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“So… you’re saying you’re going to participate in the war in the Demon Realm?”

“Yeah, well, that’s how it turned out.”

“…”

The expressions of the group were varied.

Starting with worry, they went through confusion, disbelief, and shock, with most of them looking utterly dumbfounded.

“Asmodeus will take care of the accommodations, so stay at the inn. Heukrang and Hero-nim, please protect the people.”

“Yes.”

“Captain! I’ll join too!”

“Get lost, you look like you’d get kicked by a low-ranking soldier and fly away. If you were just a bit stronger, we wouldn’t even need to go to Satan; we could’ve just punched Asmodeus. This is all your fault.”

“…”

Asmodeus’s subordinates couldn’t even approach because of Heukrang, but Jeong Gyeoul, unaware of this, kept nagging Heukrang.

It was an utterly unfair situation.

Thud—

Jeong Gyeoul placed several leather pouches on the table.

“…?”

“This is money. I got a lot from this guy, so stay at the inn and rest comfortably.”

After drafting the contract, she naturally took the guard fee from Asmodeus and distributed the money to the group.

Heukrang, who had been sulking the whole time, brightened up as a bonus.

“Then, I’ll be off. If anything happens, shoot a signal flare. I’ve put one in each leather pouch.”

Since the dagger-wielding filming team 1 was at the base camp, there was no other choice but to use signal flares.

The Demon Realm’s era is no different from the Middle Ages, yet they already have gunpowder signal flares.

Having never lived in the Middle Ages, I’m not sure if this is even possible.

But considering there might be humans who were captured or brought here from the intermediate realm, it’s somewhat natural for technology that doesn’t fit the era to exist.

“Be careful… I’m always sorry and grateful.”

“Don’t mention it. Just protect the people well, and there’ll be nothing to be sorry about.”

“Yes! I’ll protect them with my life.”

I’ve met many heroes, but this is the first time I’ve met someone so burdensome.

Jeong Gyeoul forced a smile.

“Hey… wait a minute.”

If there’s actor Han Seo-jin in filming team 1, then in filming team 2, there’s actress Yoon Seo.

She asked Jeong Gyeoul with a worried expression.

“Do you really need to participate in the war? Maybe we can find another way…”

“You’re already hostages. I could break through with my strength, but people would definitely get hurt or die in the process… Now that we’ve drafted a contract, they won’t harm you. It’s better to negotiate with Satan. From what I remember, Satan was the best personality in the Demon Realm.”

“…”

Jeong Gyeoul gave a long and sincere answer, but it definitely wasn’t because actress Yoon Seo was pretty.

Anyway, that’s how it is.

‘If I explain this much, they’ll behave.’

Even if Asmodeus promised not to touch them and Heukrang and Hero Jeong Daesik are protecting them, this is still the Demon Realm.

Humans are at the bottom of the ecosystem.

If they get into a fight with passing demons, their heads might roll before Asmodeus’s subordinates can intervene.

“Anyway, that’s the situation, so everyone be careful. But you don’t have to stay cooped up in the inn. Just make sure to move around with Heukrang.”

Jeong Gyeoul kept nagging Heukrang for being weak, but he’s at least in the upper ranks of A-Class.

In many ways, he’s a more reliable escort than Hero Jeong Daesik.

“Then, I’ll be off.”

After delivering various warnings, money, and signal flares, she left the inn.

At the entrance, there was a demon and a carriage waiting, which she hadn’t seen before.

They seemed to be demons assigned by Asmodeus.

‘Has my bad sense of direction become a rumor even in the Demon Realm?’

Actually, they were more like watchers, but Jeong Gyeoul, being bad with directions, naturally thought they were guides.

“I’ll escort you.”

“…Okay.”

Jeong Gyeoul headed towards the desolate desert with Asmodeus’s subordinate.

“Whose idea was this hostage situation? Some snake brat’s ad-lib?”

“T-that’s just a very common and basic thing in the Demon Realm…”

Asmodeus’s subordinate didn’t know what an ad-lib was, but he definitely understood the question.

He was sure that if he named who came up with the idea, that demon’s future would be uncertain.

Especially since it was him.

“Sigh. This is why the Demon Realm doesn’t progress, always relying on hostages instead of solving things with their own strength. Using only your head makes your body weak.”

Jeong Gyeoul was giving a front-handed backhanded compliment to the mastermind of the hostage situation, and the mastermind was sweating bullets while responding.

Several hours passed like this.

‘S-save me.’

Asmodeus’s subordinate was under constant stress, and his hair was falling out in real-time.

***

The guide’s expression suddenly brightened.

His expression had been dark throughout the conversation, so I thought he was just a cynical demon who didn’t smile, but he actually smiles a lot.

“Finally! We’re almost there.”

