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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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Before her eyes, numerous demons filled the street, their sinister gazes fixed on her.
As the leader of the Elf Kingdom’s diplomatic mission, Octavia suppressed her growing unease and maintained silence.
“They all seem to be wary or hateful towards us. It’s been like this since we arrived, but it feels even more intense here.”
This was Jerusalem, the capital and heart of the Demon Kingdom.
To enter, Octavia and her party had to surrender all their weapons.
Despite this, the demons continued to surveil and radiate hostility towards them.
Their gazes held a sense of immediate threat, as if they would attack at the slightest provocation.
As Octavia observed the demons’ behavior, she realized that the situation was more challenging than expected.
However, she was determined to succeed, knowing that failure would spell disaster for the Elf Kingdom.
The irony was not lost on her; they were seeking help from the very demons who had longed for their downfall.
“But… we must succeed. If we fail here, the Elven Kingdom will be utterly destroyed. We must protect the Cana Forest and the World Tree Yupiter, and avenge ourselves, no matter the humiliation.”
It was ironic that their last hope lay with demons who had once sought their destruction. However, Octavia and the other elves had no choice but to accept this reality.
As she pondered these thoughts, the gates of the Demon King’s castle came into view. Octavia stepped down from the carriage, and a voice addressed her.
“Is that Octavia?”
Octavia turned, slightly wary, towards the speaker.
She was surprised to see a demon unlike any she had encountered before.
The demon had porcelain-like skin, a small horn on her forehead, ruby-red eyes, and hair that shone like platinum.
Despite being a demon, she exuded a noble and pure aura, more so than any elf Octavia had met.
“This person… is a demon? If not for the horn, she looks like an angel.”
Octavia quickly composed herself and responded calmly.
“Yes, that’s correct. I am Octavia, representing the Elven Kingdom.”
“Ah, nice to meet you. My name is Elisa. I am part of the Demon King’s personal guard, and I was instructed to greet you.”
Despite the tense atmosphere, Elisa spoke with politeness. Octavia felt a mix of relief and gratitude that she was not being rebuffed outright.
“Thank you for the warm welcome, Elisa. I appreciate it, even if it’s just for a short time.”
“Well, we’ll see if it’s short or long,” Elisa replied with a neutral expression, her words laced with a subtle edge.
Octavia followed Elisa, aware that the demon did not view her favorably. As they moved, Octavia felt a pang of sadness, as if she had been unexpectedly struck.
They arrived at a grand hall deep within the castle, known as the “Daito.”
The room was flanked by dozens of demons, all watching Octavia’s party. At the end of the hall, on a lavish throne, sat the Demon King, clad in purple armor. Her golden eyes gleamed with an intimidating aura.
“This person… is the Demon King, the absolute ruler of the demons and a symbol of fear. The sense of oppression is indeed extraordinary.”
As Octavia approached, she felt as if a knife was hovering over her neck, her fist clenched in anxiety.
“We have arrived,”
“….”
Elisa announced, bowing slightly.
The Demon King merely lifted her hand in a silent gesture of acknowledgment.
Watching this scene, Octavia felt a strange sense of pity, as if she were seeing an angel bowing its head to the devil. She then bowed to the king before her.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I am Octavia, the envoy of the Elven Kingdom. It’s truly… gasp!!!!”
At that moment,
She felt an immense, unbearable pain, as if her heart was being squeezed raw. Octavia’s mouth let out a desperate scream.
‘Am… I… going to die? Like this?…’
In the midst of this horrific pain, Octavia felt an overwhelming fear of death.
As the pain grew to an unbearable level,
Octavia began to feel it suddenly disappear.
“Huuuuh… gasp… gasp… gasp…”
Feeling as if she had narrowly escaped death, Octavia struggled to breathe.
And,
As she looked at Octavia, the monarch of the demon kingdom, who was sitting before her, spoke in a deep, malevolent voice.
“Who told you to speak? I will ask the questions. All you can do is answer them. Remember that, Elf.”
“N… yes! I… I understand, Your Majesty.”
Octavia hastily replied to the king’s intimidating words, which exuded both charisma and fear.
In a normal situation, the king’s behavior would be considered a diplomatic faux pas, even towards an enemy.
However, given their desperate circumstances and the fact that their opponent was not human, elf, or beast but the ruler of the demon kingdom, expecting conventional diplomatic etiquette would be foolish.
Thus, Octavia found herself in a precarious position, unable to rely on customary protections. She could only wait anxiously for the king’s questions.
“Tell me, why have your kind set foot on this land again?”
The Demon King asked with clear hostility, essentially demanding to know the purpose of their visit.
Octavia presented the letter and the vial containing the black flame with utmost respect and said:
“We have come at the behest of the Pope to deliver this to Your Majesty.”
“…”
The Demon King nodded slightly at her actions. Elisa, who was watching, took the items from Octavia’s hand and began to read the letter aloud.
Excluding the brief introduction, the content was not extensive. It simply asked for the identity of the black flame burning the Elven Kingdom’s forest and how to stop it, promising that the Elven Kingdom would comply with the demon kingdom’s demands in return.
“That’s all, Your Majesty.”
“…”
“…”
After Elisa finished reading the letter, a heavy silence filled the hall. Octavia, gripped by intense tension, watched the king, holding her breath as she waited for his decision.
And, after a moment…
“Well done…”
“…”
The Demon King spoke quietly, but Octavia instinctively realized that her words contained no positive emotions.
“You are truly impressive… The audacity of you elves is simply admirable.”
“!!!”
As the Demon King spoke, she began to emanate a dark, malevolent aura. Octavia shivered involuntarily, feeling as if she had been left naked in the freezing cold.
And,
Turning to her, the Demon King continued in a chilling tone.
“So, let’s see you struggle with that brazen mouth of yours. Perhaps I might consider sparing your lives.”
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She pissed off because those pointed-ears stole the precious time with her lover