I Became the Youngest Summoner in the Strongest Guild

20. Arcana Online

As I listened to the monster-like being and the headless knight talking, it seemed very suspicious.

Hearing about an invasion and seeing numerous troops coming out through the gate, could this be related to the quest that appeared before?

[CHAPTER 1: Protect the World Tree.]

A window shining in golden light.

While hiding behind a tombstone and observing the situation, I placed my hand on the tombstone and fell forward with a thud.

At that moment, I felt a gaze on me.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, I raised my head and looked forward to see the monster staring at me.

"Hello?"
"Why is a human here?"
"I-I'm sorry!"

The headless knight who had been trying to protect me until just now knelt on one knee and pleaded.

"This is a young human who knows nothing!"
"You say that, but they've learned of our existence."

As the being tried to approach me, the headless knight blocked its way.

Seeing this, the monster drew its sword from its scabbard and pointed it at the headless knight.

"A knight who's lost his lord still prattles on about chivalry?"
"......"

The monster sighed and put its sword away.

"I don't intend to harm them. I want to take a closer look, so step aside."
"Understood."

The headless knight stepped aside, and the monster came closer to look at me.

I hugged Yong-yong, who was in my arms, feeling tense.

"How strange. I'm looking at a human, but I feel no emotion."

After staring at me curiously for a while, the monster pointed in the opposite direction with its hand.

"Go."

When the headless knight tried to take care of me after hearing those words, I became curious.

"Excuse me!"
"Are you talking to me?"

The monster, who was about to turn back, stopped in place and looked at me again.

"I have a question. Are you targeting the World Tree?"
"How do you know that? You're correct."
"Why?"

The monster looked at me with interest and opened its mouth to my question.

"The world I live in, what humans call the demon realm, is currently turning into a land where nothing can live due to pollution. It's becoming a cursed land where even the undead can't survive."
"Even the undead, who are already dead?"
"That's right."

He said that to purify the world called the demon realm, which is polluted by an unknown cause, they need the World Tree.

That's why they're targeting the World Tree and invading, but...

"Can't it be resolved peacefully?"
"How do you think they would react if we asked them to hand over the World Tree?"
"They'd probably fight to the death to prevent it..."

Hmm, I guess that won't work.

Then, is there no good solution?

At this rate, the Forest Clan will suffer great damage.

The Elder who took care of me and Mellin unni would also be harmed in this situation.

At that moment, I remembered the seed I received from Mellin unni.

«Seed of ???»
I don't know what it is.

I took the seed out of my inventory and held it out.

"Could this possibly be used for purification?"
"Th-that's..."

The monster looked at the seed with a surprised face, and then something unexpected happened.

It knelt down and pleaded with me.

"Please. Save the demon realm."
"W-why are you suddenly doing this!? Please stand up!"

At that moment, an alert popped up.

[A quest has arrived.]
Save the demon realm!

Reward: Unknown.

Forgetting my fear, I approached the monster and told it to stand up, and it finally did.

"I'll help you, so please stand up."
"Thank you! Then let's go to the demon realm right away!"
"That's not possible. I have something I need to deliver first, so I'll come back after that."
"I understand. I'll be waiting."

Passing by the monster who said it would wait until I return, I approached the headless knight.
He said he would guide me to the exit and told me to follow him.

And he spoke quietly.

"Are you sure you'll be alright? The demon realm is more terrible than you imagine."
"In the end, it's just a place where people live, right? I'll be fine."

Come to think of it, they're not people...?

Well, what could go wrong?

I waved goodbye to the headless knight at the cave entrance, saying I'd be back soon, and headed to Cradle Village.

I arrived at the village, handed the mushrooms to Bell unni, and completed the quest.

"You're back already?"
"Yes! I found them quickly. And I might not be able to come for a while."
"For a traveler, travel is everyday life, so it can't be helped. Be careful on your journey."
"I will!"

After saying goodbye to Bell unni, I headed back to the cave.

When I entered the cave entrance, the headless knight was waiting for me.

Following the knight to the place we were before, I saw a huge red entrance had appeared.

