Chapter 1.2

Chapter 1.2

It was the worst scenario imaginable. Valen would have preferred an honorable death on the battlefield. His brother would be in danger if word got out that he was captured. He had to escape somehow.

Valen didn’t hastily open his eyes. He tried to exert strength in his arms and legs, but they wouldn’t move. This felt different from the pressure he had felt from the female demon. There was a physical pressure, not an intangible force, weighing him down.

“Bride, Argentine Dumi Delcarno, do you swear to cherish and love the groom—and not use him as food?”

“I will.”

That voice… It was undoubtedly the demon he had seen in front of the camellia tree.

Valen’s jaw tightened. Anger, along with an overwhelming sense of humiliation and shame, surged within him.

To be ensnared by a demon like this… He had trained to remain pragmatic in any situation, but all his reasoning was paralyzed at that moment.

Seeing how his rationality had momentarily slipped, it was clear that the woman was a succubus. No matter how hopeless the war, he should have kept his wits about him.

“Bride, Argentine Dumi Delcarno, please pour at least 5cc of freshly drawn blood into the esteemed eye of the basilisk.”

“How much is 5cc?”

“….”

“No one knows?”

The room quickly filled with murmurs.

“Uhm… I think about a cupful should be enough.”

“What if it’s not enough? Just slash open the artery! Pour it out vigorously! Hahaha!”

“That makes sense.”

Valen barely suppressed the frown between his eyes. Nonetheless, he could deduce some information by silently listening to their conversation.

First, he was in a wedding hall in the demon realm with the succubus who had seduced him.

Second, there were at least a hundred demons gathered here.

Third, the woman was a high-ranking demon.

One reason for the third conclusion was her indifferent attitude towards other demons, and the other was how easily she had seduced Valen. In other words, this also meant she possessed immense magical power.

“Fetch the sword.”

“Wouldn’t an axe be better? It has a wider area and would be more effective.”

“Fetch the axe.”

…Why was she blindly following his advice so readily?

The words interrupted his mind, which had been busy devising an escape plan. He couldn’t fathom why they needed an axe when they only needed 5cc of blood.

Ah, could it be a distraction tactic? Trying to make him appear foolish to catch him off guard…

Thunk!

The sound of flesh and muscle being crushed echoed. Having lived a mercenary life since childhood, Valen couldn’t help but recognize that sound.

“Oh! Perfect! The basilisk has responded!”

“As expected, your wit is sharp.”

“You flatter me. Haha!”

Was it not a distraction after all?! These insane demons! Laughing after chopping off heads with axes, what’s so funny?

“Moving on, the groom will offer his vows. Uh… what’s the name again?”

“Let’s go with Anybody No. 38.”

“Groom, Human Anybody No. 38.”

Human?

The idea of a demon and a human conducting a wedding ceremony is unheard of in any history book, and it’s an impossibility even if the heavens were to be turned upside down.

They don’t even recognize his name. So it’s likely that they’ve never heard of him. Impossible…

It was ridiculous, but an overwhelming sense of unease ran down his spine.

“Will Anybody No. 38 pledge allegiance to the bride and promise to produce offspring to the best of your ability? I will take your silence as consent.”

Cold sweat trickled silently down Valen’s temple.

“Yes, you’ve agreed,” the demon priest continued, “Then, will Anybody No. 38 also pour at least 5cc of freshly drawn blood into the esteemed basilisk’s eye?”

Several figures crowded around Valen. The sound of cold metal scraping against the ground caught his attention. It was the sound of… an axe.

A grim shadow blocked the light shining down on his face. There was a snap and just as he felt the movement of an arm—

“Wait.”

The scent of flower petals filled the air.

“Use the needle.”