S-Class Dungeon’s Mistress - Chapter 211

Chapter 211

"The door was too small and shabby, so I personally expanded it. Are you satisfied?"

His attitude was utterly shameless. Destroying the portal at will and then acting like he was doing her a favor. She wanted to curse at Agapanthus right then and there, but she couldn't. The demon before her eyes was the Demon King, after all. No matter what he did, Adelaide must somehow please him.

"Oh, yes! It's well-ventilated and wonderful now! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

And pleasing arrogant demons was one of the things she did best. This remained true even now that she had become the master of an S-class dungeon.

What's so hard about temporarily setting aside her useless pride? It's far better to be servile than to get caught in a dangerous situation!

Adelaide thought this and bowed deeply toward Agapanthus. "Your Majesty's discernment is truly the best in the demon realm," she said, clasping her hands together and giggling in a way that made her look like the lowest of sycophants.

Agapanthus let out a bored "hmph" and snorted. It seemed he was hoping she would lose her temper and attack him. Considering how unlikely it was that anyone would dare to do such a thing, she must have looked incredibly stupid in his eyes.

'He must have watched everything I've done so far, yet he still harbors such misconceptions. Isn't he the real fool?'

While smiling brightly, she was inwardly hurling a stream of curses at him. Her acting skills had improved so much that her face alone suggested she was genuinely delighted to be reunited with Agapanthus.

"More importantly, what brings the great King of the Demon Realm to such a humble place?"

"I came to meet my loyal servant. What, am I not allowed to come where I want?"

"Absolutely not! I'm ashamed that I wasn't prepared for Your Majesty's arrival."

Adelaide continued to bow her head apologetically. Meanwhile, she subtly surveyed the demons he had brought with him.

Behind Agapanthus stood around fifty royal guard demons, fully armed. Judging by the stronger energy they emanated compared to the demon troops she had previously encountered, these were probably the famous "Demon King's Direct Guard".

This elite guard, carefully selected from very special individuals, was known to be formidable. Each member was reportedly strong enough to make one's skin crawl, and their collective presence was indeed extraordinary. Their eyes gleamed menacingly through their helmet slits, so much so that even the skeletons involuntarily mimicked swallowing a dry gulp—despite having no saliva.

However, Adelaide herself was not particularly impressed. While the guard members looked strong, to her—who had risen to the rank of deevil—they were merely average and not worth much concern.

What truly caught her attention was a demon standing two steps beside Agapanthus.

A frail body that seemed like it would break if tapped, skin pale as if never exposed to sunlight, gray hair disheveled and unkempt, and unfocused, blank eyes... There was nothing particularly striking about his appearance. He didn't exude the fierce energy of the royal guard.

But Adelaide could sense it instinctively.

'He's strong.'

The demon before her eyes was incredibly powerful. She was certain, even without seeing any horns.

Simultaneously, a conversation with Lisianthus replayed in her mind.

"Among Agapanthus's limbs, there are four devils. Originally there were five, but Abaddon died, leaving four. Three of them are somewhat known among demons. More precisely, their nicknames are famous."

"Nicknames? Like what?"

"The Demon of Gluttony, Beelzebub. The Demon of Greed, Mammon. And the Demon of Lust, Asmodeus. Haven't you heard of them?"

"No, I wasn't particularly interested. But Lisianthus, I'll have to confront you. How can the Demon of Lust not be you? That's nonsense!"

She bit back the comment that the title should rightfully belong to Lisianthus. Or maybe Caladium.

"I appreciate the compliment, but unfortunately, I don't quite measure up. Asmodeus is a madman who enjoys orgies daily. I've heard he doesn't even shy away from bestiality."

"Ugh! I apologize. How could I compare you to such a creature... He's seriously insane."

"Yes, thank you for the apology. In any case, those three are famous but not necessarily ones to be overly wary of. They're strong, but Caladium and Lupinus can handle them sufficiently. However, the remaining one... is quite dangerous."

"The remaining one? Who?"

"...The Archdevil Belphegor. True to his domain of Sloth, he appears lazy and weak, but his power is more evil than anyone else's. He's the demon most beloved by the Demon King. Unlike Abaddon, he doesn't act much, so most consider him the third-most powerful in the demon realm, but the reality is different. If I recall, Abaddon never once won a battle against him. His power—"

What was said after that, she couldn't clearly remember. The shocking statement that he might be stronger than Abaddon had made her mind go blank.

