Bribed by the Demon Lord Right Before the Ending – Chapter 4

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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I finished a simple breakfast in the dining hall and, as the maid suggested, headed for the Hanging Gardens in the back courtyard of the Demon Lord’s castle.

At first, I’d imagined a garden actually suspended in the air, but it turned out to be called “Hanging Gardens” because it was situated on a high cliff.

“Whoa.”

As soon as I stepped into the garden, the first things that caught my eye were the meticulously manicured trees and flowerbeds bursting with colorful blooms.

Back when I was making a name for myself as a genius mage in the kingdom, I’d often seen such gardens at parties I was invited to. This one was just as beautiful, even compared to those of noble families.

It spoke volumes about the skill of the gardener who maintained it.

The maid, who had been following me silently like a shadow, keeping a slight distance, offered a brief explanation of the Hanging Gardens.

“This garden was created for Charlotte, the consort of the second Demon Lord, Tiberius, as a place of rest and relaxation. The blue rose was the symbol of Tiberius’s family, and legend has it that Charlotte filled the flowerbeds of this garden with blue roses as an expression of her love for her husband.”

Intrigued by the story, I stopped walking and crouched down in front of a flowerbed, plucking a blue rose.

Perhaps due to the rain the previous night, the petals, holding a delicate sheen of moisture, glimmered faintly.

This is incredible.

Blue roses didn’t exist naturally. Rose petals lacked delphinidin, the pigment that produced blue hues.

However, the rose in my hand was a vivid blue, meaning it was an artificially created variety.

To successfully achieve such a feat of genetic manipulation, akin to modern science, 800 years ago, without any scientific knowledge… what kind of person was the queen?

The dedication and obsession required to create this flower, so unlike the image of a demure wife painted by the maid’s story, and the sheer amount of trial and error she must have endured, filled me with a strange sense of delight.

However, the maid seemed to misinterpret my grin as I held the blue rose.

“You seem to like that flower.”

I simply nodded in agreement.

“Yes. It’s quite beautiful.”

“Then I’ll pick a few and decorate your room with them.”

While I had been smiling for a different reason, there was no need to correct her misunderstanding. I gave her my consent.

Although the rose inspection had taken some time, after another thirty minutes of walking, I had thoroughly explored the entire Hanging Gardens.

As I returned to the entrance, the maid, who had been silently trailing behind, asked in a quiet voice,

“What would you like to do now?”

I rubbed my chin, pondering her question.

It felt a bit anticlimactic to return to my room just yet.

The Demon Lord would likely summon me after he finished his work, so I probably had another hour or two to spare.

“Please take me to the training grounds, as originally planned.”

“…Follow me, then.”

With a slight bow, she turned and started walking towards the training grounds within the castle.

I followed her, thinking,

I wonder if the soldiers here are strong.

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The training grounds, a fifteen-minute walk from the Hanging Gardens, were much as I’d expected.

A vast, grassy field dotted with straw dummies at regular intervals, soldiers striking them with wooden swords and spears.

And in a corner of the training grounds, a group of black knights, who appeared to be Death Knights, were sparring.

I observed them from a distance and muttered indifferently,

“Nothing special, it seems.”

People were the same everywhere, it seemed.

The maid, standing behind me like a shadow, flinched at my words but didn’t offer a rebuttal.

Despite my comment, which could be considered an insult to demon pride, she remained composed. She must have received excellent etiquette training.

Anyway, watching the demon soldiers strike the dummies at the instructor’s command wasn’t particularly entertaining.

I had participated in several battles against demons, and I had spent too long in the field to be impressed by such a basic display.

The Death Knights’ sparring, however, was surprisingly engaging.

Death Knights were created when knights died with strong resentment or lingering attachments.

They resembled emaciated skeletons or mummies, but their imposing figures, clad in heavy armor, wielding massive Zweihanders, and their tattered cloaks billowing as they stalked the battlefield, were undeniably intimidating.

Possessing an undead body that couldn’t be killed unless struck by a cleric’s Turn Undead or an attack infused with dense mana, they were among the most feared of the undead by frontline soldiers.

And here, two of these monstrous figures were engaged in a brutal brawl under the guise of sparring.

“Graaah!”

“Uwaaaaagh!”

The two Death Knights, their skeletal frames starkly contrasting with their heavy armor, roared as they swung their swords.

A savage, no-holds-barred brawl, with blows that would never be permitted in a sparring match between humans, was unfolding before me.

Since their wounds regenerated quickly, they showed no hesitation in hacking at each other’s limbs.

There was a strange catharsis to it.

Death Knights were generally known to act purely on instinct, but they retained the swordsmanship they had learned in life.

Ironically, in a fight between immortal beings with inexhaustible stamina, it was ultimately their skill with the blade that determined the victor.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The Zweihanders clashed repeatedly in the air, until one finally cracked, snapping in half and flying through the air.

