Chapter 56 The Demon King’s Army

? "Ugh, stop smirking like that. You look more annoying than you already are."

"Hoh? Am I smirking?"

"You are." Millonia looks at me weirdly. "I didn't expect having a sword could get you that excited."

"It's not just any sword, Millonia—it's a Blue Rank Relic." I smirk. "I can do much more things with it."

"Whatever."

Looking down at my right hand, I can see another symbol carved on it, right below below the Demon King's Mark.

The sword like symbol signifies the establishment of the bond between me and Rexorem—a Bond Seal. Instead of carrying it around on my back, I can store it inside the Bond Seal, and summon it whenever I want.

"Have you already figured out the way to summon your sword?" Millonia asks.

"I would have been freaking out upon noticing that my sword had gone if I hadn't," I answer blandly. "I immediately knew how it worked the moment I bound Rexorem with myself."

"Tsk. You and your annoying quick learning ability..." Millonia's lips curl in distaste.

"Don't be sad." I pat Millonia's shoulder. "You are not bad—I am just better."

"This bastard..."

Millonia looks at me both in astonishment and irritation. She doesn't do anything however, because there is Valeria who is monitoring us—none of us dares to fuss, in fright of angering her.

"Can you show me your sword as a proof of your ability to summon it?" Valeria looks at me curiously.

"Of course, I can do that." I shrug lightly. "It's not that big of a deal anyway."

I extend my right hand hand to the side, then channel my Mana into the Bond Seal. The sword like symbol glows in red at the exact same moment Rexorem gradually materializes in my hand—starting from the hilt to the tip of the blade.

The process roughly takes 5 seconds. It can be done faster, but watching Rexorem gradually appears in my hand out of thin air fascinates me so much, I purposely slow down the process.

Swish!

The greatsword has completely materialized, and I muse about how much lighter it is compared to how heavy I expected it to be. I swing it lightly to the side, just enough to make a weak wind sweep, to make sure that I can be comfortable with it.

'As expected... Swinging this big sword feels a little weird... I hope I can get used to it soon.'

Clank!

Seeing that holding such a big sword in my hand while not in battle will make me look stupid, I stab it to the ground in front of me, then take a good look at it. It is weird to say this, but this is the first time I am truly looking at it.

Other than its big size, the unique shape of the sword is aesthetically eye-catching. It looks like the gigantic version of the bayonet that soldiers use in the army back on Earth, but curvier and deadlier.

There are some strange letters carved on the blade too, and I don't know what it means nor do I know what it functions as. Another thing that was on the blade, or rather, in the blade, is a red stone that pretty much looks like a ruby.

Likewise, I don't know what it functions as, but I bet it is something that will aid me greatly in battle.

"Kuhum!" I clear my throat as I realize I have been staring at my sword for too long. "As you can see, I already know how to—"

[Is there something I can aid you with, my Lord?!]

"Shut up!" I snap at Rexorem who has just interrupted me. "A-Ah, no. I didn't mean to direct it at you, Valeria."

"Don't worry. I can see that you are talking to your sword." Valeria waves her hand casually.

I heave a sigh at that, then speak to Rexorem inside my head. 'Listen, bastard. You scared the hell out of me when you suddenly spoke just a moment ago. Keep in mind to never do that again!'

[It can be done, my Lord!]

'That is good. I hope this will be the last time.'

[Still, my Lord, why am I summoned?]

'You really don't know? Well, it doesn't matter anyway—just keep quiet.'

[Understood.]

From our conversation, I can conclude one thing: despite being inside my head and living in me, Rexorem doesn't see what I see and hear what I hear unless I summon him or give him a permission to access my mind.

That fact is slightly comforting—I am tired of getting my mind read. Nonetheless, I ignore him afterwards, then turn my attention back to Valeria.

"I have seen enough, so you can take your sword back."

"I'll do that." Flicking my hand lightly, Rexorem returns to the Bond Seal in a flash. "So, what are we going to do next?"

"We will be picking up your armor of course."

"Oh, I honestly forgot about that."

Valeria merely hums at my response then motions me to follow her out of the room. I walk beside her, and get out of the room together with Millonia following closely behind us.

Now, we are heading to the door on the north. I don't know why Valeria didn't give me one of the armors that I saw in the room earlier, but I don't question her decision.

As someone who has more experience and authority, she must know what she is doing. Besides, I, for one, also don't think those heavy set of armors I saw in the room earlier suit my fighting style.

'Ah, crap! My sword doesn't suit my fighting style too!' My eyes widen as I realized Valeria still gave me Rexorem despite knowing I fight with daggers.

Rather than giving me the lighter one, I am afraid she will give me a heavier set of armor compared to what I have seen in the room earlier. In result, I become sceptical of what kind of armor she will give me.

"The reason why I didn't give you any of the armor inside the room earlier is because their quality is too high for something that you, a supposedly normal soldier, should wear. You have to wear the lower quality one to avoid suspicion."

"Are you really saying that after giving me a Blue Rank Relic?"

"Unlike armor, no one cares about the quality of your weapon. Even though you possess an Indigo Rank sword in your hand, no one will question it, because there is a high probability you have just luckily stumbled upon it."

"I thought the main concern here is attracting the other Demons' greed," I muse to myself. "So, what makes armors different?"

"Armors that are Green Rank and above need to be specially forged by an artisan. No one can just 'stumble upon' it, because none of the late powerful individuals in this world had left behind high quality armors before they died."

"Hmm... If me getting robbed of my possessions is not the concern here, then it is the fact that I will risk exposing my status to the other Demon King Candidates." We are already in front of the door on the north, so I stop in my track. "Am I right?"

"Yes, you are right." Valeria pushes the door open. "Giving you a high quality armor is the same as declaring you are special."

The door is opened smoothly, and all of us immediately enter the room. Upon looking around the room, I am greeted by the same scene I have seen earlier in the room on the west.

Unlike the previous room however, this room contains more armors than bladed weapons. There are also some amulets, rings, and bracelets kept here—I believe all of them are Defensive Relics.

"This is the armor you are going to wear, Layland." Valeria stops in front of a particular glass case. "It is only an Orange Rank Relic, but it will be more than enough for you, unless your lifetime goal is becoming a professional meat shield."

"Well, it does look light... And lacking." I look at the small set of armor with a hum. "It will give me a lot of mobility but it will only protect my chest, forearms, and thighs. It will be good if I have something to protect my abdomen too."

"For Demons, armor is nothing but an accessory." Valeria stares me right in the eyes. "They are used to pain, and none of them is eager to wear armors—for them, it's a sign of weakness."

"Well, I don't mind being considered a weakling for wearing an armor." I shrug nonchalantly. "For me, safety is number one priority after all."

Valeria nods her head in agreement. "Indeed. Wearing an armor is an act of prevention—it is to prevent something unwanted from happening."

She points her index finger at my heart. "However, those who do that are none but the people who anticipate themselves to fail ... Are you not confident in your skill for you to expect yourself to get killed by your future opponents?"

"Sheesh. I get it." I put up my hands. "I was just wondering if I could get something to protect my abdomen—I don't doubt my skill in the slightest."

Valeria smiles at my answer, then motions me to put my palm on the glass case containing my armor.