Chapter 10 – Escaping the Empire (2)
Squeeze—
When Seoyun pressed the Demon King Plush Doll dressed in black armor, the doll’s eyes glowed red and a creepy voice flowed out.
-Kukuku. Leave work on time. Are you perhaps hoping for overtime pay?
Seoyun quietly looked down at the doll in her hand.
“It’s a little creepy.”
“It’s the number one seller in this souvenir shop.”
Riv picked up another identical doll from beside her.
The souvenir shop inside the Demon King’s Hotel.
On the display shelf were plush dolls and keyrings modeled after the Demon King, and miniature figures of the Four Heavenly Kings lined up.
[NEW! Fallen Princess, Four Heavenly Kings Eileen!]
“Merchandising is fast.”
“The Demon King’s Army is the most coveted workplace in the Demon Realm. The Demon King is popular too.”
A young Demon Race child hugged an Eileen Plush Doll to their chest and flapped their wings, asking their parents to buy it.
“Looking is fun, but buying it with my own money is a bit….”
As Seoyun was about to put down the Demon King Plush Doll, she noticed a notice beside it.
[A portion of the proceeds from official Demon King merchandise sales will be used for the Purgatory City reconstruction project and support for victims of industrial accidents at the old purification plant.]
“Hmm….“
Seoyun hesitated for a moment, then picked up the doll again.
“Please wrap one up.”
“You don’t look like you like it much, but you’re buying it?”
“It’s a gift for Lady Eileen. I’m going to press it whenever she works overtime. She still says the Demon King’s voice is scary.”
Squeeze—
“Kukuku. Leave work on time!”
Riv held back a laugh and nodded.
“You’ll use it very well.”
…
As soon as Seoyun arrived at the hotel room, she checked the schedule.
[Morning: Free / Afternoon: Free / Evening: Meeting with the Demon King]
There was no explanation of the schedule or a next page.
“There’s no schedule.”
“Yes. It’s an Adaptation Program. You’re adapting to this place.”
“Doing nothing is the schedule?”
Seoyun stared at the empty schedule for a while, then took out a Magic Tool resembling a smartphone.
And she began filling in the schedule herself.
[1:10 PM Hotel Restaurant Heaven – Black Beach Lobster]
[2:00 PM Demon Linus Cafe]
[3:00 PM Hotel Massage]
[4:30 PM Buy Swimsuit and Infinity Pool]
[7:00 PM Rest and Prepare for Demon King’s Army Interview]
Riv peeked at the screen from beside her.
“Seoyun, you even plan your rest by the minute?”
“I’m resting efficiently.”
“Uh, whoa….”
It was a voice that could have been admiration or disgust.
Seoyun moved according to plan.
She filled her stomach with warm food, and looked down at the Black Beach from the cafe.
The masseuse loosened her stiff shoulders and wrists, and at the infinity pool she floated on the water doing nothing.
At first, she was simply anxious.
But even though she wasn’t working, no one gave her a dirty look.
‘The Demon King’s popularity….’
As people began to rest, hotels, restaurants, and cafes to welcome them appeared.
Even in her previous life, paid holidays weren’t such old common sense. Only after people gained time to rest did tourism, dining out, and leisure grow into an industry.
‘Resting, in the end, is also something that moves the world.’
While thinking such thoughts, Seoyun floated on the infinity pool.
“Ah…. Amazing. To think a place like this existed in this world too.”
Strangely, the Mana Circuit that had looked blurry yesterday now came to mind clearly.
Ideas began to surface about how to redesign the Magic Portal she had seen in the laboratory to make it smaller.
‘Isn’t this what true motivation is?’
At that moment, the voice of Chloe of the Imperial Knights brushed through her mind.
-Internal motivation within the Imperial Knights!
Seoyun’s face turned pale.
For a moment, it felt as if Torture Magic had been cast again, and her limbs froze.
“Ugh!“
Splash!
Seoyun lost her balance and sank into the water. Riv immediately reached into the pool and pulled her up.
“Seoyun!”
Seoyun grabbed the edge of the pool and coughed violently.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah…. A bad memory came back for a moment. I’m okay.”
The more comfortable her body became, the more clearly one person remaining in the Empire came to mind.
The person who had fed her when she was a Transmigrator, given her a corner of the workshop, and taught her work.
‘Is Hemmer okay?’
Was it okay for only her to be resting here?
Seoyun got out of the water and began organizing, one by one, what she would say to the Demon King in the evening meeting.
…
9 PM. Upper floor of the Demon King’s Hotel.
The business lounge overlooked the Black Beach and the night view of Purgatory City at a glance.
In front of Seoyun were a non-alcoholic cocktail and a contract.
On the screen opposite, the Demon King in black armor was reflected.
And the creepy voice she had heard from the doll flowed out.
“I would have liked to do the interview face-to-face, but. Kukuku. Right now, it’s difficult to leave the Demon King’s Castle for long.”
