had turned out to be exactly right.
Although he didn’t know how he had approached him, it was highly likely due to the Goddess’s influence.
He never imagined he would make a contract with a demon, though.
Moreover, if he had persuaded the Lord of Belzenor, it meant he had offered something related to the human body.
What on earth was he hiding?
“I suppose I should take that away for a moment.”
Just then, Neron’s finger moved lightly.
At the same time, the staff Ivela was holding slipped from her hand.
“Are you planning to cast magic in front of me, a demon?”
“Not planning to cast it, I already did.”
Boom!
Along with Ivela’s light reply, a tremendous roar rang out.
Before anyone realized it, a red light was flashing outside the broken window.
It was magic aimed at the monster that had appeared in the kingdom.
“…There are quite capable mages among humans, too.”
Neron remarked nonchalantly.
Ivela had been preparing her magic since the demon appeared.
The attack, which would have originally been directed at him, had shifted to the monster that had appeared in the kingdom.
Hanbit, having read the expression of concentration, had already caught on.
Swoosh!
Hanbit immediately drew his sword.
Luna and Rafina, standing beside him, did the same.
“Hmm.”
At their display of hostility, Neron crossed his arms.
After looking at the four of them for a moment, he nodded and spoke.
“Such a struggle isn’t so bad. A light warm-up makes the meal even more satisfying.”
Nerion remained at ease.
In his eyes, it likely appeared as nothing more than a living prey causing a slight disturbance.
This was possible because he was a being of absolute strength.
“Would you like to do it all at once? I have plenty of time, so perhaps I could let you taste it one by one…”
Whoosh!
Just then, a fierce gust
of wind swept through the office. The green wind, swirling around the interior, soon began to take on a human form.
“So this is how I come to see a demon.”
“…A spirit?”
Nerion’s expression stiffened slightly at the appearance of Ariel.
However, his composure did not vanish.
“It’s not 100 percent, but in this space connected to the demon realm, I can exert my power quite effectively. But you wouldn’t be able to.”
“You know it well. ” " Is our information circulating over there, too?"
"The Primordial Beings are the arch-enemies of us demons. We are prepared for the possibility that the Spirit King might appear. You don't seem to be that being, so are you willing to face death?"
Nerion, who already possessed the information, assessed the opponent's power.
A supreme spirit, and a single one at that, could not defeat him.
That was his thought.
"A mortal being dares to bring that up. But I cannot deny it. It is obvious I would be overwhelmed if I fought alone."
"If you know that, please step back without interrupting my meal. It is not your turn yet. You would be better off waiting a little longer."
Nerion spoke with a smirk at the honest confession.
However, Ariel had a different plan.
"By the way, did I say I was alone?"
"What do you mean…"
Whoosh!
Just then, a curtain of blue water enveloped the interior of the office.
Bubbling—
a woman's figure emerged from within.
It was Nereis, Rafina's official contractor and a supreme water spirit.
She snapped her finger with a cold expression and said,
"I'll send you to your home. You devil's child."
