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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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Samson began to show a rather serious expression.
He then lowered his voice slightly and cautiously started to talk to me and this woman named Samuel.
“Listen carefully, both of you. I’ve received some information from a pretty reliable source… It seems that there will soon be a selection for the best warriors in our Demon Kingdom, hosted by the Demon King.”
“A selection for the best warriors?”
“What’s that?”
Samuel tilted her head slightly, just like I did. Samson then looked momentarily stunned before speaking to us with a hint of confusion.
“Wait… you really don’t know? I can understand the Hero not knowing, but you too, Samuel?”
“I don’t know; I’ve never heard of it. What exactly is it?”
“Hmm…”
Samson sighed softly, showing a bit of frustration at Samuel’s reaction. He then continued in a calm voice.
“Well… if you don’t know, there’s not much I can do. To explain briefly, ‘Narsil’ refers to the best warriors in our Demon Kingdom. To determine this, we demons have held a competition every five years to test the strength of our warriors.”
“A competition… Is it similar to the duels that humans hold in arenas?”
“It’s somewhat similar, but it’s different in nature. This Narsil selection is not just for entertainment like human gladiatorial games; it aims to select capable individuals from all backgrounds within the Demon Kingdom.”
In other words, the Narsil selection could be likened to a military examination during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty.
While there would inevitably be battles among skilled warriors, it was not entirely devoid of entertainment value. However, it served as a significant motivation since it could determine one’s fame, wealth, and official position based on performance.
After answering my question, Samson took a gulp from his drink and continued speaking.
“Although the competition has been paused due to the war with the Allied Races until now, I’ve heard that since the war is over, they plan to hold it soon. Especially given the long hiatus, this time it’s likely to be larger than ever before.”
Samson spoke with considerable excitement. However, contrary to what I expected, I didn’t find this news particularly appealing and showed a somewhat indifferent attitude.
“Well, it sounds interesting enough… but for me, it’ll just be something to watch. After all, as a human, I can’t participate.”
“Same here; even though I’ve only been a commander for three years now, there’s no way someone like me would be allowed to participate in selecting new recruits.”
While simply being an audience wouldn’t be bad news in itself, that was all there was to it.
I didn’t understand why Samson was taking this so seriously.
However, right after that…
As if anticipating our reactions, Samson smiled naturally and shook his head slowly.
“That’s not true. For someone like me who has already been selected as Narsil before, participation is indeed prohibited. But for anyone else—regardless of their race or position—if they are merely a citizen of the Demon Kingdom, they can participate.”
“Is that really true?”
“If that’s the case, then things change quite a bit.”
Samson’s statement implied that anyone without prior victories could join the Narsil selection. This piqued my interest significantly.
The Narsil selection tournament offered great wealth, fame, and power.
However, what I truly desired from this event wasn’t those grand things.
‘…Perhaps if I win this tournament, people’s perception of me might change significantly.’
Unlike someone as carefree as Samson, the prejudice against me due to my humanity still caused many demons around me to regard me unfavorably.
Even today at this place, there were quite a few who looked at me with disdainful expressions.
Ultimately, even though I had formed a relationship with the Demon King due to my situation as a human, she couldn’t meet me comfortably because of how others viewed us.
‘If I become a Narsil… maybe that would ease the demons’ reactions toward me. Even if their prejudice doesn’t disappear completely, it might soften a bit.’
Given that demons highly value strength, there was a good chance this would have a significant effect.
While my achievements during the recent war were indeed remarkable and had garnered some positive attitudes from certain demons,
most still found it hard to accept.
Unless they fought alongside me on the battlefield,
to those who only heard about my exploits as mere rumors,
I might seem like an unexpected newcomer who dropped in out of nowhere.
In that sense, I saw this upcoming Narsil selection as a crucial opportunity to improve my negative image among most demons.
“I want to participate too. Even though I look like this, I’m also a warrior who values strength. I can’t miss an opportunity to prove myself as a fighter.”
“Haha, I knew you would say that! I’m looking forward to seeing your performance.”
“I want to join as well. I may be a commander, but during the last war, I was just guarding the rear and had boring fights. I want to fight strong opponents again.”
Samuel, with a face shaped like a ‘●w●’, expressed her desire to participate while munching on some meat.
Although her face looked comical, she radiated a subtle aura of combativeness at that moment.
It was clear that she had confidence in her own abilities.
Seeing this, I recognized that regardless of her silly appearance, she was indeed a formidable warrior worthy of being a commander.
‘In terms of combat power, she might be at least as strong as Elisia… well, I’ll have to see how it goes in an actual fight.’
Even so, I didn’t think I would lose; however, I also knew not to underestimate her.
With that thought in mind, I took another gulp from my drink in front of me.
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After parting ways with Elias, Elisia was walking alone in the backyard of the Demon King’s castle.
Now separated from Rebecca and Amelda,
she wore a serious expression as she contemplated her next steps.
‘There’s no doubt that Mama has a close relationship with the Hero… So what choice do I have to make here?’
Elias, who had loved her more than anyone else in this world.
Elisia lost her father at a young age, but Elias’s devoted love allowed her to grow up feeling cherished.
In that sense, Elisia had always genuinely loved and respected her mother as a daughter, and that feeling remained true at this moment.
However…
Regardless of their mother-daughter affection, Elisia had no intention of giving up on her feelings for the Hero just because he was her mother’s interest.
Her genuine affection for the first man she felt attracted to.
There was no way she could choose to give up that sweet and thrilling feeling.
‘I won’t let go. No matter how much Mama is involved, do you think I’ll just give up on the him? I won’t let anyone take away those sweet and tender moments. I will definitely… definitely win the Hero’s heart.’
With a determination she had never felt before towards Elias,
Elisia began to ignite a passion she hadn’t even considered having until now.
Yet,
despite her resolve, Elisia knew very well that this task would not be easy at all.
Given the circumstances, it seemed clear that Elias and the Hero had already crossed certain lines.
While they might not have gone all the way physically, signs like marks on their necks or lingering scents indicated they were clearly engaging in intimate contact.
Elias was already far ahead from the starting point compared to Elisia.
Moreover, the more serious issue was that when viewed objectively, Elisia was lagging behind Elias in many respects.
Though their positions as elite guards and commanders were seen as equal publicly,
the fact remained that being a commander carried more weight because it involved leading a massive army.
Additionally, not only did Elias hold a higher position due to her authority,
but she also possessed superior personal strength and feminine allure compared to Elisia’s youthful appearance; Elias had a mature beauty that stood out more.
‘At least our breast sizes aren’t too different, but still… facing Mama’s overwhelming charm makes it hard for me not to feel overshadowed… Damn it… What should I do? How can I beat Mama?’
As she began to feel increasingly hopeless about starting this competition against so many disadvantages,
a glimmer of inspiration sparked in her mind.
‘Right… Didn’t they say there would be a Narsil selection soon? If I use that well…’
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