Chapter 177

“This is the land where the Demon King resides, huh.”

Berugal gazes at the demon who utters these words.

Awe.

His eyes, shining with unwavering faith and loyalty, leave a sense of alienness upon Berugal.

Even knowing full well what form the Demon King takes, this demon maintains such an attitude.

Truth be told, it didn’t matter what form the Demon King took.

The essence of being the Demon King.

The mere word itself carries undeniable weight.

Though the term “cute” doesn’t quite fit, the Demon King before them isn’t what this demon imagined, yet his conviction remains unshaken.

Indeed. The Demon King is the one prophesied to lead demons to glory.

“As expected, the smell of earth here is different…”

Entering the forest, moisture lingers on the lips of the demon speaking thus.

Did he eat dirt?

Berugal wasn’t particularly pleased to be traveling with this unpredictable group of demons.

“Wonderfully done, Berugal.”

“Not at all. I merely did what was required.”

“You will be rewarded for your efforts.”

Among the fanatical demons, there were still some sane ones.

Nepile, their leader, stood out among them.

While similar in believing in the glory of demons and prophecy, Nepile differed in that he approached matters rationally.

Their destination was the land of possibilities glimpsed by Berugal.

From afar, it stretched endlessly—a paradise brimming with immense potential, an ideal utopia.

Even with Berugal’s special sight, just catching a glimpse nearly blinded him with its promise.

This land they headed towards undoubtedly held a brilliant future.

Life filled the forest they entered.

After living hidden underground, the refreshing vitality overwhelmed the entire demon group.

It was natural for their expressions to relax and soften.

Confronting this radiant future, Berugal soon found himself staring at an enormous tree towering over the world.

“My goodness.”

Hope.

World-encompassing grandeur.

Perfect possibility.

Rainbows of dazzling joy swirling around.

Blinded by the sight, Berugal tightly shut his eyes.

An incomprehensible magnitude of potential.

The tree’s culmination represented ultimate possibility.

Similar to the shock of first meeting the Demon King.

Stunned by the tree embodying such potential, Berugal silently gave thanks for its majestic presence.

“It’s been a while.”

A familiar voice causes Berugal to slowly open his eyes.

In the space filled with demons stands a man, calmly overlooking them all.

Light, potential.

An immeasurably deep abyss.

Not brilliance but another kind of barrier entirely.

As if proving previous encounters weren’t lies, the Demon King’s father radiated appropriate majesty.

“Do you know demon language? Who are you?”

“I shall explain. This is…the Demon King’s father.”

“…What?”

At the words “Demon King’s father,” Nepile momentarily loses consciousness.

Does this mean he fathered the Demon King?

Is he stronger than the Demon King?

Does this mean greatness?

All meanings swirl together, leaving Nepile momentarily frozen in silence.

“That’s not incorrect.”

Hearing this from the one called the Demon King’s father, Nepile slowly steps back.

Turning his gaze to Berugal, whose slight nod confirms the truth, Nepile feels a trickle of sweat down his back.

“Forgive me! For my ignorance in not recognizing the Demon King’s father…”

“Enough. Rather, do you believe you can coexist peacefully with humans here?”

“What do you mean…?”

Minho’s gaze turns to Berugal, reproach evident without explanation.

Frantically, Berugal turns to Nepile to speak.

“Th-the Demon King here gets along well with humans. Moreover, the Demon King’s father is human…”

“…?”

When Nepile questions this, Berugal begins recounting various stories about the village.

Mostly trivial details but necessary nonetheless.

Seemingly understanding, Nepile and his kin slowly kneel before Minho.

Accepting their submission, Minho nods.

“Follow me. I’ll show you where to live.”

“Yes!”

“Yul probably wouldn’t recognize the Demon King anyway.”

“Ah. Even so, might we have the honor of beholding His Majesty?”

As Berugal says this, Minho smiles and nods.

Quietly clenching his fist, Nepile expresses his joy.

Their destination was slightly apart from the developed village area.

A place Minho had deliberately prepared.

A small replica of Bellbaram Valley’s residential zone.

A complete town minus factories and the Great Abbey.

“Behave yourselves and live well. Be sure to learn the human language.”

“Understood. We know a bit…but we’ll certainly teach those who don’t.”

“Good.”

“May we see the Demon King?”

“Wait. I’ll bring him soon.”

“Yes!”

Watching the highly spirited Nepile, Minho disappears with incredible speed.

Hardly leaving a trace, reinforcing the awe-inspiring nature of his abilities.

“Hmph… ”

“An appropriate guardian for the Demon King’s growth.”

“Yes, indeed.”

“Our role is simply to support the Demon King’s path of growth.”

Resolving thus, Nepile anticipates the beautiful flower that will bloom under the Demon King’s reign.

The prosperity of demons.

Reigniting what was once lost serves as powerful motivation.

“An excellent location. A fitting starting point.”

