Chapter 11: -Whoosh
-Pitter, patter
The sound of heavy rain pounding against the tower walls was quite atmospheric.
Of course, this was the top floor, higher than the clouds. Rain couldn’t possibly reach this height. The rain was falling on the lower floors, only faint vibrations reaching this level.
‘Come to think of it… I haven’t done any laundry since I got here.’
My leather clothes were starting to smell.
Constantly teetering on the edge of life and death had made me neglect the basics.
‘The Demon King was a bit sentimental yesterday.’
With my body relaxed, I had the mental space to be introspective.
Yes, it was a rainy day. The Demon King seemed calm today. She would probably leave me alone. I should catch up on my laundry.
-Slam!
“Come out.”
‘Damn it.’
A room in the Demon King’s castle.
-Shine, shine.
Surprisingly, this room had a sun the size of a billiard ball embedded in the ceiling. The Demon King had made it herself.
The Demon King was currently pulling cabbages from a garden patch about 10 meters in diameter.
“….Do you really need to farm?”
“Of course. The napa cabbage you ate? I grew that myself.”
-Thump.
Her hands moved swiftly, effortlessly plucking the cabbages deeply rooted in the soil. With that kind of strength, she could be the star employee at a logistics center, not a farmer.
“…Don’t adventurers bring you money all the time?”
“…Not many of them bring money. It’s just a side hustle. And I need to save money to buy things.”
…She was a surprisingly practical Demon King. There were signs of frugality everywhere in her castle: using empty cans as cups, reusing soapy water for laundry.
The Demon King loaded eight cabbages onto a cart. She walked towards me, her bright yellow boots squeaking against the floor, a stark contrast to her usual attire.
“You’re going to help me with my work from today onwards.”
“…What kind of work?”
She stopped in front of me, pulling off her mud-stained gloves. Her eyes narrowed.
“You have to earn your keep if you’re going to live here. Did you think you could just laze around forever?”
‘That was never my intention.’
“Enjoying your free ride so far?”
‘Not at all. Get lost.’
“From now on, you’re working with me.”
‘That’s actually preferable.’
That’s exactly what I wanted. Being a peasant was a hundred times better than playing a deadly game of tug-of-war with the Demon King.
When I nodded, the Demon King let out a low, unsettling chuckle.
“You have to finish all of this by today.”
The Demon King brought over a large sack and dumped its contents onto the floor. Heads. Heads everywhere.
‘Holy crap.’
They were doll heads. So, the Demon King’s “real job” was a middleman in the doll-making process, a cottage industry of sorts.
“Hmm… It’s hard to find something you can do… Everything is too difficult.”
“Just show me what to do.”
The Demon King started assembling a doll, deftly stitching together its various parts. A teddy bear, a rabbit, and a dinosaur.
“…By the way.”
“Yes?”
“Do you sell these yourself?”
Her needle, which had been moving with machine-like precision, came to a sudden halt.
“….No?”
“Then?”
“…Someone will come to pick them up later. I’m leaving it to him.”
!!!!
‘There’s someone else who comes and goes from this place?’
But I immediately dismissed the idea of escaping with his help. He was colluding with the Demon King; there was no way he would help me. I was simply surprised to learn that she had someone working for her.
‘Well, if I think about it…’
It was unlikely that she produced all the ingredients, meat, canned goods, and necessities like soap herself, or that they were all brought in by adventurers.
“Done…”
The Demon King finished assembling a doll. It was impeccably crafted, but the wide stitches were a slight blemish.
“Give it to me.”
“Huh? Why?”
I took the doll from her and showed her what true craftsmanship looked like.
“What the-?!”
Her eyes widened in astonishment. Her expression mirrored my own when I had witnessed her deflecting Nain’s Absolute Piercing with her bare hands.
‘Perfect.’
Her work was impressive, but it paled in comparison to mine. I used only the tips of my thumb and index finger, minimizing the contact area between my hand and the fabric, which meant less staining. Unlike hers, where the stitches were visible on both sides of the fabric, mine were hidden within the seam, invisible unless you deliberately pulled it apart.
‘The essence of a doll lies in concealing its artificiality.’
I was having an epiphany in the most unexpected place.
“Have you done this before?”
The Demon King, her red eyes sparkling with curiosity, asked.
“I’ve done a lot of similar things.”
Those damn women. Because of my party members, who relied on their stats and charged headfirst into every battle, I had become an expert at sewing. I remembered Yuria’s face, the one who had been particularly demanding.
-Dongha, I told you to embroider the logo with hyacinths.
-You said tulips.
-I distinctly remember saying hyacinths.
-I swear on my soul, you said tulips.
-Hey, everyone, did you hear what I said to embroider?
-Hyacinths!
-See?
-Just give it to me. Damn it. Damn it. I’ll rip it out and redo it.
‘Those bitches!!!’
My blood pressure was rising. They treated me like a dog, making me do all their dirty work, and then they got their asses kicked by the Demon King, abandoned me here, erased their memories, and skipped off into the sunset together.
‘They have it so easy! Those bitches!!’
“Hey! What’s wrong?!”
‘Oh, crap.’
I had ripped the doll’s head. I had squeezed it too hard, overwhelmed by my emotions.
