The Precious Demon King - Chapter 32

WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 32: Grand Opening

Sunday. Although work-life balance was the hallmark of a civil servant, it was a distant dream for Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina of the Hunter Management Bureau.

However, thanks to their sense of duty, fulfillment, and pride, they didn't seem gloomy about working on the weekend.

The Special Advisor had saved Seoul. As the team leader and deputy team leader of the Special Advisor Support Division, how could they not feel a little proud?

"Looks like this is the place."

"Wow, it feels completely different now."

"It's a design by Oh Myeongsu."

"No way, that designer?"

"Now it really looks like a proper restaurant."

Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina stepped into "Jun Dragon Kitchen." It was now the Special Advisor's home.

And from this moment on, it would be the front line of South Korea's defense against the Demon Realm invasion.

"Nyaa, human slaves, come on in, nya."

"We're not slaves. We're subordinates."

"Nyaa, same difference, nya."

"..."

They had no retort to Edmond the cat's words.

"Where's the Special Advisor?"

"Upstairs, nya. Don't disturb him, nya."

"Huh?"

"He said not to let anyone in. He's researching, nya."

"Researching what?"

"How dare you meddle in your master's affairs, nya."

"Ah."

Edmond looked at the two of them with a sly grin.

"Master's restaurant opens today, nya."

"Huh? Today?"

Wasn't that too sudden?

"What about the staff?"

"Nyaa, I'm counting on you two."

"W-What?"

The two were startled. Cheon Yubeom was about to speak when Lee Mina jabbed him in the side.

"We'll do our very best to help!"

"Nyaa, sharp-witted slaves are the best, nya!"

"Haha..."

Lee Mina smiled awkwardly at the demon-like praise.

"But, um, are we running the restaurant with just this one table?"

"Nyaa! That is Master's table! How could you seat lowly humans there, nya!"

Edmond snapped angrily.

"Set up tables for the humans out in the yard."

"Oh, outside?"

The yard had already been cleaned up. Setting up tables outside would make it look like an open-air restaurant, which seemed like it might look pretty nice.

"Sure. How many tables should we set up? I think we could fit about four tables comfortably."

"Hmm, let's go with that, nya."

The human customers weren't really a concern.

They're nothing but tasting slaves anyway, nya.

What really mattered were the master and his family, seated at the main table. The human customers were just a warm-up to refine the menu.

"Have you put a menu together?"

"Nyaa, the tasting slaves will eat whatever they're given, nya."

"Ah, so it's omakase...Then what about the price?"

"If one is to be honored with a taste of Edmond de la Fleur's cuisine, shouldn't they offer up their soul?"

"Excuse me?"

Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina's jaws dropped.

"Th-That doesn't make sense."

"Why doesn't it make sense, nya?"

"No, that won't do. You have to take money."

"What's the point of taking money, nya?"

"Why wouldn't there be a point?"

"Stupid slave, nya."

Edmond looked at Cheon Yubeom as if he were hopeless.

"All the wealth in this world belongs to Master, nya. And you want to feed humans using Master's money, nya?"

"..."

His worldview was nothing like that of an ordinary person.

"Hmm, fine, nya. Gathering worthless souls is a hassle anyway. I'll take lifespan instead, nya."

"What? Lifespan? How?"

"I can extract it, nya."

"..."

Definitely a demon. This cat was anything but ordinary.

"Uh, hmm."

Cheon Yubeom was at a loss for words, so he looked to Lee Mina for help. She calmly persuaded Edmond.

"Even the Special Advisor gets a salary."

"Nyaa?"

Edmond looked utterly shocked.

"Impossible, nya! W-Who in this world would dare to employ Master, nya?!"

"Ah, it's more like a sponsorship."

"Nyaa!"

His bristling fur slowly settled.

"A rather insightful noble, to think of supporting Master."

"In any case, even the Special Advisor is adapting well to modern civilization. Shouldn't Ed follow suit?"

"Ugh."

Edmond clearly disliked the idea of selling his food for something as mundane as money.

"Fine, then I'll accept luck as payment."

"Luck?"

"It's something new each day, so it doesn't harm a human's life force, nya."

"Let's just go with money."

"Then it'll be one hundred million won."

"Luck it is."

"Nyaa."

Whether luck had any real value as a form of currency was unclear, but a compromise had been reached.

The Special Advisor Support Division quickly set up tables in the yard, and soon, the place looked like a real restaurant.

"Good job, nya."

Edmond served lunch to his master's hardworking human subordinates, No. 1 and No. 2.

"Wow! This is incredible!"

"Seriously, wow."

"Hehehe, nyaa."

The two were wide-eyed with admiration. Why did the Special Advisor ever bother eating out when he had a chef this skilled?

The sight of them dining in the yard unintentionally drew the attention of passersby.

"Wow, Oppa. Let's eat here."

"Huh? Sure."

When a couple walked in, Cheon Yubeom was startled.

"Oh? Uh, we're not officially open yet..."

"Welcome. Please have a seat."

Lee Mina quickly took the lead and ran to the kitchen to ask Edmond.

"We have customers. What should we do?"

"Nyaa? Hehe, looks like we're open for business, nya!"

It was time to gather big data and impress the master.

Lee Mina returned to the yard.

"We only offer a single-course meal."

"Whoa, Oppa. Is this omakase?"

"Huh?"

"Let's leave. This place seems like it'll be expensive."

"Um, how much is it?"

Still unsure if this even qualified as a proper restaurant, Lee Mina answered.

"It costs luck."

"Huh?"

"We accept luck as payment."

"W-What about money?"

"We don't take money."

"How do we give luck?"

"We'll take care of that."

Even as Lee Mina explained, a wave of doubt hit her–was this really okay? But the guests looked thrilled.

