The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 448 The Unfathomable Demon King Finally Returns to His Loyal Great Tomb

Outside Quemu Fort, the sound of hooves thundered on the dirt road through the forest leading to Maitian Village, as two fast horses galloped like lightning.

Following behind Leiden, who carried a large shield, Gaunt, riding his horse, kept a close eye on his surroundings, feeling as if a pair of eyes were watching them, but he couldn't tell where the gaze was coming from.

How strange!

Just as he was pondering this in his heart, the road ahead suddenly opened up, and the rapid sound of horses' hooves crossed the forest and entered a wide plain.

It was an endless wheat field.

The emerald green branches are laden with heavy, tender yellow leaves, swaying like the rising and falling crests of waves in the south wind, stretching as far as the eye can see like a vast ocean.

It is now June.

In two months at most, the farmers here will be busy, and happily busy at that.

After all, such an amazing harvest is rare even in the best years of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Gunter was so surprised he couldn't speak.

Although he couldn't use magic, he still had some understanding of its principles.

Even with magic that accelerates plant growth, it would be difficult to make wheat fields grow like this. More likely, sparse wheat fields would turn into lush grasslands, which would actually reduce the harvest.

Simply put, supernatural powers can respond to people's wishes, but not always in the best possible way.

Especially complex desires often deviate from people's original intentions and imaginations...

Only gods can perfectly fulfill people's wishes.

Therefore, such phenomena, which cannot be explained even by "extraordinary power," are usually called "miracles" by the public!
It's worth mentioning that although there are also undulating waves of wheat around Wheat Field Village, the wheat here is noticeably denser.

Even theoretically speaking, the land in Maitian Village, which is near the Benliu River, is much more fertile than the land around Quemubao.

It seems that the strength of the miracle is also related to the distance from the "Saintess".

Gaunt's curiosity about the legendary "Saint Karen" grew stronger and stronger...

Just as Gunter was so surprised he couldn't speak, a cheerful voice suddenly blew in from ahead on the noisy wind.

"Sparrowwood Fortress is just ahead! We're lucky; we arrived before evening!"

That was Rayden's voice.

The knight carrying the "Holy Grail Shield" wore a proud smile on his face.

Gunter suddenly remembered that he had seen that sunny and confident smile on the faces of many locals when he passed through Greystone Town a long time ago.

Before the Green Forest Army arrived there...

The two ran along the dirt road for a while and finally saw the human settlement hidden behind the wheat field.

The towering windmills slowly turned their blades, and the houses, lined up one after another, were like pebbles on a riverbank, simple yet pleasing to the eye, making it hard to look away.

Perhaps because he had already seen it in Wheatfield Village, Gunter's face did not show much surprise, but rather heartfelt satisfaction.

so good……

If he had to describe his feelings at this moment in one sentence, this would probably be the most fitting one.

Noticing the longing on Gaunt's face, Leiden's lips curled into an undisguised smug smile.

Throughout the entire Twilight Province, the people of Sparrowwood Territory were probably the first to have their fill of food.

While divine power certainly played a part, as Her Highness said, what truly enabled them to overcome the famine was their yearning for a better life and the unity of their hearts…

At least that's what Her Highness the Holy Maiden's oracle said.

Leiden had long since realized that he didn't really care whether Saint Siss had a son or not.

……

The two men galloped through the village in front of the castle and came to the moat.

Leiden was the first to dismount, handing his exhausted warhorse to a guard beside him.

At that moment, the commotion in the castle suddenly caught his attention.

"What happened?"

With a furrowed brow, Gaunt handed the reins to the soldier beside him and stepped forward first.

He sensed the presence of chaos.

There was also the nauseating smell of rats, and a faint trace of blood...

The soldier swallowed hard, glanced quickly at Redden beside him, and saw the latter nod solemnly before answering hastily.

"Yes, it's the ratmen... a group of ratman assassins have infiltrated our castle and are attempting to assassinate Her Highness!"

Leiden felt his heart suddenly stop, and he hurriedly grabbed the soldier's shoulder and shouted.

"Ratman assassins?! How is this possible?! How did they get in here?! And what are you all doing?! How did you let them infiltrate the castle?!"

The previous composure was completely gone from that panicked face, as if the sky had fallen.

Clearly, even the shoulders of a Grail Knight have their limits...

