Episode 477: The Return of the Demon Commander
“Did you say… dung?”
Duke Aranius asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief. His expression made it clear that he found the very idea repulsive.
Yet, he repeated the word, seeking confirmation, because he simply couldn’t wrap his head around it.
Sure, there’s a saying in the demon realm: “If you hoard, it turns to dung.” But this was different.
This was supposed to be the chest containing the Dragon Heart.
And yet…
“Dung? What do you mean, dung?”
“I… I’m not sure myself,” Viscount Ailid replied, bowing his head, his face pale. The calm demeanor he had when he effortlessly dispatched Son Heojeong and Oh Yoguang was nowhere to be found.
“Are you certain it was dung?”
“Yes, absolutely. It was dung.”
“This is absurd…”
Viscount Ailid thought so too. The mission had seemed too easy, almost boringly so. Their first task upon arriving in this world was to retrieve a Dragon Heart. It was a task he thought even lower-ranking demons could handle. But given the importance of a Dragon Heart, he had accepted it and headed to Toysan.
Who could have predicted this outcome?
“Are you sure you were in the right place?”
“Absolutely. The barrier was still intact.”
“Could it be a failed dimensional transfer? No, that can’t be. If it were, Marquis Baritan wouldn’t be roaming around freely. Are you sure you didn’t mistake it for something else?”
“Do you really think I can’t tell the difference between a Dragon Heart and dung? Just in case, I brought the chest with me.”
“You brought the chest?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Why on earth would you bring a chest full of dung here?”
“Just in case…”
“Get rid of it! Do you want me to smell dung?”
“N-no, of course not! I’m sorry!”
“Damn it! What on earth is going on?”
Duke Aranius bit his lip, his eyes blazing with anger as he stared into the void. Little did he know, this was just the beginning of the dreadful news to come.
**
Massive pillars supported the high ceiling with grandeur. The carvings of vines spiraling up the columns looked like hundreds of serpents writhing their way skyward. Between the pillars lay a long red carpet, flanked by high-ranking demons standing solemnly. At the far end, on a raised platform, sat the Demon King in his regal attire.
Beside him crouched a massive Black Dragon, its eyes closed as if savoring the Demon King’s touch, exhaling rhythmically.
The Demon King, appearing as a robust middle-aged man, looked not much different from a human. Yet, the intense magical aura emanating from him made the air stifling. The sheer presence of the “Demon King” was overwhelming, enough to unnerve even the most seasoned warrior.
Duke Aranius stepped forward, bowing deeply.
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
The Demon King, Tarant, continued to stroke the Black Dragon’s snout, his eyes still closed. Duke Aranius was drenched in sweat. He had already reported everything, yet the Demon King remained silent, leaving him in a state of fear.
Finally, the Demon King’s deep voice broke the silence.
“So, you failed to retrieve anything?”
He opened his eyes slightly, and the chill from his red gaze seemed to freeze everyone in place.
“I-I apologize.”
As Duke Aranius bowed again, Tarant cast a disinterested glance before closing his eyes once more. The oppressive silence stretched on, with no one daring to speak. After all, this was a plan that had been in the works for ages. Yet, most of the items sent through the dimensional transfer had vanished. Only a few items held by Baritan had been recovered, and they were of poor quality compared to what had been sent. Not finding the Demon King’s sword, Vertas, was particularly painful. Though it had been in Sabigang’s possession, its form had changed once, making it unrecognizable even to Count Adler, who had absorbed the memories of the demon beast.
In this unexpected situation, the demons could only bow their heads, unable to blame Duke Aranius, who was merely in charge of retrieval.
Just then, a booming voice echoed from outside the grand hall.
“Your Majesty, Baritan requests an audience.”
The hall buzzed with murmurs. Marquis Baritan was a notorious traitor. Even though his actions had expedited the dimensional transfer, it was only by seven years—a trivial difference to the long-lived demons. How dare he show his face here?
Some demons openly displayed their displeasure.
“Your Majesty, this is not the place for him.”
“Indeed, Your Majesty. It would be better to summon him later.”
“He is a criminal. Allowing him here is…”
Their protests were cut short as Tarant, still with his eyes closed, raised a hand to silence them.
“Let him in.”
Tarant’s command was absolute, leaving no room for objection.
