The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family – Episode 28
This is…
Back in the days when I ruled the world with unbridled power, spreading fear across the land as the Demon Lord, there was an incident where my only hidden weakness was exposed. And it was by the most troublesome person in the empire.
“You?”
“Could it be… the Saintess?”
“…I didn’t expect to see you here, Demon Lord. Should I consider this Aria’s divine guidance? Oh! Look at me, losing my composure. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lane Aria, a devout follower of Aria, my Lord.”
“sh*t, this is ridiculous.”
What are the odds that the person I accidentally made eye contact with while secretly hanging laundry at the orphanage would turn out to be the Saintess? Even now, thinking about it brings a sigh.
“Still, I’m surprised. I didn’t know you had an interest in children.”
“No, it’s not that… Jo… it’s not that I like them. It’s just, well…”
“There’s no need to be embarrassed. Even the Demon Lord doesn’t solely represent evil. Every human contains both good and evil, just in varying proportions. Though I didn’t expect such… ‘charming’ goodness from you. Hmph.”
“d*mn it! You irritating woman.”
Around the time when, as the crown prince of the Black Tower, I began to take part in external activities through an introduction by the old master, I became acquainted with the orphanage.
When I first encountered the children there, an incomprehensible aversion surged within me.
Why? It was troubling, this uncontrollable sense of discomfort, and I would later come to understand its origin.
“It was trauma. Poverty, violence, malice. A mirror reflecting my own wretched childhood, growing up in the sewer. That’s why I disliked it.”
“…”
“Master may have known… how deep the scars from my childhood trauma ran.”
“…”
“Since then, I have come here to overcome my trauma… d*mn, why am I even explaining this to you?”
“Aria often says that laughter and sorrow should be shared. Please, feel free to continue.”
“Such a nuisance… sigh, d*mn.”
“Hmm… How adorable. Don’t be so bashful.”
At the time, I was in my prime, having just completed ‘Apocalypse’.
I was a symbol of fear; even crying infants would stifle their tears at the sound of my name.
For such a being, there could be no room for weakness.
Absolute strength was my pride.
It was then that I entered the process of confronting my trauma.
If you want to hunt dragons, you must venture into their lair.
I stayed at the orphanage for days instead of my laboratory, facing my trauma head-on.
At first, it was difficult. The children’s easygoing presence was irritating.
But I noticed myself changing without realizing it.
The bothersome children began to look cute, and the forced days went by quicker and quicker.
It was merely time spent overcoming my trauma.
I would reaffirm this to myself every night before bed, yet somehow the brats would end up sleeping beside me.
And the moment I pulled the blankets back up for the restless children,
I saw myself in the mirror.
I was smiling.
Yes. Instead of overcoming the trauma, I started to like these innocent children.
“I caught myself smiling while looking at the children. d*mn… how pathetic.”
“Why curse? It’s natural. The best remedy for wounds inflicted by misfortune is happiness. And I doubt that even someone like you, the Demon Lord, doesn’t understand that.”
“…Even trying to erase one weakness, I’ve acquired another. How can I not get angry?”
“The wise Aria always said that humans are inherently unstable beings. Accept and love your weaknesses. Why deny your own goodness?”
“Tch, of course you’d say that. Weaknesses are shackles.”
“Or could they be safety pins?”
“Because we’re human. Humans are cunning. If they see a weakness, they’ll dig into it relentlessly.”
“You distrust humanity too much.”
“You must live in a world of flowers.”
The Saintess who loved humanity and the Demon Lord who mistrusted it.
This gap between her and me was insurmountable.
“I know you have many enemies. Personally, I’d like to see you calm down, though I doubt it will happen. That’s your true nature as Demon Lord. I worry about the people who might get hurt because of the chaos accompanying your journey when you call them shackles.”
“…”
“Phew… Demon Lord. Just look back a little. Do you plan to remain alone forever? Isn’t it time to start loving yourself?”
To love oneself.
I could never answer the Saintess’s question.
Even on that day, when I met my end in your embrace.
—
The story meandered, yet out of nowhere, love surfaced. All because of these mischievous brats.
“Love?”
I’m being held captive by a group of children.
“Yeah! Love!”
“Big brother’s first love!!”
“Me! Me! I’m here! I love Mihee!”
“Really?!”
“Hehe, Hyunwoo loves Mihee!”
“You!!”
“No, I don’t! Aaah!!”
“Don’t run, you’ll fall.”
Mihee, with her hair neatly braided on both sides, runs away sobbing, and Hyunwoo chases after another child teasing him.
Is this what they call children’s romantic fights?
So confusing…
Yet, there were those who stubbornly kept their gaze on me amidst all the chaos.
“Let’s ignore the kids. So what about your first love?”
“Yeah. Big brother. First love! First looove!!”
“Aaaaah!!!”
“Tch, it’s hurting my throat. Please speak quieter. Are you really this curious about my first love?”
“Yeah!” “Yeah!”
They were teenagers, just entering puberty.
“Hmph. Do you even understand love?”
“We know everything!”
“Right! I’ve been confessed to, and Yeonju even has a boyfriend!”
“Boyfriend? She’s only a classmate!”
“Tch, how is that a sign?”
“Sum? Whatever, Big brother! Tell us, your first love!”
“Hurry up!”
“…”
Bright, sparkling eyes focus on me. I’m starting to feel pressured. Are they serious…
These days the kids are precocious indeed.
“Hmph… Fine, fine. Just give me a moment. First love… huh…”
First love… First love…
The face doesn’t come to mind.
