Chapter 262: Yes, Lord Demon King

At the entrance of the Council Building, Kalisiman held a wooden box full of official documents in his arms, his spirit listless, as if he had just been kicked hard by life.

An hour ago, his life was still smooth and steady. Although he was just an inconspicuous little staff member, he could at least contact the real High Ranks, listening to the conversations of those councilors and bureaucrats every day, which made him feel as if he were the master of this Hell.

Such days should have continued, until he was scolded by his boss because his left foot entered the door first, and then he was punished for the old accounts from a month ago, telling him to roll to the funeral home in the suburbs to copy files, and he must write by hand, and he could only come back when he finished copying.

Undoubtedly, this is naked bullying.

However, even if he appealed, no one paid attention to him.

Recently, the Demon Capital has not been very peaceful. Whenever this happens, everyone will be extra cautious, not doing things that don't need to be done, and not offending people who don't need to be offended.

Kalisiman actually knew in his heart that the fierce-looking Terror Demon wasn't looking for trouble because of which foot he entered the door with first, but because of an old newspaper from more than two months ago.

At that time, he was also hot-headed and spilled everything he knew to that succubus reporter named Aishabeier. As a result, the expression 【A certain dream demon civil servant who did not want to reveal his name】 appeared in the newspaper. Although there was no real name, it was no different from a real name.

The Delagong family wouldn't bother with a small character like him, and even the recently fallen Logistics Department Vice-Official Hakes wouldn't notice him at all, but Hakes's little brother might not be the case. People on that entire chain of interests were probably hating him to death; after all, these grasshoppers after autumn only dared to vent their anger on small characters like him.

But honestly, Kalisiman actually didn't regret it.

Everything in this world has a price, not to mention expensive justice?

He just felt it was a pity that he had wasted his family's expectations in vain, and wasted more than twenty years of effort in vain...

Just as he was sighing secretly, a voice like a spring breeze suddenly came from behind him.

"Mr. Kalisiman, what a coincidence, we meet again."

Kalisiman was startled, looked up, only to see a young man wearing dark formal dress smiling at him, his eyes deep and his demeanor elegant.

Human?

Wait—

Wait!

Kalisiman was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that the other party was greeting him, and instantly straightened his body, almost subconsciously standing at attention and saluting.

"Lu, Lord Luo Yan!? Good morning!"

This person was exactly the newly promoted 29th councilor of the Council, the Demon King of Lei Ming County—Luo Yan!

His movements were too hurried, the wooden box in his arms tilted suddenly, and the full documents scattered all over the floor, paper spreading on the steps, some even floating with the wind. The public officials passing by saw it and cast playful gazes at this reckless young man, waiting to see his joke.

"Ah...! Sorry!"

Making such a big fool of himself, Kalisiman's face turned green, and he wanted to pick them up in a panic. Luo Yan, standing on the side, just lifted his hand slightly, and a faint magic fluctuation emerged from the magic wand that slid out from his sleeve.

The scattered documents seemed to be guided by invisible hands, quickly floating back into the box, neatly stacked, and falling steadily into Kalisiman's arms.

"It seems your burden is not light." Luo Yan said with a light smile, handing the last file to him, "Remember to be steady."

"Yes..."

Kalisiman took the file, his whole person a bit dazed, his heart both surprised and moved.

He never expected that this big shot standing at the center of power in the Demon Capital would not only remember his name but also personally help him clean up the scattered documents?!

He hugged the wooden box tightly, a hint of shame on his face, and stammered.

"Thank you for your help, Lord Luo Yan... I was too unseemly just now."

"It's okay." Luo Yan waved his hand gently, then his gaze fell on the documents in Kalisiman's arms, his eyes carrying a hint of doubt, asking knowingly, "However... why are you standing here? Are you waiting for someone?"

A hint of unspeakable expression appeared on Kalisiman's face, hesitated for a moment, and said in a low voice.

"I... don't work here anymore."

Luo Yan was slightly stunned, looking at him carefully.

"What happened?"

Kalisiman stammered for a moment, finally smiling bitterly: "It's like this... before the hearing, I privately revealed some news about the hearing to the 'Abyss Times'. Although I felt that what I said was the truth, and it didn't involve secrets or violate regulations, my boss kept making things difficult for me because of this, thinking my 'stance was not upright'. Originally this was nothing, but today I don't know if he took the wrong medicine or what, suddenly he got very angry at me, wanting me to go to the funeral home in the suburbs to copy files..."

Speaking to the end, his tone carried a hint of helplessness, "Maybe... this is fate."

Luo Yan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, his brows frowned slightly, carrying a hint of regret.