“That’s because I requested to move up the schedule. Thank you for making time, Demon King.”
“After the last operation, the Empire strengthened its borders, the Imperial Palace, and the Magic Tower all at once. We are also withdrawing a considerable number of internal contacts. Understand that it cannot be helped.”
At the Demon King’s fingertips, several maps of the Empire rose.
The Demon King’s Army’s personnel were scattered along retreat routes and communication networks in various places.
“The Empire has covered up disappearances as unrelated incidents until now. They always smoothed over rumors by saying the missing had gone home or to recuperate. But with the Princess and you, whom the Princess had taken interest in, disappearing one after another, they must be preparing new measures.”
According to the summary of Eileen of the Four Heavenly Kings, who knew the Empire’s interior well,
The Empire also lacked the capacity to gather Heroes and form a Demon Realm expedition.
For the time being, the fight would not be all-out war, but a form of blocking each other’s paths and finding openings.
“Because of me?”
“No, it was bound to turn out this way eventually.”
The Demon King shook his head and laughed.
“Bringing you here was a gain worth enduring this conflict.”
“…”
“So I formally offer you the Fallen. Come to the Demon King’s Army. Kukuku.”
Seoyun wanted to ask one more thing.
‘Lady Eileen said you were also Korean, so why do you talk like that?’
But it didn’t seem like a question to bring up in the first interview.
“Yes….”
“So I’ll accommodate your conditions as much as possible.”
The Demon King unfolded the contract.
“The pay is the base salary and performance bonus written in the contract. You can choose either a single dormitory in the Demon King’s Castle or an external residence, and medical expenses are fully covered. Your affiliation will be the Evolution Department led by Eileen.”
Seoyun alternated between the numbers on the contract and the price list she had recorded in Purgatory City.
“If housing and medical expenses aren’t separate… most of the annual salary would remain. The base salary is considerable too.”
“You calculated prices in a single day.”
The Demon King’s red eyes glowed brightly.
“Numbers on a contract lie less than words.”
“Kukuku. I like it. Kuhahaha! A good talent! How is it, do you like the contract?”
Seoyun hadn’t said okay yet.
She raised her head, looked at the Demon King, and spoke.
“I have one more requirement here.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“There is someone I want to bring.”
“That’s not surprising. It’s a common condition for Fallen.”
When the Demon King moved his finger, Erica’s figure appeared on one side of the screen.
“Let Director Erica listen as well.”
“Since I disappeared, the Empire will surely hold that person responsible.”
“Name?”
“Hemmer. A blacksmith at the Magic Workshop.”
Seoyun steadied her breathing and spoke in an earnest voice.
“She is the first person who took me in when I fell into this world. She’s like family.”
The Demon King tapped the table with his finger, thought for a moment, and said.
“Is this a request for protection to a safe zone? Or a request to make her Fallen into the Demon King’s Army?”
“That’s not for me to decide.”
Seoyun answered the Demon King’s question.
“Please show Hemmer the same conditions I received. Whether she stays in the Empire, goes to a safe zone, or comes to the Demon King’s Army, she must choose for herself.”
Silence flowed for a moment.
Eventually, the Demon King added a line to the blank space on the contract.
[At the request of the contractor Han Seoyun, Hemmer is provided with safe contact and an opportunity for independent choice.]
“Good. I will accept it as a contract condition.”
Seoyun calmly reread the contract, then signed with her finger.
“Thank you. I will sign.”
“Kukuku. Welcome to the Demon King’s Army, and to the Fallen.”
The Demon King spoke in a satisfied voice.
“This operation will be overseen by Director Erica. Once suitable personnel and methods are decided, we will begin immediately.”
…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A giant hammer fell onto the red-hot metal.
The woman holding the hammer was a head taller than the male craftsmen in the workshop.
Sturdy arms and red hair tied up tightly.
It was the name written at the end of the network investigation report Heoseul had submitted.
Hemmer, blacksmith of the 3rd Magic Workshop.
“What business does the Imperial Knights have with me?”
“What is your relationship with Han Seoyun?”
Hemmer answered while turning the red-hot metal with tongs.
“I fed her, gave her a place to sleep, and taught her how to hold tools.”
“Have you had contact with the Demon King’s Army recently?”
“No.”
“Did you know Han Seoyun would be kidnapped by the Demon Race?”
“If I had known, would I have sent her?”
There was no hesitation in the answer.
Neither her breathing nor her gaze wavered.
At least it didn’t seem she had known of Seoyun’s escape plan in advance.
But being innocent and being without risk were different matters.
‘She doesn’t seem to be lying…. But this blacksmith has a high probability of being contacted by the Demon King’s Army.’
Over the past few days,
A servant of the Imperial Palace and several liaisons of the Magic Tower disappeared just before the Imperial Knights’ investigation.
The Demon King’s Army’s agents had already taken deep root within the Empire.
Not suspecting Seoyun, who had been close to the Princess, and Hemmer, who had been closest to Seoyun, was dereliction of duty.
