# Chapter 89
{I don’t want to.
Not much.
But in this situation, we need help.
The Demon King.
Explain the circumstances.
Ask for help.
Where is the Demon King?}
At the elf’s words, the emperor’s frown deepened.
The emperor silently turned his head to Kiriel, who had been staring at the elf’s expression.
Kiriel’s face was stiff, showing that he, too, understood the ancient language.
“The Demon King?
Did I hear that correctly?
Prince Yudia.”
“It seems so.
But it’s strange how he’s mentioning the Demon King so casually.
As if he’s calling for an old friend he’s not on good terms with.”
The two exchanged words before looking at the elf again.
The elf turned his head, taking in the entire room as if fascinated by the surroundings.
{The Demon King is dead.}
{Dead?
A successor?
Who is the next Demon King?}
Ah.
The emperor let out a small sigh and spoke again.
{Let me correct myself.
The demon race has been wiped out.
They lost the war.
Now, except for a few fugitives, there are barely any demons left.}
At the emperor’s words, disbelief spread across the elf’s face.
{What nonsense is that?
There’s no Demon King?
But you’re all still alive?
How?}
The elf’s meaningful words made the emperor’s eyes narrow.
Speaking in human language made communication frustrating.
‘It seems like that language isn’t his native tongue either.’
Well, after 1,500 years, language, time, and even the shape of the continent would have changed.
The elf, Repha.
He was the guardian of an elven city.
A long time ago, when a massive dungeon formed around their city, cutting off all escape routes…
The elven chieftain sacrificed himself to seal the entire city in the deepest place they could reach.
At first, they tried to survive inside.
But gradually, the elves began to lose their sanity.
In the end, they decided to seal their souls and bodies entirely, putting themselves into a deep slumber.
They cast a spell to wake one elf at an irregular cycle.
That elf would be called the "Guardian."
However, when Repha woke up, part of the seal had already been torn.
Through that tear, corrupted energy had seeped in for a long time, and by then, his kin had already fallen.
Their once-white skin had turned black, and their once-blue eyes had become violet.
They had been tainted by demonic energy.
Demonic energy is toxic and eats away at one’s mind.
Even in that state, Repha waited.
Waited for the moment when someone would break the seal and enter.
If someone came in and extended a hand, he had planned to seek help from the Demon King first.
Because the Demon King was the only living being who could control all the demonic energy in the world.
Even the energy that had rooted itself deep within his people’s bodies—if it was the Demon King, he could extract it.
If that wasn’t possible, at the very least, he could help them regain their sanity.
After that, they could settle in the forest where they had lived for a while.
Demonic energy, if left unchecked, could kill or consume the surrounding life.
They needed time to adapt.
Not a single one of you understands Elvish?!Seriously?!
Do you think that makes sense?!
There’s not even one person I can talk to properly?!>
Repha grabbed his head in frustration and shouted.
But to them, it must have looked like he was simply throwing a tantrum.
Feeling stifled, he roughly rubbed his face with his palm.
‘Why did humans even go to war with demons in the first place?’
Weren’t humans and demons on fairly good terms?
Elves, who used noble magic and held strong pride, rarely got along with other races.
But humans and demons frequently interacted.
He even remembered that a village had once formed right in front of the perpetually dark Diana Forest, where humans and demons lived together.
They couldn’t have children due to their different natures.
But even so, they loved each other, and many wore purification stones around their necks to live together.
That’s how deep their connection was.
Humans and demons.
‘There was even that one hybrid, wasn’t there?’
A child could never be born between a human and a demon.
No matter which side carried the child, they would have to put their life on the line.
A human who carried demonic energy could not survive.
So when an impossible child was born, the world was in an uproar.
But those two—one human and one demon—had been special.
The human had received the blessing of the gods and overflowed with divine power.
The demon had been the Demon King, someone who could control demonic energy to its very limits.
Somehow, the balance between them had allowed the child to exist.
Of course, balance is always meant to break.
Usually, the human’s balance would collapse first, since humans lived much shorter lives than demons.
Back then, the human woman carrying the child hadn’t lived very long either…
‘Still, I heard she lasted nearly ten years.’
What could have happened for such a good relationship to reach the point of extinction?
{Extinction is impossible.
The Demon King is inherited.
Even if only one remains, the demons continue.}
Flinch.
‘The elf… is revealing everything.’
Bernie’s shoulders trembled slightly.
Thinking that Bernie was scared, Kiriel silently patted Bernie’s back.
The elf, who had been mumbling quietly, turned his head.
At that moment, Bernie, who had been looking at the elf, made eye contact in midair.
Lepha, who had been roughly running his hand through his hair, stared at Bernie.
Elves have an ability unique to their race—the power to see through the essence of things.
They can read the energy of beings with their eyes.
In short, their vision is exceptionally keen.
No matter how much one changes their appearance, elves can see through to what lies within.
Lepha’s eyes widened as he looked at Bernie.
‘You know, the Demon King!’
He seemed to be a young demon who hadn’t awakened yet… but inside, there was the seed of the Demon King.
‘And the one behind… a child of the gods?
A bit mixed?’
It seemed there was a slight mix of demonic energy, but the much stronger divine power completely suppressed it, making it barely visible.
Just as Lepha was about to speak, Bernie’s pupils suddenly slit vertically.
Lepha held his breath.
The moment their eyes met, he felt as if something enormous was looking down at him from an unfathomable height.
‘…Ah.’
Without realizing it, Lepha lowered his head and barely managed to exhale the breath he had been holding.
‘Indeed, the seed of the Demon King.’
If he had spoken just now, he might have been beheaded.
Thinking that, Lepha slowly raised his head again.
And in Bernie’s eyes, he saw—fear.
{…But time has passed.
Even demons have changed.
Perhaps a lot.}
Lepha instinctively shifted the conversation.
Demons who weren’t on good terms with humans.
But the seed of the Demon King was in the arms of humans.
Eyes filled with fear.
He didn’t know the details, but there was a complicated situation.
Lepha alternated between looking at Bernie and Kiriel for a long while before his eyes widened again.
‘…Ah.
A half-blood.’
A half-blood.
‘I never thought I’d see a half-blood born between a human and a demon in person.’
If it was a half-blood, it made sense why they were with humans now.
Because when they’re young, they’re not much different from humans, but exposure to demonic energy would kill them instantly.
The emperor, watching Lepha, stroked his chin.
It was understandable—without proper communication, he had no idea what to do with this man.
While the emperor was deep in thought, Lepha suddenly strode forward and firmly grabbed the hem of Kiriel’s clothes.
{I’m coming with this man.}
“……”
“……”
At Lepha’s sudden declaration, the emperor and Kiriel fell into silence.