The Demon King Who Draws

Chapter 103

Day 3 of Training.

During their stay at the barracks, Roderick visited daily. Not only that, but on certain days, he even shed tears, babbling about how he would surely clear the Arkand family’s injustices.

“I felt like sprinkling salt on him…”

Thankfully, he never disrupted the training. True to the reputation of a family under the Seven Deadly Sins, he remained focused solely on training during training hours.

“Training… though it’s hardly what you’d call real training.”

The Pride’s Special Forces were typically assigned missions in regions already occupied by the Demon King’s forces, placing them at the rear of the battlefield. This meant they were stationed in areas where the probability of combat was exceedingly low.

As such, recruits were drilled with only the most basic knowledge for a month before departing from Malasis to begin their missions. In my case, since I joined midway, I had only fifteen days to acquire this knowledge.

“Cadets often misunderstand how to use the Core.”

Today’s lesson focused on demonstrations and training regarding the Core. As usual, the instructor began with a historical narrative about the Core’s origins.

“…Later, the first Demon King named this the Core. It would only much later become the heart of the dungeon.”

Though the historical account was something I had already read in the manual, what followed was far more intriguing.

“Do you know that Cores can be connected to each other, allowing collaboration in dungeon management? The Demon King’s army’s invasion operations are based on this principle.”

The Demon King’s Army’s Invasion Operations.

Gradually transforming human lands into areas unusable for them a scenario often featured in fantasy content as the infamous corrupted lands of the Demon King’s forces.

I used to think, How troublesome it must be for the people of that world if such a thing disrupted their lives.

“And now I’m part of the Demon King’s army…”

“By gradually altering the surrounding magical energy using the Core, a highly concentrated magic zone is formed. Although it’s a slow process, it creates an ideal environment for demons to thrive. Conversely, it becomes uninhabitable for humans, forcing them to abandon their territory. It takes time, but the benefits for the demons are immense.”

This was the current state of war between demons and humans.

Territorial expansion through invasion.

Highly concentrated magical energy was akin to poison for humans, leaving them no choice but to retreat from the territories that were fully invaded.

“I’ve never participated in an invasion before, though.”

Even when raid dungeons were updated, the protagonist always operated solo.

I had no memory of collaborating with others or doing anything involving a Core. After all, the original Faust was never assigned to invasion missions while part of the Demon King’s army.

“A Core is like a second heart, external to a demon’s body. For a dungeon, it functions as a bastion, a beacon, and a generator.”

Whoooom…

The instructor swiftly formed and levitated a Core.

“All cadets will eventually learn to create a Core this easily using simple materials.”

I had already learned the theory of Core formation from the manual. I had even successfully created an artificial Core.

“Such Cores are efficient enough in magic rotation to be utilized in combat. For instance, the Terellude and Roser families’ combat techniques incorporating Cores are truly remarkable.”

Naturally, the cadets’ gazes shifted to Saria Roser.

“What a peculiar woman.”

Since the second day, I had been crossing paths with that cadet far too often. Not in terms of clashing opinions or friction, but in the literal sense our movements overlapped frequently.

“Is she monitoring me?”

The Roser Family of Pride.

Moreover, despite her excellent qualifications, she had personally volunteered to be assigned to this special unit.

“…Could she be a spy?”

Never fully trust those around you. Especially in groups other than the Demon King’s forces, it’s easy for other factions of the Seven Deadly Sins to extend their influence.

In other words, there could very well be infiltrators hidden within the special forces.

“Well… I’m a spy too, aren’t I?”

Thinking about it, I was also an infiltrator for Greed. What a chaotic organization this was.

“However, no matter how potent a demon’s magic is, an individual’s power alone cannot sufficiently strengthen a Core.”

Something interesting came up.

“The Core, as a vessel, expels new magic once it’s filled. In other words, there’s a limit to magic alone. The ancestors found their first solution in harnessing the energy of nature.”

This was known to be a method discovered by chance. A dungeon created to protect something precious placing the Core within it caused the Core to gradually absorb the essence of nature, inflating its power.

“The second method is absorbing the souls of life. Although this method was forbidden for quite a long time, as you know, the ban was lifted after the Hegemony Wars.”

A method once practiced only by wicked demons had eventually been mobilized for war. At the time, everyone was desperate to survive, just as the dungeon created to protect something precious had ultimately become a weapon for war. The Core, too, had followed that history.

‘That’s how that bizarre existence known as Faust came to be….’

Afterward, only the connection of multiple Cores for invasions was practiced, and combat training was omitted.

Other units trained for over three months, up to half a year at most, because they combined combat training with what we were learning. However, as combat wasn’t the primary focus of Pride’s Special Forces, our combat training was minimal.

‘Well, at least we’re skipping unnecessary training, so that’s a relief.’

***

‘The Art of Puppetry, huh….’

It was the secret sorcery of the Purple Witch, obtained from the Witch’s Land. If the cursed blade Mislante embodied the culmination of their curses built up over time, this secret sorcery represented a different branch of the Purple Witch’s vision.

The contents of the book were filled with fascinating sections.

‘Hypnosis, suggestion, and brainwashing all occur in a single process….’

Of course, it wasn’t a power that could work on someone much stronger than oneself. If it could, the Purple Witch would have already emerged from the Frozen Lands and puppeteered the frontier nobles of the empire.

‘The trigger lies in a moment of fear….’

This aspect was the highlight of the secret technique.

– Any living being can awaken to fear. A sharp object, an unfamiliar plant, a creature with many legs. Such trivial things can bring out primal fear, and once experienced, the instinct recalls that fear. It becomes a bowstring, and soon….