Berugal watches this scene, scratching his head awkwardly.

Battle, struggle, conquest.

Though some Demon Kings leaned toward such tendencies, others didn’t.

Typically, rapid growth often stemmed from battle.

But this time, no such signs appear.

Could the Demon King’s nature change?

Though Yul as Demon King seems unlikely to take that direction.

“Yes.”

As the demons settle into the village, the one called the Demon King’s father arrives with a small child.

The child rides atop something silver.

Recognizing this, Nepile quickly adjusts his attire and composure.

“Silver… dragon. Dragon?! Good heavens.”

“Why the surprise?”

“No, nothing. That person riding the silver dragon must surely be our illustrious Demon King.”

“At last…”

Nepile’s heart beats wildly.

Small and adorable appearance.

Two clearly defined horns.

Blood-red eyes and pitch-black hair.

Perfectly matching the legends, an unmistakable form of the Demon King.

Though appearing as a human child, that’s merely outward form.

Isn’t the meaning behind it what truly matters?

“Ahem.”

Yul gracefully dismounts, hands behind his back, walking steadily.

The demons halt their actions, bowing respectfully.

“Great Demon King!”

“Not glass.”

“No!”

“Inng. Abba just said I’m a glass fan.”

Yul looks somewhat awkwardly at his father Minho.

Seeking help, his gaze prompts Minho to approach gently while casting a strong pressure on Nepile kneeling reverently.

The intense pressure felt by Nepile.

And then the unmistakable sense of hostility shocks Berugal.

Fiendish monstrosity.

An impossible demonic form.

Tangible animosity.

Realizing something, Berugal whispers urgently into Nepile’s ear.

Finally understanding, Nepile bites his lip and bows deeply.

“Correct! A fan of Yul!”

“How did you know about the glass?”

“The famous bike rider known for cuteness.”

“Hehe.”

“Looking forward to working together!”

“Will Glass listen?”

“Yes!”

“Then Glass has somewhere to go.”

“Anywhere together!”

“Roger!”

Watching this, Minho nods approvingly.

Relieved at how things turned out, Berugal lets out a slow sigh.

Anyway, everything worked out fine.

Thus, the demons collectively march off somewhere in a grand spectacle.

The little child singing a tune atop the silver dragon, followed quietly by the rest.

Their destination was the Great Abbey.

Though startled by this, Yul enters without hesitation.

A place filled with divine power and priests.

The demons follow uneasily inside.

Despite possible interference, the presence of Minho and Yul ensures they enter the massive prayer hall unimpeded.

“Glass’ promise!”

“Yes!”

“Prayer time. Know that?”

“What should we pray for?”

“For Glass’ fandom to continue!”

“Ah. Understood!”

Nepile considered this a test of loyalty.

Same went for Berugal and the other demons.

Their unified prayers, despite being demons, shine with genuine devotion.

To the priests, the newly arrived demons seem devout from the start.

Watching this amusing development, Minho couldn’t help but chuckle.

Whatever.

Things tend to work out when they’re meant to.

No need to overly worry about demons integrating with humans.

Visually, demons resemble humans closely enough.

As long as they don’t cause trouble, it should be fine.

The demons’ prayers.

Seeing a procession of nearly a thousand demons praying alongside Yul, Minho could only smile.

Consider it gaining about a thousand obedient Yul fanatics.

Their presence at the Great Abbey for prayer might not seem strange.

After all, fans encompass such feelings too.

Thus, a new Yul fan club formed in the village.

***

[Congratulations!!]

[Mining reached adept level!]

[1. Small vein creation]

[2. Custom equipment manufacturing]

The system greets me with shorter, more concise messages now.

Thanks to my clones’ hard work.

Experimented to see if clones could achieve accomplishments, turns out they can share progress.

So without much effort, I reached adept in mining.

Wonder if the system got tired of long messages too.

Felt some laborious typing going on, but now the succinct phrases leave an impression.

Still, it remembers to congratulate me, which is pretty cute.

Taking a melon from my bag, I fed it to the system.

Never imagined it would come to this.

Guess the saying about never knowing anything in life holds true.

Custom equipment manufacturing, small vein creation.

More useful than climate control and growth acceleration I got at adept farming.

Though automation makes farming skills less practical.

Curious about custom equipment especially.

Though I’ve already upgraded equipment sufficiently for now, curiosity-inducing messages like these make experimentation irresistible.

For vein creation, I’ll try it out at the mine sometime.

Casually clicking random options gives the satisfaction of achievement.

Subtle fatigue seeps into my body like a gentle rain.

Not painful, just a heavy sensation spreading slowly.

Mild body ache throughout.

Not bad at all.

Considering the price for reaching adept, this feels rather cheap.

“Pfuu.”

Might take a little rest today.

Feel normal, but always best to rest after leveling up.

Thus, standing at spring’s edge on this day.

I enjoy a leisurely day of rest at home.

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