Chapter 97
“You’re a bit late.”
Nahun had arrived early at the meeting place and was waiting. Although it wasn’t time yet, considering how Dean usually was, it felt a bit late.
From a distance, Nahun spotted Dean approaching. Just as Nahun was about to greet him, he suddenly noticed something strange and hesitated.
“Dean?”
“…Ah, Nahun. I’m sorry for being late.”
“It’s fine. It’s not time yet anyway… but you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your face is red; are you feeling unwell?”
At Nahun’s question, Dean flinched in surprise. Seeing Dean’s reaction, Nahun…
“…Oh ho.”
He spoke as if he had realized something. Watching that reaction, Dean desperately tried to explain himself.
“It’s not what you think, Nahun!!”
“What do you think I was thinking?”
“Uh, you don’t think something happened with Eri, do you?”
“You’re quite perceptive.”
“That’s not it!!”
No matter how much Dean denied it, Nahun could see clearly. It wasn’t that he was unwell; it looked like something had definitely happened with Eri.
“Well, good things are good, I guess. Make the most of it.”
“I said it’s not like that!”
“Alright, alright, I believe you.”
When Nahun replied that way, Dean realized he didn’t believe him at all. Ultimately, he sighed and reported the information he had gathered to Nahun.
“There’s not much that differs from what you found out.”
“…You did some research separately?”
“No, I just happened to learn about it while briefly staying in the Empire. That means the information you gathered is quite accurate.”
Nahun patted Dean on the shoulder in encouragement. Dean, while grateful for Nahun’s encouragement, added one more thing.
“…I’m really not like that.”
“…Understood.”
There was a persistent quality about him. Nahun spoke to Dean.
“For now, focus on gathering information, and send reports to the Demon King Castle via letters.”
“Isn’t it better to report in person?”
“The situation has changed. I need to go somewhere for a bit.”
“Excuse me? Where to…?”
At Dean’s question, Nahun looked at him. There was no need to know. Reading the expression in Nahun’s eyes, Dean zipped his lips and lowered his head.
“…Understood.”
Nahun channeled his magic, distorting the space beside him. A passage connected to a forest leading to the Demon World opened up, and Nahun set off.
“Dean.”
“Yes?”
“I believe you will do well. And…”
Just before Nahun stepped completely into the passage, he spoke.
“Make sure to pursue Eri well.”
“Yes!?”
Dean had no chance to argue as Nahun disappeared into the passage, which then returned to its original state, sealing off the space.
Dean stood there, staring blankly at the spot where Nahun had just been, feeling a complex mix of emotions as he rubbed his eyes. Letting out a heavy sigh filled with a whirlwind of complicated feelings, he trudged off.
As Nahun had said, if he made good use of this opportunity, he might be able to win over Eri… the friend he had been fond of for a long time.
But Dean’s heart was not at ease. It felt like a simple misunderstanding. Perhaps the unique circumstances and the special facade he had to maintain were heightening his feelings so that he couldn’t think rationally.
That was his worry.
“…Hoo.”
But on another hand, there was also a desire. Just as Nahun had said, he really wanted to make Eri his. Although Eri still hadn’t completely forgotten Luke, Dean had largely forgotten about Luke himself.
He was now more accustomed to living in the Demon World, working under Nahun, than he was to living in the human world. If Dean were to take Eri as his lover, Eri would concentrate on him rather than on Luke, which would be better.
Besides….
‘…Living together is burdensome.’
Even though it was acting, having to pretend to be a couple forced them to live in close quarters, which was the main problem. It would have been more comfortable if they were really in a romantic relationship, but since they weren’t, he had to be cautious, which was quite tiring.
If Eri had just looked more ordinary, it might have been easier, but with her lovely personality and appearance reflecting it, it was vibrant and enchanting. Her pink, fluffy hair and eyes had always drawn people’s attention.
For Dean, being close to her was hard to bear, both as a man and as a friend.
“…Let’s focus on work.”
Determined to put that aside for now, Dean resolved to focus on his tasks.
#
Nahun returned to the Demon World. However, it was not to help with the affairs of the Demon World. Since Seere had been working hard, he had no intention of interfering.
