Impressively, even in this absurd situation, my hand clung tightly to my lifeline.
The torch gripped firmly in my hand blazed away. The moment I became aware of it, without a second thought, I swung it toward the vine binding my leg.
"Kieeeek!"
A scream that could tear eardrums rang out as the vine snapped off at my ankle.
Good! I'm glad I kept holding the torch myself! I never imagined I'd actually need it...
'But... why does my back feel so cool?'
That creepy flower seemed to be getting farther away... No, getting farther is good, but something feels off...
'Wait! I'm falling!!'
How high up was this? The thing covered a 10-meter radius, so probably close to that.
"...Haha, fuck."
Save meeee!!
Even as my heart felt like it could leap out of my mouth in sheer terror, my body—battle-hardened from rolling across countless warfields—was steadily preparing a landing technique.
It'd still mean a few broken bones at best, but... better than snapping my neck.
I steeled myself mentally and timed my landing just as someone snatched me out of the air.
"D-D-D-Demon, sir! A-Are you alright?! Any injuries! No injuries, right?!"
I'm the one who should be shocked—why are you stuttering? Whoa, you even bit your tongue?
I wanted to shove this idiot—the root of all this mess—straight into that man-eating plant's maw, but I forcibly held back.
Not because he was stronger than me. I looked up at Hien, feeling the solid grip of the arms supporting me.
'...He caught me, so I'll let it slide this once.'
Catching me from that height without a hitch. Even if I'm on the lighter side, I'm still in the normal adult weight range. Demons really are demons, huh.
"Demon, sir?"
"...I'm... fine."
I subtly pushed away from his chest.
Hien, interpreting it as a survival-instinct-based rejection signaling I wanted down, carefully lowered me to the ground.
The moment my feet touched solid earth, the world spun wildly.
I closed my eyes for a moment to steady my shaking head, then lowered the hand covering my face and turned to Hien. And...
"..."
I had no choice but to fall silent.
Behind Hien, the backdrop that should have blended moonlight silver with night's black was dyed red.
A acrid smell stung my nose, and hot air scorched my skin.
A single bead of cold sweat trickled down my back.
Not from the heat...
'This... is because of me, isn't it?'
The lifeline I'd dropped while falling—my torch—had set the garden ablaze.
***
I'm going to die today.
'No, I'm definitely going to die.'
The searing heat against his skin made Hien bow his head limply.
The plant he'd tended had tried to devour Demon, sir. Of course, Demon, sir wouldn't fall to mere vegetation, so it must have displeased him. Otherwise, there'd be no reason to let such a feeble attack land and retaliate.
He'd been looking for an excuse to burn it because he disliked the plant—no, the entire garden.
Maybe even Hien himself was the problem.
A plant's failing was the gardener's failing.
Whatever Demon, sir's true intentions, the plant he'd cultivated had struck first, leaving Demon, sir no choice but to counterattack.
That absolved him of blaming Hien for the garden's destruction—and instead put the onus on Hien.
He'd never even considered holding Demon, sir accountable for the burned garden in the first place.
'If I displease him, that's my fault.'
He was usually quite lenient. Even just hearing Chief Physician Ben boast about it confirmed as much.
So if he was angry, it must be because Hien had done something to offend him.
He'd resolved himself, but death was still frightening. He smoothed his undoubtedly pale face, bit his lip hard, and stared at Demon, sir's back.
Maybe because it was his back, or because he couldn't see the expression, but the atmosphere felt utterly different from the usual Demon, sir.
'No, no. This isn't the time to read the mood.'
Time to grovel.
Without turning, Demon, sir gazed only at the flames devouring the garden. Hien bowed deeply toward him.
"I'm sorry."
The feet he'd been showing his heels to slowly turned.
Hien squeezed his eyes shut at the sight of the shoes facing him.
***
Wow, it's burning great.
Is this what it looks like when slash-and-burn farmers fleeing a lord's excessive taxes set fire to a mountainside for crops?
Problem is, this isn't a mountain—it's the Demon King's castle—and there's no farming to be done.
'What do I do...?'
It's burning too well. Way too well.
The insolent man-eater that attacked me was already fully consumed by the flames, no longer screeching its horrors. The other creepy plants around it had vanished into the blaze without a sound.
The fire had already swallowed half the western garden and showed no signs of slowing, greedily expanding toward the rest.
A prickling gaze bored into the back of my head. Had to be Hien's.
I didn't have the guts to turn and see his face, so I deliberately zoned out, staring at the reddened garden.
Ah, yeah. No denying it. This was escapism.
This was the Demon King's garden, and the gardener was, naturally, a demon.
'Someone put out this fire. Anyone, please.'
I inwardly prayed for rain, performing a little rain ritual in my mind, when a faint voice came from behind.
"I'm sorry."
"...?"
I thought I'd misheard. This was a situation where I should apologize—why was he saying sorry?