It required many conditions.

The opponent had to be significantly weaker than oneself. If not, the opponent had to be in a compromised mental state. And one had to somehow invoke fear in the target.

‘And then use the ritual discovered by the Purple Witch to implant a suggestion.’

From that point, it was similar to other forms of hypnosis or suggestion. However, by delving deeper, one could control the target like a puppet.

***

…Day 7 of training.

Phenex’s nightly walks had become a way to mark the end of long days.

Amon had asked not to be disturbed until the training was over and hadn’t emerged from her spatial pouch.

Ipos and Lucifer remained unchanged spending time in a way that was neither too present nor absent.

When bored, Ipos would repeatedly retreat into the small spatial pouch he’d been provided.

Speaking of spatial pouches, I had come to realize how limited their potential was.

Being a demon artifact, the empire was meticulous in its countermeasures against them. For instance, while it might seem disastrous if a demon loaded with spatial pouches appeared in the heart of an imperial city, such a scenario was said to be impossible.

Humans had developed devices to detect the distinctive magical traces of spatial pouches, and these were deployed without fail even in the empire’s frontiers. As a result, demons couldn’t even dream of sneaking into the empire while carrying one.

‘Well… demons aren’t fools, so they’re likely researching ways to disable those surveillance devices.’

Additionally, using a spatial pouch exposed the user to danger, regardless of the pouch’s grade.

Though such flaws in older pouches had been known, perhaps they’d be improved in the future.

“Hey, is it true? That guy drags Yoma servants into his bed every night?”

“They say he’s the last bloodline of the fallen Arkand family. Truly… how could someone like that….”

“Exactly. Instead of seeking vengeance, he’s indulging in lust.”

Just when I thought things had been quiet lately, another rumor had sprung up.

‘…This is the third time, isn’t it?’

Although each special unit trained at different locations, all of them ate at the same place. Consequently, I couldn’t avoid overhearing such gossip in the cafeteria.

It was inevitable, considering that cadets were at an age where anything but training was amusing. Gossip was likely their primary outlet for stress relief.

Even if my identity was fake, it was still annoying. The remarks were irritating enough to make one feel irked even without invoking self-reflection.

Swoosh….

As his gaze shifted, jet-black hair came into view.

‘We meet again.’

Saria Roser. It was her again.

She was coming this way, carrying her rationed food.

…And she had a group of men following her.

“…Saria, just say the word. I’ll get you out of that wretched special forces unit. If I talk to my father, it’s as good as done….”

“Isn’t this conversation already over? I came here because I wanted to, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped bringing it up.”

Saria was incredibly popular among the cadets. There were other groups beyond this one that followed her around like this.

Despite being repeatedly rejected, it seemed these men were determined to win her over during her one-month stay here.

…And suddenly, her eyes met his.

‘…Don’t tell me, no way.’

Saria walked straight toward him.

Screech…

Without hesitation, she sat down directly across from him. She had never done anything like this before.

Saria was a woman who always acted unpredictably without any prior signs.

‘Completely self-centered.’

Was she showing no regard for his situation? Or… was she pitying him for eating alone and trying to show kindness?

Whatever the case, he had no interest in dining with someone noisy.

“Saria, I… Hmm? Oh, who do we have here? It’s the infamous philanderer from the rumors, isn’t it?”

“Haha! It really is! That guy! Hey, I’ve got a thing for the Yoma race too, but I’ve never seen anyone as bold as you.”

“Saria, you’re dining with someone like this now? Be careful. Who knows when Lord Arkand might suddenly decide to stew his guts for dinner.”

Thunk.

That comment finally elicited a reaction from Saria, who had been about to take a spoonful of her stew.

“You… I can tolerate you pestering me, but dragging the people around me into it….”

This was troublesome.

How could he resolve this situation peacefully?

It was obvious that saying anything could escalate things. Such groups were usually quicker to resort to fists than words, and a single wrong word could lead to a fight.

The table would likely get smashed, chairs would fly, and the surrounding demons would shriek in panic. Exactly the kind of outcome he hated most.

‘Ah… That should work.’

After days of persistent study, he was confident it would. After all, Faust was made for situations like this.

‘The key is a moment of fear. A fleeting fear….’

Inspiration struck.

He adjusted his aura and released it toward everyone at the table except Saria.

Swish…

Flinch!

He could see the flicker of fear in their eyes, even if only for a brief moment. The rest would be handled by the predetermined magical ritual and its trigger word.

“Do you understand what courtesy is?”

“…What?”

The trigger word: Courtesy.

He manipulated the flow of magic to embed a suggestion into the word “courtesy.” On the surface, it appeared as a conversation, but beneath it, the ritual was being initiated in conjunction with the word.

“Courtesy is a principle that any being with intelligence should uphold. Don’t you all agree?”

Hiss…

Their eyes grew hazy.

“…Yes, that’s true.”

The spell had taken hold.

“To remain in the same space as me or approach Saria is discourteous. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Being discourteous… is wrong….”

Good thing he had prepared in advance.

“If you understand, quietly leave this table and disappear. That’s what courtesy demands.”

Swoosh…

One by one, they tidied up their chairs and walked away with their food. Their movements were sluggish, their eyes unfocused.

Step…

Step…

“…….”

“Th-that….”

The entire hall had grown silent, shocked by the unbelievable sight they had just witnessed.

“Baron Arkand… You….”

“Enjoy your meal in peace. I’m full, so I’ll take my leave.”