The Saintess’s face emerges, but go away. Why does camaraderie suddenly pop up?
I’m starting to feel uneasy.
Isn’t there any?
Is there really none?
Former me, what kind of life did you live? Suddenly, your life seems pitiful.
“…There really wasn’t anyone. No first love.”
“WHAT?! Really?”
“Liar! You’re lying, big brother!”
“How can big brother not have a first love? Don’t you think so, Yeonwoo?”
“Yeah! You’re taller and better-looking than the brothers on TV. Why don’t you have one?”
“Tch, I knew it. Didn’t I just say it? This bear-like brother obviously hasn’t dated before. If he had, he wouldn’t be this clueless.”
“It’s true. Wow…”
Girls looking at me like some rare species in an ecosystem.
Is this really that surprising… I don’t know. But it seems modern teenage girls’ emotions are indeed enigmatic.
“Umm… alright! Let’s move on. Big Brother’s ideal type, what is it?”
“Hmph, after first love, ideal type now? Why is this so interesting?”
“Ah, figure it out! Look at Miyeon over there…”
“Shut up! Be quiet!”
“Ki-Ki! My ideal type is Changmin with V-line face! Oops, I said it!”
“You! That’s mine!”
The girls, each declaring their favorite picks, jump and stamp their feet.
This is going too far now. Instead of playing alone in a raid, dealing with these little devils is detrimental to my mental health.
Let me switch topics quickly.
Hey, boys, where are you? Maybe talking to some dark-skinned men will make sense.
“What are you guys doing?”
“Eh? Big Brother. Making mini cars?”
“I’m playing with LEGO. I’m going to build a castle, hehe.”
“Who wants to play tag! Over here! Over here!”
“Uaaaaah!”
But as they say, when you run away, there’s no paradise.
Ever since that day, we played tag where the person who became ‘it’ changed every blink of an eye, naturally evolving into hide-and-seek. By the time I regained consciousness, I was a goalkeeper in some bizarre unlimited-rule soccer match with unclear goals.
This was the result of underestimating the children’s enigmatic energy.
That evening, around sunset, I finally managed to break free from the children.
—
Clack-clack-clack…
“Phew, this coffee feels like a lifeline. Playing with the kids was exhausting. I thought it’d be fine since they just wanted me to play with them, but no. It was even harder than hunting.”
“Kids at that age are tiring. In Korean, we say they ‘s*ck energy’.”
“Do they s*ck energy? Is it like Mana Drain? That’s a pretty accurate description. I feel like my mana’s been drained.”
Clack-clack-clack…
“By the way, Joon-woo, wasn’t it surprising? The kids only stuck around with Ki-hyuk today. I never expected him to be so good with children.”
“Agree.”
Clack-clack-clack…
“Hmph… Director, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen children follow someone like this, so praise…”
Clack-clack-clack…
“Phew… Excuse me, Ki-hyuk. Could you eat a little more elegantly? You’re disturbing me! And how many cups have you had now? How many ice cubes have you crushed? Isn’t your mouth sore?”
“Fine-fine…”
Clack!
This was the seventh cup. After finishing off the ice in my iced Americano, I spoke.
“Phew, finally regaining some clarity.”
Refreshing.
The caffeine flowing through my veins. Incredible.
“You played well today.”
“Yeah. Ki-hyuk, you like the kids, right?”
“I do like them, even if it’s exhausting. That’s separate.”
I neatly wiped my mouth and stacked the remnants of my cups to one side.
“Still, today wasn’t bad. Playing with the kids and doing some chores like cleaning was all we had to do. In another place, it could’ve been twice as hard. It was bright and good.”
“Agree. It was better than expected. Brightness was nice.”
“Mother said she worried.”
“You’re doing wonderful work.”
“Hey! Include me too. I don’t understand what you two are talking about.”
Mary, genuinely confused, frowned.
Well, our princess likely hasn’t experienced this kind of hardship.
“Kids aren’t gloomy, right? All the kids here are orphans. Everyone has been hurt at least once, but they’re bright, right? Common sense-wise, how can they be this bright?”
“Ah… you mean that.”
“It’s all due to this.”
Joon-woo pinched his thumb and forefinger together.
“Coin? Cash? Are you talking about money?”
“Yes.”
There’s a saying that generous people come from rich storage.
Money isn’t everything, but the truth remains that the vast majority of challenges we face in everyday life can be resolved with money.
“That’s true. Thinking about it, the kids’ clothes were decent, and the sleeping and eating arrangements were excellent.”
“It’s because it’s affiliated with Optimum. It’s not usually like that. They’re usually impoverished.”
“Oh, Joon-woo. You seem knowledgeable.”
“I’ve lived it.”
“…”
“!!”
Mary paused. Her pupils trembled uncontrollably.
She’s surprisingly delicate. After hesitating, she looked to me for help with her trembling eyes.
Roughly translated:
“What is this? What’s going on? Ki-hyuk, do you know?”
I’ve vaguely learned about the ‘Busan Disaster’ from Mother, so I smiled bitterly and shrugged.
“T, that… I’m sorry, Joon-woo. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
While he says it’s fine, the shadow on Joon-woo’s face is something you can’t easily ignore.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The atmosphere is sinking deep underground.
This isn’t good. Let’s move to the main topic right away.
Snap!
“Alright, I’m exhausted, so let’s wrap this conversation up quickly and go.”
“Yeah! Schedule! I’ve been curious.”
“What’s happening? Will the final exam proceed normally?”
“It hasn’t been finalized yet, but it seems like things will get a little complicated.”
