The Demon King’s office was devoid of unnecessary embellishments. It had a work desk, a guest sofa, and a table. Apart from that, the work desk was piled high with numerous documents.

Three mismatched individuals were seated on the guest sofa. A relaxed-looking man, a fidgety girl, and a stern-looking woman.

“Now, then.”

Astrea leisurely poured tea for them. Bathesia was taken aback by the sight of the Demon King personally pouring tea and stepped forward.

“My Lord! I will take care of this! Why would someone as noble as you personally pour tea…”

“Sit down, Bathesia. This is my duty… Also, I don’t think you should be saying that after unleashing such magic right in front of my office.”

“…I apologize.”

Bathesia, who had acted rashly and gained nothing, sat back down.

Seeing Bathesia like this, Karos scoffed, “Idiot.”

“Quiet…!”

Bathesia growled softly. Karos was right next to her, and she could easily kill him with a flick of her hand. But she couldn’t do that.

Bathesia gritted her teeth. “You, just wait until this is over.”

“Sure, I will. Oh, thank you, my Lord.”

Astrea took a sip of tea, and Karos calmly accepted a teacup. He even expressed his gratitude. Astrea chuckled as if she found his demeanor amusing.

“You’re quite tough. You said all those things to me and yet you remain so confident.”

“Well, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ve decided to leave with dignity.”

Karos took a sip of tea. Upon reflection, he realized there was no need to be afraid anymore. He had already crossed an irreversible river. If the Demon King decided to kill him for insubordination, she could do so. And even if he managed to survive, Bathesia would be waiting for him.

He was already at a point of no return. He decided to stick to himself, as there was no point in doing otherwise.

Looking at Karos, Lillis couldn’t contain herself and shouted, “My Lord, please…!”

“Haha!”

However, Astrea burst into laughter. Her actions bewildered everyone. She looked at Karos with a playful glint in her eye.

“Very well. It seems you can handle this much. I will forgive your rudeness, Karos.”

“Yeah, um… thank you.”

Karos nodded awkwardly, finding Astrea’s response unexpected. Astrea smiled as if she found it amusing.

“That’s right. It’ll do. Maybe it’s because the demons have been mingling with humans lately, but the Demon Kings have been too boring. Alright then, I’ve had my fun. Now, Bathesia Concretia, the Demon King of Scream and Rampage. What do you plan to do about this situation?”

Immediately, pressure overwhelmed Bathesia. She screamed and released her magic, but the overwhelming force shattered her feeble defense and slowly closed in. The Demon King chuckled.

“Karos, in your case, I was willing to overlook things. You were the only witness, and your behavior bordered on insolence, so I could let it slide. But Bathesia, you’ve seriously crossed the line by disrespecting me.”

“My, my Lord…”

Bathesia ground her teeth and fidgeted. Her petite body began to contort with a creaking sound, slowly twisting.

“To release such power in front of my office? It was even detectable inside my office, where magic is blocked. Bathesia, I didn’t grant you those abilities for this kind of use.”

Gruud. Grudud.

“Ugh…”

Bathesia groaned, struggling to suppress the pain, and desperately unleashed her magic. The pressure intensified, and Bathesia’s face contorted in agony.

Then, suddenly, the pressure disappeared.

Bathesia, with her trembling body, hunched over and gasped for breath. Every inch of her was shivering. Astrea spoke with a smile.

“This incident won’t just be overlooked. Reflect on it, Bathesia Concretia.”

“Yes… I apologize, my Lord.”

Bathesia replied with a weakened voice as she regained her composure. Astrea spoke calmly once more.

“Now, Karos, why have you come here? The situation may not be ideal, but I’ll hear you out.”

“Uh, yes.”

Karos shook his head to clear his mind. He needed to stay focused on his purpose. Slowly, he began to speak.

“My Lord, are a Demon King’s abilities unique?”

“Yes.”

Astrea nodded. Abilities were symbolic of a Demon King themselves. The way they used those abilities determined their worth, and they had to instill awe in others and be a source of fear for humans.

“That’s why I believe my ability is flawed.”

“Ho?”

Karos shook his head.

This surprised Bathesia and Astrea. Karos was directly challenging the essence of the Demon King’s abilities, which were considered sacred.

Karos took a deep breath before continuing.

“My Lord, as you said, abilities are the essence of a Demon King. They should be used to impress and strike fear into others. However, in that regard, my ability is abnormal.”

Astrea chuckled. Bathesia stared at Karos in disbelief, and Lillis closed her eyes quietly.

This is bad. Lillis muttered to herself internally. It seemed that she had been entrusted to the wrong Demon King.

But it was too late now. The dice had been cast. There was no turning back. All she could do was clear her mind and remain silent.

Bathesia stared at Karos as if he were insane. Claiming that his Demon King-given ability was flawed was a grave statement, given that abilities were considered a Demon King’s very essence.

“…I knew he was crazy, but I didn’t expect him to be this insane.”

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!