“I just need to see her for a moment.”
He had to greet her briefly and then finish his tasks in Hell. Though there was also the matter concerning Golraph, Nahun had a separate reason for wishing to visit Hell.
‘If the story of Ersha Scarlet is true…’
Apart from the Leviathan, two other Massu were following him. But he needed to confirm why they were not showing themselves now, and it was necessary to check that in Hell.
At the same time, he planned to deal with Golraph’s matter as well. Upon returning to the Demon King Castle, he was greeted by Cecili, who was cleaning the hallway and perked up upon seeing him.
“Oh, Nahun! You’re back early!”
“No, I need to head out again. I only came to see Seere for a moment, but where is Seere?”
“She is currently out for the conquest.”
“…Ah, has it already started?”
“She is conquering the 66th floor now… and as far as I know, the conquest of the 65th floor will begin soon.”
Nahun widened his eyes slightly. To finish conquering the 66th floor and starting on the 65th floor already? That was much faster than he had expected.
“Isn’t she pushing herself too hard?”
“It doesn’t seem like it. The head butler is temporarily handling the duties, and they haven’t expressed any concerns.”
If that was the case, it meant Seere and her legion were fighting much better than Nahun had anticipated. Nahun smiled in satisfaction at that realization.
“Good to know.”
“She might not have set off yet. How about going to the 66th floor to check?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Nahun nodded and turned around. If he headed to the 66th floor, he might be able to meet Seere without being late.
“Take care, Cecili.”
“Yes, Nahun!”
Cecili bowed politely. As she watched Nahun dash off toward Seere, she smiled warmly.
“There’s really no need for His Majesty to worry like that.”
How could someone like him leave Seere’s side? Cecili thought that as she resumed her cleaning.
Nahun immediately left the Demon King Castle and headed for the 66th floor. Luckily, since the entire 66th floor was currently Seere’s territory, he could move comfortably.
After using the portal and then another portal, Nahun arrived at the 66th floor, glancing around. Then he sighed softly.
“As expected.”
The Demon King’s brutal temperament also existed in Seere. Even if her temperament was milder than other Demon Kings, she was still incapable of showing mercy to those who followed other powers that were not hers.
The surroundings were filled with corpses. Numerous demon soldiers lay dead in lines. The only fortunate aspect was that Seere had largely followed Nahun’s teachings and hadn’t harmed the civilians.
Nahun walked towards the location of the Demon King’s castle on the 66th floor. As he approached, it seemed the soldiers were guarding the gate, perhaps not having set off yet.
“!”
“Oh, Your Majesty!!”
They recognized Nahun immediately. It would have been strange had they not; he was the benefactor of the Devahta faction. The soldiers saluted loyally, and Nahun simply nodded his head.
“Is Seere inside?”
“Yes, she should be in the audience room. It just so happens that she’s setting off tomorrow, so your timing is perfect.”
“Good to know.”
Nahun entered through the door opened by the soldiers, heading toward the audience room where Seere was. While walking through the corridor, he encountered a woman.
“Uh, Uncle.”
“Veronica.”
Veronica, proudly adorned with the victories of her legion, looked surprised to see Nahun. Nahun thought Veronica’s appearance suited her well.
“Where have you been?”
“Didn’t you hear I briefly went to the human world?”
“Ah, so you’re done over there?”
“I’ve finished almost everything I need to do in the human world. And I told you not to call me uncle.”
“Ah…, I’m sorry, Nahun…”
Nahun chuckled softly, gently ruffling her hair.
“Keep working hard.”
“Yes, yes…!”
“Good. Just don’t get hurt.”
Adding one last word of concern, Nahun passed by Veronica. She watched his retreating figure for a moment before continuing down the corridor with the documents she needed to deliver to Celestia.
Encountering Veronica, Nahun soon reached the audience room. As he approached, the soldiers stationed at the door offered a heavy salute.
“Is Seere inside?”
“Yes, I’ll open the door right away….”
However, before the soldiers could touch the doorknob, the door swung open. Since no one from outside had touched it, it must have been opened from the inside.
“Teacher~~!!!”
