NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10
“What’s got you so happy that you’re giggling like that?”
While heading to school, Karrielle seemed irritated by the girl above his head who kept giggling, and questioned her with a quip.
-Huh? Oh, nothing much. Just had a pleasant dream.
“…Do ghosts even dream?”
Karrielle retorted with wide eyes.
-Wanna try it out yourself if you’re so curious?
She giggles again.
It’s hard to tell if her words are a joke or just idle chatter.
Though it was clear she wasn’t being serious.
Much like a towering ancient tree in the forest that not even the dimmest mist could obscure.
But upon closer inspection, instead of a mighty tree, it turned out to be a rotten, twisted dead tree or some similar structure.
This woman seems to show everything but reveals nothing crucial.
It’s downright despicable from a human perspective.
No, asking for something human from a Demon King is problematic too.
By this point, Karrielle himself didn’t seem quite normal either, as he inwardly gave a bitter smile.
-The Great Demon King mentioned that when indulging in pleasures, His tastes become absolutely foul, right?
“…So what?”
What the heck is “yu-yeol” anyway?
Regardless, she kept rambling on enthusiastically without waiting for a reply.
-I almost became the Demon King of Ecstasy or Obsession instead of Wisdom. Wow, thinking about it again gives me chills. However, that kind of corruption might not have been too bad after all?
“…?”
I already knew she wasn’t entirely sane, but sometimes I wonder how her mind works.
‘They say geniuses are eccentrics.’
Still, isn’t she the type who’d treat even extraordinary geniuses like flies? Such an absurd existence.
Compared to her usual lethargic and apathetic attitude, she actually seemed more lively now, which was somewhat better.
‘Is this a bad thing?’
The Demon King showing enthusiasm for anything…
What a terrifying prospect!
When she lacked motivation, she was already a catastrophe for Karrielle, so if this gets worse, it’ll be an even bigger disaster…
-Apparently, your resolve and determination have been acknowledged, making you both unfortunate and lucky at the same time, huh?
“What resolve? What misfortune or luck…?”
I don’t get it at all.
Still.
‘That woman—Melinos’ filthy foresight kicking in means Karrielle has become a potential threat, doesn’t it?’
Not that I have any intention of forcing or guiding things that way.
But watching both of them fight to the death and mutually destroy each other might have its own entertainment value, right?
-Well, it’s just one possibility; it’s disappointing that the future isn’t set in stone yet.
Judging by the Demon King, the girl’s vision of the future was correct—this guy wasn’t the type to easily fall into corruption.
At least not without multiple critical triggers and events stacking up.
…Unless he ends up as a dropout or a useless person.
Because despite everything, he wasn’t someone who would grind revenge into blood-soaked swords.
Of course.
…If the Demon King herself were to deliberately push him into the abyss, who knows?
“Stop muttering things only you understand and explain it in a way I can comprehend, will you?”
-Nope. Why should I care about someone like you? What’s so cute about you?
“…”
-Aren’t you grateful that I let you off easy and just observe you? Doesn’t that show how deep my mercy runs?
“Haa…”
That’s exactly right.
The Demon King declared she had achieved her purpose.
Her intentions and purposes.
And their impact on the continent’s political situation.
The reason Karrielle had been frequenting the library lately wasn’t for no reason.
Anyway, since coming and going to the library happens regularly, no one would feel particularly suspicious.
Plus, there was no better place than there to quietly organize one’s thoughts—not really for reading.
However, with the second semester exams over, vacation was just around the corner.
As a result, the overall classroom atmosphere had loosened considerably.
…Of course.
Not everyone was like that though.
“Karrielle! Can’t you stand properly?!”
“…”
Truly meaningless time.
Repetitively practicing the grand imperial sword style.
Karrielle went through the motions half-heartedly.
Which prompted the sword instructor to immediately call him out, and before long, Karrielle found himself receiving a lecture on display.
“Are you running out of patience? You used to put effort into class, so what’s this nonsense now?”
“…”
“Why? Are you planning to give up on becoming a knight? Or do you think since your dad is a hero and captain of the knights, and your grades are decent enough, everything will work out once you graduate?”
“Haa…”
“Sighing? Are you seriously….”
“I apologize.”
Karrielle obediently bowed his head.
“It’s probably because my body’s not feeling well.”
“Now that’s talk….”
After sighing audibly, the teacher nodded slightly.
“…If that’s the case, you should’ve said so earlier and excused yourself.”
“I am unworthy.”
Karrielle bowed deeply again.
The two eventually reached a compromise where he would legally spectate the training instead.
‘To me, all this training is meaningless anyway. Why bother trying or enduring now?’
With every training session making him worse off, how could he possibly muster any motivation?
-You’re just twisting your muscles and toughening up unnecessary senses, so yeah, you’re right.
The Demon King floating above his head giggled while saying this.
Even after the sword practice ended and sparring began,
he sat aside idly wasting time.
“…”
The Imperial Princess glanced at him for a moment, but
just for a brief instant.
===
Arrows flew.
Not just one or ten, but hundreds—at least. Though the total count might increase if summed together, Karrielle was focused solely on those hundreds right now.
Shield in hand, eyes wide open,
he charged forward.
“Gahk!”
