CHAPTER 74

The meeting with the two level-five demon kings under Hazard's command was only possible due to clearing out the bandits led by Orka under Hezhna's supervision. On the other hand, no new demon king had been found in the surrounding areas, which disappointed him and reminded him of the hero imprisoned in his dungeon. He was forced to summon the hero just to finally have a conversation after days of waiting—a person he intended to use as his trump card against the other demon kings, provided that his plans were to come to fruition.

After waiting for a while, a knock came at his door, followed by the emotionless voice of the undead Vlad in his grand armor.

"Your Majesty, the guest has arrived!"

"Let them in!"

The door opened, and the elf girl entered, her hands bound by four magical shackles and her feet restrained by two ankle cuffs, even wearing a muzzle. This made Hazard wonder where a magical iron muzzle had even come from.

On the other hand, Afreed no longer had that fierce demeanor. She looked around the new room—dozens of mares were braiding and styling each other's hair, while a massive undead creature with four hands sat in a chair, reading a book in one hand, writing with another, and resting its other two hands under its chin while watching her.

"Afreed… It's a beautiful name, isn't it?"

Hazard tried to start a friendly conversation, but after everything that had happened, he expected nothing but silence from Afreed even after two minutes had passed. Nonetheless, he unlocked the magical restraints with a mere gesture, and as they fell off, Afreed felt the weight of magical restriction lift from her body, rubbing her wrists. Seeing her filthy state, Hazard cast a cleansing spell on her—he didn't want his chair to get dirty.

"Sit down. I need to talk to you."

He gestured toward a wooden chair, much simpler than the rest of the furniture in the room but still clean and well-crafted—taken from conquered lands of the empire. They weren't overly polished or luxurious, as Hazard sought comfort in his workspace and had no need for extravagance here.

Now free and freshly cleaned in an instant, Afreed glanced at Hazard but initially refused to sit. Only after minutes passed did she finally surrender and sit down.

"Finally... So, Afreed, as two former humans from the same world, why don't we have a casual chat?"

Hearing that was enough to make Afreed consider the possibility that the heroes' claims were true—that demon kings were reincarnated just like them. Still, she had her doubts.

"You're from Earth too?"

Her eyes were filled with disbelief. If this was true, why did heroes fight against demon kings? As people from the same world, couldn't they come to an understanding, form an alliance, and make this world a better place together?

Hazard, who could easily read Afreed's thoughts due to his legendary-level perception, burst into laughter.

"You're really just a child!"

For a moment, guilt washed over him. Such a delicate and tormented soul, yet still clinging to childish ideals.

"I am NOT a child!"

Afreed, feeling insulted, crossed her arms while Hazard continued laughing.

"That's exactly what a child would say!"

Afreed frowned and turned away.

"Then you're a child too!"

Hazard laughed even harder.

"No, I'm not... Hahaha!"

"That's exactly what a child would say!"

For five minutes, Hazard laughed uncontrollably, unaware of how long it had been since he laughed like this. Then, he turned to Afreed with a serious expression.

"Alright, alright, let's get to the main point..."

His voice dropped, his demeanor shifting to something far more intense. Even his other two hands stopped moving.

"Tell me, Afreed, how much are you willing to sacrifice to become stronger?"

Afreed's gaze was filled with defiance, yet she answered without hesitation.

"Anything—except harming my mother and aunts!"

"Oh? So, even if it means killing a human ch—"

"I refuse to harm innocents! I'll become strong to protect the weak and my loved ones!"

Hazard locked eyes with her resolute stare.

"Are you serious, kid?"

"Yeah! I'm a hero, and I'll stay a hero till the very end!"

Just then, Hazard received the expected news—the two level-five demon kings had arrived at his castle.

"Afreed, follow me!"

He led her to his throne hall, a place far more extravagant than his bedroom. He instructed her to sit behind his enormous throne, where she remained hidden under his concealment magic.

After five minutes, using the mechanical lifts in the spiral corridors, six figures emerged before the throne room doors. Two level-five demon kings—both at the upper lord rank—stood at the front. Both were goblins. Their presence, coupled with their smug expressions, made Hazard grit his teeth. The two kings had dressed as nobility, trying desperately to appear elegant, yet the grotesque features of their goblin race could not be masked. Behind them stood four guards, each also at the lord rank, though they could hardly be considered properly trained.

A minute passed before the demon kings finally approached the throne, yet neither of them knelt, making Hazard frown.

"Is your intention to show respect, or something else?"

He asked with a harsh tone. Many promising demon kings had perished at the hands of the sorceresses, and these goblins were even worse than his lowest expectations.

"Hazard! I am the Goblin Demon King, devoted follower of my lord, Samael—the Dark Dragon Demon King!"

The other goblin demon king nodded in agreement.

"The Dark Dragon?"

Hazard felt an electric shock run through his entire being. This was an unexpected move—proof that the Dark Dragon Demon King of the South was gaining influence with the help of the Dark Faction, who sought to overthrow him. As a legendary being, he swiftly analyzed the situation. The undead were notorious for drawing strength from the dead, leading many to compare allying with them to feeding a hungry hyena—since even the corpses of their own allies were not off-limits.

However, dragons were far more powerful than the undead and known for employing other races as their servants due to their limited numbers. It was clear what choice the goblins would make in such a scenario.

Understanding this made Hazard furious.

"You filthy, vile creatures! What audacity do you have to come here of your own will? Are you not afraid of death?"

The two goblins laughed.

"Even if you dare to kill an envoy, you should know that we arrived here using life-saving scrolls!"

Hearing that, Hazard burst into a maniacal laugh, which the goblins nervously joined. However, using his telekinetic magic, he effortlessly removed all their weapons and poison capsules hidden in their mouths, filling them with fear.

"How did you…?!"

"Doesn't matter. I recorded every defensive structure and unit in this place. One way or another, we'll kill ourselves and escape!"

Hazard fell silent. The ability to capture footage—even live broadcasts—was active for all demon kings. The realization that all his defensive measures had been exposed enraged him. However, there was still one reason why he remained calm.

If these cunning creatures truly believed they would survive, they were sorely mistaken. Life-saving scrolls were rare treasures, capable of reviving a demon king below the warlord rank at their altar upon death—so long as their soul remained intact and was not slain by a hero.

But if only they knew…

That a hero was merely a hundred meters away.

"Afreed!"