Julion didn’t just step down from his position as head but completely withdrew from his work in the Imperial Magic department.
Even though the Emperor personally called and tried to persuade him, Julion’s resolve remained unwavering. Rumor had it that he had been holed up in his mansion ever since his resignation.
“…What on earth is Father thinking? Even if he’s deeply saddened because of Eila giving up his work entirely,” Nita murmured with a clouded expression.
Julion had been continuously cooped up in his research lab recently and hardly came out. Nita had gone to visit him several times out of concern, only to be turned away at the door without even seeing his face.
“If he’s immersed in research to forget his pain, that’s one thing, but if he’s concocting some absurd plan…”
“Absurd plan? What are you talking about?” Aslan, who had been quietly listening, suddenly asked.
“You know what I’m talking about: going to the Demon Realm to rescue Eila or something.”
Julion had rushed to Ilassa, ignoring the Emperor’s summons, solely based on the assumption that Eila might be with the Demon King. It wouldn’t be surprising if he entertained a similar idea again.
“Why would that be an absurd plan?” Aslan’s words made Nita’s forehead slowly narrow.
“Are you seriously saying that? It’s not like you don’t know what the Demon Realm is like.”
It was known that the air in the Demon Realm contained toxicity. While not immediately life-threatening upon inhalation, the longer one stayed, the more detrimental it was to one’s health.
Moreover, Eila was held captive by none other than the Demon King himself. Even breaking through the formidable defenses of the Demon King’s castle was nearly impossible. Furthermore, the likelihood of rescuing Eila and safely escaping from the Demon Realm was close to 0%.
“If it were an impossible plan, he wouldn’t have attempted it in the first place. If he’s proceeding, it means he believes there’s a chance of success.”
“But, is Father really in a state where he can make rational judgments…” Nita trailed off.
While the entire family had been deeply shocked by what happened to Eila, the one suffering the most severe aftermath was Julion. In the immediate aftermath, he went without food or drink for several days and even collapsed at times.
“Are you doubting your father?” Aslan asked with a stern tone, his cheekbones slightly more pronounced, showing the strain he had been under.
“…Aslan.”
“Right now, Eila is captured by the Demon King and taken to the Demon Realm. Isn’t it only natural to want to rescue her at any cost?”
“She wasn’t ‘captured’. You were there too, so you should know. Eila chose to go there herself to save the Empire.”
“So you’re saying we should just give up on Eila?”
“You know that’s not what I meant. What I’m saying is that even if Father goes to the Demon Realm to rescue Eila, unless the fundamental issue is resolved, she won’t willingly come back…”
“So, brother, are you doing anything to fix that underlying problem?”
“…….” Nita fell silent.
“How can you blame Father for not doing something when you’re not doing anything? Father is doing everything he can to find a solution, just like he did back then.”
“…I’m not blaming him, Aslan. I’m just…”
“If you’re Eila’s brother and concerned about Father’s judgment, then do something, anything.” After uttering these words as if venting, Aslan got up and left the room without looking back.
“Aslan,” Nita called out with a cracked voice, but Aslan didn’t turn around and left the room.
Alone, Nita closed his eyes tightly and bowed his head.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Two days after the night I sent my family back to Trachen, the demon army finally reached the western gates of the empire.
What was once called the ‘Barrier of Humanity’ and boasted an awe-inspiring presence that seemed to pierce the sky was now completely destroyed on one side.
I couldn’t help but feel grateful at that moment for the fact that Heufeln was not here.
Clyde took out a pair of rings from his index fingers and alternately put them on my hand. As I wore the rings, they adjusted perfectly to my fingers.
“These are artifacts that belonged to the former Demon King. They generate a protective shield that nullifies any poison that enters the body. With this on, the air in the Demon Realm won’t harm you. Make sure not to take them off.”
I caressed the rings on both of my hands and hesitated for a moment. Clyde interpreted my reaction and spoke.
“Don’t worry; I captured a human woman in advance and tested it.”
“You captured…?”
“Yep. I put the ring on her, and she was able to breathe normally in the demon realm. Of course, I released her safely after testing the artifact’s effects before bringing you here.”
“…….”
Clyde’s eyes narrowed with a puzzled expression, as if he couldn’t understand what the problem was.
“Why? I’m not lying; you know I wouldn’t kill a human for nothing; I made a promise to you.”
