Chapter 10 - Forest of Four Seasons (5)

The world was home to many different races, but ask which was best suited to combat, and everyone would give the same answer.

Demons. Even the demons themselves acknowledged it.

Horns on their heads, blue skin, and eyes with black sclera that set them apart from every other race. An innate constitution that allowed them to use mana naturally, and magic overwhelmingly more powerful than anyone else’s.

Together, these traits had earned them their devilish name. And like devils, they were true to their desires.

Let me teach you continental history

In the past, demons caused all the trouble. Now elves cause all the trouble.

History lesson over!

└For real, look at history. Demons were fucking thugs.

└There’s a reason a Hero shows up every era lol

└Leave these bastards unchecked and the world is fucked lol

└What kind of lives do demons even lead?

Their devotion to their desires had once made them infamous for their cruelty. Their atrocities had been so terrible that a Hero emerged every generation to slay the Demon King and keep him in check.

The Demon King ruled Mephisto, the demon nation, while the Hero was a powerful champion trained by humans themselves.

Noble character, exceptional talent, devout faith, and the tremendous divine power that came with it.

These factors had sustained the struggles between Demon Kings and Heroes throughout the past, claiming countless lives.

But had the demons grown weary of the endless conflict? Or had they simply gotten bored?

When did demons come to their senses?

They suddenly went quiet at some point

└They quieted down after saying they were sick of fighting and starting some weird ball games.

└Hey, watch that “weird”! Say that to a demon and you’ll be torn limb from limb.

└These bastards take their ball games seriously lol

└Wouldn’t say they came to their senses. Someone once killed a player for scoring a suicide goal lmao

└Holy shit, that’s insane lol

└Is that why they started calling them own goals instead of suicide goals?

└That’s why Mephisto is so strict about protecting players.

Demons desperately wanted a form of combat that didn’t involve their fists. They wanted the excitement and nail-biting tension of battle. They were tired of punching and brawling.

Putting their battles with the Hero on the back burner, they devoted themselves to research, and eventually created an entire culture.

Ball games like soccer, baseball, basketball, rugby, and American football. Sports.

At first, even the demons thought it was ridiculous. Ball games? Why not just fight?

They already had gladiators fighting each other, after all. Why ball games of all things?

But as time passed and society and its laws developed, violence became increasingly taboo.

More importantly, there simply wasn’t enough entertainment. When people have peace of mind, they look for ways to amuse themselves.

Between that trend and the limited entertainment available in that era, demons inevitably began to take sports seriously.

And so, excluding drugs and gambling, the demons’ dedication to chasing dopamine left them hopelessly addicted to those mere “ball games.”

Here’s how seriously these bastards take it

Mock them for being shit at fighting and they just laugh it off. Why? They know they’re stronger. These guys rival elves. They’re born strong.

But ball games? Call them shit at those and they’ll come at you like they’re ready to die. Especially soccer. Humans won the championship and absolutely demolished their pride lol

└How do you know?

└Teased my demon friend while playing futsal and got my arm broken.

└LMAO

└Hahahaha

└You had that coming lmao

└Did they pay your medical bills?

└Yeah. But they told me not to say that to other demons. Said I might actually die.

└How fucking serious can they be? lmao

Naturally, at first this was a culture only demons enjoyed. Other races had no interest.

Why would they adopt the culture of a people who might invade at any moment, blasting spells everywhere?

Ironically, though, humans were the first race to embrace demon culture.

Why humans, when they had suffered the most throughout the long wars against demons?

Because human lives were short. Their generations changed far more quickly than those of other races.

The generations that remembered the cruel demons of old gradually dwindled, leaving only those who knew them as idiots obsessed with ball games.

As contact with demons quietly increased and humans embraced their culture, they came up with a clever move.

An unblockable move against demons

Humans: If we have a problem, let’s settle it with ball games. You guys are strong as fuck anyway.

Demons: Okay, okay, fair.

Humans: But you know throwing a fit because you lost a ball game would look pretty bad, right?

Demons: Why would we lose? lol

And ten years later, the humans crushed them.

Humans: We won, scrubs lol

Demons: Fuck this. It’s war.

Humans: Wow, you’re starting a war over losing a ball game? Have you got no pride?

Demons: Fuck... This is bullshit, but we’ve got nothing.

└Lmao they really can’t do anything.