"Using the gate, you can move directly to the demon realm."
"That's amazing."
"The environment will be very different, but don't worry. I've already sent word about you, so no one will touch you."

The moment I entered through the gate.

[You are the first traveler to visit the demon realm.]
Gained 100,000 Fame points.

When I closed my eyes and opened them again, two red moons were hanging in the dark sky.

The moonlight illuminated the surroundings, and everything looked strange.
A tree that looked like it had been struck by lightning turned to look at me when it felt my gaze, and something that looked like a huge rock moved on its own.
The monster told me to move as I was looking around.

"Let's move to the Demon King's castle."
"Castle?"
"The residence of the Demon King, the ruler of the demon realm."

More importantly, I can't keep calling them "monster" or "headless knight" forever.

"What's your name?"
"Name, is it."

After thinking for a while, the monster said I could just call it by its race name.

"Then what race are you?"
"Orc."
"Orc!?"

It's slightly similar, but really only slightly.

When I looked at the monster-like orc with suspicious eyes, it broke out in a cold sweat.

"Ahem. The orcs of the demon realm are different from those of the middle world."
"Middle world?"
"We call the world where humans live the middle world."

As we chatted about various things, I followed the orc and the headless knight... no, the dullahan, and saw a huge castle in the distance.

A castle of magnificent size at a glance.
In the sky, giant birds with only bones left were flying around.

"Kyuu!"
"Huh? You're saying that's a dragon?"
"Kyuuu!"

The exact term is bone dragon.

They say that when a dragon dies but can't let go of its attachment to life, it turns into that.

Due to the death energy, they can't live in the middle world, so they live in the demon realm.

Among the many bone dragons, a few that spotted us approached, but the moment they made eye contact with Yong-yong.

"Kieeeeek!"

They fled with a scream, what's going on?

"Why are they like that?"
"Kyuu."

Yong-yong clicked its tongue, saying if they're going to be crazy, they should do it properly. What kind of disgrace is this after death?

Following the orc and dullahan into the castle, there was a long corridor, and when we opened the huge door at the end of the corridor and entered, I saw an audience chamber.
Inside the audience chamber was a giant throne, and around it were numerous monsters looking at me.

Among them, the being sitting on the throne.

Jet-black hair and huge horns.

Red eyes and alluring lips.

Wearing a black China dress, crossing one leg, and looking at me.

The king of the demon realm.

"A human!?"

"Such insolence before the Demon King! Show some respect!"

Because of the bull-headed being shouting at me, I thought I should at least kneel on one knee, but something unexpected happened.

The bull-head suddenly flew far away and crashed into the wall.

And the Demon King stood up from her seat.

"How rude to shout at a guest. I apologize on their behalf."

The Demon King even bowed her head to me, causing an uproar around us.

"Demon King! You must maintain your dignity!"
"That's right! For the ruler of the demon realm, the Demon King, to a mere human..."

At that moment, another one flew and crashed into the wall.

When I said it was okay, she finally raised her head and looked at me.

"How strange. It's my first time seeing a human, are they all like you?"
"What!? N-no, that's not it."
"I see. Then you must be special."

As she slowly approached me, it felt somewhat burdensome.

It's not the Demon King that's burdensome, but the gazes around us are too much.

The surrounding gazes looking at me with expressions that say, 'How dare you, to our Demon King?'

The Demon King seemed to sense something was off and looked around, but everyone was bowing their heads as if nothing had happened.

The moment she looked at me again, I felt those gazes.

She suddenly raised her head and looked at me.

No, why are you doing this to me!?

The Demon King, who came close, introduced herself.

"My name is Echidna. I am of the Demon God race. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"My name is Yuna."
"Yuna. A good name."

She nodded and looked at me.

"I've heard the story. May I see the item?"

I took the seed out of my inventory and showed it to her, and she looked at it with surprised eyes, muttering 'Seed of the World Tree,' then held out her hand to me.

"Please. Save the demon realm."

[The quest has been updated!]
Save the demon realm from pollution!

Reward: A gift from Demon King Echidna.