“Under whose orders did you come?”
Nahen posed the question, but Lily couldn't answer. Overwhelmed from the moment she saw this man, she couldn't even open her mouth.
There was only one being in the entire world served by the three Beasts of Apocalypse, including Leviathan.
The Ruler of the Upside-Down Kingdom.
“I, I......”
Simply uttering that name was not permitted for an ordinary Demon like Lily. Perhaps it would be different for the great Demon she served.
Grasp!
Nahen’s hand clamped around Lily’s neck. With a hint of Wrath, he asked one last time.
“I asked under whose orders you are operating.”
“Keuk, I..., I came under the command of Lord Gamaliel...!!”
As Lily barely managed to answer, Nahen casually released her neck. Mulling over the name Gamaliel, he then let out a dry laugh.
“Relay this.”
“...Yes?”
“Relay this message to your lewd master.”
“W-What...”
Words laced with warning flowed from Nahen’s mouth.
“Tell him not to do nonsense. If something like this happens one more time, I won’t let it slide.”
He spoke one last time to Lily.
“Relay it.”
“...Hik, Y-yes, Yes!”
Lily hastily pulled something out and threw it on the floor. A large circle appeared on the floor of the Pope's Bedchamber, through which a horrific scene became visible.
“Gasp, Hu-huck......!”
The Pope collapsed backward. Beyond the circle on the floor, figures could be seen, withered and suffering in eternal flames. Ear-splitting screams echoed.
─────!
However, neither Lily nor the strange man before her seemed affected. Putting Lily aside, who was this man to remain unfazed by those terrible screams?
“Li-Lily..., what on earth is happening?!”
Lily didn’t answer the Pope’s call. Seemingly desperate only to escape the current situation, she scrambled into the hole and vanished completely.
Thanks to that, the Pope was left alone with Nahen in the ruined Bedchamber. Pope Sernius III slowly turned his head to look at Nahen, who was already gazing at him with fearsome eyes.
“That thing, did you summon it?”
He didn't even question the unauthorized intrusion into the Pope's Bedchamber. Just seeing the Demon Lily flee in utter terror was enough to tell him this man was no ordinary being.
“M-Me, summon it? What are you...”
“I’m asking if you summoned a demon from Hell. Don’t play dumb, feigning ignorance like a fool just because you occupy the position of a nation’s leader. I don't believe you lack that much intelligence.”
“......”
Although terrified right now, he was still the leader of one of the three largest nations in the Human World. Naturally, such a person wouldn't be an idiot incapable of assessing the situation.
But why was it? The Pope still seemed unable to collect himself.
“D-Did I summon Lily?”
“Yes.”
“D-Did I summon her...?”
Nahen looked at the Pope as if asking what nonsense he was spouting. The Pope, hands trembling, began muttering to himself.
“Did I summon a demon? Since when? Why did I? What on earth happened? Uh oh..., why was that woman next to me...”
Nahen furrowed his brow sharply. The Pope wasn't in his right mind, for some reason. Feeling a 'could it be' suspicion, Nahen grabbed the Pope's body.
“Huk..., L-Let go of me!”
“Stay still.”
The atmosphere froze. Even the Pope, panicking and spouting nonsense, snapped to attention. His confusion hadn't cleared, but instinct told him, stay still or die.
Once the Pope stopped struggling, Nahen placed a hand on his forehead and generated Magical Power.
“Kuk..., Kuughk...!”
The Pope began drooling, letting out strange groans. He seemed to be reacting painfully to Nahen’s Magical Power.
However, Nahen wasn't trying to torment or kill him. The Pope’s reaction to Magical Power was due to something engraved on him.
“Uuuugh......”
A strange Mark began to appear on his forehead, tinged with red and emanating ominous energy. Seeing it, Nahen let out a dry laugh.
“To engrave something like this.”
It resembled the Mark of Brainwashing cast by a Succubus, but its power was incomparable; no one in the Demon World could cast such a thing. Only someone like the master served by that whore demon from earlier could manage it.
The intention was too obvious. Nahen let out a low groan, thinking about the worst possible outcome if he hadn't resolved this quickly.
