The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 99

“Is that a Sandworm?”

“It probably shares a similar ancestor. I was lucky to get it when it was young, so it listens to me well.”

“We have to go inside that friend’s mouth now, so I hope it listens as well as you say.”

There was a slight stench, but it was nothing more than a musty, basement-like odor. It was bearable.

Ziiiiiiing…

There was an odd-looking door on the stomach of the earthworm. How should one put it… it was a door that shouldn’t exist in the stomach of a living creature.

“Let’s go in.”

“Is this also a type of Gye-nang?”

“It operates on a similar principle.”

Screeeeeech…

As they entered the door, the interior of a small lodge revealed itself.

“At least we won’t get motion sickness.”

“Would you like some tea?”

Lucifer approached with a whoosh and asked.

“What kind of tea do you have?”

“Well… feel free to choose.”

“I’ll brew it for you. Please, have a seat and wait.”

While Lucifer was brewing the tea, they sat at the table and began a conversation with Akad.

“Do we always have to use bugs?”

“Of course not. This time it just happened to be nearby, so I called it in advance. If it’s far away, I use other means. I can even use teleportation if necessary.”

“Why wasn’t teleportation an option?”

“In this case, it would be difficult~. My teleportation trace would be left in Malasis, and spies from the other Seven Deadly Sins would try to figure out who teleported with Greed.”

“So, you’re trying to leave no connection.”

“Correct.”

Clink…

Lucifer served tea to the demons, Akad, and Aita.

Slurp…

“Ahh, hot…”

“I told you not to drink it all at once last time…”

On one side, Lucifer scolded Peshua, while the others focused on the aroma of the tea.

“What am I supposed to do in Malasis?”

“I’ll tell you the big picture, but you don’t need to worry about doing anything right away. If you were expecting an assassination or espionage mission, I’m sorry to disappoint.”

If there was anyone suitable for such a mission, there would be plenty of candidates nearby. Since he had specifically sought me out, someone whose identity hadn’t been exposed to the other Seven Deadly Sins, there must be a different reason.

“First, you need to establish yourself in Malasis. Here, take this.”

“…A parchment.”

“It’s a forged identification. You’ll be a baron of the fallen Arkand family.”

“A noble title, huh? How gracious.”

“Rank is paramount in demon society. It’s a bit better than the empire in that, while they revere power, it does open opportunities for advancement.”

Indeed, operating with a noble title would make things go more smoothly in the future.

Rustle…

As I unrolled the parchment and read it, information quickly entered my mind—from the family lineage to former lands, and even family heirlooms.

“The young head of the Arkand family, who had been missing… It gives the impression that he has returned to Malasis after growing up admirably. If the head of the family is around my age…”

“That’s right. The Arkand family was annihilated.”

“Why?”

“There’s a lot of complicated things tangled up in it.”

“What if another descendant of Arkand shows up? Won’t my identity be exposed?”

“That won’t happen. I made sure to kill them all.”

“…What?”

Akad smirked.

“Because I was the one who wiped out the Arkand family.”

“…Must have been for political reasons.”

“Oh ho… You catch on quickly.”

“I can tell just from a few words that you’re not the type to get caught up in useless grudges. Thanks to that, I’m less worried.”

Now, only the truly important question remained.

“Has The Seven Deadly Sins split?”

“What makes you think that?”

“It seems like you’re trying to use me as a dagger to stab internal enemies rather than a sword to eliminate external ones.”

“Calling it a split isn’t quite right, but it’s more like a cold war.”

“Why?”

“The biggest reason is that the Demon King’s throne is vacant.”

“Hmm….”

“After the previous Demon King, the next Demon King was usually chosen from the seven families… The Seven Deadly Sins. But after Solomon’s conquest, the throne has been left empty for quite a long time.”

“Seems like there wasn’t time for that.”

“Exactly.”

But now, if they’re eyeing each other….

“Does that mean life has become more comfortable?”

“Hahahahaha! Exactly! The Demon King is essentially the parent of all demons, so even The Seven Deadly Sins fall under the Demon King’s rule. So those with a hunger for power have been pushing to enthrone a new Demon King. In fact… we do need a central figure.”

“A central figure….”

“Though we were defeated in the war against humanity, we somehow managed to survive and continue. Now, on the other hand, Solomon’s whereabouts are unknown in the Empire, right? Some say he ascended… There’s a feeling that if we were to turn the tide, it would be in our generation.”

“Is Malasis’ force… strong?”

“…What do you think?”

Akad grinned wickedly.

* * *

In order to enter Malasis, we had to pass through several gates.

As expected of a kingdom that wanders underground, its entrance was also underground.

Five outer gates, three inner gates, and one main gate.

If something goes wrong at the outer gate, the inner and main gates are sealed. On the other hand, if there’s no issue at the outer gate, the inner and main gates can be passed without much trouble.

After being spat out by a ground worm far from Malasis, we relied only on the identification papers Greed had given us and headed toward the outer gate. It seemed like this location had been used several times before, as there were clear paths underground.

‘It’s hard to imagine. Is this really Malasis?’

In the original story, Malasis was described as an entire large kingdom of demons relocated underground. But judging by the scale of the outer gate, it seemed like it might only be the hideout of some bandits at best.

‘Well, it’s meaningless to judge by appearances.’

– Grrrrrrrrr….

A giant wolf.

How big? When it stretched out its legs, it was about the size of a three-story building.

‘A gatekeeper familiar.’