“…You mean the barracks up ahead?”

“Yes, our army’s temporary command center.”

“Instead of defending in the city, you’re planning a grand battle in the plains?”

“That’s the nature of the desolate desert. There are no cities, and the villages are just houses made of wooden planks. We can’t defend there. And there’s no reason to defend against Satan’s army.”

Both when talking to Asmodeus and now.

Are these guys stronger than I thought?

They keep talking like they can crush Satan’s army.

“At that level, did I even need to come?”

“The lord said that if you step in, we might not have to shed blood.”

“…Sh*t, are you saying I should fight Satan one-on-one?”

The guide awkwardly smiled and led me to the general’s tent.

It looked grand, as if boasting, “This is the general’s tent.”

It’s the perfect design to get assassinated or bombed during a war.

Fortunately or unfortunately, there are no bombers in the Demon Realm.

At the final destination, I took the lead as if I wasn’t bad with directions.

The soldiers guarding the tent froze, and I was able to enter the tent without hearing any “Human scum!” shouts.

“Where do you think you are, human scum! What are the guards doing!”

A demon, who could be called the epitome of a muscle pig, shouted at me.

‘I let my guard down. I didn’t expect the human remarks to come from inside, not outside.’

The soldiers rushed into the tent late, trembling as they answered.

“S-sorry, General! But this is a guest brought by one of the Four Heavenly Kings…”

“What? The Four Heavenly Kings?”

Pfft—

The Four Heavenly Kings… such a childish name made it hard to hold back my laughter.

So the guide wasn’t just a guide.

I apologized to the Four Heavenly Kings who entered the tent late.

“Oh, I didn’t realize you were one of the Four Heavenly Kings. I’m sorry for being so casual.”

“It’s fine… This person is the temporary commander-in-chief appointed by Asmodeus himself. Show respect!”

“…Huh?”

Bang—

The general made a face like, “What nonsense is this?” and the Four Heavenly Kings personally kicked him.

“Ugh… s-sorry.”

The general, apologizing even after being hit, reminded me of our owls back at the academy.

‘I hope they’re doing well.’

They’re probably not exercising since I’m not there.

Once this is over, I’ll visit the academy and straighten them out.

And I’ll scold my master for throwing me into this variety show.

If I hadn’t done the variety show, I wouldn’t have gone to the uninhabited island, and if I hadn’t gone to the uninhabited island, I wouldn’t have come to the Demon Realm, and if I hadn’t come to the Demon Realm, I wouldn’t have had to argue with Asmodeus, and if I hadn’t argued with Asmodeus, I wouldn’t have had to fight Satan.

In the end, it’s all my master’s fault.

Of course, the association president and Ha-yul unnie aren’t without blame either.

I’ll settle the score when I get back. Look forward to it, everyone.

“We’ll escort you to the high seat. Temporary Commander-in-Chief!”

While I was lost in thought, the ranking and military discipline seemed to have been established. The general stood straight.

He was as polite and respectful as when I knocked on Asmodeus’s Demon King’s Castle.

Why. What.

If I did that much at the snake brat’s place, I did my best.

Anyway, Satan’s side seems to be friends with Satan and the generals, but it’s different here.

“But I don’t know how to command?”

“I expected that. You can just transfer command to the general.”

“…Then why give me the title of temporary commander-in-chief?”

“So you can act without hindrance. I’m sorry to say this, but in the Demon Realm, the human race is seen as nothing more than slaves.”

I get what you mean.

Every time I move in the Demon Realm, I hear things like “Human scum,” “Human woman,” “Human this and that.”

If anyone here says that to me, I’ll flip them over, so it feels like they’re taking precautions.

‘This kind of consideration… unfamiliar.’

No matter how I think about it… it seems like he’s studied a bit over 40 years.

Asmodeus wasn’t the type to think this far ahead.

Then what about Satan?

…It’s probably better to try negotiating.

While Asmodeus’s brain has developed this much, how much has Satan progressed?

‘If that snake brat has grown this much, has Satan evolved into something like a demon god?’

Whether it’s physical or mental development, there’s nothing to gain from fighting.

‘If they invaded the intermediate realm, that’s one thing, but since they’re invading Asmodeus’s territory, I don’t need to risk my life to defend it…’

If things go south, I’ll run back to the inn as fast as I can, save as many people as possible, and escape as far as I can.

But why are they trying to conquer the Demon Realm now, of all times?

Right when I’m here.

…

Maybe my true enemy isn’t villains, monsters, or demons, but God.

Fate is screwing me over.

“They’re moving!”

A soldier rushed into the tent, shouting.

Sure enough, as soon as I arrived, Satan’s army began their advance.

At this point, I should probably change my name to “Jung Oppressed.”

 

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