“…One defective product. Sorry.”
‘Don’t apologize. We can just replace it with your head.’ I refrained from saying.
“…It’s fine. One mistake is acceptable.”
After a while, we finished our work. The Demon King carefully placed the completed dolls into a clean sack.
“Ugh, now I just need to take this to the first floor.”
!!!
The Demon King stretched and said,
“H-Hey, can I go with you?”
“No.”
Her eyes flashed red. An ominous aura emanated from her, a clear sign of rejection.
“Absolutely not.”
“Alright.”
I didn’t know why she was so adamant about me staying behind, but it was probably related to my potential escape.
“…By the way, is that the only outfit you have?”
The Demon King pointed at my ragged leather clothes.
“…Yeah.”
It was true. Our party might have been a promising candidate for a hero party, but all the financial benefits went to the four combatants. I was basically a pack mule. I had been washing and re-wearing these leather clothes for years.
“I see. Hehe..”
?
‘Why is she laughing at my wardrobe?’
Her sense of humor was beyond my comprehension.
“Hehehe. Let’s eat first.”
Food! Kimchi stew!
If someone asked me to describe a happy moment during my time with the Demon King, mealtime would be the only thing I could write about. It was a shame there was no rice, but it was still a gourmet experience compared to the rubbery food I had been eating before I got here.
Maybe it was because I had been eating well lately, but I was able to control my appetite even in front of a well-prepared meal.
“…Here, take this.”
The Demon King handed me a gift box. It was wrapped in leaves and twigs, not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but it felt heartfelt.
‘…Don’t tell me.’
-Gulp.
A sense of dread washed over me. I unwrapped the carefully crafted packaging. Inside was a head. The head of one of my party members. And the Demon King would say something like,
-Your comrade? Oh, that. Hehehe.
!!
‘Shit…’
I knew it was unlikely, but I couldn’t help but be paranoid, knowing the Demon King’s penchant for terror.
“Open it.”
“…Alright.”
-Rustle. Rustle.
I carefully unwrapped the gift. The Demon King was watching me intently, her chin resting on her hand, a wide grin plastered on her face.
‘Don’t react, no matter what’s inside.’
I steeled myself, determined not to give her the satisfaction of seeing me react. An enthusiastic response was the first step towards being tormented.
‘There.’
I opened the wooden box.
‘…Huh?’
It was a piece of clothing. A navy blue garment.
“Hehe, take it out.”
“…Okay.”
I lifted it out. It was a navy blue hoodie made of high-quality cotton.
“This is… for me?”
“…Yes, hehe. What do you think?”
What did I think?
I loved it.
I had been hoping for a new set of leather clothes, but a hoodie, something I would have worn back on Earth, was even better.
‘…Wow.’
I examined the hoodie. It had a simple design, with a small, bone-shaped logo on the left chest.
“That’s made from melted Fenrir’s Fang.”
…She was obsessed with that damn fang, always offering it as a prize or a gift. Maybe it was actually worthless?
Regardless, this kind of fabric was undoubtedly valuable in this world.
“Can I try it on?”
“Sure.”
I shed my ragged leather clothes, which I couldn’t even remember when I had last taken off. I carefully slipped the hoodie over my head, afraid of tearing it.
‘What the? It fits perfectly.’
It was a perfect fit. I always looked good in clothes, but this was on another level.
“Hehe, it fits, right? I measured you while you were sleeping.”
‘You crazy woman! Don’t take my measurements without my permission!’
…Whatever.
It didn’t matter.
I really, really liked it.
‘A gift…’
When was the last time I had received one? Even combining my memories from Earth, I couldn’t recall.
I never thought I would say this to the Demon King, but…
“Thank you.”
“…Huh?”
The Demon King stared at me, her expression a mixture of surprise and bewilderment.
“…What?”
“Nothing, I’ve just never seen you so happy about something.”
“What?”
“Hehehe… Ehehehe.”
She smiled sweetly. I could only stare at her, dumbfounded.
“Hehe. I’m going to take the doll sack to the first floor. You can keep eating.”
‘She said I looked happy?’
…
‘Bullshit.’
My former party members had treated me like a dog on a leash. They restricted my freedom, threw me scraps, and thought I was happy as long as I wagged my tail.
The Demon King was probably the same.
‘A hoodie…’
No, I was grateful for the gift. But it couldn’t possibly change anything.
‘…I should take it off for now.’
I didn’t want to get food stains on it.
‘Huh? What’s this?’
As I folded the hoodie and placed it back in the box, I noticed a piece of paper with writing on it. I pulled it out.
‘…What does it say?’
The handwriting was large and clumsy, like a kindergartener’s.
[Let’s stay together forever and ever]
…
-Click, creak.
The Demon King was back, having used teleportation.
…!
‘What’s with that expression…’
What emotion was she displaying?
Anger? Sadness? Emptiness?
Even I, the Demon King’s resident expression expert, couldn’t decipher it. It was something I had never seen before. But one thing was certain.
It was a dark, unsettling emotion, unlike anything I had witnessed before.
“Why… What…”
“What’s this?”
She placed a folded piece of paper on the table. I recognized the message.
[Help! Trapped by evil Demon King!]