‘...Were they planning to start a war with the Heavenly Realm?’
The Pope is the human who most faithfully serves the Heavenly God. Although the Heavenly God does not directly interfere in the Human World, they would naturally be enraged to learn of the manipulation of their most loyal servant by a demon's scheme.
Nahen clicked his tongue, Tsk, then channeled his Magical Power into the Mark engraved on the Pope's forehead. The Mark began to fluctuate, the Pope started to suffer.
“Uh..., Uuugh! Kuuughk!!!”
“Endure it for just a moment.”
Soon, the fluctuating Mark began to fade. Nahen’s Magical Power was eroding and eliminating the Mark. The Mark gradually faded, then began to shatter before finally disappearing completely.
“Huuuh......!”
The Pope then stopped convulsing. He seemed confused, recalling the things he had done up until now. Seeing that expression, Nahen removed his hand.
Sernius III slowly raised his head and looked at Nahen. With eyes as if gazing upon a saint.
“Who... are you?”
“Do not misunderstand. I am not a being you should serve.”
Judging that he was definitely misunderstanding, Nahen preemptively struck because he was surely thinking of him as some kind of Heavenly God-like being who had freed him from evil. And it wasn't as if he hadn't anticipated this situation.
There was a separate reason why Nahen went through the trouble of clearing the Pope's Mark, even using his own power and risking misunderstanding. It absolutely wasn't out of sympathy for the Pope being played by a demon, or pity.
‘If traces of demonic interference remain on this man...’
Those above would learn of it. If that happened, a conflict would arise between the Heavenly Realm and Hell, inevitably affecting the Demon World.
That absolutely could not happen. As Nahen's goal was for Seere to reach the pinnacle, the Demon World getting caught up in such a war had to be avoided.
“I merely erased the Technique engraved on you because I needed to. But if you truly feel grateful to me...”
Nahen lowered himself to eye level with the collapsed Pope and asked him suggestively.
“I shall ask a few things. You can answer, can’t you?”
“W-What is it?”
“It’s something I asked before, but did you summon that demon?”
There are two cases when a demon normally residing in Hell goes to the Human World. One is moving voluntarily, and the second is by Summon through a human who learned forbidden arts.
“...No. That demon suddenly appeared before me one day.”
However, the Pope denied it; it didn't seem like a lie. If it had been the latter rather than the former, the reason for engraving the Mark for brainwashing wouldn't make sense.
“What did the demon give you, and what did it urge you to do?”
“I felt captivated the moment I saw her, unable to make proper judgments. I believe I entered such a state.”
“That would be the case.”
“In that state, the demon told me that there were filthy things from the Demon World in my country, which needed to be ferreted out and purified. She also gave me a certain tool.”
“A tool?”
When Nahen asked again, the Pope took something from his bosom that looked like a rhombus-shaped gem. Seeing it, Nahen narrowed his eyes sharply.
“Giving me this, she said it was a tool to ferret out the Demon race. I distributed it to the Holy Knights Order, and thus began the Purification Operation...”
The Pope couldn't continue his words. No matter how brainwashed he was, he knew what he had done to the people he ruled. That guilt weighed heavily on the Pope's heart.
“I will ask just one more thing.”
“Yes...”
“This is the Heavenly God’s sanctuary. It's not a place a mere low-level demon should be able to enter. So how could such a demon infiltrate all the way to your Bedchamber?”
“That is...”
The Pope hesitated, then let out a deep sigh.
“It must be because the Heavenly God’s blessing is weakening.”
“Weakening?”
“This is a fact passed down only to the Pope. The Heavenly God has never responded to our calls since the founding of the Holy Theocracy 400 years ago, nor have they granted any blessings since.”
Nahen’s eyes widened slightly. This was the first time he was hearing this fact. He had understood that the angel called the Heavenly God protected the humans who worshiped them.
But in reality, was there no such thing? Nahen wondered if this too was a hidden setting or story of the game he didn't know about.
“B-But... who might the Noble Person be? I thought you were either the Heavenly God himself or a messenger sent by the Heavenly God...”
“...Didn't you recently receive a Letter from the Demon World?”
“...Pardon?”
