The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

Two hours ago…

”Hmmm… What should I do now? Go back to Rei’s camp? Or head somewhere else?”

Floating in the air, Nolan stroked his chin in deep thought.

He should return to where Rei and Evalyn were. However, he felt it would be a waste not to take advantage of this moment to explore the world.

After all, this was a world from a thousand years ago, and it surely still held many mysteries that would become puzzles in the future.

Suddenly, he remembered something and smiled faintly.

”That’s right… The Demon Empire! How could I have forgotten it?” Nolan tapped his forehead with a small chuckle.

During his previous battle against the Demon Emperor Zerathos, the man had not been at the peak of his power.

That was why Nolan had been able to defeat him so easily. But now, in this era a thousand years ago, Zerathos was at the height of his glory.

Nolan still remembered Zerathos’s words from back then: ”I lost only because I was in a weakened state! If I were at the peak of my power, I would definitely be able to defeat you!”

”Well…” Nolan smirked, then snapped his fingers. ”Let’s put that to the test. Let’s see if your words are true or not.”

Instantly, his body turned into light and vanished from sight.

***

Buzz!

Nolan appeared high above the western continent, only to be met with a vast stretch of barren, lifeless land with no sign of life anywhere.

”Is this the western continent a thousand years ago?” he muttered, clearly stunned.

From what he remembered, the western continent in the future was lush and full of life.

It wasn’t as rich as the southern or eastern regions, but it was still habitable—some parts were even known for their stunning scenery.

Now, though, there was nothing even close to that.

Just dark, desolate land below, a blood-red sky above, and a sun tinted an eerie shade of green.

Such conditions were clearly uninhabitable for humans or any other living creatures.

Nolan slowly landed on the ground and surveyed his silent surroundings.

There was no one else but him, and he also did not know the exact location of the Demon Empire’s palace.

After all, the western continent was vast. Traversing it would take a long time, even for him.

The only way was to find a demon and ask directly for the location of the imperial palace.

As Nolan was racking his brain to find the nearest demon, he suddenly spotted a horse-drawn carriage in the distance.

The two horses pulling the carriage were large and muscular demon steeds, while the carriage itself was shaped like a giant pumpkin, standing two meters tall.

Nolan quickly disguised himself as a pig-headed demon, then waved at the carriage.

”H-Help! Help! I’m lost! Help!” Nolan shouted in a panicked and desperate voice.

The horse-drawn carriage drew closer and finally stopped right beside him.

The window slowly opened, revealing a horse-headed demon.

”Who are you? What are you doing in a desolate place like this?” the demon asked in a raspy, unpleasant voice.

Nolan was already prepared for that question. He maintained an innocent and frightened expression, then answered in a trembling voice, ”I-I’m from a local village. I wanted to go to the capital to make a living, but I got lost. Can you help me? I-I don’t know the way back, so I have no choice but to keep going.”

He interlaced his fingers, as though trying to suppress his panic.

His acting was so convincing that the horse-headed demon did not suspect a thing.

”Lost?” The demon looked surprised, then scanned Nolan up and down.

Nolan had a particularly innocent and short stature. An idea suddenly popped into the demon’s mind, and a wicked grin briefly spread across his face.

However, he quickly hid it and nodded casually.

”Alright, I understand. As it happens, I’m heading to the capital for trade. Get in. I’ll take you there,” he said generously.

Nolan’s eyes lit up. He nodded repeatedly and replied gratefully.

”Thank you! Thank you!”

He ran to the side door, opened it, and stepped inside.

The horse-drawn carriage began to move, leaving that desolate, barren place behind.

***

The demon capital, Mal’Zareth, had stood for thousands of years—even before the Demon Emperor Zerathos rose to power.

The city was vast and teeming with all manner of demons. However, unlike typical human cities, Mal’Zareth exuded an unpleasant, chilling atmosphere.

A red mist shrouded the entire city, and a faint aura of murder lingered in its corners.

Although they had humanoid forms like humans and elves, demons were fundamentally different from them.

They did not eat rice, plants, or animal meat. Instead, they consumed the hearts, blood, brains, and other such parts of living creatures.

In addition, they also needed to absorb the demonic energy scattered in the air to survive.

The horse-drawn carriage carrying Nolan had now entered the city.

Nolan looked out the window, taking everything in with a calm expression.

’So, this is the demon city of Mal’Zareth, huh?’

In the future, after the Demon Emperor was defeated, the demon race fell into chaos.

They were hunted down by humans and a coalition of other races, along with the dragon race, who also had their own reasons for wanting to wipe the demon race from the western continent.

In the end, the demons were wiped out, leaving only a few survivors who managed to flee… and were never seen again.

It could be said that the demon race became an outcast race—without a leader, without a homeland, and without a decent life.

Moreover, after their territory was seized, the demonic energy that filled the air was slowly purged, restoring the western continent to its former fertility, like the other continents.

The horse-drawn carriage stopped at the side of the road.

Nolan turned to the demon beside him and gave a flattering smile.

”T-Thank you for your help. I’ve finally made it to the capital.”

The horse-headed demon grinned and casually waved his right hand.

”It’s okay. By the way, what are you going to do after this? Are you looking for a job?”

Nolan nodded and replied weakly, ”Y-Yeah, I want to find a job. Why do you ask?”

The horse-headed demon rubbed his chin and offered, ”I’m a merchant. As it happens, I’m short on manpower. How about you come with me? I need someone to help me handle some business I can’t take care of when I’m busy. Don’t worry, the pay is guaranteed to be satisfying.”

He patted his chest, as if to reassure him.

Nolan stared at his expression and felt disgusted. How could he not know what this horse-headed demon was thinking?

From the very beginning, Nolan had sensed his evil intentions. Still, he wasn’t afraid at all, because he knew this demon could not do anything to him.

Nolan did not know what kind of job he was referring to, but one thing was certain: it was not anything good.

Even so, Nolan did not rush to refuse. He was already in the capital, so he was not worried about finding the imperial palace.

With feigned enthusiasm that felt all too real, he nodded and replied, ”T-Thank you for the offer! I didn’t expect you to be so kind! Thank you!”

He eagerly clasped the horse-headed demon’s hand.

The demon merely smiled, but the look of disgust and mockery on his face was difficult to hide.