I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 203

Chapter 203

***

“This time, it’s my turn to save them.”

Noah, unable to contain her frustration at Jess’ reckless behavior, urgently pulled the two of them apart.

“Jess! What are you doing? That was dangerous! You could’ve gotten hurt!”

Suppressing the feeling of ‘jealousy’ that was bubbling up, Noah scolded Jess like a child. Jess, pouting, stepped back.

Just as Noah was about to sigh in relief, Jess spun around and clung to Lian’s arm.

“Jess!”

“I held him gently, so it’s fine, isn’t it?”

Noah was left speechless, her lips moving silently as she tried to form words. Eventually, she quietly intertwined her fingers with Lian’s, who was still being held by Jess.

Lian, completely overwhelmed by the situation that was far from serious, could only mutter, “Huh?” and “Eh?” repeatedly, as if his brain had short-circuited.

Jess, eyeing Lian like a predator sizing up easy prey, licked her lips before leaning in close to his ear. Just as she was about to press her lips near his, Noah hurriedly tried to pull Jess away.

“Did someone steal your master’s body?”

“…!”

“…!”

Jess’ eyes gleamed with an intelligence more piercing than ever.

***

The senses of the beastmen were as sharp as a blade. Even the slightest movement of the wind or the faintest sound slipping through the leaves could be clearly heard by their ears.

Their steps were always light and silent, and they could spot distant objects as clearly as if they were right in front of them.

If they focused their hearing, they could easily ignore distances as far as ten minutes away.

Inside Jess’ tent, which the beastmen were the first to quickly surround, Noah spoke with a hardened expression.

“Did they really… target Lian?”

A grinding sound filled the tense atmosphere of the tent. Jess, her tail drooping as she recalled the unpleasant voices in her head, nodded.

“They put a bounty on my master’s head and branded you, Noah, as a traitor. They tried to kill you. Fortunately, they couldn’t dismiss you because they didn’t have anyone strong enough to replace you.”

In other words, if Noah had been weaker or if there had been someone to fill her position, both Lian and Noah’s heads would have been displayed together.

‘Those bastards.’

If the staff had decided to target Lian’s life through a rational process, Noah might have been able to understand, even if reluctantly.

No matter how much they claimed Lian’s innocence, the fact that he had attacked the Imperial Army wouldn’t simply disappear.

But according to the additional information Jess provided, the decision made by the staff this time wasn’t based on such a simple, rational process.

Even though Lian, as the ‘White Mask,’ had indeed attacked the Imperial Army, he was still the ‘son’ that the Duchess was searching for.

It made no sense to kill the true heir of the duchy, which had yet to find a proper successor, so easily.

‘They want to cut the roots.’

If Lian were hanged as a traitor, the official heir to the duchy would disappear, which would in turn weaken the growing power of the duchy.

At the same time, before Noah, hailed as the ‘hero of the troubled times,’ could seize new power, they planned to cut her down and steal her achievements.

While the less experienced nobles might have arrived at this conclusion and acted on it, the more politically savvy individuals were looking even further ahead.

They planned to use Lian’s body, which they would take through the bribed priests, as a bargaining chip when negotiating with the Duchess.

Additionally, they intended to undermine Noah’s reputation as the ‘hero of the troubled times’ by accusing her of supporting a traitor to humanity. If Noah protested further, they would imprison her in a facility for prisoners for several days.

And if she resisted with her sword?

They would label Lily and her comrades as ‘rebels’ and execute them on the spot. While Noah could easily cut down all the soldiers and staff at the camp, her comrades’ heads would fall before she could do anything.

If her comrades were taken hostage, Noah would have no choice but to submit. Only then would they show ‘mercy’ by sparing her from execution and instead demoting her and her group to ‘slaves,’ using them as war slaves.

After listening to Jess’ calm explanation, Noah took a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

If Lian hadn’t pulled her back, the future Jess had just described would have unfolded exactly as she had said.

“…Thank you, Lian.”

When Noah expressed her gratitude, Lian responded with a soft smile.

