Why I Quit Being the Demon King

Why I Quit Being the Demon King Chapter 8

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Fighting the Dragon (4)

As the woman uncrossed and recrossed her legs, she addressed Alex.

“Seeing as how you call him your lord, it seems he must be the next Great Demon King, one of the seven dukes of the demon world.”

She was aware of the true identities of both Deus and Alex.

“And who might you be?”

Asked Deus, the woman brushed her hair back and replied,

“If you can’t figure it out from my divine beauty and noble grace, I suppose it’s time you did.”

“An overinflated ego, I see.”

“You’re more of a disaster than the rumors had it. This Great Demon King appears to have no manners whatsoever.”

“A lack of manners is better than being a liar.”

The woman retorted with anger.

“My name is Yulgeum (律金), which means ‘Golden Rhythm’.”

“You really do like gold.”

“A tremendously rude fellow,” Yulgeum sneered, looking Deus up and down.

“Besides, nothing really surprises you, does it?”

“What exactly should I be surprised by?”

“First and foremost, my beauty.”

“We’ll put that aside for now.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m not interested.”

Yulgeum frowned, looking past Deus at Alex.

Alex gestured towards his lower half and then crossed his arms, making an ‘X’.

Yulgeum nodded.

“Indeed.”

Deus flared up.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t spread strange rumors even across dimensions.”

“If not that, then why aren’t you producing any princes?”

“Because I’m too busy, don’t butt in, woman.”

“Call me Yulgeum. There’s no need to feel overwhelmed. It’s not my real name anyway.”

“And why did you drag me here?”

“Are you genuinely asking?”

“Yes. I don’t recall doing anything to involve myself with you. Even playing the part of a clumsy bandit and a priestess.”

At the word ‘clumsy,’ Yulgeum’s face reddened.

“It’s the rules of the human world. Amongst humans, we do not use our true power to maintain neutrality.”

“But there’s no need to be chased by bandits, right? It looked like you were enjoying the chase.”

Yulgeum changed the subject.

“You attacked a dragon today.”

“Oh, that? You dragged me here for that? Or perhaps you thought to scold me?”

“Do you still not recognize who I am?”

“You said Yulgeum.”

“My real identity.”

“The golden dragon, you mean?”

“There is only one pure gold dragon in this world. The god of all dragons, the sovereign who reigns over them, the law of dragons, and the mother of dragons. The True Gold Dragon, Yulgeum.”

Deus looked at her pensively, a depth in his gaze.

Yulgeum smiled mischievously.

“Now you feel fear? Because you’ve gravely offended a great being?”

“If you’re afraid, beg for mercy. My nature is generous.”

“That’s not so bad.”

“In exchange for your apology, I will have you do a minor task…”

“Not you. The law of dragons and their mother… that sounds plausible. I should make up a title like that for myself.”

“Excuse me?”

“Companion candidate for the Hero? That’s what I’ve been missing. The Watcher of World’s Darkness. How about that, Alex?”

“A wonderful expression.”

“There are no hard feelings from me?”

When Yulgeum asked, Deus firmly shook his head.

“None at all. You’re the one who didn’t reveal your identity.”

“But I just did.”

“And an apology for the deception?”

“Had you honestly upfront said ‘I am the True Gold Dragon, and I have a task for you,’ there would have been no offense. I’m not one to cause trouble. I merely wish to be The Watcher of World’s Darkness, a mere companion to the Hero.”

“At first, you were aspiring to be a Hero.”

“Which side are you on?”

Deus glared at Alex and then continued,

“After tricking people to no end, now suddenly comes ‘Ta-da, I’m the True Gold Dragon! Awe-inspiring, right? Worship me’, thinking I would cry out in reverence. Use your head. Consider who should apologize to whom.”

“That might be true…”

Yulgeum conceded, folding her arms and tilting her head in the persuasive argument Deus laid out.

“So, as a glorious entity, is it fine to crash into anyone in this world? That would explain why every hundred years demon kings rise to the surface and massacre humankind. Perhaps, as a mighty True Gold Dragon, you should take your anger out in the demon world instead.”

Alex applauded.

“A speech beyond contention. Power alone doesn’t justify demanding worship.”

Yulgeum cocked her head, puzzled.

“Something is off. Why do I feel like I’m the one in the wrong?”

“You are wrong. So, will you send me back from this realm, Huang Okgyeong? You’ve already wasted too much of my time.”

“Just a moment. At least since you’re here, shouldn’t I ask you to hear me out?”

“Apologize first.”

No matter how he contemplated, it was unjust.

Why should he, the True Gold Dragon, apologize to some young demon king whose head wasn’t even fully bathed in blood?

“If you don’t want to, fine. Receiving an apology doesn’t make me any richer.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? ‘Here, eat my apology.’ Is that how you say it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Alright, I’ll let it slip because the social standing of the True Gold Dragon matters. Let us move on.”

Deus held back from turning away.

“Though it feels unfair, I’ll let it pass. I am generous after all.”

Thanks to mutual concessions on a grand scale, progress had been made.

Being an agreement between a demon king and a dragon god, it was an event worthy of being recorded in the annals of dimensional history—but since no one wished for that, the discussion within Huang Okgyeong went unheard beyond its walls.

