After returning to my room, I reviewed everything Karla had taught exactly as planned. I went over it again and again, then put it straight into practice.
"Kheu...!"
Manipulating ether! It still wasn’t going smoothly, but I could feel the edge of the sensation right there, just out of reach! Yes! I was a demon too!
Other kids started at three and I was starting late, but I had real experience now — I would catch up fast!
If little kids could do it, why the hell couldn’t I?
I had mastered the Hell language by smashing my head against the wall for years. There was nothing in this world I couldn’t do if I tried hard enough!
"No, fuck! I can do everything!"
I had shalessly clung to Karla and whined like a baby, so how could I not handle this?!
Staying positive, I spent hours practicing ether manipulation. After repeating the motion over and over, I opened the ether introductory book again.
Inhuman study.
"Hoo."
Theory was brutal. I read through it, morized what I could, then switched to strength training. When my head started cramping, I needed to move my body. Draining my stamina like that left exhausted, so I went straight to wash up.
"Ah. This bed is so fucking comfortable."
After showering and drying off, I lay down on the bed... I could live here forever. The mattress was soft, the quality miles better than the southern fortress dormitory.
With that thought, I started flipping through the books Karla had given , one by one.
The kid seed innocent and genuinely loved fairy tales and talking about them together. If that was what she liked, I’d humor her. It looked like no other blood relatives in the palace shared her passion for books the way Karla did. I had to play along.
"Let’s see. Hell fairy tales and Hell novels. Are these all masterpieces?"
If they were fairy tales or novels, I liked them too. I wondered what kind of stories demons enjoyed. I figured demon ones would be darker.
But knowing Karla, she probably liked the heartwarming ones.
"Then the title is... huh?"
Huh.
"Huh? The Divine Butcher? The Goddess Wrapped in Intestines? The, the Angels’ Slaughter Colony?! What the fuck is this? These are the masterpieces I absolutely must read before I die?"
Drawn in by the titles, I grabbed "The Angels’ Slaughter Colony" first.
Let’s read.
"...So that part was the highlight. They smiled like they’d found happiness and all went in together, but then the mass slaughter by angels unfolded! Yes! That was it! The angels of Heaven pretended to save the demon slaves but dragged them straight to their slaughter colony!"
Despair!
"And what was waiting there was the leader who had escaped long ago... the leader! The first one who escaped seeking freedom! That brave leader, with only his head and spine left, was laughing at us — kyaaaaaaaak!"
".....!"
I couldn’t hold back the scream of shock. Karla scread right along with , but her eyes were sparkling with joy and she cupped her cheeks like she was having the ti of her life.
"Hoo... That was truly a thrilling fairy tale. Indeed. A masterpiece is a masterpiece."
"Right? Right, right? Karla told you! It’s a masterpiece you absolutely must read before you die! Older Brother Knull really seems to know a thing or two!"
"Hehehe, it’s just that your taste is good. If you recomnd with taste like that, anyone would enjoy it."
"Karla’s taste...! Yes! I like it!"
How could she be so cute?
"Karla particularly likes the scene where the leader is reunited at the end. To create that dramatic encounter, the leader who shone brighter than anyone at the beginning kept appearing, didn’t he?"
No.
But why did she like such cruel stories? I was shocked at the ending.
"Rather than that part, I preferred the scene where the angels kept smiling even when the door opened..."
"That part’s good too!"
"But Karla. Do you like these kinds of horror fairy tales?"
This wasn’t sothing a kid younger than should be reading.
Pretending to give hope only to slaughter them all.
With this kind of bullshit, I couldn’t even imagine what "The Goddess Wrapped in Intestines" would be like.
Was it because she was a demon that she enjoyed such dark stuff? Even though Karla seed truly kind and innocent, being born a demon must have planted those tastes in her.
"Yes! I like them! They’re scary, so I keep imagining things. Karla loves to imagine."
"A reading girl indeed!"
A girl with dreams and fantasies!
"Then Brother Knull, since we talked about books, shall we start class again? Did you practice well yesterday?"
"Of course I worked hard!"
Even though I couldn’t do it perfectly yet, I had pushed myself hard yesterday. And I would keep pushing.
I quickly counted the days left until the Descent Festival... It would be great if I could succeed by then.
"But it’s still not going well. Can I make real progress in this state?"
"It’s okay. Because Karla is here. Today we’ll do Dark Magic class, and with Karla helping, anyone can practice!"
"Good! I’ll work hard!"
So Karla had the librarian familiars bring the Dark Magic to.
"This is the most basic Dark Magic to. As expected, it was made exclusively for our bloodline. Here are basic Dark Magic spells and necromancy. And most importantly for you, domination magic for monsters is included."
This was exactly what I’d been waiting for!
I was on the verge of tears!
