123 – Endure the Weight of the Crown #4
There was a TV show that junk collectors like me loved.
It was a program where they brought in antique-like items, and experts measured the authenticity and value of these things.
「The feeding bowl we used for our yellow cat turns out to be a Goryeo Dynasty celadon…!?」
「The book we used as a pot stand ended up being a significant ancient manuscript…!」
Perhaps any collector like me would imagine that the junk I carelessly picked up could be something incredibly significant—I mean, who doesn’t want to be the protagonist of such a story?
—Yining yaa ying.
“Ooooh! O King, ruler of Pain and Hunger!”
Watching the strange cloud Yining bow deeply before the fairy Moro made my mood strange.
The King of Demon Beasts?
The marshmallow cloud Yining?
“In fact, I knew who Yining really was.”
At first, I nodded along.
At that moment, I felt a strange sense of control and management of the situation, as if I were orchestrating all of it.
“It’s all going according to plan.”
For some reason, the structure of the bone graveyard in this basement looked like the pile of chicken bones Yining had left behind after a feast.
There’s always a reason for everything.
“Wow, Hanamjin! I don’t know what’s going on, but what is that cotton ball thing?”
Now that I think about it, this was the first time Bangdaengi had seen Yining. To Bangdaengi, Yining looked like a cotton ball.
Of course, Mibang, who still had a sense of wonder, corrected: “It’s a talking cotton candy!”
Meanwhile, Seugal, who seemed to know Yining well, fidgeted uncomfortably, like a winter flatfish on a fishing hook.
“… I used to step on him with my feet or punch him when I was bored.”
“The King of Demon Beasts. Indeed, he is an extraordinary demon beast.”
Yu Yeo-reum also seemed to be re-evaluating Yining.
Anyway, no one expected or even imagined the shocking truth about Yining. That little guy is more impressive than we thought.
“But doesn’t he seem a bit too cute to be the King of Demon Beasts?”
I picked up Yining while he was eating cotton candy and stretched or squished him left and right, up and down to test his limits. Naturally, Yining, disturbed during his meal, started to cry out in frustration.
━Kreeerrr…
“What kind of attitude is this toward our King! How impertinent! Our King originally had a truly magnificent and awe-inspiring presence! Though for some reason, he now appears in this bizarre form!”
Apparently, the old Yining looked very different from the current one.
Anyhow, we managed to pass the trial of the black fairies.
#
“His Majesty has returned!”
“The underground world, where demons run rampant, will return to normal!”
“Normalize!”
“Normalization!”
The black fairies rejoiced in a festival.
Wa wa wa–!
Everywhere, they danced, jingling their bone jewelry, creating quite the commotion.
Because of that, we managed to get our hands on various foods. However, Seugal said, “Is this not a demon?” as she refused to eat it.
What a fussy princess, indeed!
“Hanamjin, stop eating all that unknown stuff and say something.”
“Talk.”
“Not like that!”
“Phi-ing!”
“Hey!”
Smack!
Unable to bear it, Seugal slapped my back with her palm.
I offered to speak, and yet, she still had complaints.
So be it!
I enjoy when a beauty frowns at me like that. In my opinion, this preference is not at all perverse but falls within the normal range, so it shouldn’t be considered strange.
“Is Yining really the King of Demon Beasts? Did you really know that?”
“Of course it’s a lie. Look at Yining’s face. Does it look like the kind of face that commands kingdoms? He’s just a foodie who likes to eat.”
So, was it true that Yining’s identity was a great demon beast?
Name: Cotton Candy Cloud Yining
Abilities: View details in expanded form ☜
《???》 – Your emotional level is not high enough to see this.
《Cloud Lv.1》 – Fluffy like clouds in the sky.
《Rock Lv.1》 – Can harden like stones on the path.
《Leaf Lv.1》 – Can sprout like new grass in a meadow.
《Sand Lv.1》 – Can scatter like sand at the beach.
Status: 《Extremely hungry》 – Yining yaa ying
Even my “Eye of Truth,” which can discern most 4th-grade concepts, still shows 《???》. Somehow, this indicates that Yining must have an impressive side.
Perhaps Yining simply started eating demons because he was hungry, greatly helping the fairies living here, and as a result, he was revered as a king?
It’s unlikely that Yining ever declared, “I will rule this underworld! I can control you as I see fit!”
“Isn’t this strange?”
Just then, a female fairy wearing glasses from the 21st century voiced her doubt.
She looked like the sort who would raise her hand with, “Teacher, I have a question!” right before class ends just because the teacher asked, “Any questions? If not, we’ll end early.”
“It’s strange, isn’t it? That weird cotton-like thing being the King of Demon Beasts? Great Warrior Moro is definitely conspiring with outsiders to deceive us.”
“Actually, I thought it was strange too.”
A reasonable question.
Yining looks like a cute pet wherever you look.
In terms of novels or comics, it’s like the author stuck in a character to help sell merchandise.
However, Moro the Tribal Chief erupted in anger.
“Blasphemy!”
“No, he’s a king, not a god.”
“Still, it’s blasphemy!”
Moro held up Yining high.
As if to show everyone clearly.
“Behold! And listen well!”
━Gwee-ing.
“Ooooh! Is that truly so? The King Himself just spoke! Do not doubt His true identity. He has returned to restore this murky underworld to its original state!”
“Is that true?”
“Does Great Warrior Moro understand the language of demons?”
A commotion ensued.