My ears insisted they'd heard right, my brain claimed otherwise. Hesitating wildly, I slowly turned to verify.
Thankfully, what entered my view wasn't an enraged Hien, but one bowed low at the waist.
Half-relieved yet baffled into silence, he added an explanation himself.
"I didn't realize the plant—no, the garden itself—displeased you."
"..."
"Or perhaps... you're angry at me?"
"No, that's not it."
Do I look like someone that heartless? I touched my face lightly and looked back at Hien.
So, basically, he thought I'd set the fire because I hated that man-eater or the garden itself? And instead of getting mad, he apologized.
"Are you insane?"
"I'm sorry."
"Not that..."
This guy's a total pushover.
Either way, it didn't seem like he'd hold a grudge over this. For me, this beat admitting I'd stupidly dropped the torch by accident—better survival odds.
So, what now? What do I say?
"...The garden isn't exactly to my liking, but it's not that I hate it."
No, honestly, I hate it. Totally creepy!
But I can't tell the Demon King's gardener to grow roses or lilies like in the human realms. Guess I have to endure.
"Then..."
"J-Just... try to hold back on growing that plant you showed earlier."
"Ah, yes! Understood. I'll toss all the seeds."
Toss them? I wasn't gonna meddle with what you grow at home.
Anyway, seemed like we'd sorted it out. I nodded, but then a shadow fell over Hien's resolute face.
Unmistakably human—no, demonic—shape. Squinting to make it out, a voice emerged from the shadow.
—A very familiar voice.
"What's with this fire?"
Hien's body stiffened. No outward sign, but I froze solid too.
And for good reason—that voice was unmistakably...
"Who started it? On purpose?"
The one hailed as the realm's mightiest, the Demon King's one and only.
"D-Demon King, sir... what brings you here?"
"Should I just sit idle while my castle burns?"
The Demon King cut off Hien's question and turned his head. His eerie eyes swept the flames, then fixed on Hien and me with a chilling gleam.
His gaze had been emotionless on Hien, but the moment it landed on me, it lit up.
"I wondered why no one was putting out the fire despite it raging..."
He brushed back his hair and grinned. Clearly, at me.
Ah, this is it, right?
Today's the day you die, or something like that.
As expected, the Demon King named me—not my real name, but the one known in the demon realms, with others around.
"So it was you, Demon."
With a wave of his hand, the thick smoke enveloping us whooshed away. Only then could I see clearly.
Demons blanketed the area. They stood awkwardly, at a loss, watching us.
If you'd arrived sooner, why not put out the fire instead of spectating? Now the Demon King's here too.
"So, what rubbed you the wrong way?"
"...?"
"Mad at that gardener? Or did you hate the garden? If you want, I can kill him for you. How should I handle it?"
Wait, hold on. I heard you brought that gardener yourself—why say "kill" so casually?
No hint of a joke in his eyes. Panicking, I glanced at Hien, but even he—who should be pleading or defending himself—stood meekly bowed, ready to accept any verdict.
This might actually end with the Demon King killing Hien. I hurriedly spoke up.
"I'm not mad at the gardener, and I don't hate the garden."
"Then why? ...Actually, before that. Can we put out the fire now?"
"Pardon? Oh, yes."
I nodded reflexively, and the waiting crowd surged forward, casting spells.
Gigantic water orbs materialized in the empty sky and poured down. With so many, the fire was extinguished in seconds.
What the— you could do it that fast if you tried...
"So why'd you set the garden ablaze?"
I hesitated there.
No need to voice Hien's misunderstanding and paint myself as the villain. Tell the truth, then?
'What if I say I nearly died to one plant?'
'Weak enough to struggle with a single plant? You've been fooling me all this time? Die!' Or maybe, 'You burned my garden over that? Die!'
Couldn't ignore the Demon King's question either. Pondering my answer, Hien suddenly interjected with an explanation.
"The new plant I brought attacked Demon, sir. Enraged, he set the fire."
"..."
Wow. This guy's a spy. Who sent you? Revolutionaries? Imperial nobles?
How to crush him so it becomes legend? But he wasn't done—after a pause, he continued, voice faintly trembling.
"It's my fault. I failed to train it properly."
"Train" didn't fit a plant at all, but no one here batted an eye.
Makes sense—after that display, it was more beast than plant.
"Guhk."
A short groan pierced my ears. I snapped my head up to see the Demon King gripping Hien's throat with one hand, hoisting him up... and Hien, face contorted from blocked airways, not resisting.
'Ah, damn it. We could've swept this under the rug, why...'
The air itself had changed. Heavy, oppressively grave—enough to crush a man flat.
As I floundered speechless, the Demon King—still holding Hien's throat—turned only his head to me. His brutal expression from moments ago softened toward me. No, he was definitely smiling.
"What should we do?"
"...Pardon?"
"Should I kill him?"