Why I Quit Being the Demon King

Why I Quit Being the Demon King Chapter 7

———–

Fighting the Dragon (3)

The seven bandits nervously swallowed dry saliva.

“Can we… change to option 2?”

One of the bandits mustered the courage to ask.

“You can’t just change without a penalty.”

Deus drew a circle with his thumb and forefinger, prompting the bandits to hastily pat down their own pockets.

Collectively, they had 2 gold, 36 silver, and 72 copper.

The bandits quickly disappeared with their lives, which they had traded for the money.

Deus turned to look at Alex.

“Is this what you wanted to do? The act was poorly staged.”

“I said it wasn’t.”

“Then what about her? She’s overacting with those sparkly eyes.”

“Ha! I swear, it’s not like that.”

Deus let the butler’s words go in one ear and out the other as he approached the woman.

She wore a golden headdress that symbolized a dragon—a priestess of some sect, though it was unclear which one, but it seemed she did not primarily serve the main deity.

“Well then, be on your way. Collect your payment from Alex.”

“But it’s unfair!”

Alex cried out and approached the priestess.

“Tell me, priestess. Do you know me?”

Still seemingly in shock, the priestess did not reply.

Though she had certainly shouted for help, one would assume she wasn’t mute. It seemed she had forgotten even to offer thanks.

“Fine. I’ve lost interest. Let’s get going.”

“What do you mean you’ve lost interest, after all those suspicions?”

Alex, thumping his chest, spoke once more to the priestess.

“Excuse me, priestess. Was I in collusion with you? Did I pretend to run away from the bandits in exchange for money? That didn’t happen, right? Please, tell my master.”

The priestess bloomed into a smile.

Even Alex, a demon by origin, flinched at the beauty of her smile.

For a moment, Alex wondered if she was truly human, but he was too filled with indignation to think about anything else.

Finally, the priestess spoke for the first time.

She clasped her hands and bowed her head.

“Thank you, brave sir.”

As Deus was stepping onto the carriage with one foot, he glanced back.

“Go on, then.”

“Brave sir.”

“I’m not a brave sir. Just consider me an aspiring companion to the brave.”

“Then, aspiring companion to the brave, sir.” Her gentle expression was coupled with a soft tone.

It was as if she was implicitly saying, ‘I am a servant of the deity.’

However, Deus felt something off about her.

Instinctively, he was on alert, as if warning him not to get involved.

“Please, heed my request.”

“Weren’t you being pursued by bandits?”

“They attacked the temple where I was staying.”

“What about the temple knights?”

“They were all… slain.” She bowed her head in sorrow, tears welling in her eyes.

Deus snorted at her performance.

“That backstory is quite a stretch, isn’t it? Temple knights defeated by bandits?”

“It’s true. The bandit chief was so powerful he knocked down the pillars of the temple.”

“Yeah, yeah. You should go to the nearest metropolis and ask other braves for help. I’ve no interest in such matters.”

“If it’s compensation you want, I can provide it!”

“Compensation? You must have a hefty collection of offerings saved up. No real estate, though. I can’t carry that with me.”

“There’s a helmet bestowed by the true golden dragon in the temple. Right now, the bandit chief has it…”

“I don’t want a helmet.”

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t match my style. Look at what I’m wearing.”

Deus was clad in a mage’s robe.

It was a look that clearly clashed with a golden helmet.

Alex interrupted him.

“Aren’t you trying to raise a brave?”

“That’s true.”

“How about lending the helmet to that brave?”

“Hmm, that might be profitable.”

“You’re charging money? Even from a brave…”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Foolish question. Obviously, you should charge. And if it’s on credit, impose compound interest.”

Deus addressed the priestess.

“Alright, you’ve piqued my interest a bit. Get in the carriage.”

“Thank you, brave… aspiring companion, sir.”

The temple was located about a 20-minute carriage ride up a side road branching off the main highway.

Alex, sitting on the coachman’s box, glanced at the priestess next to him.

She hadn’t even mentioned her name yet, but proudly bore the symbols of a priestess of the true golden dragon, with gold dragons embroidered all over her clothing.

And she was terrifyingly beautiful—perhaps even more so than the deity they were serving.

“Wait, if it’s the true golden dragon, does that mean a dragon deity?”

Half-leaning, half-sitting in the carriage, Deus threw out a question.

The priestess of the true golden dragon answered.

“Yes, the deity we serve is the true golden dragon, the goddess of all dragons.”

It was known that dragons used an ancient script that had vanished in the past. The true golden dragon, when translated into the current language, meant a genuine golden dragon.

“Aren’t you a sizable temple? How did you get raided by bandits?”

“That’s…”

The priestess blushed with embarrassment. Alex raised his hand to intervene.

“I will answer on her behalf. For thousands of years, dragons have maintained absolute neutrality. They’ve declared non-involvement in human or demonic affairs. As a result, they’re now shunned by both. Humans don’t interfere with dragons’ affairs, nor do demons pay them any heed.”

“So it’s not neutrality; it’s exclusion.”

“That’s correct.”

“So did you lose all your followers too?”

The priestess struggled to speak.

“We only serve our deity; worldly affairs are of no concern.”