Soon, Bangdaengi pulled on my arm lightly.
“Hanamjin, is that strange animal really your emergency food supply? Isn’t it the same one that swallowed you when you fought Yu Yeo-reum in the sewer last time? Can it become friends with my Kangkang?”
It seemed Bangdaengi, who secretly kept the demon Kangkang, had taken great interest in my Yining.
The important point is that Tribal Chief Moro had seized the momentum.
━Gwee-ing.
“The King just spoke! He will personally judge those who cast irreverent doubts upon Him! Furthermore, He has declared that Tribal Chief Representative Moro shall replace Nar-gal as the true Chief!”
Some of the fairies gasped in awe at this revelation.
That’s when I started to wonder.
“Did Yining really say that?”
“You! Outsider! Are you doubting Chief Moro? I am the Chief of the ‘Black Fairies’! Chief positions are traditionally bestowed upon those who can understand the will of the King, and it’s an honorable duty!”
“In my opinion, I don’t think Yining said those things.”
“What? You insolent fools! Since you passed the trial and are welcomed as guests, how dare you speak such nonsense! The King just spoke! If you continue to challenge His authority, you will be sent to prison!”
“Is that so? I don’t think he said that. Then, let’s do this. Let’s see which of us Yining chooses.”
“Choice?”
“If you, Moro, can truly communicate with Yining, it should be easy to be chosen, right? Gentlefolk fairies, aren’t you curious whether this suspicious, muscle-flexing type truly deserves the title of Chief?”
The Black Fairies looked at each other with mixed feelings.
Still, there’s no doubt that Moro had been cornered.
Unable to decline the atmosphere, we ended up competing for Yining’s choice.
Moro waved some mysterious rattles and dried meat he procured from goodness-knows-where.
“Come here, Your Majesty!”
“Yining! This is your favorite ketchup!”
Unable to back down, I pulled out the ketchup bottle that revitalizes one’s spirit.
And Yining moved.
━Yining yaa ying.
To Yu Yeo-reum!
Yining chose Yu Yeo-reum, not me or Moro!
“Are you serious? Get away from me! I don’t like you!”
You crazy little thing, Yining!
After all I’ve done—feeding you and providing for you—and with just the monthly chicken delivery costing over 200,000 won, you’re abandoning me!
I’ll definitely catch and eat that guy someday—just as I was thinking that, the fairies exclaimed.
“The King has appointed a new Chief!”
“Long live Yu Yeo-reum!”
“Long live Yu Yeo-reum!”
“Long live!”
That’s how Yu Yeo-reum became the Chief of the Black Fairies.
Their political freedom rivals even 21st-century free nations.
Kneeling like a crumbling sandcastle, Moro fell to his knees.
“Alright, I admit it. In truth, I couldn’t understand the King’s language. I just… tried my best to be a Chief in place of my father who left the village, but when nobody recognized me, I got greedy.”
Was there a backstory I didn’t know?
I wasn’t particularly interested in understanding.
“But! That girl isn’t even one of our tribe or even a fairy! How can an outsider be the Chief?”
So, they wanted to discuss Yu Yeo-reum’s qualifications.
Neither a fairy nor a member of the tribe—it’s a valid point.
At that moment, a grandmother who looked very old appeared.
“The Great Witch.”
“The Great Witch has emerged from her tent?”
She must be a remarkable grandmother.
This grandmother sniffed the air.
“I smell something. The smell of a fairy’s bl**d mixed with an outsider’s. Faintly, but there’s a half-fairy in this group.”
The grandmother examined Yu Yeo-reum closely, asking her to open her mouth or look into her eyes, as if checking something important. Yu Yeo-reum looked slightly annoyed.
“What is this? Hanamjin, what is this grandmother trying to do?”
“Her eyes are visible even in this complete darkness. Unusually sensitive ears and nose. A typical hunter’s constitution. Young lady, does your skin tan easily in the sun?”
“What is she saying?”
Since the language barrier existed due to the difference in tongues, her responses could only be interpreted by me.
“That’s correct,” I answered.
“Normally, she moves lazily, but when she moves, she moves faster than anyone.”
“That’s right. Definitely sounds like Yu Yeo-reum.”
“Young lady, who were your mother and father?”
“That’s…”
I glanced at Yu Yeo-reum.
And gave an honest answer.
“She doesn’t know herself.”
“Is that so? In my opinion, one of your parents must surely be a member of the ‘Black Fairies.’ Perhaps one of the travelers who left for the surface.”
So, Yu Yeo-reum was actually a half-fairy?
An utterly unexpected twist.
The Great Witch grandmother said:
“I heard you came to meet the ‘Red King.’ But for tonight, it’s best to stay here. Your defeat of the To-dragon has unsettled the movements of the demon beasts.”
If you listen closely, you can hear demon beasts fighting noisily from all around. Perhaps they’re vying for the vacant throne.
So, how is that relevant?
“We are in a rush. We came here to meet the ‘Red King.’ Can you please guide us?”
“Child, don’t worry about that. Furthermore, I can share some useful treasures to help you when you meet the ‘Red King.’ I can even reveal the weaknesses of Great Knight Hameln, the guardian of the royal family.”
Great Knight Hameln.
The elf who was stronger than Nam Woo-joo.
If he and the Red King were to attack us, it would be difficult to withstand them.
I was deeply pondering how to counter him when this was excellent news.
We’re lucky.
Is it thanks to Bangdaengi?