A girl with snow-white hair rushed out, quickly running towards Nahun and embracing him. This girl, who exhibited such a youthful demeanor, was a ruler of the legion, a conqueror of the 66th floor, Nahun’s only disciple, and at the same time, a Demon King.
But in front of Nahun, she was just a cute girl. As Seere rubbed her cheeks against him in delight, Nahun couldn’t help but smile like a father.
“Looks like you’ve been well.”
“I missed you, Teacher.”
Nahun lightly patted Seere’s head.
“Let’s head inside for now. I have a few things to discuss.”
“Yes~~!”
Seere beamed with a smile and entered the audience room with Nahun. The sight shocked the soldiers. Seere, who had appeared very mature and had shown the brutality of a Demon King during the conquest of the 66th floor, was in stark contrast to her current childlike demeanor.
“…Nahun is impressive.”
“I know….”
That was the shared thought of the two soldiers regarding Nahun, who treated Seere like a child.
#
Nahun sat upon the throne. It was quite uncomfortable for him, but Seere insisted on sitting on his lap, so he had no choice. Sitting on his lap, Seere hummed cheerfully.
“Hmm~♪”
“…Seere, we should talk a bit.”
“Yes?”
“I came just to greet you. There’s somewhere I need to go.”
Upon hearing Nahun’s words, Seere stopped. Nahun sensed something amiss. Although he couldn’t see her expression as her back faced him, Seere’s demeanor suddenly shifted.
“…Where to?”
“Hmm? It’s just something I need to take care of for a bit.”
“How long will it take?”
“I’m not sure, really. So, Seere, could you take Dean’s reports for me? I need someone to assess the situation in the human world….”
At that moment, Seere abruptly stood up. Nahun blinked in surprise, and Seere turned to look directly at him.
“Where are you going again!?”
“…Seere?”
“I’m the one working hard waiting for you to return, and now you’re saying you’re going somewhere else!? Stay with me!”
Seere looked sullen. But Nahun couldn’t understand it well. After all, they had only been apart for about a week.
“Seere, it hasn’t been that long. And this is really something I have to attend to. For your future as well…”
“No!”
Seere stubbornly refused. The typical stubbornness of a child unfortunately emerged at this moment. Nahun showed a troubled expression, but Seere’s obstinate will showed no signs of bending.
“If you leave again, I won’t just sit still.”
“…Seere. I have to go. This is important, not just for you but for our Devahta faction as well. And besides, the work in the human world isn’t completely done yet. Just think of it as waiting for a bit longer.”
Nahun’s persuasion made Seere fall silent. He thought she would understand, but that was merely an illusion. Seere, for the first time, raised her voice at Nahun.
“You won’t even tell me what it’s about, and you just expect me to wait!!!”
Nahun’s eyes widened. Seere trembled in tears. Not understanding why she was acting this way after just a week apart, Nahun took a moment to cool his head. Once he tried to understand Seere’s feelings, he began to see clearly.
‘…Right, she is still a child.’
Children never want to be separated from their parents. Nahun wasn’t her parent, but he had taken care of and taught young Seere for nearly five… soon to be six years.
It was only natural for her to feel this way after being cared for by a parent-like teacher for just a week, especially when further prolonged separation was implied.
With her blue eyes shimmering, tears fell like beads. Nahun, seeing such an expression, felt a pang of sympathy. He stood from his seat and gently embraced Seere while petting the back of her head.
“Seere, don’t cry.”
“…Hik, sniff.”
“I realize I didn’t explain things well enough.”
The explanation had to be insufficient. Nahun had never openly revealed his identity to anyone. Though he had shown some power, he had never spoken of his true identity with his own mouth.
“Alright, let’s sit.”
Nahun attempted to guide Seere to move away from his lap, but she only sobbed there without budging. After a moment’s thought, he decided to sit back down and pat his lap again.
“Come.”
Only then did Seere move. Sitting softly on Nahun’s lap, she began shaking her shoulders slightly. Nahun comforted her back before bringing up something shocking.
“I need to take a trip to Hell for a bit.”
“…?”
Seere, who had been sobbing, widened her eyes and forgot to cry. She turned slightly, looking at Nahun while he quietly spoke.
“I have something to do there.”
