Illiya couldn’t help but laugh, then began explaining their request. "Of course, it’s nothing evil like that. We just want you to lead us into the Demon Realm."
Seeing that the two demons still looked skeptical, Illiya began to feel a bit of a headache coming on.
"It’s like this: during our journey, I encountered a fallen demon who seed to have rged with a human. That’s why I want to go to the Demon Realm. As for the others... it’s better if they explain it themselves."
Seeing this, Seoryun took the initiative to reveal his identity. "I am the King of Areuseon Kingdom, so I think you know why I want to go to the Demon Realm. Honestly, I really don’t want to go, but sotis... appearances matter."
N’zall suddenly understood. The mont he heard the words "Areuseon Kingdom," it all made sense.
"Oh, it’s about the war that happens every fifty years, right? The demons and your Areuseon Kingdom already made peace centuries ago. Don’t you know that you can go directly to the Demon Realm without crossing through the borderlands?"
Seoryun looked utterly confused. He truly did not know this. No one had ever told him.
One glance at his blank face, and N’zall instantly understood.
"You definitely ran away from ho right after coming of age," N’zall said with complete certainty. "Because Hwanseong Jinmu—your father—said the exact sa thing before the last war. He didn’t know you could directly enter the Demon Realm either. And just like you, when Hwanseong Jinmu ca of age, he ran off to the demon realm to play hero."
"You guys really are cut from the sa cloth," N’zall said with genuine admiration.
Seoryun: ???
He felt as though he had just uncovered sothing astonishing.
It turned out that his father had also chosen to run away from ho in pursuit of freedom when he ca of age at eighteen—just like him.
And now, the problem beca clear.
If they had both chosen the sa path upon reaching adulthood, then why, when he had voiced his desire to go out and explore the world after just coming of age, had he been so harshly rejected?
He didn’t understand.
Was this the legendary double standard?
Seoryun had absolutely no intention of protecting his father’s reputation—none whatsoever. Instead, he asked N’zall with great interest, "So during the last fifty-year cycle, did my father et you as well? Was the demon realm hosting so kind of event at the ti?"
He also subtly tried to confirm the ti of the Demon King’s appearance.
N’zall, completely unaware of Seoryun’s scheming, gave a hearty laugh and lowered his voice slightly, "Not quite. The demon realm folks are all a bunch of battle maniacs—how could they be bothered to host events? The one organizing this ti’s event is none other than our most beloved Demon King. Everything must give way before His Majesty the Demon King!"
"His Majesty the Demon King is the treasure of the demon realm!"
The legend of the Demon King’s glory would never fade.
Seoryun took ntal note of this. Now that he had confird the Demon King had erged in the last fifty years, he felt satisfied.
He had no grand ambitions—just needed one small piece of information, sothing that wouldn’t affect the overall power balance. After all, with the great war looming, the leaders of the continental alliance army were convening to exchange the intel each had gathered.
As one of them, he couldn’t afford to be completely ignorant. That would be like walking straight into a trap—especially since the higher-ups in the alliance were already suspecting that there was a mole among them.
What they didn’t realize was... the mole was right beside them.
Now that Seoryun had successfully resolved his biggest concern, he visibly relaxed. His body that was once tense loosened up considerably.
He continued the conversation without missing a beat, "So how exactly did my father et you all?"
As a battle-hardened demon, N’zall was naturally sensitive to the movents and intentions of those around him. Seoryun’s subtle shift in deanor hadn’t escaped his notice, but he didn’t call it out—there was no need.
Everyone had their little secrets. And considering that the Areuseon Kingdom had long reconciled with the demons, with relations gradually leaning toward a full alliance over the centuries of secret interaction, this tiny secret hardly mattered.
The demon race had always been forgiving to their own kind.
Noticing that Seoryun had relaxed, N’zall thought, as expected.
The kings of Areuseon Kingdom never seed to have any grand ambitions.
With a chuckle, N’zall explained, "Your father ran away from ho with his personal knight. Along the way, he did a lot of good deeds. One ti, driven by curiosity, he activated a random teleportation array. Coincidentally, it transported him near the border—this very place, in fact. Actually, the timing of the border’s opening is calculated differently in the demon realm than on the continent, so we’re able to co out at tis you wouldn’t expect."
"So that’s how my father t you—just like how I’ve now just co out of the border?" Seoryun guessed.
N’zall nodded.
"That’s right. Quite the coincidence, isn’t it? And you—an even greater coincidence. You said the exact sa thing your father said back then. Word for word. Not a single syllable was different."
"When I heard those all-too-familiar words, I genuinely thought I was looking at your father himself. Although we didn’t spend much ti together, we beca very good friends. After the war ended, we never t again. To be honest, seeing you today suddenly made miss my old friend."
Seoryun hadn’t expected there to be such a story buried in the past. Watching N’zall grow visibly emotional, Seoryun suddenly found himself at a loss for words, unsure of what he should say.
"Well... at least now I finally know who the friend my father always ntioned was. I believe my father must have missed you too. Before I ca of age, besides my mother, you were the person he spoke about the most," Seoryun said, carefully trimming and adjusting the truth, trying to make his words as heartfelt as possible.
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