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However, the silence lasted only a moment.

“Hmm… I see.”

I awkwardly nodded as I spoke. I knew that prolonging the silence would only make the atmosphere more awkward.

Moreover, it was an answer I had roughly anticipated.

After all, she had explained that manifesting just her head was to hasten her descent.

In fact, I was slightly grateful that she had been so honest in her response.

It wasn’t something she couldn’t have navigated with a vague lie, like saying she had no intention to harm people and that I should feel at ease.

But instead, she had deliberately answered firmly.

She warned that if she were released, she could become an enemy. So, she told me to make a proper judgment.

She conveyed this without mixing any lies, which meant I couldn’t help but be troubled.

‘Hmm…’

Destroying the altar was indeed the right answer.

Even though I was being pursued by the Knights, I was still human, after all. And I held enough resentment against the demons.

But… to be honest, I hesitated.

It wasn’t just out of compassion.

I had only spent a few days with her, and what reason was there to grow attached to something that had only a head?

However, leaving the altar intact was beneficial for me from another practical standpoint.

That demon created this Forbidden Forest.

In other words, if I destroyed this altar and sent him back, the forest could return to normal. The magic supply to the forest would surely cut off.

And that was a fact that wasn’t all too great for me either.

Like her, this place was my nest and a fortress.

If this forest didn’t exist, I might not have survived until now.

After all, it was thanks to this forest that I was currently holding back the Knights’ advance.

Thus, I had no choice but to come to yet another awkward conclusion.

‘Well… I can decide later.’

It was just postponing the decision.

Let’s leave things as they are until I repel the Knights.

With that decision made, I continued to ask her more questions.

It took me quite a while to decide. I was worried that if we stayed silent any longer, we might become even more estranged.

Next, I was curious about the king.

“You mentioned there are four kings earlier, right?”

“Hmm, that’s correct.”

“Then, can you tell me who they are?”

“Ha ha…”

At my words, she gave a meaningful smile and then responded with a mischievous expression.

“That’s a secret. If I tell you in advance, it won’t be fun.”

“……..”

Seeing that, I didn’t hesitate to shove my finger back into her mouth again.

“Kek, ke-eck…!”

It was summer.

*

A few days passed again. It still hadn’t rained.

Thanks to that, my day was somewhat repetitive.

I would wake up in the morning, have a simple meal, and then talk with her.

During free time, I would lightly swing a sword or go hunting.

I had to ensure my senses stayed sharp.

Whenever I wielded a weapon, there were moments when my nerves would unintentionally perk up.

The mana circulating around, the magic, the sound of the wind at the cave entrance, and even other minute sensations would strike me with clarity, surprising even myself.

I guess after crossing life-and-death situations, my senses had sharpened significantly.

Thanks to that, I discovered something new…

There was a different kind of energy felt in this place. Even amid the dense magic, the energy was still thick enough to be sensed.

While it didn’t seem meticulously managed, there was significantly refined mana somewhere in this area.

‘The problem is, where is it…?’

The drawback was that since it wasn’t visible, pinpointing its location was difficult.

Well, I figured I could find it soon enough.

While I was contemplating, Barbatos, who had been quietly watching my training, asked.

“You… are definitely quite unique.”

Just as I had observed this place, she could observe me as well.

Although it had only been a few days, she could spot the major traits.

“You said you felt a similar energy to us, so you carry the blood of a demon.”

Perhaps it was because we had spent quite some time together. She had figured out that I was a manifested one.

However, that was no surprise. After all, such trivial information was widespread across the world, and I hadn’t hidden it either.

Instead, I took this opportunity to ask her.

“Speaking of which, I’ve heard that each manifest has a demon that serves as their origin. Can you know who that demon is from a demon’s perspective?”

“Hmm… Sorry, but I don’t really know. I could infer from a pattern, but…”

At that, I immediately pulled down my collar and showed her the pattern on my collarbone.

“You have no shame, do you?”

Even as she said that, she silently confirmed the pattern.

“It’s horns. Quite a common trait. Most high-ranking demons possess horns. I have them too. So, you can’t really infer much from that.”

“…Really?”

Tsk, I clicked my tongue.

I didn’t think it would be discovered so quickly, but it was undeniably disappointing.

More than that, I became curious about another point.

“You said you had horns…?”

I couldn’t see them at all right now.

“Hmph, it’s before my descent, isn’t it? I had no need to manifest my horns with the power I’ve been gathering, but I indeed have beautiful and elegant horns resembling a deer.”

“Hmm…”

I nodded my head. It didn’t seem like that important of a fact, so I decided to let it slide.

Instead, I asked something else.

“So… what do your demons think of a manifest?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you insist on implanting your blood in the first place?”

Many lives were ruined because of that.

Families had to send their ten-year-old children away, and many more were slaughtered for not doing so. The fate of those born bearing the blood was plain to see. They lived their lives as fugitives, chased by the world, or were captured and killed.

I wasn’t in a different position.

As a result, a complicated expression filled my face. This question was awkward for her too, as reflected in her equally complex expression.

But shortly after, she, who had been silent, slowly opened her mouth.

“…Manifested ones are, in a way, keys. They help us open the door to this world.”

“Keys?”

“Yeah, you could also say they are catalysts. It’s not easy to open doors to a world you have no connection with. At the very least, you need some kind of medium to connect the two. So, we merely punctured a hole to spur the blood and create that medium. That’s all.”

