The atmosphere in the living room was heavy.
Both of them were dressed like bikers, so anyone who didn't know them might have mistaken them for father and son.
The clan leader sat on the sofa opposite, arms crossed, tilting his head slightly as if sizing Zunzun up. Yet Zunzun felt—for the first time—that the man truly took him seriously.
Zunzun mirrored the gesture, crossing his arms and raising his chin, glaring back with a rebellious bad-boy glare.
The two locked eyes, neither willing to back down.
After a long pause, the clan leader chuckled, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "The last time I saw an outfit like that was before your mother got married. I never thought so many years would pass so quickly."
Is that really Mom's old clothes? Zunzun wondered. With his father's timid personality, there was no way he'd wear something so bold.
"Enough about the past." The clan leader's expression grew serious again. "What do you want?"
"I want to take Yunyun away."
"No."
"Is there no room for negotiation?"
Zunzun copied the man's stance exactly: arms crossed, head tilted back, eyes lowered—like he couldn't care less if the answer was yes or no.
Instead of scolding him for the disrespect, the clan leader's eyes glimmered with appreciation.
This is the Crimson Demon Clan spirit!
"Yunyun is destined to lead the Crimson Demon Clan into a new era," the clan leader said gravely.
"What does that mission entail?"
"If Yunyun doesn't become clan leader, the Crimson Demon Clan will fall apart, the evil god sealed in the village will run rampant, the Demon King's army will be unstoppable, and the world will be destroyed!"
"The world won't be destroyed over something so trivial!"
Enough! Zunzun thought. Why do these people always have to add so much drama?
Where is this evil god sealed? And the Demon King's army? How can the world… be… destroyed?
Only then did Zunzun realize that the evil god was sealed in the village, and the Demon King's army had apparently been harassing them all along.
"But this is your fault! Don't pass these problems on to Yunyun!"
The clan leader fell silent for a moment, as if choked by the accusation. Then he sighed deeply.
"There's no way around it. The Crimson Demon Clan and the Demon King's Army have been at odds for thousands of years. These grudges don't disappear easily. I feel sorry for Yunyun, but I do this for the clan—and for world peace."
"Wait a minute! The Crimson Demon Clan hasn't even existed for four hundred years. So where does this thousand-year grudge come from? And isn't the Crimson Demon Clan the one that always starts the quarrels? Placing telescopes to spy on others, going to the Demon King's Castle for picnics every year, then bombing the place afterwards… Cancel all that!"
"No! That's a tradition of the Crimson Demon Clan going back thousands of years!"
"But I just said the clan's not even four hundred years old!"
Zunzun had just experienced stubbornness firsthand—but this time, he wasn't about to give in. No matter what, he would take Yunyun away today.
"I'll say it again!"
He stepped onto the coffee table, arms on his knees, his expression fierce and threatening like a villain.
"I'm taking her away today. I don't care who tries to stop me! If you refuse, I don't know what I'll do—maybe the evil thoughts inside me will consume me, and the Crimson Demon Village will be wiped out before the Demon King's army even arrives!"
His red eyes shone brightly, filled with unwavering determination.
"What!?" The clan leader's face twisted in shock. "I know your body contains enough magic to destroy the world, but I never thought you'd go this far for Yunyun. Tell me—what's your relationship with her?"
"She's the most important person (tool) to me!"
"Huh??"
The clan leader's eyes lit up.
"Really? You're willing to do this for Yunyun? That's very Crimson Demon Clan style! Hahaha—"
He laughed heartily.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached from outside. Yunyun burst into the room and shouted, "No! Father, Zunzun, don't quarrel!"
"Huh? Yunyun, you misunderstood—we're not quarrelling."
"But you…" Looking at Zunzun standing on the table and the clan leader sitting on the sofa exchanging barbs, Yunyun clearly didn't believe it.
"Also, Zunzun, why are you dressed like that?"
"Ahem… there's a reason."
"Let's not talk about that now."
Yunyun hurried between the two and faced her father. "Father, I will be a qualified Crimson Demon Clan leader in the future, so… so—"
"No, no need."
"Huh?"
"I didn't think it through. I didn't expect you two had this kind of relationship. Seems I had too high hopes for you, Yunyun. Sorry."
The clan leader lowered his head and apologized.
Yunyun was shocked. She waved her hands quickly. "No, no need to apologize! Hey, what kind of relationship?"
"Hahaha, no need to explain, I get it all!"
The clan leader laughed heartily again.
Zunzun had no idea what he meant but was certain he'd misunderstood.
"But what about the special clan leader training?"
"Don't worry about that now. We can talk later."
"But father, didn't you say the training would take years and that we'd have to do the brutal weekly clan leader trials?"
"That's just the clan's usual exaggeration—'danger so great you might die if you're not careful,' 'this is the fate of the clan.' Saying those things just excites people. Oh right, Yunyun, you haven't even enrolled yet, so you don't know."
The clan leader looked relaxed.
The Crimson Demon Clan loved to exaggerate, and he had no clue his daughter—the only 'normal' one in the clan—felt pressured hearing she was about to face such harsh challenges.
Zunzun looked at stunned Yunyun and said, "Don't hold back. If you're unhappy, just beat him up."
"Okay."
"Yunyun!"
The clan leader was stunned.
The so-called special training was just learning some clan knowledge. No real danger at all. It just happened to conflict with Yunyun's daily farming time, and he said it impulsively.
With the misunderstanding cleared up, Zunzun and Yunyun rode off on their toy bicycle-version of the Harley. The clan leader watched them from the window, nodding with satisfaction.
"Not bad. This kid has my taste after all. Maybe there's hope."
They walked a long way in silence until Yunyun suddenly closed her eyes, embarrassed.
"Yes, I'm sorry! I worried you so much, I really am!"
She kept bowing to Zunzun in apology.
Yunyun clearly felt this was all her father's fault, and she hated causing Zunzun trouble.
"It's okay. I worry about you too."
Truthfully, Zunzun was more upset with the clan leader.
But it seemed the clan leader cared deeply for his daughter—at least, he hadn't stopped her from farming after her strong request.
"At least it ended well."
"Yeah…"
Yunyun twisted her fingers awkwardly.
Zunzun looked at her and suddenly said, "By the way, let's be friends."
"Huh? Weren't we already friends?"
Seeing Yunyun about to cry, Zunzun hurried to clarify.
"No, no, I mean properly. After all, trapping my sister and Megumin before caused too many misunderstandings."
"Yeah, that's true…"
"Please give me more advice, Yunyun."
"Yes! I'm not talented enough—please teach me more in the future."
"Wait—that's not how you make friends!"
Zunzun was stunned by her way of making friends.
-End Chapter-
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