Chapter 315 : The Demon Realm

"Hwaaam..."

Tifri yawned and led us out of the Demon King's Palace (a two-story wooden house).

We had just woken up Tifri, who had been dozing off on the first floor, and asked him to guide us to the demon realm.

The streets were quiet, as if everyone had gone to beat up the poor holy knights.

"Are they all usually like that?"

Tifri replied, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"What?"

"I mean, being so enthusiastic about battle. Someone even ran out with a kitchen knife while they were cooking."

"Well, they're a bit on the passionate side."

Siri muttered softly.

"I don't think it's just a bit..."

I thought they were a true warrior race.

If the Blake Kingdom was a country of knights, the Kingdom of Sorrow was a country of warriors.

[What about the Maia Kingdom?]

"What are you asking? The Maia Kingdom is obviously a country of magical beasts. Isn't it obvious, with people drinking their blood and turning into magical beasts one by one?"

"? What did you say?"

"Ah, I was just talking to myself. Don't mind me."

"...You're a strange one."

"Am I the only one?"

Seeing the gatekeeper, who was walking with a yawn, seemed rather abnormal compared to the rest of the nation, who were so passionately engaged in war.

"Sir Tifri."

"Hwaaam... what."

"Aren't you participating in the war?"

"Why should I? There are plenty of people to fight even if I don't go. I had my fun when I was in my prime, so I should give others a chance too."

"...So it's a kind of consideration."

"That's right."

To think that not going to the battlefield was a consideration.

In other countries, people would do anything to avoid being dragged into a war.

'How absurd.'

The king of consideration, Tifri, who was walking ahead, using his spear as a cane, looked back at us.

"The demon realm, is this the first time for both of you?"

"I guess so."

"Alright, then I'll explain on the way."

Tifri said, walking slowly through the maze-like streets that were twisted and turned in all directions.

"To put it in one word, the demon realm is the home of magical beasts. It's teeming with all sorts of magical beasts. And, it's also the source of this nasty demonic energy."

"Demonic energy?"

"You know, the power that turned this land into a black desert."

The Heavenly Demon offered his opinion.

[It seems to mean turbid energy.]

What the mages called black mana, and what the priests called contaminated mana.

"No one knows why this pit was created. According to the myths, it's the place where the Demon God, who resided in the heavens, became a black star and fell to the earth and died."

I was slightly surprised by the relatively accurate myth.

From what I had heard, the demon realm was indeed the place where the Demon God had died.

However, just as the shabby Ashuban had died when I fell off the cliff and the Red-Eyed Devil was born, the problem was that the Demon God had died and the Evil God was born.

Did they know about these detailed circumstances?

I asked casually.

"Do you know why the Demon God died?"

"Roughly."

"Roughly?"

"Because of the 'sin' committed by our ancestors."

I blinked at the unexpected words.

This was new information.

"...Sin? What sin?"

"I don't know. That's why we, the descendants, are living here and have been given the mission of guarding the abyss to atone for that sin."

Tifri said, tapping the horn on his head.

"I think that's why we were given this power. To guard the demon realm and to stop the magical beasts that are trying to crawl out of it into the world."

"Hmm."

"There's a huge wall in the northernmost part of the Maia Kingdom, and there are those who guard it, right? You can think of it as something similar. They block the white hell and the magical beasts that come down from there, and we block the black demon realm and the magical beasts that try to come out of there."

Just by listening, they sounded like ascetics who were performing a very noble and sacred duty.

Thinking about it that way, a question came to mind.

"Then why are those holy guys from the neighboring country who serve the sun god harassing the noble guardians of the demon realm?"

"Ah, they think we're protecting the demon realm. To increase our power, and to one day raise strong magical beasts from the demon realm and send them out into the world... in conclusion, to rule the world."

So, the reality was that they were protecting the world from the demon realm.

But those holy troublemakers thought the opposite, that they were protecting the demon realm from the world.

"That must be frustrating."

"Not really. It's understandable that they would think that. There have been not a few times when terrifying guys have come out of the demon realm and caused chaos in the world."

The S-rank magical beasts that had appeared in the world from time to time since ancient times.

Were most of them from here?

"Mmm."

Come to think of it, our Miho was one of them.

In the distant past, she had destroyed a prosperous kingdom, right?

"The followers of Hope insist that the demon realm must be purified with light to eliminate the evil in the world. It seems they really believe that. We know it's nonsense, but."

"Then why don't you explain it to them?"

"Do you think they would listen? It's not for nothing that we call them the blind followers of the light. Priests tend to be blind. Besides."

Tifri grinned and said.

"We don't feel the need to. They're so passionately attacking us, so should we really tell them the dark truth?"

"..."

These battle-crazed people.

I shook my head slowly.

"Then is the demon realm really impossible to purify?"

"The demon realm is not a place that can be brightened with that kind of light. The demon realm is a place where darkness moves with a physical form. Those guys are talking nonsense because they haven't seen the bottom of the demon realm. If we showed them once, they would run away with their tails between their legs."

"Hmm."

"'He' even went to the very bottom of the demon realm and..."

"And?"

Tifri shook his head with a bitter face.

"No, forget I said that."

I exchanged a glance with Siri.

'It seems to be the story of Ophosis's famous sword that is at the bottom of the demon realm.'

'I think so.'

He had said before that there was another person with four horns, a quadra-horn, besides the Demon King.

