Brain bloom

What's going on here?

Not long after, it found itself taken by its daughter to the Four Seasons Manor, and this godforsaken place was filled with the aura of clergy, so strong that even it was slightly wary of them... Melia has a genuine demonic aura, how did she manage to get along with these people peacefully?

The condition of this land is very strange.

The Demon Queen is here, the True God of the Four Seasons is here, and there are a bunch of powerful figures from the Holy Coffin Kingdom. Now, the Ancient Demon King and his adopted daughter have also arrived.

Why haven't they started fighting yet? It suspects it might have been sleeping for too long.

Then it saw Melia and Mori waiting for it. Helpless, it could only put aside its weariness, put on its spirit and majesty, and personally walk to the other side of the table.

It seems they really are trying to do business, but perhaps they have some unspeakable reason for needing to contact them? Yet they've come up with such a lame excuse to buy that junk? Only hope they'll believe it.

Melia spoke first: "Uncle Ancient Demon King, how much does the Balrog's eggstone cost?"

Volume 1, Chapter 200: No Profit

This title displeased the ancient demon king. Under the gaze of the people opposite it, it spread its wings, shaping itself into a fierce and terrifying figure—

“I have a name, remember it, don’t forget it! I am the great ancient demon king Ron Stolt! Melia, I allow you to call me Uncle Ron, or the great uncle.”

"Greatness is a name too, isn't it?"

"Ok!"

"In short, we would like to buy some Balrog's Eggstones from you, great one."

"...Seriously?" It retracted its wings, its tone questioning.

“Seriously.” Melia added a firm three-part nod.

The ancient demon king instantly thought of Melia's mother, whom he remembered as a resolute and honest pure-blood banshee. Yet her daughter had learned such tricks.

There's probably some unspeakable reason for bringing it here, but they couldn't even come up with a proper excuse, saying they wanted to buy some pebbles...

It didn't believe it at all, but the next second, the power it wielded immediately told it the price of the deal.

Is the other party really planning to buy the Balrog's eggstones? And... the quantity they want is outrageously large.

"This deal is actually real? Well, the price is a powerful and evil human soul, which is quite a sum. Little Melia, are you buying so much to set the human world on fire?"

"No, no, no, we want to resell them. They'll be used to ward off the winter chill, and the Peda Empire will definitely buy them at a high price."

"Oh, Beast Season, that's a good idea, it'll work."

A mere few seconds later, it used its wisdom to understand the whole story.

Unfortunately, the other party wanted to resell it, and there was nothing it could do. This was because the Ancient Demon King could not violate any rules of reciprocal trade. Therefore, regarding this transaction, it only gently pointed out a blind spot out of consideration for its daughter.

"But there's one thing I must remind you of—I can't refuse a deal. Once you show the goods to the buyer, they'll know that this stuff comes from the realm of demons, and they'll definitely refuse your high price and come directly to me to buy it, because I'm fair. Then you'll be stuck with that pile of broken stones with nowhere to put them."

"...Then, what if we buy all the egg stones?"

"That would be tantamount to completely shaking the ecosystem of the Demon Realm, causing a sudden change in temperature, a price you cannot afford. So, don't even think about getting involved with this unscrupulous merchant."

Mori nodded quietly, agreeing with what it said...

Melia remained confident: "Not everyone has the courage to make a deal with the devil, and I don't think they would come directly to you."

"Uh no, they will come directly to me. The Peda Empire and the devil have a long-standing agreement elsewhere... Because of this agreement, the Rain Wizard was, in his lifetime, a mere messenger in the human world."

“...That’s really true.” Mori Toki whispered in agreement.

Back in Frozen Bear Town, they inadvertently revealed this, which interfered in other people's affairs and led to a lot of trouble later. Melia was a little frustrated; she had thought it was a good idea.

"Then let's cancel it and let them fight it out..."

"Don't do that, let's just forget about making this little bit of money."

Sen Shi gently patted his daughter's shoulder a few times, offering quiet words of comfort.

"How can a deal with the devil be a game?! Can't it be canceled so easily?"

And the ancient demon king slowly spoke, threatening.

"I've already made my offer, and this deal is unstoppable! So hurry up and come to the Demon Realm, take those broken stones and wreak havoc on the human world. It'll be cooler there, that's good. And don't expect me to leave empty-handed. Where is the soul I want?"

"The despicable Peda Empire, the despicable devil."

"This deal has no choice but to continue. I hope the Peda Empire will be grateful."

"No, gratitude won't bring money. But don't worry, Dad, there will be a profit to be made—we'll just squeeze it out of Silvermoon City."

Although her plan to make a quick buck was thwarted, Melia quickly came up with many other ideas. Given the right conditions, she could use a variety of methods to profit from it.

After we've made the deal with the Peda Empire, we can secretly conspire to deliberately not withdraw our troops, making Silvermoon City pay a price to avoid disaster.

……

This deal must be finalized before the war begins.

Therefore, once the ancient demon king stood on the table, the plan could not be stopped.

Through some of the devil's channels, they even managed to contact the monarch of the Peda Empire, a formidable figure who had led the nation with unwavering resilience through the harsh winter. Regardless of their stance, Mori felt that the cohesion and resolve of this nation had always been terrifying.

"There is a way to fundamentally solve the beast season."

When this message was conveyed, the Peda Empire immediately showed an unusually conciliatory attitude, indicating its willingness to participate in dialogue even during times of war.

