The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 107

Failure.

In this moment, that was the word that popped into my head.

“Ugh…”

“Shut it down!”

“Is this what you call a performance?”

Audience members sitting in the theater jeered, while the actors struggled to calm them down but failed miserably.

In the end, the furious audience completely wrecked the show.

And now, at this moment, I found myself witnessing the dismal fate of the utterly boring performance I had come to see with Your Majesty, the Demon King.

“Hah… What is this? I came expecting an entertaining performance, but it’s worse than I imagined…”

Living in a world without the internet, I simply chose this performance based on what the ticket seller said, and it seemed that was a mistake.

As I thought about it, I realized that if I had heard any kind of buzz about it, it wouldn’t be this bad.

So, with the word ‘failure’ weighing on my mind, I left the theater with the Demon King.

“Hmm…”

In the awkwardness, the two of us walked through the night streets.

In that situation, I cautiously glanced at the Demon King beside me and spoke up with a slightly awkward tone.

“Um… so… I-I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“Well… it’s just that… the performance was a bit lacking, you know? I should have researched it more before choosing…”

“It was interesting.”

“Excuse me?”

The Demon King replied in an unexpectedly firm voice.

For a moment, I was struck by deep confusion and asked her about it.

With an earnest tone, she responded, “It was quite refreshing. A play like that and an audience reacting so actively… That was the first time I’ve ever seen such a performance.”

“No… that wasn’t a play, it was an actual situation!”

The Demon King seemed to take the chaos from earlier as a proper play rather than a disaster.

Considering she had likely only seen dignified performances meant for important individuals, it was probably the first time she had witnessed an audience reacting so vocally, no matter how awful the performance was.

In any case, the chance of a performance like that being a disaster in front of a king was highly unlikely.

But regardless of that fact, seeing the Demon King truly enjoying herself in that moment caused me to smile inadvertently.

“Well… as long as the Demon King liked it, I suppose that’s a win… right?”

The sweet mood I had looked forward to, since I thought this would be a romantic play, had flown out the window. Yet, just seeing the Demon King’s delight warmed my heart.

After finishing this bittersweet date filled with mixed feelings of regret and joy, I was about to head back to the Demon King’s castle when she spoke up.

“By the way… that was unexpected. I never thought they would kiss so openly, even in a play.”

The Demon King remarked with a slightly awkward tone.

Thinking about the passionate kiss between the male and female leads in their frantic struggle as the performance fell apart, I let out a wry smile.

“Haha… That scene was indeed there, even if it was a bit unexpected.”

“Really?… But personally, I didn’t find it that bad.”

“Excuse me?”

The Demon King’s unexpected comment caught me off guard.

I looked at her, puzzled.

With a slight blush on her face, the Demon King wore a gentle smile.

She then cautiously placed a finger to her lips and spoke in a small voice.

“Is it that enjoyable? A kiss… to the point where you forget about your surroundings entirely…?”

“!…”

The Demon King exuded a deep allure.

Seeing her like that made my heart race, and suddenly, I thought to myself, now might be the time to take a step further.

“After all, we are lovers, aren’t we? We’ve grown quite close during our dates…”

The darkness had settled thickly around us, and there was no one around.

Moreover, thanks to the Demon King’s leniency, a mood I never expected had been set.

With that thought in mind, I felt intense tension bubbling up inside me and began to move in accordance with the simple desire I had harbored from earlier.

“Well… just saying…”

“Your Majesty.”

“!”

With trembling hands, I grasped the Demon King’s hand.

She stopped as if about to say something, looking at me with a slight shock in her eyes.

The sight of the Demon King, blushing and gazing at me with trembling eyes, was so adorably beautiful that I became momentarily entranced.

And then, as she slowly closed her eyes while looking at me, my gaze shifted toward her lips.

Her glistening, crimson lips sparkled under the moonlight.

Captivated by that image, with my heart racing, I slowly leaned down.

And…

*Smack*

*

In the capital of the Demon Kingdom, Jerusalem, shrouded in darkness.

Inside a modest guest mansion located somewhat on the outskirts, Octavia was staring at the person in front of her, shaken by intense shock.

“That’s roughly how it happened. This is how I became a Dark Elf.”

“Um… How… how can this be…”

Sitting before her, casually sipping from a teacup, was Dark Elf Amelda.

Once a member of the Hero Party, she was now a figure of loathing among the Elves. Hearing her words, Octavia felt a great shock that blurred her senses.

The hero betrayed by his companions and corrupted, and the merciful demons who accepted him.

As a result, the hero had wielded his sword as an aide to the Demon King during the last war and was now serving as one of her closest allies.

Though it was suspicious that the one telling this story was a Dark Elf who had become a slave to the demon race, Octavia had a clear understanding that Amelda’s words were not false.

Together with the master who had passed away, Sula, Amelda was the figure Octavia admired most while aspiring to be a Paladin.

Knowing what kind of person she was personally, Octavia recognized that even as a Dark Elf, Amelda was not one to spin lies so skillfully.

Meanwhile, observing Octavia’s deep shock, the demon woman beside her, Eliza, spoke in a calm voice.

“As I said before, our demon race is not the malignant beings you think we are. We still remember the grievances caused by you Elves. Yet to indiscriminately commit massacres or engage in wicked acts is not our nature. The hero recognized this about us, which is why he willingly knelt before the Demon King.”

“B-but, the literature so far shows the malevolent acts committed by the demon race…”

“Those acts were all committed on the continent. On the other hand, during that time, you Elves have been extremely wary of our demon race leaving the Demon Kingdom. Trade, let alone simple travel, has been completely blocked. How could we possibly reach the depths of the continent?”

“Hmm…”

Although she hadn’t spoken about it directly, if it weren’t for the Hero Hector’s help, it wouldn’t have been easy for the demons to initiate anything in the Falcon Empire.

In contrast, the demon race’s frequent attacks, cited as the cause of the racial war, had occurred in places that seemed utterly inaccessible for the demon race.

As Eliza pointed out that fact, something began to dawn on Octavia.

“Are you implying that… someone intentionally manipulated events? Is that what you mean?”

“I believe that’s the only conclusion we can reach. I don’t know if it was for political purposes or something else entirely, but we have been unfairly accused and branded as the arch-villains.”

“…Hmm…”

Though still skeptical of Eliza’s words, Octavia began to believe there was some merit to what she was saying.

Meanwhile, observing Octavia’s wavering demeanor, Eliza couldn’t help but smile a little inside.

‘It seems she’s starting to come around? Bringing Amelda to convince this girl was indeed a good choice.’

In reality, most of what Eliza had said was true, but persuading the other party to accept it was an entirely different matter.

In that respect, using Amelda was proving to be quite effective.

‘The Pope’s Daughter, Octavia. Once the Pope’s apology is over, she’ll return to the Church Country anyway, so convincing her now should be beneficial… just as Beelzebub had said.’

Thus, feeling that the task her friend had entrusted her with, which she also deemed favorable, was progressing well, Eliza began to think of heading home for the day.

However…

“Eliza.”

“I felt it too.”

“Pardon?”

Suddenly, Amelda and Eliza both wore cold expressions.

At the abrupt shift in their mood, Octavia felt a jolt of confusion.

And then…

*Bang!*