Inside the room, Merlin sat on the edge of the bed with a serious expression.

The girls—Catrine, Luna, Nysera, Nivis, Margaret, Liora, and Monica—stood in front of him.

Lisa sat in Merlin's study chair, a curious look on her face.

"So, what do you want to talk about? Is it related to that treasure trove?" Luna asked, her voice tinged with doubt.

Merlin nodded. But instead of answering, he asked, "Do you believe in the existence of the Demon King?"

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden question. They didn't understand why Merlin was asking something like that.

"I don't believe in him," Margaret replied casually. "Isn't the Demon King just a figure from legend?"

The others nodded in agreement. The Demon King hadn't been seen in thousands of years.

Not only the Demon King, but even the demon race itself had never been seen on the surface.

There were only rumors and scattered reports of their appearances, but no one had ever actually seen them.

However, Lisa, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up.

"I believe."

The girls gasped and turned toward her.

"I once met a demon," Lisa continued calmly. "It was exactly one year ago, near the eastern forest."

Her expression grew somber. "That demon was tall and massive. Its strength was on par with the Seventh Awakening. Although I was stronger than it at the time, I didn't dare attack. After all, I knew nothing about the demon race. Who knows if it was hiding its true power?"

She paused briefly before continuing. "Still, it was an interesting experience. That's why I believe the Demon King truly exists."

Upon hearing that, everyone fell silent. The demon race did indeed exist—at least, that was what the ancient chronicles recorded.

However, as time passed, those records gradually turned into legends. Later generations began to doubt them, including the girls.

"I've also met a demon—more precisely, an extraordinarily powerful one," Merlin added.

"You've met one too?" Luna and the others were stunned.

"Mhmm!" Merlin nodded, then explained his encounter with the archdemon Malphas.

Everyone listened intently. Their expressions quickly turned grim… and fearful.

Something they had once dismissed as mere legend had turned out to be all too real. That realization left them bewildered and unsure how to react.

"So, what's the point of bringing this up?" Nivis asked. "Could that treasure site be the Demon King's tomb?"

She had only meant it as a guess—half a joke. However, Merlin's next words shocked them all.

"You're right. That place is the Demon King's tomb."

The girls and Lisa: "…"

"T-The Demon King's tomb!?" Nivis exclaimed in fear. "M-Merlin, you're joking, right?"

She desperately hoped Merlin would say, "Yes, I'm just joking."

But Merlin didn't. He shook his head and replied, "No. I'm not joking. This is real."

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy. The girls fell silent, exchanging confused and fearful glances.

The Demon King… It was a terrifying title.

The human race was led by many kings, from great kingdoms to small ones.

But the demon race was different. They were ruled by a single absolute sovereign—the Demon King.

Because of that, one could only imagine just how terrifying his power was.

"How do you know?" Nysera voiced her doubt.

Merlin paused for a moment, as if pondering whether to tell them.

Then, he made up his mind and spoke honestly. "I received that information from my Guardian Spirit."

"Guardian Spirit?" The girls were surprised.

Merlin nodded and explained, "Perhaps many of you don't know this, but I once summoned a very special Guardian Spirit. She comes from an unknown ancient era, and she once met the Demon King."

He then explained what Lyserra had told him. Of course, he didn't reveal everything.

It wasn't that he didn't trust them—he simply believed not everything needed to be shared, not even with those closest to him.

After Merlin finished, they finally understood the gist of it.

"So that's how it is… I understand." The girls nodded and sighed in unison.

The information they had received was too difficult to believe. However, they knew Merlin wouldn't make things up or joke about something like this.

"Anyway, we won't be passing through that place again. I've already placed many magic circles there. Not even fish will dare to get close. At the very least, that place is completely safe, and no one will approach it," Merlin said, trying to reassure them.

The others agreed and said nothing more.

After a few more brief exchanges, they decided to return to their respective rooms to process everything Merlin had just told them.

However, Luna, Catrine, and Margaret remained.

Merlin smiled and asked, "What's wrong?"