After finally defeating Abaddon, how could an even stronger demon appear? If he was going to show up, he should have done so earlier, not when she had just let her guard down—it felt utterly unfair.

Lost in her sense of grievance, she had only half-listened to Lisianthus's explanation.

'I should have listened more carefully!'

Adelaide bit the inside of her lip, filled with regret.

With high probability, this frail demon was Belphegor whom Lisianthus had mentioned. The fact that the Demon King had deliberately brought him was proof enough. Until she remembered his specific powers, it would be best to keep her distance.

While trying not to show her anxiety, Adelaide continued observing Belphegor and Agapanthus's movements. Soon, Agapanthus's elongated eyes curved into a leisurely arc, accompanied by a soft-spoken voice.

"By the way... somehow the dungeon seems empty."

Fortunately, she didn't visibly flinch. She maintained an unknowing smile. But her heart was racing wildly.

"Having recently reached S-class, I still have many shortcomings. I apologize for disappointing your noble aesthetic sense."

Though she knew he wasn't talking about interior design, Adelaide apologized accordingly. Her goal was to reveal no clues, but in truth, she was already exposed. If Caladium or Lupinus had been in the dungeon, they would certainly be by her side right now.

"Hmm..."

Agapanthus smiled with interest and took two large steps toward her. The dungeon members, who had been frozen like herbivores before a predator, reacted.

Starting with the skeleton captain, the Durahans and vampire siblings quickly approached Adelaide in a defensive stance. Bell had already transformed and was guarding her back. The massive Cerberus bared its fangs and growled. Something was dripping from its head—Bell's saliva, it seemed.

"How dare these lowly creatures—!"

In response to the dungeon members' reactions, the Demon King's direct guard also explosively released their energy and assumed a combat stance. They seemed furious that mere monsters would bare their teeth before the Demon King.

The tension was so thick it seemed a battle could break out at any moment. Adelaide also maintained her position while keeping herself ready to manifest her power at any time.

Then, an unexpected laugh erupted.

"Kuk... Hahaha! Kuhaha!"

In such a situation, few could laugh so loudly—except for the Demon King who never cared about others' eyes.

Agapanthus held his stomach and laughed for a long time, to the point where he might soon shed tears.

'Is this guy crazy?'

Adelaide and the demons of Greenville watched him in bewilderment. Even the guard members seemed confused, with their eyes wavering through their helmet slits. Only Belphegor remained calm.

"Ah, sorry."

After about three minutes, his senseless laughter subsided. Wiping his moistened eyes, Agapanthus spoke.

"Those bone fragments trying to protect their master were just too funny. Can those thin bodies even properly walk?"

Adelaide's eyebrows quickly twisted. While she could easily endure insults directed at herself, criticizing her subordinates was a different matter.

Just as tension was building in her white hand, the skeleton captain hurriedly grabbed it. His gesture meant "it's okay". Agapanthus continued with his shameless expression.

"Don't misunderstand. I don't intend to threaten you right now. I've come today merely to make a good proposal."

It was hard to believe. The Demon King would hardly travel to this backwater just to make a single proposal.

'Not yet.'

Adelaide muttered the word she had just heard. Would his 'not yet' remain valid even if she rejected his proposal? She couldn't be certain.

"Well, does this make it somewhat believable? I'll personally punish anyone who dared to insult you."

"Kiiaaah!!"

The moment Agapanthus finished speaking, a sharp scream accompanied by a burning sound erupted. When she turned her gaze, the royal guard member who had earlier called her tribe "lowly" was burning in pitch-black flames, disintegrating.

With a light wave of his fingers, Agapanthus quickly dissolved the guard member's body.

"Tsk, how filthy."

When the melted demon liquid touched his feet, he irritatedly shook them off. Then he flashed a smile toward Adelaide again. It was a captivating smile, but now it only seemed frightening.

Though he spoke as if protecting her, this was clearly a warning. A warning that if she didn't provide an answer to his liking, she would meet a similar fate.

And Adelaide had no intention of being intimidated by such a warning.

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