The girl stood around 150 cm tall, dressed in a short gothic-style dress adorned with purple lace. She wore fishnet stockings and high-heeled boots. Her hair, styled in two high pigtails, was shaped like drills, and her eyes gleamed with a diamond-shaped violet hue.

Though she resembled a human at first glance, her eyes betrayed her. Those diamond-shaped pupils were a hallmark of the demons.

It didn’t take long for me to figure out who she was.

That demon must be Princess Aldred.

Right on cue, the system window appeared.

Warning!

Demon Realm Ranking No. 162 - Princess Rohert Aldred has appeared!

Princess Aldred smiled brightly.

“Greetings, everyone! My name is Rohert Aldred. Please call me Princess! You all have been specially chosen as offerings for the grand banquet celebrating the return of our Demon King! Congratulations!”

Bang! Bang!

Aldred set off two more fireworks.

What the… are those fireworks or bombs?

The explosion was deafening, like it was tearing apart my eardrums. The light was so blinding that even with my eyes closed, it stung.

Everyone clutched their ears, unable to open their eyes. The cacophony reverberated in my skull, and it felt like an eternity before the noise finally subsided. I cautiously opened my eyes, only to see what could only be described as a scene from a dynamite explosion.

Seriously, could you not set off such loud fireworks indoors?

However, Meteor seemed unfazed by the racket and spoke in a calm, steady voice.

“…What did you just say? The return of the Demon King?”

That’s right.

Just moments ago, Aldred had mentioned the “grand banquet celebrating the return of the Demon King.” Meteor had clearly caught onto the significance of her words.

A chill ran through the air, and fear rippled across the group.

The return of the Demon King.

It was a concept no one had ever dared to consider.

For the past 500 years, the Demon King had been gone, and the human world had enjoyed peace.

Outside the northern territories, people barely even understood the nature of demonic entities. To them, demons were little more than legends.

And now, the Demon King was back?

It was inconceivable.

If such a claim were true, it spelled nothing less than the end of the world.

“That’s impossible. The Demon King is dead,” one of the noblewomen muttered in despair. It was a statement born of disbelief, but the reality couldn’t be ignored—this was the Demon Realm, and there was a demon standing right before them.

Aldred giggled, her voice filled with amusement.

“You might find it hard to believe, but our Demon King has indeed returned! That’s why the Demon Realm is in constant celebration these days. At the grand banquet where the Demon King himself will appear, all of you will be offered as sacrifices!”

Clap, clap, clap!

Aldred applauded enthusiastically, completely oblivious to the oppressive atmosphere among the humans.

Can’t you see how everyone here is feeling?

Her excitement stood in stark contrast to the despair surrounding her.

And then—

“Liar! That’s a lie! The Demon King is dead! You’re making it up!” another noblewoman screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria. Her outburst set off a chain reaction, with the children breaking into loud sobs.

Even children my age understood the gravity of the Demon King’s return. They had grown up with fairy tales of a peaceful world devoid of the Demon King.

Now, faced with the reality of the Demon King’s return and being in the Demon Realm, their fear grew overwhelming.

The cries of the children only intensified.

“Shut those brats up!” Aldred snapped abruptly, her cheerful facade dropping to reveal a menacing glare. Her sharp tone silenced the children instantly, as if they had been struck mute.

Aldred’s smile returned as quickly as it had disappeared.

“But don’t worry,” she cooed. “We demons don’t just kill recklessly. I’ll even give you all a chance to return to the human world. The doors to this mansion can only be opened by solving puzzles. If you can find a way out, go ahead and try!”

“…Is that true?” Countess Heylroth asked cautiously.

Her voice carried a faint glimmer of hope, but I was more skeptical. After all, no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see any doors in this mansion.

Forget solving puzzles—just finding a door seemed like an impossible challenge.

“Demons always keep their promises,” Aldred said with a sly smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, black smoke began to seep into the hall.

Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…

“If you can manage to stay conscious through the miasma, that is!” Aldred added gleefully.

“!”

Miasma spreading already? And we’re supposed to find a door and solve puzzles in the middle of this?

This miasma was toxic to humans, causing them to lose consciousness upon inhaling it. It was as if she was setting them up to fail and ensuring they’d become sacrifices.

I could hardly believe her audacity, but Aldred seemed quite pleased with herself as her gaze scanned the group. Her violet eyes suddenly sparkled with interest.

“Hm? You….”

Her gaze landed squarely on Lady Rearwin, who was glaring at her with fiery indignation.

“What business do you have with me?” Rearwin demanded.

“Oh my, with a face like that, you’d make a lovely plaything for our Demon King. You’ll be given special treatment!” Aldred exclaimed.

“What?!”

Her words were as shocking as they were appalling.

Meteor looked just as horrified as I felt.

Before anyone could react, Aldred had teleported directly in front of Lady Rearwin and grabbed her wrist. Rearwin’s face went pale as she struggled against the demon.

“Let me go!”

“Mother!”

“Mettie—!”

Rearwin’s voice echoed as she vanished, leaving Meteor grasping at empty air. Aldred had whisked her away in an instant.

“……”

“This can’t be happening….”

The room fell into a stunned silence, as if time had stopped.

Lady Rearwin had been kidnapped.

She had vanished right before their eyes.

As the humans stood frozen in shock, the miasma crept closer, thickening around them. The noblewomen screamed as they clutched their children and pressed themselves against the walls.

“Ahhh!”

“We have to get out of this mansion!”

“Find the door, quickly!”

Just as panic was about to take over, Meteor stepped forward, his silver sword slashing through the air. The miasma that touched the blade dissipated instantly.

He swung the sword several more times, but the miasma was spreading faster than he could clear it. A faint look of frustration crossed his face.

“This miasma—it must not be inhaled. Aldred said it would only knock us out, but prolonged exposure will kill us,” Meteor warned.

“What?! Oh no….”

The noblewomen clung to their children even tighter, retreating further into the walls. The miasma had already risen to my knees, but no one moved to protect me. Not that it bothered me much.

I turned to Meteor and asked calmly, “What are you going to do about Lady Rearwin?”

“We’ll have to find that demon. First, we need to get out of here. If we find the door, she’ll show herself again.”

“Quickly, let’s find the door—ugh!”

One of the noblewomen gasped, her strength visibly waning. At that moment, a piercing scream rang out.

“My daughter! Rossi has fainted! Rossi, wake up!” Countess Heylroth wailed, shaking her unconscious daughter.

The miasma was now up to my waist, and the children, being more vulnerable, were succumbing rapidly.

Meteor, protected by his divine power, remained unaffected. Similarly, I felt no effects thanks to my own holy energy.

As the situation spiraled further out of control, Meteor’s brow furrowed deeply.

“This isn’t good. I’ll search for the door right away,” he said decisively.

Just as he turned to leave, he hesitated and glanced back at me, his expression tinged with worry—and suspicion.

“Crescent, are you okay? Why aren’t you affected by the miasma?”

His question drew the attention of Countess Heylroth, who echoed his confusion.

“Th-that’s right. Crescent, why aren’t you affected? It makes sense for Meteor as a holy knight, but you…?”