└Is that seriously how diplomacy works?

└It’s a summary, but yeah, pretty much lol

Demons were an exceedingly proud race, rivaling even the elves.

They had a history of using their innate strength to toy with neighboring nations, but that belonged to an age of barbarism.

Spreading sports around the world had gradually improved their image, but their pride remained unchanged.

Humans shrewdly prodded that pride to secure advantages. Caught in a contradiction of their own making, demons had little choice but to swallow their displeasure and focus on diplomacy.

One fact, though

If there hadn’t been a Hero, the demons would’ve gone to war

└That’s a fact.

└Only works because their strength is evenly matched lol

└What were the elves doing, though?

└Those bastards just stood back and watched lmao

└It’s because Mephisto’s close to the human nations, yeah.

└Fucking knife-ears are never any help.

└And now the knife-ears are the ones starting shit, right?

└What did we humans ever do wrong?

└Our ancestors picked the wrong place to found their countries lol

└Nonhuman nations on every side lmao

Of course, all of this was said half in jest. Sports remained sports.

Still, their popularity soared because they allowed different races to overcome their differences and compete fairly. These were battles where mana was forbidden and victory depended purely on physical ability and skill.

Above all, they had a spirit of chivalry suited to the age—sportsmanship—which appealed to people’s romantic sensibilities.

What are dwarves even good at?

Too short for soccer or basketball. Wrong build for rugby or American football. Baseball’s tough because their strike zone is awkward.

What can they even do?

└Passing Dwarf: Make the balls, you little shit.

└LMAO

└Hahahaha

└Good money?

└Passing Dwarf: Make a fucking fortune every major tournament.

└Did dwarves make the balls back in the old days too?

└Nope. Heard they used human heads.

└Holy shit...

Even dwarves, whose builds prevented them from playing themselves, benefited in various other ways.

Balls, uniforms, and all manner of equipment. Given the times, all precision work was entrusted to dwarves.

As industrialization and commercialization rapidly advanced and all sorts of tournaments were held, Mephisto transformed into a nation of culture.

Sports could make spectators experience the full range of emotions simply by watching. They were also a drug that drove people insane.

Something weird about beastfolk

Their favorite sports are the quietest one, baseball, and the roughest one, American football.

Why?

└Suspiciously: What’re you on about? In baseball you crack heads open with bats.

└Fuck, that’s a brawl lmao

└Bench-clearing brawl lol

└Beastfolk are so tough they’re fine afterward lmao

The most popular sports varied by nation and race, but their origin in Mephisto remained an indisputable fact.

Sports were thus woven into the fabric of daily life there—entertainment enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age, gender, or status.

“What?! How do you miss that?! Are you kidding me?!”

Mephisto’s highborn were no exception.

Despite her characteristically demonic blue skin and black-sclera eyes, the woman was stunningly beautiful. Her jet-black hair shone, and the ram’s horns rising from her head lent her a subtle allure.

Add a figure that set men’s hearts ablaze, and she lacked for nothing.

“Wow. Even I could’ve scored that.”

Kayrin Rondel Archive, princess of Mephisto and heir to the Demon King’s throne, swore at the soccer match playing on her magical broadcast orb.

Since the birth of sports, Mephisto had invented a variety of spells to develop a proper industry around them. The broadcast magic Kayrin was watching was one such invention, and its range was considerable.

“Seriously, that cost a hundred billion yura? Are the people running Chae U blind?”

Kayrin furrowed her lovely brows and clicked her tongue, her face full of displeasure.

As Mephisto’s princess, she inspired awe in countless people. Her innate strength and background also left her virtually free of political pressure.

If she disliked something, she could exert pressure whenever she pleased. But applying that to sports would cause serious trouble.

‘I know there’s nothing I can do, but it’s so frustrating.’

Club owners could be nobles. But the moment they brought politics into it, they were out.

It wasn’t a law, but an unwritten rule. Sports were a culture for everyone, not just the nobility.

Barring unavoidable circumstances such as war, even the powerful could not control sports completely. They could regulate them through policy to an extent, but interference beyond that was impossible.

“And there’s the final whistle! Chaemes United lose two–one at home!”

“They’ll be celebrating in Moss Village today. They’re one step closer to that long-awaited Challengers League spot!”

“Meanwhile, Chaemes United are barely holding on to their position. How will manager Horen handle...”

