I Got a Job as the Demon King’s Toy - Chapter 68

When they arrived at her house, Bonita told the stable hand to wait for a couple of hours, suggesting he pass the time at a nearby tavern so he wouldn’t be bored.

“…As I suspected, no one’s home.”

The house was empty, just as she expected. Her father, the only family she had left, was likely at the gambling den. Did he even care where the money she sent him each month came from? Holding back tears, Bonita quietly slipped out through the back door and made her way toward the temple. It was about a fifteen-minute walk, but she ran along the dirt path, desperate to save every second she could.

“Sister, what are you saying? You want to see the divine register?”

The elderly priest scowled at her, clearly suspicious. Bonita had only asked to see the register, but it seemed her request had tipped him off.

“I just want to check when my name was recorded.”

“How old are you?”

“Uh, twenty…”

The priest sighed heavily.

“Sometimes people ask to see the register. But never someone so young. You want your name erased, don’t you?”

“No, it’s not that. I just want to see it, that’s all.”

“You’re only twenty. Even if you lived as long again, you’d only be forty. Do you understand what it means to live a life forsaken by the gods?”

His words—forty, forsaken, a lifetime—didn’t carry much weight for Bonita. What mattered to her was the present and the next year, not a distant future.

“This is something I truly need. Just show it to me, and I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens. It’s my life.”

“I can’t allow that. Please, be reasonable,” the priest replied, shaking his head and growing more agitated.

“Please… please, I’m begging you.”

Bonita knelt down, clutching at the priest’s robe in desperation, but he shook his head firmly. Gently, he helped her to her feet and led her to the prayer chamber.

“Take some time to pray here, to Larifinas, and reflect. Life is more beautiful than you think, Sister. There’s so much more worth living for.”

“I’m doing this to survive… to live…”

But the priest, ignoring her pleas, left her in front of the statue of Larifinas at the altar and quietly stepped out of the room.

“No, this can’t be happening,” Bonita muttered to herself, pacing nervously. She had come so far, sneaking away and making it to the temple, but now the opportunity was slipping away. Who knew when she’d get another chance like this? She might have already been discovered missing.

“How do I convince him?”

Bonita had thought everything would fall into place once she reached the temple. But now, faced with this unexpected obstacle, she anxiously bit her lip, glancing at the statue and wringing her hands.

* * *

The lair of the Blue Dragon, Kaplites, was perched atop a sheer cliff. From the moment Lucas and his party approached the base of the cliff, they could feel the eyes watching them from every direction. It was clear these were the minions of the dragon, though they made no attempt to reveal themselves or attack.

“What do you think?”

Raul, the party’s mage, murmured as he surveyed the surroundings.

“It seems like the dragon is allowing us passage,” Lucas replied.

“We came ready to fight, but this is too easy. Could it be scared of us?”

Jorge, the knight, said loudly, his voice thick with bravado. But no one took the bait from his provocations.

“Why would a dragon want to meet us?”

Lucas’s question hung in the air, unanswered. No one in the group had an explanation. They pressed onward, climbing the steep cliff face until they finally reached the heart of the lair.

At the top, an enormous stone door swung open silently, almost as if it was beckoning them inside. Lucas unsheathed his longsword, leading the party into the cavernous interior. As they ventured further, the narrow passageway widened, revealing a vast, open space. It was large enough to fit an entire fortress. In the center, a single beam of sunlight pierced the darkness, illuminating a massive chamber. From the shadows beyond, a pair of glowing red eyes stared back at them—it was Kaplites.

“You’ve come this far, and yet… what do you intend to do with that toothpick you call a sword?”