100
I Killed the Demon King. It was a mistake.
Chapter 100
Felix swallowed his saliva at Gregory's words.
Although Felix had never worked in Homigraph, he remembered Gregory Walterwood because he was so famous.
Setting aside the fact that he was a senior member of Homigraph, he was one of the few people who could directly meet the Arch Duke.
A knight of magicians who held a pen instead of a sword.
The architect of the current Eileen Trade System.
The political mentor of modern politicians.
The problem was that this monster was even close to Caesar.
Why did this person suddenly appear at this timing?
He didn't think it was a mere coincidence.
"...I see. Nice to meet you."
Gregory shook hands with Felix.
"Oh, by the way, I have some people to introduce. Archer! Come over here!"
A man wearing a top hat and a monocle walked over with a slight smile.
"Nice to meet you, Inquisitor Felix. I'm Archer, who runs the Sunday Newspaper."
"…Nice to meet you."
"Oh, by the way, I should introduce the others as well. Do you see those sitting over there? The one with the red butterfly necktie is Hill, the president of Tea Time, and next to him is Jericho, the councilman."
Hill and Jericho walked over and greeted him.
"Nice to meet you, Inquisitor Felix."
"…Likewise, nice to meet you."
Felix could feel that something was seriously wrong at this point.
Felix looked around.
Come to think of it, each person sitting in this teahouse looked unusually remarkable.
This teahouse……
What on earth is this?
Gregory smiled and said,
"Shall we have some tea together? Besides, I had something I wanted to ask you. About the unfortunate incident that occurred in the church - how about entrusting the investigation to Sir Caesar? Sir Caesar would be able to find the suspect quickly."
"…The church's affairs will be handled by the church."
Gregory laughed and said,
"You've said that, and yet you've had no results for a week. The murderer who brutally killed Cardinal Hyginus is nowhere to be found. Oh, could it be…"
Gregory lowered his voice,
"Did you discover that Cardinal Hyginus was a heretic and handled it on the church's side?"
Felix's neck flushed red.
"…You're going too far."
"This is not just a problem of the Royder Order. Who is the murderer who killed Cardinal Hyginus? What do they look like? Nothing has properly come out. Of course, those who know already know."
Felix looked around.
The newspaper publishers and the president and Ramsky all smiled slightly.
Gregory fiddled with his cane and said,
"They know but aren't speaking because of an official request from the Royder Order, and because His Grace the Arch Duke allowed it. It was clearly our goodwill towards the Royder Order. But…"
Gregory stared directly into Felix's eyes.
"I heard that you recently met with Homi congressmen and demanded legal measures to allow the Inquisitor to conduct stops and searches on buildings and people in Homigraph until the suspect is found. His Grace the Arch Duke and the Council are greatly displeased with that news."
Gregory even put a cigar in his mouth.
"I wanted to hear a proper explanation about that matter……"
Gregory took a step closer to Felix.
"Do you really have no intention of having a cup of tea?"
***
Caesar was drinking tea with Gregory in the study.
"Felix will no longer be digging around near you. I've made that clear today."
"Thank you for scratching an itchy spot."
Gregory said while taking a sip of tea,
"But this isn't over. When Tina is caught, Felix will somehow make her say your name."
Caesar took a sip of tea.
"Well, I know that too."
"Catch Tina as soon as possible. Otherwise, you'll really be branded a heretic."
"You don't need to worry about that. She absolutely won't be caught."
Gregory stopped drinking tea and stared blankly at Caesar.
"You don't mean…"
"Did you think I was hiding her? Of course not."
"Did you kill her?"
"Not that either."
"Then how can you be so sure?"
"Tina, the inspector, is smart. She'll never commit something she can't handle. I trust her."
Gregory still looked at Caesar with suspicious eyes.
"If you're hiding her, kill her right now."
"Do I look like someone who would take such unnecessary risks?"
"Because you're subtly sentimental. You don't seem like someone who would abandon those who have helped you."
How does he know I'm sentimental?
Caesar chuckled and took a sip of tea.
"I'm not that kind of person."
***
Benjamin Ann Junior was approaching a deadline.
At that moment, Benjamin approached a woman who was diligently washing dishes.
"Christina."
"…Yes?"
"Here."
Christina wiped the water from her hands with her apron and received the note.
[Warehouse]
Christina slightly nodded and headed to the warehouse.
Entering the warehouse, she found a red-haired man.
It was Caesar.
"The maid outfit suits you quite well, doesn't it, Inspector Tina?"
