Episode 542: Return to the Demon Realm
“You mean I can’t use the powers of the Evil God in the tournament? How was I supposed to know that? Ugh! And I didn’t even realize I was using those powers,” Churyang grumbled, trailing behind Maesellan, who was disguised as Aranius.
Maesellan glanced back and said, “No need to be disappointed. It’s actually for the best. Winning the tournament would have just wasted time, and dying there would have been a real problem.”
“True, that’s a good point,” Churyang nodded in agreement, realizing how close he had come to disaster.
The martial arts tournament held during the festival was a deadly affair. It was a knockout competition where the losers often paid with their lives. The only way to exit the tournament alive was to be disqualified for breaking the rules. Unintentionally, Churyang had done just that, securing his life and a quick exit from the tournament.
The two of them moved swiftly through the bustling streets of the Black Castle, which was teeming with demons due to the festival.
“With so many people around, finding Master will be tough,” Churyang complained.
Maesellan surveyed their surroundings and replied, “But it also means we’re less noticeable. If the castle were quiet, our every move would be under scrutiny.”
“That’s true. There are pros and cons,” Churyang admitted.
“For now, we need to find Lady Sa’s residence as quickly as possible. But…” Maesellan suddenly stopped and turned to Churyang. “How did you use the powers of the Evil God?”
“Well, it seems it was thanks to this little guy,” Churyang said as a small creature peeked out from his coat.
The creature let out a soft cry, yawned, and snuggled back into Churyang’s coat.
Maesellan was surprised. “I thought you said the creature wasn’t coming with us?”
“I think its strong magic brought it along. I’m not entirely sure how it happened,” Churyang confessed.
“Hmm. Anyway, let’s focus on finding Lady Sa’s residence. Wandering aimlessly around this vast castle isn’t efficient,” Maesellan advised.
“Understood. But how do we find it? Asking someone would definitely raise suspicions,” Churyang pointed out.
It was a valid concern. It wouldn’t make sense for Aranius not to know Sa Bigang’s residence.
“We’ll have to find out as naturally as possible,” Maesellan said thoughtfully.
Just then, someone approached them with a sly grin.
“Well, if it isn’t Duke Aranius!” the man exclaimed.
Maesellan turned to see a man with long silver hair and a sly smile approaching. Instinctively, she knew he wasn’t friendly towards Aranius. There was an inexplicable hostility in his demeanor, something only a woman’s intuition could detect.
Her intuition was spot on. The man was Marquis Nazar, who had a notoriously poor relationship with Aranius.
‘It’s hard to engage in conversation when I don’t know who he is,’ Maesellan thought.
When Aranius remained silent, Nazar shrugged and continued, “I watched the duel with Javelin. You have quite the impressive subordinate.”
Maesellan could tell he wasn’t genuinely complimenting them. The sarcasm in his voice was evident when he mentioned the “impressive subordinate.”
Churyang, sensing the tension, put on a stern face.
“I warned you about that temper, but you just couldn’t control it,” Maesellan, in Aranius’s guise, replied in a firm voice.
It was a tense moment. If her tone was off or if Aranius usually showed respect to Nazar, it would have been suspicious. Fortunately, Nazar didn’t seem to notice anything amiss.
“Subordinates can be a bit unruly these days. But managing them well is a skill, isn’t it? In that sense, Duke Aranius, you’re remarkable for trying to tame such a wild horse,” Nazar said with a faint smile.
Churyang stepped forward, “Your words are a bit much—”
Smack!
Churyang’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap. It was so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. The one who struck him was none other than Aranius, or rather, Maesellan.
Churyang, momentarily forgetting he was disguised as Javelin, looked at Aranius in shock.
Maesellan, still in Aranius’s form, wore a displeased expression and said coldly, “Silence. You couldn’t control your temper and made a mistake, and now you dare speak up again?”
“I’m sorry,” Churyang quickly corrected his posture and bowed deeply.
Nazar, seeing Aranius’s stern demeanor, hesitated before speaking with a faint smile, “There’s no need to be so harsh. A demon of great deeds should have some spirit.”
“And do you have that spirit?” Maesellan asked, looking at Nazar intently.
Nazar, caught off guard by Aranius’s unexpected challenge, stiffened slightly before replying, “I do have a temper, but I’ve been trying to control it lately.”
“You should. It’s best not to get disqualified for a bad temper. On stage, it’s one thing, but in life, you could be disqualified forever,” Maesellan warned, her words carrying a hidden threat.
Nazar chuckled coldly, “I’ll take your sincere advice to heart. But where are you off to in such a hurry? Not staying to enjoy the festival?”
“I’m on my way to see Sa Bigang,” Maesellan replied.
“Sa Bigang…?” Nazar tilted his head in confusion.
