176
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 176
Raven poured out all the betrayal deeply embedded in his gut.
"I trusted you, Barre! Even when you did suspicious things, I just thought you were unique, I never suspected you were a doppelganger! How could you deceive me like that? And why did you approach me again as Caesar? Did you want to fool me again? Was it fun watching me not recognize you?"
Raven collapsed to the ground.
"Why did you do it? Why did you deceive me? Just why..."
Just as Raven struggled to accept the truth, Barre found it difficult to speak the truth. But as he always did with Raven, Barre decided to persuade her with sincerity rather than truth.
"To survive."
Barre sat down to match Raven's eye level. He felt this would help convey his sincerity.
"As you probably know, all demons except Orcs must unconditionally obey the Demon King's orders. It feels like we must follow them, as if under a succubus' charm magic."
"When I first opened my eyes, the Demon King's order to me was to become a spy for the Allied Forces and relay useful information to the Demon Army. So I served as a spy for 4 years following the Demon King's orders."
The more Barre spoke, the more he felt a strange sense of liberation. It felt like being interrogated by an inquisitor called liberation, forcing out all the loneliness and truth that had seeped into his very core.
"Being a spy wasn't safe. The Demon Army's magic didn't show me any favor, and I can't count how many sleepless nights I spent under the pressure of possibly being discovered."
"Still, I wanted to survive somehow. I thought if I became important to both the Demon Army and Allied Forces, no one would kill me easily. So I became Barre, companion of the Hero."
Raven felt like she would suffocate from the terrible loneliness spreading from Barre's lips to the floor. Her body trembled as Barre's pressure of not belonging anywhere and not knowing when he might die transmitted directly to Raven's heart. As her body trembled and her heart ached, a question naturally formed on Raven's lips.
"Then how did you kill the Demon King? You said you couldn't resist the Demon King?"
"I don't know either. My body just moved instinctively."
"What do you mean instinctively?"
Barre looked into Raven's eyes.
"When Yan and Mitchell were both defenseless, the Demon King was clearly targeting you."
How could he forget that moment? When the Demon King transformed to his second body and Yan and Mitchell were pushed back, there was nothing between Raven and the Demon King. Raven was supporting Yan with One Man Support at the time and couldn't use spatial magic. If the Demon King had charged forward or thrown weapons through void space, Raven would have died without question.
"At that moment I had to decide. Whether to throw myself to save you, throw my axe at the Demon King, or do nothing."
"Originally, doing nothing would have been correct. But my hands were already moving."
Barre threw Wilderness to protect Raven. He didn't aim. He was half out of his mind from stacking Berserker 9 times, along with the thought that he had to do something. He just threw Wilderness as his body commanded, and it broke through the Demon King's helmet and embedded in his head.
"I wanted you to live. I wanted to protect you. So I betrayed the Demon King."
"...Then why did you leave the Demon Realm?"
"Almost all demons knew I was a doppelganger. And if word spread that I killed the Demon King, I thought they would try to kill me by any means necessary."
Barre smirked.
"Well, that was part of it, but when the Demon King died, I naturally felt I no longer had to stay bound to the Demon Realm. My thoughts opened up as the curse-like orders binding me disappeared."
"Then how did you take over Caesar's body?"
Barre scratched his cheek.
"While escaping the Demon Realm, it happened when I saved Agatha's younger sister and other demons."
"What? You knew Agatha since then? No, more importantly, you thought about helping succubi while escaping?"
"I felt guilty about killing the Demon King, and they begged so pitifully I couldn't refuse. So I attacked the Vampire Castle, and Caesar happened to die unfortunately then. That's how I took over his body."
"So that monster that half-destroyed the Vampire Castle was really you?"
"Yes."
"Then weren't you ultimately an enemy of the Allied Forces?"
Barre frowned at Raven's sharp tone.
"You seem to be mistaken, but I was never not part of the Demon Army, Raven. Meaning, you were my enemy too."
"...Even though you killed so many demons?"
"It's the fault of the demons who charged at me knowing I was a doppelganger."
"What about killing the Demon King?"
"That was my mistake."
Raven was so dumbfounded by Barre's confident defense that she could barely speak. The reason Raven had doubted yet trusted Barre until now was because he showed no mercy to demons who blocked his path. Barre had beheaded every demon in his sight and always broke through stagnant battle lines. Raven had thought there was no knight more devoted than Barre, but it was all an act. She couldn't understand this guy's mindset at all.
"Then why did you come to the demon realm? If I were you, I would never set foot here no matter what."
"Agatha asked for help to settle vampires and succubi in the demon realm. That's why I came."
"You've been in contact with Agatha? How?"
"There were black doves and succubi had magic to connect minds through dreams. I used those to communicate and help rescue captured vampires and succubi."
"Don't tell me the reason ships from demon realm to the Empire were attacked was..."
"Yes. I regularly gave information to Agatha and she found some things on her own too."
"Are you on humans' side or demons' side? Why do you keep switching back and forth?"
"I'm on the side of good people."
"What...?"
Barre crossed his arms and said confidently.
"The captured vampires and succubi were all destined for human experimentation on the continent. I couldn't ignore that and helped Agatha. This was a good deed, wasn't it?"
Raven was speechless.
"Mediating between Agatha and the Allied Forces to maintain the magic stone mines at Arch Duke request was a good deed, wasn't it?"
"So all your solo scouting was to mediate between Agatha and the Allied Forces?"
"That was part of it, though real reconnaissance was also involved. Without me, war would have broken out several times between the Allied Forces and Agatha."
How should one describe this?
Should it be called doing good?
