NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82: Meanwhile, What About The Hero’s Party…?
Lucia’s face turned red, unable to control her reaction.
This was because she had never anticipated such a question.
“Why are you asking that?”
“Just curious.”
“I haven’t done it with anyone. I’m a virgin.”
Truth.
Hyun-woo nodded his head, seemingly unimpressed after asking.
Lucia, having declared her virginity in front of her subordinates, bit her lip tightly.
‘I’m annoyed.’
She couldn’t let this trivial matter ruin such a precious opportunity.
When else would she have the chance to engage in this kind of Socratic dialogue with this damned magician?
She had to bring back reliable information to the Demon King.
“Then it’s my turn next. Everything you’ve told me so far, including that you have no intention of saving the elf and that you’re hostile towards the hero, is all true?”
“Of course.”
Truth.
There wasn’t a second of hesitation, which was rather astonishing.
‘Weren’t you known to be companions with the current hero for quite a long time?’
It’s said that Hyun-woo was by the hero’s side even at the moment he was chosen by the holy sword.
…Perhaps that’s why the disappointment and resentment ran even deeper.
Regardless, this eliminated the possibility of him harboring any hidden intentions.
“…Now it’s your turn. Ah, if you ask me that kind of question again-”
“Do you get excited by being right?”
Lucia clenched her eyes shut.
The demon army was defeated by this pervert?
Was this correct? She suddenly felt that things were a bit unfair.
“…Yeah.”
“I can’t hear you. Is it really true?”
“Damn! I don’t have such a fetish!”
“Oh. That’s unexpected.”
“Why?”
Hyun-woo’s gaze lightly swept over Lucia’s body.
Lucia unconsciously shielded her chest from that blatant look.
“…You pervert.”
“Let’s just say I have a strong curiosity. I’ve become curious whether all succubi are perverts these days.”
“Succubi merely absorb vital energy. We’re not particularly perverts. We’re professionals.”
“Ah, so that’s what it originally was.”
Hyun-woo’s expression subtly changed.
Lucia tilted her head but quickly decided to move on to the next question.
“Can you swear you have no intention of fighting the demon army in the future?”
“As long as you don’t mistakenly touch the Armeina estate.
Lucia’s eyes widened.
That statement was practically the same as revealing his affiliation with the ‘Armeina’ estate.
‘This guy…’
It was an outright declaration of war.
Come at me if you dare.
But if you do, I won’t stay still either.
It was an overly arrogant statement for an individual to make to the demon army.
But from the demon army’s perspective, it’s also true that there’s no need to stir up trouble with Hyun-woo.
“The hero appeared much earlier than expected…so we also need more time to prepare.”
Anyway, the demon army managed to exclude Hyun-woo from their operations.
That alone was a significant gain.
“Okay. Now it’s your turn.”
“Is the Demon King a virgin?”
“Why the hell are you asking that!!”
“I just don’t have anything else to ask.”
“There are other normal things to ask! Or ask something completely unnecessary!”
“So, what about it?”
“I don’t know!”
False.
…
…
A subtle exchange of glances occurred between Hyun-woo and Lucia.
“Ah, yeah! As far as I know, she’s a virgin! Are you satisfied now!”
“Yeah, I wasn’t really curious, to be honest.”
“This guy is totally insane!”
Lucia felt insulted, even on behalf of her lord.
Perhaps because the question itself was so absurd.
Lucia didn’t realize what it meant for Hyun-woo to casually ask if the Demon King was a ‘virgin,’ what he might know.
The Demon King, who hasn’t yet made any public appearances in front of humans due to gathering power.
‘Is he not thinking that far, or is he just easily excited?’
Downgrading her assessment of the opponent.
Hyun-woo calmly proceeded with the conversation.
“So, what’s the next question?”
“…This one includes a bit of personal curiosity.”
Lucia hesitated slightly before speaking.
“Why did you leave the hero party? After holding out through so much.”
In an instant, the expression vanished from Hyun-woo’s face.
Lucia flinched, knowing the other had no intention of attacking.
A pressure she hadn’t felt even on the battlefield weighed on her shoulders.
Instinctively, she realized this man was that crazy magician.
Hyun-woo’s expression was that cold.
But as if nothing had happened, Hyun-woo even smirked as he answered.
“…The hero expelled me from the party.”
Truth.
Lucia’s eyes widened in surprise.
Expelled this magician? Why?
‘…Is the current hero that incompetent?’
She wanted to hear more, but the atmosphere didn’t allow for further questions.
Lucia just nodded quietly.
This concluded that the current hero party was completely ruined.
With an incompetent hero and just a couple of saints, they couldn’t do anything anymore.
The hero, having lost the trust of the mage tower, knight orders, and even the royal family, is now just a puppet of the church.
