The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 46: Doppelganger (8)

I spotted Kim Eun-ha through the monocle. The blue energy wavering within the form indicated it wasn’t a doppelganger.

“So, you came here with the intention of joining under me, right?”

“Yes.”

Kim Eun-ha nodded with a tense expression.

“It’s amusing that I’m suggesting this and saying it, but in my Twilight Guild, there are demons you despise. They are by your side right now as well.”

As I glanced to the side, Hyude there bowed lightly.

I looked back at Kim Eun-ha and asked again.

“Is it still alright with you?”

“Yes, as long as I can become stronger. I don’t want to feel powerless anymore.”

Determination shone in Kim Eun-ha’s eyes.

“And… above all, I want to watch over them by your side. Of course, it’s only as much as I can do, haha…”

“I see. Then follow me. This place isn’t suitable for discussions.”

“Yes.”

Together with Kim Eun-ha, I entered a black portal and floated to the floating island.

Behind the main building, a training ground came into view. It wasn’t too big or too small, it felt more like a backyard with a grass field than a training ground.

Under the crimson light pouring down on the training ground, we faced each other.

“First, there are two ways for you to become stronger.”

“Two ways?”

“Yes, the first is a method to become strong in an instant, but it comes with risks. It’s a method I’ve never tried, and there’s a possibility of death.”

“…And the second?”

“The second is gaining enlightenment through me. It will make you stronger than now without risks, but the growth rate will be slow, and you won’t be able to catch up with a true demon.”

Honestly, I had no reason to make Kim Eun-ha strong enough to confront demons. Solomon guys were already there.

However, I decided to have confidence in ‘force’ but not assure ‘victory’ until I saw the opponent. After all, I almost got trapped there after being arrogant and killing my enemy,

So, I judged it would be good to have at least one ‘variable.’

After contemplating for a while, Kim Eun-ha asked.

“Well… Can I hear about the first method for now?”

“The first method is accepting my power.”

The Seven Deadly Sins granted Magi to the believer. So, I could make humans stronger using the same method.

“…Seo-jun’s power?”

“Yes. You might have already noticed, but I use magi, not mana.”

There are already demons following me, so there is nothing to hide for me using Magi.

Originally, Kim Eun-ha didn’t seem like the type to boast, and above all, there were people who already vaguely aware.

In fact, Kim Eun-ha listened calmly.

I continued speaking.

“If someone with mana uses this magi, they might die due to the rejection reaction occurring in their body. Of course, preparations have been made, but I can’t guarantee you won’t die.”

“…But if it succeeds, will there be changes other than strength?”

“I don’t think there will be significant changes outwardly. Internally, you’ll remain human if that’s what you desire.”

Kim Eun-ha looked at me for a moment.

Then, she gave a faint smile.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“So, are you choosing the first method?”

“Um… I’m sorry, but can I think about it a bit more…?”

“Of course, you can. I understand if you reject it because your life could be at risk. In that case, let me explain the second method for now.”

“Surely, it was about Mr. Seo-jun giving enlightenment?”

“Yes.”

I approached Kim Eun-ha.

“Your strengths are flexibility and speed. And that results in quick evasion and wielding. But looking at your body now, it seems like you’ve forgotten those strengths. As evidence….”

I turned around behind Kim Eun-ha, and she looked at me with confusion.

I bent one knee and pressed Kim Eun-ha’s waist with both hands.

“The muscles around the waist are all tensed up like this.”

“Ah..! Mr. Seo, Seo-jun…?!”

“Stay still. Let me loosen this first, and then I’ll continue explaining.”

“Yes, y-yes…!”

Kim Eun-ha gritted her teeth, enduring the pain while tightly gripping her hands.

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“…It’s done!”

Jeong Ye-rin finally smiled as she looked at the completed potion. It was the ‘The Demon’s Claw’ potion Seo-jun had requested.

Holding the flask containing the potion and blood, Jeong Ye-rin headed to the floor where Hyude was.

“Hyude, do you know where Seo-jun is right now?”

“Oh, Alchemist Jeong Ye-rin, if you are looking His Majesty, he’s with a woman named Kim Eun-ha on the floating island. Probably at the back of the castle. Would you like me to guide you if you’re okay?”

“No, it’s alright. If it’s the floating island, I can enter through this portal, right?”

Jeong Ye-rin pointed to the shimmering rift in the air.

Hyude applauded with a somewhat serious gaze.

“Indeed, you have excellent insight, Alchemist Jeong Ye-rin.”

“Ahaha… Thank you. Well then, I’ll be on my way.”

“Yes, please take care.”

Jeong Ye-rin tightly closed her eyes and pushed herself into the portal. When she slowly opened her eyes amidst the scent of flowing sea, a different scenery unfolded before her.

The majestic castle rising nobly.

“Wow… This is it…”

She exclaimed in admiration at the mysterious and dazzling scenery.

