Her beautiful, emerald-like eyes stared intently at Yulian.
Two patches of pink blush rose on her fair, tender cheeks due to the alcohol.
Frieren in this state was beautiful.
She was like a blooming white lotus, yet tinged with a hint of charm.
Appearing incredibly alluring.
Anyone who saw Frieren looking like this would have their heart skip a beat.
But Yulian wouldn't.
Yulian would only wonder if Frieren had secretly read the story collection he wrote for Fern when she was little.
Like the protagonist being born alone.
Like the great villain being thoroughly abused by the protagonist's various power-ups.
Like when the destined one encounters danger, the protagonist descends from the sky, a beauty saving the hero.
Afterward, the ending is perfect, life is like the setting sun.
Showing infinite beauty.
"Mistress Frieren..." Fern gently reached out.
Wanting to move the wine glass away from in front of Frieren.
But the glass was snatched away by Frieren first and downed in one gulp.
"Yulian, you are different from other Demons, from humans, and from elves."
"You are special."
The drunken Frieren.
As if following some interesting rhythm, she was swaying her thin body at this moment.
Happily continuing to speak to Yulian.
I am special?
Why say this suddenly?
Yulian put away the thoughts in his mind.
Seriously contemplating what was wrong with Frieren.
How could she say such strange words.
Bathing, peeking, moonlight, stream water...
No, no.
Yulian shook his head vigorously.
When that old man saw his naked upper body, besides a slight look of surprise fleetingly crossing his face.
At other times, he was expressionless.
Forest, reunion, late-night snack, barbecue, explaining the whole story of why he was still here and not closer to the Northern Plateau.
Is it because he said he was trying hard to find a way to make the Demons retreat?
So that made Frieren think he was special?
But why use this word?
And why special in a way that's different a Demon, humans, and elves?
"Frieren, you're drunk."
Yulian gently shook his head.
Indicating for Fern to help the tipsy Frieren go rest.
The bed was right next to them.
They were having a late-night snack inside the wooden house Fern created with Magic.
However, if Yulian had known in advance that Frieren, when drunk, was no different from a normal person when drunk.
Looking like a little lunatic.
Yulian would never have let Frieren drink.
What is the best pairing for grilled food and wine?
Bah!
Frieren should sit at the kids' table!
No wonder he had never seen Frieren drink!
So it turns out she's not only a little glutton but also a drunken lunatic!
"I'm not drunk..."
Frieren tried hard to sit up straight.
But her whole body looked like a crooked neck tree blown by the wind.
Except for her butt being on the chair.
She was already almost falling onto the table.
Well, if lucky, it's the table.
If unlucky, she'd sit hard on the ground.
"Mistress Frieren, it's time to rest."
Fern gently nodded.
Compared to Frieren.
Fern was very self-aware.
She drank juice.
Unlike Yulian.
Similarly, it was a space ring.
Fern's ring was filled with various flavors of juice and drinkable water in wooden barrels.
"Not drunk..."
Helped onto the bed by Fern and covered with a blanket.
Frieren was still mumbling.
Talking nonsense.
"The alcohol content is quite alright."
Yulian picked up the wine glass and took a shallow sip.
It was wine he had bought before in the Holy City.
It was just low-alcohol fruit wine.
Even he could easily handle it.
As for grilled food and wine.
Yulian was very self-aware and used fruit wine.
"Perhaps it's because Frieren rarely drinks."
Fern pouted and smiled bitterly.
"I really don't feel anything, Fern."
"How about you try?"
Yulian picked up a newly poured glass of wine and handed it to Fern.
Fern repeatedly shook her head and waved her hand.
Being drunk is too scary!
Even an elf like Frieren becomes strange!
She definitely didn't want to be like that.
"That's a pity, Fern."
Yulian shook his head.
"Wine is one of the few delicacies in the world."
Saying that, Yulian poured the wine he had poured for Fern into his own glass.
"Mr. Heiter also has high praise for wine."
Fern smiled gently.
Emotions are contagious.
Whenever she recalled Mr. Heiter's kind smile in her mind.
Fern felt as if there was nothing in the world worth being sad about.
But even so.
This transmission of good mood could only, when sad.
Barely last for a moment.
"Mr. Yulian said before that the Demons has occupied the sea..."
"Even the Empire and the Northern Lands are unable to resist?"
Yulian looked at Fern, who was cautiously asking him for information.
He had a feeling of sudden realization.
He knew why Fern looked worried.
So it was because she was worried about the Demons attacking.
"That's correct..."
"But currently, the Demons are only relatively strong at sea..."
"So there's no need to worry about the Demons moving south."
As soon as Yulian finished speaking.
He saw Fern clenching her fair, tender fists.
And she began to speak.
"I'm not worried about that, I was thinking..."
"Between the Demons and humans, Mr. Yulian..."
"What role do you play?"
"Mr. Yulian is a good Demon..."
"But if a Demon like you returns to those bad Demons..."
"Don't go, Yulian..." Fern looked at Yulian.
Her eyes were sincere and serious.
"Stay, let's work together to protect this peace between humans and the Demons."
"You don't need to shoulder everything by yourself."
Fern's words.
Made Yulian's heart tremble suddenly.
To be honest, Fern's words touched the soft spot in Yulian's heart.
Yulian had always felt very lonely.
In this world, Yulian also always had a sense of unreality.
That is, he shouldn't be in this world.
The feeling that this world was unrelated to him.
But he came.
The Goddess made a person who had died once come here.
He lived again as the Demon King.
And she gave him a mission that wasn't exactly a mission.
That is, to lead the Demons to survive.
The Demons to survive?
Just letting the Demons, filled with countless individuals with extremely strong talents and powerful Mages, survive.
Can this be considered a mission?
Yes.
It is a mission!
The warlike Demons were full of internal strife.
Infighting was once a common occurrence among the Demons.
Humans and elves, and even other species on the entire continent, were very hostile towards the Demons.
Therefore, although the Demons as a whole was very powerful, under internal and external troubles.
There was still the danger of extinction.
It was under such circumstances that Yulian came.
Yulian successfully "united" the Demons as the Demon King.
He improved the relationship between the Demons and other races.
Until Schlacht told him.
He predicted that the Demons would have to fight a losing battle against humans.
This also prompted the beginning of Frieren's party's quest to defeat the Demon King.
This battle caused turmoil within the Demons again.
Both internal relations and the relationship between the Demons and other races on the continent began to deteriorate.
Then Schlacht threw everything back at him, and his whereabouts became unknown after the battle with the Hero of the South.
Now Schlacht is back.
But just like before, he wants to overturn the situation he painstakingly built up with some bullshit prophecy.
Yulian felt very uncomfortable.
Is it really necessary for him to continue working hard for some bullshit mission?
He even mocked himself as a Demon traitor, just so the Demons could continue to exist peacefully.
What else does he have to do?
"Mr. Yulian?"
Fern softly called out to the silent Yulian.
"Mm..." Yulian looked at Fern.
Then he looked at Frieren, who was lying on the bed and had already kicked off the blanket.
Exposing her smooth, doll-like legs wrapped around the blanket.
At least he could feel that genuine warmth here...
"Fern, thank you."
Yulian pursed his lips and smiled gently.
"But I still have to go alone."
Go alone and see what Schlacht has predicted this time...
No matter what... he is the King of the Demons...