Wow, Oppa. This restaurant's concept is awesome.

It looks like it's some kind of event.

After whispering to each other, the two answered eagerly.

"We'll eat here."

"Great. I'll help you get started."

Lee Mina returned to the kitchen and saw that the first course had already been prepared.

"Nyaa, go serve it."

"Wow, that was fast."

"Easier than slicing off an ogre's tail, nya."

"..."

In the kitchen, utensils and ingredients flew through the air, and food cooked through synchronized telekinesis in real time.

Ed isn't ordinary either.

Edmond might not be on Remi's level, but his combat strength clearly wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Soon after the food was served, the couple's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow!"

"Oh, it's incredible!"

They couldn't stop taking pictures of the beautifully plated appetizer.

* * *

While Edmond made his first sale, Kim Junyong sat on the upstairs couch, glaring at two floating golden orbs.

"There's no way to extract this."

Neither order nor chaos magic responded to the divine power. It remained trapped in the orb, loftily asserting its presence.

"Remi."

"Yes."

"Let's go to the Demon Realm."

"Gladly."

Remi, who had spent the uneventful day staring at her phone, brightened and got up from her seat.

They launched the Demon Realm Subjugation app, formed a party, and entered.

Flash.

"Shall we pick a fight with someone?"

"No, let's just catch a demon. I want to test something."

"Tch, okay."

They pulled up the dungeon map and headed for the nearest red dot.

Slash!

The demon and monsters that rushed them en route didn't stand a chance against Remi.

True to its design as a metaverse modeled after Earth, the demons' stronghold stood at the center of a map designed to resemble an abandoned rural town.

"This is my domain! Leave now!"

"You think I'll leave just because you said so?"

"Hmph! Leave now, and I won't chase you."

Even though his underlings had already been wiped out by Remi, the demon continued to spew empty threats. Kim Junyong flicked his hand toward him.

Whoosh.

Black tendrils shot from the ground and bound the demon's limbs. From his presence alone...

"About C-rank."

It was disappointing that it wasn't a high-ranking demon. However, given the randomness of the Demon Realm's entry points, encountering one was rare.

"Ugh, ptooey, release me."

"Just cooperate."

Kim Junyong approached the demon and pulled a divine orb out of subspace.

Flash.

"Ugh."

The golden glow made the demon scowl.

"Huh. No reaction."

"What is that ominous orb?"

"A divine orb."

"What's that?"

"You're a demon and you don't know?"

"Hmph! And you're a demon too, aren't you?"

Whack.

The demon was spouting nonsense. After smacking him a few times on the back of the head, Kim Junyong pressed the divine orb against the demon's skin and tried to channel both black and white mana.

"Hmm, this isn't easy."

"Hmph! That pathetic orb won't kill me!"

With all four limbs bound by black mana tendrils, the demon could only speak. Kim Junyong pushed the divine orb at him.

"Enough. Try it."

"C-Crazy. It's ominous."

"Huh? Ominous?"

Was that the answer?

"Ngh...No, stop...Urgh!"

He forced the divine orb into the demon's mouth and snapped his jaw shut with a tendril. Then, he punched the demon in the stomach.

Smack!

"Mmph!"

"Oh? Won't swallow, huh?"

Smack!

"Mmph."

After a few more punches, the demon finally swallowed the divine orb.

"You don't feel anything?"

"Ugh, how humiliating!"

"Not the shame. Does your body feel hot or anything?"

"You damn demon bastard!"

"Does it feel like your stomach is about to burst?"

"What bullshit!"

"This isn't working."

Kim Junyong frowned.

I didn't expect extracting divine power from the orb to be this hard.

The divine orb didn't react at all. What was the reason? Then he recalled what God Earth had said.

"The architect and the executor have different roles."

In other words, gods and humans.

Divine power was the resource of the architect. White mana was the resource of humans. Black mana was the resource of demons.

Humans can use not only white mana but also black mana. So why can't we use divine power?

If he could get even a sliver of that power into his hands, he might grasp how to refine and transform it. But the problem was, even extracting it was this difficult.

It was like discovering oil reserves but having no way to drill.

"Let me go. I'll forget this disgrace."

Kim Junyong obliged the demon's desperate plea for survival.

"Judgment."

< Eradicate! Instant Death! >

Boom!

This damn scale.

The scale didn't weigh the demon's sins. It executed him immediately.

After the demon exploded, Kim Junyong picked up the divine orb, now thickly smeared with blood, from the heap of remains.

Flash!

The surroundings turned completely white. He was so used to it by now that he could only sigh.

"Now what?"

"Oh no! Hyungnim, that's not the issue!"

God Earth appeared in the form of a boy, his face full of horror. His gaze turned to the divine orb in Kim Junyong's hand.

"Did Hyungnim also receive a blessing like the Guardians?"

"Guardians?"

"You know, those pretentious bastards who strut around like Earth's saviors?"

Kim Junyong nodded.

Belhaim must've given those guys another blessing.

However, God Earth seemed quite displeased with the G-rank hunters.

"...What, are they rebelling now?"

"They are! They even studied abroad in Belhaim, yet instead of subjugating the Demon Realm, they're playing power games on Earth. It's such an eyesore I could die."

"..."

National-level hunters. They did seem to be doing the bare minimum and only steadily conquering A-rank dungeons on Earth.

"Because they're so passive, the Metaverse is in shambles! If they had stepped up earlier, half of it would be restored by now."

"Why are you taking it out on me?"

"Hehe, not at all. More importantly, how did you really come to possess that orb?"

Kim Junyong summoned the golden scale.

"I got it from this."

"W-What? Wait, what?!"

God Earth was startled. He jumped up and down, unable to contain his excitement.

"W-Where did you get that?!"

"Belhaim gave it to me."

"She gave you that?! Huh?!"