“Put simply, please hunt a dragon within Nokokgyeong (綠玉景) for me.”

Yulgeum asked bluntly, disregarding any diplomatic pretense.

“Aren’t you a True Gold Dragon?”

“I am.”

“The god of dragons, and their mother, the ruler?”

“Correct.”

“And you’re asking me to hunt a dragon?”

Alex joined the conversation.

“Sounds like you’re a hardliner.”

“Hardliner?”

“Yes, master. Among dragons, there are those who reject neutrality. The dragon we fought today might belong to such hardliners. Otherwise, it may have suffered irreversible harm from humans. A lover lost, a close friend dead, or a child raised with affection might have been hunted…”

“Perhaps it was just out of boredom.”

“Then it’s a hardliner for sure.”

“Do they divide like that?” Yulgeum remarked.

“It was a hardliner.”

“Aren’t dragons supposed to live under the protection of the dragon god?”

“If they decide to leave, there’s not much I can do. They are excommunicated from the dragon race. It’s up to the human heroes to deal with them.”

Deus momentarily winced at the mention of leaving home but continued as if unfazed.

“Why me, though? Humans can take care of it.”

“Hmm, how shall I put this?”

Yulgeum pondered briefly before speaking.

“You are the ruler of a tribe too. If a subject who doesn’t listen well goes out and gets killed by humans, what would you say?”

“The foolish child got what was coming.”

“Sorry, bad example.”

Yulgeum glanced at Alex standing behind Deus with a look that seemed to say, ‘Who put this guy in charge of being a demon king?’

“I get the picture. So, you’re saying although you call it hunting, you’re asking me to correct their behavior and send them home?”

“Close enough.”

“What’s in it for me if I go?”

“That’s the tricky part… not sure what I can offer.”

“Plain gold will do.”

“I don’t eat that stuff.”

“Do you eat gold?”

“Strictly speaking, gold color. Out of those, the gold from gold is the tastiest. Dragons fancy the various colors found in the human world.”

“Eating gold, huh? That’s quite cool too. The Eater of Abyssal Darkness within the World’s Shadows.”

Deus turned his head to look at Alex.

Alex appeared genuinely moved and nodded deeply.

“Brilliant.”

“Take note of it. I’ll forget otherwise.”

“Yes, master.”

“So, any gold will do for you?”

“Not always; we don’t eat the gold of gold all the time. Otherwise, we’d deplete all the gold in the world.”

“You must like gold-colored gems like yellow jade and amber as well.”

“Of course. This is Huang Okgyeong, after all.”

“I’ve been curious, and I’m asking this with no offense meant, but if you like gold color that much, then…”

“What’s with the hesitation? Just ask.”

“Do you eat… poop, too?”

“Go eat it yourself.”

Yulgeum flipped him off, then continued, “Instead, I can make you a weapon or armor.”

“Using your own scales?”

“The horn of a demon king is also a prime material for making spears, right?”

“I don’t have horns, though.”

“Of course, you don’t. Hah.”

Yulgeum burst into laughter, looking at Deus’s lower half.

“I said I’m not!”

“Just simple iron is what I’ll use, then. But the weapons I forge with my power will be among the best on the continent.”

“Can you mass-produce with slightly less quality?”

“Mass production? Are you suggesting to increase quantity at the cost of quality? That’s fine, but…”

“It’s okay if you don’t make them yourself. Just arrange for some skilled workers to do it.”

“Do you intend to trade in weapons?”

“Forging weapons while devouring the Abyssal Darkness of the World’s Shadows. Sounds like an excellent opportunity to me. After all, they’ll be backed by the quality assurance of the True Gold Dragon.”

“Are you truly not considering being a demon king?”

“Yeah, I’ve decided against it. So don’t waste your efforts.”

With these words, Deus pulled out a scroll from his robe.

He spread the paper in the air, placing a pen made from the feather of a black swan on it.

“A deal with the devil. Not something to be lightly considered since your very soul is at stake.”

The pen began to write on its own, the handwriting elegant and refined.

Contracts with devils were infamous for various reasons.

“One thousand gold for sorting out a dragon. No bargaining. You must deliver armory worth one thousand gold in retail value.”

“Retail price of one thousand gold?”

“Regardless of who sells, that’s the price it must fetch. Just so you know, a minimum of one hundred items is required. Too expensive makes it noticeable and messes with my plans of dwelling within the World’s Shadows.”

His terms were noted on the paper as he spoke.

“Fine. But you must take care of it cleanly, just as I’ve explained. If you’re told to kill, kill. If you’re supposed to break, it stops there. An inch off and there’s no payment.”

“That’s trouble. What if you start nitpicking over three centimeters instead of exactly 3.01 centimeters? It would only result in gratuitous service.”

“Draw the line clearly. If instructed to kill, you must take them down. If not to kill, then avoid the deed. Other specifications can be attached as a rider to the accord.”

“Okay.”

Yulgeum and Deus completed their contract.

“Then I’ll trust you with the first hunt. A green dragon from Nokokgyeong, Beiksuwi.”

“To kill?”

“No. Just give it a taste of how frightening the outside world can be.”

“Can I delegate the job?”

“Sure.”

“Get it done within a month.”

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