The stronghold of evil located in the Northern Mountain Range of the Ion Continent, the Undying Castle.
The Succubus Siana, in charge of the internal affairs of the Undead Army, hurried along.
While she was busy with her tasks, she suddenly received a call from the King.
Haa, what could it be this time?
Like all the executives here, she had a lot on her plate.
Although she was merely in charge of internal affairs, in reality, it was no different from taking on a plethora of miscellaneous tasks.
Let’s be honest, what’s the need for internal affairs in a group where most of the members are undead?
These immortal beings could operate just fine without water or air, and even in the mixed-up boundary of the Abyss.
Undeads could just be piled up in a warehouse and taken out as needed, so her job inside the Undying Castle mainly involved managing the black magicians who were like slaves and the captive crown prince.
The Hubert Association… But at least achievements are rolling in, so that’s a relief. It’s already grown to the point that it’s one of the first fingers to count on the continent.
In that sense, ensuring smooth trade with a human association was her most tedious job.
Rare materials found only in the Northern Mountain Range could easily be harvested by controlling the undead, yet secretly trading them was a whole different issue.
Well, she understood that there was no one else in the Undead Army who could handle such delicate matters.
Anyway, this Undead King is definitely different from previous fools who just relied on brute strength. Now he’s pretending to prepare for a full-scale war while secretly eating away at the continent’s economy. It’s like he’s already won before the war even started!
Siana, who had managed to guess the broader picture drawn by the Undead King through her work, couldn’t help but be impressed.
Certainly, all the lukewarm actions he had shown until now must have been groundwork for that.
When she thought back to the absurdities of the three-year delay he imposed, she felt a chill run down her spine.
I didn’t know back then, but now I realize. The subsequent raids of the Undead Army greatly contributed to the growth of the Hubert Association.
The relationship between the war, which consumed vast resources, and the merchants supplying it was inseparable.
The Hubert Association, which had moved most proactively and took advantage of the timing after the raids by the Undead Army, became immensely powerful.
How many people in the world knew that the Undead King was behind that?
…To think his sharp intellect does not rely solely on overwhelming force. Guess sexy doesn’t just mean the appearance of a skull!
Siana, who lightly ignored the fact that the inside of that skull was completely hollow, blushed and smiled bashfully.
The Undead Army was like a black corporation with the worst work intensity, but the existence of a wonderful direct superior was great workplace welfare in and of itself.
It was enough to calm her troubled heart from a sudden contact from her hometown.
“Uh… Y-Your Majesty? This person is…?”
Thus, Siana, who arrived at the location called by the Undead King, was bound to be confused when she encountered some outsiders.
The Undead King… was in the presence of a woman she had never seen before!
Hmm— If I had to say, she’s a business partner. Or maybe we could be rivals, hehehe.
“You’re going too far. I’ve told you time and again, I’m not really interested in this continent, you know?”
The woman spoke casually as she exchanged words with the Undead King.
With long horns, black wings, and eyes like black pools, but with brilliant red pupils glowing like rubies in the center, she looked unmistakably like a demon.
Of course, this naturally raised her wariness toward the stranger, but that feeling didn’t last long.
“Hello there, pretty girl. My name is Hela. Nice to meet you?”
A beautiful woman radiating a strange charm from her entire being.
As she smiled and spoke, Siana felt a fluttering sensation in her stomach.
Simply making eye contact and greeting her stirred unknown warmth deep inside her heart.
…Unbelievable. To have such captivating allure! Who on earth is that woman?
Siana was a Succubus.
In the realm of seduction, she was undoubtedly a top-tier member of her kind.
Her level was so high that even vampires, sirens, and lamias, who possessed similar abilities, were several ranks below her.
With that level, she had near-immunity to being charmed herself…
Ugh, a Succubus like me… there’s no way I could fall for someone of the same sex! I don’t have that kind of taste!
In front of Hela, who exuded an irresistible charm, gender didn’t even matter.
Perhaps even a golem devoid of emotions might get enchanted.
As Siana gritted her teeth, a trickle of blood ran down the side of her mouth.
“Hoo hoo, you really are something!”
[Let’s stop the playful banter there. We have much to do moving forward.]
Thanks to her best efforts to hold on, she could withstand until the other party pulled back.
If the standoff continued, she couldn’t guarantee what would happen, but given that the Undead King was right there to facilitate cooperation, Siana couldn’t afford to be rude to one of his subordinates.
