The open meeting yesterday ended satisfactorily. The chairman of the council of nobles finally agreed to revoke the ban on going to the underworld after the arrival of a reply letter from the Adventurer's Guild, which was agreed not only by the Guild side, but also by the adventurers who caught a whiff of the scent of a golden opportunity that only comes once in it.
Because of that now, a group of adventurer squads are crowding the entrance to the demon forest near the southern border of Artar city. Adventurers from all Guilds in the kingdom, gathering in one same place with the same goal as well, namely taking the opportunity to legally set foot on the land of an untouched world.
Some think about monopolizing it, some feel fear of the story of the demise of seven light heroes at the hands of the ruler of the underworld, and others don't care as long as they can get results to survive. Humans indeed have diverse thoughts.
"Hey, is it true that we are allowed to hunt in the underworld?" asked a squad member who had just arrived with his hunting equipment.
"Correct. And what I heard, the underworld is the paradise of rare materials and demon beasts, which have a higher selling value compared to the upper world." Answered another adventurer squad member.
"Income will increase and the family can eat meat not only during feasts, but also on ordinary days."
"I don't know what agreement the King made, but this really brings benefits to us small folk."
"With the permission to enter the underworld, I can find demon plants for my wife's medicine."
A pair of eyes observed while listening to those who were happy to be affected by the agreement with the Demon King. Materials, rare herbal plants, and demon beasts that are limited in the upper world they will get easily in the underworld. "So, this is what it feels like to feel happiness on top of other people's happiness?" He muttered, a man heir to the Marquees Forger family, and captain of the Luminaria fire force.
"Captain! Where are you going!" A woman's voice shrilled in the ear. "So here you are!"
That man, Herly Forger, sighed softly finding his deputy had found him. "Ha-hi." Stupid! Why even greet!
"Huh?" The woman's face was confused.
Herly winced softly. "No." He evaded. "Have you checked all those adventurers? Don't let there be problems until leaving a bad impression for the destruction of the world that has invited us."
"It's not good for you to say that to a person who has been kind enough to open his house to others."
"Ah... you're just like the archbishop." Herly folded both his hands behind his head while walking approaching the crowd of adventurers, followed by his deputy from behind.
"Hey, hey. Isn't he the captain of the fire force who was able to defeat phoenix fire magic?" Exclaimed an adventurer as Herly passed in front of him.
"Wow... how great..."
"Ehm, khm." Herly cleared his voice. "Why don't you go in quickly? Do you want to go in together like an annoying swarm of insects? Tsk." This is the captain of the fire force, who is not much different from his younger sibling. He always makes his deputy slap his forehead with his actions.
They looked at each other, asking using their hearts 'is it really allowed to enter?'. This is the underworld, a world where demons and monsters live. Is it okay? Why does it feel like children who are about to enter an exhibition? This is too fast to be reality.
"Huraaa!!"
A cheer was heard along with the stomping of many footsteps, scattering those who were silent because they still couldn't believe this reality. In droves people now passed through the magic veil, dragging those who were silent to follow into the underworld. Jostling before many of those steps stopped simultaneously seeing something that could not be in front of their eyes.
"Paradise... This is paradise! Hunting while seeing this beauty is too luxurious for a low-class adventurer like me."
"You.... are right." His squad mate gaped because he was equally disbelieving.
"Impossible...!"
"I feel the shadow of the horror of the demon world in my mind being destroyed by an iron hammer until it feels so painful."
"If offered... I would choose to live here compared to the dilapidated outskirts of the city."
"Hey! Don't talk! Did you forget the demon race are creatures who don't know empathy and compassion? The sky god even cursed and once destroyed them in the past."
"What do you know? You live in a lively and luxurious city center, unlike me!"
"However, the demon race remains vile. They cruelly carried out massacres and torture without discrimination."
"Correct. We can enter the underworld thanks to His Majesty the King. It is impossible for the Demon King to easily give permission, if His Majesty did not give a very tempting offer."
"Why do you think so?"
"Why not? Huh! Stupid!"
