Inside the castle, chandelier after chandelier guarded the ceiling from our unworthy eyes. The walls took clear inspiration from gothic architecture, lined with flying buttresses and gargoyles, which was strange considering that this castle was in a different world from my own. Maybe gothic architecture is just so cool that it’s guaranteed to be invented if a society exists for long enough. Exquisite decorations filled the space with style: sculptures, paintings, ornate rugs, and mounted weapons were only a small portion of what was on display. For a place that supposedly had no value, it was in awfully good condition. There wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen.

I called out to the voice again. “So this is your place? Almost as nice as mine.”

“I am the Devil King, owner of this castle. What brings a mortal like you to my abode?” the mysterious voice shouted.

“Wow, it’s weird that the other guy lived here this long without noticing that you were the one who owned it.”

“Fascinating indeed… what prompted your arrival at this fortress?”

“Uh, I was wondering about the whole, you know, draining all the water, thing.” We continued through the central tower as the Devil King was caught up in our discussion.

“This world isn’t fit for the coexistence of man and demonkind. The two have been at conflict since the advent of history.”

“Okay, okay, but what if you just kill all except like, 10% of the population instead?”

“Humans grow like weeds. If any are left in this world, they’ll repopulate in only a few hundred years. They all must perish if this world is to be suitable for my successors.”

I looked over at Sally. “Hey, I think I just had an idea,” I whispered quietly.

I spoke again. “So, Devil King, why are humans such a threat to you and your descendants? Aren’t you supposed to be immortal?”

The Devil King paused.

“Therein lies the problem, mortal. Spending millenia preventing their population from expanding has taken a hefty toll on my people. With enough chances, it would only be a matter of time before an Isekai Winner was summoned to this world, and enslaved my kind for generations to come.”

“Oh… I wasn’t intending on enslaving you guys, but I guess that isn’t a bad idea. I’ll put that on the to-do list then, sounds fun.”

“Are you, lowly mortal, trying to brand yourself an Isekai Winner?”

“I mean, I’m only a trainee. I’d say I’m on my way, though.”

“Such foolishness. It is said that if an Isekai Winner were to come, they would be able to tear the sky and move the mountains.” We arrived at a doorway at the end of the staircase as the Devil King’s voice grew louder. “If you truly were an Isekai Winner, I would have sensed your arrival into this world the moment you showed up, your presence alone enough to kill even the most vile of beasts.”

“Well, like I said, I’m still a rookie. Anyways, can you get the door for me? There’s no mat this time.”

“Mortal, I do wonder if your claims have validity now. For you to have survived the myriad of traps littered throughout the palace… unthinkable. You must have trained in reconnaissance for many years to be capable of such a feat. It is of no importance though, those traps would only be effective on someone weak enough to be damaged by them, a standard which you clearly surpass.”

At no point in the walk to this room had I even considered the possibility of there being traps. “Yeah. Anyways, can you get the door, or…?”

“Your entry is permitted only if you can solve this riddle: the key is found behind my favorite painting.”

“That isn’t even a riddle. I can just tear down all of the paintings.”

“But, hold your excitement, mortal, for if you choose wrong, you will be condemned to eternal suffering!”

“And why can’t you just do that now?”

“It’s a test to see if you are worthy.”

“I’m not gonna go back down there. Uh, your favorite painting is the, uh...” I looked around for inspiration, “...the, uh, Locked Door… Catcher.”

“Hmm… impressive, mortal. By what means were you able to figure that out without looking at the paintings?”

Obviously it was just a lucky guess.

“Oh… I, uh, like paintings, and that was a cool one, I guess.”

“I’m surprised that you would know of it, considering the artist has not left this mansion more than thrice in his lifetime. Regardless, I shall permit your entry.”

The door opened to let us in, and, for a brief moment, the Devil King’s eyes met with mine.