Chapter 30
It had already been six months since the news broke that the Demon King had returned.
Half a year of hell.
Duke Ruben Pluto, clad in gleaming armor, rode his white stallion once again today.
Since the Demon King’s return, he had spent more days patrolling the nation as a holy knight than serving as cardinal within the grand temple.
Steady, meticulous patrols were the only way to protect the people.
That such ominous miasma could appear even in places this idyllic and peaceful—he still found it difficult to believe.
It was then—
“Over there!”
“Kyaaah!”
The knights spotted the miasma and rushed their horses forward. The people nearby froze in terror, unable to even think of running, their throats bursting only with screams.
In that moment, a massive silver blade—like a sacred sword itself—cut through the foul black smoke.
The stallion neighed sharply, rearing onto its hind legs, while Ruben leapt high into the air before landing firmly on the ground.
Not a trace of instability marred his stance.
“Th-thank you! Thank you!”
The terrified citizens bowed again and again in gratitude.
Ruben warned them sternly,
“Should you ever see miasma again, run for your lives. Mark my words—freezing up like that is no different than begging for death.”
“W-we’ll remember! Thank you so much!”
The people, relieved to have survived, hurried away. Ruben watched them for a moment in silence.
Six months ago, his own daughter-in-law and grandchild had nearly perished in the demon realm. He knew all too well the flood of relief that survival brought.
But not everyone had been so lucky. In the past six months, far too many had lost their lives.
Including this one, how many times had he fought miasma already?
By his own hand alone, he must have cut down at least a hundred.
The thought made him grip his sword high, reminding himself there could be no wasted moment.
“Move out! Search thoroughly, leave no place unchecked!”
“Yes, Your Eminence!”
The knights shouted in unison, the horses’ cries ringing through the sky.
But the instant Ruben turned his mount to lead, his vision went dark. The shouts of “Your Eminence!” behind him grew faint, as if drifting far away.
Something was terribly wrong.
Even in that briefest instant, Ruben knew.
“What is this…? Don’t tell me—”
The surroundings came into view.
It was dark, damp. A cavern underground? The entire space was hewn from stone, and long rows of iron bars divided it.
A prison.
But what lay within those cells was no ordinary captive.
“Grrraahh!”
“Skreee!”
Savage roars, murderous eyes that looked ready to shred everything in sight. The very air stank of death.
A stench so vile he had never encountered its like before.
Monsters.
His heart sank.
He had been pulled into the demon realm itself—into a prison that held monsters. A high-level miasma had swallowed him whole.
“Y-Your Eminence, what on earth is happening…?”
A voice rang out behind him. Some of his knights had been pulled in with him.
Ruben quickly regained his composure.
“Steady yourselves. This is the demon realm. Its master will show himself soon—be ready.”
“Yes, Your Eminence.”
Their ragged breathing slowly eased.
Ruben began moving down the corridor. There was only one path forward, cells of monsters on either side.
The monsters’ eyes blazed at the sight of them, slamming themselves against the bars with ear-splitting shrieks.
Each one was three meters tall, like living walls of shadow. Their claws screeched against iron, the sound so horrific the knights’ faces paled.
Truth be told, most of them had barely faced even miasma before—let alone an actual monster. Being dragged into the demon realm was something none of them had ever imagined.
Until six months ago, they had believed they would live and die without ever crossing blades with demons. They had believed the Demon King would never return.
And now here they were, summoned into the demon realm itself. The knights wavered, shaken to their very pride.
Destroying miasma in the human world and walking in the heart of the demon realm were worlds apart.
Step by step, Ruben led them forward—
Footsteps.
From ahead, steady, unhesitating. Whoever it was, they had no fear of this place. Ruben’s mind sharpened.
A demon?
He gripped the hilt of his sword.
And then, the owner of the footsteps appeared.
“What?”
“Huh?”
It wasn’t just the knights—Ruben himself was struck speechless.
“You… Why are you here?”
“Your Eminence? Sir knights? What are you doing here?”
“That’s obvious! We were caught by a high-level miasma—”
“Oh? Same here.”
Crescent smiled brightly.
So they weren’t the only ones caught in it. Even that little girl!
For a moment, Ruben was too shocked to speak.
“You weren’t even with us! Where did you run into a high-level miasma?” Ruben demanded.
I was just as bewildered. I had been alone when I was swallowed by it—and when I came to, he and his knights were here.
It seemed even people in different places could be dragged into the same space.
“I was taking a walk in the village during training break. I was on the forest path, and suddenly—I was here.”
I answered with a touch of exasperation.
Of course, I said “walk,” but in truth I had been hunting miasma, playing a kind of hide-and-seek with them. It was my way of leveling up—and saving people when I could.
I still needed to find more. During our recent group training in the monster-ridden mountain, I had only managed to kill one low-level miasma.
And now, a real high-level one had appeared—and before I could even fight it, I had been dragged here.
Surely no one else had been swallowed by a high-level miasma twice already… right?
“You mean you came alone? Just you?”
“Yes.”
Ruben glanced behind me, as if he still didn’t believe it. Meanwhile, the monsters roared and rattled their cages with murderous ferocity.
Finding no one else, he sighed.
“That even a child could be dragged here alone… They truly are devils. It’s fortunate you crossed paths with us—had you been alone, it would’ve been disastrous.”
“Right? I’m glad too.”
At my reply, Ruben shook his head gravely.
He seemed troubled by the thought that other ordinary children might be dropped into this place as well. Then, as if to comfort me, he said:
“You must have been frightened. Come—stand with us.”
“Yes, sir!”
I answered brightly and hurried to his side.
Perhaps because of the circumstances, Ruben treated me kindly. Maybe it was because I was just a child—a holy knight trainee stranded alone in the demon realm.
After all, I was only eight years old, and my holy power was the lowest rank, Primrose. I had only been training for six months.
To him, I was nothing more than a frail little girl—save for one thing: I was the first female holy knight to appear in 150 years.
Not that he would ever think of me as his granddaughter, like the Pluto family did. But he was still a cardinal who pitied children.
As we walked on, I spoke up.
“There were monsters on the other side too. I counted over 130 on my way here.”
“What?”
“And so many kinds. I almost wonder if the master of this place is a monster collector.”
“…So soon already…”
Ruben looked down at me, surprised. His eyes narrowed slightly.
“I thought you just stumbled here, but you’re rather observant. There was nothing special on our side either. Seems you arrived before us.”
“Looks that way.”
Just as I finished speaking—
A man’s voice rang out from the other side.
“How many of you are there? One, two… eight? Excellent! Plenty of slaves for my little darlings!”