“……..”

I nodded my head appropriately. It sounded somewhat reasonable.

In the end, manifests were tools necessary for summoning demons.

Yet, there remained lingering discomfort.

“Let’s just stop the discussion here. By the way, what do you usually eat here? I’m curious about your food.”

One thing that stood out was her attitude.

As I seemed to be understanding, she naturally tried to shift the topic.

‘It feels like there’s more going on, though…’

Unfortunately, I couldn’t tell what it was.

For whatever reason, perhaps due to the differences between humans and demons, she often answered readily but also had many moments of concealment.

It meant she was still somewhat wary.

‘It would be nice if Dantalion’s ears could reach…’

Unfortunately, that item didn’t work on her.

Was it because we were both demons? Or was it because she was stronger than Dantalion?

Regardless, it was unfair. Until now, everything had been working well, only to become faulty at this crucial moment.

Ultimately, I couldn’t uncover what secrets she was hiding.

So, I had no choice but to play along with her topic-switching.

And another day passed once more.

*

It had been 30 days since entering the Deep Layer.

It had been 7 days since I had settled near this altar.

As I thought it might not be long before summer ended, the long-awaited rain finally began to fall.

Pat, pat, pitter-patter—

It was a heavy rain that echoed even in this underground space.

The scent of water and earth filled my nose. A thick mist slowly rose above the great forest.

The sight of rain falling in this place, where everything was a sea of green, was quite dreamlike.

‘Finally.’

I prepared to head out as I watched it.

The final confrontation would be the day after the rain. But considering the distance between the Deep Layer and Middle Layer, it was appropriate to start moving diligently from now.

At least it was fortunate that it wasn’t raining at night. Had that been the case, I would’ve had to move while getting soaked all night.

“…Are you leaving?”

Just as I was getting ready to step out, I heard someone’s voice from behind.

Of course, it was Barbatos. Although we had only spent a week together, her face held a deep sense of regret.

After all, she had been alone here for nearly a century, so it was understandable she would feel upset at my departure.

“Yes, I have to go now.”

Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring her with me.

Carrying a demon’s head around would be strange, and she couldn’t leave this place due to her circumstances.

Tied to the altar, she had to remain here until the day of her descent.

“…I thought you would destroy the altar in the end, but you’re just leaving it. Quite a curious fellow.”

“Why? If I return to the demon realm, I’ll be seen with disdain by the others. Isn’t that disadvantageous for you as well?”

“That’s true if one returns on their own accord. But if the altar gets destroyed by someone else and I return, they wouldn’t say anything. After all, there would be a justification.”

Of course, despite saying that, I had no intention of destroying her altar.

Others would scorn her, saying there was no difference from Lemegaton, but she was necessary to maintain this forest.

I didn’t plan on letting go of my nest that easily.

It seemed she didn’t have any real desire to return to where she originally came from either.

“Hmph, it’s fine. Go on. Just leave far away.”

While I was lost in thought, she began to sulk.

Despite her soft expression, she had a rich display of emotions.

I chuckled softly and replied.

“I’ll be leaving, alright.”

Just, after I’ve gathered everything I need.

I completed my preparations to leave, but rather than heading straight out, I circled around the altar.

“Hmm? What are you doing?”

Then, I suddenly smashed down the wall that emanated an overwhelmingly strange energy.

“Oh, that’s not allowed…!”

I ignored the surprised voice coming from behind.

Ka-boom…

As I demolished that shabby wall, a small space was revealed before my eyes.

And stacked within that space were numerous herbs. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“Why was it so hard to find?”

I never thought they would be hoarded in a place like this.

How and why they were gathered was easy to guess. They were, in a sense, a type of offering for her descent.

The herbs were plants rich in concentrated mana.

In a way, it was recycling refined herbs after consuming magic. A genuinely convenient investment method.

‘I guess she must have had some animals gather them for her.’

She probably didn’t expect anyone to find it like this.

She must have tried to hide them.

However, since my sensing abilities were acute enough to detect the unusual energy, it was only a matter of time before I found them.

I picked up the herbs stacked in that space. I had already used some, so the quantity wasn’t too high, but it was sufficient for me to level up.

I showed the herbs I gathered to her with a mischievous grin.

“This is a confiscation.”

“You little…! Put that back! That’s something I worked hard to collect!”

“Not a chance. Did you think I’d just watch while I am about to descend?”

Having declared that I’d become her enemy once released, I couldn’t just let that slide.

She probably knew that, which is why she hid them so well.

Of course, she struggled quite a bit.

Just like the first time I shoved my finger in her mouth, her face was filled with annoyance as she shouted at me.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that. After all, with only a head, she wasn’t that intimidating.

But when she settled down, I said one last thing while looking at her.

“I’ll come to visit once this is all sorted out.”

At that statement, the once noisy demon quieted down.

Then she muttered, almost like a complaint.

“…Rude little one.”

With that, I stepped out of the altar.

Suddenly, I thought of the Knights camped out in the Middle Layer.

Along with the otherworlders who might be near. No matter how many there were or how prepared they were, it didn’t concern me.

Because I had made far more preparations than them.

Before long, the world would have to acknowledge me.

With that, I began to turn once more towards the Middle Layer.