“We need to get our comrades out of here. Is that okay?”

Given the uncertainty of when the nobles might tighten their grip, Noah came to the conclusion that they needed to evacuate their comrades. When she asked Jess for her opinion, Jess readily agreed.

They then began discussing important matters, such as ‘how to get Lian out without any injuries’ and ‘how to turn the nobles’ plans to use the beastmen against them.’

***

At that moment, in a hidden room in a corner of the Demon King’s Castle.

The bookshelves lining one wall were filled with old scrolls and ancient books, and a soft candlelight flickered over the wide table in the center of the room.

A map of the continent was spread out on the table, its details clearly visible.

Except for the secret passage that could only be accessed through specific means, the room was surrounded by solid stone walls, cutting off any outside view.

Five elegant chairs were placed around the table, but two seats remained empty.

“Aaah— I was having so much fun, so why did you call me?”

Jiso, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, leaned back in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head, speaking in an irritated tone. Rania, another of the Four Heavenly Kings, who had been yawning with her chin resting on her hand, grinned.

“Jiso, didn’t your territory get raided?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Rania smirked as she pointed out the exact area that Lian and Iris had destroyed while Jiso had been away. Jiso, his face turning red with anger, slammed his fist on the table.

Erboan, the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings and the right hand of the Demon King, who had been deep in thought, frowned and spoke.

“If you want to step down from your position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, keep talking.”

Since the only way to step down from the position of a Four Heavenly King was through death, Rania shrugged and leaned back, while Jiso clicked his tongue and turned his head away.

Click.

As if on cue, the door that had been closed swung open, and the Demon King, her long black hair flowing behind her, entered with an indifferent expression.

She slowly walked inside and closed the door, not even bothering to sit down before dropping a bombshell.

“We will begin hunting the Outsider.”

“What?”

“What…?”

“…!”

Although the Outsider had never revealed itself to the outside world, its overwhelming presence occasionally filled the Demon King’s Castle, making its existence known.

Those staying in the castle had felt the terrifying aura emanating from the Outsider several times, and the Demon King had explained that it was the ‘Outsider.’

Upon hearing that they were going to hunt such a being, the Four Heavenly Kings couldn’t hide their shock.

‘Hunt the Outsider? Is that even possible?’

‘Aah… as far as suicide methods go, this one isn’t very appealing.’

‘The Demon King has changed.’

Though their expressions and reactions varied, they all shared the same opinion: ‘Hunting the Outsider? That’s absurd.’

As if she had expected such reactions, the Demon King calmly began explaining the atrocities committed by the Outsider and the future that awaited them.

“Aaah… this is so annoying.”

Rania, irritated by the thought of having her body taken over by a parasitic entity, ran her hand over her face.

“Hah… it swallowed half of my territory?”

Jiso, upon learning that half of his territory had been devoured by the Outsider, clenched his fists so tightly that the veins bulged on his face in anger.

“Hah… haha… So I was just a plaything, huh?”

The strategist of the Demon King’s army, who had always prided himself on controlling everything in the palm of his hand, felt a deep sense of humiliation at the realization that he had been toyed with by the Outsider.

They weren’t blinded by rage or conviction, so even as they gnashed their teeth in anger, they continued to think rationally.

No matter how infuriating the situation was, if the end result was death, they would have walked away without hesitation. The Demon King, fully aware of this, had laid out her plan to them for a clear reason.

‘There’s no escape.’

‘If we don’t fight, we’ll die anyway, right?’

‘Hah… at least we get to choose how we die, I guess?’

According to the Demon King, no matter how far they ran, the only thing waiting for them was a cruel death.

The more they felt the overwhelming power of the Outsider, the less hope they had for survival.

“I have a way.”

After ensuring that they understood there was no escape, the Demon King offered them a single way out.

They grabbed onto the only choice they had.

‘This time, it’s my turn to save them.’

The Demon King, recalling the one who had pulled her from the depths of despair, calmly resolved herself to face death.

