The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 104

Late at night, Phenex and Saria were having a conversation at the training grounds.

“We ate at the same table today.”

“Ooh! Looks like you’ve gotten closer!”

“Yes! We’ve gotten closer. He even told me to enjoy my meal in comfort.”

“Hm, hm… He doesn’t usually say things like that! You must’ve really hit it off.”

“Is it okay to grow this close so suddenly? I’ve never experienced something like this before….”

“Huh?”

The reason Saria had been lingering near Faust wasn’t complicated it was due to a single comment Phenex had made.

“If you get close to him, who knows? Maybe he’ll give you his permission.”

From that day onward, Saria stubbornly stuck close to Faust.

She didn’t take any particular action or even speak to him. She simply stood nearby.

In truth, she didn’t know what it meant or how to form close relationships with someone. She had neither shared her heart with a friend nor had she experienced romantic intimacy with a partner.

As a woman of the Roser Family, destined to be used in a political marriage with another influential family, she had been raised in extreme isolation by the elders of her family.

For someone like her, who was meant to live her life in a gilded cage, the sudden turn of events that thrust her into the outside world naturally led to many such minor challenges.

“Today… I wasn’t in a good mood at all. I was nearly harassed by the Valecio gang.”

“Valecio? Who’s that? I’ll teach him a lesson!”

“You don’t have to. Sir Al saved me from the situation.”

“Huh…? Pa oh, Al?”

“Yes.”

Phenex felt momentarily disoriented, noticing the stark difference between the Faust he knew and the Faust Saria perceived.

“How did it happen? Tell me everything.”

“Well…”

Saria recounted the incident in the dining hall without omitting a single detail, peppering her account with embellishments like “his elegant presence” or “his heroic demeanor.”

After hearing her story, Phenex nodded and thought to himself:

‘…He probably just dealt with it because it was annoying.’

It didn’t seem like they’d even spent much time together during the meal.

‘But still….’

He couldn’t bring himself to voice the harsh truth. Phenex understood just how much courage Saria had mustered to try and get closer to Faust.

“It looks like all your efforts are paying off!”

“Do you think so? That’s a relief….”

“So, did you get permission for training?”

“Not yet… I’m not sure how to bring it up….”

Over the past few days, Saria had been learning some basic swordsmanship from Phenex in short sessions. Even in that brief time, she felt her skills improving.

This motivated her even further, solidifying her resolve to spend more time with Phenex.

“Tomorrow, I’ll work even harder.”

“Ooh!”

The tiresome training period finally came to an end.

Though it had only lasted two weeks, everything that happened in that confined space felt like it had consumed far more time.

“Hey! Over here, Al!”

“……”

“I saved you a seat!”

Roderick waved loudly at him from the dining hall. With the attention of others now on him, Faust had no choice but to go sit across from him.

‘At least I’m not hearing any gossip after that day.’

Despite handling the troublemakers as discreetly as possible, the incident had somehow turned into a strange rumor by the next day.

“They say you threatened them with a sword, telling them not to mess with Saria.”

“Huh? No way. I heard you stabbed someone in the forehead with a fork. They said there was blood everywhere.”

“Everyone’s wrong. Sir Al resolved it with just words.”

At least one version of the story was somewhat accurate.

“They said you only spoke a few words, and the Valecio gang crawled out of the dining hall on all fours.”

Well, maybe not.

‘Fooled me for a moment.’

Step…

Step…

Just then, the Valecio gang entered the hall, making eye contact with him.

‘Great timing….’

Flinch…

Noticing his gaze, they hesitated from afar, eventually sitting at a table far away and quietly starting their meal. It seemed unlikely that there would be further trouble with them.

‘Instead, I’ve gained someone far more troublesome.’

“Haha! We’re finally having a meal together! I’ve been so busy with training that our meal times haven’t matched.”

“……”

Roderick flashed a genial smile while trying to read Faust’s expression. Faust, however, maintained a neutral look, leaving his feelings unreadable.

‘Neither good nor bad.’

To someone like Faust, still figuring out how to survive in this harsh world of Solaria, it didn’t matter much who he ate with.

‘But… I’d rather not be in this kind of setting.’

Not only was Roderick here, but the entire Arrogance’s Special Forces squad had gathered at this table.