They had to find even one more clue and drive even one more traitor out of the Empire.
“I could have you imprisoned in the Prison as you are.”
Hadowk held out the order.
“But I will give you a chance to prove your innocence.”
Hemmer roughly set down her hammer at Hadowk’s words and asked.
“What crime have I committed that I must prove my innocence?”
“The possibility that you colluded with the Demon King’s Army.”
Hadowk read out the order.
“Hemmer, as of today, you are assigned exclusively to the Imperial Workshop.”
Inside the order was a complex blueprint.
[Portal Space Blocking Device]
Hemmer’s eyes narrowed as she received it.
“My personal projects are backed up. And I’ve never even made something like this. You’re telling me to make a device that blocks the Demon Race’s Portals?”
“It is for the Empire’s security. Nothing is more important.”
Hadowk did not back down an inch.
“If you cannot do it, make it possible. Isn’t that the mindset of an Imperial citizen?”
“If I refuse?”
“You will be judged a turncoat and dealt with.”
A long silence.
Hemmer looked back and forth between the blueprint and the knights lined up inside and outside the workshop.
“How is this different from arrest?”
“I don’t wish to show you that it is different. Obey the order quietly.”
She would work at the Imperial exclusive workshop under surveillance and protection.
That was Hadowk’s own form of goodwill.
He did not ask Hemmer’s opinion, but in matters concerning the Empire’s security, an individual’s thoughts were not important.
“Make it.”
Hadowk said.
“To prove your innocence.”
…
The Demon King’s Castle counseling room, after returning from completing the Purgatory City Adaptation Program.
Riv looked around the room and asked.
“The counseling room has changed a lot. Where are the bed and sofa?”
Riv tilted her head.
The red curtains and soft lighting were the same, but the plush bed and sofa that had once been there were gone.
Instead, there was a round table and three armchairs that let one lean back comfortably.
“They were demolished.”
The woman sitting across the round table answered in a languid voice.
Short in stature, with long black hair down to her waist.
Thin wings and a tail curved into a heart shape at the end.
A neat employee ID swayed over the black office look clinging to her body.
The combination of outfit and title was strangely exquisite.
[Sleep Counselor Kassela]
“Why was it demolished?”
When Seoyun asked innocently, Kassela grinned.
“We received a complaint that the counseling subject’s stamina was draining too much.”
“What did you do in the counseling?”
“Exactly~ What did I even do? So unfair, right?”
When Kassela pretended not to know, Riv’s eyes narrowed.
“Kassela is a Succubus, Seoyun. She’s a race that counsels using dreams.”
Kassela rested her chin on her hand and swayed her small tail.
“That’s right. Originally, our trade was secretly entering others’ homes, obtaining vital energy, and flying away before being caught.”
“Was it obtained, or stolen?”
“In the past, the terminology was a little loose? Of course, now it’s completely forbidden.”
Kassela tapped her employee ID with satisfaction.
“So I quite like the counselor life.”
Seoyun looked at the employee ID and said.
“You’re a counselor and also an agent of the Fallen Department?”
“The Demon King’s Castle is still short on manpower. Inevitably, one person takes on multiple duties. Kyahaha.”
Erica, standing at the door of the counseling room, corrected her.
“Kassela has a formal Sleep Counseling qualification. She merely also serves as a field Fallen agent.”
Erica introduced her team member and added.
“The concurrent post allowance is separate too.”
“That’s why I’m satisfied, Director.”
Erica spread a map of the Imperial Workshop on the round table in the counseling room.
“It has become difficult to directly approach the person Seoyun requested. Disguise inspections within the Imperial Palace have been strengthened, and Portals are detected the moment they open.”
“Then is there no way?”
“The existing method is difficult….”
Erica looked at Kassela.
Kassela’s lips curled up in satisfaction.
“So you’re telling me to infiltrate. My, field work!”
“Kassela, being of her race, is better at infiltration and stealth than even I am. They say security has been strengthened, but if it’s Kassela, it should be possible.”
Kassela giggled happily.
“If you just tell me the location, I’ll fly directly to the Imperial Workshop. I can’t fight, but I’m confident in infiltration and escape?”
“And after that?”
Erica turned her head and looked at Seoyun.
“I will create a small door in Hemmer’s dream. So that she can meet Seoyun. Then Seoyun and Hemmer can meet safely.”
Erica folded the map.
“Let’s prepare with this method. Then Kassela, please handle the counseling. Riv, come out with me.”
“Can’t I stay beside her?”
“The contents of counseling must be protected independently. Riv, help me write the preliminary report.”
The two left the counseling room, and as the door closed, Kassela held out her hand to Seoyun.
“Then, Seoyun?”
“Yes?”
“Shall we start dream counseling as practice for the operation? I heard you have trauma from the Imperial Knights…. Let’s talk about that first.”
When Seoyun nodded, the tip of Kassela’s tail swayed slowly.
Seoyun fell asleep without even knowing it.
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