End of Chapter

Chapter 203

***

“This time, it’s my turn to save.”

At Jess’s actions, Noah’s face twisted with urgency as she hurriedly separated the two.

“Jess! What are you doing? That was dangerous! You could have gotten hurt!”

Suppressing the feeling of ‘jealousy’ that was bubbling up, Noah scolded Jess as if reprimanding a child. Jess pouted and pulled away.

But just as Noah was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Jess spun around and wrapped her arms around Lian’s arm.

“Jess!”

“I hugged him gently, so it’s fine!”

Noah was left speechless, her mouth opening and closing without a sound, while she subtly intertwined her fingers with Lian’s hand, which was still in her grasp.

The situation was far too pink and romantic for the serious circumstances they were in. Lian, overwhelmed, could only stammer, repeating “Huh?” and “What?” over and over again.

Jess, watching Lian’s dazed expression, which made him look like easy prey, licked her lips and leaned in close to Lian’s ear. Just as her lips were about to touch his, Noah rushed to pull Jess away.

“Did they take your body, Master?”

“…!”

“…!”

Jess’s eyes sparkled with a sharpness that had never been seen before.

***

The senses of the beast-kin were as sharp as a blade. They could hear even the smallest movements of the wind and the faintest sounds filtering through the leaves.

Their footsteps were always light and silent, and they could clearly perceive distant objects as if they were right in front of them.

If they focused their hearing, they could easily ignore distances of up to ten minutes away.

Inside Jess’s tent, where the beast-kin had gathered first, Noah spoke with a hardened expression.

“Did they really… take Lian?”

Grit.

The sound of someone grinding their teeth filled the tent with a chilling tension. Jess, her tail drooping at the unpleasant memory that surfaced in her mind, nodded.

“They placed a bounty on Master’s head and branded you, Noah, as a traitor to be executed. Luckily, they couldn’t find anyone strong enough to replace you, so the plan was dismissed.”

In other words, if Noah had been weaker or if there had been someone else to take her place, Lian and Noah’s heads would have been mounted side by side.

‘Those bastards.’

If the staff had at least used some rational process to put Lian’s life on the line, Noah might have been able to understand.

No matter how much they claimed Lian’s innocence, the fact that he had attacked the Imperial Army wouldn’t just disappear.

According to the additional information Jess provided, the staff’s decision this time hadn’t been made through such a simple or rational process.

Even if Lian had attacked the Imperial Army under the guise of the ‘White Mask,’ he was still the ‘son’ the Duchess had been searching for.

It made no sense to kill the rightful heir to the duchy, especially when no proper successor had been found thus far.

‘They’re trying to cut off the line.’

If they hanged Lian as a traitor, the official heir to the duchy would disappear. This would be akin to cutting off the growing power of the duchess.

At the same time, they wanted to eliminate Noah before she could seize new power as the ‘hero who emerged in troubled times’ and take credit for her achievements.

While some inexperienced nobles had only thought this far, those more seasoned in politics had seen further.

They had planned to use Lian’s body, obtained through a bribed priest, as leverage when negotiating with the duchess.

Additionally, by accusing Noah of ‘supporting the traitor of humanity,’ they aimed to suppress her rising reputation as a hero. If Noah had protested further, they would have imprisoned her in a detention facility for several days.

And if she resisted with a sword?

They would have labeled Lily and her comrades as ‘rebels’ and executed them on the spot. While Noah could have easily cut down all the soldiers and staff at the base, her comrades’ heads would have rolled before she could do so.

If her comrades were taken hostage, Noah would have had no choice but to surrender. At that point, they would have ‘mercifully’ spared her from execution, instead demoting her and her comrades to ‘slaves’ to be used as war prisoners.

After listening to Jess’s calm explanation, Noah took a deep breath and exhaled.

If Lian hadn’t pulled her back, the future Jess had so nonchalantly described would have become a reality.

“…Thank you, Lian.”

When Noah expressed her gratitude, Lian responded with a smile.