A Letter from the Demon World. There was only one: the negotiation letter from the 72nd Floor proposing an exchange of captured humans for money. Recalling that, Sernius III was horrified as Nahen spoke to him as if warning him.
“I hope to maintain an Amicable Relationship with the Holy Theocracy. I also hope the Holy Theocracy remains relatively peaceful, in a situation that isn't too chaotic.”
“......”
“So let's keep things as they are going forward. Restoring you to your original state was for that purpose.”
Nahen looked at the Pope and grinned.
“Understood?”
“...Since they are the words of my Savior of Life, I will at least remember that much.”
Nahen felt satisfied. He hadn't brought up the 72nd Floor expecting the Pope to side with him anyway. He simply hoped that since he had saved him, the Pope would listen to his words and correct the chaotic Political Situation of the Holy Theocracy.
“I shall be going now. I hope you fare well, Sernius III.”
#
Having departed from Babylon, the capital of the Holy Theocracy, Nahen and Dane headed towards the forest where they had parted with Seere's group to rejoin them.
“Was the matter resolved well, Sir Nahen?”
“Yes. Are you alright?”
“Yes, well... It hurt, but it wasn't enough to kill me.”
Nahen looked at Dane for a moment, then nodded. From his perspective, Dane didn't seem to need immediate treatment. It was surprising he was fine after such an impact, but considering he was a very skilled thief, it wasn't that strange either.
‘He must have used some skill while crashing.’
When Nahen and Dane arrived at the forest, they saw three figures in the distance who had been waiting for someone. A slightly young-looking child with impressive white hair immediately noticed them and ran over, smiling brightly.
“Teacher~!!”
It was Seere. Seeing her beaming smile, Nahen smiled back without realizing it. He didn't push away Seere who clung to him tightly, instead stroking her head.
“Were you doing well?”
“Ah, Teacher. I have something to show you!”
Seere rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a handful of rhombus-shaped gems. Then she smiled brightly and said.
“The Holy Knights Order were carrying these! They contain Demon World's Magical Power, but aren't items from the Demon World. I thought maybe they were from Hell, so I collected them!”
“...Is that so?”
Nahen knew these had been supplied to the Holy Knights Order. He had already heard about it from the Pope. However, Nahen had a question.
“But how did you obtain them?”
“Huh?”
“We also found out that these were supplied to the Holy Knights Order and that they were doing the nonsense called Demon race ferreting. We also eliminated the culprit.”
“Really? As expected, you're amazing, Teacher!”
“That’s not what’s important. I’m asking how you obtained so many of these.”
“......”
Seere said nothing. Seeing her reaction, Nahen looked at Cecily with a feeling of 'could it be?'
“Cecily.”
“Yes, Sir Nahen.”
“What happened?”
“......Her Majesty said she needed to secure these.”
“C-Cecily!?”
Seere panicked at Cecily's betrayal of trust. Cecily gave Seere an apologetic look and spoke to Nahen.
“No matter how I thought about it, this didn't seem like something that could be hidden, so I decided to just tell you first.”
“Alright.”
“W-Wait a moment...!”
“We eliminated the Holy Knights Order. We didn't leave any witnesses.”
“Haaa...”
Nahen slapped his forehead. He glanced at Seere, and she flinched, avoiding his gaze.
“Seere.”
“...Yes?”
Nahen, who had let out a deep sigh, had a vein pop on his forehead. For the first time in his life, he yelled at Seere.
“I told you not to cause trouble!!!”
“Huek?!”
“You're going to be in trouble when we get back!”
“Huaaa...!”
When Nahen yelled, Seere dropped all the tools she held, covering her ears. Then she ran to Cecily and hugged her tightly.
“Huaang, Teacher is scaryyy...!”
“See, I told you we couldn't deceive Sir Nahen, so we should just tell him honestly from the start.”
Watching Cecily comfortingly pat Seere, Nahen let out a deep sigh and calmed himself down.
“Haa, Cecily. Why didn't you stop her?”
“Because I belong to Her Majesty. If Her Majesty decides to do something, I have no choice but to follow.”
“...Right, I asked a foolish question.”
