Chapter 27: The Frontier Demons Neglect Their Duties

"You don't have to if you don't want to, I will... wait, what?"

Claitina felt as if she were experiencing auditory hallucinations. She froze. "What did you say?"

Mino’s current posture was so rigid and resolute that those two words seemed completely impossible to have come from his mouth.

Altortai jolted up from the ground, stunned. "Your methods of attack are truly impossible to guard against, my Lord!"

"I said I will disclose it," Mino said, clenching his fists as if he had made a firm decision.

He knew that even if he didn't provide information, the demons would inevitably find other ways to cause trouble for the kingdom. Since that was the case, it would be better for him to feed them false information, rendering the demons' evil plans futile!

*Now, it is my turn to protect you, my dearest friend!!!*

Claitina had not expected Mino to be so proactive. For a moment, suspicion surged in her heart. Could it be... that Mino intended to deceive her with false information to completely sabotage the demon race’s plans?

However, looking into Mino’s pure eyes, she quickly dismissed that thought. If the war with the Hero hadn't left the Demon King’s Castle short on combat power, they wouldn't be relying on Mino’s intelligence for such a major plan; after all, Mino hadn't provided enough information yet to earn their full trust.

Truth be told, they were truly at their wits' end at this stage. Gritting their teeth and waiting until the day of the awakening ceremony would only cause them even greater trouble... Mino couldn't possibly have overlooked that.

There was only one conclusion: this was another challenge Mino was posing to them. He was confident that the Hero’s awakening ceremony would be completed successfully no matter what!

Claitina felt a slight shock. While they were still busy laying out minor schemes against Prince Ota, had the Hero Mino already set his sights on the entire human camp?

Could it be... that she was truly mistaken?

As her internal doubts turned toward herself, Claitina felt a brief moment of confusion, but she quickly regained her resolve. As the First Secretary of the Demon King’s Castle, she must never lose her composure in front of the Hero.

"If that is the case, then I shall see what kind of intelligence you can provide that will strike a blow to Ota. Tell me, what else is there that holds the same importance as Prince Ota’s heart?" Claitina asked with a cryptic smile.

Mino fell into a brief contemplation. Unfortunately, the last "puppet" had already taken a hit for Ota. To confuse the demons, he had to reveal information that was half-true, half-false so that his expression wouldn't reveal anything unusual.

Was there any such information left? Mino delved into his memories, and his eyes suddenly lit up. Yes, yes! There really was something!

It was on a sunny afternoon...

Mino had gone to Prince Ota’s study as usual. Pushing the door open, he found Ota slumped over a large, thick, leather-bound book, nodding off to sleep.

Mino walked up slowly and whispered, "Your Highness Ota? Your Highness Ota?"

"Ah!" Ota startled awake from his desk, then hurriedly tried to clear the tabletop. But in his haste, the large book blocking his view toppled over, and a small booklet that had been tucked inside slid off the edge of the desk.

"Mino, don't—"

Before Ota could finish, Mino had already caught it with quick reflexes. Looking at the illustration on the cover, he felt a bit puzzled. It was a style different from the oil paintings and sketches common in the kingdom—a cover rendered in bright, full-color lines depicting a cast of beautiful girls: *The Hundred... Who Love Me So, So, So, So Much.*

*Slap!*

The booklet was snatched away by Prince Ota. His chest heaved, and he began to pant heavily.

"Prince Ota, this is...?" Mino blinked, unable to suppress his curiosity. If he hadn't seen wrong, that seemed to be an illustrated book filled with interactions between beautiful girls and the protagonist?

As far as he knew, such products were a specialty of the Paper Demon tribe on the demon borderlands. They pasted watercolor drawings together to tell a story, but because the art style and themes were what they called "moe," they were not welcomed by the luxury-obsessed nobility. The Paper Demon tribe, like the Earth Demon tribe, were not skilled in combat, so they gathered only in the border regions of the demon territory. They rarely had conflicts with humans, and these border demons were seldom seen in the Demon King’s army.

"Ah, haha, it’s you, Mino... T-this," Ota’s face was indescribably awkward. "As you can see, this is a type of book the Paper Demon tribe calls a 'manga'."

"I know," Mino nodded, then continued to look at Ota.

Ota’s palms began to sweat. No, this wouldn't do. If it got out that he, a prince of the kingdom, was secretly reading the latest volume of a manga while dealing with state affairs, his image would be completely ruined.

"That's right, Mino, as I'm sure you've realized," Ota said, twitching his eyebrows and speaking in a deep voice. "This is no ordinary manga!"

"Eh?" Mino was stunned, looking down at the manga Ota was gripping. Although it emanated a faint trace of magic, that was a common trait of handmade demon goods; magic often lingered for a long time, but it generally caused no harm to the human body. Could it be... that there was some secret hidden within?

"While this manga may look like a harmless book, I can sense a magic within it that draws people in, making them sink deeper and deeper!" Ota clenched his fists. "Once someone becomes tainted by this, they will find it increasingly easy to daydream, to the point where they can no longer distinguish between reality and fiction!!!!"

Mino was shaken to his core. "It’s... it’s that terrifying?!"

"Prince Ota, then you...?"

Ota waved his arm decisively. "I have long kept a close watch on those insignificant little demon tribes at the border; I have never let my guard down. But unfortunately, some profit-seeking merchants brought these things into the kingdom's borderlands... I only realized the severity of the issue after I accidentally came into contact with them myself!!!"

"To prevent the citizenry from being poisoned, I have already issued an order to have these books brought to my desk the moment they are discovered!"

Mino’s eyes widened as he looked at the majestic figure of Ota clutching the manga to his chest. His eyes grew warm. "Prince Ota, this is... just as harmful to your own body!"

"Rest assured, Mino," Ota raised his head. "I am of noble royal blood, and my will is no less firm than yours. Only I can withstand the side effects within it. And only I can discern the fangs that those border demons intend to bare next, and nip them in the bud!"

Ota looked grave, his eyes pure and earnest. He gazed at the manga in his hand as if he were simply admiring a work of art, with no distracting thoughts whatsoever.

Mino believed him.