S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 198

Chapter 198

“An invitation from the Demon King’s Castle? This is no ordinary matter.”

Lisianthus examined the invitation Jamie had left, his voice sounding quite serious. His tone made Adelaide’s face grow equally grave.

“What could they be plotting by inviting us?”

Her imagination ran wild with possibilities. She even imagined being dragged away and tortured for killing Abaddon, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

“W-we can’t refuse, can we?”

“No. If we decline, they’ll use that as a pretext to attack.”

Gulp. Adelaide swallowed hard. They had barely finished the war with Los Halde, and now the next battle would be with the Demon King’s Castle? She wanted to avoid such a situation at all costs.

“Then we’ll have no choice but to go…”

“Don’t worry too much, Adel. I’m here with you.”

Caladium patted her drooping shoulder confidently, speaking as if nothing could possibly go wrong. His expression was incredibly nonchalant—the very embodiment of the saying “ignorance is courage”.

“Oh, by the way, we can only bring one escort.”

“Adelaide, who are you taking?”

The skeletons recalled Jamie’s previous statement and asked. However, the question was almost comical, as their gazes were already entirely focused on one demon. The capable manager of Greenville Dungeon, Lisianthus, was undoubtedly that person.

For them, it was an entirely natural choice. Who else would they go with if not Lisianthus?

Caladium’s rhetoric wasn’t particularly good, and his temperament was too fiery. Lupinus might have excellent speaking skills, but there was a risk of his identity being exposed. So only one demon remained as an option.

“Well, I’ve decided.”

Adelaide nodded decisively and then pointed at someone with her finger. The demon with an attractive, protruding horn—Caladium.

“Come with me tomorrow, Caladi.”

“If that’s what you want, I suppose I have no choice.”

Joy at being chosen brightened Caladium’s expression immensely. He raised his chin triumphantly and flashed a sly smile, not forgetting to send a smug glance toward Lisianthus and Lupinus.

The other demons’ faces, meanwhile, were filled with bewilderment. Adelaide seemed to anticipate this and quickly elaborated:

“Lisian is too busy lately, and Lupin might risk exposure. Caladi, who has the least to do, is perfect.”

“Ah, I see.”

The demons now nodded, showing some understanding. Yet an uncomfortable feeling lingered. They were worried that one of the two might cause some incident.

To visit the massive Demon King’s Castle, at least one of them would need to be intellectual. Unfortunately, neither was particularly intelligent or patient. Just moments ago, Adelaide had lunged at the messenger from the castle, and Caladium had simply clapped in excitement without attempting to restrain her.

Is this really okay?

The demons glanced at Lisianthus with meaningful looks. However, contrary to their expectations that he would step forward to intervene, he remained surprisingly calm.

‘I don’t understand why she chose that fool.’

Still, for him, it was somewhat fortunate. At least he would need to manufacture fewer excuses.

Lisianthus, standing with his arms crossed, nodded lightly and spoke:

“Very well. Then I’ll be in charge of their education.”

The word “education” made Adelaide and Caladium’s eyes simultaneously widen. It was a word they both deeply despised.

“What… education…?”

She carefully asked, intertwining her hands. Her continuously fidgeting fingers revealed her anxiety.

“To prevent unnecessarily becoming the subject of gossip, you should at least learn basic etiquette. Since we have until tomorrow, let’s head to the conference room right away.”

Her fears had indeed become reality. Adelaide closed her eyes as if receiving a death sentence.

Caladium, whose brain was somewhat cute, didn’t realize the situation applied to him as well and giggled while teasing her. Soon, however, he too was dragged away to the conference room by Lisianthus.

The education lasted over five hours. Most of the content covered basic etiquette and precautions to take in the Demon King’s Castle.

Surprisingly, Adelaide demonstrated quite impressive student qualities. Having previously received similar training from Maximilian during her stay in the Morpheus Union, and with her only classmate and competitor being remarkably incompetent, she naturally stood out.

Caladium’s class participation was truly abysmal. Within minutes of starting, he had his head on the desk, sleeping, and he attempted to escape multiple times when the lesson didn’t seem to end.

However, after hearing that not learning properly would embarrass Greenville Dungeon and Adelaide, he tried to focus. Though his head would occasionally fall back from drowsiness, for Caladium, this was an extraordinary effort.

The next afternoon.

The two demons, exhausted from the aftermath of their education, completed their preparations, dressed elegantly.