“Oh, screw this.”

CLICK!

Kayrin angrily switched off the broadcast spell. A sending-off had ruined a game they’d had in the bag.

She covered her face with her hands for a while, then quietly lowered them. Blank-faced, she opened the forum.

Mid-table Chae! Mid-table Chae! Mid-table Chae!

The Slutty bastards are seething~ The Slutty bastards are seeeething~ The Slutty bastards are seething~

???: Guess you’ll have to suck it, huh?

Slutty fans eliminated lmao

The instant the match ended, lunatics flooded the forum. Business as usual.

Kayrin gave a hollow laugh and wrote a post.

Asshole reveal

Slutty Princess

(Photo of an emblem featuring a deer)

Here’s my little asshole

└Lmao did Slutty lose today?

└Slutty Princess: Those motherless bitches conceded two goals in stoppage time hehe

└LMAOOOO

└No wonder all the lunatics came out.

After posting, Kayrin rose from her seat. She was so worked up that she needed to cool her head.

‘Better tidy the room first.’

She looked around. From Chaemes United jerseys to replica trophies, the room was packed with Chae U merchandise.

It was exactly the sort of room a soccer fanatic would decorate. Which was precisely what she was.

SNAP!

Kayrin snapped her fingers, and everything vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space.

The room was originally a training hall, custom-designed exclusively for her.

She surveyed the empty hall several times, then looked down. Rather than a majestic dress, she wore a jersey so simple it was plain, bearing the name of a former Chae U legend.

SNAP!

Another snap transformed it into a beautiful black dress. All of this was magic.

Normally, spells required incantations, but Kayrin had no need of those. A gesture was enough.

After carefully checking that she hadn’t missed anything, she walked to the exit. The door was fitted with all manner of security spells and locks.

CLUNK!

Kayrin released every lock and stepped outside, where a middle-aged butler waited with a group of knights.

“You’ve worked hard, Your Highness. Have you finished your training?”

“Yes. Thank you for your efforts as well.”

“Not at all. It is my duty to serve you, Your Highness.”

The butler bowed as he answered. Kayrin patted his shoulder as she passed, acknowledging his hard work. His face filled with emotion.

It was a kindness the current Demon King never showed, and it won people’s hearts.

As heir to the throne, she had every reason to be conceited. In personal strength, too, Kayrin ranked among the continent’s five greatest.

Yet she was not arrogant, and her nature was kind.

Was that really so impressive? One might wonder. But one had to remember that these were demons.

Besides, though her speech was stiff, Kayrin was kind and considerate toward everyone, not just her butler.

‘She seems to be in a foul mood today, though. Did her training yield no results?’

The butler followed behind her, mulling it over. After serving her for so long, he could at least read her emotions.

Today, her mood was bad. Very bad.

At times like this, the wisest course was to keep his mouth shut.

She might be kinder than other demons, but she was still a demon. Irritate her, and spells would fly.

‘Even if these control exercises only take place once or twice a week, they must be taxing.’

Demons were every bit as combative as beastfolk. They loved contests that produced a winner and a loser.

In the past, this tendency had manifested as violence, causing great harm to those around them. Not anymore.

As violence became taboo, controlling their emotions grew increasingly important.

This was particularly crucial for those of high status, since a moment’s temper could so often ruin everything.

Training to master one’s emotions was therefore vital—and arduous and painful.

‘God. Seriously. This is so fucking annoying. How do you concede two fucking goals in stoppage time?’

Kayrin had indeed been training her emotional control. Her methods simply differed from the norm.

As a passionate Chaemes United fan, watching a match alone sent her emotions swinging wildly.

In the past, she’d struggled to control herself and wrecked the training hall at every opportunity. Not these days.

She had reached the point where she could brush it off with, ‘Ugh. Fucking idiots. What else did I expect from you?’

Whatever else might be said of her, her mental fortitude was slowly approaching that of a saintess.

‘Why am I a Chae U fan?’

Back in her bedroom, Kayrin lay on her bed and thought about the past. How had she become a soccer fan—and a Chae U fan, at that?

Her life had once been far removed from soccer. The culture might have spread worldwide, but she belonged to the upper class.

Soccer in particular had spread from the lower classes, and the upper classes were rather hostile toward it.

But even they were powerless against the financial clout generated by culture.

