Chapter 16 : The Saintess’s Disappearance (1)

-Whack!!!

My teeth and blood flew through the air. With my magic shield down, I was kneeling in front of the Demon King, taking a

brutal beating.

I deserved it. I let the Saint—whom the Demon King loves—get away right in front of me.

“…What the hell are you doing right now?”

The Demon King’s shoe smashed into my face. With no shield, I collapsed to the side, powerless.

“Did I go too easy on you? Did you forget how to serve under me?”

“If you’re gonna keep this up, just quit being the General.”

“…I’m sorry.”

He wiped the blood off his face and went back to sit on the throne. Honestly, it’s lucky it ended there.

“Faster than targeting the east… yeah, sure. Attacking the human world would be quicker.”

The Demon King nodded, seeming to accept it—but then clicked his tongue in irritation.

“But didn’t we agree not to do that for at least a hundred years after my death?”

“Going after the humans won’t solve anything fundamentally. Things were almost settled… Why now?”

At that moment, the Demon Realm’s eastern region was suffering from intense monster waves. And now the Dragon King

was planning a rebellion on top of that?

“Tell the Blood King that if he doesn’t come here immediately, I’ll kill him. And summon the other generals to the East.”

“Yes, sir…”

The Demon King stood up and grabbed his staff.

“The moment the Blood King arrives, I’m leaving for the north. Next time you mess up, General—you’ll die for real.”

“Yes…”

“I should’ve forced her to stay that time… Why does she keep slipping further away?”

Blood dripped down from the Demon King’s bitten fingernails.

“Gasp!!  My wound is gone…?”

The wound from the wolf tearing off my arm was completely gone. No scars, no pain. But more importantly… where the

hell am I?

“You’ve woken up.”

I reached instinctively for my mace—but it was gone. My clothes were different too. Even my underwear had been

changed.

“Who are you?”

“I’m… Eleanor. Granddaughter of Dragon King Fafnir.”

“Dragon King…?”

She had red jewel-like horns on her head, ruby-red eyes, sharp fangs, and a sad-looking face. Even as a demon, she was

beautiful.

But why is his granddaughter here? Wait… where am I? I turned around and looked out the window.

A blizzard was raging. The sky was red, snow swirling like a storm. The red glow must be from the Demon Realm’s sun.

“This is… the Demon Realm?”

“The far north. The land of dragons. Welcome to our castle, Saint.”

I laughed, dumbfounded. The far north of the Demon Realm? A snowy valley where dragons live? And the Dragon King’s

granddaughter?

“My grandfather… I’m so sorry…”

Eleanor began crying.

Why? Why would a demon cry? Aren’t they supposed to be ruthless to humans? Is this a trick?

“I know you’re confused… I’ll bring you food first.”

“I’m not eating.”

“I said I’m not eating. Why would I eat food given by a demon?”

She suddenly burst into tears. I didn’t get it at all. The demons I’d seen until now were all maniacs eager to kill. But this

girl?

“Please don’t make my granddaughter cry…”

The blond demon I saw earlier was at the door. That chilling feeling I had when I first saw him was gone. Now he was

just… a gentle old man.

So different that I could hardly believe he was the same being.

“Come here, Eleanor.”

“Grandfather…”

She ran into his arms like a child.

“If you’ve recovered, shall we talk?”

“You think I’d talk with a demon?”

“Is this really the time for pride?”

Suddenly, a suffocating pressure poured out of him. So the calm tone was just a bluff—he was clearly threatening me.

“Don’t be mad, Grandpa…”

“Well, my granddaughter’s asking, so I’ll listen.”

…What is this?

The old demon—no, the Dragon King—patted Eleanor’s head and smiled kindly. Was he really the same terrifying being

from before?

“Let’s get ready to eat. Eleanor will show you the way. I’ll wait in the dining hall.”

“…Fine.”

“I hope it’s a pleasant meal.”

As soon as he left, the choking air vanished.

The Dragon King… In the human world, he’s barely even recorded in history—just a mythical figure from old stories.

