The Daily Life of the Demon King

Chapter 173 - 173: The Grey Knight Arrives, and Yandere Valkyrie

Leaving the lounge, Alex and the two Valkyries made their way to the hall where they would meet the chosen contender. Brunhilde still didn't know who it would be, but Alex's words about this person specializing in hunting demons and being trained to destroy creatures of chaos only piqued her curiosity further.

Meanwhile, Alex was deep in thought, considering the necessity of eliminating Beelzebub before the chaos-infected part of his soul could fully take over. If that happened, the situation could spiral out of control, raising numerous questions and concerns among the spectators watching the events unfold. The only preventative measure Alex could devise was to set up a discreet barrier to block the fragment of the Outer God's influence from affecting the audience.

Lost in thought, Alex suddenly felt a sharp tug on his arm. It turned out to be G.I.R., the robo-dog, desperately trying to break free. Alex sighed wearily, realizing that the dog was once again eager to go demon-purging. Brunhilde noticed the look Alex cast at G.I.R.

"He's still determined to go after Beelzebub, isn't he?" she asked, peering over Alex's shoulder at the robo-dog.

Alex smiled tiredly. The thought of letting G.I.R. go had crossed his mind, but he quickly realized it was a bad idea. If this "radical" were set loose, he wouldn't stop at Beelzebub but would aim to cleanse all of Helheim.

Göll watched G.I.R. intently, marveling at his ability to switch "personalities"—from a cute, almost naive robo-dog to a fanatic obsessed with eradicating the demonic race.

"If it were just about Beelzebub, I'd have let him go long ago," Alex said with noticeable exhaustion. "But the problem is that this little fanatic would probably decide to burn all of Helheim in his zeal to purify it."

Brunhilde remained silent, but her imagination painted terrifying scenes of Helheim engulfed in flames. She realized Alex was right: letting G.I.R. go was too risky. The thought of Mimi and Stitch still being in the lounge made her involuntarily shudder. Those three could undoubtedly turn all of Helheim upside down.

"You're not seriously considering letting him go, are you?" Göll asked, her voice trembling.

"Of course not," Alex replied. "The last time I left him unsupervised, that little rascal managed to brainwash the kids at an orphanage I was helping. By the time I came back with Kiwi, the kids had already split into 'orders' and were preparing for a crusade."

Brunhilde couldn't hide her surprise. She hadn't expected Alex to help orphanages, but she attributed it to his kind nature. However, the mention of Kiwi piqued her interest.

Göll's eyes sparkled with admiration. The fact that Alex helped orphanages only strengthened her belief that her new older brother was kind and noble. Little did she know, Alex wasn't human at all but a demon.

"Kiwi?" Brunhilde asked, looking at Alex with interest.

"She's my fiancée," Alex replied with a slight smile. "We met when I worked as a mercenary. To be precise, we were on the same team: me, Rebecca, Lucy, Kiwi, and a few others."

Brunhilde was slightly taken aback to learn that someone as powerful as Alex had worked as a mercenary. Her curiosity grew as she wondered what could have driven such a person to take up that profession. She also found herself wanting to know more about the girl Alex had mentioned.

"This girl, Lucy—she's your fiancée too?" Brunhilde asked, casting Alex a dry, scrutinizing look.

"Yes, we met when I was just starting out as a mercenary," Alex replied calmly, ignoring her tone.

Realizing that his cryptic responses might lead to misunderstandings, Alex decided to be honest. Sometimes, the truth helps avoid problems—though, at other times, it might cause them. Regardless, he knew it was better to talk about his relationships upfront than to let speculation grow.

Starting his story, Alex gradually mentioned all his fiancées. His tale included Lucy, Rebecca, Kiwi, and even Gloria, who had played a significant role in his life. However, as the story unfolded, Brunhilde's frown deepened, and one of her eyes began twitching noticeably.

"So, Gloria? Who is she?" she asked, trying to keep her composure.

Understanding the question deserved a full answer, Alex explained what these women had gone through. He avoided mentioning futuristic worlds, cybernetic implants, or other technological details to keep the story simple.

Gloria had lost her husband and son in a gang shootout. Lucy had endured horrific experiments at the hands of a corporation. Kiwi had grown up in poverty, which took a toll on her health until Alex came to her aid. And Rebecca's story—sold by her own parents—was the most heartbreaking of all.

As Göll listened, she couldn't hold back her tears, shocked by the cruelty of the world these women had to survive in. Alex finished his story with a light but slightly melancholic smile.

"Why didn't they come with you? Are you worried about their safety?" Brunhilde asked, watching Alex closely.

"Not exactly," he replied, shaking his head. "Gloria doesn't like all the chaos of fights and shootouts. Lucy and Kiwi are currently studying magic, and given their skills, they'll master it quickly."

Brunhilde raised an intrigued eyebrow, clearly curious about the skills he was referring to. Sensing her interest, Alex explained that Lucy and Kiwi had been the team's hackers and information specialists.

"Not only is Rebecca a genius, but it seems your other fiancées aren't far behind," Brunhilde concluded, impressed by their abilities.

Meanwhile, Göll grew curious about Alex's work as a mercenary and the kinds of missions he undertook. Alex smiled and began sharing stories, including one where he had to scare off an overly persistent admirer.

"And how did you get rid of him?" Brunhilde asked, already suspecting that the method had been anything but ordinary.