Maesellan and Churyang held their breath, watching Nazar’s reaction. They realized they didn’t know if Sa Bigang was known by that name here.
After a moment of thought, Nazar said, “Ah, you mean Count Shubitz. I was wondering who you meant. But why do you call him Sa Bigang? It’s been over ten years since he got his new name.”
Maesellan, hiding her surprise, answered as naturally as possible, “No matter how much time passes, I don’t want to treat a mere human like a demon. That lowly human suits his ridiculous old name.”
“Hmm. I see. But it’s a bit odd to hear that from the one who argued for rewarding that human,” Nazar remarked.
Maesellan was taken aback. ‘I didn’t expect Aranius to have made such a claim.’
She continued without reacting, “Situations change.”
“I see. So what’s the situation now that you’re seeking out Count Shubitz?” Nazar inquired.
Maesellan frowned, “It’s a personal matter. Do I need to report such things to you?”
“My apologies for overstepping,” Nazar said.
“Then I’ll be on my way,” Maesellan said, turning to leave.
“Of course. But…” Nazar called out.
“What now?” Maesellan asked irritably, hoping to glean some information about Sa Bigang’s residence but feeling drained by the conversation.
Nazar shrugged, “Count Shubitz didn’t participate in this festival, so you’ll have quite a journey ahead.”
“A long journey…?” Maesellan echoed, catching herself before saying more.
“You’ll have to go all the way to Muran, won’t you?” Nazar said.
“Yes, that’s right,” Maesellan replied, thinking, ‘Muran? Where is that?’
She had finally learned where Sa Bigang’s residence was, but without knowing the geography, it was still a challenge.
Then an idea struck her. “By the way, do you have a teleport scroll?”
“Why do you need that all of a sudden?” Nazar asked, puzzled.
“To get to Sa Bigang, of course,” Maesellan replied, thinking, ‘Having such a tool wouldn’t hurt. It could be useful in a pinch.’
But Nazar’s response was unexpected. “Why use a scroll when there’s a portal gate?”
‘Oh no,’ Maesellan thought, realizing her mistake. She hadn’t known about the portal gate, a lack of information about the demon realm leading to her blunder.
Nazar’s expression seemed off, and Maesellan’s intuition kicked in again. ‘He’s suspicious of something else.’
Indeed, Nazar suspected Aranius might be plotting something with Sa Bigang. The idea of using a teleport scroll instead of the portal gate suggested a secretive meeting, raising Nazar’s suspicions.
In that moment, Maesellan had a revelation. ‘I don’t know how to use the portal gate, and even with a scroll, I can’t reach him. I need to make the most of this situation!’
With a decision made, Maesellan smiled and said, “You’re quite curious, aren’t you?”
“It’s in my nature,” Nazar replied.
“That’s a good trait. Let’s do this,” Maesellan suggested.
“Do what?” Nazar asked, intrigued by Aranius’s unexpected reaction, clearly ready to latch onto anything suspicious.
“I actually had something important to discuss with Sabigang. But since things have turned out this way, how about you join us?”
“Hmm. I sense a hint of danger,” Nazar replied, feigning caution. Maesellan shook his head.
“It’s a story that might pique your interest. I assure you.”
“A story that might interest me… Now I’m curious.”
“So, what do you say? Want to satisfy that insatiable curiosity of yours?”
Nazar fixed Aranius with a meaningful gaze. Finally, he broke into a smile.
“Alright. Let’s see where this curiosity leads.”
“Good decision. Let’s get going then.”
Nazar glanced at Aranius for a moment before turning to follow him. As they started walking, Churyang approached with an admiring look and whispered.
“That was impressive. I almost thought you were possessed by Aranius. Or is it the other way around? Either way, your acting was remarkable. Though, I must admit, I was a bit upset when you got slapped…”
“I’m sorry. It was an instinctive reaction.”
“It’s fine. Besides, you’ve managed to get the author to guide us, so it’s a win-win.”
“Let’s be careful. If we act clumsily, we might raise suspicion.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I can’t wait to see the master. It’s intriguing to think he received his title here a decade ago… I wonder what he looks like now.”
Maesellan smiled faintly. She was curious too. What would Sabigang look like after all these years? And how would she feel when she finally saw him?
‘Are you alright? I miss you so much. Just wait a little longer. I’ll be there soon.’
**
The door swung open, and Danlichu burst in.
“Master!”
“Shh! Keep it down!”
“Oh, sorry.”
Danlichu quickly apologized, and Murang, after scanning the people absorbed in the spell, turned back to him.
“What is it?”
“It seems the demon knights are starting to make their move. We need to hurry.”
“Hmm.”
“How long will it take?”
Danlichu asked anxiously. Murang furrowed his brow and replied.
“That… I can’t say.”
He glanced at Maesellan and Churyang.
‘What are you doing? We don’t have time. We need to awaken Sabigang now!’