CHAPTER 3
Even if it wasn’t the Demon King, it must be a strong demon.
“If it’s just a monster, that’s fine, but if it’s the dungeon’s administrator demon, there are only two options.”
“T-Two options?”
“Defeat the demon, or clear the dungeon and leave before it finds us.”
“What if we can’t do either?”
“Then we’ll all die.”
The voice was calm, but the meaning was chilling.
The magician listening turned pale and shouted.
“We’ve never fought a demon, or even seen one before!”
“Then you’ll just have to clear the dungeon and leave.”
It was simple, but correct.
The magicians fell silent, and the holy knights barely kept their composure.
“It’ll be fine. How many dungeons has our commander cleared before? Too many to count.”
“Y-Yes, and Sir Sian once fought a demon, one who was said to be the Demon Realm’s second-in-command, and came back alive!”
The holy knights spoke softly to reassure the magicians.
Their words helped the frightened magicians regain a bit of composure.
“Y-Yes. We just need to get out quickly.”
“I wasn’t worried. With Sir Sian here, nothing will go wrong.”
Just as everyone was trying to calm themselves, Sian spoke quietly.
“Silence.”
His right hand was already resting on his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
The magicians and knights tensed up, following his lead.
When it became quiet, they could hear faint footsteps.
Step, step.
The footsteps came from inside the hole and grew closer.
‘Another monster? Or… something else?’
They all feared the sound of those small steps.
Even when everyone else was too afraid to breathe, Sian stood calm and unshaken.
Step.
The footsteps stopped just beyond the dirt mound at the entrance.
“Ah.”
When the tension reached its peak, the source of the sound finally appeared.
***
“There were others here besides us?”
“You must’ve been scared all alone.”
I nodded awkwardly as the friendly holy knights spoke to me.
After walking through the tunnel, I finally ran into them.
Covered in dirt and looking like a mess, but that actually helped.
When they first saw me, they almost attacked on sight.
If I hadn’t pretended to be a helpless human caught in the dungeon, they would’ve drawn their swords immediately.
My dirt-covered look made my excuse more believable.
“The dungeon’s hard enough already, and now we have to carry dead weight…”
The magicians clearly didn’t like me.
I glanced around.
‘Let’s travel together until we escape.’
That was what the man called “Sir Sian,” the leader of the holy knights, had said.
Neither the knights nor the magicians could protest much since he didn’t object to me joining.
His neatly tied long hair swayed slightly.
A face that could rival Illay’s in beauty…
After twelve rounds of this cycle, I’d never seen someone like him before.
At the timing when the Apostle of God should’ve appeared, the holy knights had instead invaded.
This was the first time something so different had happened, so I came to check — but now I regretted it.
‘They don’t even look like invaders, just unlucky people who wandered in.’
Apparently, they’d been investigating nearby and got caught in the dungeon linking the human and demon realms.
‘I really shouldn’t have come.’
I’d better stay quiet. I still hadn’t decided whether to act as a human in this round, and it would be troublesome if my identity as the Demon King got exposed.
‘Yeah, let’s just stay still.’
I was strengthening my resolve when—
“Hey, are you even listening to me?”
A sharp voice pierced my ear, and a hand grabbed my shoulder roughly.
It was a woman among the magicians, wearing a robe.
“Yes?”
“I’ve been asking why you’re so calm!”
Another magician beside her tried to stop her.
“Let it go, Bris.”
“No. I’m saying what everyone’s thinking.”
But the woman called Bris didn’t stop.
“I didn’t say anything before, but you’re really suspicious. You showed up right after that noise, and there were monsters everywhere. How did a woman like you survive alone?”
“Oh, that’s…”
“Are you a demon?”
Sharp observation.
The others, who had tried to stop her, went silent too.
They’d all been thinking the same thing.
‘They didn’t say it because they were afraid I might actually be one, huh?’
Bris must’ve noticed that too. She looked at me with triumph, as if she’d already decided I was suspicious.
‘Well, great.’
Even Sian, who’d shown no interest before, was now watching me closely.
Hmm, looks like they all suspect me. That could end badly.
‘Not for me, but for them.’
If a fight broke out, I’d be branded as the Demon King who slaughtered knights and magicians the moment I woke up.
‘Ugh, I’m still not good at holding back my power.’
I hid my hands behind my back and took a deep breath, just in case.
Then it happened.
“Light.”
A magician muttered quietly, drawing everyone’s attention — mine, Bris’s, and Sian’s alike.
All eyes turned toward the source of the light.
It really was shining brightly, as if telling them that was the way out.
“L-Light!”
The magicians started running toward it without hesitation.
“Wait…”
It was obviously a trap.
‘That light looks way too colorful and pretty to be sunlight!’
But I didn’t have time to stop them. They’d already rushed ahead.
Their desperate footsteps screamed their wish to escape this place.
Fine.
I followed quietly behind them.
Only two of us didn’t run — Sian and me.
“You’re not going?”
“Oh, I’m not that enthusiastic about running.”
I was too old for that.
I swallowed the last part.
Sian gave me a strange look but didn’t comment.
Even he wasn’t running, after all.
The path ahead opened into a wide chamber, not the cramped tunnels we’d seen before.
Sian and I arrived last.
The main characters always arrive last.
And what we saw when we entered was—
“W-What the…”
Mountains of gold and jewels. Some even glowed with embedded lightstones.
They realized the “exit light” had just been the reflection of those stones.
“I just want to go home…”
Someone’s voice trembled, followed by heavy sighs from others.
Only Sian looked calm, unreadable as always, standing firm with his knights awaiting his orders.
And me…
‘Now, how do I get these people out?’
It would be easy enough.
Every dungeon had a manager. Defeat it, and the dungeon collapses.
The real problem was how to defeat it without revealing I’m the Demon King.
As I thought about that, one of the magicians suddenly stood up, looking furious.
‘Oh no, that face screams “trouble.”’
Sure enough, he stormed toward Sian.
“Do something! Sir Sian! How can you call yourself a commander like this?”
Sian looked down at him coolly, unbothered.
“Uh, uh!”
A panicked knight quickly pulled the man back.
“Please calm down. The commander is doing his best—”
“Best? Just get us out of here! I’m about to lose my mind!”
“I like losing minds!”
That last voice didn’t belong to any of them.
Everyone turned toward the sound.
“Well, well, you made it this far?”
A woman with two small horns on her head and twin ponytails sat atop the pile of treasure, looking down at us.
Her sharp horns and fangs left no doubt — she was a demon.