Based on the information I had gathered, if I were to make a rough guess...

Besides the Demon King, there was another person with four horns, the second quadra-horn. Another of the Eight Sword Masters of the Kingdom of Sorrow.

He had gone to the bottom of the demon realm to accomplish something.

But things had gone wrong, and he had met his death there, and the sword had fallen asleep at the very bottom of the demon realm with its master...

[That seems plausible.]

Since it didn't seem like I would get a good answer if I pressed him now, I just put that much in my head for now.

As we walked, we reached the edge of the demon realm.

An abyssal hole with a diameter of about 100 meters.

Just like I had seen when I had time-traveled, a bottomless pit.

A relatively sturdy wooden fence surrounded it.

"Wow...!"

Siri leaned over the wooden fence and looked into the abyss, exclaiming in admiration.

I tapped the sturdy wooden fence and muttered.

"The outside was a flimsy fence that looked like it would fall over at any moment."

"Of course. We're not blocking external enemies, but internal ones."

Whoosh—

An updraft rose from inside, and Siri's hair, who was looking into the demon realm, fluttered wildly.

"Hehehe!"

Tifri, who saw that, said to me softly.

"...You're not normal either."

"Mmm."

I have nothing to say.

Tifri looked at the demon realm and explained.

"When you enter the demon realm, the air is mixed with demonic energy. The deeper you go, the thicker the concentration."

"Are there stronger guys in places with thicker demonic energy?"

"That's right. It's roughly divided into 7 floors according to that level."

"Then, is the 7th floor the very bottom?"

"It's the most dangerous place. The demonic energy is so thick that you can't see in front of you. That demonic energy sometimes gathers and special-grade magical beasts are born."

"Special-grade magical beasts?"

"Ah, you outsiders call them S-rank magical beasts, right? We divide them into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and special-grade."

"Hmm. I demand a detailed explanation of each grade."

"Oh, what a pain. So, low-grade magical beasts are..."

Tifri, though annoyed, kindly explained.

Listening to his explanation...

It seemed that low-grade corresponded to C-rank, mid-grade to B-rank, high-grade to A-rank, and special-grade to S-rank.

"The 1st and 2nd floors are mostly low-grade magical beasts. The 3rd and 4th floors are mostly mid-grade magical beasts. And on the 5th and 6th floors, high-grade magical beasts are wandering around. And on the 7th floor, even high-grade magical beasts can't get close."

"I see. Then what floor is our crybaby princess on?"

"I think she's probably on the 3rd floor. It's not very dangerous, and since it's a forest area, there are many places to hide."

"...A forest?"

"Ah, didn't you know? The demon realm is like a different world. Each floor has its own ecosystem."

Siri and I looked down at the bottomless pit, which was filled only with darkness, with a bewildered face.

"...There's a different world in there?"

"Yes, follow me. I'll guide you."

Tifri walked along the edge of the demon realm, waving his spear, and Siri and I exchanged a glance and then followed him.

When we followed him into a certain building near the demon realm, the demon race, who were wiping their swords with oiled cloths, playing card games, or taking naps, looked at us.

"Outsiders?"

"Ah, they are the Demon King's guests. And they are also the princess's companions. You've heard of them, right? The captain of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps, the Half-Sword Ashuban."

"Ooh!"

"The one who broke the shining angel's wings!"

"Guston's successor!"

The demon race all put down what they were doing and came over, holding out their two fists in a gesture of respect.

Even the guy who had been sleeping hurriedly got up and held out his two fists to me.

I could feel that they were genuinely welcoming me from their gestures and gazes.

They were very friendly.

Perhaps because it was a nation of warriors, there was an atmosphere of respecting the strong.

"Ah, yes. It's a pleasure to meet you."

I said, roughly imitating their greeting.

"Ah, hello."

Siri also held out her small fists and tried to imitate their greeting.

"This way."

After finishing the greetings, I followed Tifri.

In the center of a large room, there was a well.

"Why is there a well in the house?"

Tifri said, pulling the pulley from the well and raising a large bucket.

"This is a rather special well. It pulls up people instead of water. Jeff, can you hold this for a moment?"

At Tifri's words, a man took his place and held the rope.

Tifri got on top of the raised bucket.

"What are you doing? Hurry up and get on."

"...Is this the means of transportation to go down to the demon realm? Is it safe?"

"I don't know if it's safe, but it's definitely the only means of transportation. Stop talking and get on. The princess will be waiting."

Having no choice, Siri and I, at Tifri's urging gesture, carefully held onto the rope and placed our two feet on the bucket.

It was just big enough for three people to precariously place their feet on.

"Alright, then hold on tight."

At Tifri's glance, the man who had been holding the rope grinned.

In that moment, I had a bad feeling.

"Have a pleasant trip."

"Wait—"

Whoosh!

At the same time as the man let go of the rope, the rope unwound at a tremendous speed.

I was engulfed in a dizzying feeling of falling.

"Hahahaha!"

"Kyaaaaak! Big Brother!"

Amidst Tifri's laughter and Siri's screams, the voices of the demon race were heard from above the well, which had quickly become a dot.

"Please take care of the princess!"

"Please get her out of the darkness!"

"Good luck!"

As I listened to their cheers.

We fell vertically into the deep darkness where not a single point of light could be seen.

(End of Chapter)