0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 45: The Masterless (1) (Part 1)

“Is that supposed to be useful?” Sinclair tilted her head.

“You’re just asking someone to renovate a house. What’s so useful about that?”

“Renovating the Demon King’s castle is a different kind of task altogether.”

It required specialized training, and only a few could handle it professionally. Among them, the top experts charged more than Karos could afford.

“But with the Great Demon King’s command authority, it doesn’t cost anything. It’s perfect.”

“They might resist, though.”

“That’s not my concern. Anyway, we’re going to the Demon Realm, so get ready.”

The specialists for renovation were in the Demon Realm. Bathesia muttered with a peculiar expression.

“The Demon Realm…”

She would now be going there not as a Demon King, but as an ordinary demon. It felt extremely unsettling.

“The Demon Realm…”

Sinclair also had a peculiar expression.

“The land of demons.”

“It’s very different from what humans think. No humans have ever set foot there, so no one knows what it’s like.”

“I want to go too.”

“What?”

Karos hesitated. Sinclair spoke again with serious eyes.

“I want to go to the Demon Realm too.”

“…Are you serious?”

“I’ll follow your orders. If you want, I’ll stay still no matter what happens. I swear on my name.”

“Is there a reason you need to go so badly?”

“You said it yourself. Believe only what you see with your own eyes.”

“Oh…”

Karos remembered. He had indeed said something that cheesy.

“So, I want to see it with my own eyes. What the land of demons is really like. Whether it’s truly a hell as we say.”

“Isn’t it obvious that it’s not allowed?”

Bathesia scoffed as if Sinclair’s words were foolish.

“You’re a former hero. Even if you weren’t, you’re still human. Who would be crazy enough to bring a human to the Demon Realm?”

“Is that so?”

Sinclair smiled bitterly. Then Karos spoke nonchalantly.

“Do as you please.”

“What?”

“My King?”

Voices of shock echoed. Karos, with an unchanged expression, gestured to Sinclair.

“Then get ready. We’re leaving tomorrow.”

“…Really?”

“Why? Don’t you want to go?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Sinclair shook her head vigorously.

“I just didn’t expect you to accept. Thank you.”

“It’s fine.”

Karos replied calmly. Bathesia watched him with a dazed expression.

*** ***

“It’s cramped.”

Karos muttered. Bathesia responded.

“We can’t let Sinclair sleep in the same room. If she touches Soccu or the slimes by mistake, they might die.”

Not that Karos wanted to sleep with her either. He had felt enough pain on the way to the sanctuary.

No one wanted to sleep together. By process of elimination, Sinclair ended up having a room to herself.

Even in the already cramped Demon King’s castle, one room was exclusively for her. The space was so small that Bathesia, the slimes, Soccu, and Karos were all sharing his room.

“…Karos.”

Bathesia spoke quietly. Karos opened his eyes slightly.

“What?”

“Why are you acting this way?”

“What way?”

“You’re too soft on her.”

There was no need to ask who “her” was. Karos replied indifferently.

“So what?”

“…It’s not like you.”

“What’s ‘like me’?”

Karos sneered.

“A little while ago, we were trying to kill each other, and now you think you know me?”

“It’s because we were like that that I know you well. I’ve been watching you all this time.”

Karos was momentarily speechless at her bold words. Bathesia continued.

“I’ve been watching you, Karos.”

“Is this some kind of embarrassing confession?”

“Interpret it however you like. The Karos I’ve seen have always distrusted others, doubted them, and drew lines somewhere. You never let anyone into your territory. It’s no different now.”

“…”

Bathesia bit her lip.

“You… you’re too soft on her. You let her into your territory too easily.”

The old Karos would have dismissed Sinclair’s desire to go to the Demon Realm lightly. But he didn’t.

“Who do you see in Sinclair?”

Karos didn’t answer. Bathesia’s calm voice echoed.

“Karos, we respect your choices. The past wasn’t great, but now we can do a lot for you. I’m on your side.”

Lillis was Karos’s personal secretary. To her, Karos’s decisions were absolute. Soccu and the slimes showed absolute loyalty as subordinates. It was natural they didn’t show much resistance to accepting Sinclair.

In contrast, Bathesia was a former Demon King. She was inherently an enemy of humans. Normally, she would have rejected Sinclair, but she didn’t.

“So I hope you trust me too.”

Her words ended. Soccu’s steady breathing could be heard.

“Is that so.”

Karos spoke quietly.

“But I can’t answer that.”

“Karos…”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I distrust you. It’s because you won’t understand even if I tell you.”

“No. I can accept it, whatever it is…”

“No.”

Karos cut her off.

“You can’t accept it.”

At his icy tone, Bathesia swallowed hard. She prided herself on knowing Karos well, but his tone was one she had never heard before, shattering that confidence instantly.

“Just sleep.”

“…Okay.”

Bathesia closed her eyes. She quietly gripped the blanket.

*** ***

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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