Thrown backward by the momentum of deflecting arrows, his body tumbled, discarding the shield in his hands. He quickly crawled forward and picked up another fallen shield.
“Augh?! Shit!”
But the shield shattered instantly.
Under the relentless barrage, his whole body was exposed like a straw target peppered with arrows.
“Gahk!”
This process repeated dozens, hundreds of times.
Eventually, he managed to advance twenty steps.
But.
That was just the starting point.
-Annihilate the enemy or die—you, here in this training battlefield, have only these two options.
And then.
“Uaaaaaagh!”
-Here we go again.
Hundreds of iron-armored cavalry charged with spears raised.
The ground shook violently as if struck by thunder, trembling like an earthquake.
The cavalry charge hit its mark.
“Wha…?!”
There was no time to scream.
While dodging the arrow storms was relatively easier, the problem came next.
The cavalry charge swallowed him whole like a massive tidal wave.
Even if he avoided getting impaled by spears, being trampled by horses or crushed under hooves turned his entire body into rags, broken and mangled in incomprehensible ways.
“Urgh!”
When he opened his eyes again, arrows rained down.
Another twenty steps.
No, this time, thanks to luck, despite taking arrows in his arms and chest, he managed to advance twenty-six steps.
That was the end.
And then again.
Arrow showers.
Just when he thought he’d gotten used to them…
The cavalry charge unfolded once more.
“Some consistency, please!”
There was no time for complaints.
This time, he got skewered by a spear.
“Gahk!”
Though not completely impaled, the shock left his arm pierced and dangling uselessly. Before he could fully register the pain and mental shock,
he was thrown down by another horse, crushed and trampled repeatedly under its solid hooves, turning his entire body into shredded scraps.
“Is THIS supposed to be training?!”
At the very least, giving some basic conditions to resist is common sense, right?
Would throwing kids to wild beasts and expecting them to survive even yield survivors?
But regardless of Karrielle’s inner thoughts,
he kept dying and reviving repeatedly.
“Uuuugh!”
As soon as he opened his eyes back in reality, nausea and the urge to vomit overwhelmed him. He clenched his jaw and took deep breaths for a long while.
-Reality shows no mercy. Remember, there’s no world or kingdom built specifically for you.
“Huff… huff!”
-Get stronger and wiser if you’re annoyed. Ignorance leads to suffering, and weakness invites abuse—that’s the truth of the world.
The laughing Demon King looked, on the surface, like a beautiful little devil, pure and simple.
Despite knowing this was his ideal type, why did hatred keep swelling inside him like rising dough?
“Hey, are you alright?!”
Suddenly, a familiar voice made him look up.
“…”
“You look pale…”
“Didn’t I ask for some time?”
Seras Esdina.
“That’s not why I came here to hear. Is the library just a place to meet you?”
Seras frowned and countered, which made sense, prompting Karrielle to readily apologize.
“…If I overreacted, I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine, no need to apologize.”
Seras exhaled deeply, whether in relief or frustration, unclear.
“While we’re at it, do you need more time to think? Clearly, you weren’t planning to consult your parents anyway, right?”
“…”
Karrielle fell silent momentarily at her direct question.
-Ooh, this is getting interesting!
Interesting? What does that Demon King see to find it amusing…
“This body may not be entirely unrelated either.”
Huh? That voice…
Seras stiffened sharply, reacting with evident hostility.
Her tone dripped with undisguised animosity.
“…What brings Her Highness Elhermina here to such a place?”
“Seras. Is there somewhere I am forbidden to come?”
“Certainly not. But… why visit personally…?”
“I didn’t come here to flip through books. More precisely, Seras, I came here to see you.”
Then, after a pause, she gazed steadily at Karrielle with piercing blue eyes.
“Karrielle. The engagement ceremony is in a month. You must’ve heard already, right?”
“…?”
No, I haven’t.
-Ooh, so THIS is what they call catfight. Exciting stuff!
What nonsense is that Demon King spouting now…? Catfight?
-Eh? Don’t tell me you’ve never read a romance novel?
Karrielle suppressed his irritation and breathed calmly.
“If so, I’ll step aside willingly. It seems there’s business between the two of you.”
At that, Seras suddenly moved closer without warning.
“Kal. Wait. Aren’t you… really okay?”
Seras clung close, caressing his chin while meticulously examining his complexion.
“…”
And the princess watching silently from afar.
For reasons unknown, Karrielle felt an inexplicable chill, as if dropped onto thin ice.
‘Why am I so cold all of a sudden?’
Only after Seras realized her behavior and flinched back did Karrielle regain his freedom.
“Well….”
“That attitude toward your fiancée is rather indifferent, isn’t it?”
Seras seized the opportunity to interject.
“Not yet. It’d be troublesome if you rush things too much, wouldn’t it?”
“Seras. We’re in the Academy. There’s no need to speak formally to me.”
“In that case, gladly.”
-Mood heating up, eh?
Ignoring the insane mutterings of the insane Demon King,
Karrielle left the scene.
-I’ll stick around to watch a bit longer! Missing such prime entertainment would be unforgivable!
…Do as you wish.
Clutching his teeth, Karrielle quickened his pace down the corridor,
half-expecting them to call him back at any moment.