Chapter 24: A Cheerful Life in the Demon King’s Castle (1)

“Then let’s say three years.”

“…I don’t like it, but I guess I have no choice.”

In the end, Morgan agreed with the Dragon King to capture the Queen of the Eastern monsters within three years.

They couldn’t send all the dragons back, but they promised that if the monster population dropped after the queen was captured, the dragons would be released gradually.

“I’ll try to get Fenrir back as soon as possible.”

“Please do. But if those guys already caused trouble, it’s going to be bad…”

“If that’s the case, I’ll clean it up. It was my decision after all.”

The Dragon King promised to retrieve Fenrir from the beastkin.

“Grandpa Fafnir, I’ll really try my best… I’m sorry.”

‘…Blood King, I know exactly how much you care about protecting the East. I also know the reason we haven’t had news of dragon deaths is all because of you…’

How heartwarming. Two of the Demon Realm’s Four Kings were joining hands in reconciliation. And the Demon King was watching the whole thing. Everyone’s getting a happy ending.

Except me. I still can’t go home.

“Shall we go now?”

“To your home?”

“Oh come on… You’re calling the Demon King’s castle your home already?”

“I meant the Grand Cathedral…”

Ever since I found out Morgan was the Demon King, she’s been clinging to me even more. Now, she doesn’t even try to hide it—she presses her chest against my body like it’s the most natural thing.

‘I only have Eris and Sierra as female friends, so I really don’t know how to keep distance… But if I tell her not to get so close, what if she gets hurt…?’

I knew in my head that Morgan was the Demon King, but the girl in front of me was nothing like a Demon King—just a young girl. And treating a Demon King who looked like a little girl harshly wasn’t easy.

I turned to look at Morgan, who was glued to my arm.

Our eyes met, and Morgan quickly turned her head, but I only needed a moment—it was definitely the same gaze I remembered.

No wonder she looked familiar the first time I saw her.

Morgan’s red eyes were exactly the same as the ones I saw in that final moment when I brought my mace down on the Demon King.

She looked so different from back then…

But how could I forget those eyes from the final strike?

‘She really is the Demon King…’

And now that Demon King is clinging to me… The Saint who got close with the Demon King.

Who would ever believe that? Even the Empire’s trashy gossip papers wouldn’t run a story like this.

While I was pulling my hair out wondering what to do next, Eleanor suddenly burst into the room.

“Char..! Are you really leaving?!”

Eleanor ran into my arms and rubbed the horns on her head against my chest. Ow, ow, ow!!

Her red, crystal-like horns felt like they were stabbing into my ribs—so painful.

“Can’t you stay?”

“I’m sorry… I don’t really want to go either… I do want to return to the human world, though…”

“No, you can’t.”

Morgan cut in between us and pushed Eleanor’s shoulder away from me.

“Char… I don’t doubt Lotte, but if the humans find out I’ve come back to life, it’ll be a huge problem.”

“In that case, wouldn’t staying here in the castle be safer? Not just humans—even regular demons can’t enter this place.”

“…No.”

‘I don’t like either option…’

No matter what I said, I couldn’t break Morgan’s stubbornness. I needed to return to the human world and let the Grand Cathedral know I was alive…

They need to know I’m alive, so Grandpa won’t do anything rash.

He wasn’t like that garbage from before, but still—he was the Pope. He had responsibilities.

‘I’ve been in the Demon Realm too long… I don’t even know what’s going on at the Cathedral anymore, it’s driving me nuts…’

“No! I’m telling you, it’s safer for Char to stay here in our castle!”

“Are you dissing the Demon King’s castle?! Comparing it to this run-down place?!”

The Dragon King’s eyebrow twitched at that.

“I heard the Demon King’s castle is under construction right now!”

“It’s still safer than here!”

“Char likes being with me, her friend!”

What the heck are these two doing?

Rebecca didn’t even try to stop them. Actually, she looked like she didn’t want to get involved. And Arma, where did she even get that wine glass, was sipping it like she was enjoying the show.

“I don’t want to go… but I guess I have to…”

Morgan lit up with a bright smile when I said I was going to the Demon King’s castle.

Nothing was going to get resolved if I stayed here. It made more sense to go to the Demon King’s castle and send a letter to the human world from there.

