I ended up staying awake all night.
I was too furious to sleep.
Over the years, I’d encountered countless demons, caught up in endless brushes with Magi. But for some reason, the Duke of Dimensions made my blood boil more than any of them.
Was it because he dared to hold the top rank in the Demon Realm while possessing the same divine beauty as Meteor?
Even if that face was fake, it was infuriating.
But above all, it was his way of toying with me that grated the most.
Not that it was the only problem.
The fact that I couldn’t pinpoint his exact intentions after visiting me twice now also gnawed at me.
He seemed to be acting under the Demon King’s orders to kill me, yet he left with nothing but mockery each time.
“Ugh, I can’t take it anymore. Instead of wasting time lying here, I’m going to train.”
I shot up from bed.
Who knew when the Duke of Dimensions would show up again? I had to strengthen myself as much as possible.
After hastily wolfing down breakfast, I headed to the training grounds.
The Pluto Ducal House had a training ground as well-equipped as the Holy Palace itself.
I let out a spirited yell and began swinging my sword.
“Even on weekends! Destroy demons! Down with the Demon King!”
Maybe it was the pent-up anger from dealing with the Duke of Dimensions, but I felt unusually energized.
Even after the saints had told me I should stop, I continued training.
How many hours had passed by the time a familiar ding rang out?
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ begs you to stop training already. Watching your form for over half the day has made him unbearably sleepy.]
“Not yet!”
Wham!
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ is disappointed.]
Despite Sylvester’s protests, I kept slicing through the air with my blade.
Even as I focused on my swordsmanship, thoughts of him—the Duke of Dimensions—kept creeping into my mind.
He’ll come after me again, won’t he? When? If only I could prepare to strike first...
Maybe I should set up traps or something.
Swinging my sword, I brainstormed ways to prepare for his inevitable return.
There was no way I could take him on with just my raw skills, so I’d have to come up with some other strategy.
“Ah! That’s it!”
I suddenly shouted as an idea struck me.
Why hadn’t I thought of it sooner?
Images of all the ingenious inventions I’d seen at Cyrillote’s weapon shop flashed through my mind.
If not one of those gadgets, maybe Cyrillote could come up with something else useful—like my Eun-chongi.
I quickly sheathed my sword and bolted out of the training ground. Training for the day was officially over.
[‘Dragon Slayer Sylvester’ expresses joy that you’ve finally stopped.]
Thank you for your support, Sylvester.
I sent a brief note of gratitude before getting ready to go out.
Luckily, the sun was just starting to set, so it wasn’t too late in the day.
I hope Cyrillote’s still at his shop.
With that thought, I stopped by the kitchen to pack some snacks to bring to him.
He’d be thrilled to hear how well Eun-chongi had performed in the Demon Realm. The thought of his proud reaction lifted my spirits.
Soon, my carriage sped toward the bustling marketplace. It wasn’t long before it stopped near Cyrillote’s weapon shop.
I stepped out and hurried toward the shop, only to stop in surprise.
“Oh?”
“Oh?”
At that exact moment, Cyrillote stepped out of the shop, and our eyes met.
I glanced between him and the darkened interior of the shop.
It looked like he’d closed for the day.
“Crescent?”
“Are you heading home?”
I walked up to him, a bit disappointed.
“What brings you here at this hour?”
“What else? I came to see you.”
“...What an honor.”
Clap, clap, clap!
Cyrillote applauded three times in exaggerated delight, his eyes shining with mock reverence.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I cleared my throat awkwardly.
“But the lights are off, so I guess you were heading home.”
“Ever heard of ‘leaving on the dot’? The clock struck five, and I bolted out of here. I have a condition that prevents me from staying a minute past quitting time.”
“That’s too bad. I came to browse your shop.”
“Good thing I was just about to reopen.”
Before I could react, Cyrillote turned back and unlocked the door.
The door swung open with a click, and I felt slightly flustered.
“Oh, you don’t have to open it just because of me—”
“It’s not for you. I just remembered today’s an overtime night.”
“Do you have designated overtime days?”
“Yep. Starting today.”
He grinned at me as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
...Oh no.
Now I felt bad for interrupting his post-work peace.
But trying to stop him seemed pointless—he wouldn’t close the shop again even if I asked.
Feeling a bit sheepish, I followed him inside.
“Sorry about this. I’ll come earlier next time.”
“Good thing we ran into each other; you almost wasted a trip.”
“But your quitting time is more important. Thanks, though. Oh, and here, this is for you.”
I handed him the bag of snacks I’d brought from the ducal estate.
Cyrillote gave me a curious look as he took the bag.
“They’re really good. Think of it as premium desserts crafted by the Pluto family’s finest pâtissiers.”
“Wow. Imagine if I’d left even a second earlier. I’d have missed out on these. Thanks, Crescent.”
He accepted the snacks without hesitation, his face lighting up.
“Want to share them? Since I’ve officially declared today a non-quitting day.”
“No, I already ate plenty.”
“Then I’ll savor them slowly later.”
“Sounds good.”
We exchanged smiles, and any lingering guilt I felt about delaying his evening faded.
In fact, I was glad we’d crossed paths.
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.
I had a lot on my mind.
“And this,” I began, pulling out Eun-chongi, “is what I wanted to talk to you about.”
His eyes widened slightly at the weapon.
“I used it in the Demon Realm recently, and it was a lifesaver. It was way more useful than I expected. Honestly, I might not have made it back alive without it. Thanks, Cyrillote.”
“Hearing that makes me proud.”
“The Magi I faced this time was under the control of the 23rd-ranked demon in the Demon Realm. It was tough, but Eun-chongi made things a lot easier.”
“Eun-chongi?”
“Oh, that’s the name I gave this gun.”
“My invention even gets a name from you? I feel honored.”
His dark eyes softened, shimmering like a starry sky.
I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Which is why I wanted to ask you something, Cyrillote.”
“Ask away. A hundred favors, a thousand, even ten thousand—I’ll grant them all.”
Why was he so quick to agree?
His immediate response caught me off guard, and my eyes widened slightly.
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s not a hundred. Just one.”
“Then hurry up and tell me. I can’t wait to help.”
His eyes sparkled with anticipation, making me chuckle softly.
With a lighthearted yet resolute tone, I finally said, “Cyrillote, I want to buy every single one of your inventions. All of them.”
“!”
His eyes went wide in shock.
Thud.
The bag of snacks slipped from his grasp, falling to the floor.
“Crescent, did something happen in the Demon Realm?”
His reaction was so dramatic that I couldn’t help but laugh.
But my smile quickly faded.
“Things always happen in the Demon Realm. But there’s a demon I really want to kill. And he’s much stronger than I am.”
Plenty of demons needed killing, including the Demon King himself.
But for now, my focus was on the Duke of Dimensions.
Because if I didn’t deal with him, I’d be the one who’d die.
Cyrillote’s playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a somber expression.
He picked up the fallen snack bag and nodded firmly.
“Follow me, Crescent. I’ll even give you a special discount.”