"Love sometimes turns into obsession, and the easiest way to deal with obsession is a couple of taps on the head with a memory neutralizer," Alex replied with a satisfied expression.

The young Valkyrie blinked, processing what she had just heard.

"A memory neutralizer? What's that?" Brunhilde asked, intrigued by the odd detail.

She was starting to realize that Alex's brilliance came with its quirks, from collecting weapons to eccentric solutions. The older Valkyrie, however, suspected that this "memory neutralizer" was far more complex than it sounded.

"Brother Alex, can you show us this memory neutralizer?" Göll asked with a puppy-eyed look.

Alex smirked, clearly aware that their interest in his strange inventions was only growing.

Looking into Göll's eyes, Alex realized her "puppy-eyed" expression was becoming increasingly convincing, almost rivaling those of the girls in his family. Sighing, he decided to show them the memory neutralizer. However, he quickly realized that both his hands were occupied—one supporting Brunhilde and the other holding onto the robo-dog to keep it from dashing off on a crusade to purge demons.

With a swift motion, Alex clipped the robo-dog's leash to his belt and handed it to Göll. Once the mechanical dog was securely in the young Valkyrie's care, Alex reached into his inventory,

"Not this..." he whispered, watching as Titus, apparently inspired by the robo-dog's actions, also knelt, holding the glaive in his hands, the shield pressed against the ground.

The two Valkyries watched the scene with clear confusion. Brunhilde frowned, and Göll shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do with herself.

Alex sighed, realizing that there was no avoiding the ritual. His expression grew cold, his voice low and harsh as he uttered the first words:

"What is your duty?"

The sharp change in his voice and expression made both Valkyries tense up. It was as though Alex had become someone else, his usual demeanor gone without a trace.

"To serve the Emperor's will!" G.I.R. and Titus responded loudly and in unison.

Brunhilde looked at Titus with realization. It became clear to her now: in front of her was yet another fanatic who, like G.I.R., worshiped the Emperor of Mankind.

"What is the Emperor's will?" Alex continued in the same cold and firm voice.

"That we fight and die!" came the choral reply once again.

"What is death?" Alex's voice grew louder, echoing in the room.

"It is our duty!" G.I.R. and Titus responded even more loudly than before.

"When is your duty done?" Alex stared at them, his face showing relentless severity.

"Only in death does duty end!" both exclaimed, raising their gazes to Alex.

A tense silence hung in the room. Brunhilde, frowning, tried to process what she had just seen, while Göll looked completely lost. Alex, taking a deep breath, thought to himself: When all this is over, I'll make sure to remind myself not to let G.I.R. take the initiative again.

After finishing the familiar ritual, Alex sighed deeply, feeling drained by the ceremony once more. The constant need to step into the role of a fanatic commander from the Imperium's world was starting to wear him out. Meanwhile, G.I.R. and Titus stood up from their knees, straightened up, and looked at him with an expression of complete readiness for action.

"Your task is to cleanse this world of the spawn of Chaos," Alex said, addressing Titus in a stern voice.

"FOR THE EMPEROR!" Titus replied, sharply saluting, and immediately headed toward the exit to the arena.

Alex watched him until he disappeared from sight, then turned to Brunhilde and Göll, who, not hiding their confusion, were staring at him. Brunhilde especially squinted suspiciously, clearly thinking something over. Her gaze seemed to say: So it's you who's responsible for this, that your dog has turned into such a fanatic.

She didn't know the main thing—if Alex hadn't supported G.I.R.'s obsessions, the robo-dog would have tormented him for days, or even weeks. Alex still shuddered at the memory of how the robo-dog relentlessly pestered him until he crafted a bolter for him—perfect for serving the Emperor.

"Care to explain what that was just now?" Brunhilde finally asked. Her voice was calm, but her eye betrayed her irritation with a small twitch.

"It was a pre-battle ritual," Alex replied tersely, trying not to show his exhausted annoyance.

Brunhilde was full of questions—how, why, and what for. Noticing this, Alex sighed and decided to explain everything on the way to the observation platform.

G.I.R. marched proudly ahead of the group, holding the fluttering flag of the Imperium high in his paws, as if proclaiming the greatness of his faith. As Alex followed behind, he began to explain that this ritual was part of the Imperium's culture—a way to inspire warriors before battle.

"So, this is part of your robo-dog's game?" Brunhilde asked, her voice tinged with light sarcasm.

"Yes. But if I hadn't supported him, he'd have driven me crazy," Alex sighed, rolling his eyes.

For a moment, Brunhilde imagined G.I.R. following her around for days, never letting up, incessantly demanding things. Her eyes widened in horror at the thought alone.

"Alright, I give up," she muttered. "Now I understand why you didn't stop him."

"And remember," Alex added, looking at both Valkyries, "never ask him about the Codex Astartes."

"Why?" Brunhilde and Göll asked in unison.

"Because he won't stop until he recites the whole thing to you—back and forth. And several times, adding his own comments and quotes."

Brunhilde narrowed her eyes in disbelief, but Alex quickly gave an example.

"Remember I told you about Lucy? Well, she foolishly asked him out of curiosity. G.I.R. followed her around all day, and at night, he didn't let her sleep until he had told her everything he knew."

Brunhilde chuckled quietly, and Göll just widened her eyes in shock.

As they spoke, the group reached the balcony with a view of the arena. Alex leaned on the railing and looked down, preparing himself for the upcoming fight.

To be continued...