Leave their commotion, let's switch to the Demon King's palace that stands not far from the crowd earlier. Leviathan as usual, reading a book at a table full of books. Meanwhile Lucifer, that demon, was busy cleaning the palace and Belphegor slept on the palace roof to avoid the noise that would come.
While cleaning the bookshelf, Lucifer occasionally stole a glance at Leviathan. Occasionally he also smiled and was amazed himself at Leviathan's shining appearance. If there was an ordinary Demon King, he would not busy himself reading books, but would bathe in blood on top of a pile of corpses of the creatures he killed.
"Does Master really not want to invade the upper world? Even when you give a golden opportunity like this they still belittle you." Said Lucifer who was now standing before Leviathan to hand over a new book.
Leviathan closed his book, sat upright and looked toward Lucifer. "A woman who claims to be the mother of a demon like me, asked me to see the beauty of the world that she said was not worthy of being destroyed." He informed.
"Woman? Mother?" Lucifer's face was between shocked and confused.
"Yes. That woman also told me that you would reincarnate. Do you know her? If I describe her, she might be the light itself."
"Where?!" Lucifer approached hastily, "Where did you see her? What was her condition? Do you know where she is right now?!" he asked with his body leaning on hands slammed on the table and chest rising and falling.
"Calm down Lucifer..." Leviathan was surprised by Lucifer's unusual reaction.
Lucifer startled, realizing his spontaneous action upon hearing the characteristics of a figure the same as someone in his memory. "Forgive me, Master." He stepped back, standing before Leviathan calmly.
"Do you know her?" Leviathan looked suspiciously at Lucifer.
Lucifer's gaze looked down, with both hands clenched but still pulling his lips to smile. "No. I think I was mistaken."
Leviathan was silent for a moment before deciding to trust Lucifer. "Have you got the information I asked for?"
"Already, Master. That place is an illegal auction run by a noble from the upper world." Lucifer gave the reconnaissance report file to Leviathan.
Leviathan took it, reading several pages carefully before placing it on the table. "What are they auctioning?" he asked, because he suspected something and wanted to confirm it.
"Creatures from a rare race, that is what I know."
"Elf? Human? Dragon? Mermaid? Dwarf? Which one type of rare race?" Leviathan seemed to be thinking.
"Demon." Lucifer interjected with a serious face that implied anger. "After the end of the war between the light and darkness factions, the demon race experienced a population decline. Our war with the seven lights a hundred years ago also brought demons to reach the peak of high extinction numbers. Because of that, there are no more rare races besides demons." He continued.
"Seeing the princess case, does that mean demons can be born from human couples?"
"Correct, Master. A child from a human couple can become a demon through three factors. The first, the case is similar to the Princess. The second, his ancestor has demon blood. And the third, he is a vessel for black mana that gathers in the air. It is very rare for a demon to have pure blood like you and the great demons, except me."
Leviathan stood up, walked toward the large window and looked out. "I will go to the auction. The residence I built needs occupants." He looked at the rows of houses he had built.
"I will prepare your needs." Lucifer bowed, took a step backward then left the room.
Leviathan turned from the window, walked slowly carrying the pile of books on the table toward the shelf. Seeing several books after putting down the old book. His gaze stared at the book in his hand, then stared at the corners of the room. Although silent without the presence of anyone other than himself, he could feel the presence of eyes watching in every corner.
In the darkness of the room, only illuminated by the modest candlelight, it was not the presence of a frightening cold aura, but a warmth that had no source. The dark walls of the palace seemed to hold a story, the direction of the hanging lamp showed it had once illuminated a happiness, and the floor he stepped on stored a beautiful recording of the past.
"Actually... who are they? What story does this palace hide?" Leviathan asked in a soft voice.
That step approached, touching slowly the cold palace wall, implying a happiness that had been destroyed. The lamp up there whose light had gone seemed to state 'there is no more story that I can illuminate'. While the floor beneath it, became the last witness that stored an eternal recording without a player.
"Actually... what are you guys?! Who?!" Leviathan felt his head throb with pain again like the first time he was confused with his own feelings. "Damn!" He could no longer maintain his body's balance, and collapsed unconscious on the floor.