“Would you like to change clothes now?”

“ okay.”

Eleanor shyly walked over and began picking out clothes from the wardrobe. She kept smiling and saying things like,

“This one’s pretty!”

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I could hear the screams of the demons I’d killed. I thought of their faces…

Maybe they weren’t so different from her.

“ are you okay?”

“You don’t look well…”

“I’m fine.”

Please, don’t be kind to me. I’d rather be cursed. It’d be easier to hate you.

“Saint, I think this dress would suit you!”

She held up a soft blue dress and gestured for me to try it on.

“…Wait outside.”

okay… I’ll be by the door.”

I had to get it together. I can’t afford to get emotional. No matter how kind she acts, no matter how young or innocent she

looks…

She’s still a demon. Our sworn enemy.

I changed into the dress and stepped outside. Eleanor smiled brightly and said it suited me.

But I couldn’t smile back.

As Eleanor guided me to the dining room, I saw how desolate the castle was. Parts of it were crumbling, and it was filthy.

No other demons in sight.

“Welcome, Saint.”

The Dragon King sat at the head of the table. On the table, a single piece of grilled meat.

That’s it?

“I did my best. Hope it suits your taste.”

“I cooked it myself.”

He did?

I looked around—no servants anywhere. Just a candle flickering on the table and cold wind blowing in through broken

windows.

“Try it. It’s wyvern tail steak. Humans grill meat, right?”

“…Well, yeah.”

“Ugh, I can’t remember the name… Steak, was it?”

“Yeah… steak.”

Is this really steak? It looked burned outside, raw inside. When he cut it open, blood dripped out.

He placed the slice in front of me.

“Eat before it gets cold.”

Both he and Eleanor stared at me. Especially Eleanor—her eyes were sparkling with hope.

Are they trying to poison me?

I cut the meat with a knife. It was raw. Blood soaked the plate.

“Anyway, what did you want to talk about?”

“We could’ve done it after dinner…”

The Dragon King sighed and continued.

“How much do you really know about the Demon Realm?”

“That it’s ruled by the Demon King, and full of demons who want to kill us humans.”

The Dragon King laughed quietly, chewing his meat, then put down his utensils.

“Tastes awful. Sorry.”

“…No, it’s okay.”

Eleanor tried the meat too, but couldn’t hide her disappointment.

“Have you ever wondered why demons kill humans?”

“Because the Demon King wants to invade our world.”

“ The Demon King would laugh if he heard that.”

That’s what we were taught by the Church. That the Demon King wants our rich lands and we must defeat him for peace.

Everyone believes that.

“Demons cross into the human world because of hunger. The environment here is unbearable.”

“…What?”

“They raid just to survive. Some even form gangs to get by.”

I thought about my travels… All the demons burning villages, killing people.

So now they want forgiveness because they were hungry?

“What, you want us to forgive murderers because they were desperate?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then what the hell are you saying?! You’re just making excuses!”

I was furious. I could see all the people I’d seen die flashing before my eyes.

“Then tell me—why did you ignore us?”

“…What?”

“We sent letters of peace every year. But your Empire refused to even read them.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Since the Empire was founded, I sent a message of peace every year.”

He tapped the table, clearly annoyed. His eyes glared with killing intent.

“You humans are the ones who ignored us. You kept sending ‘heroes’ to kill us every year.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

“Then why does the Academy keep producing heroes every year?”

“That’s to defeat the Demon King!”

My head was spinning. I never heard any of this.

The Empire received his letters? And ignored them?

“Do you really believe you killed the Demon King?”

“…What?”

The Dragon King laughed so hard it echoed through the room.

“Didn’t you know? He let you kill him. His race revives in 100 years.”

“…We know that…”

“But 100 years is a long time for humans.”

“…What?”

“So your Emperor became a hero. A savior of the continent. For 100 years of peace.”

I couldn’t say anything.

“You and your heroes were just props in that lie. Funny, isn’t it?”

He looked at me with a smirk.

And I felt something inside me break.