Luna walked over, held his right hand, and asked gently, "You're still hiding something from us, aren't you?"

Catrine and Margaret looked at him with concern as well.

Merlin maintained his smile and shook his head.

"You're overthinking it. I'm not hiding anything… except the fact that the Demon King's head is incredibly strong."

"How strong?" Margaret sat beside him and pressed herself against his arm.

That impertinent gesture displeased Luna and Catrine. Still, they chose to ignore it and instead stared deeply into Merlin's eyes.

"Hmmm…" Merlin stroked his chin, as if lost in thought.

"Very powerful…" he replied cautiously. "Not even five people at the First Spirit Core level could defeat it."

Luna: "…"

Catrine: "…"

Margaret: "…"

They hadn't expected it to be that powerful. The First Spirit Core was considered the highest level in this world. If even five people at that level couldn't defeat it, then how many would it take?

Fortunately, they hadn't asked Merlin too many questions about their retreat from the graveyard of statues.

If they had, they would've been in serious trouble.

"I understand." Margaret swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around Merlin's. "You really are amazing, my dear. You saved me, so I'll give you a reward. What do you want?"

Merlin was startled for a moment, then gave a faint smile. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I want…"

Margaret's face flushed instantly. It was as if white smoke were about to rise from her head.

"A-Are you sure?" she stammered.

Merlin chuckled softly and lifted her chin with his index finger.

"Why? Are you afraid? If so, then… that's very disappointing."

He wore a dismissive expression, and Margaret immediately felt displeased.

"Fine!" She gritted her teeth, her gaze filled with determination and resolve. "I'll do it!"

Merlin nodded approvingly and pinched her cheek affectionately.

"That's the Margaret I know," he said.

Luna and Catrine exchanged confused glances. They had no idea what the two of them were talking about.

***

Two hours later…

"Look—there's the island!"

Margaret pointed into the distance with a delighted expression.

The girls, who had been chatting casually by the ship's railing, were startled. They immediately ran over and looked in the direction she was pointing.

"Wow! The island is huge!" Nivis murmured in amazement.

The others nodded, their faces filled with the same admiration.

At first, they had thought the island would be small or medium-sized.

But who would have thought it was so big?

What caught their attention even more was the row of coconut trees neatly lined along the island's shore.

Catrine stared at the fruits hanging from them with a hungry gaze.

"Do you want to try one?"

A soft voice came from behind her. Catrine was startled and turned around, only to realize it was her brother.

She smiled shyly, then gave a small nod.

"Um… I'd like to taste one. I've never seen a coconut tree, not in the kingdom or at the academy," she admitted honestly.

Merlin stood beside her and gently patted her head.

"I'll get one for you later. It tastes delicious, especially the water. I'm sure you'll like it."

"Huh? You've eaten one before?" Catrine looked surprised.

Merlin nodded. "Yes, I have."

Of course, that was in his previous world.

In that world, finding coconuts was incredibly easy—unlike in this one.

Most people on this continent considered coconuts poisonous, especially the water. This belief came from a famous incident in the past known as the "Mass Coconut Poisoning."

It was said that around a hundred people drank coconut water and suffered severe diarrhea. Some even lost consciousness.

Although a hundred years had passed, the story still persisted to this day.

As a result, people avoided coconuts and considered them unfit for consumption.

With no buyers, the price of coconuts plummeted, and merchants were no longer interested in selling them.

Catrine shifted her gaze back to the coconut trees in the distance, anticipation clearly visible on her face.

The ship drew closer to the island. Finally, it came to a stop at the water's edge.

"Miss Lisa and Young Master Merlin, we've arrived," Gerhan announced as he approached.

"Good." Lisa nodded and turned to the others. "Let's get off."

The nine of them quickly disembarked. As they stepped onto the sand, joy was clearly visible on their faces, especially Liora's and Monica's.

"Is this sand? It's so soft!" Liora exclaimed, swaying from side to side.

Monica did the same.

Merlin simply smiled at their adorable antics.

"They're so innocent," he murmured.