#180
Demon King Castle Escape Operation (2)
Siana was in charge of supervising the living quarters within the Undying Castle, but she hadn’t completely abandoned her status as an imperial noble.
In fact, swallowing a mediocre noble family had merely been a means to easily approach higher circles, and now that she belonged to the Undead army, there was no real need to cling to her status.
However, having invested so much time in it, it felt a shame to just throw it all away.
Fortunately, her master, Undead King Hans, also seemed to see value in it, allowing Siana to periodically visit her family.
And those rare moments were like a vacation for her, a chance to escape this stuffy and musty space and indulge in an aristocratic life once again.
“Hummm~♪”
It was only natural that a cheerful tune would escape her lips that day.
‘As soon as I arrive, I’ll have to treat myself to the finest black tea and cake. After that, I’ll indulge in some shopping. Money doesn’t mean anything now, so let’s spend it freely. First, I need to fill in the shoe collection I missed out on…’
Excitedly organizing her to-do list in her mind, Siana strolled through the dark castle on lively steps.
Before heading to the teleportation magic circle personally set up by the Undead King, she decided to take one last look around her jurisdiction in case she would be gone for a while…
She encountered an undead with a rather unusual appearance in the residence’s dining room.
“Oh my, Andrew? Is that really you?”
“Ah? Haha… It’s been a while, sister.”
But… Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t an undead, but a person, specifically Andrew Weaver, the awakened one from Earth who had been dragged here alongside her.
He looked utterly haggard, with a complexion that was unrecognizable, hair that looked like it hadn’t been washed in ages, dark circles under his eyes, and a glazed look in them.
As he mechanically shoveled food into his mouth to stay alive, he turned to Siana with a blank stare at the sound of her voice.
“…Well, asking if you’re alright seems meaningless given that you clearly don’t look fine.”
“Haha… Ah, seeing a familiar face after such a long time makes me feel good. I thought you’d already forgotten about me since I haven’t seen you in ages.”
“Ahem, you know that can’t be helped, right? Still, I did drop a hint to Olivia last time…”
Despite his weary voice, there was an edge to his words, and Siana slightly averted her gaze.
To be honest, she had thought about visiting him not long ago but had quickly forgotten about it again.
‘Well, what’s done is done. And if you think about it, I didn’t really do anything wrong, did I?’
Of course, her fleeting remorse, typical of a demon tribe, didn’t last long.
After all, given their hierarchical relationship and his current status as simply a recruit, it was commendable that she was even still looking out for him.
“By the way, is work really that tough? I figured you’d manage with a bit of skill.”
There’s no obvious need to show off her abilities; he could have just sat around resting with his eyes closed.
It was hard to understand why he, who was naturally lazy, was being overworked in physically demanding tasks.
“…I’ve tried that, but that woman seems to catch on to those things like a ghost. She said she could tell just by picking up on my body’s biological responses…”
“Oh really.”
Detecting life force, a basic ability of the undead.
Surely, if it’s someone on Olivia’s level, it wouldn’t be difficult for her to gauge his condition using that.
Literally, she was a real ghost.
“After getting caught a few times… they even set a quota. If I couldn’t meet it, I couldn’t return to my lodging! How could they make it so I can’t even rest properly in an environment overflowing with undead and dark mana? It’s just like being in hell!”
As he recalled it, Andrew’s frustrated voice began to escalate.
And hearing that, Siana, a real demon, felt her mood sour as well.
To demons, being called a ‘demon’ was almost like a compliment, but using it derogatorily was a whole different matter.
“Yes, yes. It seems there’s still some energy left in you, thank goodness. But do you have time to chat like this? You should finish eating and take a nap, if only for a bit.”
“Ugh! Y-Yeah. I got a bit carried away with excitement. But hey, you were the one who started talking first…”
Grumbling at her reprimand, he once again began shoveling food into his mouth.
Siana, who watched him for a moment, shrugged lightly and turned to continue her inspections.
Having made small talk after so long, she was eager to finish her assigned tasks and leave this tiresome place.
So focused on her thoughts, she didn’t notice the suspicious demeanor of Andrew left in the dining hall.
“Hoo—.”
For a brief moment, gazing longingly at Siana’s retreating figure, he turned away with a short sigh.
‘It’s been over nine years since I was transported to Auterica. This will likely be my last moment with Siana. It’s a bit sad that parting is like this… but it can’t be helped.’
With his return home finally approaching, he continued to eat aggressively to endure the little time left.
‘Now… it’s truly just around the corner. I just need to hold on a little longer.’
Dreaming only of escaping this hell.
*
In the second living area of the Undying Castle, where contact with the outside world was restricted.
“…Is today the day?”
“Yes, it is.”
There, Riley, the princess, and Hesperon exchanged hushed words while diligently practicing magic as usual.
The moment she had been desperately waiting for had finally arrived.
The day she would escape the grasp of the Undead King and regain her freedom.
“The situation isn’t bad either. The girl named Lilith, who was monitoring us, has stepped away, meaning it’s less likely they’ll notice any disturbances immediately.”
Just the day before, they had been told she wouldn’t be around for a while and that they could find their own meals.
