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The minions of that snake brat who kept spouting nonsense about how I shouldn’t be here.

Even though a flick on the forehead wouldn’t have been enough for their crime, I forgave them, and they responded with a friend-summoning spell.

Before I knew it, the number of guards surrounding me had surpassed fifty.

I began to feel a threat to my life.

“You guys are really going to get into big trouble if you keep this up?”

“I have no idea what nonsense you’re spouting. I will hold you accountable for daring to tarnish my lord’s name.”

“I only called him a snake brat, but wasn’t it you who just tarnished your lord’s name?”

I never even mentioned Asmodeus’s name, but if they’re bringing up their lord over me calling him a snake brat, whose fault is that, mine or yours?

“Shut up! Just like a wicked human, you have a treacherous tongue!”

“If we’re talking about a treacherous tongue, isn’t that a symbol of a snake? The more you talk, the further your promotion seems to slip away.”

“…Eek!”

Shivering.

I noticed this during my last trip too, but demons from the Demon Realm really are easily provoked.

I admire their courage to consistently throw trash talk, but challenging someone who’s been trained in the Rift, where people tear each other apart, slice, stab, and even ask about each other’s parents, seems a bit premature by about a hundred years.

When the guard captain, who seemed to be in charge, couldn’t hold back and moved, the other guards also picked up their spears and pressured me.

When a group of people with a common purpose exerts power like this, it’s considered special assault.

And these guys are all carrying deadly weapons.

In this case, throwing punches to protect myself would be seen as self-defense by anyone.

Even if I’m in a position to ask for a favor and want to act politely, I can’t hold back on self-defense.

‘Actually, this is good.’

It might become a good pretext to pressure the snake brat.

For example, ‘Your minions messed with me while I was just standing here quietly, how are you going to compensate me?’

As I smirked and smiled, the pupils of the guards shook.

A human woman smiling while numerous guards are pressuring her with spears.

They must think she’s either crazy or confident.

Sorry to disappoint, but it’s the latter.

Whoosh—

With a light front kick, I sent the guard captain in front of me flying.

But since it’s my first time visiting the snake’s Demon King’s Castle, I should knock.

The door was too far, so I used the guard captain to knock on the castle gate.

Whoosh—

I pushed off the ground with my foot and jumped into the air, spinning around for a back kick.

Unfortunately, a guard standing next to the captain flew away.

If one knock wasn’t enough, I’ll knock twice to be thorough.

I haven’t forgotten my polite and courteous concept.

‘My personality seems to get weird whenever I come to the Demon Realm.’

It’s all the demons’ fault.

Anyway, that’s how it is.

***

For some reason, magic power detection wasn’t working throughout the Demon Realm, whatever Satan was up to.

Thanks to that, I realized too late that Satan had personally set out to the desolate desert.

Just as Asmodeus was about to rush to the desolate desert.

Boom—

Something flew in and knocked on the Demon King’s Castle.

“…What’s going on!”

The commotion occurred while he was putting on his armor, and Asmodeus shouted, but none of the castle’s servants knew what was happening.

“It seems something hit the wall, I’ll go check…”

Boom—

Something flew in again and struck the castle hard.

Could it be that Satan developed a weapon capable of long-range strikes?

As anxiety crept up, he had no choice but to go out and see for himself.

“…Why is that woman here?”

It could be a weapon, but it wasn’t one of Satan’s new weapons.

A human woman who once stood by Satan’s side and stole his Dimensional Stone.

That was already forty years ago.

Since then, there had been no news of her.

‘But why is she here?’

Just as the war with Satan was approaching, another headache had appeared.

“Could it be… she’s still with Satan? Pull back the soldiers for now.”

“Huh? Ah, understood!”

It’s extremely rare for Asmodeus to show such urgency.

If it’s because of a young human woman dealing with the guards, it’s only natural to question.

But, being a loyal subordinate, he decided to follow orders first.

The butler who received Asmodeus’s order hurriedly ran and barely managed to stop them, but by then, exactly six guards were embedded in the castle walls.

Asmodeus, who had leisurely walked up to Jeong Gyeoul, opened his mouth with a look of displeasure.

“Quite a spectacular reunion after forty years.”

“I knocked six times before you finally came out to greet me.”

“…Never mind that. What’s your business here? Is it on Satan’s orders?”

“Satan? Why is that name coming up all of a sudden?”

“Weren’t you Satan’s subordinate?”

“…What nonsense is this now?”

“Judging by your reaction, it seems you weren’t sent by Satan. Come in for now.”

Jeong Gyeoul, who had politely knocked, was formally invited into the Demon King’s Castle.