Faced with the barrage of spittle, the soldier was filled with shame and embarrassment, wishing he could disappear into the floor.

"I...I have failed in my duties. Please punish me, sir!"

Gunter walked over to Leiden, placed his broad hand on the latter's shoulder, and said in a deep voice.

"Don't make things difficult for him. Even dwarves who deal with ratmen all year round would find it hard to completely catch these ubiquitous little creatures... And Her Highness? Is she alright?"

The soldier nodded hastily and spoke rapidly.

"She's alright, she wasn't injured!"

As he said this, a faint trace of admiration appeared on the soldier's ashamed face.

Before Leiden could ask, he spoke with shining eyes, like a devout believer.

"Those rat-man assassins chose the wrong opponent! While Her Highness was communicating with the Divine Child, they sneaked up to the tower's connecting corridor and were about to make their move when the armored figures in the corridor seemed to come alive and rushed up, hacking them to pieces! The Divine Child is above, and he has indeed been watching us, watching our Her Highness!"

Gunter looked surprised, while Leiden breathed a sigh of relief.

Saint Sith above...

Regardless of who saved Her Highness, it's good that she's alright.

Although he couldn't imagine how dangerous the battle was, just by looking at the commotion in the castle and the corpses being carried to the courtyard, he knew it was no ordinary battle.

The thought that Princess Karen was just an ordinary person who had not awakened any extraordinary power made him worry for her.

At this moment, the guard on duty suddenly noticed the greatswordsman standing next to Knight Commander Leiden, and then, as if remembering something, struck up a conversation with him.

"Sir, are you... Günter Steingraber?"

Although it was a very complicated surname, he still tried his best to remember it because it was a divine decree given by Her Highness the Holy Maiden.

Gaunt glanced at the soldier holding the halberd in one hand and nodded.

"It's me, what's wrong?"

The soldier immediately stood up straight and said.

"Her Highness instructed that a swordsman carrying a greatsword would arrive here with Knight Commander Leiden around dusk. If the gentleman's name is Günter Steinggrabe, please take him to see me... if time permits."

Gunter's surprise turned into astonishment.

He glanced at Leiden beside him, then nodded to the soldier.

"...It's not inconvenient at all, please take me there."

Rather, that's precisely why he came.

The soldier handed the halberd to his comrade beside him and immediately said...

"Please come with me!"

……

Following in the footsteps of the Salvation Army soldiers, Gaunt passed through the castle courtyard filled with rat-men corpses and arrived at the corridor between the main tower and the secondary tower.

The bloodstains on the ground had not yet dried.

A saint in a plain white dress stands beside blood-stained armor, her hands clasped in front of her chest in silent prayer.

Gunter didn't disturb her; he simply stood quietly at the door, waiting and glancing at the serene and beautiful girl.

She was two years older than her adopted son, Euryn, but much more mature in demeanor.

That simple and pure feeling reminded him of an old friend, back in Yurien's hometown of Greystone.

That girl's fate was far more tragic than hers.

Just as Gunter was lamenting the capriciousness of fate and the cruel twists of destiny, the girl named Karen loosened her hands, which were clasped together in front of her chest, and raised her lowered eyes.

A gentle smile appeared on her face, just like the one hanging in the church's image of the Virgin Mary, making people involuntarily put down their anger and cherish the tranquility and peace in the air.

"You came."

Gangte nodded, glanced around, and then spoke with interest.

"You knew I was coming?"

Karen nodded gently and spoke in a mild tone.

“The oracle has told me that you will set off at dawn this morning and arrive at my castle with my knight at sunset… He has instructed me to wait for you here.”

She paused for a moment at this point, then continued in a calm voice.

"Please allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Karen, and I come from the northern border of the Kingdom of Rhodes. I am a nun who serves the gods... Because I was saved by the gods during my journey, I decided to follow His guidance and have come here under His guidance."

Gunter has heard these stories more than once in the past month.

In contrast, he was more interested in the "oracle" she had mentioned at the beginning.

Did He say what I was here for?

Looking at that intrigued face, Karen smiled and nodded gently.

"He said you came to persuade me to send troops, hoping that we could bring order to our compatriots who are suffering."

The smile of interest gradually faded, and Gaunt's pupils contracted in an instant. His resolute face gradually revealed an expression of disbelief, as if he had witnessed a miracle.

All the confusion was resolved at this moment.

