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Our group arrived at the city of Ashmodain, where Asmodeus’s castle is located.

Normally, we would have had to bribe the guards and go through all sorts of commotion just to enter the city, but thanks to the identity badge Satan provided, we got in without any trouble.

‘It’s kind of funny that they let us through with an identity badge from a country they’re at war with.’

If you’re wondering how this works, the identity badge only has your name, age, and race written on it. There’s no information about which faction you belong to or which city you live in.

The more you learn about the Demon Realm, the more it feels like a comedy world. You could probably just pick up a piece of wood, carve it into the same shape, and forge a badge. Next time I visit the Demon Realm, I might just bring someone along and make them an identity badge myself.

‘Uh… next visit? That’s not happening.’

I accidentally planted the flag for a return visit to the Demon Realm, but no matter what happens, I’m definitely not coming back here. Really…

Anyway, after entering the city, we headed straight for Asmodeus’s castle.

We marched in confidently with our group, but…

“Stop! This is no place for the likes of you.”

The guards were reciting the exact same lines as last time, without missing a single word.

The guard was a new face, but why hasn’t the script changed?

I shook my head in disbelief.

Today, like always, we were here to make a request, so I tried to be as polite and respectful as possible.

“I’m here to see the snake brat, so open the door, kid.”

“Gyeoul… ever since coming to the Demon Realm, you’ve just turned into a thug.”

I ignored the complaints coming from behind me.

As I glared at the guards, one of them with a stiff expression signaled toward the guard post.

*Beep— Beep— Beep—*

At the same time, an alarm sounded.

Why is nothing different from last time?

The number of guards surrounding us started to exceed fifty.

“This is a group carrying weapons. They should be charged with special assault and treated as a criminal organization.”

“…Have you been hanging out with thugs lately?”

“Just kidding, your teacher told me that.”

“…No more YouTube for you when we get back.”

“Huh? That’s child abuse… almost said it.”

When Jeong Ha-yul’s expression hardened, I quickly changed my tone.

Just the thought of losing YouTube is overwhelming. If I keep this up, I might get grounded too.

“Arrest them all!”

A soldier, presumably the guard captain, finally uttered the line that led to our doom.

Unlike last time, we didn’t even argue or provoke them, but they suddenly charged at us with their spears, slowly closing in.

Anyway, a large, organized group wielding weapons—basically a criminal gang—was closing in on us from all sides.

In this case, even if I swung a brick, it would be self-defense.

In Korea, if a robber with a knife breaks into your house and tries to assault your younger sister, beating him with a laundry pole would still count as excessive force, but in the case of a criminal gang with weapons, self-defense is easier to justify.

The world of law is so confusing.

The reason I gave up studying law in my youth wasn’t because I was dumb, but because of this confusing mess. Really…

Anyway.

*Thud—*

I kicked the stomach of the soldier in the front row.

Before entering Asmodeus’s Demon King’s Castle, I always knock as a courtesy. Today was no different.

“…What the!”

“Thomas! Damn it!”

“Don’t just stand there, attack!”

After the guard captain’s charge order, the brave soldiers started rushing forward.

Unlike before, I couldn’t just throw the approaching soldiers aside.

Knocking has evolved with the times.

In my case, passive knocking has turned into active knocking.

I ran toward the soldiers.

Grabbing the arm of the soldier at the front, who looked terrified, I spun him around like a shot put and threw him toward the castle gate.

*Crash—*

I immediately pushed off the ground with my feet and jumped, spinning around to deliver a roundhouse kick.

*Crash—*

The basic knock-knock was complete.

Now it was time to perform a variation of the knock-knock.

“Seven of you, volunteer quickly. I need to knock.”

“…”

While the soldiers were confused, I glanced back and saw the expedition team members just standing there with their mouths open. Not one of them thought to help me.

When you visit someone else’s castle, it’s polite to knock, but they were being rude. Even as the captain of the expedition was in a life-threatening situation, they just stood there watching.