With a sigh of relief, Siana lifted her head and glared at Hela.
No doubt about it. That power a moment ago. She shares roots with me…
Although it took her a while to realize that something was different about Hela, she was now certain.
The fact that Hela shared the same origins as her.
But that doesn’t really change anything.
Her curiosity about Hela was a completely different issue.
Even if the Undead King was present, her pride wouldn’t let her simply overlook it without a word.
Siana stared directly at Hela and spoke boldly.
“Umm… Can I call you sister?”
With a voice that didn’t quite match her expression.
It would be embarrassing for a Succubus to be swayed by someone else’s charm, but as her “big sister” from the same clan, it was completely different!
With that thought in mind, she fidgeted with her fingers like a girl, and Hela replied with a bright smile.
“No.”
That was a firm refusal, as if she were expressing an unwavering belief.
As Siana’s mood sank in response to that resolute answer, the meeting finally began.
To tackle the chaotic politics of the Demon Realm and officially crown the true Demon King.
For the progress of the Demon King’s Return Operation.
*
When gathering information, cross-validation was essential.
Even if someone who testifies believes it to be true, who really knows if it is the truth?
In that sense, Siana’s testimony, following Ken and Frances, greatly helped grasp the situation in the Demon Realm from various perspectives.
Above all, her faction was in opposition to the other two demon factions.
Right now, the faction that’s being pushed back is the one Siana belongs to.
The circumstances of the Demon Realm were more complicated than expected.
After the 14th Demon King Lereyel invaded the continent only to be defeated, the selection of the 15th Demon King proceeded without major issues.
Of course, according to the Demon Realm’s laws, it wasn’t that peaceful—anyone could occupy the position as long as they had the capability, irrespective of personal strength or reputation.
But still, it was true that they managed to reach a consensus.
The issue arose soon after the 15th Demon King ascended the throne—he suddenly vanished.
At first, the demons weren’t particularly responsible or serious, so they thought he had just gone on a foreign trip, but when that absence stretched for decades and then over a century, the turmoil began to escalate.
An unprecedented disappearance of a Demon King in the history of the Demon Realm.
That alone was enough to lead to chaos.
Various factions rose up to vie for the next Demon King’s position, while those still supporting the 15th Demon King bared their fangs and stood against them.
This was the aforementioned war that had continued for hundreds of years.
But that can’t be everything.
In the Demon Realm where struggle was daily life, it wasn’t uncommon for wars to erupt.
Most previous Demon Kings had gone through similar processes to reach their positions.
But for a war to have erupted so massively right after the previous Demon King’s disappearance…
Something feels amiss. There must be some kind of artificial external intervention.
And that was likely the root of the uneasiness gnawing at her.
She had a rough guess about it.
If anything major happens in Auterica, it’s only reasonable to suspect that guy first.
How many years had passed since she arrived in this land, encountering various events and resolving them?
This was a judgment that stemmed from experience.
『A sealed fragment of holy power XXX (15,500,000)』
That piece of evidence was unavoidably glaring.
It was worth 30 million at first, and now it’s almost halved.
Moreover, most of the previously unreadable texts were now deciphered.
Well, that remaining single word was pretty much obvious.
Did that number drop sharply the moment I arrived here?
While her necessary points had been steadily decreasing due to various entanglements with the guy, that dramatic drop to nearly half was merely a few minutes before.
“Something feels peculiar. It definitely has a similar feeling to the World of Divine Transcendence.”
Slowly lifting her gaze, Hela looked towards the sky.
It was clearly daytime, yet without a single sun, a purple sky illuminated the ground softly.
And in the center was a tear, revealing the night sky with a galactic view beyond.
“…That’s definitely a black mark, isn’t it?”
As Hela stared vacantly at the marks imprinted in the sky, a dry wind brushed past her ears.
The ambient negative energy further empowered her body, but facing such a grand sight made it feel like a trivial matter.
What a lovely scene. I really’m glad I came here.
After lingering for a moment, she wore a hazy smile and began to slowly walk forward.
Towards a place where a castle made of black stone could be seen beyond the horizon.
A land marred black and an expanse devoid of trees.
The land Hela currently trod was the birthplace of demons.
And soon to be her own birthplace— the Demon Realm.
*
Narrowing her eyes, Hela quietly gazed at the castle gate before her.
