"Brother Knull, how pitiful. You packed so much stuff in that backpack."
"Ah. This?"
Right after the Descent Ritual, they said I’d just drop straight into the Mortal Realm, and I couldn’t just stand there empty-handed. I had no idea where I’d land. The randomness was supposed to be insane.
So I packed everything I possibly could.
Survival prep had to be thorough. Inside a backpack almost the size of a military ruck were tools, books, spare clothes, and simple rations.
With this I could almost film my own season of Law of the Jungle. If things went south it might turn into Tears of the Amazon, or worse — Knull’s Law of Dying. At least I hoped the ending would be as moving as.
"Hehehe, if I prepare properly the chances of survival should go up, right? So I packed everything. Even if it’s heavy, I’ll endure."
"That’s exactly why I said you were pitiful."
"Why?"
"There’s no way they’ll let you participate in the ritual carrying sothing like that. All that preparation you did has beco useless."
Instantly the strength drained from my legs.
"What...?"
"The sight of you hauling a huge backpack like that — none of the Hell nobles will like it. They’ll definitely think it’s unsightly. It’ll probably get confiscated."
Karla traced her eye rim with a finger, looking genuinely sad.
"Th-this... I can’t take it?!"
Does this make any fucking sense?!
"Yes. It’s obvious. This is a grand ritual honoring the Great Demon King. The very act of showing up with sothing like that is unimaginable."
"To think I couldn’t even rember sothing that basic...!"
"So in Karla’s opinion, it would be best to hide only the absolute necessities inside your coat. Without it being noticeable."
"Uwaaaaaaak!"
There’s nothing but infuriating bullshit!
"Aoh!"
But what could I do? That’s how it was! I imdiately ripped off the backpack, picked out the most critical items, and stuffed them into the inner pockets of my coat.
First, since there was a high chance of landing in a forest or jungle, I slipped in a hand axe. Then a water bottle. Then so rope.
"You have to pack Karla’s masterpiece collection too!"
Karla tried to shove one of her books into my coat.
"No! I’m putting in the Dark Magic to!"
"But if not now, you’ll never see it again!"
"No! I’ll definitely co back and read it! I promise!"
"Heung... Really?"
In the end my coat beca heavy. Because I had to keep it discreet, I couldn’t pack much.
We walked together like that.
...
...
...
But as we moved with Karla, there was no trouble at all. The mont other high-ranking blood relatives of the palace saw her, they bowed deeply at the waist.
"Brother Knull! Everyone is greeting you!"
"Huh? No? Aren’t they bowing to you?"
"Today is the day of the Descent Ritual. Just for today, they’re paying their respects to the sacrifice."
"I-is that so?"
So that was it.
I imdiately waved my hand at the bastards who had bowed to .
"Hehehe, yes. Live well. I’ll be going now."
If not now, when else would I get to swagger?
"Brother Knull? What are you doing?"
"You said they were paying respects to . So I’m greeting them back. If not now, when else would I get to swagger?"
"Kuk...! Hu, huhuhu. Yes. You’re right. Well done!"
Receiving praise from Karla felt good.
We kept moving and finally reached the airfield attached to the palace.
"Huh?"
I thought we’d be riding a wyvern, but we weren’t.
Waiting at the airfield was so bizarre flying monster-like thing.
Its head looked like a giant mosquito, complete with a long, nacing snout. The upper body was muscular and almost human, while the lower half was serpentine. Bat-like wings sprouted from its back.
Crucially, thick leashes were wrapped around its neck and connected to a pitch-black carriage behind it.
A pumpkin carriage like in Cinderella — if it had been twisted into a nightmare.
"What’s that?"
"That’s a familiar too. Let’s ride."
Kki-ik.
As Karla walked forward the carriage door opened by itself. Truly... Hell was Hell. There were so many strange things. I climbed in and sat beside her.
The carriage lifted off.
"Ooh-ooh..."
As we rose, Karla spoke from beside .
"Brother Knull you will now prepare for the ritual."
"Preparation, huh."
I’d heard a little about it. Before the ritual there were several steps — receiving blessings, offering prayers to the Demon God. I just had to follow orders and let my body go with the flow.
"After the proper preparations you’ll go to the hall where the Descent Ritual takes place, and then it’s over. You’ll descend straight into the Mortal Realm. Along with demons from other families."
Other demons.
"Are those bastards all just fucking nobodies like ?"
"Probably? So families even use the Descent Festival for education. They say they’ll make the most incompetent bastard among you participate. If they do that, everyone will desperately cultivate their power."
