Episode 473: The Return of the Demon Instructor
The office was lavishly adorned with plush carpets, exuding an atmosphere distinctly different from the central plains. It felt more akin to a royal chamber from the Western lands. This was the office of Aranius, the Duke of the Demon Clan.
The elderly duke widened his eyes in surprise as a young girl entered the room. The girl was Jonya. She stood for a moment before breaking into a gentle smile and speaking.
“Sir Baritan?”
“It’s been a while, Your Grace, Duke Aranius.”
“So it really is you, Sir Baritan.”
Aranius, with the face of a kindly old man, offered a warm smile.
‘Disgusting.’
Baritan, in the guise of a young girl, inwardly scorned his smile. He knew all too well that the old fox’s smile was anything but genuine. Aranius was a man whose exterior and interior were worlds apart. Among the demon nobility, Aranius was particularly disdainful of him.
“How did you end up in such a girl’s body?”
“Is there a problem with that?”
“No, no problem at all.”
Aranius shook his head and continued. He walked to the window, filling a teacup without offering any to Baritan, maintaining his benevolent smile.
“I expected you to appear in a more robust form. Honestly, I was skeptical about this plan. Sealing your soul in a Soulbead and hoping to find a vessel was a long shot. But to have accelerated the descent to this extent, well, that’s quite fortunate.”
Baritan responded with a sly grin.
“You once told me, there’s no such thing as luck. Everything is the result of inevitable outcomes.”
Baritan subtly flaunted his capabilities. Yet, Aranius tilted his head with a vague expression.
“Did I say that?”
“Yes, you certainly did.”
“Must have been so long ago that I’ve forgotten.”
“Perhaps your memory is fading, Your Grace.”
Baritan remarked with a meaningful smile, prompting Aranius to squint slightly before responding with a broad grin.
“Perhaps so. Otherwise, how could we sit here together like this? Even the bitterness of betrayal fades, allowing us to smile at each other.”
Baritan’s expression hardened at the veiled barb.
‘Damn old man…!’
In contrast, Aranius maintained his warm smile.
“Anyway, you’ve done well. Thanks to you, the plan is ahead of schedule.”
“Earl Adler must be thrilled.”
“Indeed. Those ensnared by the Seven Deadly Sins become his playthings. Though he seems more interested in the ones that got away.”
“There should be plenty of useful toys.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“Speaking of which…”
Baritan began, hinting at his expectations.
“Isn’t it time I regained my original form…”
“We’ll discuss that further another time.”
Aranius cut him off, turning away. Baritan felt a vein throb on his forehead.
‘This old coot is dodging the issue?’
But he wasn’t one to back down easily.
“It wasn’t as simple as it seemed. It likely won’t be in the future either. I can be of great assistance.”
Only then did Aranius’s expression slightly harden. His eyes narrowed just a fraction, but it was enough to make the room’s atmosphere turn icy.
‘His power is indeed formidable.’
Baritan knew well that this old fox was not just all talk. Though he played the part of a feeble old man, when truly angered, he was more terrifying than anyone.
“Your assistance, you say…”
“I always honor my deals.”
Baritan reiterated, subtly emphasizing that he wasn’t acting out of mere loyalty. By using the word “deal” instead of “loyalty,” he was framing his past betrayal as a separate matter, while holding the other party accountable to their contract.
Of course, Aranius wasn’t simple enough to fall for such a transparent ploy. He chuckled softly.
“Deals are also based on trust. Given your illustrious history, it’s hard to take your word at face value.”
“Your memory seems to have improved.”
Baritan’s barbed comment was met with Aranius relaxing his expression and smiling brightly.
“Isn’t that something to be happy about? It means this old man is still in good health.”
“Indeed.”
“His Majesty will descend soon, so let’s discuss the details then.”
Baritan gazed at Aranius, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Things are about to get busy.”
“Indeed. The terraforming around the base will expand. Once the Demon King descends, the demonification of this place will accelerate. Of course, with the Twelve Evil Gods’ blessing, language won’t be an issue.”
“I see.”
“Ah, but first, we must retrieve the tools we sent ahead.”
He was referring to various magical tools, including the Dragon Heart. Baritan nodded, inwardly sneering.
“Understood. Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Until next time.”
Aranius bid farewell with a gentle smile. As Baritan opened the door to leave,
“Oh, one more thing.”
Aranius spoke as if remembering something.
“That body suits you quite well.”
“Thank you.”
Baritan replied through gritted teeth and turned away. Once outside the duke’s office, her face twisted into a grimace as if she had swallowed something vile.
“Retrieving the tools… I wonder how the duke’s face will change.”
Jonya muttered quietly.
“Can’t we just kill him?”
The audacious suggestion made Baritan flinch before he chuckled.
“He’s not that easy to deal with.”
“Do you think they’ll keep their promise?”
“His Majesty will. Just wait a little longer.”
“It doesn’t matter to me, but I’m worried you might be disappointed.”
“Don’t worry. In time, everything will return to its rightful place.”
“Understood.”
The girl, engaged in a conversation with herself, hurried down the corridor.
