The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 101

A multitude of demon races filled my sight, crowding the main street and casting ominous glances our way.

She, who had come as the leader of the Elf Church’s envoy, Octavia, maintained a quiet silence while suppressing her rising unease.

‘All of them are either wary or hateful towards us. It’s been like this since we arrived, but it feels especially intense here.’

This was the capital and heart of the Demon Kingdom, the city of Jerusalem.

As the envoy from the hostile Elf Church Country, Octavia and her companions had undergone a complete disarmament before entering this place.

Yet, the demon races continued to watch them with unabated suspicion and hostility.

Their gazes were charged with the sentiment as if they were looking at terrorists ready to commit some heinous act, and it was clear that if they sensed even the slightest provocation, they would strike immediately.

Octavia, observing the demons’ demeanor, felt a growing sense of difficulty; things appeared to be unfolding worse than she had expected, tightening her heart with intense tension and worry.

‘But… we must succeed. If we fail here, the Elf Church will be utterly finished. For the sake of protecting the Kann Forest and the World Tree Jupiter, I will endure any humiliation.’

It was ironic, she mused, that their last hope was the very demon races they had sought to extinguish not long ago.

However, acknowledging that she and the other elves had no other choice, she steeled herself once more to accomplish her mission, no matter what.

Moments later, the grand gates of the Demon King’s Castle finally came into view.

As the carriage came to a halt, Octavia disembarked slowly.

And…

“Is that you, Octavia?”

A woman’s voice reached her ears as she stepped down from the carriage.

With a hint of caution, Octavia turned her gaze in that direction.

“!…”

At that moment, a demon came into view, and upon seeing her, Octavia inadvertently felt a flicker of surprise.

Standing before her was a slightly shorter demon.

With skin as white as alabaster, small horns on her forehead, ruby-red eyes, and beautiful hair that shone like platinum, she emanated a sense of nobility and purity unlike any elf Octavia had seen before.

‘Could someone like this… be a demon? If it weren’t for the horns, she could easily be mistaken for an angel!’

Momentarily captivated by the demon’s noble appearance, Octavia quickly collected herself and responded with a calm voice.

“Yes, that’s correct. I am Octavia, representing the Elf Church here.”

“Indeed. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eliza. I am one of Your Majesty, the Demon King’s Elite Guards, and I have come to welcome you at His Majesty’s command.”

Despite the still palpable glares from their surroundings, Eliza spoke with a tone of courtesy.

Feeling a sense of relief that they were not being rudely dismissed upon arriving here, Octavia cautiously expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you for your warm welcome, Eliza. Although our time together may be brief, please take care of us.”

“Yes, we shall see. Whether it will be a short visit or a long one remains to be seen.”

“…”

With a polite demeanor that failed to hide her sharp tone, Eliza made a rather chilling statement.

Realizing that this person also viewed her with disapproval, Octavia felt a slight ache in her heart, as if she’d been stabbed unexpectedly.

Then, Octavia and the envoys began to move cautiously, following Eliza.

Soon they arrived at the vast conference room, the deepest part of the Demon King’s Castle.

This was what they referred to as the Grand Conference Room.

Inside, dozens of demon races stood arrayed along the sides, watching them as they stepped down the center.

And at the end of that path, seated upon a splendid throne was a warrior clad in black armor and wielding a great sword.

And indeed, that throne was occupied by none other than the ruler of the Demon Kingdom—

The Demon King, the strongest of all demon races, draped in purple armor, gazed down upon them.

‘That person is the absolute sovereign of the demon races and the embodiment of fear… The oppressive aura radiating from him is anything but ordinary.’

The Demon King’s golden eyes blazed with a fierce intensity visible between the gaps of his helmet.

As Octavia sensed his gaze fixed upon her, it felt as if a blade was trailing across her neck, causing her to unconsciously clench her fist, slick with cold sweat.

“Behold, Your Majesty.”

“….”

The Demon King acknowledged Eliza’s respectful greeting with a subtle hand gesture.

In that moment, Octavia felt a strange sense of sorrow wash over her, as if she were witnessing an angel bowing before the lord of demons, and she instinctively offered her respect to the Demon King.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Octavia, envoy of the Elf Church. I am truly… coughing!!!!”

At that moment, an overwhelming wave of agony struck her.

It felt as though her heart was being mercilessly twisted, and out of her mouth came a desperate scream.

‘Am I… dying? …Like this?’

In the grips of excruciating pain, she instinctively sensed the encroaching terror of death.

Yet just as the pain was becoming unbearable, Octavia noticed it suddenly dissipate.

“Hah! … Hah… Hah…”

Barely escaping the brink of death, she breathed heavily, feeling a surge of relief coursing through her.

And as Octavia struggled to catch her breath, the Demon King seated before her spoke to her with a deep masculine voice threaded with intense fury.

“Who said you could speak? It is I who asks the questions. All you are allowed is to answer. Keep that in mind, elf.”

“I-I understand! I… I will comply, Your Majesty.”

Under the terrifying charisma and fear emanating from the Demon King, Octavia responded hastily.

In a normal circumstance, such a demeanor from the Demon King would be seen as a serious diplomatic faux pas, even in enemy territory.

However, the one in a desperate situation was her side, and above all, their opponent was not a human, an elf, or a beastman, but the sovereign of the demon races.

Expecting typical diplomatic norms from such a being was undoubtedly foolish.

Thus, in this dire strait, devoid of even the customary protections, Octavia could only wait in thick tension for the Demon King to decide what questions he would pose.

“Speak. Why have your filthy feet set foot in this land again?”

The Demon King, his voice heavy with clear animosity, demanded the reason for their visit.

In response, Octavia maintained a respectful demeanor as she presented the letter and the glass vial containing the black flame.

“We have come to deliver this to Your Majesty, per His Holiness the Pope’s command.”

“…”

As she performed this act, the Demon King idly gestured with his chin.

Watching this unfold, Eliza took what Octavia held, unrolling the letter and beginning to read its contents aloud.

Aside from trivial preliminaries, there wasn’t much to the letter.

In essence, it requested clarification on the identity of the black flames, currently blazing throughout the Elf Church country’s forests, and how to extinguish them. In exchange, the Elf Church would agree to fulfill the Demon Kingdom’s demands as much as possible.

“That is all, Your Majesty.”

“…”

“…”

The heavy silence hung in the Grand Conference Room after Eliza’s voice trailed off.

Within that silence, Octavia, gripped by deep tension, watched the Demon King, eager to see what decision he would make.

Then, a moment later…

“…Excellent…”

“…”

Hearing the Demon King’s soft words, which could be interpreted positively at first, Octavia instinctively recognized something.

At this moment, there was not a shred of positive sentiment contained within the Demon King’s statement.

“Truly excellent. Your elf race’s audacity is… unbelievably impressive.”

“!!!”

With those words, the Demon King began to exude a thick, black magic, coiling around him like lethal vines.

Octavia felt as if she were left exposed and vulnerable in the frigid cold, automatically causing her body to tremble uncontrollably.

And then,

To her, the Demon King began to speak in a voice laced with chilling intent.

“Well then, let’s see you wriggle around with that audacious mouth of yours. I want to see if I might ever feel inclined to spare you.”