Culture could not be stopped in the first place. Attempts to suppress it only helped it spread.

‘Things would’ve been even harder without this, wouldn’t they?’

Kayrin’s own education had taught her that soccer was for people who knew no better.

Yet nobles owned countless clubs. Only a handful of stuffy aristocrats, including the royal family, disliked it.

Even they regarded sports favorably. It was soccer alone that they resented.

As a result, Kayrin had initially viewed soccer unfavorably too. Then, at some point, she had begun to fall for it.

The cause was none other than the forum. One chance visit had changed everything.

Knowledge she had never encountered in her sheltered upbringing, coupled with soccer’s peculiar addictiveness.

For a born demon like Kayrin, it was no different from trying a new kind of drug.

She naturally began supporting her local club, Chaemes United, and even chose the forum username Slutty Princess.

‘Ugh, damn it. Not even being able to go to matches is so annoying.’

But Kayrin never displayed her enthusiasm offline. There were political issues.

Could something as trivial as soccer really become a political problem?

Strictly speaking, it was closer to a generational conflict. Demons lived fairly long lives, though not as long as elves.

Generational change was therefore slow, and many of the older generation who remembered their brutal past remained. That generation still held a firm grip on power, making the situation politically awkward.

One generation regarded their bloodstained glory as a source of honor; the other had discovered the new entertainment of sports.

As those generations clashed, even the nobility had no choice but to take notice. And as the most popular sport, soccer inevitably became entangled in politics.

‘Why did I do that...? I just hated seeing Chae City grow...’

Publicly, Kayrin too was seen as belonging to the camp far removed from soccer.

The reason was a policy she had introduced, placing certain restrictions on Setan’s gold money.

She was irritated by those damned dark elves throwing money around and snapping up famous clubs, but the biggest reason was Chae U’s troublesome sibling.

Chaemester City, formerly a mere third-division club, had swallowed that gold money and shot up to become a powerhouse.

Hadn’t they even lifted the trophy at the world’s largest tournament last year?

Meanwhile, Chae U were floundering. Their pride had been utterly crushed.

Naturally, Kayrin had been sick with envy. So she had spoken up just once.

Chae U fans: vote for the person you hate most

1. House Medes

2. Princess Kayrin

└I get House Medes, but why Princess Kayrin?

└She made the takeover process a pain in the ass. Otherwise Chae U could’ve been guzzling that sweet gold money too.

Basically, it went like this

House Medes: Chae U for sale~ Bargain prices!

Setan: Oh! We’ll buy it! Here’s the money!

Kayrin: Hell no! Not a chance! New policy, bang bang bang!

House Medes: Oops. Guess we need to raise the price because of the policy hehe

Setan: Fuck that. Not buying.

└Lmao now it makes perfect sense.

└But doesn’t Kayrin have a point?

└Opinion’s split down the middle. Still, Slutty fans want to tear her limb from limb lol

└Doesn’t Kayrin hate soccer too?

└No official statement, but I think she’s against it.

It infuriated Kayrin. Her love of soccer—not just Chae U—was genuine.

Given free rein, she would have attended matches every week. She probably would have turned hooligan and caused trouble now and then, too.

Unable to do that, she secretly bought jerseys and merchandise to soothe herself.

Watching matches only filled her with rage, but never mind that.

‘Just wait until I’m Demon Queen. I’ll show up in my jersey with my head held high.’

Sports, with soccer at their heart, were a realm even the Demon King could not meddle with lightly. Doing so was tantamount to declaring the people his enemies.

That was the frightening power of culture, and one of its side effects. It was precisely why not only demons, but other races as well, had become so deeply engrossed.

Countless spells had been invented simply to develop this one cultural pursuit. Broadcast magic was one example.

Amusingly enough, Mephisto was edging toward a cultural victory rather than a conquest victory.

‘Forget all that. If only their signings weren’t such shit.’

Kayrin sighed inwardly, her face crumpling into a miserable expression.

She was troubled not as the ever-dignified demon princess, but as a single Chae U fan.

The forum was the best remedy for a mood like this. There was still time before the next match anyway.

‘Wild Grylls... How did this human end up in the Forest of Four Seasons?’

Ordinarily, she spent the time before matches posting about Chae U or writing shitposts. Lately, however, that had changed.

