CHAPTER 05
“If you let the others go, I’ll tell you.”
“What?”
I narrowed my eyes and smiled as I met her gaze.
On the administrator’s face, the alternating emotions of indignation at a human daring to bargain with a demon and curiosity about that insolent human were clearly visible.
After twelve cycles, I had learned one thing.
Demons simply cannot resist their own interest and curiosity.
“Ahahaha!”
“Hey, what the—!”
Sian’s voice of shock reached my ears, but I paid no mind. He had kept his polite speech until now… he must be really surprised.
“Alright! I like you. Since this is my first human collection, I’ll grant your request!”
Her cheerful expression instantly sank as she spoke quietly, in a calm tone.
“But… if I don’t like your answer, be prepared. I’ll make you pay for daring to toy with a demon.”
No matter how intimidating she tries to look, it’s not scary at all.
I just hoped she would release the humans quickly.
The demon, who had been laughing with delight for some time, snapped her fingers.
Snap!
The crisp snap echoed through the ant nest, and the humans scattered as if nothing had happened, finally freed.
“Now then. It’s time for the humans to go home.”
“Go, go back…”
“Yes, yes. At least say thank you to my collection, won’t you?”
The demon did not give the people any time to react. She opened the door, and the open portal generated a strong wind that pulled the people forward.
The pitch-black dungeon door felt less like a door and more like a swirling vortex of magic.
The panicked people were carried out through the door without a sound.
It seemed she could arbitrarily choose who to release. Compared to the others being sucked in like dust into a vacuum, I only felt a slightly strong wind.
The only one who resisted being pulled immediately was Sian. He planted his sword into the ground and held his position.
Oh, hurry up and go.
If he moved, I could organize the situation and return to the Demon King’s castle.
Feeling somewhat pity for him struggling, I took a step forward.
“What are you thinking?”
“Just go. I’ll handle this here.”
“What nonsense are you saying…!”
“No time for arguing.”
Thunk.
I smiled slightly and kicked the flat part of the sword embedded in the ground.
Thanks to carefully using all my strength on the kick, only the tip of the sword broke cleanly without damaging anything else.
Ah, great.
Sian, who had been relying on the sword to stay put, lost his balance as it broke. Once he lost his balance, he was helplessly sucked in.
“Wait…!”
He reached out to me in panic, but could not grasp my hand.
He was pulled into the door. His face, worried for me until the very end, remained imprinted in my mind.
After sending all the humans out, the administrator closed the door. The strong wind ceased.
“I thought you’d try to come out with them. Unexpected.”
“I have things to take care of.”
“Oh, now you’re speaking casually?”
“Sigh.”
“Your collection has bad manners. I’ll have to correct it.”
The administrator, still unaware of the situation, sounded excited.
Let’s discipline her quickly and go home…
***
Several days passed.
I hadn’t gone through another regression yet, nor had anything particularly different happened compared to previous cycles.
Unlike previous cycles, the Paladin Order’s visit may have just been a simple event.
Ah, I wish someone would just come and kill me.
If Ilay or other demons could handle my body and give me a proper funeral, that would be even better.
No, never mind. It’s fine if it hurts terribly or if no hair remains. I just want this cycle to end.
I quietly lowered my gaze and stirred the tea in front of me with a teaspoon. One of the demons approached cautiously.
“Rona’s punishment is over. Shall I bring her?”
“Rona?”
Noticing the curiosity in my voice, Ilay approached and whispered.
“The former administrator of the ant nest.”
“Ah…”
Only then did I understand who Rona was. She was the demon who tried to make me part of her collection. I had taken her administrator authority and locked her up for a few days.
I remembered hearing that Ilay had gathered all the demons under her control, tied them up, and beat them.
“Just let her go roughly.”
“Yes, understood.”
The demon left, surprised at my indifferent response.
I took a bite of the delicious cake in front of me. The cream melted in my mouth, but its slick texture felt strangely unpleasant.
As I took a sip of tea to wash it down…
“…! Demon King.”
Ilay’s hand gently covered mine, as if to stop me. Following his gaze downward, I saw petals floating on the tea, blooming beautifully.
Usually, petals placed in demonic flower tea are dry, yet these were vividly alive.
“Who dares do such a thing!”
Ilay, furious, picked up the teacup immediately. The demons present tensed subtly.
Ah, it’s that time again.
It always happens at the beginning of each regression. Someone seems to have infused holy power into my tea.
“It seems someone added holy power to the Demon King’s tea.”
“I see…”
An assassination attempt on the Demon King. Not surprising, since it happens every cycle.
This is the event that only occurs early in each regression.
As time passes after regression, assassination attempts decrease, since Ilay’s vigilance and lethal counterattacks prevent them.
Ah… maybe I should just drink it and die?
Looking at the cup in Ilay’s hands, I realized that with so much holy power in the petals, I would suffer significant damage as a conglomerate of demonic energy.
After a brief thought, I sighed lightly and shook my head.
It’s fine. Even if I drink it and get hurt, I’ll wake up in bed again. It’s a waste to discard even a slightly eventful cycle.
“What shall we do, Demon King?”
“Handle it yourself.”
I gave Ilay a vague answer and glanced at the remaining cake before getting up.
“Are you coming in?”
“Yes. To the room…”
I paused mid-sentence.
Whenever I go to the room, something troublesome always happens.
Recalling past cycles, a demon had tried to ambush me in the room, or another demon appeared claiming to become my consort, dressed ridiculously.
The specifics changed each cycle, but the trouble was always the same.
Especially when ambushed in the room… thinking about how overprotective Ilay became afterward made my head throb.
Ah, I’m already exhausted.
I stared at Ilay.
“Demon King?”
“I’ll take a short walk. I want to clear my head. In the meantime, I’d like you to tidy up my room.”
“You want me to do it personally?”
Ilay’s expression slightly darkened. Prideful as the second-in-command of the demon world, being asked to tidy a room was naturally unpleasant.
At least I am the Demon King, and he is loyal; otherwise, it would have been worse.
“…It’s a bit much, isn’t it? You’re the only one I trust, so I made an unreasonable request. Sorry.”
His carefully calculated tone softened when he saw my pitiful expression.
“No, I’ll tidy it up immediately.”
Exactly as planned. After spending some time, when I return, Ilay would have sorted everything out—whether aspiring consorts or assassination hopefuls.
I nodded and stepped outside.
My “walk” consisted of wandering around the Demon King’s castle aimlessly.
Walking made me feel blood circulating in my head.
Well, maybe it’s just a feeling.
As I walked alone, thoughts flooded my mind, always returning to the same question:
When will I finally die?
Fear of death had become a trivial annoyance, and the grief of losing those around me no longer hurt.
After all, even if I die, I come back to life. Seeing them reborn without memories felt like watching NPCs in a game performing pre-set missions.
Only I remembered the genuine bonds, while the reborn ones remembered nothing. Shared experiences were worthless.
I slowly closed my flickering eyes and stood still.
When I regained consciousness, I had wandered away from the bustling area around the Demon King’s castle to a remote forest.
Ah, my head hurts a little.
I thought walking would help my blood circulation, but apparently not.
Something seemed to spin…
“Cough.”
A sudden rising sensation came from my throat. It felt familiar.
Reflexively, I covered my mouth and bent forward.
Drop by drop, dark red blood stained the soil within my sight.