He finally understood where all those gazes that seemed to come from along the way had come from!

That didn't come from anyone...

It came from Saint Sith himself!
"What else did He say?"

Gunter stepped forward and asked urgently, as if grasping at a straw floating on the river.

He wished he could rush up and pull that high and mighty god down to the ground, so that He could open His eyes and see His suffering people!
Unfortunately, although gods exist, they are not the kind of beings that mortals or superhumans imagine.

He was never a specific "person".

Rather, it refers to "everyone" on this land.

For example, right now, His name is of course Saint Sith, but if all those who believe in Him die, He could also change to the terrifying name Urgos, and take all the insatiable souls to play a death game from which no one can escape...

Looking into those unwavering eyes, Karen repeated in a gentle voice the divine message left by Mr. Colin—or rather, Lord Flame King.

"He said that we must unite and put out this fire that is consuming everyone."

"Gunter said in a low voice."

"Is this a divine message from that divine child?"

"It was my decision too."

After a pause, she looked at Gunter earnestly and spoke in a serious tone.

"Please lend me your sword, for the sake of the people who are suffering in this land."

There is absolutely no need to hesitate—

That's exactly why he came here!

Perhaps, today's encounter is also a sign of fate...

Faced with this ordinary yet noble soul, Gunter silently knelt on one knee and made his fourth vow with an unprecedentedly earnest voice.

"I am willing to use the sword in my hand to cut through all the thorns for you!"

Exactly the same...

Karen, who had heard these words in an oracle, wore a serene and gratified smile.

Her "deity" might actually be a deity...

A distant, grand cemetery.

A deep blue butterfly silently flew through the thick rock wall and landed in the deserted royal court.

It seemed to have flown for a long time to get here, and its wings, as thin as cicada wings, did not attract the attention of any monsters.

Arachto, prostrate beneath the throne, yawned, and the sound of snoring rose and fell from his massive body.

Just then, that familiar scent made him shudder, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

A giant, giant dragon?!
He sprang up from the ground as if electrocuted, and when he looked closely with his compound eyes, he realized that what he saw was not a dragon at all, but a stinky lizard that had stolen his favor!

Taph?!
etc--

That is to say!

His gaze shifted upwards, landing on the handsome, imposing face on the throne. Araqudo was so excited he almost cried, and his eight legs, which had just been upright, instantly snapped back to the ground.

"Demon King! You, you've finally come home! Araquodo has missed you so much!"

Praise be to the Demon God, Lord Bayeri!

Thank you for bringing the Demon King back to his loyal Great Tomb. The moon of the Shadowweaver Clan has finally risen! Haha!

Hearing that sickeningly sweet voice, Taf couldn't help but shudder and burrowed behind Luo Yan's calves.

"Why didn't you say so sooner? You had such a convenient way to travel! Why did we have to go through the trouble of taking a horse-drawn carriage!"

And that damn airship!
Hearing Taf's muttered complaints, Luo Yan, who had just settled into his granite throne, chuckled and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Riding in a horse-drawn carriage is not for travel."

"What's that for?"

"To leave my footprints."

"...?"

Unlike Taff, who talked a lot of nonsense, Sarah didn't say a word and stood respectfully to the side, fulfilling her duty as the Demon King's guard.

Incidentally.

Luo Yan only discovered this recently: the "Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena" could not only take him away.

Anyone who has a physical connection with him, such as holding his hand, can fly with him to distant places.

Of course, the consumption of magic power will also increase accordingly. Just as his dear student Ilana studied, extraordinary power also conforms to a certain law of conservation.

Looking at the giant spider pacing back and forth beneath the throne, seemingly eager to pounce and rub against his trousers, Luo Yan suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen his beloved mount for over a year, and so he smiled and said...

"Alacto, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

"Waaah! Lord Demon King!" Thinking of those difficult days when he couldn't use his power to bully others, the loyal Alacdo burst into tears.

Luo Yan laughed and offered a few words of comfort to the big guy, promising to take him along on his next long trip.

certainly--

The premise is that you have to go to hell.

The noise from the audience chamber punctured the snot bubble hanging from Yossi's nose, and the little devil, hanging upside down on the brass candlestick, snapped awake and let out a surprised cry.

"Oh, oh, oh, the Demon King is back!"

Leaving behind a long, drawn-out note, she shot into the cave outside the audience hall like an arrow released from a bow.

