As I walked through the corridors, I received strange gazes from everyone I passed. All of them were obviously Demons. It was an unusual sight for someone like me, who was accustomed to seeing humans. The Demons, whether knights or workers, looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, but none of them acted on their thoughts. I assumed they knew who I was.
My current cold expression seemed to intimidate them, causing them to refrain from saying anything. Unlike the enthusiastic welcome I had received from the population of the Light Empire, this one was far less warm, but I felt more comfortable with it. At least the Demons were honest in their reactions.
Many of them clearly doubted me. With my ragged appearance, like a peasant who hadn’t eaten in days, and my need to lean against the wall to walk with one leg, their skepticism was understandable. They questioned whether I was truly a Hero or just a random man.
I needed to meet the people who had summoned me first, regardless of any decisions made while I slept. Whatever their plans, I had to know and act accordingly.
The corridors I walked through had a distinctly demonic style, but there was a certain charm to it. The walls were adorned with dark, intricate designs, and torches cast flickering shadows, adding to the eerie ambiance. As I passed windows, I caught glimpses of a large city outside. Unlike the bright, bustling capital of the Light Empire, this city was sinister and silent.
I could see people walking through the dim streets, but they didn’t look healthy. They stumbled along, searching for food or money in the polluted, darkened environment.
“Am I really in the capital of Tenebria?” I wondered. If the Demons had summoned me to fight for them, it made sense that I would be in their capital. And this building, with its grand architecture and imposing presence, certainly looked like a royal castle.
“This way, Sir Hero,” a demon knight called out to me as I paused in my steps.
I looked at him and stretched out my hand. “Sir?”
“Your sword,” I said, glancing at the long sword hanging from his waist.
“Milord, I can’t—”
“It’s an order from your Hero,” I cut him off icily.
The knight flinched at my gaze, looking around nervously as the other knights exchanged uneasy glances. Despite my crippled state and seemingly inoffensive appearance, I needed to appear dangerous in their eyes.
In the end, the knight nodded and handed me his sword. Without unsheathing it, I used it as a cane, leaning on it for support as I walked. My long, white hair, inherited from Khione, swayed with each step, giving me the appearance of an old man. Once vibrant and shining, my hair was now disheveled, some strands charred black from my injuries.
After a moment of walking, we arrived in front of great doors, likely leading to the throne room. I assumed the royals had already been informed of my awakening. The doors opened with a creak, revealing a red carpet leading to a grand throne ahead.
The Demon King was there?
I wondered about the greatest enemy of the Divine Knights and the man Khione wanted to kill. Walking forward, I noticed a few people already present, looking at me suspiciously and whispering among themselves. They didn’t trust me.
The tapping of the scabbard’s tip echoed as I walked. My steps were awkward and limping, but they held firmness and confidence. My gaze remained fixed on the girl sitting on the throne, who seemed a bit older than me.
She had long white hair cascading down her back and two black horns protruding from her forehead, which, far from being ugly, added to her breathtaking appearance. Her eyes were a deeper shade of red than Catnys’s, and they held a dark intensity as they stared at me.
She wore a black dress that doubled as light armor, perfectly proportioned and reminiscent of Khione in that aspect. Not too overwhelming, but the ideal size. For some reason, I felt she was the one who had summoned me. Her cold stare, despite seeking my help, puzzled me.
Was she wary? Or just disappointed? I guessed the latter, as she had no reason to be wary of me in my current state.
Once I was close enough, I stopped and met her gaze with my only ice-blue eye. A knight in armor standing near her frowned and stepped forward. “Insolent. How dare you!”
I ignored him. He probably expected me to greet her with a bow or some other form of submission. But I bowed to no one. That was one of my father’s teachings and had become mine as well.
“You are the one who summoned me. So tell me who you are,” I said loudly, shocking everyone present.
“Insolent!” “Human!” “How dare you insult our Princess!” “You should grovel in front of her for that!” The knights and noblemen began to ramble noisily, but I didn’t care.
My lips twisted into a smirk. “So you are the Princess? Where is the Demon King, then?”
A terrific silence fell at my words as they widened their eyes in shock.
The Princess narrowed her eyes. “You know the Demon King? Aren’t you a Hero from another world?”
“A Hero?” I spat, disgusted, making everyone flinch at my demeanor. “I’m more than that. Consider yourself lucky, Princess.”
“Lucky?” The Princess’s lips also twisted into a smirk. “For all these six months, we have treated you without expecting anything. We are the unlucky side.”
Six months? That’s a lot. So what? I have a month or two to live?
For some reason, my smile widened at the prospect. Maybe I had lost a part of myself in that dying experience. The Princess looked confused by my eerie smile, while the others seemed more scared.
“Princess… this man is dangerous…” a woman, who seemed like the Princess’s secretary, muttered in her ear. My enhanced ears picked up everything.
“I will make it simple for you, Demon Princess,” I tapped the sword on the ground once before pulling it from its scabbard.
All the knights around me stepped back and drew their swords in panic.
“Leave that weapon!” “Or else we will kill you!” “Princess!”
Guards warned and others shielded the Princess. I ignored them and stood upright with the sword pointed at her.
“It’s okay, move,” the Princess commanded.
“But Princess—”
“Move, I said. I want to see him,” she replied, staring back at me seriously.
I met her gaze coldly. “The Divine Knights are my enemies, as they are yours,” I declared.
When I mentioned the Divine Knights, the Demons seemed even more confused and curious about my identity.
“I shall lend my strength to you, and you shall provide everything I wish for. A mutual alliance. If you do that, I guarantee that I will rid this world of every single Divine Knight and bring the Empire of Light to its knees.”