First, I should figure out where this place is.
While coming to the Demon Realm wasn’t particularly difficult…
Of course, it wouldn’t be an issue considering the Undead King and the Demon King had joined forces, right?
The problem was that she couldn’t choose where she would land upon arrival.
After all, this was her very first time setting foot in this land.
It would’ve been more convenient if I could come together with the other guys as planned.
This current situation where she had fallen alone into the Demon Realm was never part of the plan.
With two insiders and one migrant ready to guide her, why would she come alone to a foreign land and head-butt the earth?
I thought that maybe there would be something different if I traveled together, but here I am instead.
While the Demon King had taken the formal route of descent into the mainland, she was completely a newcomer to the Demon Realm.
Of course, the coordinates for returning would have already been established, and naturally, she was teleported precisely to those coordinates the moment she crossed the dimensional barrier of the Demon Realm.
Leaving Hela stranded in this remote location alone.
“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s not my first time falling into a different world.”
Furthermore, her strength was more than enough to handle the situation.
Hela shrugged it off nonchalantly and strode confidently toward the castle gate.
“Hmm?”
“Hey, look over there.”
“Huh?!”
At that moment, the gazes of the surrounding demons at the castle gate focused on her.
From frog-like creatures to giants towering four meters tall, walking dinosaurs, and humanoids made entirely of smoke.
Indeed, their appearances were so diverse that the word “demon” came to mind instantly.
How wonderfully they look. It’s like I’m in a zoo!
She didn’t have to complicate things by taking on different appearances in the Demon Realm.
If she cowered now, it would only make her appear more suspicious.
To present herself boldly, Hela puffed out her chest and walked ahead.
It’s fine. I masked myself well enough.
It was also thanks to the effect of “Country-Breaking Beauty.”
If one was to be called “a beauty capable of toppling a nation,” then one should satisfy various aesthetic tastes.
Though limited to the appearance of an attractive female, it was still sufficient to cover distinctive features such as horns, wings, and unique eyes.
Practicing with Siana helped me master controlling the enchantment too.
If she diligently concealed her unique charm, even in a place crawling with various demons, she wouldn’t draw much attention as a pretty humanoid demon.
It would just be like admiring a cute cat or puppy.
“Wait, just wait a moment!”
But apparently, that was just her thought.
One demon with a doberman head who seemed to be responsible for security around the gate quickly approached, pointing at Hela.
Trailing behind were numerous other demons.
“Hoo, what business do you have coming from the Coatl faction to Dalun’s territory? We haven’t received any word about your arrival.”
The doberman-headed demon gazed at Hela, using a somewhat stiff and uncertain tone to deliver an ambiguous question.
It seemed like they were trying to suppress their nervousness and pressure.
Hela discreetly scanned around the vicinity just to be sure, but no one else was present.
The Coatl faction… It’s one of the central powers currently gaining the upper hand in the ongoing war, right? Why do they think I’m part of that faction?
The name had come up during her information gathering earlier.
Ken and Frances’s factions had a significant stake in it too.
Hela calmly analyzed the situation outwardly without revealing any internal confusion.
There had to be a reason for their misunderstanding.
They wouldn’t speak like that to a stranger without some basis.
However, judging by the silence that followed, the doberman-headed demon swallowed hard and switched to a more cautious tone.
“…For now, let me show you in. It seems there’s been some misunderstanding since you’re all geared up for battle, but you should give us a chance to explain! Just for a moment, please.”
Battle gear.
Upon hearing those words, Hela glanced down at her own attire.
Magical equipment from before she arrived, taken out from the “Store of Gold.”
Not having any other clothes to wear and being ready to head to the Demon Realm, she just wore the one that suited her best…
Was this gear from the Coatl faction?
It also seemed to symbolize a considerable upper class.
No wonder it was extremely comfortable and packed with various benefits.
Why didn’t they tell me about this sooner?
Regardless, her current priority was to resolve this misunderstanding.
The unexpected situation that led to a misunderstanding.
With a small sigh, she looked directly at the doberman and spoke.
“Guide me.”
In a voice that seemed like it was ingrained in her being.
“…Y-Yes, this way. We’ve already prepared to receive the guest, as I informed you.”
“Hmm, let’s see how well you’ve prepared.”
The Demon King Hela, who descended here with the intention of engulfing the Demon Realm.
If there’s an opportunity, she wouldn’t let it slip away.