Among all the colorful characters and posts, Wild Grylls stood out: the person who claimed to have landed in the Forest of Four Seasons.

At first, she hadn’t believed him. Couldn’t believe him. But as time passed, she couldn’t help taking an interest.

For one thing, his posts had overwhelmingly more upvotes than anyone else’s. That was the biggest reason he’d caught her attention.

‘He came from another world? Give me a break.’

Whether his remarks were roleplay or madness, they were interesting enough.

Besides, she had nothing much to do in her free time. The next match was days away.

So she had given him a compass, partly to pass the time and partly to help. Afterward:

Slutty Princess

Then please support our Chae U. That’s all I need.

I don’t know much about this world. What kind of team is Chae U?

“What?!”

Kayrin was horrified. How could he not know the famous Chae U?

If he lived in some rural backwater, perhaps. But Grylls was a forum user.

Ninety percent of forum users were abnormal, but even among them, sports fans stood out.

They were not merely out of their minds; their brains had rotted away.

Some had even rotted so thoroughly that they attained enlightenment and became Buddhas.

“He doesn’t know Chae U? Time to educate him.”

Kayrin preached Chae U’s greatness and even gave him jerseys.

Grylls accepted them, albeit looking less than enthusiastic. Kayrin didn’t stop there.

Declaring that she ought to post a highlight reel, she uploaded a Chae U compilation to the forum.

The forum had a storage function and could import outside videos. That was how sports highlights could be posted at regular intervals.

How long had it been since she posted the compilation?

As of today, I’m a Chaemes United fan.

(Photo giving a thumbs-up toward the jerseys laid on the ground)

Thank you, Slutty Princess. That’s one less clothing problem to worry about.

└Ahh. The whole world is Chae U...

└Chae U of all teams lmao

└He’s alone anyway. Does it matter?

└Better than running around naked.

└As of today, this is the Chaemes United Forum.

Satisfying. Truly satisfying.

Kayrin smiled with pride at Grylls’s post.

Chae U had gained another fan today. He might be in the Forest of Four Seasons, but a fan was a fan.

More than anything else, that pleased her. She could support him to her heart’s content from now on.

‘Chae U would be sad if a fan died. I’ll have to support him properly so he stays alive.’

If Chae U’s fans were sad, Chae U would be sad too, and that might affect their results.

It was the reasoning of a single-celled organism, but people were like that. Get sufficiently obsessed, and your thinking became simple.

Just as a satisfied Kayrin was about to close the forum, a comment appeared that got on her nerves.

└King Leor: Why give him that shit? Fucking reeks.

“...”

Kayrin’s lovely brows drew together. She knew this registered user.

A supporter of Chae U’s greatest rival, Leor, and the registered user Kayrin hated most.

Calling Chae U “Slutty” at every opportunity was only the beginning. They did plenty of other things to grate on her nerves.

└Slutty Princess: Back again? You really must have nothing to do.

└King Leor: Not as little as you lol. So, did you beat us?

“You fucker.”

Kayrin swore. Chae U had recently lost three–nil to Leor.

The score could only be described as a crushing defeat, which was why that registered user could mock her.

‘These bastards used to get called Mid-table Leor...!’

Just ten years ago, Leor had been fallen royalty. But a change of manager had restored their standing.

Meanwhile, Chae U had been in constant decline. Changing managers made no difference.

└Slutty Princess: Hehe, we’ll win once we get new owners.

└King Leor: Nope. You’ve still got Kayrin~

└Lmao look at them rubbing it in.

└First Medes, then Kayrin lol

“...”

How could someone be so infuriating? Kayrin clenched her fists.

Mana began seeping out as her emotional control faltered, but she barely managed to suppress it.

Nothing good would come of getting angry now. With difficulty, she calmed herself.

└Slutty Princess: A frog forgets it was once a tadpole. Fits you perfectly hehe

└King Leor: What’s that, Slutty trash? lol

└Slutty Princess: Is that why you got knocked out of the Master Cup? We at least made the Challengers hehe

└King Leor: And where are you in the standings? A whopping seventh!

└This is fierce lmao

└But isn’t Leor better known?

└What the fuck did you just say, asshole?

└Just stating facts lol

An unexpected fan war broke out.

“Hmm... I should just keep my fucking mouth shut.”

Grylls watched in silence.

A very wise decision indeed.