Chapter 322: Turn Delicious, Moe Moe Kyun (1)

"... You don't know where the Demon God's corpse is?"

Oh Kang-Woo narrowed his eyes, tilting his head as he stared at the silver-haired young man tied to a chair.

"Ahh, urhh."

Lucis, who was wrapped in sticky green tentacles, nodded with his mouth open. Kang-Woo grimaced.

"You expect me to believe that? You said that you trained with Lucifer there. How does it make any sense that you don't know where it is?"

"Ahh... I-I don't... know," Lucis answered faintly.

Lilith, who had been standing behind Lucis, approached Kang-Woo.

"My king. It seems he really doesn't know."

"..."

Kang-Woo frowned as if his head hurt. He sat down on a chair while leaving the drooling Lucis be.

'This changes things.'

Kang-Woo had taken on the mission to go to Aernor so readily because he had expected Lucis to know where the Demon God's corpse was, but all that Lucis was saying was that he did not know. The difficulty of the mission that he had expected to be easy had skyrocketed.

'Gaia said that she doesn't know either...'

Kang-Woo leaned back on the chair and fell into thought. If no one knew where the Demon God's corpse was, then the duration of their trip could be indefinite. In the worst case scenario, they would have to waste several years just to find the corpse.

'Would Bauli know?'

The thought crossed Kang-Woo's mind, but he shook his head.

'That'd be insane.'

No matter how important it was to find the Demon God's corpse, letting out Bauli that he had imprisoned in the Abyss was crazy.

'I'm sure he's waiting for the opportunity to take control of my body.'

Not even Kang-Woo knew until when he would be able to suppress Bauli, so he could not afford to let him out of the Abyss.

"... Fuck." Kang-Woo sighed and clicked his tongue.

Since Lucis, whom Kang-Woo had believed to know where the corpse was, knew nothing, there was no way to know where it was.

"It seems we have no other choice but to look for it after we arrive in Aernor," Lilith mentioned as she slowly walked toward the chair that Kang-Woo was sitting on.

She seductively put one leg over the other and sat on the armrest.

"This trip might take longer than I'd expected," expressed Kang-Woo.

"Fufu, I do not mind wherever I go, as long as I am with you, my king."

"But I mind."

Kang-Woo grabbed his head. The thought filling his head weighed him down. The most critical issue regarding his mission in Aernor was...

'Would Aernor have... kimchi stew?'

There was no way that another world would have kimchi stew.

'This is a serious issue.'

The issue was on par with—no, far more important than restoring Earth's protection.

'... I should make ample preparations.'

Kang-Woo nodded while making a serious face.

"Is something on your mind?" Lilith asked.

"No, it's nothing," Kang-Woo replied while shaking his head.

"Hmm... That aside, Master Kang-Woo. Did you make some sort of promise with Echidna?"

"Hm?"

Kang-Woo tilted his head in confusion at the sudden question. Soon after, he recalled the events of what had happened right after coming out of the Rift.

"Echidna has been in a great mood since morning training."

"Ngh."

"Even when I asked her, she only smiled without answering... Has something happened?"

"I promised Echidna that I would go to Japan with her, just the two of us."

"Oh my." Lilith covered her mouth with her eyes wide open. "My king... Were you into little children?"

"Of course not."

Kang-Woo firmly shook his head and frowned to hint at Lilith never to say something so unpleasant ever again. Although Echidna's age had far surpassed that of a child, Kang-Woo did not see her as a woman in the slightest due to her outward appearance.

"Hohoho. I know, since you love my..."

Squelch. Lilith's hair curled together to form tentacles. Yellow pus dripped from the suckers.

"Ahh, it's a little embarrassing to say it myself."

"Wha..."

What the fuck was she even thinking about?

"Tags: Tentacle."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Fufu. I said it in a roundabout way because I was embarrassed."

Kang-Woo frowned.

"Lilith, you haven't forgotten what we promised, have you?"

"... Ngh."

Lilith flinched; her tentacles turned back to hair. She pouted and poked Kang-Woo's chest with her finger.

"That aside, my king. Have you not been neglecting me too much lately? Neglect play is fine every once in a while, but... it gets a little lonely," she said as if complaining.

Kang-Woo smirked. It was true that he had not been giving Lilith any attention.

'I guess I should also give Lilith some of my time later.'

If he did not allow her to satiate her desire every now and then, an incident similar to what had happened with Lucis might occur again.

'But first...'

Kang-Woo got up and headed to the demonic dragon that was likely waiting for him excitedly.

***

"Wow! Wooow!"

Echidna, who had arrived at Akihabara, the sanctuary of otakus, jumped around like a little kid.

"Kang-Woo! Kang-Woo! Look at that! It's Love Live!"

Hm! Hm! She pulled on Kang-Woo's sleeve while snorting. Kang-Woo smirked while looking at her.

'Well, considering all the anime she watched at home...'

It seemed like she had been completely engrossed in otaku culture.

'I should've taken her here sooner.'

Seeing how excited she was, he regretted not coming to play with her here sooner.

Kang-Woo asked while patting Echidna's head, "Do you like it?"

"Hm! Hm! Yeah! It's the best!" Echidna nodded in excitement. "Over here, Kang-Woo!"

Echidna took Kang-Woo's hand and dragged him deeper into the district.

'It sure is amazing.'