I was starting to regret bringing them along when they finally seemed to snap out of it.

“Gyeoul, this is a bit much.”

“Let’s stop now, okay?”

“Wow, this is really intense…”

Suddenly, they started attacking me.

“This is how we greet people here.”

“…What kind of greeting is this? And you didn’t greet Dantalion or Satan like this.”

That’s Satan’s territory.

This is Asmodeus’s territory.

Haven’t you heard the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”?

Our expedition team was filled with the prejudice that all countries share the same culture.

As I was thinking of some wise words to correct their narrow-mindedness…

The castle gate opened, and the snake brat came running out with his deputy.

His rotten expression made me want to make the castle lord knock on the gate himself, but… our plan came first. Let’s be polite.

“See, they came out as soon as I knocked. This is how they greet people in this city.”

“…Who wouldn’t come out when someone’s breaking their house?”

Anyway, we passed the still-dazed guards and entered the castle.

Only I know the secret that I was worried the guards wouldn’t stop me.

‘I was just a bit stressed from the long journey.’

***

In the reception room of Asmodeus’s castle, Jeong Gyeoul sat in the main seat, with the expedition team on one sofa and Asmodeus and his deputy on the other.

“…Gyeoul, are you really going to sit there?”

“Think of it as your own home and relax.”

“Since when did my castle become your home? I’d like to know.”

“Since you got beaten like a dog by me. Want another round?”

Asmodeus’s deputy looked at his lord in shock.

True to his role as the lord of lust, Asmodeus only employed incredibly beautiful demons as deputies, but they often got fed up and quit, so the deputies changed frequently.

This was the first time this deputy had seen Jeong Gyeoul.

It was also the first time he’d seen someone treat his lord so disrespectfully.

“…Just relax, everyone.”

Even the lord was backing down.

The deputy’s pupils started to tremble.

This was a common occurrence whenever Jeong Gyeoul met with the lords, so no one paid it any mind, but the deputy was shaking like crazy.

“So, what brings you here? What else do you want to take from me?”

“Wow, people might think I’m some thug. Huh?”

As I glared at Asmodeus and his deputy with a menacing look, the two demons averted their eyes.

It felt like debtors meeting a loan shark.

The expedition team couldn’t understand why demons were called the “demon race.”

From what they’d seen so far, they always got beaten by Jeong Gyeoul, either after provoking him or before they even had a chance.

It felt like the value of humans and demons had flipped.

Sometimes, I even felt sorry for the demons.

“Gyeoul, stop it and ask about your subordinates.”

“…Alright.”

Jeong Gyeoul, who had been enjoying tormenting Asmodeus, reluctantly asked about the whereabouts of Heukgu and Heukrang.

Asmodeus was baffled, but Jeong Gyeoul wasn’t the type to care about such things.

“Why are you asking me about your subordinates?”

“They’re in Asmodeus’s territory, right? And you sent them here last time. Want another beating?”

“What are you talking about? That was over ten years ago.”

This time, Jeong Gyeoul’s eyes widened a bit.

He had expected some time to have passed, but he hadn’t thought it would be over ten years.

“Whatever. Just find them.”

“…”

Without Heukgu and Heukrang, Jeong Gyeoul’s plan couldn’t even start.

In this vast Demon Realm, where even magic detection is blocked, finding Heukgu and Heukrang with just the expedition team would be nearly impossible.

I briefly regretted not asking Satan for help, but Asmodeus had a stronger military force than Satan.

So, I figured his intelligence network would be better than Satan’s.

“If you don’t find Heukgu and Heukrang, I’m going to live in this castle forever.”

“…I’ll send my men out immediately.”

It was a calculated threat, but the fact that just the idea of me living here could be a threat made me feel a bit sad.

‘Well, since I’ve got this image now, there’s no helping it…’

Now sitting cross-legged, Jeong Gyeoul gestured toward Asmodeus.

“Hey, get us some food.”

“…”

He was just a thug.

 

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