"... It was I who harmed you."

Kalisiman raised his head suddenly upon hearing this, looking at the self-blaming Luo Yan and waving his hands repeatedly, hurriedly saying.

"No! This has nothing to do with you!"

Seeming to be worried that Luo Yan wouldn't believe him, this young man took a deep breath, changed to a serious tone, and continued.

"Really, I was willing, sir... I saw a group of guys sitting there shirking responsibility, a huge and decaying machine trying to use unreasonable logic to suppress different voices, counting the deliberately caused mistakes on you who had nothing to do with it. I just wanted more people to know the truth, to let justice be heard. If we all pretend not to see what's happening around us, wouldn't our Hell become a dirty empire?"

"If someone must make a sacrifice, it doesn't matter if it's me. Compared to those soldiers who lost their lives, what I lost is just something insignificant."

After saying that, he pretended to be relaxed and exhaled, a teasing smile appearing on his face.

"Actually, there's no difference, right? I just transferred from the funeral home in the city center to the funeral home in the suburbs, from facing a group of living dead to facing a group of dead guys... ah, I don't mean you, you are special!"

His eyes were bright and persistent, flickering with pure belief, and a hint of worship for himself, making Luo Yan couldn't help but think of his younger self.

Not when he was studying at the Demon King Academy.

But when he was even younger.

He had also thought so.

For my ideal, I will burn myself.

Instead of for my ideal, please die first.

After a moment, Luo Yan revealed a faint smile, his tone gentle.

"You are right, your persistence is worth affirming."

Kalisiman was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head slightly, carrying a hint of gratitude.

"Salute to you, sir... although you are human, thanks to you, we haven't fallen so thoroughly."

"You say that, I will be embarrassed; I am not as great as you think."

Luo Yan lifted his head slightly, looking at him thoughtfully, then suddenly said.

"In addition, although you are right, the house behind you is actually a funeral home, but it is the funeral home in the city center after all, a bit more decent than the suburbs... If you want to stay, I have a proposal."

Kalisiman was stunned, looking at Luo Yan blankly, not understanding what he was going to say.

And the next second.

Luo Yan's words left him stunned in place.

"I happen to be missing a secretary." Luo Yan said slowly, looking at him sincerely, "Need someone who is familiar with the operation of this building, can grasp first-hand information, and is reliable enough to help me organize documents, handle various trivial matters, and... occasionally provide some useful opinions."

He smiled slightly, his tone gentle, "Do you think you can handle it?"

Kalisiman looked at him blankly, forgetting to breathe for a while.

He almost thought he had heard wrong.

He, an unlucky guy who was about to be exiled to the suburban funeral home, now actually received a personal invitation from Councilor Luo Yan to become his secretary?!

This, what is the situation?!

Happiness came too suddenly, making him unable to react for a while.

However, out of instinct, he, who had been mixing in the establishment for many years, still subconsciously grasped this opportunity and nodded with all his strength.

"I, I am willing! Sir... thank you for giving me this opportunity, I will definitely work hard to repay you!"

His voice trembled, but his tone was incomparably firm.

Just as Mr. Feisiting said, that gaze full of longing and the red glow on his cheeks were completely the look of someone who had prepared to offer his heart to him.

Luo Yan smiled gently and extended his right hand, palm up.

"Welcome to join."

"Tha, thank you!"

Kalisiman thanked him repeatedly, the wooden box in his hand didn't hold steady, and it fell to the ground again by accident.

While shaking hands with Luo Yan, he wanted to pick it up with a blushing face, but was gently pulled up by the latter.

"Alright, your job now is to take me to see my office; someone will handle such trivial matters."

Just as his voice fell, a furious Terror Demon walked out of the entrance of the Council Building, looking at the documents scattered on the ground, he cursed loudly.

"Kalisiman! It seems letting you roll to the funeral home was still overestimating you; you should go to the lava pool in the north to copy files—Lu, Lord Luo Yan?!"

The human body was too slender compared to demons, just like elves to humans. So much so that he didn't notice at all when he first came out that standing in front of Kalisiman was a guy that even his boss's boss couldn't afford to offend.

That furious Terror Demon instantly deflated at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Looking at that trembling Terror Demon, Luo Yan said casually. "Your name."

"Lu, Lucio..." The Terror Demon's face carried an expression of wanting to cry.

Being scared by a human to show this look, he had only experienced this once in his life.

Luo Yan looked at him with a smile that wasn't a smile, and said lightly.

"Let the staff of the Council Building go to the funeral home to copy files, you have such great official power."

