Chapter 247
He fell into thought.
‘Come to think of it, Inferinos also used up a lot of his power making something in his territory. Was he afraid I would invade?’
Could it really be a gift of peace?
Carpheios concocted a plausible reason. Hadn’t he just heard a marvelous interpretation from his subordinate? His mind faithfully worked in a way convenient for Inferinos. This was because he coveted the dark purple Deadly Bloom so much. Thus, avarice clouded the judgment not only of humans but also of demons.
<If you’re so doubtful, it might be good to just receive it and confirm it yourself. Don’t be a coward, just accept it.>
“Who’s afraid of a mere 3rd rank?”
Carpheios clearly had a rebellious streak. The subtle provocation actually dispelled his suspicions.
He re-crossed his legs and arrogantly tilted his chin up.
“Alright. If you plead so earnestly, there’s no reason not to accept.”
<…I’d like it if you opened an exit on your side.>
“Understood.”
A whirlwind raged, and space tore open. Inferinos had already opened an entrance on his side, so a passage piercing through space connected immediately.
Screeech.
A coffin, from which Deadly Blooms bloomed, slid out.
“This is…!”
The moment he saw the real dark purple Deadly Bloom before his eyes, Carpheios’s hands tightened on the armrest of his rock throne.
Due to his barren environment, Carpheios lacked a courtyard, which everyone else had. Thanks to this, his knowledge of plants was abysmal, but he couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of the Deadly Bloom, which spread its fame far and wide.
The mysterious and seductive form of its many curled petals and the pistils extending longer than the flower itself, captivated Carpheios’s heart instantly.
His heart, which he had lived so long forgetting whether it even existed in his left chest, asserted its presence. For the first time in a long while, his heart pounded, and his breathing quickened.
“How do I grow it?”
He intended to do everything himself if only he were told how. He was confident he would cherish it even more than Obsuclia, for whom he had personally made slime baby food.
<Just keep it away from sandstorms, and be careful not to break the pot.>
Inferinos casually instructed him, as if bothered, and then disappeared from the mirror. Since the dark purple Deadly Bloom was considered the greatest marvel in the Demon Realm, other demons also showed interest.
“This is the dark purple Deadly Bloom…!”
“Oh, indeed. It truly lives up to its reputation, Demon King!”
Carpheios’s retainers subtly appeared before the throne to admire the dark purple Deadly Bloom. Then, one of them cautiously offered advice.
“Your Majesty, shouldn’t you open the coffin? There might be something suspicious inside.”
Others chimed in.
“That’s right. We should check.”
“While we’re at it, perhaps repot it…”
“Alright, open it.”
An attendant demon carefully opened the coffin lid, making sure not to damage the stem or flowers. Then, at the sight of the true ‘flower pot’ revealed, all the demons gasped.
“Gasp! The, the flower pot…!”
“Unbelievable. The flower pot is even prettier!”
A female succubus in a flamboyant Gothic dress lay neatly inside the coffin. A dress with purple frills and black fabric. Long pink hair adorned with jewels.
Everything harmonized perfectly, as if existing solely for the dark purple Deadly Bloom. Her face was hidden by a half-mask, so it wasn’t visible, but as a succubus, she would inherently be a great beauty. Perhaps she was even someone who had reached a considerable level among her kind.
Even lying still, her allure overflowed, as if tempting everyone.
“Sh-should we remove the mask?”
Everyone was curious about the face of the pink-haired succubus. They swallowed hard, waiting for Carpheios’s command.
However, Carpheios was an excellent Archdemon.
“No, close the lid.”
Shouldn’t good things be monopolized? Carpheios wanted to admire the flower pot, which he liked as much as the dark purple Deadly Bloom, all by himself.
“I was told to put it somewhere where the wind doesn’t get in. I should move it inside the Tomb of Chaos Gods.”
“Should we put it in your bedroom? It’s a private place designed so no one but Lord Carpheios can enter.”
A demon reporting on the construction site shrewdly suggested.
Carpheios’s eyes gleamed with possessiveness, and he brightened.
“Good. I’ll move it myself while I go see this ‘bedroom’ place.”
Carpheios immediately lifted the coffin with a flourish. Of course, as a Demon King worthy of the name, he didn’t use brute strength. With a single gesture from Carpheios, the heavy marble coffin floated into the air as if controlled by telekinesis.
Then, the air in front of him shimmered, and a hole piercing through space was created. All areas of Sanarak were within Carpheios’s domain. Even for a place he had never visited, creating a passage connecting his throne room and the bedroom inside the Tomb of Chaos Gods was not difficult.