“I wish I could visit Pipa on the way…”

Adelaide murmured, gazing at the large mirror near the portal. She was quite fond of the outfit specially made by Lisianthus.

Just imagining herself dramatically flourishing her cape while meeting Penelope made her heart swell. The succubi and incubi who used to ignore her would surely be shocked by such a sight.

Unfortunately, she had no such luxury today. She couldn’t predict how long the meeting with the Demon King would last, and she had a mountain of tasks awaiting her return.

‘I’ll visit the Union next time.’

She thought it would be nice to drop by Morpheus soon, meet Maximilian, and catch up.

Suppressing her regrets, Adelaide bid farewell to the demons of Greenville.

“I’ll be back!”

The demons waved, their faces still full of anxiety. They knew well that a single day of education wouldn’t fundamentally change Adelaide and Caladium.

Oblivious to their genuine concern, she misinterpreted their worry as care and flashed a confident smile. Then, holding Caladium’s hand tightly, she stepped toward the Belial-bound portal she had lavishly established.

Belial. The most bustling region in the demon realm, home to the Morpheus Union and various other prestigious organizations and dungeons.

Despite having spent almost her entire life in the Morpheus Union, Adelaide was not familiar with Belial’s geography. During her prime, she was too busy visiting Mediar to meet Lupinus, and after weakening, she never ventured outside the union for fear of being devoured by other demons.

However, she knew the location and appearance of the Demon King’s Castle better than anyone. It was so massive and magnificent that it was visible from any point in Belial.

The Demon King’s Castle was Belial’s symbol, almost like a landscape. Incredibly large and impressive, yet so familiar to the demons living here that it evoked no special thoughts.

But now, actually attempting to enter that seemingly picturesque castle changed everything.

Standing before the enormous gates, Adelaide remained frozen, only blinking her eyes. Even before entering, she was overwhelmed by an immense pressure. The atmosphere was far from ordinary.

‘Master Maximilian, how did you manage… in a place like this.’

Thinking of her time filling the vacant Queen’s position, visiting the castle, her respect for him surged anew. She resolved to express her gratitude the next time they met.

“What are you doing? Let’s go. Don’t tell me you’re scared?”

As Adelaide rooted herself to the ground, Caladium mockingly laughed. This was always the most effective way to motivate her.

“Scared? Me?”

“Yes, you, Adel.”

“Not at all! Caladi, have you forgotten? I’m the master of an A-grade dungeon!”

She has 500 almana too! She added the last part in a lowered voice, worried someone might overhear her wealth. Then she confidently strode toward the gate. Caladium watched her self-assured back and chuckled, as if he had expected nothing less.

“What is your purpose for coming?”

A mid-ranking demon guarding the gate asked with a suspicious expression. Adelaide had been lingering near the entrance, and Caladium’s single protruding horn seemed to make him hesitant about using informal speech.

It reminded her of her past self, contemplating whether someone was a real demon or an imposter. She smiled slightly and pulled out the crumpled invitation.

“Oh, please come this way.”

The guard was startled after checking the contents and immediately became courteous. He apparently hadn’t imagined that the beautiful succubus before him could be a demon significant enough to receive an invitation from the Demon King.

Following his guidance, Adelaide eagerly observed the castle’s interior. The Demon King’s Castle was surprisingly less ornate than Los Halde’s castle or Hel Heim. It clearly seemed old, with architectural styles that betrayed its age, and even small decorations exuded an antique atmosphere.

—To put it kindly, it was antique. Some furniture even looked slightly rustic. Just like Lisianthus’s terrible taste.

“We have arrived.”

After walking for quite some time and passing through several checkpoints, they finally reached their destination.

A massive, pitch-black door. Behind this, the Demon King would be waiting. The thought made her tense once more.

Just before the door opened, Caladium gently patted her shoulder for comfort.

“Don’t be nervous, Adel. You’re the master of an A-grade dungeon.”

Moreover, she’s a wealthy woman with over 500 almana. He added in a small voice, accompanied by a playful eye smile. His mimicry was so endearing that her previously rigid face softened.

‘That’s right. I have nothing to fear.’

The other party was the King of the Demon Realm and undoubtedly possessed far more wealth, but she had something he did not: her precious family, including Caladium.

Thinking this gave her a bit of composure. Adelaide straightened her back and gazed ahead with an impassive expression.

Soon, the massive door slowly opened, revealing a luxurious reception room. Simultaneously, a demon standing at the end of a long carpet came into view.

In an instant, her pink pupils trembled with shock.

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