## Chapter 166 – Collusion (11)
The preliminaries, long if long and short if short, were all over, and the main matches were just a week away. Now that all of No. 25’s matches were over, Aser felt like she wanted to see him right away. She was getting tired of sitting in this boring spectator seat watching the matches.
As Aser watched the stadium being cleaned up, she quietly got up from her seat, and someone carefully called her name.
“Aser, can I talk to you for a second?”
The owner of the voice was Lahart. He, who had no contact with her except for their childhood when their parents were close, was suddenly doing this now? Confused, Aser pointed at herself with her finger and asked back.
“To me?”
Instead of answering, Lahart nodded, then ignored the gazes around him and approached her. Lahart, who had already come right in front of Aser, opened his mouth with a slight smile.
“I roughly know that the boy who is the center of attention right now is your subordinate.”
Aser shuddered and asked in a trembling voice.
“So, so what? Are you thinking of disqualifying him?”
A student who used suspicious powers and possessed the qualities of a demon king. It wouldn’t be strange at all to disqualify him by attaching various reasons for the sake of fairness in the competition. In fact, Lahart was the highest authority in the academy, and he had enough power to do so. However, Lahart tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.
“Do you think I’m the kind of demon who would do that? And for me, it’s better for that boy to win.”
When Aser glared at him with suspicious eyes, Lahart kept maintaining a friendly smile to ease her wariness.
“I only want one thing from you. Just give me a chance to meet that boy once.”
“Is that really all you want?”
If Lahart was thinking of harming No. 25, she was willing to give everything to stop him here. Of course, it was obvious that it would be a dog’s death. Aser’s fist, already frightened, was trembling slightly.
“I don’t lie. And even I don’t want to turn that person into an enemy.”
Where he glanced at, Lowe was sitting and watching Aser and Lahart. Lahart, while seeming to focus on the match, had already noticed that No. 25 was related to most of the demon kings through Aser, Orca, Jane, and Lowe’s reactions during the match.
There was no choice. From the start, there was no creature that could go against him. Aser nodded with an unpleasant expression and arranged a meeting between Lahart and No. 25.
●
After finishing all the preliminaries, No. 25 waited for Charlotte without breaking a sweat. Saruk, perhaps because of who his round of 16 opponent was, seemed half out of his mind and left the academy with his rumored lover after a short greeting to No. 25.
Sitting on the bench and waiting endlessly, Charlotte soon approached No. 25 with quick steps. Finding No. 25, Charlotte sat next to him with a smile, gave him water and snacks, and asked how he was doing.
“You worked hard. Are you hurt anywhere?”
No. 25 nodded, drank the water, and then answered in a more energetic voice than usual because he didn’t want to worry her.
“Yes. I’m okay.”
“It seems like you still have energy left…”
Charlotte stroked No. 25’s thigh with a meaningful smile. The closer her hand got to his groin, the more No. 25 couldn’t help but recall the memories of mixing bodies with her.
She definitely said that if he got good results, they would continue. With that memory, No. 25 couldn’t suppress his alter ego, which was gradually hardening.
“How is it? Don’t you want to continue?”
Just as No. 25 was about to blush and nod, Charlotte smiled and took her hand off his thigh. When No. 25 looked at her with a disappointed gaze, Charlotte opened her mouth in a tone that seemed to soothe him.
“I’m just kidding. It’s not that I don’t want to, but won’t the demon king come running here in a hurry in a little while?”
No sooner had Charlotte finished speaking than the sound of footsteps quickly approached. The footsteps, which quickly approached No. 25, roughly hugged him. This familiar way, No. 25 immediately realized that the woman who hugged him was Aser without even looking.
“Sorry, I’m very late.”
“It’s okay.”
“Are you hurt anywhere? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
After a brief hug, Aser examined No. 25’s body here and there, checking on No. 25’s condition like Charlotte. No. 25, likewise, smiled brightly as if to say he was okay, reassuring Aser.
Looking around, No. 25 cautiously asked Aser.
“Where is Lowe?”
He naturally thought he would come together, but Lowe was nowhere to be seen. Aser, feeling a slight jealousy at No. 25 looking for Lowe in front of her, didn’t forget to answer.
“He’s away for a while because he has something to take care of. Maybe he’ll come in the evening?”
