NOVEL NEXT Chapter 49
Chapter 49
“By whose command have you come?”
Though Nahun asked the question, Lily was unable to respond. From the moment she laid eyes on him, she felt overwhelmed and couldn’t bring herself to speak.
There was only one person in the entire world that served the three end demons, including Leviathan.
The master of the inverted kingdom.
“I, I…”
Even daring to utter that name was not permitted to the ordinary demon Lily, let alone her great master.
Crack!
Nahun’s hand gripped Lily’s neck. With a trace of anger, he asked one last time.
“I asked who’s command you are acting under.”
“Cough! I… I came at the command of Lady Gamaliel…!!”
Barely managing to answer, Nahun casually released his grip on her neck. As he mulled over the name Gamaliel, he let out a scoff.
“Convey it.”
“…What?”
“I mean, convey it to your lewd master.”
“Wh-what…?”
Words laced with a warning escaped from Nahun’s lips.
“Don’t play the fool. If anything like this occurs again, I won’t be lenient.”
He spoke one final time to Lily.
“Convey it.”
“…Hik! Y-Yes!”
In a flurry, Lily pulled out something and tossed it to the floor. A large circle appeared on the floor of the Pope’s chamber, revealing a horrifying sight within it.
“Gah…!”
The Pope fell over. Beyond the hole on the floor, she saw emaciated figures suffering in the eternal flames. Painful screams that pierced the ears echoed through the chamber.
─────!
Yet both Lily and the unfamiliar man before her appeared unaffected. While Lily might be accepted, how could that man remain unfazed even while hearing such horrific screams?
“Lily…! What the hell is going on?!”
Even with the Pope’s call, Lily did not respond. In a hurry to escape the current situation, she scrambled into the hole and vanished.
Thanks to that, the Pope was left alone with Nahun in the ruined chamber. Pope Sernius III slowly turned his head to look at Nahun. Nahun was already glaring at him with a terrifying look in his eyes.
“Did you summon that?”
He didn’t even think to question how someone dared to intrude on the Pope’s sanctuary. Observing how frightened demon Lily had fled made it clear to him that this man was anything but ordinary.
“Me, summon it? What do you…”
“I’m asking if you summoned the demon from hell. As a leader of a nation, drop the façade of ignorance. I don’t think you lack the intelligence for that.”
“…”
Though he was currently in a state of sheer terror, he was still the head of one of the three greatest nations in the human realm. It was only natural for a man like him not to be a dulled fool incapable of judging situations.
Yet for some reason, the Pope still seemed to have lost his senses.
“Did… I summon Lily?”
“Correct.”
“Did… I summon her…?”
Nahun looked at the Pope as if he was spouting nonsense, but the man trembled and began muttering to himself.
“Did I summon a demon? Since when? Why? What in the world happened? Why was that girl beside me…?”
Nahun narrowed his eyes. The Pope was clearly out of his mind. With a hint of disbelief, Nahun grabbed the Pope’s body.
“Ugh…! L-Let go!”
“Stay still.”
In that moment, the atmosphere froze. The Pope, who had been hyperventilating and making nonsensical comments, regained his clarity. Although he wasn’t yet calm, his instincts were already telling him that staying still meant death.
As the Pope ceased his convulsions, Nahun placed his hand on the man’s forehead. Then, he summoned magic power.
“Cough… cough…!”
The Pope began to drool uncontrollably, emitting strange sounds. It seemed he was responding painfully to Nahun’s magic power.
However, Nahun wasn’t tormenting him or trying to kill him. The reason the Pope reacted so violently to the magic was due to something etched into him.
“Uaaagh….”
A strange mark began to emerge on his forehead. It bore a red hue and a sinister aura. Nahun looked at it and let out a laugh.
“Why would you etch something like this?”
It resembled a brainwashing mark that a succubus would use. However, the power it held vastly surpassed that of any succubus, and no beings in the Demon World could create such a thing. Only a master of the common whores of that realm could do something like this.