Inside the castle’s reception room.

Sipping the tea served by the butler, she looked at Asmodeus sitting on the throne.

“A loser sitting on the throne, the Demon Realm is really something.”

“…You’re as arrogant as ever.”

“If you’re unhappy, why don’t you come at me?”

“I don’t have the leisure to fight with you.”

“Scared?”

The magical word that had scratched Asmodeus during her last trip to the Demon Realm popped out.

Asmodeus’s expression stiffened, perhaps recalling that memory.

“Shut up and state your business.”

“You know you owe me a favor, right?”

“From forty years ago? I haven’t forgotten. But right now, we’re at war, and I can’t afford to spend time helping…”

“Give me the Dimensional Stone.”

“Last time and this time, it’s all about the Dimensional Stone. Do you know how valuable that is? It’s something you can’t get even with money.”

“And you’re the one who gave it to a night slave, right?”

Forty years ago, Asmodeus had gifted the Dimensional Stone he was supposed to give to Jeong Gyeoul to a night slave.

Seeing him now treat it as a precious item is just laughable.

“I’ll give you the Dimensional Stone, but I hope you never get involved with me again.”

“Well, if you guys didn’t mess with people living peacefully in the Middle Realm, I wouldn’t have to come. I’m not here because I want to be.”

“I don’t know who summoned you again, but it certainly wasn’t me.”

“Yeah, it’s not you, but you’re the easiest to deal with. So, by the way, do you know how to draw a magic circle?”

“Looking at you, the Demon Realm suits you better than the Middle Realm. Your speech and attitude are more demon-like than mine. Of course, I know how to draw a dimensional teleportation magic circle.”

“Thanks for the compliment. If you know how to draw it, you’ll have to draw that for me too.”

Having settled the Dimensional Stone, I might as well get the magic circle done in one go.

Jeong Gyeoul, with a satisfied expression, looked at Asmodeus with sparkling eyes.

But… she was lightly rejected.

“I refuse.”

“Refusal is refusal.”

“…I’m not in the mood for wordplay. I need to head to the desolate desert to stop Satan, so I don’t have time to leisurely draw magic circles.”

“You lost to Satan, right? Isn’t this a good chance not to fight, thanks to me?”

“Me, lose to Satan? Even a passing Hellhound would laugh at that. I’ll give you the Dimensional Stone, so take it and leave.”

Jeong Gyeoul had defeated Asmodeus, but she wasn’t confident she could defeat Satan so easily.

Then, naturally, Satan has a higher chance of winning than Asmodeus.

But Asmodeus just snorted and ordered the butler to bring out the Dimensional Stone.

‘…Is it a compatibility thing? It doesn’t seem like Satan would lose. Is it just bluster?’

I don’t want to go to Satan in the middle of the battlefield.

Who knows if this situation is Satan’s fault.

But it’s too much of a hassle to go to other lords’ territories and negotiate again.

“No matter how I think about it, the answer is only you.”

“…?”

“If you don’t draw the magic circle, you’re not leaving.”

“Ha, just because you barely beat me forty years ago, you’re so full of yourself. In my territory, my city, my castle. Do you think you can block me?”

“Barely beaten forty years ago, and now you’re so bold! In your territory, your city, your castle, do you think it’s okay to be beaten?”

To be honest, I feel a bit sorry for squeezing something out of Asmodeus.

Especially since he’s on the brink of war.

But right now, filming team 2 needs medical help.

As the saying goes, ‘A crab is on the side of the crab,’ the safety of humans is more important than that of demons.

I decided to brazenly threaten him with a straight face.

“Do you really want to do this?”

“I have nothing to lose. If half the city flies away, I can clearly see you kneeling and drawing a magic circle.”

“…Fine, I’ll draw the magic circle. But on one condition.”

“A dog with its tail down is setting conditions… The Demon Realm is really something. So, what is it?”

“Stop Satan’s advance.”

“You crazy guy, are you asking me to get involved in the war now?”

“Yeah, that’s about what you need to do to give me a reason to stay in the castle and draw magic circles instead of participating.”

Asmodeus’s proposal was utterly absurd.

“Beating you up right here would be much easier, faster, and simpler than stopping Satan’s advance.”

“But you wouldn’t get the magic circle.”

“Satan knows how to draw magic circles too, right? What if I join Satan’s army?”

“You brought humans into the city, right? Aren’t their lives precious to you?”

Asmodeus had already figured out the existence of filming team 2.

Perhaps his subordinates are already heading to the inn.

“Taking hostages? Look at how vicious this snake brat is.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

 

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