DKFTI 24

“Hey! That! That’s not for eating!”

Shanti jumped up in shock when he saw Racoon picking up a seed potato he had carefully laid out on the soil to plant, and putting it in his mouth.

“Shanti, that guy even chews on rocks.”

“Ah! I was wondering where all the ones I left went, that brat ate them all!”

Shanti, who was grumbling, pretended to roll up his sleeves and went to catch Raccoon. Raccoon saw Shanti’s, he quickly got up and fled on all fours.

“Hey! Stop! Stop!”

“What are you talking about! You stinky sheep-head!”

The two of them began a cheerful game of tag. The hot midday sun blazed through the garde. Seed potatoes and saplings piled up high like mountains.

“It’s peaceful.”

Sibel wiped away the sweat running down his forehead and laughed.

“Demon King. You don’t want to keep doing this, do you?”

When Ruru, who had been observing him closely, said that, Sibel’s expression turned gloomy.

“Yeah. I think I am going to get heatstroke.”

The truth was, working under the scorching sun was exhausting. Not just exhausting. Extremely exhausting.

“…It seems like you’re overdoing it. Why don’t you go to the hut and rest for a while?”

“Oh, okay then.”

Sibel, too weak to get up from the ground, slowly crawled toward the hut in the shade.

There was a hut in the garden of the Demon King castle. It looked just like the ones you would see in the Korean countryside. At first, he thought such things existed because they were devices taken from novels written by Koreans, but Sibel learned something interesting from Shanti.

Many of the things that existed in the castle were created from Sibel’s subconscious. In other words, the objects or structures that seemed strange here were mostly formed from his own unconscious mind.

So that was why there were things like oddly placed CCTVs, cell phones, a hut, and a Korean-style kitchen?

“Ha, if only I had a bowl of sikhye¹ with ice floating in it.”

A cold breeze blew through the sticky summer air. The humid, sweet scent of summer carried by the wind tickled his nose.

“Demon King.”

Hearing Ruru’s call, Sibel, who had been leaning his head against the hut’s pillar, turned his head. A worm was wiggling right in front of his nose.

“Argh!”

That brat was suddenly attacking with a worm?

Ruru burst into laughter as Sibel recoiled in fright.

“You really are such a scaredy-cat.”

Ruru tossed the worm away and sat down next to Sibel. Sibel felt like he was dying from the heat, but he enjoyed the weather that had completely shifted into summer. He liked the feel of the wind on his sweat-dampened skin. He suddenly remembered the cold weather in Genzar.

“This weather here…”

“Yes.”

Ruru rubbed his body against the shaded pillar of the hut as he replied. Ruru struggled especially hard with the heat.

“They said this is also because of my influence.”

“That’s right. I’ve never lived through such hot temperature and humidity. The Demon King’s seasons are quite extreme and dreadful.”

Just as the things making up the demon king castle came from Sibel’s subconscious, so too did the weather. Most likely, the seasons in Valheim would now follow the four seasons of Korea. And Sibel’s seasons always cycled without fail. Which meant that hellish summers and hellish winters were lying in wait.

But Sibel didn’t think that was so bad. On the contrary, it felt comfortable because it was familiar.

“What kind of life would someone live if they carried winter inside them all the time.”

A place where nothing circulated. Where the seasons stopped, and even the flow of water ceased. It seemed Leviathan, who lived alone in such a place, had left a strong impression on him. Sibel found himself suddenly thinking of him more often. The hotter it grew, the more he thought of the cold in Genzar.

“Ruru prefers the cold to the heat.”

“Do you want to transfer to another castle? Do you want me to call a moving company for you?”

“Aw, Demon King, that’s so heartless.”

While the two were chatting idly, Shanti, having finished a fiery game of tag, trudged toward the hut in tatters.

“Huff, huff….”

Shanti looked utterly exhausted.

“By the way, Demon King. Isn’t this really not the time for us to be farming?”

Ruru was saying something reasonable for once. But just because it was reasonable didn’t mean it was fun to agree.

“Leviathan-nim said I have to build my own Demon King castle.”

“Hm, but aside from things related to castle security, what effect does farming have?”

“It makes our meals richer. Didn’t they always say strength comes from rice? Do you think we can fight properly if we’re eating meals made from the disgusting ingredients of the Demon Ralm?”

Ruru’s eyes speak loud and clear. He’s shameless. He’s a truly shameless Demon King.