The intent was all too clear. Nahun sighed at the thought of how dire the consequences would have been if he hadn’t acted swiftly.
“Were you planning to start a war with the Heavens?”
The Pope was the human who served the Celestial Deities most devoutly. Though the deities did not directly intervene in the human realm, if they were to discover that their most loyal servant had fallen prey to a demon’s schemes, they would obviously be furious.
Nahun clicked his tongue and poured his magic power into the mark on the Pope’s forehead. The mark writhed, and the Pope began to writhe in agony.
“Ugh…! Ugh!!!”
“Just a little longer.”
Gradually, the writhing mark began to fade. Nahun’s magic was devouring the mark. The mark grew dimmer and began to shatter. Finally, it completely disappeared.
“Ugh…!”
The Pope stopped convulsing. He was lost in confusion, recalling everything he had done. Looking at his expression, Nahun withdrew his hand.
Sernius III slowly raised his head and looked at Nahun as if seeing a saint.
“Who are you?”
“Don’t misunderstand. I am not a being for you to serve.”
Nahun, having judged that he had to clear up the misunderstanding first, struck first. It was clear the Pope was seeing him as a celestial being who had liberated him from evil. It was also not that Nahun hadn’t expected this situation.
The reason Nahun went through the trouble of erasing the Pope’s mark, despite knowing it would cause such misunderstandings, was different. It wasn’t out of pity or sadness for a Pope toyed with by demons.
‘If any traces of demon interference remain on him…’
They would be discovered above. If that were to happen, a collision between the Heavens and Hell would surely occur, and the Demon World would have no choice but to be affected.
That must never happen. Since Nahun’s goal was to have Seere ascend to the pinnacle, the Demon World had to avoid being swept into such a war.
“I only erased the spell inscribed on you because I needed to. But if you truly feel thankful to me…”
Nahun lowered himself to the level of the seated Pope and spoke indirectly to him.
“I have a few questions. You will answer, won’t you?”
“W-What is it?”
“As I asked before, did you summon that demon?”
Generally, demons who reside in Hell come to the human realm for two reasons. One is when they move of their own volition, and the other is when summoned by a human who has learned the rituals.
“…No. That demon appeared before me one day out of the blue.”
However, the Pope denied it. And it didn’t seem to be a lie. If it were the former case, the reason for the brainwashing mark wouldn’t make sense.
“What did the demon give you, and what did it compel you to do?”
“I…it captivated me the moment I laid eyes on her. I felt like I couldn’t make a proper judgment… I believe that’s how I ended up in that state.”
“Indeed.”
“The demon then told me that there were filthy beings from the Demon World in my nation that needed to be identified and purified. And she provided me with some tools.”
“Tools?”
When Nahun asked again, the Pope took something out from his possession. It looked like a diamond-shaped gemstone. The moment Nahun saw it, he narrowed his brows sharply.
“While giving this to me… she said it was a tool to identify demons. I divided it among the Order of the Holy Knights, so it became part of the purification efforts…”
The Pope could not continue. No matter how much he had been brainwashed, he understood what he had done to his subjects. That guilt weighed heavily on his heart.
“I’ll ask just one more thing.”
“Yes…”
“This is the hallowed ground of the Celestial Deities. It’s not a place for a mere lowly demon to come. How could such a demon breach your sanctuary?”
“That is…”
The Pope hesitated and sighed heavily.
“It’s because the grace of the Celestial Deity is waning.”
“Waning?”
“It’s a fact shared only among the Popes. The Celestial Deity hasn’t responded to our call since 400 years ago when the Holy Kingdom was established. There has been no grace granted since.”
Nahun’s eyes widened slightly. This was news to him. He had presumed the Celestial Deity, known as an angel, protected those who worshipped it.
But was that not the case? Nahun pondered if this was yet another hidden setting or story within a game that he was unaware of.