Sarah frowned slightly as she looked at the rude guy.

However, considering that the other party was a little devil with a brain only the size of a fist, and that the Demon King didn't care about the little guys' carefree attitude, his furrowed brows relaxed again.

Not long after, the sound of lightning speed rang out again.

And what followed was a voice even more cloyingly sweet and saccharine than Alakdo's.

"Lord Demon King——!"

Luo Yan could guess it was Xixi without even looking.

She was the only truly loyal person in the entire cemetery, unlike those opportunistic traitors who jumped into their own cars halfway through the journey.

While all the demons were imagining their own unfathomable backgrounds, only the dear Queen Sisi, after seeing her own trump card, still pretended to be serious and helped herself onto Alacdor's back. After the battle, she secretly took herself into the woods to restore her magic.

He remembered that it was shortly after he arrived at the maze.

With only the strength of the Steel rank, she unfortunately encountered the "Mad Whisperer" bewitched by the "Strange Mist" Novell, while at that time Sisi only had the strength of the Silver rank.

Of course, now that I'm a diamond, I no longer need the Nightmare Land's help.

And the adorable Sisi, with her unwavering loyalty, surpassed the previous queen of "Nightmare Land" and became the first platinum-level little devil in this maze!

Generally speaking, the little devils in the countryside wouldn't reach such a high level, nor would they need to.

With her wings outstretched, Sisi flew over in circles, like an elf in a mushroom patch. She came to an elegant stop and landed on Luo Yan's right leg, gracefully bringing her knees together.

Perhaps it's because the little devils of Nightmare Land have all become wealthy.

This "king of the kids" from the nightmare village finally had some extra money to buy a pretty new dress, and this time he finally got to wear an outfit he had never seen before.

"My Lord Demon King, do you know how much I miss you?" Sisi gently drew circles with her index finger, turned around and looked at that handsome face, her wine-red eyes filled with resentment.

Luo Yan smiled and said.

"Haha, it really has been a long time! Speaking of which, thank you so much for what happened before! Thanks to the food you sent, the corruption of the Great Tomb has already seeped into Duskwood!"

"It is my honor to be able to help you."

Sisi's face lit up with undisguised joy at the praise, her legs swaying back and forth, and her bright red lips curving into a slight smile.

Although she didn't know where the Twilight Forest was, and wasn't interested in anything outside the Great Tomb, being able to help the Demon Lord was enough to make her incredibly happy.

Luo Yan smiled and nodded, then continued.

"I've seen all your contributions, and I will give you the rewards you deserve. By the way, how have you been while I was away?"

“We are all doing well. There have been fewer adventurers lately. The humans outside seem to be busy with other things, and my people have found a more interesting prank than stealing pumpkins.”

"Oh? What is it?"

"It's brewing wine."

Looking at the Demon King who seemed somewhat puzzled, Sisi covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "They just think about how the humans in the Holy City drink their foot bath water all day long and still enjoy it, and they jump around happily when they stomp on grapes... Hehe, what a bunch of energetic idiots. But they're having fun, which saves me a lot of trouble."

Luo Yan laughed out loud upon hearing this, though his laughter was slightly awkward.

He doesn't remember whether he's had it or not, so he'll just pretend he hasn't.

Seeing the smile on the Demon King's face, Sisi also curved her lips, though the smile quickly turned into a resentful expression.

"In short, thanks to your wise governance, we are all doing well. It's just that when you're not home, I sometimes feel a little... lonely?"

"Oh right, I heard that marriage contracts don't exist in the Demon Capital? So, you haven't actually decided who your Demon Queen will be yet... Ah, please don't misunderstand, I'm just concerned about Your Majesty and have no intention of overstepping my bounds. I'm just curious."

The little devil's left and right hemispheres seem to be constantly at war.

It's difficult for normal people to keep up with their leaps of thought, and even the Demon King is finding it a bit challenging.

Perhaps sensing the embarrassment in the Demon King's laughter, the loyal cat stepped forward and, with a respectful yet unyielding voice, came to the Demon King's rescue.

“…Your Highness Sisi, please get off the Demon King’s lap. That is not the position of a mere vassal.”

Yes, yes, get rid of this disgusting bat!

Arakdo nodded excitedly, unusually standing on the same side as this stinky cat.

