CH 106

Chapter 106 – Audience [Part 1]

The area was renamed from the Cursed Wetlands to the Cursed Forest.

The area has lost its humidity and moisture despite the fog, and although demons still roamed, creatures and plants previously unseen were beginning to inhabit the area.

In the heart of this dangerous forest rose an evil castle.

The demonic castle, that looked like it came straight out of the abyss, though incomplete, was built at an unbelievable speed in a short period of time.

A delegation from the Republic of Larman followed the Bone Knight through the dimly lit and eerie corridors of the castle.

“…Captain, this is a trap, isn’t it….?”

Zancock’s team, who had a ‘Type 2’, one of the man-made monsters, accompany them, had disappeared, and the Cursed Swamp had changed.

And then, a report arrived from a secret agent in the Kingdom of Light, which was hard to believe.

–The [Black Demon King] had taken control of the [Swamp Demon]…..

The Republic of Larman immediately sent a scouting party to the Cursed Wetlands to see what was going on.

Despite the fog, the ground was not like a swamp at all, and buildings were being built in the center of the Cursed Wetlands.

Above it, a monster of fog was circling leisurely.

“…Be brave. Even if it was a trap, we will not turn back. We must negotiate to have the chain handed over to Larman at any cost.“

“……”

Even the captain’s words, intended as a rebuke, trembled slightly from fear.

The group of messengers had been camped in the forest for a week waiting for the Demon King, but morale was low throughout the group as they embarked for their mission.

It seems that the [Swamp Demon] had decided that she would listen to what they had to say first rather than wait for the Demon King’s return.

“……”

With each step towards the great door before them, the pressure increased and their steps became heavier and heavier.

But for the sake of their motherland, they could not stop walking.

As soon as they reached the great door, there was no need to stop walking, as it opened slowly….. almost like it had recognized them.

Without giving them time to make up their minds…

“Ugh…”

“….Ugh….”

…mana that was like miasma overflowed.

“….get in line now. You are the last.”

They were presented with a glimpse of the power that the [Swamp Demon] could wield.

“……”

The frightened messengers, who had stopped dead in their tracks, saw a sight beyond their expectations.

On the far right, a group of trembling orcs knelt.

In the center, a scrawny robed man was present along with human-like women that had very bad complexions.

They were surrounded by skeleton knights.

And at the top of the stairs was an empty throne.

“…..!”

The first messenger, coming back to himself, forcibly moved his feet to go to the empty space to the far left.

As if hiding in the shadow of the captain, his subordinates also followed in groups at a close distance behind him.

“……”

At the end of the hall, they witnessed a sight that made them unable to believe their eyes.

On the far right to the uplifted throne, there was a raging, deformed bone monster covered with murky dark-green magic.

That was all they could pay attention to.

In front of them, on the left side of the uplifted throne, was a beautiful brown-skinned woman with black hair standing…. with a good posture.

“What are you looking at? Kneel down quickly.“

“Oh! Y-Yes! Sorry….”

The gaze of the cold, condescending beauty made the group of messengers, who were enchanted with her, fall to their knees

They were forced to kneel in the audience chamber despite the absence of the King.

Under normal circumstances, this would be an unthinkable response towards an emissary from the honorable Republic of Larman.

“….Well, let’s begin. We don’t know when His Majesty will return. Since we’ve been bothering him so much these days, we’ve decided to take care of his matters for the time being…”

The Swamp Demon stroked her chin with her bony fingers and emitted a fear inducing voice that resonated directly in their brains.

She floated in the air, sizing up the visitors.

“…shall I start with you?”

“…yes!”

The scrawny, grimy man jumped up and began to speak gleefully.

“I would like to join His Majesty the Black Demon King’s army!“

The man’s voice echoed throughout the ‘audience chamber’ like the roar of a mountain lion.

“….It can only be decided by His Majesty.”