‘Ah, not the right time…

Although she momentarily lost focus, Jeong Ye-rin gathered herself and headed towards the back of the castle.

As the sun gradually set, a violet haze descended upon the floating island.

“Heu, heuk…!”

“Endure the pain.”

When she almost reached the rear, an odd sound reached her ears.

‘…Huh??’

Jeong Ye-rin, who was strolling on the floating island, suddenly stopped. Since there were only two people here, the voices clearly belonged to Seo-jun and Kim Eun-ha. But why did the voices sound so intimate? Did I mishear?

‘No, I must have misheard.’

Thinking so, she continued walking.

Yes, I definitely misheard just now. This serene atmosphere must have stimulated my imagination.

“Heu…!”

“……!!!”

At the sound of another moan, Jeong Ye-rin instinctively pressed herself against the wall.

No, this is definitely not a mistake. The owner of that embarrassing sound is undoubtedly Kim Eun-ha.

‘That means…’

A gentle face flashed in her mind with the thought.

Are they doing things here without knowing that others might come?! Like this! Like that?! The things I’ve only heard about in words?!!

‘No, I need to see it with my own eyes.’

But someone once said, before observing, it is not a fact,

To confirm the truth, she stuck to the wall and moved slowly towards the back.

Her heart pounded wildly, a mix of subtle anxiety and a strange excitement surged. And it was when she cautiously peeked around the corner.

– Bam! –

“Oops!”

Near her forehead, something like air popped slightly. Overwhelmed by the sudden impact, Jeong Ye-rin pressed her buttocks and touched her tingling forehead.

“Aahh….”

Staggering steps, she slowly opened her eyes to take in the situation that had unfolded in front of her. A clean fragrance that instantly enveloped her, the lightly swaying end of a cloak, and long outstretched legs.

Neat black attire, and…

“Jeong Ye-rin.”

Even the piercing gaze of his sharp eyes.

From where the spiderweb was hanging, Seo-jun looked down at Jeong Ye-rin, who had sat down hesitantly.

“I didn’t know you were good at conventions.”

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I glanced down at Jeong Ye-rin who had been secretly observing us. Her face turned as red as a radish, probably embarrassed at being caught, and her large eyes were shaking severely.

Soon, Jeong Ye-rin stammered an apology.

“Well, the, your specialty is observation…! And, if we talk about faults, isn’t it more Seo-jun’s fault?! What, what is it! Yeah, lewd behavior! Even if there are no onlookers, it’s still like that…”

“…Lewd behavior? What are you talking about?”

I observed Jeong Ye-rin briefly through the monocle. It seemed odd since she had the right intuition, [I don’t particularly feel inclined to use the Lezie’s Insight on her, but I can’t help it.

Kim Eun-ha, who had approached silently, tilted her head as she looked at Jeong Ye-rin.

“…Miss Jeong Ye-rin?”

“Oh, oh! Don’t come this way!”

Jeong Ye-rin hastily crossed her arms and covered her eyes with both hands.

Then, glancing briefly at Kim Eun-ha through her fingers, she seemed puzzled.

“Uh, uh…? You’re wearing clothes…? Come to think of it, Seo-jun too….”

Lowering her hands, Jeong Ye-rin scanned my attire.

…She seemed to have some misunderstanding, and there didn’t appear to be a need to use the Lezie’s Insight.

I chuckled and spoke.

“Why is it strange for me to be wearing clothes?”

“Oh, no?! There’s nothing strange at all?!”

“I didn’t know you had such preferences. Even now, I can accommodate your tastes if you’d like?”

“Oh, no! It’s, it’s fine!”

As I pretended to take off my cloak, Jeong Ye-rin hastily covered her face with both hands.

“W-what are you doing outdoors?! Just wearing shoes and enduring pain like that!”

Seeing Jeong Ye-rin’s blushing ears, I chuckled inwardly. Maybe I should clarify now. Pretending to be oblivious, I asked.

“Is massaging knotted muscles outdoors such a strange thing?”

“…What? Are you talking about a massage?”

“Yeah. I don’t really think it’s something strange.”

“Th-then, a misunderstanding…?”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?”

As Jeong Ye-rin lowered her hands, her face became visible. The redness that seemed like it wouldn’t return had the potential to burst forth at any moment.

Transformed into a tomato, she shouted at me, “Ah, it’s not a misunderstanding?!”

“Hmm, if there’s any misunderstanding, wouldn’t it be better to clear it up?”

“But it’s already cleared up?!”

“Is that so? Then, do you have any misunderstandings about us?”

“But?! I just came to deliver something!”

Jeong Ye-rin took a violet pouch from her embrace. Indeed, she came to deliver what I mentioned before, the “The Demon’s Claw” and “Blood.”

‘Let’s stop the jokes here….’

I decided not to tease her any further, as she might faint on the spot. Besides, there’s much to do, and I still need to help Jeong Ye-rin, who is still sitting, get up. Taking her forearm gently.