Originally, it would have been impossible for captives to be given such information, but this place was not a typical prison, so it was no big deal.
However, there was one unexpected issue that came with that…
“Still, I was a bit relieved that I hadn’t seen that face lately. It’s a shame this had to happen now.”
“What are you whispering about, Riley? You seem quite relaxed. Have you been enjoying a comfortable life, eating the food they give you like livestock?”
The prince, who had been cooped up due to harassment, was finally free to roam.
Simon Carte Azerion, who had been tormented daily, first by Andrew and then by Siana’s whims.
It seemed he had recovered enough stamina to be wandering around today after resting all day yesterday.
‘He must have grown strong after eating well and sleeping. His stamina is quite impressive.’
Moreover, he had trained as a knight to some extent, so it wasn’t too shocking.
Of course, Siana would only see it as a plus.
“Oh my, is that you, brother? Have you finished your laundry and cleaning today? You might get in trouble if you forget even for a day! They might say your obedience training isn’t enough.”
“Ugh! You, you…!”
He unintentionally poked at his sore spot after starting a fight for no reason, his face flushing red.
He had no chance of winning a verbal battle against her, so he couldn’t understand why he initiated it in the first place.
“…Hah! You two fit well together. To think you’d be mingling with such an unworthy creature. It seems lowly blood cannot be hidden.”
Eventually, he dragged Hesperon into it, insulting her entire maternal family.
At that moment, Riley’s brows twitched in annoyance.
While her family was indeed of noble stature, they had the disadvantage of being from a merchant family with a relatively short history.
In fact, her grandmother had married in from a wealthy merchant family, making them prime targets for being chewed up by the conservative factions led by the prince.
As she prepared to retort again, she opened her mouth—
“Goodness.”
Hesperon, who had been quietly observing, scratched the back of his head and moved in front of her.
‘Even so, that line crossed the line.’
Moreover, if you thought about it, calling someone low-blooded included himself!
He, too, had grown up as an only son in a noble household. This was an insult he couldn’t just overlook.
“It’s astounding how a prince speaks to his sister like that. And when he tries to maintain his dignity after saying such things, it’s just ridiculous, honestly!”
“…What? Who the heck are you to butt in here?”
He started the fight and now questioned why someone else was entering it.
This highlighted his self-centered mentality perfectly.
It seemed the training he had undergone hadn’t been very effective.
‘I need to have a word with Siana. She seems to be treating this toy too leniently.’
Watching him still brimming with spirit after over a month of torment indicated that his ego was still intact.
To fully subdue an opponent, consistent attention and management were necessary.
“Indeed, I need to speak to my master about this. Because of insufficient education, a pet has made its way out and began to bark at anyone else, huh? The trainer’s skills seem lacking.”
Crack—!
“…Heres?”
Once even the lower-class, who seemed insignificant, began mocking him, a sinister sound erupted from Simon’s teeth.
Riley looked just as worried.
While it was something she regularly endured as a fellow member of the royal family, she knew that the proud prince’s temperament would turn explosive if he felt disrespected.
And right now, there was no one around to keep the situation in check…
“Hmm— Alright. It’s not a bad idea to show them what happens. I’ve been quite irritable lately too. …As long as I don’t kill them, I doubt they’ll complain too much.”
His reaction turned out to be just as Riley feared.
“Wait! Are you really planning to use force here now…!”
She hurriedly tried to mediate, but the already stretched-to-the-limit Simon had no patience left to wield.
In truth, the only reason he came outside in such a fragile state was to find a way to release the pent-up fury inside him, making this a convenient excuse.
Wuuuuu—
With determination, he released a potent aura, which enhanced his body in an instant, sharpening his dulled combat instincts.
Although his training wasn’t extensive, his late twenties and natural talent made him more than capable of being a competent knight.
“Hoohoho— Let’s see if you can back up those words!”
At the very least, he was no match for anyone who had just barely surpassed the beginnings of a low-level wizard.
No matter how one looked at it, he was still in less-than-optimal condition.
Having sharpened his senses again to gauge the opponent’s skill, Simon understood very well that no one here could stop him!
“Heres! Just…!”
He cut off Riley’s desperate plea, his urgency showing in his tones—
BANG!
“I’ll turf you to the ground! You lowly creature!”
With a grotesque expression, he stomped his foot and lunged at Hesperon.
A punch cutting through the wind aimed to mash the opponent’s face.
And he…
Blergh!
“Cough!”
Bang—!
He naturally allowed a proper hit and rolled onto the ground.
Just as he said, he was down on the ground.
“Ugh, what…?”
“…Umm?”
Caught off-guard by the unexpected turn of events, Simon, alongside Riley hastily preparing magic, blinked in astonishment.
He wasn’t a battle-hardened high-ranking knight, but among ordinary knights, he had reached a commendable level.
A knight was a human weapon trained solely in combat techniques.
There was no way a mere lower-level wizard could stand against such a warrior…
“Your temper is quite hasty! How could someone like you be a prince? I fear for the empire’s future…”
However, Hesperon seemed unconcerned, grumbling only to himself.
Somewhere along the line, he had activated his supplementary magic, letting the mana flow freely through his body.