“Then do you want to go build the walls?”

Sibel, noticing Ruru’s look, spoke with a sharp gaze. Ruru quickly did the math. Which was harder, planting potatoes or building walls? Building walls seemed slightly more difficult.

“Food has always been a very important military supply. I believe it’s crucial for the security of the Demon King castle!”

Ruru should in an energetic voice. Shanti clicked his tongue at him. And Sibel, who was looking at Shanti, was wondering if he should shave off some of that thick fur in this heat.

“By the way, hasn’t the Hero been too quiet lately?”

While worrying whether to use scissors or a knife if he couldn’t find clippers, Sibel heard Ruru’s question and stroked his chin. His smooth jawline slid under his hand.

“Come to think of it, you’re right.”

The hero, who used to pop up every chance he got to run his mouth, had been silent for days. Not just silent, he wasn’t even in sight.

“But is that really a big deal?”

Honestly, from the Demon King’s point of view, having the Hero quietly go away was something far more welcome.

“Have you never raised a child? Or even a puppy? It’s always when you don’t see them and it’s quiet that it’s most dangerous!”

“…The hero isn’t a baby or a dog.”

Just then, Ruru, who had been sitting, suddenly stood up.

“Demon King. Do you know the reason I’ve survived in this battlefield-like Demon Realm with nothing but meager skills?”

So his skills really were meager. Somehow, he always seemed all talk with no real ability.

“I don’t know?”

“It’s this instinct! Instinct! Keen senses! Extraordinary insight!”

“Ah.”

So she survived by living off his wits. Sibel nodded. He really did seem to have talent for politics and tightrope walking.

“In that sense, my radar is reacting violently.”

“Mm?”

“Let’s stalk the Hero.”

“That seems like a bad thing to do.”

“Demon King.”

“Mm?”

“It’s stranger for demons to do good things.”

“Ah.”

That was actually quite persuasive. As expected of Ruru’s logic, who had climbed to the rank of a high-ranking demon with nothing but his sharp tongue! Once again, Sibel decided to trust Ruru today.

***

On the terrace of the Demon King castle, behind a pillar with a clear view of the back garden, two people peeked out their eyes and stared at Aizen, who was staring into the distance, lost in thought.

“Look. Doesn’t he look a bit gloomy?”

A slouched posture slumped on the chair, messy clothes, unkempt hair, a sulky mouth twisted as if he was chewing dung, a furrowed brow stamped with bad temper…

As expected, the Hero was…

“He looks the same as usual?”

He seemed to be maintaining his usual appearance, so what was the problem? As always, he looked somewhat unpleasant, somewhat fierce, and extremely healthy, like a pine tree.

To be honest, compared to when he had first arrived here, his face looked shinier, as if his fortunes had improved. Maybe because Sibel had been working under the blazing sun. It gave off a rather irritating feeling…

Anyway, Ruru’s concern didn’t seem to be a real issue. He was just a hero who ate well and lazed around.

“Look over there!”

At that moment, Ruru pointed to the sky. Sibel narrowed his eyes and checked what was coming through the sunlight. It was none other than a bird.

The bird circled above Aizen’s head before landing in front of him.

Aizen, spotting the bird, naturally stretched out his hand and untied something from its leg.

“See? That’s a carrier pigeon!”

“A carrier pigeon?”

“A bird that delivers letters!”

“Hm. With who?”

As Sibel stroked his chin and thought, Ruru shook his head in exasperation and opened his mouth.

“Who else? The Holy Kingdom!”

“The Holy Kingdom?”

“I’m saying he’s clearly a spy!”

Apostle Aizen, the Holy Kingdom, letters, spy. It was quite a convincing combination. And it even explained the Hero’s behavior of refusing to budge even when they pushed him to safely leave the demon king castle.

So he was staying here to act as a spy?

“But what exactly is he secretly passing on?”

Still, there was a fundamental question whether Aizen could gain any useful information in this castle.

The only thing he might extract was that the demons here were pitifully incompetent.

‘Wait, but that actually helps them?’

Suddenly Sibel felt a chill. It occurred to him that perhaps this whole thing had been the Hero’s meticulous calculation.

“Ruru….”

Sibel’s and Ruru’s eyes met. It was the moment of the rebirth of a cursed combination.

***

1. sweet Korean rice beverage, usually served as a dessert ↩︎