"No, it's not... I..." Lucio was sweating profusely, his mouth trembling wanting to explain, but stammering couldn't say why, wanting to give Kalisiman a wink but didn't dare.

Kalisiman stood there blankly, also appearing a bit at a loss, not knowing what reaction to make.

However, seeing the boss who gave him a hard time show this constipated expression, he still felt incomparably happy in his heart, couldn't help but secretly give Luo Yan a thumbs up.

Luo Yan didn't look at him, just pointed to the documents on the ground.

"Pick it up, send it to my office, and hand it to my secretary, Mr. Kalisiman. Remember, pick it up by hand, no magic allowed."

"Yes, yes!"

!

The surrounding demons whispered, but Lucio nodded with sweat on his forehead, feeling relieved in his heart.

Praise Lord Demon King.

Praise Lord Demon God!

The respected Mr. Luo Yan finally let him go and didn't slap him to death.

After all, for that lord, wanting to kill him was too easy; just flip the resume back 100 years, and he could always be linked to Zakuro... as long as he wanted.

Lucio secretly glanced at Kalisiman, his face carrying a fawning and flattering smile, trying to repair the relationship with this former colleague.

Kalisiman's expression was both painful and secretly happy, but also carried a hint of confusion.

That was both the emptiness after "great revenge fulfilled" and the doubt about his ideals... as if he were also turning into a living corpse.

Luo Yan knew his feelings very well and was also very pleased with his growth.

"Work hard, lead the way."

"Yes! Sir." Kalisiman, who came back to his senses, immediately responded, then hurried to the front to lead the way for his respected idol.

Inside the Council Building, rather than an official agency, it was more like an ancient and majestic Demon Palace.

Complex demon characters were carved on the towering stone pillars, and historical murals painted with blood by Demon God believers hung on the walls. Those abstract and twisted symbols symbolized the glory and disputes of Hell's past. A huge blood-colored magic crystal was embedded above the dome, emitting a faint dark red radiance, making the entire hall look both solemn and solemn, and carrying a few hints of mystery and oppression.

"This building has a long history, dating back to the era of the first Demon God, Udis," Kalisiman introduced excitedly, guiding Luo Yan with gestures. "In the beginning, it was just a place for arguing, without even a formal building. All the nobles and generals stood by the lava lake to hold meetings, and whoever was unconvinced would just fight—of course, the atmosphere is much more 'civilized' now, and the lava lake has been filled in."

"That's pretty good."

Luo Yan listened while observing the decorations around him with great interest. The tall sculptures were lifelike, and the names of the demon councilors were carved on giant stone tablets, recording their achievements and final endings—some handwriting had been blurred by magic flames, implying that the owners of some names had been completely erased, and even the traces of their existence no longer existed.

In the center of the hall, a group of Hell servants were running around busily, and various strange monsters held different positions here.

There were succubi in uniforms registering affairs behind the counter; their smiles were both kind and full of danger, as if they were ready to pull people to sign some incredible contracts; there were abyss document demons with eight arms correcting several documents at the same time, six eyes staring at the floating scrolls, muttering obscure words while quickly flipping through; there were even huge demon guards, covered in obsidian armor, holding long spears burning with Hell flames, guarding the key passages to ensure that outside visitors would not break into the core area at will.

This was his first time here, but everyone here knew him, and when he passed by, they would stop what they were doing to salute him or pay attention to him.

"This is the corridor leading to the councilor area." Kalisiman pointed to a corridor paved with scarlet carpets, with bronze statues standing on both sides, each statue's eyes embedded with ghostly green soul crystals, as if observing everyone passing by in secret.

"Where is my office?" Luo Yan asked casually.

"Just ahead, your office is in the Obsidian Wing... please follow me."

Kalisiman took him through the heavy double doors, and an ancient magic fluctuation spread from the door frame, making Luo Yan couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

The magic barrier design here is quite exquisite; I don't know if it's the work of the Demon King Academy or the Higher Demon Academy.

The Obsidian Wing not far away was a private office area specially set up for the councilors of the Demon Capital. From the outside, it looked like an ordinary spire, but the inside was surprisingly spacious.

It was not as lively as the Council Hall, but instead appeared quiet and noble. Different councilor emblems were carved on the doors of each office, symbolizing their respective families or forces.

Kalisiman brought Luo Yan to a newly installed door, with a dark gold nameplate hanging on the door, engraved with:

"29th Councilor: Luo Yan, Baron of Black Wind Fort"

"You don't have a surname..." Kalisiman said embarrassedly, "They might have taken the liberty to use your title as your surname."

Luo Yan nodded and said easily.

