CHAPTER 65……………………………………………………
No matter how quietly she tried to move, her footsteps echoed loudly. Thud, thud—the sound bounced off the walls, spreading in every direction until her ears buzzed.
On top of that, the stairs twisted and turned in such dizzying circles that it was enough to make her nauseous.
‘I feel like I’m going to be sick.’
Jenya wavered in place but straightened herself again with the help of the two beside her.
She didn’t even thank them, bracing herself with determination. At first, the situation had been startling, but after several repetitions, the three of them had grown accustomed to it.
Lumiere now openly held her by the back to support her, and even the Demon Lord gripped her hand more firmly than before.
How far had they walked like that? The Demon Lord stopped.
Jenya, who nearly collided with him, steadied herself with his firm grip on her waist. She pushed Lumiere away when he tried to lean closer, stood up straight, and raised her heels.
‘I want to press down on the Demon Lord’s unnecessarily broad shoulders, but…’
Through the Demon Lord’s shoulder, a long corridor stretched ahead. The soft candlelight made it easy enough to make out the layout.
On both sides of the corridor hung paintings, and at the very end sat a single glass case, lonely and still.
Peering past the Demon Lord, Jenya asked,
“Are we in the right place?”
The Demon Lord flinched and covered his ears, probably irritated by the awkward posture they were in. Jenya shrugged at him as he turned to look at her.
With a face full of things left unsaid, the Demon Lord exhaled a deep sigh.
“…Yes.”
“So, exactly what are we looking for?”
All that seemed to be here were the paintings and whatever mysterious object was inside that glass case.
‘Maybe there’s a secret area somewhere.’
Jenya squinted, and the Demon Lord pointed at the glass case.
“That.”
“What’s inside it?”
Without saying another word, he moved on. His hand still held hers, and Jenya and Lumiere followed him in a line.
Having descended the final stair, Jenya wondered if it was finally time to release the Demon Lord’s hand—and Lumiere’s too—when the Demon Lord, looking thoroughly annoyed, said,
“As expected, there’s a trap.”
Jenya snapped her head up, scanning her surroundings.
“A trap?”
Yet, even after being told, she saw nothing unusual. She tilted her head in confusion, and Lumiere said from beside her,
“It’s nothing significant.”
The standard for ‘significant’ seemed questionable, but judging by how confidently he spoke, perhaps it really wasn’t that difficult.
She nodded indifferently, and the Demon Lord turned to her.
“You don’t know magic, right?”
A question? It was so obvious it was almost absurd. Jenya nodded quickly, and the Demon Lord lowered his eyes, looking utterly exhausted.
If it’s nothing so difficult, why does he look so serious?
The Demon Lord opened his eyes again and looked at Lumiere.
“You either?”
“…….”
Jenya glanced at the silent Lumiere. He felt her gaze and finally answered.
“I’ve never learned it.”
“Then I’m the only one who needs to be careful?”
Unable to tolerate such incomprehensible logic, Jenya asked,
“Could you explain that in detail?”
The Demon Lord gestured down the long corridor.
“Because if you use magic while crossing the trap, you’ll set it off.”
“Is it difficult?”
“Not really. But I might use magic unconsciously.”
Of course—the Demon Lord wielded magic as naturally as breathing. Jenya thought for a moment, then raised her hand and asked,
“Should I hit you if you try to use magic?”
The Demon Lord looked down at her silently. She smiled lightly and added,
“If I can’t handle it myself, I’ll ask As.”
He sighed openly.
“…There’s a lot of self-interest in that, isn’t there?”
Jenya beamed.
“You have remarkable insight.”
The Demon Lord shook his head, exasperated.
Jenya, speaking meaningless, jokingly sincere words, swung the hand he still held.
“So, how long are you holding this hand?”
“As I said earlier—if you try to use magic, I’ll stop you.”
“…Hit you?”
Jenya’s eyes went wide as she looked at him, and he let out a dry chuckle.
“If possible.”
Hearing that ridiculous answer, she glanced at Lumiere. He nodded as if he had been waiting for her signal.