Carpheios stepped boldly into the passage with the Deadly Bloom flower pot.
Screeech.
The surrounding environment changed instantly. The majestic view of the rugged cliff peak vanished, and a narrow, civilized space unfolded.
It was a luxurious room, such as any human noble might use. Exquisite fabrics adorned the walls and floor, and grotesque furniture made from human-faced trees was strategically placed throughout the room.
Carpheios tapped the bed as if knocking. Hardness transmitted through the thin sheet.
“This, I like.”
It was a hard stone bed, as if reflecting Carpheios’s taste. He looked around the room for a long time, pondering, then placed the Deadly Bloom flower pot on the carpeted floor. It was the perfect spot to use as a sofa table and admire it.
“Good.”
Carpheios knelt on one knee, lowering his body. It was a posture he hadn’t assumed since ascending to the Demon King’s throne, but he was willing to do it for the dark purple Deadly Bloom.
Click, the coffin lid opened on its own. The sleeping female succubus, not making a single sound, was revealed again. His fingertips carefully removed the mask. The face of the heavily made-up beauty was beyond his expectations.
“This can’t be…!”
For a moment, this arrogant Demon King felt a shock as if struck by lightning on his crown.
“Such a flower pot, perfectly suited to my taste!”
He was momentarily dazed, then snapped back to reality. He was a dignified Demon King.
Even though he was alone in the room, he couldn’t tolerate such a foolish display from himself.
Thwack!
He closed the coffin lid, blocking the succubus’s face from his sight. He struggled to hide the pounding in his chest and supported the base of the dark purple Deadly Bloom with his hand. It was a gentle touch, as if caressing a lover’s chin before a kiss.
He said with determination, “I swear on my name, I will cherish and raise you well.”
He was a Demon King who kept his word. Hadn’t he become a master of slime baby food when raising Obsuclia? Although he was a novice in horticulture now, if he studied hard, he would become an unrivaled master in the cultivation of dark purple Deadly Blooms.
Perhaps he could even increase the number of dark purple Deadly Blooms and create a small flower garden.
‘Reproduction…!’
It was a strangely moving goal. The demonic energy emanating from the highly excited Demon King turned the bedroom’s air into hell. The faces of the human-faced furniture trembled in fear.
Then, a thought belatedly occurred to Carpheios.
“Come to think of it, ‘that person’ will be arriving soon, and I can show them something truly rare.”
Carpheios felt proud at the thought of impressing the ‘Newly Born Chaos Evil’. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but the Chaos Evil was unusually cold towards Carpheios among the Three Demon Kings.
Sometimes, when it looked at him with eyes like a blood-filled abyss, Carpheios felt inexplicably suffocated.
As if it were barely enduring not killing him immediately.
“…Even that person will surely be impressed by the dark purple Deadly Bloom.”
Carpheios rejoiced, intent on earning points this time. He couldn’t leave his throne room for long, so he opened a gate again and stepped through.
Silence descended upon the room, which was like a secret chamber with no windows.
But after a moment, something suspicious happened in the empty space.
Thud!
The coffin lid opened forcefully.
And the succubus, who everyone had thought was in suspended animation, sat up and stepped out of the coffin with her booted feet.
The succubus—no, Aillet disguised as a succubus—ran a hand through her hair in annoyance.
“I need to get this done quickly.”
Bringing up her map, she exited the bedroom. Her destination was the deepest part of the Tomb of Chaos Gods, the ‘Chaos Altar’.
✠
The central courtyard of the Pontifical Palace had lost its grandeur and sanctity, turning into a wasteland.
The faithful and citizens of the Elfenheim Holy Theocracy, who had barely survived the destruction wrought by Reed, were stunned for a long time.
“Just… what was his true identity…?”
“How could such a wicked being appear in a Holy Ground…?”
The high command was also engulfed in despair and failed to perform their duties. Pope Benedict Deloard was closing his eyes and praying, and the ministers of the Holy Sword and Holy Gospel were nowhere to be seen, as if buried underground. And Saintess Muriel Philise was lying in a pool of blood.
“Oh, my God…”
Grace Knight Commander Rex Easter knelt before the devastation. He couldn’t even touch the Saintess, only grieving deeply. He didn’t dare push aside her disheveled black hair and put his hand to her face to check for breath.
Then, an unbelievable thing happened.
“Ugh…”
“Your Excellency…?”
A privilege for the Possessor