“I’m sorry, Eleanor.”

I felt guilty. She was my first real friend here, and leaving like this made me feel kind of bad.

“Then I’ll go too!!!!”

“Sure, take my granddaughter with you.”

“Grandpa?!”

“If I’m going to retrieve Fenrir, I’ll have to go all the way to the Empire’s southern region. I can’t just leave my granddaughter alone in this old castle.”

“…Alright…”

In the end, Morgan agreed to let Eleanor come with us. That’s what you get for trash-talking the house in front of the landlord.

“Finally leaving, huh~? Aww~ the ending was a little~ boring though~”

Arma tossed her wine glass aside, stretched, and stood up. The Dragon King sighed quietly and walked over to her.

“When you return to the East, tell Ragram I said hello.”

“…Got it.”

Arma patted the Dragon King’s shoulder and then came over to us. Both their faces looked unusually heavy.

And with that, we left the Dragon King behind and headed for the Demon King’s castle.

“Eleanor. Even without Grandpa, don’t forget to brush your teeth.”

“Grandpa…”

“Sometimes release your polymorph and stretch your wings too, alright?”

“Grandpa…!! I’m an adult now..!”

Eleanor turned beet red and fanned her face with her hands. Being treated like a child in front of everyone must have been rough.

“Grandpa… You be careful too, okay?”

“Don’t worry about me.”

“Then we’ll head out now.”

As Rebecca tore the teleportation scroll in her hand, a blinding magical light flared before our eyes.

When the light faded, we were suddenly in front of the Demon King’s castle.

The blazing red sun scorched above, a sandstorm swept across the castle walls, and the massive gate—destroyed by Alec and Karl because they were “annoyed”—still hadn’t been repaired.

“So… we’re really back…”

“Welcome home! To our house!”

The head maid led the way, stepping over the broken gates into the Demon King’s castle. As I walked inside, memories of that day three years ago came rushing back.

Not good memories. Better not to think about them.

These days, just hearing Alec’s name made my blood pressure spike and my neck throb.

Following the head maid through the castle, I saw more demons working than I expected. All of them lowered their heads politely when they saw Morgan.

So she really was the Demon King.

“How is it? Does it finally feel real to you?”

Rebecca whispered to me from beside, as if she had read my mind.

“You’re easier to read than you think, you know?”

“Really…?”

“Hehe. Of course.”

Was I really that easy to read…? Still, it was impressive. Morgan seemed pretty friendly with her subordinates.

The demons bowed and smiled at Morgan, and she quietly lifted her hand in greeting.

You could tell just from Rebecca’s behavior. She was the head maid, and yet she still joked with the Demon King.

“Now that I think about it… When we came before, there wasn’t anyone in the castle…”

“Was it then? Everyone was sent on vacation to avoid any unnecessary damage.”

Demons get vacations too, huh. Honestly… is this a good workplace?

Seeing the busy and lively castle stirred up a lot of emotions.

Such a bright atmosphere—brighter than the Grand Cathedral. Even the Empire’s royal palace wasn’t like this. That place was filled with scheming.

So we tried to destroy this place? We really knew nothing about demons.

They had little interest in us, yet humans were obsessed with hating demons…

Before I knew it, we had arrived at that place. The final battlefield of the hero party.

As the tightly shut doors opened, memories overlapped with the present.

“Wait..! Saint! If you take my hand, I’ll give you half the world…!”

“Quit with the clichés and DIE

I couldn’t help but laugh. It really was a cliché line, looking back now. What was Morgan thinking when she said that? I’ll have to ask her someday.

The shattered throne and broken room had been perfectly restored. Even the throne Alec had smashed in half was good as new. It was like we’d never been there.

Morgan walked forward with confidence and sat quietly on the throne.

Then, Rebecca, Arma, and even Eleanor knelt before her.

Morgan looked down at them with calm authority—just like a true king.

Just like a real Demon King.

So completely different from the person I had come to kill.

So different from the Morgan I’d seen until now.

I got goosebumps.

“Once again… Welcome, Charlotte.”

Could this really be happening? The Demon King I killed, welcoming me—the Saint—back to the Demon King’s castle.

“…Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty.”

I walked up beside the throne and reached out to take Morgan’s offered hand.