How To Survive As A Demon King

Chapter 90

“How much money did they spend on this place?”

Seo Woojin looked around his room and felt a profound sense of deprivation.

The dormitory at the academy was incredibly luxurious as well.

It was all because the Empire spared no expense.

But the Grand Duke’s residence was something else.

“Is this really platinum?”

The intricate patterns adorned the walls of the room.

It was definitely platinum.

“I could probably make a fortune just by selling this.”

He chuckled and took a seat on the bed.

The mattress was also incredibly soft.

As if enchanted by a sleep spell, it was so soft that he would fall asleep in no time if he lay down like this.

“I wish I could take this with me.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to have this at the dormitory?

He chuckled at the thought of Lee Ji-ah and Kim Da-hye being envious.

“Stop thinking about useless things and just rest.”

After enduring Irene’s Spartan training all day today, he was exhausted.

He wanted to rest quickly and wake up to deliver packages.

“A dark elf…”

Seo Woojin remembered the young dark elf trapped behind bars.

He hadn’t thought much of it earlier, but now it felt a bit unsettling.

No matter how much of an enemy he might be, the fact that a young child was imprisoned like that made him uncomfortable.

But soon, he erased that thought from his mind.

Didn’t he see it in Heldane?

Fortunately, the heroes were unharmed, but there were knights who died at their hands.

If he hadn’t intervened, Kang Byeong-gyu might have lost his life there too.

No matter how regrettable it was, the dark elf was an enemy.

And a very threatening one at that.

“But what’s strange?”

If they need to take him all the way up to Sky Tower to investigate , it means there’s something serious going on.

Even the Grand Duke was unable to uncover it.

And there are even those who rush to rescue that dark elf…

“I hope I’m not getting dragged into another troublesome situation.”

Seo Woojin hoped desperately that wouldn’t be the case.

Every time he left the academy, he always seemed to get involved in dangerous situations.

This time, he hoped nothing would happen.

With that thought in mind, he lay down on the bed.

It felt good as usual.

As soon as he lay down, his eyes closed smoothly.

“All right, let’s sleep quickly and…”

It was at that moment.

BOOOOM!

An explosion resounded.

Seo Woojin sprung up from the bed.

“What’s that?”

The explosion seemed to originate from somewhere far in Grand Duke’s residence.

Yet the shock was felt all the way here.

Moreover, a warm and familiar aura could be sensed.

“Magi…”

The scent of magi emanated from the explosion.

He hadn’t noticed it until just now.

“Woojin!”

The door creaked open as Irene burst into the room.

Whether she was already dressed like that or not yet, she was clad in blue armor, with a sword in hand.

“What’s going on?”

“There’s been an explosion in the city.”

Seo Woojin grabbed his Rune Blade and followed Irene out of the room.

Inside the Grand Duke’s residence, there was chaos.

Knights and soldiers were hastily preparing for battle, and civilians were running around in confusion.

As it was the first time such an incident had occurred in this peaceful city, they were all at a loss.

“Where’s the Grand Duke?”

Seo Woojin asked, but Irene couldn’t provide an answer.

She had rushed straight to Seo Woojin’s room as soon as the explosion occurred.

‘Could it be because of me?’

It was said to be a city that had never been invaded by anyone else.

But on the day he arrived here, an attack occurred.

Naturally, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was because of him.

“Let’s go out.”

If that was indeed the case, they couldn’t stay inside.

They had to stop it before greater damage occurred.

Seo Woojin hurried out of Grand Duke’s residence with Irene.

But they couldn’t go far before they had to stop.

An elderly butler whom Briani called Lumas blocked their path.

“Please, guests, do not worry and wait inside.”

It wasn’t a dismissive attitude.

It seemed more like they didn’t want to inconvenience the two, as it was something they could handle themselves.

“But…”

“Mernotain is not weak.”

Lumas raised his head with polite but firm words.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. The Grand Duke’s knights are ready, and the soldiers have already started mobilizing. The disturbance will soon subside.”

Lumas’s face was filled with confidence.

It was also a sense of assurance.

Confidence in Mernotain’s strength.

Seeing that, Seo Woojin nodded.

He didn’t feel the need to force himself out when they were saying it with such conviction.

“If you need any help, please let us know.”

“That won’t be necessary, but thank you.”

Lumas smiled faintly.

“Let’s go back.”

Seo Woojin turned around.

“…Are you sure it’s okay?”

Irene asked cautiously with a worried expression.

It seemed she also had doubts about the attack this time.

“Those are the forces directly trained by the Grand Duke. They may not be comparable to the Massive Guardians, but they should be able to handle it quickly.”

Indeed, the knights and soldiers who were running around just a moment ago seemed to be of a high caliber.

Even amidst the confusion, they maintained their military discipline and quickly prepared for combat.

It seemed like they would be able to handle most attacks with ease.

“Perhaps…”

Seo Woojin swallowed his words about whether this happened because of them.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s something to do with trying to rescue that dark elf.”

While the attacks had been passive until now, there was a possibility that they had caused a disturbance this time by preparing thoroughly.