“Sorry for the misunderstanding. Now, stand up.”

At that moment, Jeong Ye-rin swatted away my approaching hand. I looked at her in surprise.

“Oh, oh! This is! It was just a reflex! I absolutely don’t hate Seo-jun or anything!”

…What’s this? It feels like being bitten by a trusted dog. The metaphor might not be entirely fitting, but it’s bewildering nonetheless.

Quickly recovering, Jeong Ye-rin carefully placed the violet pouch on my still hand.

“Well, you mentioned this! I’ll be going now! Goodbye!”

Then, she bent her waist deeply and dashed away. Jeong Ye-rin stumbled once on her way, but she quickly got up and hurriedly left.

‘I might have teased her too much….’

I scolded myself for the part Jeong Ye-rin swatted away. In hindsight, it was a bit too much. She could have fainted due to embarrassment.

Once she calms down, I’ll have to apologize later.

I turned my gaze back to Kim Eun-ha.

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Kim Eun-ha, who still couldn’t comprehend the situation, blinked her eyes. Indecent act crime? Outdoors? Massage? Moaning? Endure even if it hurts? What on earth do those words mean…?

“Haha!”

Soon, as she understood what those words referred to, her face turned crimson.

“Now you get it?”

“Oh, it’s a misunderstanding!”

“The one you should have told that to has already left.”

“W-what should I do?”

“I’ve already clarified it, so there’s no need to worry. And who knows, that misunderstanding might turn out to be true.”

“W-what?!”

Seo-jun seemed satisfied with her reaction and smiled faintly. Then, he quickly composed his expression.

“Even someone like me, unintentionally…” muttered Seo-jun, correcting himself, “It was a joke. Anyway, we should continue what we were doing. So, calm down.”

Well, telling someone to calm down after intentionally agitating them. Although Kim Eun-ha grumbled internally about it, she soon placed her hands on her chest and took a deep breath.

“Yes! Please proceed!”

Of course, the flush on her face hadn’t completely subsided. Seo-jun, seemingly unconcerned, continued speaking.

“As I mentioned before, your strength isn’t your advantage. It’s your speed. So, focus more on enhancing that speed.”

“Speed…”

“Yeah, that ability of yours, your speed.”

With each word he spoke, the heat on her face gradually diminished.

“It seemed like it wasn’t the case initially, but did you hear any strange rumors from anyone?”

“Uh, our guild leader… no, my brother said that monster doesn’t consider our situation, he said I need to enhance my power.”

“Hmm, that’s a valid point, but the way you accept it is incorrect. There’s no need to forcibly increase strength to enhance power. Power also increases according to that speed of yours.”

“Ah…!”

It seemed foolish. How could she not have known such a simple thing until now? As I continued speaking, the redness on her face gradually disappeared.

“However, if you blindly try to increase your speed, it might lead to more strain on your body, making you less effective than before. So, when swinging the sword, release the strength before and give it only at the last moment when you reach the final target.”

“……?”

She seemed to understand the general idea, but without experiencing it, the concept remained somewhat abstract in her mind.

That considered, Seo-jun drew his sword from the golden sheath.

“Well, seeing it once is faster than hearing about it a hundred times.”

On the surface sprinkled with amethyst light, he slowly assumed a stance. In an instant, his atmosphere changed, and diverse lights sparkled in the serene space.

“Engrave this sword into those two eyes.”

– Whooosh… –

As a cool breeze swept in, I found myself holding my breath unknowingly. In the space where only a hazy light flowed, I felt the restrained bun gently swaying.

Then, when the wind subsided, and the hair settled calmly.

In the soft silence, a fierce storm erupted.

– Ach—!! –

A eerie tearing sound that pierced through the silence. When I suddenly came to my senses, his sword was swinging in a crescent shape, and my eyes widened at the ensuing air pressure.

In the perfect darkness, his sword, flawless and indescribable, held within it unimaginable years.

“… It’s getting dark, so let’s end it here today. I have other things to do later.”

Seo-jun released his stance and slowly sheathed the sword. However, the remarkable afterglow still lingered on that trajectory, perfectly settling within the confines of the hilt.

Though not flawless, it seemed I could follow at least the breath expelled.

Just facing that high wall had improved my skills.

“Going back home, ponder it slowly. The way back is the same as before.”

The tall wall retreated, becoming distant. As always, it was an unhindered stride.

…It felt strangely frightening.

Afraid that the immensely high wall might still be visible, afraid that the distant wall might eventually forget its existence.

Kim Eun-ha tightly clenched her white hands.

She didn’t want to regret anymore. It was enough to experience the loss of doing nothing once.

So, if she could get a bit closer to that wall even at the risk of death…

“Seo-jun.”

Even if she died, it seemed she wouldn’t regret it.

(To be continued in the next part)