Clink…

Clatter…

The only sounds were those of spoons and forks.

“Our mission starts tomorrow.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve gone outside Malasis.”

A while?

Some may be experiencing this for the first time.

Certain noble families regarded the world outside Malasis as if it were a contaminated realm. If one had grown up in such a family, they likely would not have had any outside experience, even upon reaching adulthood.

“……”

Saria, fidgeting hesitantly beside him, seemed to fit that description. …And why was she next to him again?

“Saria! Since you’re the captain of the special forces, we’ll be counting on you!”

“Ah… Yes….”

Though it was clear to anyone that Roderick was more suited to lead the special forces, it was said that Saria’s grades had been overwhelmingly superior.

‘And… the Roser family usually takes responsibility for missions.’

The power and knowledge to handle Cores.

That alone secured their position as mediators, so members of the Roser family often served as leaders of military units.

Roderick, Saria, Adam, Kase, Nika, Brandil, Waldef.

And himself, Al Arkand.

The special forces consisted of eight members.

Their respective abilities remained unknown. Their combat training had been mostly theoretical, and he hadn’t even had the chance to observe their Familiars.

‘The ones to watch closely are Roderick, Saria… and Adam.’

Those three were from the families of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Roderick hailed from the Marquis family of Wrath.

Saria belonged to the Roser family of Arrogance.

Adam came from the Weker family of Sloth.

While all three were promising heirs to prestigious families, to him, they might also be spies planted by the Seven Deadly Sins.

‘Kase and Nika are of commoner origin; Brandil and Waldef from minor nobility.’

If the Arkand family had been intact, they would have ranked somewhere in the middle.

“Captain, haven’t we been given anything? Like mission details….”

“Huh? Ah….”

“Kase, don’t trouble the captain. You know they can’t share such information even if they have it.”

“Pft… I was just asking.”

“I get you’re excited about leaving Malasis, but….”

“Fine, fine. We’ll find out tomorrow anyway.”

Kase was a freckled young man, while Nika was a woman with her hair braided into two plaits.

Brandil was notably tall, and Waldef looked like a boy who hadn’t quite outgrown his baby fat.

They hardly seemed like soldiers. That even these youngsters had to go to war reflected the harsh reality of demonkind.

***

The eight members gathered with tense expressions.

Saria, holding a scroll stamped with the official seal, spoke to them at Malasis’s inner gate.

“The mission is to reorganize the intrusion zone in the Roche Desert.”

Kase exhaled deeply in relief.

“Phew… That’s a simple task.”

“Using artificial Cores, we’ll reorganize the intrusion zone and return safely.”

Though Saria seemed a bit awkward as a leader, the group fortunately followed her well enough.

“So, that’s why we were provided camels.”

“The Roche Desert that’s the one bordering the Moor River, right?”

“Correct. The Moor River is one of Malasis’s precious water sources, and it’s known for having the purest water.”

Upon confirming the location on the map, the purpose of the mission became even clearer.

‘They want to ensure the empire can’t reach the Moor River by reorganizing the desert intrusion zones.’

Polluting water sources to cause massive damage to enemy nations was an old tactic effective and frequently used.

In the past, Malasis had lost several water sources to such attacks. However, the Moor River, shielded by the desert, had been easier to defend.

Essentially, their task was to inspect and maintain the fortifications.

‘It’s a rather uninspiring mission, but it’s better than losing lives on the first outing.’

Rumble…

Thud!

The sound signaled Malasis’s arrival at a new anchorage.

“Alright, let’s set out.”

“Oh! Our first deployment! Hahaha!”

“Roderick seems thrilled. I guess it’s good he’s so positive.”

“How could I not rejoice, going to the battlefield with my comrades-in-arms!”

Exiting the inner gate, they passed through the outer gate and emerged onto the surface via a short tunnel.

“Ugh… It’s so hot.”

“Good thing I packed plenty of water in my Gye-nang. At least we won’t die if we get lost.”

“Waldef… What’s with that comment?”

“It’s called preparing for the worst.”

“Grr….”

He wrapped a cloth like a turban, covering his nose and mouth. That helped somewhat to cool the hot air entering his lungs.

The Familiars were all kept inside their Gye-nangs.

