"My son wasn't a demon lord though."
"Demon Lord?" My old father, I'll just call him Dad since that's not what I used to refer to the Marquis even once. Well, alright, my 'dad' did not learn when to take hints. It seemed the topic of getting united with one's son had hit him on a sore spot.
I thought they would all be fine even if I was dead, but that didn't seem to be the case. Why else would he ever come back to the Hunter's Association?
Anyway, my cheeks and horns were being pulled apart mid air and I had more pressing matters to attend to.
"Then maybe I am not," I said. I really, really, really did not want to be counted as this woman's son.
Not because she was hateful or a bitch, I was one too. She kinda reminded me of me, but there was a much more deeper and fundamental reason behind why I did not wish to be associated to her in the slightest.
"But, that ring is mine. I left it for my son."
I looked at my hand.
The amethyst ring that almost fucked me over was on my hand.
"I picked it up," I said.
"Only my son can wear it though. Anyone else and they'll break apart into bits."
A sigh left me.
Charlotte suddenly grabbed me by my sides and pulled me in front of her, at an angle where my dad could see too.
"You killed Dantalian and used her to become a demon, didn't you? I promised her your body, and that bitch believed me. How was that little snack?"
"Little what? You fucking I almost died."
"No way! I would disown you right now if you say that. Did you taste her or not? I mean aside from what you did with her horns, you had sex with her didn't you?"
"What kind of thing are you asking your son, white hair?"
"Who said I am her son!"
Charlotte suddenly started cackling.
"You fell for it you fool. Thunder Cross Split Attack—Not. You just admitted to Dantalian and knowing about the promise I made her, see."
Oh fuck. I was tricked. I was backstabbed. I was quite possibly bamboozled.
A sigh left me. This was my own fault.
"Fine, I am your son."
"NO SHIT!" Charlotte cheered out loud and raised me even higher in her hold, almost as if she was lifting an infant instead of a grown person.
"That loser took good care of you. What's your name?"
"You don't know your son's name, white hair?"
Charlotte stuck her tongue out toward my dad and grinned.
"No idea, I left to get milk, red hair."
"391 chapters, and that's how we handle the most anticipated encounter."
"How irresponsible. I feel bad for this child."
"Whatever, what's your name kiddo."
I sighed again.
This.
This was why I didn't want to be considered her son.
This was the biggest problem. The fucking name.
"I-I-it's…"
"It's…?"
"Eugene Ha—"
"EUGENE GODSLAYER!!"
"NOOOOOO!!"
Charlotte, like a girl seeing a doll to play with started spinning me around with a bright smile.
Seeing it, I could feel my dad's vigilance slowly rub off.
She kept tossing me in the air, and my dad let his spear down.
"Hah. It seems you guys are not our enemies."
"Enemies?" Charlotte tilted her head. "I just wanted to fight the strongest one here."
This woman was crazy. I was starting to like her!
"I figured as such. In any case," my dad turned his gaze toward me. "With a third in the game, it'll be difficult to not destroy this place. I am afraid I would not appreciate that."
"Oh right, kid's strong. Eugene God—"
"Hall. It's Eugene Hall."
Charlotte's face scrunched up.
"Ew, not that shitty name. You want to be associated with Ban of all people?"
Right. Their's wasn't a consensual marriage, it was one at the tip of a blade, Charlotte's blade.
"Well I don't mind it. But the strongest's son should have a strong enough name. Names have a lot of value, you see."
"All that aside, can you let me go now?"
Charlotte let go of me without any problems.
I then looked around at the place and sighed.
The entire floating island where the Hunter's association was situated had been destroyed. This was… quite the first impression.
At least we could talk now.
***
It took a little convincing from my dad to get the hunter's association and the cowards inside to take a hold of themselves.
The Elves and Giants and Dwarves and Drakes and whatnot that Charlotte had brought along seemed to be used to her antics and had gone out of their way to protect everyone from this world that could have been caught in the crossfire. It was quite the sight to see elves bringing about ice and wind and some dryads making barriers of trees.
A drone had come over in the skies with an ear piece for my dad. He then relayed what the Hunter Association thought of.
And that was, most naturally, a meeting.
What was with all these meetings? I felt like a corporate slave with all of it. Anyway, we divided ourselves back to our groups and decided to convene in the clearing that Charlotte and Han Jun Ho had so kindly made for us here.
Both of them seemed strangely reluctant to let me go, but of course, I was a third faction in this meeting as well, and on my side were Albert, Luka and Miss Clayton.
"Why am I being counted as one of you!?" Miss Clayton screamed.
"I apologize, Miss Clayton, but we're not exactly used to people from this world."
"This world? You mean you're not just a horn-wearing weirdo? You're one of those other world folks?!"
"That's right. Both me and these two."
"And your mother tongue is English? That's one depressing other world."
Miss Clayton sure had a way with words. I didn't think it necessary to explain that we were actually people from this world from that world to this world. It was confusing just to think of.
"Point being, we're a group now, Miss Clayton. Welcome aboard."
"I have a job…"
"As one of us!" Albert cheered.
"What do we call ourselves? How about the Murder Quartet."
"I like demon lord of cataclysm and his cronies + Miss Clayton better."
"Guys, really. I have to get back to my job—"
Miss Clayton was not going to be heard out. While the other two factions were discussing whatever plans they held, we were busy with figuring out what to call ourselves. This was not an amicable discussion.
Just before it devolved into the use of fists, I felt a familiar presence behind me.
My senses and ability to look into souls had turned insane since I became a Demon Lord. It was very similar to how Lethe never needed to use her eyes to see anything.
And this soul felt like something that should belong with us.
I turned back, and so did the rest.
And there stood a young man looking at us with widened eyes. I could tell he was.
"T-T-T-T-That's me… and… L-Luka…?"
Luka's jaw dropped open as soon as he saw the person walking out of the Hunter Association's gates.
"ALBERT!?"
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om