The Demon Lord, watching all of this, snorted.
“Isn’t this a bit too obvious a conspiracy?”
Jenya shamelessly replied,
“Well, who told you to separate Lord Leraje?”
The Demon Lord fell silent, staring at the end of the corridor.
Despite being together with the Demon Lord and the Hero, the atmosphere was peaceful. Perhaps it was only possible because neither intended to attack.
Jenya, guided by the Demon Lord, took each step forward, silently wishing the calm would last.
But as always, wishes are only wishes.
She sighed as a trap triggered the moment she moved. Honestly, with the skills of the Demon Lord and Lumiere, such a trap should’ve been trivial.
‘The problem is, those two are holding me while moving.’
Before she could even process the sensation of her heart dropping to her toes, Lumiere’s arm around her waist pulled her back.
Or, she had tried to retreat—if the Demon Lord hadn’t held her hand tightly as he moved aside.
As a result, the three of them, stuck together, were now in freefall.
Jenya thought in the brief second she was suspended in midair,
‘Wouldn’t it be easier if one of them let go?’
Why were they both holding on, making things so complicated?
The Demon Lord and Lumiere’s timing was infuriatingly mismatched.
‘In a way, you could say their timing matches perfectly.’
Their eyes met midair, silently exchanging thoughts. After a brief glance at Jenya, they reached a decision, and the Demon Lord shifted aside.
Watching the display—falling alternately into a pit, kicking off walls, climbing back up with perfect timing—Jenya sighed for the tenth time.
“Impressive.”
It was remarkable they never moved in the same direction from the start, yet could communicate so precisely with a glance after colliding.
Being carried like luggage, Jenya found it almost comical.
The Demon Lord and Lumiere now faced forward, ignoring each other as if the prior eye contact hadn’t occurred.
They weren’t just moving forward—they seemed to sense the path ahead. Jenya, worn out from traps, didn’t even have the energy to ask questions anymore.
“Only magical traps ahead, huh?”
Lumiere scanned the surroundings and replied.
“What if we step on the walls?”
Jenya stared at him in disbelief, but the Demon Lord nodded.
“Not bad.”
He twisted her body toward the right wall. Were they really going to climb the wall?
Before she could question it, Lumiere tightened his grip on her hand. Jenya looked at him in surprise.
Before she could react, the Demon Lord pulled her forward, and the two of them climbed the wall together.
Literally tracing a curved arc, running along perpendicular walls, and dropping back to the floor.
‘This isn’t magic—how is this possible?’
Even as her sense of reality collapsed, the two batted away sharp spikes raining from the ceiling.
Swish—!
The Demon Lord flicked one aside, and Lumiere blocked another with a motion as still as him, dodging back.
Jenya was no longer surprised. While cooperating, the two often used traps against each other.
‘Do it in moderation.’
She let herself be carried, dangling her legs, until they reached a distance where she could finally see what was inside the glass case. She was genuinely delighted.
“A book?”
Her joy was short-lived.
Squinting, she saw that inside the glass case was a single book, tied together, with no title written on it.
“Is this really what we came for?”
Curious about its importance, it was just a book?
It might contain incredible knowledge, but after all this effort, just one book?
Jenya narrowed her eyes at the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord, who had been narrowing his vision to scan their path, also noticed the book. Entranced, he stared at it.
“Your Majesty?”
He didn’t move. Clearly, they had come for this.
‘What on earth is this?’
Jenya, filled with curiosity, tried to examine the book, but the Demon Lord’s hand twitched slightly. Thinking they were moving again, she urgently grabbed his arm.
“Your Majesty!”
Her weak tug had no effect.
Fortunately, Lumiere was beside her. He grabbed her as she was pulled forward, seized the Demon Lord’s hand, and twisted it.
Crack.
The Demon Lord’s grip released, but his other hand swung threateningly.
Smack! Bam!
Lumiere blocked the attack and whispered into Jenya’s ear.
“Good, Jenya. You get to hit him once.”
Truly delightful news.