Tina took off her hat.
"Just call me Tina. I've quit being an inquisitor."
"Understood. Tina."
Addressing her by her actual name somehow felt more familiar.
Should I have said this earlier?
"By the way, with makeup on, I'm completely unrecognizable."
"A woman's makeup is like wearing a mask. Felix couldn't recognize me either."
"He didn't suspect because I was in an unexpected place. Who would think that the cardinal's murderer would be working in a maid outfit at a tea shop?"
"That's true."
Caesar chuckled and handed her a small bag.
"Still, you can't stay here forever... I've brought a drug that changes your appearance. All the usage instructions are inside, so please check."
Tina took the bag.
"You didn't need to go this far. It was actually quite dangerous."
"Because of this, things seem to be working out smoothly. This is nothing."
Tina thought for a moment, then spoke.
"I'm curious about something."
"Please go ahead."
"How did you know I would kill Hyginus?"
At the moment Tina was about to kill Hyginus and escape, Caesar was standing in front of the church as if he had been waiting. Then he forcibly put her in a carriage and took her to Benjamin & Sons.
"It's a secret."
Tina scoffed.
"You're so direct. Tell a lie or something. I would have let it pass today."
Caesar smiled silently.
His life itself was so full of lies that there was no need to add more lies.
Tina handed Caesar a small notebook.
"This is my gift."
"What is this?"
"When working as an inquisitor, you discover truths you'd rather not know. I'm not sure if this will help, but use it well."
Caesar accepted the notebook.
"The more weapons, the better."
Caesar stared at Tina's face for quite a long time.
"This will be the last time I see this face."
"That's right."
Tina looked at the dusty mirror in the warehouse.
"I can't even see this face myself."
Tina laughed as if feeling relieved.
"Because of this face, I've had quite a few embarrassing situations. Starting over completely seems better."
"Because it's pretty?"
"Does it look pretty to Sir Caesar?"
"It's not an unattractive face."
"Beauty isn't a great virtue for a nun. Too many bad things happen."
Caesar did not use psychometry.
He didn't have the confidence to peek into Tina's wounds.
"Aren't you curious why I killed Cardinal Hyginus?"
"I do want to know. But I'm afraid it might hurt you."
"I don't care. Do you want to hear?"
Caesar thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I'd like to hear it if possible."
Tina sat on the ladder, seemingly preparing for a long story.
"Cardinal Hyginus was, strictly speaking, my benefactor."
"...A benefactor?"
Tina's eyes looked into the distance.
"My parents were devout believers of the Royder Order. When I was 10, I killed the puppy I was raising. Very cruelly."
"To my parents' question of why I killed it, I had only one answer."
Tina chuckled.
"Just because it was fun."
She wiggled her fingers.
"My parents thought the reason I killed the puppy was because the seed of a devil sleeping in my head was about to sprout. So they took me to the Royder Order."
"At that time, in the Royder Order, there was only one way to deal with children as cruel as me. They would insert a long needle into the nostrils and scramble the brain. Then you become obedient and a very good child. The surgery was even called the 'Good Child Surgery'."
Caesar's eyebrows naturally furrowed.
"Of course, I didn't want to be a good child. But when my parents were about to forcibly perform the Good Child Surgery, Cardinal Hyginus stepped in."
"Hyginus, who was the diocesan bishop of Vex Province at the time, judged that my cruel, merciless, and cold nature was suitable for training as an inquisitor. So he agreed to leave me with the Royder Order, and my parents completely cut ties with me."
Caesar leaned against the shelf.
"Hearing this, he does sound like a benefactor."
"Actually, being an inquisitor was my true calling. I feel alive when I torment and kill something. The entire world is a monochrome, dusty place, but when I kill something alive and make an incision... The world looks beautiful."
...Hearing you say this, it seems like I've released someone I absolutely should not have.
I'm starting to feel a bit regretful.
"But even I have things I don't want to kill. Children, pregnant women. Things that seem like their life's flame would be extinguished with a breath. When I see such things, I think of my beloved younger brother."
"...A younger brother?"
Tina smiled slightly.
"Yes. He was really cute. Of course, he's probably grown up and become disgusting now, but the child I remember is still small, weak, and someone I want to protect."
Tina clenched her fist.
"But Cardinal Hyginus would always whisper in my ear while touching my body. 'Make them heretics. All of this is for the Royder Order'."
"So you killed him?"
"Yes. But..."
Tina stabbed her head lightly.
