Chapter 166 – Demons and Elves
After explaining the situation to Ozma, I went to the financial management office to pack my things.
“Can I help?”
“No, it’s okay. You’ll be busy, but do something.”
It felt like I was leaving the company because something contained all my stuff that had accumulated over the past two and a half years in one box.
Even more so, the financial management office is a department that I personally created with care from one to ten.
After putting everything in the box, from the things in my desk drawer to the things on the desk, I finally put the acupressure slippers that I had been with for two years in a box.
It’s a waste to throw it away, so I’m thinking of putting it in my study at home.
“Done?”
“Uh.”
After answering Gabriel’s question, I lifted the box with both hands.
It’s quite heavy, but this much weight is like a feather to me now.
As I packed all my things and was about to leave, Agnes, who had been sitting at her desk doing business, stood up.
“Attention everyone!”
Then, the financial management office became quiet in an instant.
“Chief Treasurer Patrasche will be leaving the Financial Management Office as of today. If you have any last words, please.”
Then the voices of the staff were heard from all sides.
Don’t go, where are you going, are you leaving forever, etc.
It seems that I had a better social life than I thought.
Seeing how thoroughly they give lip service like this.
I spoke to the staff pretending to be cool on the outside while sniffing in a little bit of a tear.
“In the meantime, everyone has worked hard under me. And don’t worry because it’s not a permanent farewell. We’ll come back later.”
Then everyone applauded and said goodbye.
“I’ll see you.”
Following Agnes’ small back, I left the financial management room.
“Thank you for your hard work. I will manage the Financial Management Office well.”
“Yes. Agnes, if it were you, you would do well.”
After saying that, I was about to leave the finance office without any regrets, but something came to my mind.
“Anes, can I ask you one last favor?”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
I’m sorry to overwhelm you with the emotional atmosphere, but
“Please confide in the man called Baron Dornell.”
The cubs who are illegally taxed in their hometowns should go with them.
***
After completing the affairs of the Government General, I returned home.
It was because Ozma and I were the only ones who still knew about this, so I had to tell the other cohabitants about the return.
Fortunately, Vanessa, Dorothea, Camilla, and Sophia were all at home, so there was no need to call them together.
And as soon as I heard that I was going back to the Demon King’s Castle, Dorothea raised her hand and said,
“Then I will follow.”
“What?”
“I’m living in this house because of you, but without you, living here is meaningless. So I’ll follow you.”
When Dorothea said that, she came out recklessly.
I looked at Gabriel as I tried to figure out how to resolve this troublesome situation.
But Gabriel seems to have felt quite right about Dorothea’s words.
“It’s not bad. A witch from the former Four Heavenly Kings will be a great fighting force.”
At Gabriel’s words, Dorothea tilted his head and asked.
“Who are you? It’s the first time I’ve seen you.”
“This is Gabriel, who has become the new Four Heavenly Kings of the demon king army, following in your footsteps. He is also the demon dragon lord who rules Dragon Mountain.”
When Gabriel said that and smiled kindly, Dorothea gave a plaintive expression.
When the situation came to this, I had no choice but to ask in a panic.
“Is it okay for a retired person to return to the battlefield?”
“It doesn’t matter how much it is if it’s your own resources. Even more so, if you’re the former Demon King’s Army, you’re in the reserve.”
“Kuk.”
I couldn’t argue with her because there was no logical loophole.
Even more so, even if I didn’t do it, Dorothea had the personality to follow me blindly.
When Dorothea and I were confirmed to go to the Devil Castle, Camilla also quietly raised her hand.
“I’ll join you too.”
“Camilla?!”
“I’m already Patlash-sama’s exclusive maid. The place where Patlash-sama is is where I will be.”
“I also agree with the head maid.”
With continuous hypnosis, Sophia, who had come to serve me as her master, raised her hand while saying that.
In this way, the last one left was Vanessa, but unexpectedly, only Vanessa shook her head.
“I can’t follow you. It’s not that I don’t love you, Patrasche, but escorting Ozma is my original mission.”
“I understand. And she can’t leave Ozma alone, so if you said you’d go, I’d have stopped her.”
That’s how the number of people going to the Devil’s Castle was all decided.
Ozma and Vanessa remain in Oz, and everyone else goes to the Devil Castle with Gabriel.
“It’s a decision. Then, without wasting time, do you want to go to the castle of demons right now?”
Gabriel asked as he crossed his arms, but unfortunately he had many things to pack.
It’s because wizards tend to use tools rather than bare hands.