"No matter, a name is just a code name, but I still prefer others to call me by my name rather than my title."

"Yes." Kalisiman respectfully noted this detail, then opened the door for Luo Yan and took him inside.

The entire office was not luxurious, but everywhere it revealed the stability and elegance of the Hell nobility.

A wide desk made of abyss black sandalwood was placed in the center of the room, the desktop as smooth as a mirror, embedded with a strip of flowing magic patterns, flickering slightly with the change of indoor light. The bookshelves were filled with various demon codes, Hell laws, and council records, each book cover carrying a trace of strange ghostly aura, seemingly containing the wisdom and secrets of the past owners. A map hung on the wall, depicting the distribution of forces in the major territories of the entire Hell, and even marking the emblems of different noble families... but it looked like the map hadn't been updated for a long time; the marked year was actually two hundred years ago.

Kalisiman hurriedly put away the map and said sorry to Luo Yan, but Luo Yan waved his hand, signaling him not to care.

This place shouldn't have been used for a long time.

Mr. Feisiting had said that the Demon Capital had 42 councilors at most, and only 20 at least.

Clearly, the struggle here was no easier than on the surface.

Behind the desk, there was a floor-to-ceiling window connecting to the outer balcony, through which one could overlook part of the street scene of the Demon Capital, and the Hell Furnace in the distance burned fiercely, reflecting the Purple Crystal dome of the entire Demon Capital.

"This is your office." Kalisiman smiled slightly and said thoughtfully, "Generally speaking, councilors usually won't stay here for a long time; after all, you are a noble, not an ordinary administrative official."

Luo Yan had already heard these things from Mr. Feisiting, but he asked one more question just in case.

"Oh? Then if there are affairs that need to be handled, how do you contact me?"

"Don't worry about this; finding you is one of my core jobs, and the Council Building will cooperate with me to solve this problem... as for sending letters, it's also very easy."

Kalisiman coughed and pointed to a black magic stone stand in the corner of the room, on which several bats were hanging upside down in a fake sleep, each bat's wings engraved with different magic marks.

Luo Yan stared at him for two eyes, raising his eyebrows with interest.

This thing is actually a gargoyle!

Hearing You You, who was coming and going without a trace, floated beside him, also surprised.

"Incredible... they actually have souls?!"

Luo Yan wasn't too surprised, just a bit curious whether this thing would grow up.

"This is your 'office communication system'," Kalisiman explained with a smile, "and this is the most reliable way to transmit letters in the Demon Capital Council—gargoyle familiars. As long as you leave a mark on them, I only need to send them to the area where you are through the teleportation array, and they will naturally find you."

Luo Yan walked closer, and the bats seemed to notice his gaze, shaking their stone wings one after another, revealing wrinkled little faces, yawning at him.

Surprising.

Although they were made of stone, they were lifelike, and the stone skin felt as smooth as jade, completely different from the stone men in his territory.

"Sounds quite efficient... how about safety? Will it leak my whereabouts? If I happen to have something inconvenient to reveal my location."

Kalisiman said respectfully.

"Please rest assured about this; when they sign a contract with you, their life and death are completely in your hands, even if they grow up later, you wanting to pinch them to death is just a thought... of course, gargoyles with souls are very expensive, and raising them is not easy, I don't recommend you do that. If you don't want them to find you, you just need to tell them, or recycle them directly."

Luo Yan nodded, flicking his index finger lightly.

Several ghostly green magic lights surged from his fingertips, quickly merging into the wings of those little guys, planting his own mark on them.

The communication system of the Demon Capital seems to be very backward, with a lot of room for improvement, but this is not what he wants to do right now.

"From now on, you guys will be called... Xiao Hei."

Five bats called out in unison, indicating agreement, then glared at each other, flapping their wings and baring their teeth, as if saying "The one called is me!", "It's me!".

These lively little guys seemed to be a satisfactory result for them. Luo Yan looked at them and smiled, touching their heads with his index finger.

"Don't fight, you are all Xiao Hei, Xiao Hei No. 1, Xiao Hei No. 2... and No. 3, 4, 5. When I'm not here, you have to get along well, understand?"

This seemed to be a satisfactory result for them, and the few noisy little guys stopped fighting instantly.

Luo Yan looked at Kalisiman.

"During this time I will be in Black Wind Fort, but next month I guess I will be in Lei Ming County, remember to contact me at any time if there is anything, here is left to you."

Cherishing this opportunity for progress incomparably, Kalisiman suppressed his excitement, respectfully nodded in obedience.

"Yes, Lord Demon King!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 263 =====