“Let’s head back to the castle.”
“Yes. We need to plan out our next steps.”
The next four years.
In a way, it can be said that he was lucky to have come into the Devildom.
Thanks to Ricky’s effort, he came to know that the problems back home were solved.
‘If it isn’t enough, we can make some time too.’
It is only a day on earth.
There was a sense of separation, but it was good. And he knew himself too well both in the past and now.
It would be nice to recover his heyday’s strength in four years.
‘Reaching that state is not something that can be managed just by having more time.’
Although there was no specific division, in his previous life, he was not bound by level or class. Instead, it reached the extent where magic could be used as if it were merely breathing.
And that will soon be manifested as magic.
It wasn’t something that happened at the stage of being a 9th class. When all the right things are met, one becomes aware of that realization.
‘For now, just transcend higher than 9th class.’
Jamie was already able to hit 9th class due to the battle with Hawks in Frontier, but he didn’t wholly enter the realm.
And he can conquer the 9th class within a year and then try to aim higher afterward.
Swordsmanship too.
‘I am still lacking.’
Jamie grabbed Balisada.
Vincent was definitely a sword genius. Even though he wasn’t a Grand Master, he was able to threaten Jamie.
If a little more time passed, he was bound to reach Grand Master status. Then Jamie could easily kill him…
‘Zenith, that bastard took him.’
Zenith, who came down, had taken Vincent’s body as he exited. In a situation where it would have been better to throw away the close-to-death body, he took it, which meant he was planning to use the guy again.
And if he hadn’t died by now, it meant Jamie would meet him again. To make things worse, he was likely a dangerous enemy for Jamie, especially if Zenith was helping him.
One way or another, Vincent’s talent was unique.
‘Jeok Jun-Kyung. Diomedes, father… he cannot be compared to them.’
But with his talent in the sword, he was better than them; as Kreon said, he is someone loved by the sword.
‘Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to win him with just swords.’
It had been 4 years, but the sword wasn’t his forte.
And being a Sword Master at this age by inheriting the blood of Welton is an amazing result, but putting that aside, he had no talent for it; it was all effort.
So he didn’t think he could beat anyone with his skills.
So he decided to re-learn everything he had learnt in the past 4 years.
‘I will be quite busy.’
He had a plan to spend the next four years efficiently.
To rebel against God.
“Himera.”
A man with bright red skin, grey hair, and thorns called for Himera.
He was wearing the clothes which seemed like a high-ranking person would wear, but Himera bowed his head very briefly to the man.
“Count Beiros, you were here?”
One of the few high-ranking nobles who were granted estates to rule under the Demon King of Lust.
It was the Demon Dragon Beiros.
The very demon who infiltrated the magic world 5 years back and almost pushed Jamie to a corner.
Beiros stood next to Himera and asked.
“Where did that man go?”
Himera couldn’t stay silent at the question of the demon who ranked sixth in the council. This was a world where everyone paid importance to their pride.
Himera politely pointed out Jamie’s place.
“He is currently with the Demon King.”
“I see.”
“But that person, I heard that he had a bit of a mix-up with the Count before?”
The story of Beiros heading down to the ground on the command of their Demon King of Lust and coming back with huge wounds was famous here.
As a Demon Dragon, he had suffered for a long time.
“It was the price of my carelessness.”
The skill difference was obvious. But he couldn’t simply acknowledge it.
Just like how huge humans get bitten by dogs due to carelessness, Beiros thought his situation was similar.
‘If we are put back into the same situation again, I will humiliate him.’
The problem is that his demon king was fond of that person now. After that day, their king’s actions changed a little, making them wonder why.
It was because of this human.
He sometimes asked why the king was siding with the person, but he was never answered.
It has been a long time, and the human finally appeared here.
“What about it? Will you fight with the human?”
Himera asked Beiros with a whispering voice.
Looking at his expression, it looked as if he was toying with an interesting being. This cheeky demon always forgets his position and tries to go against high-ranking people.
Beiros opened his eyes wide and warned him.
“Do not cross the line, Himera.’
Himera opened his eyes wide and bowed his head.
“I made a mistake.”
“Huh.”
Beiros crossed his arms and walked to the window. In the distance, he could see the demon king and the human returning.
He felt complicated.
He wanted to repay the human for the humiliation he had gone through, but he couldn’t just act on his instincts with the orders given.
Even if there was a cause for it, the demon king wasn’t telling them, and even if he did something, the demon king would notice it.
“As expected, you want a fight.”
Himera spoke again, making Beiros annoyed and wanting to hit him until he heard.
“I have a way.”
“You?”
“Yes. It is the method which the Count knows too.”
“I know?”
Beiros frowned as he thought, what could he know? And as he remembered it, he looked at Himera.
“Do you think that will work?”
“From what I heard, the human intends to leave Devildom today. But seeing him come back like this, I have a rough idea why.”
“And what is that?”
“It is a need to get strong. If so, isn’t that a good enough way?”