“What can you do? You don’t seem to have any strength or magical powers. Even though it is all up to His Majesty to decide, if you have no talent, there will be no use even letting you meet His Majesty.”

The brown beauty asked with a look of suspicion in her eyes.

“Your question is very apt! I am skilled in the necromantic arts!“

“……”

“A necromancer….?”

The brown-skinned woman frowned, and the Swamp Demon looked interested.

Necromancy was often detested.

In fact, the emissaries of the Republic of Larman could not hide it in their expressions.

The famous external methods of necromancy, sorcery, and demon contracts were all too well-known.

However, their infamy was mainly due to their misuse.

The reason why they were abhorred is because they are often misused and their….. nature is out of the bounds of humanity.

“….Well, I’ll see how good you are at witchcraft later. Then I’ll decide whether to take you to see His Majesty.”

“Reasonable. I have no objection.”

With a clear confidence in his words, he waited quietly, undaunted by the Swamp Demon’s words.

“Next…. let’s finish these guys first,“ she said.

“There are too many of them, and they’re sitting around the castle, so we can’t build.”

Their gazed turned towards the orc army.

“…But you know it as well as I do, don’t you? These mundane demons are of no use to us. We have enough of them.“

“What should we do, then?”

She looked again at the orcs, who were trembling under the gaze of the brown beauty and her own magical, deformed self.

“Why don’t we just send them away? We can’t keep them in suspense. I’m sure His Majesty would agree with me on this.“

No one could resist the decision of the Swamp Devil, who was the highest authority of this place aside from the Black Demon King himself.

Anxieties swirled in the hearts of the delegation from the Republic of Larman as they realized they might be rejected right at the entrance just like the orcs.

But…

“No, not really.“

“Huh!”

“Oh!“

The room was filled with astonishment.

A new voice came down from an unexpected place, and a wave of panic spread among the visitors.

The fear of the unknown chilled them, and their bodies became filled with sweat.

For the first time, the brown beauty and the Swamp Demon were nervous.

“First of all, let’s hear what they have to say. I’m sure there’s a good reason, right?”

All eyes turned to the throne in the sky above.

It was filled, unbeknownst to everyone, by the only one who should be sitting there.

“……”

“……”

The eyes of the Larman delegation were transfixed.

Reigning on the throne was a….. masked boy in black fine attire.

“Oh….oh…that’s….!”

Paying no attention to the frightened moans of the orcs, the scrawny man muttered while looking up from under his hood at the solitary king with clouded eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry I couldn’t…. greet you immediately….“

Immediately, the brown woman kneeled before her master, who sat on the uplifted throne.

There was no sign of the cold, inorganic blade she used to be, and her emotions, such as impatience, were not suppressed.

“I am… extremely happy at your sudden presence,” she muttered.

“Don’t worry about it. I just came back a few minutes ago.“

“Thank you for your kind words…..”

The woman under his command obediently bowed her head deeply.

However, if we leave aside the fact that he appeared like a phantom, the person on the throne looked like an ordinary human boy. His tone was soft and his voice was even cheerful.

Furthermore, although he seemed to be physically fit, he did not seem to have a strong sense of authority, or an overwhelming amount of mana, and some began to consider the possibility of him being a shadow warrior or a stand-in.

“Yes. Then…”

The room transformed into an alien space.

“Ggh…!“

“Nuh!”

The boy on the throne emitted a black pressure that was out of this world.

It quickly took over the ‘audience chamber’.

The Republic of Larman, the robed man, the orcs.

They all hung their heads down in disbelief, unable to resist the overwhelming mana that threatened to crush any hope they may have.

“…You have something for me, I hear. Let’s hear it. Let’s… continue,“ the boy said pleasantly.

The being in front of them was indeed the Black Demon King.

He gave room for their hearts to relax with his appearance and demeanor, and then mockingly destroyed it all, looking down from his throne in amusement.

Indeed, he was as evil as the rumors said.