The Returnee’s Guild Must Grow Properly

Episode 17

|Pr. Demon King|: Godslayer.
If it weren’t for that message from His Majesty the Demon King, my peaceful morning would’ve been intact.
Munching on a handful of snacks, I sent a reply.

|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: Still alive, huh?
|Pr. Demon King|: This body does not perish so easily.

Sure, of course.
I waited for his next message with a cold expression.

|Pr. Demon King|: My elder brother asked me to convey his thanks.
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: Tell him it’s nothing.
|Pr. Demon King|: I have conveyed it as is.

“…….”
Why did I even bother expecting anything from this guy?
I reached for more snacks, only to grab a handful of crumbs. Great. Did Do Hain take the rest yesterday?

|Pr. Demon King|: My brother wishes to send you a gift to express his gratitude.
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: Tell him it’s unnecessary.
|Pr. Demon King|: He already handed me the gift for you and left.

|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: And what am I supposed to do about that? ;;

The fridge offered no help, stocked only with various vegetable side dishes. Maybe I’ll head to the convenience store for some ramen.

|Pr. Demon King|: I will be waiting at the café we visited before.
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: I’m not going.

I grabbed my coat and stepped outside. Despite my refusal, there was no follow-up message.

|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: Demon King.
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: Hey.
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: ㅑ!!!
|Pr. Godslayer (Guild Master)|: I told you I’m not going.

|Pr. Demon King|: I will wait nonetheless.

“Ugh!”
What an infuriating guy. Scratching my head in annoyance, I turned around.
Might as well check out this gift his brother sent.

As soon as I opened the door to the café, I was greeted by the sight of the Demon King himself, his long black hair cascading down his back.

“Ma…”
I swallowed my words and forced myself to say his actual name.

“Woo Mahun.”

“……?”
The Demon King, gazing wistfully into his Americano, looked up.
I sat across from him, scowling.

“You look surprisingly intact.”

“My elder brother brought every Healer he could find to treat me.”

Even though I’d driven out the demon, this guy’s way of speaking hadn’t changed a bit. Resting my chin on my hand, I asked,

“So, healing works on you, huh? I didn’t bother, thinking it might harm you instead.”

It was just a passing comment.

Back then, I’d been too preoccupied clinging to the Hero’s leg to even think about the Demon King.

The Demon King looked deeply moved. “The healing here is different from the Saintess’s power.”

“Is that so?”
Wait. Hold on.

“The Saintess’s power? Do you remember everything from when the demon took over your body?”

“I remember it all.”

His somber voice left me momentarily stunned.

“Godslayer, did you truly hate me so much?”

The Demon King looked at me with the droopy eyes of a scolded puppy.

“You even called me a damned bastard.”

“I didn’t call you that. I said it to the demon, not you.”

“Your voice was filled with sincerity.”

“Of course it was sincere!!”

I slammed the table and raised my voice, but just slightly.

“Would you have nice words for a demon wrecking havoc in someone else’s world?”

How could I openly talk about demons in a public space?

“I thought those words were directed at me, not the demon!”

Oh, wait, someone was shouting about demons here.

I covered my face with both hands.
Dear people, stop staring. I don’t know this guy.

“But, Godslayer.”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Godslayer.”
“What.”

The Demon King, instead of just lowering his voice, also hunched over awkwardly as he spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“……?”

I tilted my head in confusion, and he responded with a forlorn expression.

“I didn’t think it would follow me this far.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That demon was a god I summoned from Dekhion.”

I tilted my head further at his words and asked, “So, you didn’t get possessed, but you willingly gave it your body?”

The Demon King shook his head and replied, “I wanted to return.”

“…….”

Neither of us spoke for a moment. The café’s background music shifted to a new song before he continued.

“Back then, I thought the condition for returning was for the god to open the door.”

He spoke with a grim face.

“I was…”

“That’s enough. Stop there.”

I cut him off. I didn’t need to hear the rest to know how the story ended. Summoning a god had been a foolish decision.

After silencing him, I went to the counter to order a drink. Being so close to the staff made me feel self-conscious about my conversation.

When I returned to my seat, I extended my hand toward him.

“Hand over the gift your brother wanted me to have.”

The Demon King blinked at me in surprise, then reluctantly pulled out a small envelope from inside his coat and handed it to me.

“Gift cards? I’m already rich, you know.”

“It’s not a gift card,” he replied.

Opening the envelope, I pulled out its contents.

“A blank check?”

“Precisely.”

“……!!”

Right. His family was no joke either. Carefully, I placed the check back into the envelope and tucked it away.