Without a doubt, the Demon King's knees are the place for a pet!

Finally noticing Sarah standing to the side, Sisi looked away from the Demon King's face, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

"You've broken through the gold level?"

"I guess so... I'm still a little short of platinum." Sarah said in a flat tone, as if she were talking about something trivial, but then added an extra half sentence at the end.

"Oh? You're growing quite fast... Not bad, not bad. It seems that Your Majesty the Demon King will soon have another Demon General under your command."

Sisi's beautiful eyes narrowed lazily, but a dangerous aura flickered in her wine-red pupils.

This silly cat...

They don't seem to be to be underestimated.

She never actually considered Sarah a rival, because it was obvious that the Demon Lord only treated this furry creature as a pet and didn't care about her.

As for elegance and poise, while she may not be as refined as the devil in Shanghai, she is certainly not inferior to a stray cat of unknown origin.

Coincidentally, Sarah had never considered her a rival either, and said calmly.

"I am merely a guard serving the Demon King, please do not take offense, Queen of Nightmare Land."

Just as their gazes met in mid-air, a slightly mocking voice drifted over from not far away.

"Is there nothing else you can do besides causing trouble for our esteemed His Majesty?"

Thanos appeared behind the stone pillar.

That cold face showed half disdain for the little devil and half fear of the Demon King.

If Sisi was the most loyal servant in the Great Cemetery, then this guy was the number one traitor.

The esteemed Demon King still holds leverage over him.

And it's not just about having a handle.

Compared to when I last saw him, the Demon King seems to have become even stronger.

If Thanos's speculation is correct, the Demon Lord who defeated Elder Zacro in one move must have been at least a Grandmaster-level expert, or even possibly a demigod!
What lies beyond demigods?!

Thanos simply couldn't imagine how powerful his esteemed Demon King must be...

In addition to the Shadow Demon General, clones of "Blood Blade Demon General" Grak, "Thorn Demon General" Brancia, and "Cold Iron Demon General" Valgur also arrived at the audience hall one after another.

This includes Tyrael Moonblade, leader of the Greywind tribe, Immovable Spirit of the Rock and Earth, and Strong, the mole of the Ironfang tribe, among others.

The once spacious hall suddenly became crowded.

Seeing that their "private time" had been broken, Sisi was indeed too embarrassed to linger on His Majesty's lap. She quickly returned to the bottom of the steps and stood respectfully with her hands at her sides, just like the other demon generals.

Brancia glanced at her jealously, inwardly cursing the shameless little bat, but she didn't show her jealousy on her face. Instead, she cast an admiring look at the throne.

"Your Majesty, it's been a long time... Your strength has improved once again! Please allow me, on behalf of the demons and monsters of Desperate City, to extend to you our highest congratulations and respect—"

“I appreciate your kind offer, Ms. Brancia. As for formalities, let’s leave that for later. I have more important matters to attend to now.”

Luo Yan nodded solemnly, returning to his role as the Demon King and abandoning his joking expression.

Everyone looked stern.

Even Sisi, who had been chatting and laughing with him earlier, now wore a serious expression and awaited his command.

Their intuition told them that His Majesty's return was not merely to visit his vassals, but to entrust them with an important mission.

More than just a task—

There's still a chance!

Unlike the previous Demon Lord Reggie Dragon, the Demon Lord before them never mistreats his underlings.

It was precisely because they understood this that their stern eyes gleamed with anticipation.

As expected, Luo Yan continued in a dignified voice.

"The threat from chaos is approaching the land beneath our feet."

“It’s not just the Duchy of Campbell that will be involved, or even just the Kingdom of Lane and the empire behind them, but also us and the hell behind us.”

"This is not an exaggeration."

"Over the past year, I have traversed most of the empire's territory and witnessed with my own eyes how this behemoth is dying bit by bit, and our hell is far from peaceful."

"To prevent being caught in the aftermath of the chaos, and for the eternal prosperity of our homeland, we cannot be confined to the maze beneath our feet; we must also do some things to prepare for our future."

"And that's exactly why I came back this time."

Looking up at his subordinates, Luo Yan announced in a clear and firm voice.

"I will give you the seed to embrace greater power and to unleash the potential within your souls."

"certainly--"

Whether this seed will eventually germinate, and to what extent it will grow after germination, depends on your own loyalty and determination!

(End of this chapter)