Bringing a Demon King to the Human World was wrong from the start. Considering a Demon King's instincts, it was obvious she couldn't remain quiet among humans. Nahen spoke with eyes that had suddenly turned cold.
“How did you handle the cleanup?”
“We handled it perfectly. People might find it strange, but they won't know whose doing it was.”
“...Next time something like this happens, I'll come alone.”
“...Understood. You heard that too, Your Majesty?”
“Ut...”
Seere looked up at Cecily, then glanced at Nahen. Seeing Nahen's still angry face, Seere quickly turned her head away and rubbed her face into Cecily's embrace.
She was still just a child. It was clear from her tearful expression moments ago. Since Seere had never been afraid of him before, Nahen wondered if he had been too harsh.
Sighing softly, Nahen spoke to Dane and Eri.
“You two stay behind and monitor the situation. Eri, you change your identity first.”
“Yes, Sir Nahen.”
Nahen slowly approached Seere, who was nestled in Cecily's arms. He lightly patted her back once.
“Teacher is sorry for yelling.”
“...sob.”
“Let's go back. From now on, I won't push you too hard.”
“...I'm sorry.”
“No. It was merely a lapse in my judgment. Don't worry about it.”
Seere sniffled for a moment, then slowly lifted her head and looked up at Nahen with slightly puffy eyes.
‘...Right, no matter how bright this child is, there are limits.’
It's common when young, but self-control tends to be weak. Rational thought develops as one grows older, and being more faithful to emotions when young is natural and perfectly normal.
Nahen closed his eyes briefly, then opened them, showing a gentle smile. Seere’s eyes widened.
“Let's go back and have some Pudding.”
“...Pudding? Can I have some?”
“Yes. If you don't cry.”
As if she had never cried, Seere's expression brightened instantly. She pulled away from Cecily's embrace and spoke confidently to Nahen.
“I didn't cry.”
“Right, you're not crying. Then shall we head back quickly?”
“Yes!”
#
Hell, where the tormented screams of the dead echo and the inextinguishable Flames of Sin surge. In a Palace within this Hell, exuding a slightly different atmosphere, sat a captivating woman in the seat of honor.
Trembling before her, head bowed low, was the demon Lily, who just moments ago had been manipulating the Pope and living large.
“Lily. Why have you returned so soon?”
“Th-That is..., I was obstructed.”
At Lily’s report, the woman let out a dry laugh. It was just a dry laugh, yet even the sound of her breath felt lewd.
“Obstructed? You returned without completing my command just because you faced some mere obstruction?”
As the woman grew angry, Lily found it difficult even to breathe. Demons were stronger and of a higher rank than the Demon race, yet this demon Lily couldn't muster any bravado, suffering from instinctive fear.
Lily barely managed to open her mouth and force out a single sentence.
“Th-The obstruction was caused by another Great Being...!”
“...What did you say?”
The woman paused momentarily at Lily's excuse, then burst into dry laughter again.
“Obstruction? Everyone agreed to this, so who would dare interfere with my work. Are you daring to report falsely?”
Intangible hands emerged from the air and seized Lily's limbs. Then they began to pull, as if intending to tear her apart.
Even in agony, Lily used all her might to explain the reason. Because she would really die otherwise.
“Aaaargh... Th-The one who commands the Beasts of Apocalypse...”
“...What?”
In that instant, the grip on her limbs loosened, and Lily fell to the floor with a thud. There was some impact, but it was far less painful than moments ago when her limbs were about to be torn off.
“Speak clearly. Who interfered?”
“Th-The one whom the Beasts of Apocalypse follow... suddenly appeared.”
“......”
The woman's eyes darted around. Then, she unknowingly raised the corners of her mouth and gestured for Lily to leave immediately.
“I-I shall take my leave.”
As Lily barely managed to pull herself together and retreat, the woman covered her own mouth with her hand. To hide her smile.
It was extremely rare for the Master of Lust to hide her smile, but she had no choice now. She didn't want others to see this emotion.
“I wondered where he went, leaving his own country vacant...”
An eerie glint shone in her eyes in the darkness. The corners of her mouth, hidden by her hand, naturally formed an arc.
“So you were there?”