My Dad, the Demon King, Is a Big Problem

Chapter 31

Almost simultaneously, a system window appeared before me.

The dungeon master had arrived.

Thanks to the system window that popped up as soon as I got here, I already knew where this place was.

This was “Count Ismir’s Monster Nursery.”

Count Ismir’s ranking in the Demon Realm hierarchy was only fifteen places higher than Lady Aldred, who held the 162nd rank. Just like Aldred, he was definitely an opponent far beyond my capabilities to handle—except maybe for Cardinal Reuben and the other holy knights.

“Hmph. So there’s a useless little child among you, huh? Guess I’ll use it as fodder.”

F-Fodder?

Count Ismir’s pink eyes sparkled chillingly as he approached. His eyes were a demonic diamond shape, a vivid pink that made them eerie to behold.

His jet-black hair splayed out in odd, fan-like spikes, giving him a grotesque yet ridiculously tacky appearance. Draped over his withered frame was a flamboyant tuxedo, and behind him, two whips crossed and swayed ominously.

“Who are you?”

Reuben asked sternly. Count Ismir smirked and spread his arms wide, speaking in a boastful tone.

“Look around! Isn’t it amazing? Isn’t it incredible? There’s no demon in the entire Demon Realm who raises more monsters than I do! Haha! Consider yourself honored to hear my name. I am....”

...Well, who are you?

Count Ismir puffed out his chest dramatically, his face glowing with pride. He seemed ridiculously pleased with himself for reasons only he knew.

To disrupt his overbearing energy, I decided to speak up.

“You’re Count Ismir, right?”

“!”

Count Ismir’s pink eyes widened in shock. Reuben and the other holy knights were equally stunned.

Trembling as though he’d just suffered a seizure, Ismir stammered, “H-how do you know that?!”@@@@

Well, he had every right to be surprised. How could a human possibly know his identity? After all, demons hadn’t been seen by humans in over 500 years.

I shrugged nonchalantly, as if the answer was obvious. “I read about it in the Demon Realm Encyclopedia. It’s a 500-year-old book, and it mentioned that some demons from back then might still be alive. Turns out it’s true.”

The one who seemed most shocked by my words wasn’t Ismir but Reuben.

“Hahaha!”

Meanwhile, Ismir had retreated to a safe distance, laughing smugly.

Coward! He must’ve released the monsters to avoid a one-on-one fight with Reuben. His gaze turned serious, his pink eyes glinting with malice.

“My new slaves, feed my adorable children well. They need to fatten up so the Demon King will adore them. Don’t let them die within a minute like the last batch of humans did. I’m not telling you to become their food—just feed them properly, you idiots. Hahaha!”

“Stay where you are!”

Reuben, who had already dispatched two monsters, lunged at Ismir once again. But Ismir’s figure disappeared in an instant, leaving only his voice echoing through the cavern.

“Careful now! If my sweet babies get too hungry, they’ll grow even more violent. Feed them for 100 days, and I’ll let you go back to the human realm. Hahaha!”

“......”

Amid the echoing laughter, the holy knights continued battling the remaining monsters. The beasts, with their savage fangs and relentless fury, tore at the knights’ uniforms, leaving trails of blood.

The fight was short but brutal. All the escaped monsters were slain, leaving the area drenched in blood.

But the remaining caged monsters, perhaps enraged by the sight of their fallen kin, grew even more frenzied.

One knight spoke up amidst the chaos, “Feed them? Why not just kill them all, Your Grace?”

“We can’t,” another knight replied calmly. “If we want to survive and return, we have to follow the dungeon’s rules. We’ll have to feed them.”

Reuben’s expression darkened as he muttered, “A hundred days? He said we need to feed them for a hundred days?”

“......”

It was no short time. The knights fell silent. Feeding the monsters for a hundred days seemed like a colossal waste of time—time they might not survive.

And how were they supposed to feed themselves during that time? They’d likely all perish before the hundred days were up.

Yet eliminating all the monsters here wasn’t an option either. The knights had suffered significant injuries just dealing with a few.

That damn demon knew it. Ismir’s plan was clear—he intended to kill us, one way or another.

After a long silence, Reuben finally spoke. “This is the Demon Realm. Dungeons follow their own rules. If we do as that demon said, we might make it back to the human realm.”

“But Your Grace!” one knight protested. “We might die before the hundred days are over!”

“Then we’ll endure. There’s no other way to survive this,” Reuben said firmly, silencing further objections.

Even if they tried to escape, finding an exit wouldn’t guarantee safety in the heart of the Demon Realm.

Watching them deliberate, I cautiously spoke up.

“...Um. I have an idea. May I share it?”