Meanwhile, after a hasty dinner, the news brought relief to everyone involved; at least war could be avoided. B's admiration for his own god increased even more, because the final outcome prevented widespread bloodshed.

Everyone wanted to make an appearance, so this significant meeting was scheduled to be held in the Devil's Realm, a place that all parties could quickly reach.

On the surface, it's spearheaded by a demon princess who cares about world peace, using compassion from the demon realm to care for those cold and pitiful humans. This is also Mori's idea; perhaps if more people care about her, her soul can be redeemed.

Even if it's useless, it's good to earn some good karma for her.

This was the only thing Mori could do for her...

The Demon Queen also facilitated this deal, ostensibly to urge all parties to exercise restraint and remain calm, and to maintain regional peace and stability. This is why she facilitated this damned, unprofitable business.

She could also take this opportunity to establish some contact with the Peda Empire, since both were deeply troubled by the Evil Mist.

Although this matter is roughly settled, there are still many things to prepare, such as the price of the transaction. The Ancient Demon King said he wanted humans or something, and Melia was calculating that she would have to go to the prison in the Chaos Lands to choose a death row inmate for him.

However, in private, Sen Shi secretly approached the ancient demon king.

"What are you doing? A coffin bearer."

"You know, huh..."

"Yes, I never imagined you were that clever true god who exchanged gold coins for faith..."

Although he said that, the Ancient Demon King did not dislike Mori. After all, they were partners who had seen the memories together, and were the only remaining souls in the world who had touched that realm. There was no need for them to be hostile to each other.

The ancient demon king asked again, "What do you want with me? Do you want to have a heart-to-heart talk?"

"I want to go to your demon realm, I want you—"

"arrive."

A sudden wave of dizziness instantly overwhelmed Morishita's mind. She barely managed to regain her footing before being immediately assaulted by the strong smell of sulfur. The air felt like it was sticking to her skin with a malicious warmth, which was anything but pleasant.

Volume 1 #201 - Library

“I haven’t finished speaking yet…” Mori couldn’t help but complain, “I didn’t even say hello to the dandelion.”

"Shall I take you back? Tell me more, and then I'll bring you back?" After saying that, it let out a strange laugh, like an owl scaring innocent passing tourists in the deep forest at night. "The fare is for you to have a drink with me and chat with me. It's rare to find someone with whom you can have common topics."

"There's a charge for this?"

"Yes, I am the devil."

That's why it was in such a hurry to bring Mori to the table, just to collect the travel expenses for this cup of wine.

Unfortunately, Mori had no choice but to ask the Ancient Demon King to convey her message. What she needed to do might take a while, and it wouldn't be good if she were mistaken for someone who had disappeared.

After finishing her business, Sen Shi calmed herself down and looked around. This was a completely unfamiliar scene of the Demon Realm, different from when she last came. This time, they hadn't been transported to any gathering point; the surroundings were deathly silent and cold, without a trace of human habitation or buildings.

This place is a boundless wilderness.

On the barren, black, cracked land that reeks of foul smoke, only a few low-level monsters roam.

This is the only chance of survival.

Perhaps it was the memory of the game era that made Mori subconsciously want to hunt these monsters, but as soon as he took out his bow, the ancient demon king stopped him—"Don't mess around, they are all my people."

"...I'm used to it."

"Good habit, never mind. Seasons, do you, the darkness deep within your soul, miss all of this? If so, come have a drink with me and listen to my woes."

Although the ruler of this world was inviting him, Mori had to politely decline: "I came here for other reasons, not to play with you."

"Oh? What kind of business are you going to introduce to me this time? This is my world, and all plans have to go through me... Well, the price will definitely be fair."

"Sometimes I really want to punch you... Dealing with you is just too, too, too tiring, everything comes at a price... Fine, I'll rip you off. I'm asking you, Ancient Demon King, is there a library in this remote, impoverished place?"

"There are so many libraries. I wonder which one this extremely wealthy coffin bearer is looking for?"

The ancient Demon King immediately revealed many inside stories, fearing the other party wouldn't listen, and talked on and on, but charged for every word.

In the realm of demons—where demons and other things make deals—there is a long history. And as an ancient tradition, these transactions have been compiled into books and stored away.

These are books like "The Complete Treatise on Deals Between the Devil and Man," which have filled the four great libraries of the Devil's Realm. It can be said that all the ridiculous and absurd plots of humankind throughout history can be found here.

If Mori were a writer, she'd definitely spend all her time there, and any random stuff she copied would be a bestseller. Unfortunately, that wasn't the kind of stuff she wanted to browse—things that were bound to be interesting.

“A place called ‘a library that never ends but always begins’… I think I remember correctly.”

"...Where did you learn this name from?"

Suddenly, the ancient demon king reacted strongly, its eyes containing an attitude that could be misinterpreted as murderous intent, but fortunately it was just astonishment.

"From other people's mouths."

"...It's not surprising. You were a Four Seasons Being from the Poppy Queen's era 120 years ago. That era was very strange, so it's no wonder that a true god like you appeared. This library is indeed still there; I can take you there."

"Tell me, what is the price?"

"...without any cost."

Sen felt something was strange and became extremely vigilant, because the owl, who had been calculating and petty all his life, had suddenly become generous.

"There's no price to pay, don't ask me why. You might have paid one before, that library is indeed a bit eerie... Come on, I'll take you there. But you need to know the rules, you have to leave knowledge for the library."