Those demon bastards were fucking cruel, really.
"Although it has degenerated into such an event, it’s still a traditional ritual, so most of the Hell nobles will attend. Mother will probably observe as well."
"Wow."
She just wanted to see my face once before I disappeared?
I didn’t particularly want to see her.
"I don’t want to see her..."
"Huh? Why? For what reason?"
"Of course I don’t like it. How could I? She openly said she would abandon ."
"Heung... It’s really strange, as expected. Usually if Mother ordered sothing, blood relatives would accept it gladly."
"It’s a personal difference. Personal difference. Everyone has personal differences."
"Is that so?"
Anyway, the sky carriage flew fucking fast, as if it didn’t care about my feelings at all.
"Go while stepping on the brakes a bit, you bastard!"
* * *
Finally we arrived at the ritual site.
There was a circular do-shaped building sitting on top of a colosseum. Around it stood nurous jagged-roof structures. For now this place seed to be the territory of the Ozvalka family.
"Ozvalka? Isn’t that the Great Demon King’s na?"
"They are his descendants. They don’t have nearly as much power as the Great Demon King. They manage the ritual site."
"Hmm... But are the Hell overlords on good terms? Seeing them all do this ritual together, it seems like they might be."
At my words Karla slowly nodded.
"Well, Hell’s main enemies are the angels. Among demons there are many alliances. Of course."
She raised her index finger.
"There are many wars too, you know. Still, during the Descent Festival period they don’t fight. If an unfortunate incident occurs and the Descent Festival is permanently suspended... Isn’t that right? In the future the chance for influential demons to gather so peacefully in one place and see each other’s faces would completely disappear."
So there were political reasons too.
"Even if they fight when they fight, a place to converse like this is still necessary."
"Exactly."
For now it was better to have a venue for conversation prepared.
"In reality this Descent Festival can be called a venue for conversation between Hell overlords and nobles. Perhaps sacrifices like brother Knull might be nothing more than a re excuse to et."
"Consider the main event! At least consider the main event!"
To push into sothing that wasn’t even that important! These sons of bitches really treat us sacrifices like fucking jokes! Fucking evil bastards!
Our lives were nothing more than a re excuse to et!
"Keueu...! Anyway, Karla. Did they really all die? The demons who went to the Mortal Realm? Without a single one missing, all of them?"
"Well? Perhaps they didn’t all die. There might be barely surviving individuals?"
"As expected, right?"
"But there are no cases of them having built a significant force. If there were, it would have reached our ears."
Karla once again looked at with that sa pitying gaze.
"So Karla thinks... if brother Knull is lucky he’ll live hidden like a beast, and if he’s unlucky he’ll just die. It’s truly sad."
She was negative to the very end. No. Rather, it was realistic, cold, and clear-headed judgnt. That’s why Karla was pitying ... But yes. I was an adult. No matter what Karla said, as an adult I would show a dignified appearance until the very end.
As I had been until now.
"Don’t be sad, Karla."
Soon now it would be ti.
I smiled.
"I promised, didn’t I? That I’d co back to read books. I’ll definitely return and... the books you recomnded. I’ll read them all. So wait for ."
I grabbed Karla’s shoulder.
I said it confidently.
That I would definitely return.
"Promises you can’t keep are bad!"
But Karla shouted exactly that!
"No! Just tell sothing good! I’m leaving now, aren’t I?!"
"Karla is not a demon who only tells good stories. Karla is always cold."
"FUCKING HELL!"
It was at that very mont I was tearing at my hair!
Tak!Tak!Tak!
Footsteps approached from behind.
I turned my head and saw.
"Ah."
Demons with ragged cloth covering their heads were walking over. Holes had been cut only where their horns and eyes were, making them look extrely bizarre. Not only that — while their heads were covered like that, their clothes were clean formal attire.
"It’s ti, brother Knull."
"Ah."
"Go now."
Saying that, there was no playfulness left on Karla’s face.
Just an adult’s face.
"I’ll cherish the book report you wrote."
"..."
"Talking about books was really fun too. Yes. Karla won’t forget you."
Still, in the end she smiled.
"I’ll be like that too."
Yes.
For the last ti, I saw Karla’s smile.
That was enough, wasn’t it?
"Let’s go, my lords."
I moved my steps toward the demons who had co for . Imdiately those bastards naturally flanked both my sides.
Let’s go now.
Ritual preparations or whatever — do it yourselves.
Reviews
All reviews (0)