There was no need to expend their energy during the march. In emergencies, six would form a defensive formation while the other two opened their Gye-nangs to release the Familiars a procedure detailed in the manual.

The desert shimmered with heat haze.

“This weather is just….”

“Feels like I’m sweating buckets. Hahaha!”

“Al! Al looks fine, though?”

“Oh? Indeed! What’s your secret?”

“…Endurance.”

It was an outright lie.

The cold from the Snowfield strapped to his back continuously seeped into him. Thanks to it, his body wasn’t entirely consumed by the oppressive heat.

‘How far do we still have to go…’

It wasn’t that Malasis had sent them here to fulfill their mission. Instead, the mission had been tailored to align with Malasis’s route.

Thus, the distance to their destination remained uncertain.

“It should only take us a full day… if we keep moving,” someone said.

“Well… that’s certainly reassuring,” another replied sarcastically.

In conclusion, they arrived at their destination earlier than expected.

A village near the Moor River.

“Are you warriors of the Demon Race? We have plenty of accommodations, so please, rest comfortably!” the village chief greeted them warmly.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” they replied.

The village chief, an amiable man, welcomed them with open arms, allowing them to recover in comfort after their arduous journey, drenched in sweat.

The next day, they set out at dawn. They assumed it was best to move before the sun climbed too high.

By noon, it became clear their judgment had been correct. They reached the area where their mission could proceed more smoothly.

Thunk.

Saria handed a small gemstone to each of the seven members, including himself.

“With these, you’ll create artificial cores. Replace the dungeon cores in each of your designated zones with these,” she instructed.

“Saria, there are eight cores. Can you manage all of them?” someone asked.

“There won’t be any problems. The invasion will accelerate once the cores emit consistent waves. Just focus on defending your assigned zones,” she explained.

“How long will this take?” someone else inquired.

“A week. Within a week, the reinforcement of the invasion should be complete.”

Roderick shouted, “Did you hear that? Let’s meet up in a week!”

“A whole week in a dungeon… That’s depressing,” someone muttered.

“Come on, at least you get to spend some time with your familiars,” another replied, finding some humor in the situation.

Saria suggested that they use the cores for communication regarding minor updates.

The Special Forces dispersed immediately, heading for their assigned artificial dungeons.

“This place is more expansive than I thought,” he murmured upon reaching the heart of the dungeon. There, he swiftly began forming the artificial core.

Whoooosh.

A vortex of magical energy swirled in his palm, quickly materializing into a large sphere.

‘I’m still clumsy. I could make this process smoother,’ he thought, feeling dissatisfied with his slightly crude technique. Still, he knew he’d improve with practice.

‘Is this the original core?’ he wondered, observing the core flicker precariously, like a dying fluorescent light.

“Good work,” he muttered.

Thunk.

The core replacement was over in an instant.

“Saria, can you hear me?” he asked.

Crackle.

Saria’s voice came through the core.

“I hear you. Have you completed the core placement?”

“Yeah.”

“As expected, you’re the fastest. I’ve confirmed it. Please focus on defense.”

As soon as he entered the dungeon, he felt his senses sharpen.

‘It feels like home.’

Perhaps there truly was such a thing as a dungeon affinity.

Whoooosh!

He opened a small Gyenang, and all his familiars spilled out from it.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you all.”

“We came because we smelled the dungeon. It’s rather pleasant,” Amon remarked, seemingly satisfied with the dungeon where they would spend the next week.

He adjusted the UI, arranging his forces and excluding Lucifer from deployment. With this setup, they had already faced a Transcendent, so there shouldn’t be any major issues.

Thinking about spending an entire week here made his body ache preemptively.

‘I should bring some furniture into the Gye-nang next time.’

There would be more missions like this in the future. He had no intention of sleeping on the damp, musty beds provided for them.

A week was a long time.

Without something to occupy himself, boredom would consume him.

‘Good thing I brought some reading material,’ he thought.

Among the documents he’d received from Jeep, there were still some he hadn’t had the chance to review. He planned to pass the time reading them.

Flip.

Flip.

For hours, the sound of turning pages was the only noise. Amon had already fallen asleep.

Before long, his own eyelids grew heavy.

Srrrkk…

……

“…Emergency! Core 7 has been destroyed! It’s Brandil’s core! There might be a problem…”