“But… who are you? I thought the Celestial Deity came personally or sent a messenger…”
“…Didn’t you receive a letter from the Demon World recently?”
“…What?”
A letter from the Demon World. There was only one. It was the negotiation letter from the 72nd layer asking for a prisoner exchange for money. Recalling it, Pope Sernius III was horrified, and Nahun warned him.
“I hope to maintain a harmonious relationship with the Holy Kingdom. I also hope the kingdom remains peaceful in its own way. A situation that isn’t overly chaotic.”
“…”
“Therefore, let’s proceed as we have until now. I restored you to your original state for that very reason.”
Nahun smiled at the Pope.
“Do you understand?”
“…Since I owe my life to you, I shall remember only that.”
Nahun felt a sense of satisfaction. He hadn’t brought up the matter concerning the 72nd floor expecting the Pope to side with him. He just wanted the Pope to listen to him now that he had saved him, hoping to rectify the chaotic state of the Holy Kingdom.
“Then I’ll take my leave. I wish you well, Sernius III.”
#
Having exited the capital city of the Holy Kingdom, Babylon, Nahun and Dein were heading towards the forest where they had parted ways with Seere to join her.
“Did everything go well, Nahun?”
“Yeah. Are you okay?”
“Yes, well… it hurt, but it wasn’t to the point of being fatal.”
Nahun glanced at Dein for a moment before nodding. From his perspective, it didn’t seem like he required immediate treatment. Still, considering how remarkable a thief he was, it was hardly surprising that he remained intact despite the shock.
‘He must have used some technique while crashing.’
Upon reaching the forest, they spotted three figures waiting in the distance. The young girl with striking white hair noticed them and rushed over with a bright smile.
“Teacher~!!”
It was Seere. Seeing her radiant smile caused Nahun to smile unconsciously as well. He did not push aside Seere, who rushed into him; instead, he gently patted her head.
“Did you do well?”
“Ah, Teacher! I have something to show you!”
Seere rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a handful of diamond-shaped jewels. Smiling widely, she spoke.
“The Order of the Holy Knights was carrying these! But since they’re filled with magic power from the Demon World but aren’t items from the Demon World, I wondered if they might be from Hell, so I brought them back!”
“…Really?”
Nahun already knew these were supplied to the Order of the Holy Knights. He had heard about it from the Pope. However, there was something he was curious about.
“But how did you get them?”
“Huh?”
“I learned that they were distributed to the Order of the Holy Knights under the pretext of hunting demons. We also eliminated the source of that folly.”
“Really? You’re amazing, Teacher!”
“That’s not the point. I’m asking how you managed to obtain so many.”
“…”
Seere fell silent. Nahun, seeing her reaction, turned to Cecili with a sense of unease.
“Cecili.”
“Yes, Nahun.”
“What’s going on?”
“…His Majesty decided it was necessary to secure this.”
“S-Sephily!?”
Seere was taken aback by the betrayal of the trusted Cecili. With an apologetic look, Cecili explained to Seere.
“I don’t think this is something that can be hidden away, so I felt it would be best to inform you first.”
“Right.”
“Wait, hold on…!”
“I eliminated the Order of the Holy Knights. There were no witnesses left behind.”
“Ah….”
Nahun slapped his forehead. As he glanced at Seere, she flinched and averted her gaze.
“Seere.”
“…Yes?”
Nahun sighed deeply, and a vein bulged on his forehead. For the first time in his life, he scolded Seere.
“I told you not to get into trouble!!!”
“W-What?!”
“You should know you’ll be in trouble when you get back!”
“Ahhh…!”
As Nahun scolded her, Seere dropped all the tools in her hands and covered her ears. Then she rushed over to Cecili, enveloping herself in her embrace.
“Waaah, Teacher is scary…!”
“Well, I told you that you can’t deceive Nahun; it’s best to be honest from the start.”
As Cecili comforted Seere gently, Nahun let out a deep sigh and calmed down.