Malasis was a haven for familiars, dungeon keepers, and magic engineering. It wasn’t too strange to see familiars being used like military dogs.

Since there were five outer gates, the one I found was relatively quiet. A few wagons entered through the outer gate, and soon, it was my turn.

“Oh ho… Heh heh, looks like you’ve brought quite a few human slaves, haven’t you?”

“They’re familiars. Not humans.”

“Not humans, you say?”

“They’re of the Yoma race.”

The Yoma race were hybrids of fairies and demons.

In the past, they were a scorned race in demon society, but after the demons were defeated in the human conquest, relations between demons and fairies grew closer, and the Yoma rose to prominence.

– The Yoma race will be fitting for the identities of demons. Human familiars would draw attention no matter where you go in Malasis.

Every race on the continent could form familiar contracts, but the ones that stood out most in Malasis were demons and humans.

Demons avoided using their own kind as familiars, and humans were hated, making them both prime subjects of attention.

“…Your citizenship.”

“I have identification papers.”

“Not those, don’t you have something standardized? With the administrative seal?”

“I’ll get one issued during this visit.”

Swoosh…

Another guard took my identification papers.

“So, you’re really saying they’re not slaves?”

Sssss….

The guard leaned uncomfortably close.

– Grrrrr…

The familiar, a giant wolf tasked with guarding the gate, growled, making sure I couldn’t make any sudden movements.

‘This won’t do.’

I hated drawing attention, but there was no other choice.

Fwooosh…

“…Do you intend to waste my time?”

As I increased my lordly pressure, the color drained from the guards’ faces.

“Ugh….”

“M-My heart….”

“Urgh….”

Even the familiar, which had been baring its teeth at me, couldn’t escape from the pressure.

– Kiiiiing…

The giant wolf familiar flattened itself to the ground, sticking out its tongue.

The core that had consumed the soul of a Transcendent.

Naturally, the level of my aura had advanced as well.

“Hmph….”

The captain of the guards approached, clearly reading the situation.

He seemed to have some skill.

He subtly signaled me to let his poor subordinates off the hook.

Sssss…

“Huff… huff….”

“Kwaak… Huff….”

“What… huff… just…?”

The captain checked the identification papers and spoke.

“Hmph… You’re a noble. I apologize. Slave traders have been passing through more often lately, so my men acted rashly. I’ll make sure to apologize for that.”

“Am I cleared to pass?”

“Your papers are in order, so you’re free to pass. I’ll send word to the inner gate, so you shouldn’t have any trouble passing through.”

“Thank you.”

Whether humans or demons, it seemed strength was always the key to better treatment.

“They don’t seem to like the Yoma race.”

“Maybe that one’s just peculiar.”

“I hope that’s the case. I’d rather not get involved in any troublesome matters.”

“Akad wouldn’t lie about something like this, so it must be true.”

The performance of the ring that Akad had handed over was quite remarkable. Not only did the ring suppress demonic energy, but it also distorted biometric information, making it impossible for various magical measuring devices owned by the demons to detect one’s true identity.

Since he had already confirmed its effectiveness in action, this, too, must be true.

Clang—

Passing through the inner gate, they headed towards the main gate.

“I see.”

“It seems like the structure gets wider the deeper you go inside. How did they manage that?”

Unlike the road that had been laid out in front of the outer gate, the road leading to the main gate was vast. From the top of the main gate, they would undoubtedly look like mere specks from that height.

“Malasis, huh….”

— Pass!

The main gate was already open, allowing them to slip outside through the gap.

Whew…

As they passed through the main gate, a refreshing breeze tickled their noses.

A sky, wide open and clear.

The stars and the moon shone brightly in that expanse.

Below, the endless lights and buildings stretched as far as the eye could see. Here and there, imposing architectural wonders stood tall, catching the eye.

— Screeeeeech…

In the skies, bizarre, monstrous birds with astonishing appearances flew by. Each of them had wings larger than even those of the demons.

“This place….”

“Malasis, the Sanctuary of Stars.”

“The last… paradise for demons.”

It wasn’t just them who were swept away by the view. Everyone else seemed preoccupied, hurrying along their own paths.

“Move! Stop blocking the way.”

“Do the Yoma have no manners at all?”

Frrr…

A demonic steed, with a mane that blazed like fire, trotted by.

— Groooar…

Thud…

Thud…

An ogre pulled a large cart behind it.

“If you don’t have a place to stay, come to my inn! We have specially discounted rooms!”

Even a talking raccoon steed wearing a baker’s cap advertised his inn.

“I love it here!”

“Me too….”

Peshua and Ipos were both visibly excited.

And it was no surprise. This place was a paradise for demonic steeds. Everywhere they looked, they saw countless rare and exotic creatures, as if all the races of Solaria had gathered in one place.

These creatures blended seamlessly with the magical engineering, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

Ding, ding, ding-!

Even a small train, powered by a magical engine, moved along the rails.

“It’s so noisy….”

“Maybe it feels that way because it’s been too quiet for so long.”

Having been buried in the remote mountains for so long, the bustling noise of the city felt like an entirely new experience.

Everywhere they looked, they saw countless heads with black hair and black eyes.

“My steed needs sand to sleep on. Do you know of any place like that?”

“If you go that way….”

……

“This is a scam!”

“Let’s calm down and talk this through….”

……

Everyone here was a demon.

Without realizing it, he felt a sense of relief.

This cruel world, where demons were despised and killed without hesitation…. He wasn’t the only one fighting against this harsh reality.

Now, he stood in Malasis.