"Hahahaha, your thirst for knowledge. It’s good to see. Then Karla will help you feel the sensation of using ether, so shall we start class right away?"
"Yes!"
Karla opened the book and began explaining.
"Monster domination magic. First, all monsters in the Mortal Realm originally ca from Hell. They were ancient beasts that crossed over long ago. All the monsters now are their degraded descendants. That’s why domination magic works on them."
Oh. So that’s why.
"Above all, we are Mother’s bloodline. If you learn and train properly, it’s even possible to dominate a large number of monsters."
"Ooh! Then I’d be practically invincible! No one can stand against an army of monsters!"
I knew what monsters were. There were beasts in Hell too. If I could dominate those bastards and build an army, I’d be unstoppable!
"Hmm, I wonder? Other races in the Mortal Realm also ta monsters. Without magic. By dosticating them."
"Hmm?"
Ah. That made sense.
Everyone can ta animals.
So demons dominate livestock with ether, while humans dosticate them with normal thods? Different worlds, different cultures.
"Anyway, monsters can be a resource. Then Brother Knull. Shall we start with that?"
"Yes!"
The practical training with Karla began.
First, Karla summoned a familiar as a test subject. When she released the domination spell on it — Pudeodeok! — the familiar started rampaging violently.
"Woah! This bastard is violent!"
"Because it escaped domination."
But when Karla used telekinesis, its movents stopped instantly.
"Brother Knull."
"Okay."
As instructed, I placed my finger on the forehead of the forearm-sized familiar. Karla stepped behind and put her hand on my back.
"Karla is casting it for you, so you just need to feel the sensation. Understood? Then I’ll begin."
I concentrated hard.
I felt the energy enter my body.
"...!"
Imdiately...! The ether that seeped from my back flowed down my arm. The sensation. I had to rember it perfectly. This dark magic formula and feeling...! Soon the overflowing energy poured out through my fingertip.
The domination spell took hold in the familiar.
"It succeeded."
"Oh..."
The familiar went docile again.
"This is how you do it. You have to rember the sensation."
"Oh, ooh...!"
"Of course, you’re still at slave level right now. Even if you master this, you’ll only be able to dominate one or two very weak monsters."
"Don’t worry about that. A person—no, I am a being that develops. I’m a demon who loves books, aren’t I? Then I’m bound to grow."
"That’s right! Karla agrees with that statent!"
So the lesson with Karla continued.
If there really was a Teacher’s Day, I’d visit Karla every year with flowers and gifts. Later, if I actually beco the Demon King? Then I’ll create Teacher’s Day in Hell, you fucking bastards.
I will definitely survive!
"Oh right, Brother Knull. You don’t know much about the Mortal Realm either, do you?"
"Uh. I don’t know much about that either."
"Hahahaha, then Karla will have to tell you."
Karla truly seed to love teaching. She was a teacher by nature.
"Then I’ll start the lecture!"
"Yes!"
"The Mortal Realm is currently dominated by four races! Naly humans, elves, dwarves, and dragons!"
Oh.
"Humans are the weakest, elves and dwarves next. The strongest are dragons!"
"How strong are demons?"
"Stronger than humans. Elves or dwarves. Probably around that level."
In fact, every demon I’d seen so far was stronger than humans. Excellent physical abilities plus ether.
"Then are humans the easiest opponents?"
"No. Humans have the largest influence. And beings in the Mortal Realm use sothing called mana. It’s like demons’ ether."
Hmm.
They can use an energy source like ether. That ans humans in the Mortal Realm can also exert superhuman strength and cast magic.
The difficulty was high indeed...!
How the hell was I supposed to survive in such a world?!
"Are you worried?"
"Honestly, I’m quite worried."
"Hmm... But that’s not the only thing to worry about right now, brother Knull."
"What?"
"Brother Knull, you said it took you a long ti to learn the Hell language, didn’t you?"
"Uh."
It took forever.
"There are many such languages in the Mortal Realm too. Human language. Elf language. And so on. But those also differ by the nations of each race, and although there is a common language, almost no one uses it."
"Huh?"
"There are only very old books related to Mortal Realm languages, so I don’t know if they’ll be very effective... but I’ll get you the books for now."
"W-wait a minute! Is that so? Do humans in the Mortal Realm not use the Hell language?"
"Huh? Are you asking sothing so obvious?"
Karla tilted her head as if wondering why I’d ask sothing so obvious...!
"Th-this is bad!"
Does that an I have to study their language too?! No! I’m a demon! There’s no reason to communicate with those bastards... This isn’t right either.
If I’m going to gather information locally.
Learning their language is essential!
I feel like I’m going to throw up right now!
"Poor brother Knull... You have no ti, but so much to learn."
"I’m seriously going crazy!"
"Still, you have to read all the books Karla recomnded!"
"Don’t worry about that!"
I’ll read them all, no matter what!
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