Seizing the momentary opening, the other Death Knight swiftly decapitated its opponent.

Thud!

The body of the Death Knight with the broken sword collapsed, and the victor, as if to finish the job, raised its two-handed sword high above its head.

“Stop!”

A sudden voice halted its action.

“Number 5, return to your position!”

The Death Knight, which had been moments away from delivering a killing blow, obediently sheathed its sword and returned to its place.

“Tsk. Savages.”

A headless knight stepped forward, clicking its tongue disapprovingly at the Death Knights.

A Dullahan, a higher form of Death Knight, classified as a high-ranking demon by the Church of Courage, and belonging to the elven race.

The Dullahan, its helmeted head tucked under its arm, glanced down at the headless body of the Death Knight, then kicked it over.

“…”

Despite the lack of reason that came with undeath, the clean cut of the decapitation was a testament to the Death Knight’s skill with a blade in life.

After confirming this, the Dullahan picked up the severed head and reattached it to the body.

Click! Click!

The Death Knight, which had been motionless until then, stood up as if nothing had happened and saluted the Dullahan.

The Dullahan gestured dismissively, and the Death Knight rejoined its comrades without a backward glance.

With the sparring concluded, I assumed the day’s training for the Death Knights was over.

However, it seemed there was still a main event.

A well-groomed demon emerged from among the Death Knights lined up in formation on the training grounds.

His most striking features were his short, dark purple hair and beastly yellow eyes.

While he closely resembled a human, his deathly pale skin and the two black horns protruding from his hair marked him as a demon of noble blood.

“Vanessa, I look forward to another excellent training session today.”

“Leave it to me, Ozma.”

I was sitting in the stands, observing the two, when…

“Hey, you there.”

The demon called Ozma suddenly looked in my direction and raised his voice.

I hadn’t expected him to be addressing me, so I just sat there blankly. The dark-haired demon frowned and called out again, his voice even louder.

“You there, in the stands, with the green cloak! You!”

This time, his description was precise enough for me to realize he was talking to me.

As I awkwardly rose to my feet, the demon beckoned me with his hand.

“Come here. I have something to say to you.”

“…”

Unsure if this was appropriate, I glanced at the maid behind me.

She hesitated slightly, then nodded.

Was he that high-ranking?

Although reluctant, it seemed I had no choice but to comply.

I pulled my hood lower over my face and approached the dark-haired demon. He eyed me suspiciously.

“I’ve never seen you before in the castle. Whose permission did you get to snoop around the training grounds?”

The maid behind me hurriedly spoke up.

“Ozma-sama, with all due respect, this gentleman is an important guest invited by the Demon Lord…”

“Forget that. Show me your face.”

“Pardon?”

“I’m curious to see what magnificent visage you’re hiding under that hood. Take it off.”

“I…”

I stopped the maid with a gesture before she could offer any further explanation. Making excuses in this situation would only backfire.

I pulled off my hood without hesitation.

“Oh—”

The Dullahan standing next to the dark-haired demon flinched as my face was revealed.

The demon himself also seemed quite surprised.

“A human, here…? No, wait…”

He muttered to himself, then, as if a realization dawned on him, he grinned.

“Archmage Kaldrash. I heard rumors that you betrayed the Hero’s party and joined our Demon army after being persuaded by my father. So it was true.”

I mentally praised my decision to remove my hat without protest.

I had a feeling he was someone important, but I hadn’t realized he was Demon Lord Nero’s son.

I had almost made a bad impression on my boss’s son on my first day.

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Ozma, who seemed to have developed a different kind of interest in me, spoke.

“Although I rarely leave the Demon Lord’s castle, I’ve heard many stories of your overwhelming prowess against our people from those who participated in the Human-Demon War five years ago. If you don’t mind, would you grant me the opportunity to witness your skills firsthand?”

Unlike humans, who worshipped the Goddess of Courage, demons, who had worshipped the Goddess of Power since time immemorial, respected strength.

The reason the Demon Lord held such authority among the demons, who were essentially a tribal confederation, was because he was chosen by the Goddess herself.

It was similar to the Demonic Heavenly Sect in martial arts novels.

In any case, I couldn’t refuse a request from my boss’s son. And since I was in the mood for some exercise, our interests aligned. I readily accepted his offer.

“Very well. I accept your challenge.”

Ozma, whose initial coldness had melted away, spoke in a surprisingly amicable tone.

“What weapon do you use? If you have a preference, tell Vanessa here. She’ll prepare anything you need.”

Ozma casually introduced the Dullahan standing beside him, but I declined his offer with a wry smile.

“I appreciate your consideration, Ozma-sama, but I’ll use this.”

I gestured to the long wooden staff I had been carrying all along.

Ah, my staff!

An excellent tool for conversation.

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