You're Very Talented

Demon Realm, Karnas Mountains.

This place lay in the Extremely Northern Land of the Demon Realm, covered by blizzards all year round. If the Demon Realm had not been in the Year of Blazing Summer, the blizzards here would have been enough to freeze every living creature.

Therefore, everything living in the Karnas Mountains... was undead, possessing a second life.

"Your Highness, I believe directly visiting that lord would be... unwise."

The moment Joshua stepped out of the Teleportation Portal created by Zennas, he heard the advice offered by the valiant Sin Demon.

Zennas's race was second only to Chaos Demons in the Demon Realm. He rarely feared anything, but unfortunately, the master of these mountains was someone Zennas had no choice but to fear—and even regard with reverence.

"I've met the Duke a few times. He's an easygoing person," Joshua said.

"Easygoing..."

Zennas had always obeyed Joshua's orders without question, but this time, he would not believe Joshua's assessment of "easygoing" even if it killed him.

The Demon Realm's powers were divided into One King, Four Dukes, Seven Heroes. The One King referred to the Lord of the Demonic Realm, the Third Prince's father, Notlein. He stood at the pinnacle of the Demon Realm, its absolute ruler. Beneath Notlein were Four Dukes, each controlling one of the Demon Realm's four territories.

Joshua was going to visit one of the Four Dukes, known as the Bone Duke... Zennas had only heard a little about this Duke's past.

The Four Dukes of the Demon Realm were all synonymous with danger. Unless Notlein himself came to visit, they would kill any creature that trespassed into their territory according to their own preferences.

"Judging someone based solely on rumors and appearances—wouldn't that make us no different from those despicable humans?"

Joshua's retort left Zennas speechless.

He recalled the little girl he had encountered in the prison. Afterward, Zennas had hidden in the darkness and used the flames spilling from his body to form a beacon like a will-o'-the-wisp, guiding that little girl safely into the Teleportation Portal.

The way the little girl had smiled and waved at the beacon before entering the portal stirred some unfamiliar emotion within Zennas. He could not understand that feeling, but... it was difficult to forget. That scene was even more unforgettable than the sight of him burning an enemy to ashes.

Seeing Zennas fall silent, Joshua did not continue making things difficult for his loyal subordinate.

Joshua turned his gaze toward Ciri, who had followed him into the Demon Realm.

The crystal around her neck exerted no small amount of pressure on Ciri. To avoid any mishap during the teleportation that might cause the crystal around her neck to explode, she generously took Joshua's hand and entered the portal with him.

"I keep feeling like there are wolves or bears watching me from the forest."

Ciri stepped through the thick snow on the ground, released Joshua's hand, and took out her magic staff as she looked around at the forest shrouded in darkness.

Ever since entering this snow-covered forest, she had felt something familiar... the sensation of being watched, and by a gaze filled with malice.

"There aren't any creatures as harmless as wolves or bears here. The thing watching you might be a Soul Eater or a Mind Flayer. If you're unlucky, it could be a Death Knight."

Joshua searched through the Third Prince's memories. This region was essentially the core of the Bone Duke's territory, and the undead living in these woods were naturally not low-level mass-produced Undead Creatures like Skeleton Soldiers.

The instant an ordinary human entered this place, the surrounding undead would swarm them within seconds and devour them until not even their soul remained.

Joshua could stand here so safely not because he was a Chaos Demon, but merely because the master of this forest had granted him a small privilege.

"..."

Ciri said nothing, because Joshua's words had once again touched upon a gap in her knowledge.

She only needed to know one thing: whatever was watching her in the darkness of the forest was something she absolutely could not defeat with the little staff in her hand.

"Let's go. The castle where its master lives isn't far from here."

Joshua led Ciri and Zennas deeper into the forest.

Sure enough, there was a castle deep within the forest. The woods outside were covered in frost, yet all kinds of unknown flowers bloomed in the castle's inner garden. Their colors were dark and muted, while the statues decorating the manor were entwined with black thorns. Combined with the cover of night, the entire castle exuded an eerie atmosphere.

When Joshua climbed nearly a hundred steps and arrived before the castle gates, they slowly opened as if to welcome him.

The castle's interior was lavishly decorated. It seemed the Bone Duke's aesthetic taste had not rotted away along with him.

There was music as well. Unknown music echoed throughout the castle, an ensemble... and the sounds produced in that performance all came from instruments Joshua recognized.

Thanks to the parallel world?

"Why do I think this music sounds so creepy?"

Ciri followed Joshua up the stairs at the center of the castle hall. Hanging above the stairs was an oil painting portrait of a young man.

"Creepy? That one sentence is enough for me to feed your soul to my dogs, little one."

A harsh voice, like fingernails scraping across a blackboard, echoed through the entire hall... A pitch-black figure walked out through the oil painting.

"Your Highness..."

Seeing that figure appear, the Sin Demon behind Joshua tried to step forward and stand in front of him, but Joshua raised a hand to stop Zennas from making such a discourteous move.

The Bone Duke looked vastly different from the standard lich image Joshua remembered, the sort exemplified by Kel'Thuzad. Though his body had decayed until only a skeleton remained, his clothes made him look more like a pirate than a mage.

"You'd better give me a reason for trespassing into my territory and interrupting my performance. Otherwise, even if you are Notlein's child, I'll turn you into a skeleton and give you to your father."

At the Bone Duke's words, flames surged from Zennas's body. But crimson light flickered within the Bone Duke's black eye sockets, and Zennas's enormous body instantly collapsed to his knees with a heavy crash.

Was this the power capable of rivaling the Lord of the Demonic Realm?

Joshua truly was insignificant before this being. His status was of no use here, so he could not keep talking nonsense as he had in the Imperial City.

"I think you're very talented. Let's form a band together!"

"..."

The Bone Duke's skull suddenly tilted ninety degrees, as if he were considering the meaning of Joshua's word, "band."

"Simply put, I came to appreciate your performance, Duke. If you don't mind, could you let me hear a piece?"

Joshua made a proposal no performer could refuse.

If the lich before him had been a musician whose concerts drew tens of thousands, Joshua's proposal might have simply been courting death.

But in a place like this, aside from the ghostly servants attending the Bone Duke, there was no one else who could appreciate his performance.