“We need to get our comrades out of here. Is that okay?”

Given the precarious situation, where they could be captured by the nobles at any moment, Noah concluded that they needed to evacuate their comrades. She asked Jess for her opinion, and Jess readily agreed.

Afterward, they began discussing important matters, such as ‘how to extract Lian’s body without injury’ and ‘how to turn the nobles’ attempt to use the beast-kin against them.’

***

At that time, in a hidden room tucked away in a corner of the Demon King’s Castle.

A large bookshelf lined with old scrolls and books occupied one wall, and a wide table in the center of the room was illuminated by the soft glow of candlelight.

On the table was a map, clearly depicting the continent’s terrain.

Except for the secret door, which could only be accessed through a special method, the room was sealed off by solid stone walls, blocking any outside view.

Five ornate chairs surrounded the table, but two of them were empty.

“Aah—… I was having so much fun, why did you have to call me?”

Jiso, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head, complaining in an annoyed tone. Rania, another of the Four Heavenly Kings, who had been yawning with her chin resting on her hand, grinned.

“Jiso, I heard your territory got raided?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

When Rania pointed out the area that Lian and Iris had destroyed while Jiso was away, she mocked him. Jiso’s face reddened with anger as he leaned forward, slamming his fist on the table.

Erboan, the right hand of the Demon King and the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings, who had been deep in thought, frowned and spoke.

“If you’d like to step down from your position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, feel free to keep talking.”

Since the only way to step down from the position of a Four Heavenly King was by losing one’s head, Rania shrugged and leaned back, while Jiso clicked his tongue and turned his head away.

Click.

As if on cue, the door that had been closed swung open, and the Demon King, Elensia, with her long black hair cascading down her back and an indifferent expression, entered the room.

Elensia slowly entered, closed the door, and, before even sitting down, dropped a bombshell.

“We’re going to hunt down the Outsider.”

“What?”

“Huh…?”

“…!”

Though the Outsider hadn’t revealed its existence to the world, its overwhelming presence had occasionally filled the Demon King’s Castle, making its existence known.

Those who resided in the castle had felt the chilling power of the Outsider several times, enough to make their souls tremble. Elensia had always referred to this as the ‘Outsider.’

At the Demon King’s declaration that they were going to hunt such a being, the Four Heavenly Kings couldn’t hide their shock.

‘Hunt it? Is that even possible?’

‘Aah… If you’re going to commit suicide, that’s not a very pretty way to do it.’

‘The Demon King has changed.’

Though their expressions and reactions varied, they all shared the same thought: ‘Hunting the Outsider? That’s absurd.’

As if expecting their reactions, the Demon King began to calmly explain the Outsider’s atrocities and the future that awaited them.

“Aaah… This is so annoying.”

Rania, irritated by the thought of having her body taken over by a parasitic being, ran her hand down her face.

“Hah… Half of my territory was swallowed up?”

Jiso, upon learning that the demons he trusted had been possessed by the Outsider, causing half of his territory to be devoured, was so furious that the veins on his face bulged.

“Hah… Haha… So, you’re saying I was just a toy?”

The strategist of the Demon King’s army, who had always manipulated everything from behind the scenes, felt a deep sense of humiliation upon realizing that he had been played with like a mere pawn by the Outsider.

Though they were not mindless moths driven by rage or conviction, they gritted their teeth in anger while still thinking rationally.

No matter how infuriating the situation, if the end result was death, they would have abandoned the cause without hesitation. The fact that Elensia had laid out her plan so openly meant there was a clear reason for it.

‘There’s no way out.’

‘If we don’t fight, we’ll die anyway.’

‘Hah… At least we get to choose how we die.’

According to the Demon King’s explanation, even if they tried to run, the only thing waiting for them was a brutal death.

The more they felt the overwhelming power of the Outsider, the less hope they had of survival.

“I have a plan.”

After making them understand that there was no escape, the Demon King offered them a single way out.

And so, they clung to the one choice they had been given.

“…This time, it’s my turn to save.”