“Godslayer.”

“What now.”

The likelihood of the Demon King’s question being normal was virtually zero. Still, I was genuinely touched by the blank check, so I allowed him to ask one question.

“How are you so strong?”

“Hmm… hold on.”

The vibration of a pager interrupted us. I got up to grab my Americano from the counter. Returning to my seat, I gave his question some thought.

It didn’t take long.

“Take on commissions.”

“Commissions…?”

I grinned. “Are you going to let that demon take over your body again? This won’t be the last time something like that happens.”

“I would never allow it!”

He slammed the table, making the drinks spill slightly.

Damn Demon King. I wiped my face with a napkin and continued.

“Then take on commissions. The more you work, the stronger you’ll get.”

Of course, that wasn’t exactly true. The only thing that had increased for me from working was stress.

But the Demon King appeared thoroughly captivated by my words.

“I have something I’m curious about, too,” I said.

“Ask me anything.”

Well, if he’s offering…

“Why haven’t you been taking on commissions yourself?”

The Demon King fell silent, his eyes darting around nervously.

He finally spoke just as the café’s music cut out.

“…Because of the demon. It made me anxious.”

“Anxious? Why?”

“I didn’t think it could follow me, but it did, didn’t it? I worried that if I showed myself by taking on anything, it would find me and drag me back.”

“For someone so anxious, you seemed perfectly fine bragging to your brother about being a Demon King and a Returnee.”

“…….”

“A Demon King must conduct himself without concealment,” the Demon King declared solemnly after downing his Americano in one go.

What nonsense.
I wondered why I was even engaging in conversation with him.

“Anyway, take on commissions. That’s how you’ll get stronger, Demon King.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

****

[‘Demon King’ has accepted a commission.]

|9th Circle Archmage|: °□°;
|9th Circle Archmage|: Did you lose your nephew again, Demon King?
|Hero|: Demon King, you’re alive? How’s the stab wound?
|9th Circle Archmage|: Stab wound??
|Northern Grand Duke|: HUUUHHH!! Thank youuuuㅠㅠㅠ

I chuckled at the variety of reactions. Do Hain, sitting in front of me with a slice of bread in his mouth, shot me a crazy look but was promptly ignored.

|Demon King|: My nephew is at home with his mother. My stab wound has healed. There is no need for thanks.
|9th Circle Archmage|: lolol So why’d you take on a commission this time?
I spread jam over my bread and took a bite.

|Demon King|: The Godslayer said I must become a working man to grow stronger.

The bread dropped out of my mouth with a soft thud.

“Do Haun! That’s disgusting!” Do Hain shouted irritably, but I didn’t even hear him.

|9th Circle Archmage|: ???
|Hero|: Guild Master, stop teaching weird things to others.
|Northern Grand Duke|: Please, don’t;;

Wait! This is a misunderstanding!

*****

“That’s right. People need to work,” said Kang Hasu, the CEO of H-Entertainment.

“……?”

Everyone tilted their heads in confusion at his sudden remark. Was this his way of telling them, “If you don’t work, you don’t eat”?

Ignoring the curious stares, Kang Hasu smiled warmly.

“Mr. Dobin didn’t show up for this family meeting either, did he?”

In response, a man seated to his left spoke up.

“Manager Kim is keeping a close watch on him, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Is that so?”

Kang Hasu glanced at the glass of water in front of him.

The reflection in the water wasn’t of Dobin but of another young man. Lightly tapping the glass, Kang Hasu erased the reflection.

“But I can’t help but worry.”

His low, resonant voice caused everyone at the table to flinch.

Realizing they had been startled by the voice of an ordinary man, they collectively frowned.

Kang Hasu, still smiling benignly, said, “Anyway, let’s start the family meeting.”

Family meeting? They all grumbled internally, thinking it felt more like a “meeting among family-like strangers.”

******

“You can’t tell me…?”

“To be precise, I’m unable to tell you,” the man said.

Dobin frowned. They had agreed to meet under the pretext of sharing information, and now he was refusing to share the most crucial piece?

The man remained composed despite Dobin’s irritation.

“But I can tell you one thing for certain.”

At that, Dobin gestured for him to continue.

“Gloria’s Returnee does not exist.”

Dobin’s lips curled into a crooked smile.

“Are you denying what I’ve seen with my own eyes?”

“I’m not denying it.”

The man, accustomed to Dobin’s arrogant tone, continued calmly.

“I don’t know how you learned the name ‘Gloria,’ but those individuals are not Returnees—they’re Intruders.”