“Ugh, Cecili. Why didn’t you stop her?”
“Because I belong to His Majesty. If His Majesty says to do something, I must comply.”
“…Right. I asked a foolish question.”
From the very beginning, bringing the Demon King into the human realm was a mistake. Considering the Demon King’s instincts, it was only natural that he could not remain well-behaved among humans. Nahun spoke with an already cold gaze.
“How did you deal with the aftermath?”
“It was handled perfectly. People may think it’s strange, but they won’t know who did it.”
“…In the future, you should do things like this alone.”
“…Understood. You heard that as well, Your Majesty?”
“Gah…”
Seere glanced up at Cecili and then quickly stole a glance at Nahun. Seeing that Nahun was still angry, Seere abruptly turned her head and rubbed her face against Cecili’s shoulder.
She was still a child at heart. Just by looking at her expression earlier, it was evident. Since Seere had never been scared of him, Nahun wondered if he was being too harsh.
After letting out a slight sigh, Nahun addressed Dein and Eri.
“You two stay behind and keep an eye on things. Eri, you change your identity first.”
“Yes, Nahun.”
Nahun slowly approached Seere, who was still nestled in Cecili’s arms. He gently patted her back once.
“I’m sorry for yelling, Seere.”
“…Sniff.”
“Let’s return. I won’t force you anymore.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Not at all. It was just a mistake in my judgment. Don’t let it bother you.”
Seere hesitated for a moment before looking up. With slightly puffy eyes, she gazed up at Nahun.
‘…Right, even this child has limitations, no matter how clever she may be.’
Everyone goes through a phase like this as children, showing a natural lack of restraint. As they grow, rational thinking develops, but it’s normal for a child to display stronger emotional tendencies.
Nahun shut his eyes for a moment before reopening them with a warm smile. Seeing that, Seere’s eyes widened.
“Let’s head back. We can have pudding or something when we get there.”
“…Pudding? Can I really eat it?”
“Of course. If you don’t cry.”
Seere’s expression brightened incredibly as if she hadn’t just been crying. She then broke free from Cecili and spoke confidently to Nahun.
“I-I didn’t cry!”
“Right, you didn’t. Now, shall we hurry back?”
“Yes!”
#
In the depths of Hell, where the cries of the tormented souls echo and the flames of unquenchable guilt rise, a palace with a slightly alien atmosphere housed a seductive woman seated on the throne.
Before her, tremblingly bowing their heads, was the demon Lily, who had been flaunting her superiority just moments ago by manipulating the Pope.
“Lily. Why have you returned so soon?”
“I-I… I was interrupted.”
With Lily’s report, the woman let out a scoff. It was just a brief chuckle, yet it carried an intoxicating allure.
“Interrupted? You dare return without fulfilling my command just because of a little interruption?”
As the woman’s fury surged, Lily struggled to breathe. There were beings far stronger and superior to demons, and that Lily, a demon, was being tormented by an instinctual fear.
Gathering her strength, Lily managed to speak a single word.
“T-The end demons’ servant interrupted me…!”
“…What?”
In that instant, the grip on Lily’s limbs relaxed, and she dropped to the ground with a thud. Though it had some shock, it was nowhere near the agony of having her limbs torn apart moments before.
“Speak clearly. Who interrupted you?”
“T-The servant of the end demons appeared… out of nowhere.”
“……”
The woman’s eyes widened, and without realizing it, a smile spread across her face, and she gestured for Lily to leave.
“I-I shall withdraw.”
As Lily finally regained her composure and retreated, the woman covered her mouth with her hand. To hide her grin.
It was extremely rare for the master of lust to hide her smile, but she had to do so now. She didn’t want to show this emotion to anyone else.
“I was just wondering where my nation had gone to…”
In the darkness, a chilling gaze sparkled. The smile hidden behind her hand naturally formed a crescent shape.
“There you are?”