The Demon King, recalling the one who had pulled her out of the abyss, calmly resolved herself to face death.

End of Chapter

Chapter 203

This Time, It’s My Turn to Save

***

Noah, irritated by Jess’s behavior, hurriedly separated the two.

“Jess! What are you doing? That was dangerous! You almost got hurt!”

Suppressing the feeling of ‘jealousy,’ Noah scolded Jess as if reprimanding a child. Jess pouted and stepped back.

But just as Noah felt relieved, Jess spun around and hugged Lian’s arm.

“Jess!”

“I held him gently, so it’s fine!”

Noah was left speechless, his lips moving soundlessly, as he subtly intertwined his fingers with Lian’s, who was still being held.

The situation was far too light-hearted for the seriousness of the moment, and Lian, overwhelmed, could only stammer, “Huh?” “Eh?” in confusion.

Jess, seeing Lian look like a helpless prey ready to be snapped up by a beast, licked her lips and brought her face close to Lian’s ear. Just as Noah was about to urgently pull Jess away from Lian, Jess whispered,

“Did someone take over your body, Master?”

“…!”

“…!”

Jess’s eyes sparkled more brightly than ever before.

***

The senses of beastkin were as sharp as a finely honed blade. Even the faintest movements of the wind or the softest sounds drifting through the leaves were clearly audible to their ears.

Their footsteps were always light and quiet, and they could vividly perceive distant objects as if they were right in front of them.

With heightened alertness, they could easily disregard any distance up to 10 minutes away.

Inside Jess’s tent, where the beastkin had gathered first, Noah spoke with a hardened expression.

“Did they really… target Lian?”

Grit.

The sound of someone grinding their teeth filled the tent with tension. Jess, her tail drooping in discomfort, nodded at the unpleasant voice that echoed in her mind.

“They put Master’s life on the line, and Noah was branded a traitor and nearly executed. Fortunately, they didn’t have the strength to replace Noah, so the plan was dismissed.”

In other words, if Noah had been weaker or if there had been someone to replace her, both Lian’s and Noah’s heads would have been displayed side by side.

‘Damn them.’

If the staff had reached that decision through a rational process, it might have been understandable.

No matter how much they claimed Lian’s innocence, the fact that he had attacked the Imperial Army would not simply disappear.

According to the additional information Jess provided, the decision of the current staff had not been made through such a straightforward and rational process.

Even though Lian, as the ‘White Mask,’ had attacked the Imperial Army, he was still the ‘son’ the Duchess had been searching for.

It didn’t make sense to kill the true heir of the duchy, which had been without a proper successor until now, so easily.

‘They’re trying to cut off the bud.’

If they hanged Lian under the pretext of treason, the official heir to the duchy would disappear. This was akin to cutting off the ever-growing power of the duchy.

At the same time, they sought to cut off Noah’s rise to power before it could flourish, while stealing the credit for her achievements.

While the inexperienced nobles concluded their actions at that point, the more politically adept individuals had a far-reaching perspective.

They planned to use Lian’s body, after obtaining it through a bribed priest, as a bargaining chip when negotiating with the Duchess.

Additionally, by accusing Noah of ‘defending a traitor to humanity,’ they intended to crush her reputation as the ‘hero of the troubled times.’ If Noah resisted further, they planned to imprison her in a facility for prisoners for several days.

And if she raised her sword in defiance?

They would label Lily and her companions as ‘rebels’ and execute them on the spot. While Noah could easily cut down all the soldiers and staff at the base, her comrades’ heads would fall first.

If her comrades were taken hostage, Noah would have no choice but to surrender. At that point, they would show mercy by sparing their lives but would demote them to ‘slaves’ and use them as war slaves.

After listening to Jess’s detached explanation, Noah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

If Lian hadn’t pulled her back, the future Jess had so calmly laid out would have unfolded exactly as described.

“…Thank you, Lian.”

When Noah expressed her gratitude, Lian responded with a smile.

“I need to get my comrades out of here. Is that okay?”