“I know, but I hope you won’t kidnap someone innocent in the future.”
“I didn’t kidnap anyone; I just held her for a while and let her go. I just needed to test the effects of the artifact before I brought you here.”
“…Clyde.”
Clyde looked like he didn’t understand what the big deal was.
Originally, he was raised as a human by his mother, Hena. Even when I first met him, apart from his appearance, he was just an ordinary human boy.
From what I heard about his past, he seemed to have had normal and amicable relationships with the villagers in Heremos.
But somehow, he had become someone who treated humans like real demons.
Of course, it was true that Clyde now held the position of ruling over all demons as the Demon King, and he had also experienced many terrible things with humans in the past.
However, even back then and now, a part of Clyde was still human. I vividly remembered the kind and pure child he used to be when we were young.
Even though Clyde had become the demon king now, I hoped he wouldn’t completely abandon his human side. For the sake of his mother, who had left this world.
“Please don’t do that in the future.”
“…….”
Clyde looked at me in silence for a moment, then lowered his eyes.
“Alright.”
“Thank you, Clyde.”
I stood still and held his hand. Clyde took my hand and squeezed it tightly.
“Let’s go.”
“Your Majesty, lead the way!”
With that command, the procession of the demon army began to pass through the main gate.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
The Demon Realm was darker and more desolate than I had ever imagined it would be.
As the saying goes, “the land that never sees the light of”day”—the sun never rose in the Demon Realm. Instead, there was a colossal red moon hanging in the sky 24 hours a day. The flora and fauna were all dark and grotesquely twisted in shape.
The ring Clyde gave me certainly had an effect. Although the air felt entirely different from the human realm, heavy and suffocating, I didn’t experience any discomfort in breathing or other abnormal reactions.
In fact, what I felt even more intensely than the air was the absence of mana in the surrounding environment.
Although my mana circulation had been completely blocked due to the choker Clyde had given me, this feeling was different. I felt extremely uneasy and powerless. To put it into perspective, it was like being left alone in outer space with only a space suit.
After three more days of walking since entering the Demon Realm, we finally arrived at the Demon King’s Castle.
The long and wide main road, from the castle gate to the palace, was filled with a diverse array of demons.
“Long live the Demon King!”
As soon as Clyde appeared, the demons began chanting in unison.
Clyde was holding me tightly with one arm as we rode a horse.
Once we entered the palace after the journey, a group of high-ranking demons knelt in front of the throne, awaiting us.
Clyde turned to his subordinate, Sakaya, who was following us.
“Dismiss them.”
“What?”
“I said dismiss them. We’re going to rest, so don’t bother us until I give further orders.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty. Understood.”
“No, wait.”
Clyde suddenly halted and turned back to his subordinates.
“Some of you may already be sensing the scent of humans and feeling curious. This woman, Eila, by my side right now, will be my partner from now on. Just as you serve me, you must also serve her. If anyone harbors treacherous thoughts or attempts anything they shouldn’t, I will not spare a single member of their family. Do you understand?”
His words were met with complete silence in the hall.
“I asked if you understood.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty, we understand.”
The servants bowed their heads in disbelief.
Clyde put his hand on my shoulder and started walking again.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
Finally, Clyde and I arrived at the inner chambers of the Demon King’s Castle.
It had a completely different atmosphere from what we had encountered so far. The wallpaper, floor, and even the furnishings inside were almost identical to those in a human aristocrat’s mansion.
I blinked in surprise as I looked around.
“Do you like it?”
“This… did you decorate it like this on purpose for me?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be more comfortable for you this way. Come here.”
Clyde took my hand and led me to another room before I could respond. Inside, there was a familiar-looking bathtub and a mirror.
Clyde reached behind me and simultaneously lowered the straps of my dress. Instinctively, I grabbed onto the dress that was sliding down.
“Clyde, what are you doing?”
“You must be feeling uncomfortable after that long journey. I’ll wash you.”
“It’s okay. I can wash up by myself.”
“I heard human nobles can’t even get dressed by themselves. There’s no need to be shy.”
“But at least ask the maids to…”
“I’ll do it myself; I don’t want anyone else but me to see your naked body.”
Clyde whispered softly and kissed the nape of my neck, trailing his lips down to my shoulder.
