[CHAPTER 95]
She trailed off and pointed forward with her chin.
Fortunately, Raon quickly shut his mouth.
“…What is all that?”
“Well, Raon.
That’s something you and I need to find out from now on.”
I smiled faintly and walked forward.
Raon followed behind me faithfully, though he clearly did not want to.
“Long time no see.”
I had only seen it in the previous cycle when I experienced the Heavenly Demon War.
I never expected to see it again here.
“Looking up at this makes me feel strangely nostalgic.”
“Giant Soldier…”
A Giant Soldier was literally a massive soldier with a giant-like body, a type of golem made of mud infused with demonic power.
Why would something meant only for war be brought out and hidden in a place like this?
“It’s illegal, too.”
I looked up at the dormant war weapon.
Even the term “war weapon” carried weight.
It meant it was not something to be handled carelessly.
To summon something like this, permission from the Demon King or a high-ranking demon of similar status was required.
I had been away for a while, so there was no way I had given such permission.
And aside from me, the only demon who could authorize a Giant Soldier was…
“Ha…”
Of course, Illay.
“Then, Jerena, from the next cycle onward, you won’t be able to trust anyone easily.”
Illay’s past words stabbed painfully into my chest.
Was Illay the one who approved this?
Why?
Was he preparing for war?
“With whom?”
No matter how many questions I asked, no answers came.
Raon was also staring at the Giant Soldier with a serious expression, as if he sensed something was wrong.
I lightly tapped his arm.
Startled, Raon looked from the Giant Soldier to me.
“Do you know anything about this?”
“No.”
It was an immediate answer.
He did not seem to be lying.
“Not that I know much about this guy anyway, just from seeing him a few times…”
If this had been approved by Illay, there was no way his aide would not know.
Especially not someone he trusted enough to entrust his own duties to.
If he were planning something secretly, he would still need subordinates.
And he would not bypass Raon, who had worked with him for so long.
I placed my hand on the Giant Soldier’s body.
I was trying to read the residual magic in the mud and the power stored inside.
“…”
I could sense several types of magic.
But I still could not tell exactly who they belonged to.
Magic, like body scent, had individual traits.
But just as people do not memorize others’ fingerprints, it was hard to recognize someone’s magic unless you were very close to them.
At least one thing was fortunate.
Among the multiple traces of magic, Illay’s was not present.
“There are three types of magic in this Giant Soldier.”
Even if only three infused power directly, many more were probably involved.
Summoning a Giant Soldier required considerable effort.
At minimum, the six demons who had gone down to the human world must all be related to this.
The reason the passage had been so long was not a side effect of forcing it open.
It had been made that way to hide this.
“Can you give me the list of demons who went to the human world again?”
“Ah, yes.”
I took the document Raon handed me and scanned the names.
Only one name was familiar.
Norn.
The demon who had tried to kill me countless times to claim the Demon King’s throne.
After he first pointed his blade at me, there were cycles where I eliminated him early on.
“Was it from the time I just wanted to die that I stopped killing Norn?”
I felt a slight regret.
Just as I was reproaching myself for sparing him…
“Demon King.”
Raon called me.
“Yes?”
“That’s the gate to the human world.
Are you going?”
He pointed with his index finger.
Behind the Giant Soldier, not far away, a gate to the human world was open.
If I went through it, I could reach where Sian was.
Thinking that, I suddenly wanted to pass through immediately.
I wanted to stay by his side and look at his earnest face all day.
“…But there’s still a lot I need to do.”
I steadied myself.
If I were going back now, there had been no reason to return to the Demon World in the first place.
“No, I’m not going.
I’ve only just returned to the Demon World.
Why would I go back to the human world already?”
“Ah, I thought so.
That’s a relief.”
Raon visibly relaxed and patted his chest.
Oh dear.
It seemed he had misunderstood something.
I quickly grabbed his shoulder.
“Raon?”
“Yes?”
“You’re going.”
“…What?”
“You’ll go in my place and find out where the six demons went and what they did.”
I smiled and applied slight pressure to his shoulder.
I was careful not to hurt him.
“B-But I still have tasks from Lord Illay…”
“I’ll go and explain that myself.”
I gently pushed the nearly-tearful Raon toward the gate.
“I want to go home after work…”
“It’s still morning.
What do you mean, go home?”
“If I go on a business trip to the human world, I’ll never get off on time!”
“That’s unfortunate.
But if you bring back a report, I’ll give you a week off.
Paid leave.
How about that?”
“I’ll go!”
At my words, Raon hurried off as if he had never been gloomy.
It was the brightest expression I had seen from him since learning his name.
Since it was a covert mission, he should return safely.
As Illay’s aide, Raon was surely a strong demon.
Without much thought, I turned and exited through the opposite gate.
The stale air of the Demon World filled my lungs.
Just as I took a deep breath and started walking…
A familiar face greeted me.
“Ah.”
“…Demon King.”
I had not expected to run into Illay the moment I stepped into the Demon World.
He also looked startled, as if he had not expected to see me.
“Why is Illay here?”
That was my first thought.
I was the one who chose to keep trusting him even after knowing he had regressed.
I was prepared to be betrayed once.
But I had no intention of taking a direct attack head-on.
If Illay was here for the reason I feared…
“No.
What am I thinking?”
It had been Raon, Illay’s aide, who came to report this portal.
Of course Illay would come to investigate himself.
That was the logical conclusion.
“Why did it take me so many thoughts to reach something so simple…”
I must have been more shaken by Illay’s confession than I realized.
“I need to stay sharp.”
I brushed my hair back and regained my composure.
“Did you come to investigate?”
“Ah, yes.
It seems you already went, though.”
“Yes.
I went with Raon.”
“…I could have investigated and reported myself.
Where is Raon now?”
“Ah, right.
I sent him to the human world.”
“The human world…?”
I nodded lightly.
“The gate was open, and there was a Giant Soldier inside,
but no related demons were there.”
“I see…
You used your personnel well.”
Wasn’t that a bit harsh on his aide?
Illay showed no concern at all, even though I had suddenly sent Raon away.
“I promised him vacation when he gets back.
Will that be okay?”
“Yes.
Of course.”
Something felt off in Illay’s calm reply.
It was not just that he was smiling faintly, unlike his usual blunt self.
It was not just that he did not scold me for acting on my own.
“He’s too calm.”
As if nothing had happened between us.
In that moment, I realized it.
Ah.
Illay was trying to act as though nothing had happened between us at all.