"From that moment on, it seemed like a part of my brain was broken. The inquisition was no longer as sweet as chocolate, and its taste became murky."
"So, I hypnotized myself. This job is enjoyable. This job is my calling. I said it like this. But through my conversation with Sir Caesar, I realized it was a blatant lie."
Tina was wearing a subtle smile that was difficult to read.
"I am a devil, Sir Caesar. If heaven and hell truly exist in this world as the goddess said, I will go to hell. This is neither repentance nor a confession of sins. It is a confession of how low and utterly useless a human being I am."
Tina approached Caesar.
"If you let me out now, many people will die. Not just simply dying, but they will die after being tortured and experiencing terrible pain. Murder has become as tasteless as cold tea, but it is almost the only stimulation for me."
Tina took Caesar's hand and placed it on her neck.
"So, kill me. With you, I don't think dying would be bad."
Caesar looked into Tina's eyes.
Those eyes.
I always thought they looked indifferent and cold.
Now, looking at them, they were the eyes of someone who had given up on everything.
Caesar used psychometry.
"Do you really think it's okay to die?"
"Yes."
-No.
-Actually, I want to live.
-But right now, I think I can stop.
-I can't even imagine what I would do if I were let loose in the world.
-I might truly become a devil.
-I don't know.
"You're afraid."
"...Of what?"
"You can't imagine what kind of monster you'll become if you leave this warehouse."
"...No, that's not true."
People lie.
Even to themselves.
Tina lied, expecting Caesar's mercilessness.
"If I were to accidentally encounter you, the monster you’ve become… No, if I were to encounter your younger brother Tina. I don’t think I could bear it”
"..."
"So you're asking me to stop. Isn't that right?"
Tina stared at Caesar silently.
A tear fell from Tina's eye onto Caesar's hand.
It was as hot as if it would melt.
Not the tear of a cold spider or snake, but a human's tear.
"You say you'll go to hell when you die, but you're already living in hell. So if there is a god in this world, they will make you live for a very long time. And in the worst situation, you'll meet the worst death. That is your future."
"...Will I be punished?"
"Yes. You are being punished."
Caesar wiped away Tina's tears.
"Tina, what is the taste of the world right now?"
"...It's bitter. And salty."
"What is its smell?"
"It's full of black tea fragrance. My nose feels sore and astringent."
"How do you feel?"
"My future path is blocked. I feel like I've been dropped in the middle of a desert."
"Do you want to be happy?"
"I don't know. I'm just afraid."
Do psychopaths suffer?
Do psychopaths experience anguish?
Can psychopaths repent?
If you throw these questions into the world, the only answer that comes back is stones.
Tina's sins will not disappear, and her pain will be eternal.
So Tina must now walk through hell.
Caesar slowly removed his hand from Tina's neck.
"This is the taste of freedom first given to you. Freedom from Hyginus, the Royder Order, and your parents. You can do anything and become anything."
"...What do you want me to become?"
"No. That is something Tina must decide. Even if I tell you to do something, it won't work. Just remember, how did you feel when you killed Hyginus?"
"It was liberation."
"Did it feel good?"
Tina understood what Caesar was trying to say.
"...Yes."
"Was Hyginus a villain?"
"Yes."
"Did you feel more stimulation killing a villain than killing an innocent child?"
"...Yes."
"I also like killing villains. I told Walterwood the councilman. There's nothing more enjoyable for me than breaking the pot of villains in this world. In that one aspect, Tina and I might be similar."
Life returned to Tina's eyes.
Now her eye color was properly visible.
Tina's eye color was the same red as Caesar's.
"Live. And cover the sins you've committed with the blood of villains. Doing so won't make your sins disappear, but it will ease your sense of guilt. Perhaps when we meet again by chance, you might be able to look me in the eye confidently."
Tina clenched her fist.
She felt like she was desperately holding something back.
"Sir Caesar, do you wish for my happiness?"
"Yes."
Tina's lips suddenly touched Caesar's.
Turning on psychometry during a kiss felt strange.
Her emotions were explosively bursting across my lips.
Tina licked her torn lips.
"This is my first kiss. I didn't know a man's teeth could be this sharp."
...Have I created something more dangerous?
I started to feel a bit regretful.
"Thank you, Sir Caesar."
Tina said this as she picked up her bag and left the warehouse.
"See you next time."
Now I understand that feeling.
This is what Raven felt.
Left behind, but unexpectedly expecting something.
Caesar said to the already disappeared Tina,
"See you next time."