Knowing that the nobles could put a leash on her at any time, Noah concluded that she needed to get her comrades to safety. When she asked Jess for her opinion, Jess readily agreed.

They then began discussing important matters, such as ‘how to extract Lian’s body without injury’ and ‘how to turn the nobles’ plans to use the beastkin against them.’

***

Meanwhile, in a hidden room in a corner of the Demon King’s Castle.

The bookshelf occupying one wall was filled with old scrolls and ancient books, and a soft candlelight illuminated the wide table in the center of the room.

On the table was a map clearly depicting the continent’s geography.

Except for the secret door that could only be accessed through special means, the room was surrounded by solid stone walls, blocking any external gaze.

Around the table were five antique chairs, but two of them were empty.

“Aaah—Why did you call me when I was having so much fun?”

Jiso, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, leaned back lazily with his hands clasped behind his head, his voice laced with irritation. Rania, another of the Four Heavenly Kings, who had been yawning with her chin resting on her hand, smirked.

“Jiso, didn’t your territory get raided?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Rania pointedly mocked him, mentioning the exact area that Lian and Iris had destroyed while he was away. Jiso, his face flushed with anger, leaned forward and slammed his fist onto the table.

Erboan, the Demon King’s right hand and the strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings, furrowed his brow and spoke up.

“If you want to step down from your position as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, keep talking.”

Since the only way to step down from the position of a Heavenly King was to lose one’s head, Rania shrugged and leaned back, while Jiso clicked his tongue and turned his head away in frustration.

Click.

As if on cue, the door, which had been closed, opened, and the Demon King, Elensia, with her long black hair flowing, entered the room with a blank expression.

The Demon King slowly walked into the room, closed the door, and, before even sitting down, dropped a bombshell.

“From now on, we will hunt down the Outsider.”

“Huh?”

“What…?”

“….!”

Though the Outsider had never revealed itself publicly, its overwhelming presence had occasionally filled the Demon King’s Castle, making its existence known.

Those who resided in the Demon King’s Castle had felt the chilling, oppressive aura of the Outsider several times, and the Demon King had explained this presence as the ‘Outsider.’

At the Demon King’s declaration that they would hunt down such a being, the Four Heavenly Kings couldn’t hide their shock.

‘Hunt it down? Is that even possible?’

‘Aaah… That’s not exactly a beautiful way to die.’

‘The Demon King has changed.’

Though their expressions and reactions varied, their thoughts were the same: ‘Hunting the Outsider? That’s absurd.’

As if anticipating their reactions, the Demon King began calmly explaining the Outsider’s atrocities and the grim future that awaited them.

“Aaah… This is so frustrating.”

Rania, irritated by the idea that their bodies could be taken over by such a parasitic existence, ran her hand over her face.

“Hah… Half of my territory was swallowed up?”

Jiso, furious that the demons he trusted had been overtaken by the Outsider, clenched his fists so tightly that the veins on his face bulged.

“Hah… Haha… So I was just a toy all along?”

The strategist of the Demon King’s army, who had always thought he was in control of everything, felt a deep sense of humiliation at the realization that he had been played with by the entity known as the Outsider.

Though they were not mindless moths drawn to the flame of vengeance, their rationality remained intact even as they ground their teeth in anger.

No matter how infuriating the situation, if the end result was death, they would have turned their backs without hesitation. The Demon King knew this all too well, which was why she had laid out her plan so clearly before them.

‘There’s no way out.’

‘If we don’t fight, we’re going to die anyway, aren’t we?’

‘Hah… At least we get to choose how we die, I suppose?’

According to the Demon King, no matter how far they ran, the only thing waiting for them was a cruel death.

The more they felt the overwhelming power of the Outsider, the less hope they had of survival.

“I have a way.”

After making sure they understood their predicament, the Demon King offered them a single way out.

They clung to the only option available to them.

‘…This time, it’s my turn to save.’

The Demon King, recalling the one who had pulled her out of the abyss, calmly accepted her fate.

End of Chapter