“Shall we end the Socratic dialogue here? Since we both found out what we were curious about.”
“…Somehow, I feel like I’m at a loss.”
“The fact that the Demon King and her subordinates are virgins is hard information to come by.”
“Ugh.”
Since a Socratic dialogue traditionally involved three exchanges, they couldn’t ask more.
Lucia grumbled in complaint.
“Anyway, you clearly mentioned a deal earlier, right?”
“Yeah.”
“So, in exchange for laying hands on the elf, you have something to offer too. What can you give? Just so you know, I want payment upfront.”
The intention was to extract something substantial now that the conversation had progressed this far, especially considering their eagerness to harm the elf.
It seemed more beneficial for the demon army in this situation, given that there was little valuable information to be gained from the elf.
“Current whereabouts of the hero and the strategy for this teleportation. How about that?”
“…That’s not bad.”
Regardless of the situation, the hero’s current location was the prime concern at the moment.
There was also no guarantee that a similar situation wouldn’t arise again.
If the hero kept escaping from crises like this, it would be a major problem in itself.
‘Knowing the hero’s relocated position makes it not too difficult to respond in the future.’
This would add another page to the report to be submitted to Lord Demon King.
Lucia sold the ‘Elf Free Pass’ without hesitation.
This was a good deal, even if Hyun-woo managed to rescue the stubborn elf somehow.
Above all, she was curious about what kind of torture the magician might apply.
I was guided by Lucia to the prison.
Being with the demon army, whom I’ve always opposed, felt strange.
‘The demon army folks have quite a good style.’
At a glance, they didn’t look much different from humans.
Thanks to Lilith, I’ve become somewhat accustomed to the appearance of demons.
Above all, Lucia had a pretty good figure, with ample breasts and a sizable behind.
Contrastingly, her short stature seemed like it would make for some enjoyable lifting.
If only there was time, I would dote on her a lot.
As I walked, I admired the swaying of her hips with a slight sense of regret.
“Where is Armeina located?”
Suddenly, Lucia asked.
Her attitude made me smile wryly.
“Trying to dig up information for Lord Demon King?”
“Not really. It’s just casual conversation.”
“No, you’re probably right.”
I followed up as I walked behind her.
“Most major strongholds of the kingdom are well known to me. But I’ve never heard of ‘Armeina’? So, it’s a countryside, right? Oh? Then how is this magician here?”
“…”
“Considering the fight with the hero party ended less than a day ago, that means you heard the elf was captured and came here immediately. What kind of information network do you have? How did you get here so quickly? What are you hiding?”
Despite Lucia’s prolonged speech, I just walked on silently.
But I could feel a slight tension in her stiff shoulders.
“Is it even possible during the war? Can we stop her? If that happens, it’s really the end. There must be some trick. Anyway, we need information. At least, let’s find out the distance she can travel.”
“Is it fun for you to tease people like this?”
“Just trying to reassure you.”
“Reassure?”
For the first time, Lucia stopped and turned to look at me.
I shrugged lightly.
“I really have no intention of meddling with you guys. In return, don’t interfere with what I’m doing.”
“…”
“This hero is doomed anyway. I guarantee it. So, you guys better prepare for the battles that come after.”
“It’s as if you’re saying the next hero will come out right away.”
I just smiled quietly.
Not sure how she took it, but Lucia started walking again.
After that, we didn’t speak for a while.
Finally, we arrived at the deepest part of the prison.
The solid iron door looked difficult for an average woman to open.
“The path is straight, so to escape, one must pass through here. I’ll wait here.”
“You could just rest comfortably.”
“Hmph! Even with the magician’s pledge, I can’t trust you.”
Well, it’s natural to be doubted.
Lucia seemed quite fastidious.
‘These kinds of people are especially more satisfying when they’re crushed and wailing.’
Anyway, I nodded my head and entered the prison.
With a thud, the door closed behind me.
‘Hmm.’
There was another set of bars beyond the door of the prison.
And inside, there sat an elf I knew all too well.
She was disarmed but not bound.
‘She’s in a sorry state.’
I heard they hadn’t laid a finger on her.
But by the looks of it, she seemed to have been rotting in the cell for days.
‘Let’s see, Claire left with only the two of them, and Leon ran away?’
The shock of being abandoned might be greater than the situation itself.
Having just finished a battle and not having properly rested, she must be powerless.
“Rose.”
As I called her name, Rose weakly lifted her head.
Our eyes met immediately.
Her face brightened as if meeting the light.
“Ah…!”
‘Good grief.’
Seeing her reaction, I honestly couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded.
But it’s not bad.
It’s much easier to handle her this way, according to my taste.
Now, how should I treat this wench to completely shatter their morale?