I Got a Job as the Demon King's Plaything - Chapter 80
VIII. Rumors and Heroes
“I thought you wouldn’t come out of the bedroom forever.”
“I almost didn’t.”
At Teshiel’s half-sincere remark, Rento coughed lightly to hide his laughter.
“Kaplites seems to be leading his followers. In as little as half an hour, at most an hour, they’ll be visible from the outer fortress.”
“Even if we can’t handle the followers, he’ll fly in. I’ll take care of the inner fortress. Concentrate the troops on the outer fortress and don’t let those without wings take a single step inside.”
“Leave it to me.”
Teshiel frowned and muttered.
“Coming without a declaration of war, is he out of his mind? His eyes still have a long way to go to heal.”
“Maybe he’s so consumed with rage that he’s seeking revenge.”
“He’s not that stupid.”
“I’ll head to the outer fortress for now. Be careful.”
Not long after Rento led the knights toward the outer fortress, a small blue dot began to approach across the sky from afar. It was Kaplites. The lightning spewing from the massive dragon split the sky and struck the ground.
Teshiel glared at the sight and extended a hand to one side. A long black flame shot up from his palm. As if on cue, soldiers waiting on the castle walls fired crossbows and cannons. Kaplites dodged the attacks with ease and flew right overhead, and Teshiel lashed out with the flames like a whip at the dragon.
Just as the black flames were about to coil around its neck, the dragon’s form vanished in midair, and poof! The dragon was replaced by a young man with blue hair who gracefully descended to the ground. Behind him, three humans who had been riding on the dragon’s back fell to the ground. One was a knight with a fairly large build, another was a woman wearing sacred robes. And the last was a man with dazzling blond hair.
The young man with blue hair approached with a smile.
“You’re the same as ever. I missed you, Demon King.”
“Not me. You barged into my inner fortress without an invitation—your manners are atrocious, dragon.”
Kaplites looked at Teshiel, who was frowning, and tapped the area around his eye with his fingers.
“I received a gift, so I should return it.”
“Is your memory failing? I told you you’d have to wager your life.”
“That’s why I brought others with me today.”
Teshiel glanced at the humans standing behind Kaplites and snorted.
“For all your lofty airs, you’ve stooped to needing human help.”
“Actually, it’s the other way around.”
Kaplites raised both hands, and lightning so blinding it could have been a prison encircled Teshiel.
“The helpers are on my side.”
Through the gaps in the lightning, Lucas and Jorge charged. Jorge’s spear stabbed toward Teshiel’s side, while Lucas’s sword aimed for his neck. Teshiel dodged lightly and brought down his flaming whip, but Lucas’s sword, glowing with a brilliant white light, split the whip in two. Teshiel’s eyes narrowed. Behind Kaplites, Sophitia could be seen kneeling, continually praying.
“A holy sword, huh? This should be interesting.”
“It doesn’t work well on dragons, but it’s effective against demons.”
Lucas grinned as he adjusted his grip on the gleaming sword. Teshiel’s gaze shifted to his blond hair.
“Are you the royal family’s leftover?”
The imperial family had long been blessed by the twenty-nine gods. When a sword imbued with holy power was in the hands of a member of the royal family, it could multiply its power several times over.
Lucas frowned. It was obvious that Teshiel’s comment about “leftover” referred to his status as an illegitimate child.
“Your words are harsh. Do you really think you have the right to speak about the bloodline of the noble and great Emperor?”
“A man who sired a child with any random woman he would throw away after one use—noble, you say? More like filthy.”
“I wouldn’t expect to hear much from someone who kidnaps women and forces them to stay against their will.”
“Kidnap? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Your tongue is too long, Demon King!”
Jorge, who had been watching the exchange between Teshiel and Lucas, gripped his spear and charged. Teshiel struck the spear with his flaming whip.
‘A holy sword and a dragon, huh? This might be a bit more troublesome than before.’
He intensified the flames of his whip, slowly moving his steps as if to lure them away from the building where Bonita was.
