𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟏𝟓.𝟏: 𝐈𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤: 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥’𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐲
The morning after.
As Lionel finished recounting the previous night’s events to his comrades, an inn visitor arrived.
Claiming to be Grand Duke Shumok’s envoy.
ㅤ
“What perfect timing.”
ㅤ
With a bold grin, Lionel stood up.
He commented that it would be a relief if the other party initiated the first move.
ㅤ
This daring fearlessness is a hallmark of [Hope]’s leader. Regardless of the enemy’s strength or the challenge’s difficulty, he remains unwavering.
Highly competent, he charges toward the optimal solution with great efficiency.
ㅤ
“That’s why we must support him.”
ㅤ
Without speaking aloud, Miliaria whispered in agreement.
ㅤ
Since when, she wondered. Since when did she start viewing Lionel’s competence and audacity as perilous?
He treats his life too lightly.
ㅤ
Despite his profound care for Asuka, Miliaria, Meisha, Meg, and Salieri, he gives off an aura as if he could perish at any moment.
That’s why he seems eager to pass on his knowledge and experiences to the girls.
ㅤ
This is unacceptable, Miliaria thought.
She wanted Lionel to continue reigning as a leader.
ㅤ
“We could tolerate a brute who demands our bodies night after night, but you would never do such a thing.”
ㅤ
Rather than being gentlemanly, he is simply clueless about women.
ㅤ
“Asuka. Please protect mom diligently.”
“Leave it to me! I won’t let the devil lay a finger on mom!”
ㅤ
Asuka beats her chest with confidence.
Lionel, leading the group, turns around, wearing a displeased expression.
ㅤ
“I’m not convinced by that line. Am I the princess in the story?”
“No, there’s no princess called ‘mom.’ Right, Neldan-san?”
ㅤ
Meg quickly retorts, and the group bursts into laughter.
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
ㅤ
[Hope] entered the majestic hall of the castle.
A grand space where audiences and similar events took place.
ㅤ
However, the figure on the throne wasn’t Grand Duke Karls Shumok. Of course, Lionel and the others weren’t familiar with Karls, but they immediately recognized that the person before them was not him.
ㅤ
After all, it was a woman.
A captivating one.
ㅤ
“You’re the human who defeated Fleuretti, aren’t you? I am Alratu. Shall we make a deal?”
ㅤ
And this was the first thing the beautiful woman said.
Lionel and the others became alert instantly.
ㅤ
A devil is an entity that proposes deals, and the terms of those deals usually seem very favorable to humans at first.
ㅤ
“What kind of deal?”
ㅤ
Lionel asked while looking directly at her.
He didn’t reject outright, as he understood the importance of negotiation as a strategist.
ㅤ
“Not much. I just want you to leave this city as it is. If you do so, I promise not to take your lives.”
ㅤ
It was not a difficult request.
They simply had to leave the Grand Duchy of Shumok.
ㅤ
“I have a couple of questions.”
“Ask away.”
“First, what happened to Grand Duke Karls Shumok? Second, what will happen to the people of this country if you continue absorbing energy?”
ㅤ
Lionel inquired.
It seemed like answering these two questions was a condition for the negotiations to proceed.
ㅤ
Alratu chuckled softly.
A dangerous smile that could ensnare a man who didn’t know she was a devil in an instant.
ㅤ
“If you’re talking about the fat man who tried to resist, saying, ‘I won’t let you have your way in this world,’ I skinned him alive and killed him. He was begging for mercy at the end.”
ㅤ
The devil laughed sadistically.
Lionel responded with a quiet, “I see.”
ㅤ
Did Alratu notice the strength in the fist he clenched?
ㅤ
“As for your second question, I think it’ll take about five years. There are so many of them, after all. Even if you eat to your fill every day, it would take that long for everyone to die.”
ㅤ
It’s not a definite number, she added.
In response, Lionel smiled.
If there’s a smile that’s even more ominous than anger, this would be it.
ㅤ
“You know, I’ve been pondering.”
“About what?”
“About reasons not to kill you. But, I can’t find any. Even if I search to the ends of the earth.”
ㅤ
He placed his right hand on the hilt of his beloved sword.
Alratu looked genuinely surprised.
ㅤ
“You’re from the Kingdom of Gaillia, aren’t you? Whether the Grand Duchy of Shumok falls or not, it’s none of your concern, isn’t it? That’s how humans are.”
ㅤ
As Alratu reluctantly stood up, a sinister weapon resembling the scythe of the Grim Reaper appeared in her right hand.
ㅤ
Twenty steps apart, up and down the stairs, a devil and a human faced off.
Filled with a tense standoff.
ㅤ
“I’m not so heartless as to think that it doesn’t matter what happens to people in enemy countries. Besides, Shumok is not an enemy country or anything.”
ㅤ
Lionel unsheathed his Flame Cut swiftly.
His eyes filled with the flames of anger.
ㅤ
Karls, who had been ridiculed as a weak ruler by King Morrison, wasn’t supposed to be skilled in martial arts.
Still, he picked up a sword and confronted the devil.
ㅤ
To protect his own country and people.
And by extension, to protect the world.
ㅤ
“As an adventurer who makes a living from challenging tasks, I can’t just run away because I’m afraid for my life.”
ㅤ
He declared, pointing the tip of his sword at Alratu.
ㅤ
“Well said. I shall feast on your despair as you head towards your death.”
ㅤ
The devil raised her scythe.
[insert page=’4633′ display=’content’]
[insert page=’4587′ display=’content’]
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- My Brain on UFC: Why I’m Convinced I Could Totally Take on Adesanya (I’m Lying, Don’t Tell Dana)
- Wakana Gojou: The Ultimate Husbando? Is This Anime Romance Even Real?
- The Bizarre Reality of America’s Drug Crisis
- Kakashi and Obito: Bro-mance or True Love? Unraveling the Mystery of Naruto’s Most Epic Duo
- Goku Goes Yandere: A Dragon Ball Z Nightmare
Leave a Reply