“Hmm…”
“What are you so worried about? You do have to repay the humiliation of that day.”
Despite the warning, Himera continued to scratch the pride of Beiros, but he didn’t mind.
Despite acting all cheeky, he knew that Himera’s words were always helpful.
“Your words are right.”
He never forgot the humiliation he felt that day, and for decades he focused on getting stronger. Thanks to this, he was able to ascend to the sixth rank from the seventh.
This time things will happen the other way.
“If I put the rank on the line, even the Demon King will not refuse.”
A ranked duel.
Through this, he will kill the human. This is the law of Devildom, the pride of the strong.
“I feel like I will sneeze.”
“You shouldn’t be catching a cold here, though.”
“Right. Is someone thinking about me?”
Jamie asked Trika on the way back to the castle.
“Looks like something got into my nose.”
He rubbed his nose roughly, and then both were near the castle’s entrance. But the atmosphere was chaotic.
Even though the Demon King arrived, instead of greetings, mumbling could be heard from within.
When Jamie looked at Trika, he raised his hand, and magic flew.
Thud!!
The castle shook, and then the demons realized their king had come and rushed out.
“The Demon King is here?”
It looked like a sight from the local market. It was funny to discuss the human hierarchy in the Devildom, but this unorganized movement was the same.
If Trika was ill-tempered, he would have annihilated them all.
However, Trika was a gentle king.
“What is it?”
At the question from their king, a demon with an octopus head and a slippery beard said.
“That… Count Beiros is waiting for you.”
“Why is Beiros here?”
“H-he wanted to request a ranked duel.”
“Duel?”
Trika frowned at this word.
“Why does he want to fight against those who aren’t even demons?”
“Beiros? Who is that?”
Jamie, who was listening to it, asked when he heard the demon wanted a fight with him. Trika said with a troubled face.
“The demon dragon you met.”
“Dragon? Ah, that guy!”
Jamie snapped his finger as he remembered that the demon dragon was the henchman of Trika who had tried to ruin the magic world 5 years back.
The guy said he was of count level but couldn’t even deal with Jamie’s power.
If Beiros hadn’t been careless, the entire magic world, including himself, would have suffered.
“He wants to fight me?”
“Uh…”
The octopus head demon wasn’t sure how he should be reacting here.
“Why aren’t you…”
Jamie got a little frustrated and tried to question them when he realized the atmosphere around him was eerily silent.
No one was talking, and he looked at Jamie and Trika with strange eyes.
Only then did Jamie realize the mistake he made.
‘I treated Trika like a lesser in front of his demons.’
On the other hand, Trika was regarded as their king.
“Trika. You can be comfortable with me.”
“…Yes.”
Trika, who realized what he meant, nodded his head.
Even if they were lord and subordinate, Trika was the demon king here. And if he acted like he was bowing to a human, would his subordinates follow him?
Especially demons.
Jamie wasn’t someone who knew all the habits of the demons, but he could understand them to an extent.
“Demon King.”
Jamie changed the way he addressed Trika, making the demons look confused.
As if to respond, Trika coughed once and then answered.
“Right. Speak.”
The change in the two’s demeanor was so quick it made the demons feel like the scene before was a hallucination.
The demons were still confused, but their faces relaxed a bit since it seemed like the irregular things had changed.
‘I cannot even read their expressions.’
Maybe it was because each was unique that the expression couldn’t be known. Well. In any case, Jamie wasn’t going to back out of the duel.
He was planning to pay back that dragon one day; this was a good chance.
“Please allow the fight with Count Beiros. I am not a demon, but it looks like I will be staying here for a while… wouldn’t it be nice if there is a clear hierarchy?”
“Are you serious? Count Beiros is strong.”
Beiros was known for his body and was powerful enough to rise to the level of Marquis if he grew just a little more.
The only high-ranking demons that could be said to be stronger than him are Duke Katos, and Marquis Lillian, who are in 2nd and 3rd places.
The 4th and 5th places, Marquises Kellum and Iodes, weren’t much different from Beiros.
Although Jamie had become stronger than 5 years back, it was too much to go against a demon like Beiros.
“It is fine. Rather it is better to be fighting against strong opponents. This will be good training.”
Training in magic and sword.
Everything is good.
However, if he chose to focus on only one of them, there would be a limit.
He was thinking of how to train, and such a good opportunity came up.
‘There is nothing which makes me stronger other than a battle with my life on the line.’
There is a saying that playing with life or death will make the skills skyrocket.
Jamie thought so and looked at the castle. A face he hadn’t seen in a long time was watching him.
“it has been a while, Beiros.”
“Ahh, you didn’t die and managed to live.”
Beiros jumped from a high veranda and smiled.
“Thank you for accepting my challenge.”
“Thank you for putting your rank on the line.”
“There is no need for rank on a chunk of meat, right?”
“Then hand over that chunk of meat to me; I will make use of it.”
A fierce battle was already happening between them.