After finishing speaking, Aser had an expression that seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Charlotte, quickly noticing the change, playfully asked Aser.
“What’s wrong? Do you need to go to the bathroom or something?”
“It’s not that…”
She seemed to want to say something while looking at No. 25. When Aser hesitated and couldn’t speak properly, Charlotte, feeling frustrated, opened her mouth first.
“What’s wrong? Did something strange happen with another demon king?”
At that moment, a third party, who they thought would never be involved with them, joined the conversation. He appeared from behind No. 25, put his hand on his shoulder, and said in a quiet voice.
“Can I explain that?”
Even from the simple act of putting his hand on his shoulder, the sense of oppression was felt, and No. 25 couldn’t do anything. Like a mouse in front of a snake, he couldn’t even twitch a finger, a perfect control.
So much so that even Charlotte was flustered and stammering.
“Y-you are…”
With Lahart’s appearance, not only Aser and Charlotte but also the attention of the students around them was all gathered. The students were sending gazes of awe, but perhaps because of the position he held, they couldn’t easily talk to him.
“There are a few too many eyes here.”
No. 25 could tell for sure. The shadow of death cast behind him was an existence that he could never stand against. The words he uttered didn’t enter his ears at all, and his vision was showing him a world spinning around as if he had been drinking.
“Aser, then I’ll take my leave for a moment.”
Aser turned her gaze and nodded. No. 25 desperately called Aser’s name, as if grasping at straws.
“Demon King?”
But Aser couldn’t do anything. All she could do was throw a word of shallow comfort.
“It’s okay. I promised. I won’t harm you at all…”
The words, which were getting smaller and smaller, were not believable.
The moment Lahart snapped his fingers, No. 25’s body disappeared with him. Like a mirage.
After No. 25 suddenly disappeared, Charlotte said to Aser in a flustered voice, as if she were questioning her.
“What on earth is going on!?”
“I couldn’t help it! Lahart said he had something to say to No. 25, what could I do!?”
Charlotte pressed her temples as if she had a headache. Given Lahart’s personality, there was no way he would take him away separately like that just because No. 25 had done well in the match. Clearly, something strange was happening.
He was a demon king who was trusted by everyone, so he wouldn’t recklessly harm someone else’s vassal, but she couldn’t hide all of her uneasy feelings.
“…He’s okay, right?”
“He promised to talk for a bit and send him back soon.”
“How can you believe that?”
“If you don’t believe it? Is there another way?”
“That’s…”
Charlotte soon lost her words and closed her mouth tightly.
“I told you, you don’t have to worry? Even if things go wrong, we have Lowe. If something happens to No. 25, he’ll definitely help.”
“Ha… I want to stop waiting now, though.”
With Charlotte’s words, the two were enveloped in a quiet silence. Just hoping that No. 25 would return safely.
●
No. 25 was trying his best to understand the current situation.
A high and luxurious room with a view of the academy at a glance. No. 25 was sitting on a sofa that was several times more comfortable than his own bed, eating a cake with a taste he had never eaten before, and was wary of the man looking at him.
“I’m sorry for inviting you so suddenly.”
The energy hidden behind the easygoing smile was making cold sweat flow all over No. 25’s body. He looked at No. 25’s empty plate, which was already empty, and gently pushed his own forward.
“Eat mine too if you’re not full.”
No. 25 shook his head and refused, then cautiously opened his mouth.
“By any chance, are you…”
Then Lahart smiled awkwardly and nodded. Even a fool knew what that meant.
The king of District 1, who was only rumored, and the only male demon king. Unlike the vicious rumors, he had a benevolent impression and felt like a friendly older brother. Of course, except for the powerful energy he possessed.
He leaned his upper body slightly forward to narrow the distance with No. 25, then said in a tone that seemed pleasant.
“Wow, by the way, I watched the match well. You have excellent skills even at a young age?”
“I was lucky.”
“No, there’s nothing as foolish as attributing your victory to luck. You can be proud of your skills.”
There was an unknown power in Lahart’s words. Just when he was starting to feel uncomfortable in this place, Lahart asked in a serious voice that was quite different from before.
“It would be better for you and Aser if I get straight to the point, right?”
No. 25 swallowed hard at the words ‘get to the point’.
Lahart then reached out his hand to No. 25 and said this.
“Would you like to work with me?”
