Ren gathered his entire demon army.
"Prepare for war," he said.
The demons around him went silent.
Ren stepped forward slowly.
"We will attack the humans."
"The hero will come to save them…"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"And when he does… I'll hunt him down."
Calt stepped forward.
"A spectacular plan, my lord."
Ren smiled.
Suddenly, a soldier rushed in.
"My lord… the elders are here."
Ren frowned slightly.
"The elders? Why are they here?"
The demon elders entered the castle. There were three of them—two carrying wands, while the third didn't seem to need anything at all. His presence alone was enough to dominate the entire room.
Ren immediately stood up from his throne and greeted them. "Welcome, Elders Wan, Neo, and Eden."
Wan and Neo remained silent, standing slightly behind, as if they were taking orders from Eden. Without saying a word, Eden walked forward and sat on the throne himself.
Ren didn't hesitate for even a second—he stepped aside and gave up his throne.
Eden looked at Ren calmly. "I heard you've been causing quite a rampage here."
Ren didn't flinch. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."
Wan stepped forward. "Don't act, Ren. We know everything. You killed one of your generals and imprisoned Daris. You've already destroyed four human villages… that's a lot for someone who just took the throne a few months ago."
Ren's expression hardened. "I am the king. The demons should fear me. I can't have a weak soldier as my general—that's why I killed him. As for Daris… he forgot who he was speaking to. He needed that punishment. And those human villages?"
He paused, his voice turning colder.
"They deserved it."
"Enough."
Neo's voice cut through the room.
"Just because you became king doesn't mean you can decide everything on your own," he said sharply. "We elders have guided demon kings for centuries. No one acts without informing us."
He stepped closer, his eyes fixed on Ren.
"You've already crossed that line… and don't forget—"
Neo glanced toward the throne.
"—you are standi ng in the presence of the great Eden."
Eden finally spoke. His voice was calm, but it carried weight.
"Ren… release Daris immediately. And from now on, you will not attack any human villages unless we give the order."
The entire hall fell silent.
Eden continued, "As for the humans you've captured… inspect them carefully. If anyone has a black star fire tattoo, send them to us."
He leaned slightly forward on the throne.
"That is all."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Eden's eyes narrowed. "I didn't hear you accept my commands, Ren."
Ren clenched his fists. Anger burned in his eyes… but he knew better than to oppose an elder.
"…Yes, sir," he said through his teeth. "I will do as you say." As the elders turned to leave, their eyes fell on Calt.
One of them paused. "You… are the new demon?"
Calt nodded slightly. "Yes, sir."
For a moment, none of them spoke. They just looked at him—silently, intensely.
Then, without another word, they walked past him and left the hall.
Calt stood there, frozen for a second.
"…What a bunch of freaks," he muttered to himself. "They just gave me chills."
Ren ordered the soldiers to release Daris and put his war plans on hold.
Without saying another word, he walked back to his room. He was furious… but there was nothing he could do.
Meanwhile, the soldiers opened the underground cells and released Daris.
As Daris stepped out, Calt was standing nearby, leaning against the wall.
Daris stopped for a moment as he passed him.
"I don't know what you're planning," he said coldly, "but if you cause any harm to my king or this kingdom… you'll answer to me."
He didn't wait for a reply and walked past him.
Calt watched him go, a faint smile forming on his face.
"…Very scary," he muttered under his breath. "You dragon bastard."
And then he turned and walked away.
Back in the kingdom, Rudo woke up from his sleep and saw a beautiful girl standing beside him. She was talking to Maria.
As he sat up, Maria noticed him. "Finally, you woke up, Rudo."
Rudo looked at the girl. "Who is this?"
The girl turned toward him, slightly offended. "Did you forget who I am? How cruel."
Rudo froze for a second.
Oh no… does she know the real Rudo?
He quickly forced a reply. "Of course I didn't forget. It's just… I think I'm still half asleep."
He stood up immediately. "I'll go get ready," he said, trying to escape the situation.
As he walked out of the room, Maria continued talking to the girl.
"…the princess," she said.
Rudo paused for a second after hearing that.
A princess?
He frowned slightly.
She doesn't look anything like the king…
After some time, everyone gathered in the hall. Lincoln was already there, waiting for them.
"Did you sleep well last night, Rudo?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, Master," Rudo replied.
Lincoln nodded. "Good. Now, about your mission…"
He paused for a moment, then continued,
"You and your party will travel to the western region of the demon territory. There, you will capture this man."
He showed them a picture.
The moment Rudo saw it, his eyes widened slightly.
…He recognized him.
But he stayed silent.
"This is Varner," Lincoln said. "The chief of an eastern demon village."
Rudo frowned. "We're supposed to capture a village chief?"
"Yes," Lincoln replied without hesitation. "And make sure you bring him back alive."
He then added,
"And if you come across any demons with a moon fire symbol… bring them as well."
The hero party nodded. "Yes, sir. We will complete this mission."
As they turned to leave, Rudo fell into his thoughts.
Varner… I know that name.
He came to our kingdom when I was a child… along with three other chiefs.
He looked terrifying…
I didn't speak to him much… but I know one thing—
he's strong.
They stepped out of the hall.
On their way, they ran into the princess.
Pear waved casually. "Hey, Princess Cia… are you coming with us?"
She gave him a look. "Absolutely not. I just came to receive blessings from Master Lincoln."
And with that, she walked past them and entered the hall.
A moment later, the king crossed their path.
"You're leaving already?" he asked with a warm smile. "Did Master give you a job?"
He paused slightly. "Ah… sorry for interrupting you."
Selena quickly shook her head. "No, my lord. It's not necessary for a king to apologize to his people."
The king laughed softly. "I don't mind apologizing to my own people."
And with that, he walked away.
The hero party got onto their carriage and began their journey toward the western region.
Far away, in a demon village…
"Chief! Chief Varner! There's a problem!" a soldier shouted as he rushed through the streets.
Varner stepped out.
He was a goblin king… and the moment he appeared, the air around him felt heavy with magic.
"What happened?" he asked calmly.
"Magical beasts are attacking the village entrance!" the soldiers replied.
Without wasting a second, Varner ran toward the gates.
When he arrived, he saw it—
a massive behemoth crashing against the entrance, trying to break through.
Varner raised his hand.
"Nature's Craft… Wood."
The ground trembled.
A massive tree burst out from the earth, its roots twisting and rising like living creatures.
In an instant, they wrapped around the beast—
crushing it completely.
Varner stood there, his eyes fixed on the battlefield.
He controlled the trees as if they were part of his own body. Just like that, Varner defeated the beast and returned to the village.
After a while, the soldiers rushed back again. "Chief… there's a guest waiting for you."
Varner stepped out once more. "Now what is it?" he asked, slightly annoyed.
The soldiers simply gestured ahead and moved aside.
Varner walked forward…
and saw someone standing there.
Daris.
He was waiting calmly.
At the same time—
far away, the hero party entered the eastern side of the forest, moving closer to the demon territory.
And in the village…
Daris had come to meet Varner.
-To be continued -