Soon, a young girl walked down the long red carpet. Her small frame seemed out of place among the powerful demons, who looked at her with disdain. But the girl paid them no mind. Reaching the platform, she knelt and bowed deeply.
“Your Majesty.”
“What brings you here?”
Tarant got straight to the point. A wry smile crossed the girl’s face.
‘As straightforward as ever.’
The girl, Baritan in disguise, continued with her head bowed.
“I heard about the failure to retrieve the transferred items. I thought I might be of assistance.”
“Speak.”
“In this world, there are various elixirs, like the Millennium Snow Ginseng and the Elixir of Eternal Youth. Consuming them grants significant internal energy, which can be converted to mana. Even if the transferred items can’t be retrieved, this could mitigate the issue.”
Duke Aranius scoffed.
“Easy to say. But such elixirs aren’t easy to come by. How do you plan to collect them?”
“Indeed, gathering them individually would be difficult. However, there are those in the shadows who handle such troublesome tasks for a price. It’s customary here to pay handsomely for what you want…”
“Get to the point.”
“Apologies. There is someone known as the ‘Universal Merchant.’ He deals in rare elixirs from this world. If we find him…”
“Have you found him?”
Tarant prompted her to continue.
Baritan bowed her head.
“I recently picked up his trail. If given the chance, I will bring the elixirs to you, Your Majesty…”
“A criminal like him shouldn’t be entrusted with such a task, Your Majesty.”
As expected, there was immediate opposition.
“Indeed. It would be wiser to extract the merchant’s location from him and send someone else.”
“Duke Aranius should oversee this task.”
Several nobles chimed in. Duke Aranius was pleased. If they hadn’t spoken up, he would have objected himself. But with them doing it for him, he felt like rewarding them.
He looked at the kneeling Baritan, thinking to himself.
‘Do you see now, Baritan? Once branded, it’s hard to escape the stigma. You’re too much of a risk-taker. I’ll gladly take the spoils.’
As the nobles clamored, Tarant raised his hand to silence them again. He turned to Helmuth, the knight commander standing nearby.
“What do you think?”
“With respect, Your Majesty, I suggest acknowledging Baritan’s contribution for providing information, but entrusting the task of retrieving the elixirs to Duke Aranius.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Helmuth led the Helmuth Knights, often spearheading missions with great success. He was Tarant’s most trusted commander and respected by many knights. Despite his relatively low rank, no one dared to disrespect him.
Tarant nodded and addressed Baritan.
“I acknowledge your contribution. Is there anything you desire?”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. As a criminal, I dare not ask for anything. But if I may, I wish to regain my original form.”
“That is out of the question…!”
The nobles began to protest, but Tarant waved them off, speaking with a hint of annoyance.
“Grant it.”
“But, Your Majesty…!”
Instead of responding, Tarrant simply fixed his gaze on the protesting demon, his eyes silently conveying his unwavering resolve.
Baritan quickly dropped to his knees, bowing his head to the ground with a thud.
“Thank you, Your Majesty! I will never forget this kindness!”
Meanwhile, Aranius’s expression hardened, turning to stone.
“We’ve finally found it.”
At the report from Hongyeom, Sabigang spun around.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. You can leave as soon as today.”
“What about the others?”
“We’ve let them in on it as well.”
Maseollan, standing nearby, tilted his head in confusion.
“But I don’t get it. Why have they been hiding all this time? In such chaotic times, the price of the elixir should have skyrocketed, making them rich overnight.”
Sabigang answered with surprising simplicity.
“They valued their lives more than money.”
“Their lives?”
“If they sold the elixir to us, they risked being wiped out by the Demon Cult. So they decided to lay low and watch how things unfolded.”
“And now?”
“The Demon Cult has been destroyed, and unexpectedly, the demons have appeared. By now, they must have gotten wind of that. So it’s simple, isn’t it?”
“They can’t sell the elixir to the demons, so they subtly revealed their location to the alliance, hoping we’d come to them?”
“Exactly.”
“The demons wouldn’t care about the elixir, but we need it desperately enough to pay any price.”
“That’s right.”
“Still, it feels a bit underhanded.”
“That’s business for you. But…”
“But?”
“They’ve picked the wrong opponents.”
“Which opponents? The demons? Us?”
Sabigang twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Both.”