“Since we’re not sure, let’s just go back and wait.”

If things looked serious, they could intervene then.

There was a formidable figure like the Grand Duke in the residence, so there seemed to be no need for major concern.

Seo Woojin and Irene stayed in the same room for quite some time, observing the situation.

“…It’s taking longer than I expected.”

After the initial explosion, the situation hadn’t settled for almost an hour now.

Occasional sounds of battle could be heard in the distance, and the presence of magi lingered.

No, it felt like it was getting worse.

“Isn’t the Grand Duke coming out?”

“Beings of that caliber don’t move easily.”

“Really? It seems like if they did, the situation would end quickly.”

Irene sighed at Seo Woojin’s words.

“That might be true. There aren’t many who can handle the Grand Duke, but it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

There were a few among the followers of the Demon Lord, and even among monsters and demons.

The chances of them appearing in Mernotain were lower than being struck by lightning on a clear day, but…

“We shouldn’t act rashly just in case. If by any chance this attack is aimed at her, it could be a disaster. Besides, it’s not that dangerous of a situation yet. It’s better to leave it to her subordinates.”

Seo Woojin nodded.

He didn’t fully understand, but he realized it wasn’t a simple matter.

‘There must be various reasons here too.’

It wasn’t their place to interfere.

“But what’s really going on?”

“If we can feel the magi, it’s probably something caused by a dark elf or another follower of the Demon Lord.”

Seo Woojin was aware of that.

The problem was what their purpose was.

“They might be targeting you, Seo Woojin, or as you mentioned earlier, they might be trying to rescue the young dark elf who’s being held captive.”

If this attack was aimed at Seo Woojin, it was perplexing.

They shed blood for no reason other than him.

It weighed heavily on his heart.

“But it’s really not my temperament to just sit here and wait. Even now, going out to help…”

Seo Woojin stopped mid-sentence.

Irene was the same.

No, she was sitting with her eyes wide open, her body frozen.

“Oh, damn it.”

It was because magi suddenly burst out and swept the surroundings.

It was qualitatively different from the faint sensations felt outside.

Thanks to it, Irene’s body stiffened as if paralyzed.

Seo Woojin had seen this kind of sight before.

“Gerald.”

This magic was undoubtedly that monster’s.

—

“The damage?”

“We’re still assessing it.”

At Briani’s inquiry, Meigus, the leader of the Crimson Wings Knights, bowed his head as if in apology and replied.

“Have you identified the perpetrator?”

“It seems to be one of the Demon Lord’s followers.”

“Are they here to rescue that child again?”

“We’re still investigating.”

Was Briani not pleased with that answer?

Her brow furrowed slightly.

“Meigus. If you don’t know about this and you don’t know about that, what are we to do?”

“I apologize.”

Meigus sighed.

“Is it just a coincidence?”

Although the question was heavily truncated, Meigus understood its meaning.

“The likelihood is low that this incident was aimed at the hero.”

“Why is that?”

“The hero has been here for barely a day. It would be overly systematic to prepare and execute an attack in such a short time.”

Seo Woojin’s journey to Mernotain was decided yesterday.

He arrived today, and not much time had passed since then.

It would be unreasonable to assume they anticipated all of that and prepared for the attack.

“Then it must be that young dark elf after all.”

“That’s not certain either.”

“…Why not?”

Briani’s furrowed brow didn’t relax.

She didn’t like having her words constantly challenged by her own knights.

“If it were them, I believe they would find another way rather than attacking the city.”

Mernotain had numerous forces.

There was even the Grand Duke, a Guardian of the Empire.

After several rescue attempts, they would know that rescuing them was impossible.

Finding another way would be much more effective than attacking the city.

“Well, that’s true, isn’t it?”

Briani nodded.

There was logic in Meigus’s words.

“So what is it then? Who dares to attack my city…”

Briani’s head turned as far as it could.

At the end of her gaze stood a presence that hadn’t been there just moments ago.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the face of that presence.

It was a dark elf.

But it was unlike ordinary ones.

The cruel smile and the massive axe in its hand set it apart.

Crucially, Briani knew that face.

“…Meigus, why is that fanatic here?”

At the chillingly indifferent question, Meigus drew his sword.

Sleek-

His magical sword, crafted from orbs gathered from the sky tower, emitted dense magic.

“How dare you reveal such a vile visage in this place, Gerald.”

Magi surged forth.

But Meigus, a top-tier knight, remained unaffected.

Considering even senior knights were subdued, it was clear how high a level he had reached.

But Gerald didn’t even spare a glance at Meigus.

As if he wasn’t worth his attention.

Fixing his gaze solely on Briani, Gerald spoke.

“Imperial bitch.”

“What did you say, you filthy minion of the accursed Demon Lord?”

Briani snorted contemptuously and glared at Gerald.

“I shall carry out his will and take your head today.”

Gerald raised his axe, aiming it at her.

With Meigus, a violent aura surged forth.

At this sight, a smile played on Briani’s lips.

“Are you confident?”

Her red hair swayed.

As if representing her heart, burning like flames.