It was different from other cities and towns just from the air it gave off, to the point that he felt like this would be how another world would be like. Giant anime posters were everywhere, and loud music filled the streets.

'I can't believe it's still like this after the Day of Calamity.'

Humanity itself had been swept into a giant war with monsters after the Day of Calamity, wiping out many businesses related to art such as anime, manga and novels. After all, there was no one crazy enough to read fantasy novels when monsters were outside their homes. However, this district was one of the few that had managed to go back to its former state after the Demon Cult had been completely eradicated.

"Is there somewhere you want to go?" Kang-Woo asked as he matched his walking pace with Echidna, who was dragging him along.

Echidna thought as she put her finger on her lips, looking around.

"I wanna do that... and I wanna try going there too."

"Haha, we can do it all. We have plenty of time today."

"Hm! Hm!" Echidna snorted while thoroughly taking a look around.

And then, she suddenly pointed to a store.

"There!"

In front of the store was a woman wearing an extremely frilly maid outfit that looked as if no one should be wearing.

"What the hell is that?'

Kang-Woo was bewildered. He knew very well what maid outfits were, and what they symbolized. Why was a woman wearing an outfit symbolizing slavery touting in the streets?

"Master~ Come visit our cafe~"

'M-Master?'

Kang-Woo's eyes widened in shock. He trembled.

'N-No way...'

An electric current traveled down his spine and along his limbs.

'I-It must be a place where you do those kinds of things!'

Kang-Woo felt as if he had been struck by lightning. There was no place other than that kind of place where someone would be touting for business while calling people Master, wearing clothes symbolizing slavery.

'She wants to go in there with me?'

Had Echidna gone mad? Had her stormy adolescent brain finally overloaded and lost its function?

"W-Wait. You want to... go in there?"

"Yeah! I've always wanted to come here!"

"You have?"

"There are places where I can wear the maid outfit and roleplay!"

"Roleplay?!"

No!! Over my dead body!

"I don't remember raising you that way, Echidna!!"

"... Huh?" Echidna tilted her head as if she couldn't understand, but pulled Kang-Woo along with her. "You're acting weird, Kang-Woo. Just give it a try."

"N-No..."

Kang-Woo was dragged by Echidna while trembling.

'What the hell?'

Was he just behind the times? Had he gotten way too old? Had human culture become so open toward such things?

'Then why have I...'

For ten millennia...

Kang-Woo unwittingly shed tears. An unbearable sense of shame filled him. He was dragged into the maid cafe by Echidna while being lost for words.

"N-No matter how I think about it, this is insane," Kang-Woo muttered while trembling before opening the doors to the maid cafe.

No matter how open things had become, this was not okay. Roleplaying as slave and master with a girl who was five hundred years old but looked like a high school girl?

'Th-This world has come to an end! It's gone to the dogs!'

Kang-Woo shook his head with a pale face, but Echidna showed no signs of stopping.

'Now that it's come to this...'

Kang-Woo clenched his fists. He had no choice but to wipe out this immoral and vulgar establishment himself.

'No matter how chaotic the world has become, how dare they...!'

Clack. He swung open the door, and what he saw was...

"Welcome, Master~"

"...?"

Despite being an atrociously vulgar business, the interior was decorated in quite an adorable way. It was so open to the point that there were not even dividers. Kang-Woo was shocked once again.

'E-Even public play?!'

Humanity was truly heading toward its end. Kang-Woo was trembling in shock.

"Kang-Woo, over here."

"Welcome, Master~ my lady~ My, you're so cute!!"

"Hm! I wanna wear a maid outfit too."

"Sure, just a second!"

The maid approached Kang-Woo and Echidna with a smile and took Echidna somewhere. Soon after, Echidna came back while wearing a maid outfit, puffing out her nonexistent chest proudly.

"Hm! Kang-Woo, what do you think?"

"Oh, uhm. Well..."

"Oh right. I shouldn't be calling you Kang-Woo here." Echidna pulled on Kang-Woo's arm and said in embarrassment, "Master... Does it suit me?"

What? Has the play already begun, without leaving him any time to stop it?

Kang-Woo stood still with his face completely frozen. He had no idea what to do.

"Master, my lady~ Your drinks are here~!"

Just then, a maid appeared to put their drinks on their table.

She then said with a smile, "Now, let's all do it together~"

'What?"

They were all gonna do it together?!

"Th-This abomination of—!"

Kang-Woo drew out his demonic energy, unable to endure it any longer.

"Let's chant the magic spell~!"

"What?"

What spell?

"Repeat after me~"

What the fuck was this maid talking about?

"Turn delicious~ Moe moe kyun!"

The fuck you say?

"Turn delicious~ Moe moe kyun!" Echidna happily followed after the maid and chanted the spell while making a heart with her hands.

Kang-Woo blankly stared at Echidna.

"You do it too, Kang-Woo!"

"... What?"

She wanted him to do it too? Kang-Woo chanted the spell while making a heart with his hands like the maid instructed, with a face completely frozen.

"Turn delicious. Moe moe kyun," he chanted as if weeping like a spirit of the dead heading to the River Styx. "Ahh..."

He just... wanted to die. He stared at Echidna, who was taking a video of him with her smartphone while giggling.

'Where...'

From where had it all gone wrong?

erigiii's Thoughts