“Yet you somehow managed to keep the lid of the golden dragon.”

“It’s the helmet of the true golden dragon…”

“If you understand, that’s enough, isn’t it?”

“We can see it now, my lord. But it seems we’ll have to walk up there.”

The carriage stopped below a 300-meter cliff.

The path twisted through the rock crevices, forming a long stairway.

Deus observed the rugged terrain and simply stated.

“Carry me.”

Alex hunched over, with Deus standing upright on his back, and they began to ascend the steep incline.

“Can’t you at least carry me normally?”

“Do you really think I’d let myself be held in your arms?”

“Then walk yourself.”

“You’re the one who insisted on coming; it wouldn’t make sense for me to be the one straining.”

“I’m straining too!”

“That’s your own doing.”

Deus glanced down several steps to the slowly climbing priestess.

“Doesn’t she seem suspicious to you?”

“What are you referring to?”

“That woman.”

“She’s pretty. What about making her your spouse? Produce a prince quickly. As I’ve mentioned before, the chance is low, but there are various ways…”

Deus kicked the back of Alex’s head.

“You always have to add your two cents, don’t you?” Then he continued.

“Shall we bet?”

“If I win, would you return to the demon realm?”

“Do you seriously think you can bet that much?”

“Well then, I’ll bet that woman is not human.”

“That’s not a bet. But knowing that fact, you’re still following her?”

“She did say she’d give us the helmet of the true golden dragon. If it has the name of a divine dragon, it’s worth quite a lot, isn’t it?”

“What if it’s fake?”

“Well, this is the real temple of the true golden dragon, isn’t it? I’ve also heard about such a helmet.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Alex opened his mouth again.

“Truly, a lie is most terrifying when it’s hidden among ninety-nine truths.”

“Oh. That sounds plausible. Write it down. I’ll use it later.”

Riding on Alex’s back made the cliff ascend a breeze.

The temple was centered around a golden dome, supported by eight pillars.

Given the bandit raid, Deus expected to see signs of fire at least, but the fortress retained its original pure white color.

Stopping in front of the 10-meter-high temple gate, Alex announced.

“You may dismount now.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to?”

“Well…”

Contrary to his words, Deus immediately got off Alex’s back.

They turned to wait for the priestess. She arrived a step later and headed for a small entrance beside the main gate of the temple.

“This way, please.”

Unlike the grand main door, a small household-like door stood there.

If not for the golden decorations, it would have blended perfectly with the white-painted temple.

Without hesitation, Deus followed her.

They were then plunged into darkness.

“My lord, where are we?”

“You should be answering that for me. Weren’t you the one swayed by that woman to follow her here?”

“That woman is still here, you know?”

As soon as they entered the temple, they found themselves cast into pitch darkness, unable to distinguish each other.

“My lord! It seems to be a trap.”

“How many times did I say something was fishy?”

“I didn’t realize this aspect was suspicious.”

“Which way is this? That woman is still here, right?”

“Quiet, you damned woman. After leading us here, you still haven’t run away? Just…”

“Just, what?”

“Forget it, let’s not talk.”

The priestess snorted.

“Continue, I think it will be interesting. Let’s see which side blinks first.”

“Your personality has changed.”

“Aha! Found it.”

Ignoring Deus’s comment, the priestess exclaimed in wonder.

Bright light flooded the room.

But it was not from a candle or a lamp.

They were surrounded by countless stars and planets, a mixed tapestry of galaxies.

An infinite cosmos unfolded within the small temple, and the three of them floated aimlessly in its vastness.

Deus ‘saw’ that woman.

The docile girl was gone, replaced by a different person looking down upon him with a haughty expression.

The simple white attire of a priestess had changed into a golden robe.

It was an ancient costume with wide sleeves and a high collar.

The change was not limited to clothing.

She was adorned with numerous golden ornaments and gems like amber and topaz, making her appear more opulent than any emperor.

With a nebulosity as her backdrop, she effortlessly sat cross-legged in the void.

“What were you about to do?”

Most people would be cowed by her sudden shift in demeanour.

At the very least, confused and disoriented for a moment.

But neither reaction applied to ‘him,’ Deus.

With his legs outstretched, arms crossed, he straightened up confidently in front of her, as if determined to look down from an even higher position.

“So, you’re not a priestess after all.”

“I am, in truth, a priestess.”

“Did your deity instruct you to act this way?”

“You do realize you’re insulting the true golden dragon?”

“True golden dragon? What of it? That so-called priestess changes completely between entering and leaving the restroom. And you assume her deity is any different?”

“You truly have a death wish. This place is the Yellow Jade Realm (黃玉境). Even a sorcerer would be no match for me here.”

“So, you were aware after all.”

Deus smirked and looked to the side.

Meanwhile, Alex couldn’t hide his astonishment.

“How did you know we are demons…?”

Throwing a fit, Alex addressed Deus.

“We’ve hit a real snag. This is the land of the true golden dragon. That being is… Surely not, surely…”

“How did I know? Haven’t you always shown up in the mortal realm without missing a single war? Parading around with the same faces, did you honestly think we wouldn’t recognize you?”

———