My Dad, the Demon King, Is a Big Problem

“...Centi! Crescent! Snap out of it!”

"…."

Hmm…

I groaned faintly as my consciousness slowly returned. Blinking my eyes open, I gradually regained clarity.

Two faces hovered above me, silhouetted against a bright sky entirely unlike the one in the Demon Realm.

Was it possible I had returned to the Human Realm?

At that moment, a system window appeared in my vision.

Hmm?

Oh, right. The rescue mission for Rearwin was definitely a virtuous act.

The situation had been so urgent that I hadn’t considered the possibility of leveling up, but this was my second successful act worthy of increasing Divine Power.

What an unexpected jackpot!

Level 34 Divine Power!

My eyes widened as I grasped the magnitude of that fact.

“Oh, Centi! You’re awake!” Rearwin clasped her hands together, her teary eyes gleaming with relief. Next to her was Meteor, his face also reflecting deep relief.

I felt my mind clear entirely as I sat up abruptly.

“Huh? Did we make it back? This isn’t the Demon Realm, is it?”

Looking around, I saw the garden of Count Heylroth’s estate, just as it had been before we entered the Demon Realm.

It was then that Meteor’s voice broke through my observations.

“Are you okay? What happened? How could you just disappear like that on your own?”

“Uh… oh.”

Right. I had vanished down the stairs, determined to find the Marchioness on my own. From Meteor’s perspective, it must have been quite worrying.

Clearing my throat, I replied, “Fortunately, I managed to find the Marchioness. But did you seriously find the door in Aldred’s mansion? That’s incredible.”

I smiled softly as I finished speaking.

I hadn’t expected Meteor to locate the door in Aldred’s mansion so quickly. Thanks to his timely intervention, my threat to Aldred probably carried even more weight.

Despite my compliment, Meteor’s tone remained firm. “Don’t ever pull something so reckless again. Even if you’re immune to Magi…”

His voice trailed off slightly, as though realizing this wasn’t the time or place for such a conversation.

At that moment, Marquis Miles spoke.

“Meteor. Since everyone’s regained their senses, let’s head inside. We need to discuss what happened at length while you all rest.”

“Yes, Father.”

Meteor finally broke his intense gaze from me. Supported by Rearwin, I started toward the mansion.

Thankfully, everyone who had ventured into the Demon Realm seemed to have returned unharmed.

Once inside, we took some time to drink water and eat light snacks. After being examined by the Holy Knights, we were allowed to rest briefly in guest rooms. Only a select group—Meteor, Rearwin, the Marchioness of Heylroth, and a few others—gathered in the parlor alongside the Holy Knights to discuss what had transpired with the high-tier Magi.

Marquis Miles was the first to speak.

“…So, Meteor. You seem to have the clearest understanding of what happened. Explain what occurred.”

Meteor took a breath and began to recount the events calmly.

“It happened so quickly. Crescent had just finished playing the cello, and we were waiting for the next child’s performance. Suddenly, everything went dark, and the space around us shifted.”

“Wait… Crescent played the cello?”

In the midst of the somber discussion, Marquis Miles blinked, clearly caught off guard by the unexpected comment.

He seemed just as surprised by my cello performance as he was by the encounter with the high-tier Magi.

Rearwin answered on my behalf.

“Ah, Miles, you should hear her play sometime. It’s extraordinary, truly unforgettable.”

She coughed awkwardly, realizing her remark had derailed the conversation.

Sharing her sentiment, Miles gave me a quick glance before refocusing on Meteor.

“So, what happened next?”

“We were inside someone’s mansion. Fireworks were going off outside the windows, and black haze filled the interior. It was clear we were in the Demon Realm. A girl, around fifteen years old, introduced herself as Lady Aldred and declared that we would be sacrifices for a banquet being held in the Demon Realm.”

“Sacrifices…? It’s been centuries since the Demon Realm attempted anything like this. Why now?”

Marquis Miles looked utterly baffled.

But everyone who had been to the Demon Realm knew the reason.

We just couldn’t bring ourselves to say it yet.

The Marchioness of Heylroth, however, burst out angrily, her face contorted with frustration.

“Why is everyone silent? We all heard it loud and clear—what kind of banquet this was for!”

Her confidence faltered as she prepared to reveal the truth, hesitating for a moment. Then, summoning her courage, she exclaimed again.

“The Demon King… The Demon King has returned! That banquet was to celebrate his return! We’re all doomed now!”

She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling with sobs.

Shock was evident on the faces of Marquis Miles and the Holy Knights.

Rearwin, however, responded calmly.

“It’s too soon to say we’re doomed.”

“Is it true? Has the Demon King really returned?” Marquis Miles asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Rearwin nodded solemnly.

“Yes, it’s true. The Demon King has returned. That’s why they needed human sacrifices. We were lucky to survive this time, but with the Demon King back, the future is uncertain. From now on, everyone must be warned to stay vigilant against Magi.”

“This can’t be…”

Marquis Miles rubbed his face, visibly shaken. The gravity of the situation made him appear as though he’d aged ten years in an instant. It was understandable—peaceful times were giving way to an era of war.

Still uncertain, he turned to Meteor.

“But how did you all survive? Facing demons should’ve been nearly impossible.”

“The demon known as Lady Aldred offered us a chance. She said if we solved the riddle and found the door within the mansion, she would let us return to the Human Realm. Luckily, I opened the door before anyone succumbed entirely to the Magi.”

“And you solved it?”

“Yes. I managed to open the door just in time.”

“…Well done.” Marquis Miles gave Meteor a look of quiet approval.

I felt a pang of guilt for doubting Meteor. Despite being only thirteen, he truly lived up to his title as the youngest Holy Knight.

Count Heylroth spoke up, his voice filled with gratitude. “You’ve done well, Meteor. We all owe you our lives.”

“But what’s the point? The Demon King is back… We’re all as good as dead anyway,” the Marchioness of Heylroth muttered tearfully. Everyone ignored her outburst, choosing instead to focus on Rearwin, who changed the subject.

“But how did I survive? They said I was to be offered as a plaything for the Demon King.”

“What?!”

Marquis Miles shot to his feet, his voice booming with outrage.

Rearwin shrugged nonchalantly.

“The demon had good taste, apparently. She said I was too beautiful to be wasted as a simple sacrifice, so she kept me aside. But somehow, I ended up being spared, too.”

Her words caused Meteor to narrow his eyes at me suspiciously. That probing gaze made me flinch.

“…Crescent. You went upstairs alone, saying you’d save my mother. What happened up there?”

“What? Centi tried to save me?” Rearwin’s eyes widened in shock, and everyone turned their attention to me.

Before I could speak, Meteor continued.

“And even when everyone else succumbed to the Magi, you were completely fine. That’s impossible without Divine Power…”