**
A cool breeze blew gently. How long had it been since he felt such peace?
Standing on the deck, Neung Unpa savored the wind, closing his eyes. His weary body felt like it could collapse into sleep at any moment, yet sleep eluded him. After tossing and turning in bed, he had risen to take in the cool night air and the dimly passing landscape from the deck.
But his gaze was fixed not on the land, but somewhere beyond. There, entangled in massive plant tendrils, were the struggling warriors of the alliance.
Naked men and women writhed together, moaning in ecstasy, while humans consumed by anger, envy, and pride mocked the world and self-destructed. Ferocious demons feasted on humans alive.
“Leader! Please, save us! Aaargh!”
“Leader! Aren’t you the master of the martial world? How can you just watch this unfold?”
“We have no hope left! Aaargh!”
The voices of countless people echoed in his ears. Some righteous warriors pleaded, some rogue warriors cursed, and others despaired. Listening to all their cries, Neung Unpa furrowed his brow.
Amidst the noise, a strange silence descended.
Swish. Swish.
The sound of the ship cutting through the water was all that remained. Slowly opening his eyes, Neung Unpa saw something strange in the waves.
“Leader…! Are you happy to have survived alone?”
“Didn’t you claim to be the pillar of the martial world?”
“Why did you board that ship? Abandoning us….”
The water rose, transforming into the shape of a human torso, shouting at him.
For a moment, Neung Unpa felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Am I seeing illusions?’
He was taken aback. Such visions usually appeared when one’s energy was depleted. But he had just finished a session of energy cultivation, so he should have been somewhat replenished.
‘I didn’t abandon you…’
“Then what is it? Are you going to blame it on lack of ability?”
“Well, it’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. He never had the power to save us in the first place.”
“Do you think pretending to be remorseful will make everything okay?”
Neung Unpa bit his lip.
‘Enough…!’
“What do you mean, enough? Can’t you even listen to our grievances now?”
“Look here. These are the warriors who sacrificed themselves. We trusted only you!”
“And you betrayed that trust!”
“You just watched as your comrades died!”
Now, countless figures emerged from the river, their torsos rising to hurl accusations. The clamor was deafening.
‘Enough… enough…!’
“Leader.”
‘Enough…!’
“What’s wrong, Leader?”
Suddenly, a voice from behind startled Neung Unpa, and he turned in anger.
“Didn’t I tell you to stop!”
Whoosh!
In a flash, Neung Unpa extended his palm, but upon recognizing the person, he quickly withdrew his power. However, the force he had already unleashed was significant, and he couldn’t completely halt the attack.
Swish, thud!
Fortunately, the other person leaned back, dodging Neung Unpa’s strike, and instinctively grabbed his wrist.
“Leader!”
“Wook, Wook Master…!”
Neung Un-pa wiped the sweat from his brow, his face a mask of surprise as he muttered to himself.
Uk Cheong-pung, furrowing his brow, asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just lost in thought for a moment. My apologies,” Neung Un-pa quickly replied, withdrawing his hand.
Uk Cheong-pung, still concerned, asked, “Aren’t you going to rest?”
“We’ve been through a lot,” Neung Un-pa nodded silently, his gaze drifting to the deck of the ship across from them.
There, members of the alliance were having a lively drinking party, laughter and chatter filling the air. Spotting Neung Un-pa, they shouted, “Look! It’s the leader! Long live the leader!”
“Long live the leader!” echoed the voices of the warriors.
Neung Un-pa managed a wry smile at their cheers.
“Why not wave back?” Uk Cheong-pung suggested with a gentle smile.
Neung Un-pa murmured, “It’s the first time I’ve heard it.”
“What do you mean?” Uk Cheong-pung asked, puzzled.
“They’ve cheered for the Lord of Sabigang and the General Commander, for Konryun and Gongdong. But for me, it’s only now.”
Uk Cheong-pung chuckled, thinking Neung Un-pa was joking about being overlooked.
But then he noticed something unusual in Neung Un-pa’s expression and furrowed his brow slightly. Just moments ago…
“Did I imagine it?”
For a fleeting moment, he thought he saw a fierce hatred in Neung Un-pa’s eyes. Perhaps it was just the flickering torchlight playing tricks, but there was no denying the tension in Neung Un-pa’s demeanor.
“Leader…” Uk Cheong-pung called softly, and the leader turned to him.
“Are you alright?”
For a brief instant, irritation flashed across the leader’s face. But it was so dark and so fleeting that Uk Cheong-pung almost missed it.
Neung Un-pa replied somewhat curtly, “There it is again. Do you also find me unreliable?”
“No, not at all. I apologize if I upset you.”
“There’s no need for that. It’s just that I’ve been hearing it a lot today. I’m perfectly fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Then you should rest. I need to take a break myself.”
With that, Neung Un-pa strode away, never once waving back at the cheering warriors. Perhaps it was a matter of pride.
Uk Cheong-pung thought to himself, “It’s only natural they don’t express gratitude to the leader. Don’t let it trouble you.”