I ended up staying awake all night.
I was too furious to sleep.
Over the years, I’d encountered countless demons, caught up in endless brushes with Magi. But for so reason, the Duke of Dinsions made my blood boil more than any of them.
Was it because he dared to hold the top rank in the Demon Realm while possessing the sa divine beauty as teor?
Even if that face was fake, it was infuriating.
But above all, it was his way of toying with that grated the most.
Not that it was the only problem.
The fact that I couldn’t pinpoint his exact intentions after visiting twice now also gnawed at .
He seed to be acting under the Demon King’s orders to kill , yet he left with nothing but mockery each ti.
“Ugh, I can’t take it anymore. Instead of wasting ti lying here, I’m going to train.”
I shot up from bed.
Who knew when the Duke of Dinsions would show up again? I had to strengthen myself as much as possible.
After hastily wolfing down breakfast, I headed to the training grounds.
The Pluto Ducal House had a training ground as well-equipped as the Holy Palace itself.
I let out a spirited yell and began swinging my sword.
“Even on weekends! Destroy demons! Down with the Demon King!”
Maybe it was the pent-up anger from dealing with the Duke of Dinsions, but I felt unusually energized.
Even after the saints had told I should stop, I continued training.
How many hours had passed by the ti a familiar ding rang out?
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ begs you to stop training already. Watching your form for over half the day has made him unbearably sleepy.]
“Not yet!”
Wham!
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
Despite Sylvester’s protests, I kept slicing through the air with my blade.
Even as I focused on my swordsmanship, thoughts of him—the Duke of Dinsions—kept creeping into my mind.
He’ll co after again, won’t he? When? If only I could prepare to strike first...
Maybe I should set up traps or sothing.
Swinging my sword, I brainstord ways to prepare for his inevitable return.
There was no way I could take him on with just my raw skills, so I’d have to co up with so other strategy.
“Ah! That’s it!”
I suddenly shouted as an idea struck .
Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?
Images of all the ingenious inventions I’d seen at Cyrillote’s weapon shop flashed through my mind.
If not one of those gadgets, maybe Cyrillote could co up with sothing else useful—like my Eun-chongi.
I quickly sheathed my sword and bolted out of the training ground. Training for the day was officially over.
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ expresses joy that you’ve finally stopped.]
Thank you for your support, Sylvester.
I sent a brief note of gratitude before getting ready to go out.
Luckily, the sun was just starting to set, so it wasn’t too late in the day.
I hope Cyrillote’s still at his shop.
With that thought, I stopped by the kitchen to pack so snacks to bring to him.
He’d be thrilled to hear how well Eun-chongi had perford in the Demon Realm. The thought of his proud reaction lifted my spirits.
Soon, my carriage sped toward the bustling marketplace. It wasn’t long before it stopped near Cyrillote’s weapon shop.
I stepped out and hurried toward the shop, only to stop in surprise.
“Oh?”
“Oh?”
At that exact mont, Cyrillote stepped out of the shop, and our eyes t.
I glanced between him and the darkened interior of the shop.
It looked like he’d closed for the day.
“Crescent?”
“Are you heading ho?”
I walked up to him, a bit disappointed.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“What else? I ca to see you.”
“...What an honor.”
Clap, clap, clap!
Cyrillote applauded three tis in exaggerated delight, his eyes shining with mock reverence.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“But the lights are off, so I guess you were heading ho.”
“Ever heard of ‘leaving on the dot’? The clock struck five, and I bolted out of here. I have a condition that prevents from staying a minute past quitting ti.”
“That’s too bad. I ca to browse your shop.”
“Good thing I was just about to reopen.”
Before I could react, Cyrillote turned back and unlocked the door.
The door swung open with a click, and I felt slightly flustered.
“Oh, you don’t have to open it just because of —”
“It’s not for you. I just rembered today’s an overti night.”
“Do you have designated overti days?”
“Yep. Starting today.”
He grinned at as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
...Oh no.
Now I felt bad for interrupting his post-work peace.
But trying to stop him seed pointless—he wouldn’t close the shop again even if I asked.
Feeling a bit sheepish, I followed him inside.
“Sorry about this. I’ll co earlier next ti.”
“Good thing we ran into each other; you almost wasted a trip.”
“But your quitting ti is more important. Thanks, though. Oh, and here, this is for you.”
I handed him the bag of snacks I’d brought from the ducal estate.
Cyrillote gave a curious look as he took the bag.
“They’re really good. Think of it as premium desserts crafted by the Pluto family’s finest pâtissiers.”
“Wow. Imagine if I’d left even a second earlier. I’d have missed out on these. Thanks, Crescent.”
He accepted the snacks without hesitation, his face lighting up.
“Want to share them? Since I’ve officially declared today a non-quitting day.”
“No, I already ate plenty.”
“Then I’ll savor them slowly later.”
“Sounds good.”
We exchanged smiles, and any lingering guilt I felt about delaying his evening faded.
In fact, I was glad we’d crossed paths.
I had a lot on my mind.
“And this,” I began, pulling out Eun-chongi, “is what I wanted to talk to you about.”
His eyes widened slightly at the weapon.
“I used it in the Demon Realm recently, and it was a lifesaver. It was way more useful than I expected. Honestly, I might not have made it back alive without it. Thanks, Cyrillote.”
“Hearing that makes proud.”
“The Magi I faced this ti was under the control of the 23rd-ranked demon in the Demon Realm. It was tough, but Eun-chongi made things a lot easier.”
“Eun-chongi?”
“Oh, that’s the na I gave this gun.”
“My invention even gets a na from you? I feel honored.”
His dark eyes softened, shimring like a starry sky.
I hesitated for a mont before speaking.
“Which is why I wanted to ask you sothing, Cyrillote.”
“Ask away. A hundred favors, a thousand, even ten thousand—I’ll grant them all.”
Why was he so quick to agree?
His imdiate response caught off guard, and my eyes widened slightly.
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not a hundred. Just one.”
“Then hurry up and tell . I can’t wait to help.”
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, making chuckle softly.
With a lighthearted yet resolute tone, I finally said, “Cyrillote, I want to buy every single one of your inventions. All of them.”
“!”
His eyes went wide in shock.
Thud.
The bag of snacks slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor.
“Crescent, did sothing happen in the Demon Realm?”
His reaction was so dramatic that I couldn’t help but laugh.
But my smile quickly faded.
“Things always happen in the Demon Realm. But there’s a demon I really want to kill. And he’s much stronger than I am.”
Plenty of demons needed killing, including the Demon King himself.
But for now, my focus was on the Duke of Dinsions.
Because if I didn’t deal with him, I’d be the one who’d die.
Cyrillote’s playful deanor vanished, replaced by a somber expression.
He picked up the fallen snack bag and nodded firmly.
“Follow , Crescent. I’ll even give you a special discount.”
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