I should also take care of Orihalcon Quarter Staff, which I made to order with expensive money.
“Wait for me while drinking a cup of tea leisurely. I’ll pack it up and come down soon.”
Then Gabriel sighed and nodded his head.
“Okay. I’ve waited until now, but waiting one more time won’t change anything.”
***
I took the quarter staff, various reagents, and the magic book borrowed from Master in the room.
To be precise, it is the ‘Pungma Shingong’, a non-level that summarizes Master’s enlightenment.
For the past two years, I have made most of the contents of this book my own, but I have not yet mastered Choi Jong-oh’s.
I was planning to use it for training whenever I had free time.
After being fully armed, put on the green robe that symbolizes the Emerald Tower, and you are ready to go out.
When the polymorph magic that created fake beards and wrinkles for camouflage was lifted, the original clean face was reflected in the mirror.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I thoroughly locked the door of the lab, which I hadn’t been in for a while, and came down to the first floor again.
Maybe he was still drinking tea, Gabriel said, slightly widening his eyes.
“It’s over sooner than I thought.”
“Ten minutes is enough to change clothes.”
On the battlefield, where time is urgent, time was literally gold.
Anyway, after confirming that my preparations were complete, Gabriel put down the teacup he was holding in his hand and said.
“You drank well. Dyurahan. You’re good at making tea.”
“Thank you, Daemon Dragon Lord.”
“Then let’s go.”
Gabriel said, pointing toward the yard, and I left a final message for Vanessa.
“Tell Ozma when he gets home. I’ll be back.”
“Okay.”
“And you’re doing well too, Vanessa.”
I kissed Vanessa lightly on the lips and went out into the yard with the others.
***
Gabriel’s flight speed was incredibly fast.
If you decide to fly, the maximum flight speed is close to the speed of sound, and you can reach the demon castle hundreds of kilometers away in just one hour.
It seems that this is also because we were riding on the back, so we adjusted the speed.
“Uh, I think I’m going to vomit.”
It was Dorothea’s horse that stepped on the ground first.
And since I felt sick to my stomach, I couldn’t open my mouth.
Speaking of the feeling of riding on Gabriel’s back, it felt like riding on a roller coaster without safety bars.
I know in my head that it is definitely safe, but riding a flying dragon at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per hour without any safety equipment required more courage and patience.
Surprisingly, Camilla was the most intact among the four in the group.
He seems to be the type that doesn’t get motion sickness by nature.
“Gyahahaha! I flew with special attention to the comfort of the ride, but isn’t that too weak?”
Gabriel, who had returned from his Flying Tyrannosaurus form back to his human form, said that and patted me on the back.
“Oh? Oh?”
It’s normal to have pain, but getting hit on the back is a little better.
“Can you hit me a little more?”
“? Was it like that?”
Gabriel seems to have misunderstood something strange, but after that he patted me on the back without saying anything.
Anyway, after I completely got rid of the motion sickness, I took in the whole view of the demon castle that I had returned after a long time.
Not much has changed from two years ago.
I feel like I’m missing something.
“Let’s move slowly. It seems that the Demon King is waiting for you.”
“Yes.”
I nodded my head obediently to Camilla’s suggestion, and headed to the office of the demon castle with Sophia, Dorothea, and Gabriel looking around to see if the demon castle, which was the first to come to me as a former warrior, was strange.
***
“The Demon King has allowed an audience.”
Saying that, Seneca, the butler of the Demon Castle, whom we met after a long time, bowed politely to us.
What a profit!
Stepping through the large door that opened to the left and right, Demon King, still full of dignity, was sitting in front of the desk in the office, looking at his documents.
He raised his gaze slightly, then put down the papers he was holding in his hands.
“You’re back. Sir Patrasche.”
I naturally got down on one knee and did my courtesy.
“Shin Patrasche, just returned from Colony Oz.”
“Yes, yes, you must be tired from the long journey, so let’s sit down.”
I sat down on the sofa at the invitation of the Demon King.
Gabriel, who brought me here, naturally sat next to me.
“…Would you like to sit a little further away?”
“I like being by your side.”
Perhaps an iron plate had been put on his face, but when he was staring at Gabriel, who dared to sit in a narrow seat, leaving a wide seat, as if he was dumbfounded, the demon king sitting on the sofa across from him cleared his throat and said,
“Then let’s talk about the end of the day. The real reason why I dared to call you to the Devil’s Castle at this timing.”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
Demon King intertwined both of his hands and said with a serious expression.
“Not too long ago, the elves from beyond the Great Forest declared war on our Demon Alliance.”
