~CHAPTER 26~
“No matter how I think about it, this feels like a trap. Otherwise, why would they call us?”
“Well, I told you it was dangerous…”
“To think they’d dare summon someone like him…”
As we walked toward the rear exit that only the staff could use, complaints from the group kept spilling out one after another.
“Can’t you all just keep quiet while we go?”
“Mahdyah.”
At my words, Latia, who was walking beside me, nodded in agreement.
Her speech was muffled by the lollipop in her mouth, though.
The candy had been given by a kitchen staff member after Latia made a fuss about being hungry when our mealtime was delayed again due to the guild master’s summons.
Even with food in her mouth, the sight of little Latia behaving so maturely finally silenced the grumbling men behind us.
“Serena.”
A few steps back, Jahar looked at me with a face full of resolve, then quickly jogged forward to walk beside me.
Still, he lowered his voice so that the staff member walking ahead wouldn’t overhear.
“I’m going to pretend I don’t know anything.”
“Ah, sure.”
“I can’t get dragged into something with people I’ve just met. You understand, right? I still haven’t seen the results of the things I’ve shed blood and sweat for…”
“Do as you wish.”
He stared at my indifferent face.
Despite drawing a line saying he’d stay out of it, Jahar looked terribly apologetic.
He clearly felt uneasy about leaving the rest of us behind.
“You’re not angry?”
“……”
His mouth fell slightly open in surprise.
He must have thought I’d be upset, but honestly, I wasn’t.
Even if it were Sian or Latia saying the same thing, I’d understand.
It had only been a few days since we met, and none of us knew each other that well—Jahar and Sian were no different in that regard.
If Illay had said something like that, I might’ve been hurt.
But she’s not the type to do that, so the thought never crossed my mind.
“…Still, if something really dangerous happens, I can at least try to mediate—”
“We’ve arrived.”
The staff member cut Jahar off and called to us.
Before I knew it, he was standing in front of a large door, looking back at us.
I couldn’t believe there was such an enormous door at the back of what looked like a quiet local restaurant.
So this really is a secret organization hiding under everyone’s nose.
“Serena, it could be dangerous. Let me go in first.”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Sian reached for the door handle, but the staff stopped him.
“I’m sorry, but could the others wait in the next room for a moment? The Guild Master wishes to speak privately with this lady first.”
“Alright.”
“No.”
Sian and I spoke at the same time, our voices overlapping.
Surprised, our eyes met.
“I’ll be fine.”
I patted his shoulder briefly.
“Please, have a cup of tea in the next room. The Guild Master said that will be enough time.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. The room is right next door, and there’s a connecting door between them, so you can join her anytime if you wish. Besides…”
The staff’s gaze shifted toward Jahar.
“We don’t mistreat our business partners. The same goes for their companions. This is a matter of trust.”
“Y-yeah, right. It’ll be fine…”
The staff’s confident tone and conviction hinted at genuine professionalism.
Even Jahar, who had been hesitating, nodded in agreement.
Illay looked like she was thinking, ‘If the Demon King says it’s fine, I’ve got nothing to add.’
And Latia was staring wistfully at the stick that had once been her lollipop, clearly wanting another one.
As the mood settled, Sian fell silent too, unable to argue further.
He probably stayed quiet because he believes it’s wrong to disregard another person’s conviction.
If it were me, I’d ignore all that and do whatever I wanted.
That’s probably why Sian feels so responsible for me.
“Sian, it’s fine. If anything happens, I’ll just scream.”
“…Take this with you.”
Sian let out a deep sigh and removed the cross-shaped earring from his ear, handing it to me.
A cross…
Only Sian would hand something like this to a Demon King.
Naturally, it didn’t burn to the touch or cause pain.
I had braced myself, thinking it might contain holy power, but apparently not.
As I stared at the earring in confusion, Sian whispered,
“Press the gem in the center. It’ll turn into a dagger. Use it to protect yourself. I’ll come as quickly as I can.”
“Ah, got it.”
So it does have holy power after all.
Not a bad item for self-defense.
I tucked the earring into my pocket.
“Now then, if the rest of you will come this way…”
The staff moved to the door beside the one we had been standing at.
I watched the group walk obediently into the next room, still casting worried glances back at me, then turned my eyes forward again.
The staff didn’t close their door.
In fact, they kept it wide open—likely to show there was nothing to hide.
“Guild Master, the guest has arrived…”
“Excuse me, I’ll go in first.”
I stepped past the staff before he could finish and stood before the door.
Then—
I pushed it open without hesitation.
“S-sir…!”
The startled staff’s voice trembled behind me, but I didn’t care.
Inside was a large office.
Near the entrance stood a big sofa and a low tea table—clearly for guests.
That small door over there must lead to the next room, where the others are.
It looked plain, like a door the staff might use.
No locks or magic seals that I could sense.
Beyond the sofa were two desks on each side, likely used by secretaries, and at the far end stood a large desk in the center.
That must be the Guild Master’s seat.
There was nothing particularly special about the room, except for one thing—
The Guild Master himself.
He sat with his feet propped on the desk, his entire face hidden beneath a black veil.
Even with his face concealed, I could tell he was looking right at me.
Jahar had said the Guild Master was “completely wrapped up.”
So that was true.
He leisurely dropped his feet from the desk and rose from his chair.
Even when he stood and clasped his hands politely, he still exuded arrogance.
“Shall I have the food brought here?”
“Ah, no. Please take it to the next room.”
“…As you wish.”
The staff member, glancing nervously at the Guild Master for approval, only left after he received a small nod.
Food? With him?
Not a chance.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, guest. I’m Leaf, the owner of Leaf’s Kitchen. Please, come in.”
The Guild Master spoke kindly, gesturing toward the sofa.
Even through the veil, I could almost sense a smile.
…No matter how I look at him, he doesn’t seem human.
Watching him warily, I sat down reluctantly.
With long strides, he quickly took the seat across from me.
He looked completely human, but there was something undeniably unnatural about him.
“You must be curious why I wanted to meet you.”
“Yes.”
“I was quite curious myself.”
He lifted his chin, and beneath the veil, his tanned neck was visible.
He looks perfectly human…
But there was a faint sense of pressure—an oppressive feeling that made my skin prickle.
Even through the veil, it felt like his sharp eyes were staring straight through me.
It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced since becoming the Demon King.
I met his gaze steadily, careful not to show tension.
Then, his lips parted.
“Why is the Demon King in the human world?”