It's impossible to grasp.
"Barre, what are you really after?"
"What I want is peace without war."
"After killing so many people?"
"Peace always comes with bloodshed."
Raven stopped thinking for a moment.
Talking with Barre made even Raven feel stupid.
"Then what about the doppelgangers who attacked us? Aren't they your comrades?"
"You mean this one?"
Barre pointed at the bound figure.
"That's a doppelganger?"
"Yes. They're pretending to be unconscious now."
The figure flinched at Barre's words.
"Finally waking up? No matter how much you struggle, you can't do anything. The anti-wizard handcuffs prevent transformation and aura use."
At Barre's words, the figure finally rose and looked at him.
Barre slapped their cheek.
Slap-!
"???"
They just got up because told to, so why the slap?
The doppelganger couldn't understand why they were struck.
"Can't look at me nicely? I said I like nice things."
The doppelganger glared at Barre.
"No matter how much you torture me..."
"Your eyes."
"I will never submit..."
Slap-!
Barre slapped the doppelganger's cheek.
Their molar fell to the floor.
"I don't care if you submit or not. I can read you anyway."
"Wait."
Raven stopped Barre.
"Barre, you're a doppelganger and they're a doppelganger. So why...?"
"You mean why we don't get along?"
"Yes."
"Because they're a bad doppelganger and I'm a good doppelganger."
"...You were so logical as Caesar, why did you become so simple-minded as Barre? Explain properly."
Was I like that?
This might be hormonal influence.
Barre's body gives such macho feelings.
"A proper explanation would be very long."
"That's fine, tell me. What's your relationship?"
Barre pointed at the doppelganger glaring from the floor.
"Strictly speaking, we were temporary allies. They follow Elijah Friedrich while I'm an independent doppelganger."
"... Elijah Friedrich? You mean the Allied Forces Commander?"
"Ah, I should start with that story. Elijah is also a doppelganger."
"What? Elijah was a doppelganger? How?"
"From the beginning. He's worse than me. He ruled the Friedrich region as a local noble and margrave for 250 years. He ate his sons multiple times to maintain hereditary succession."
"...So the Allied Forces are being manipulated by a doppelganger?"
"Yes. Always have been."
Barre continued:
"Doppelgangers have one additional ability besides switching bodies. Some have telepathy, some can teleport. In Elijah's case, he can create duplicates."
Barre poked the doppelganger.
"And this one is Elijaj's duplicate. Though it seems to be a special kind."
"...Then what's your ability?"
Barre hesitated but thought it needed to be revealed.
"Psychometry."
"Psychometry? You mean mind reading?"
Caesar grabbed the squirming doppelganger's ankle.
"That's right. I can read memories from objects that people have touched, or if I touch people directly, I can read all sorts of their memories. Of course, recently I learned a bit about handling psychometry from gargoyles, so I can even read what people are currently thinking from a distance."
"Wait, then you... Did you read my thoughts too?"
Barre cleared his throat.
"Well, I read memories from not just you, but also Yan, Mitchell, and others."
Raven's face turned red like a tomato.
"Hey, you...!"
"Anyway, that's not what's important right now, is it?"
"How is it not important!"
"No, the fact that you liked me..."
"What, what?! I liked you? When did I ever like you! I didn't like you, I just...! Just thought of you as a very close friend! Yes, just a friend!"
"Oh, really? Then maybe I misunderstood."
"That's right!"
"Should we check if that's really true?"
"Get lost! Barre!"
Barre laughed heartily.
Playing this small prank on Raven made him feel like they had returned a bit to their old relationship.
It would be nice if they could maintain even this level of relationship... Though it probably won't be easy.
Barre continued speaking.
"Anyway, the reason this guy attacked us was on Elijah's orders. They didn't want us to seal Geotech."
"...What is Elijah after? Are they planning to use Geotech to wipe out all the allied forces?"
"I could explain it myself, but it would be better to hear it from this guy's mouth."
Barre glared at the doppelganger with murderous intent.
"I didn't expect Elijah to go this far either."
The doppelganger raised himself up and glared at Barre.
"You didn't expect it? Then you might be even more stupid than I thought."
The doppelganger spat out blood-mixed saliva.
"Caesar, isn't this mess because you refused Lord Elijah's gracious offer? If you had accepted his offer and properly served as a breakwater against Agatha's anger, this wouldn't have happened."
"Why should I do something like that? I don't want to fight Agatha or try to persuade her."
"I don't understand. His Lordship is worthy of all loyalty. You received his favor but showed no joy at all."
Through psychometry, Barre felt the jealousy flowing from the guy's heart.
"That's why you deserve to die, and why your people must die, Caesar."
"...My people?"
"Still don't understand? Why do you think we targeted Raven? Besides stopping Geotech's sealing, it was because she was someone you cared about. And there are others you care about. For example..."
The doppelganger smirked.
"Like Gideon, or Messio... Or your beloved disciple Gloria?"
"You bastard!"
"Ugh!"
Barre grabbed the guy's neck.
Raven tried to stop Barre.
"Barre!"
"These bastards dare to threaten Gloria!"
The doppelganger laughed watching Barre get agitated.
Barre knew the guy was deliberately provoking him.
The guy didn't want to harm Elijah.
He thought it would be better to die quickly rather than stay alive and have Barre extract information that could be disadvantageous to Elijah.
But even so, there are things one can endure and things one cannot.
"If Gloria or any of the others get even a scratch... I'll tear you to pieces."
"Barre! Control yourself!"
Barre finally released the doppelganger at Raven's words.
The doppelganger looked at Barre with seeming disappointment.
That expression made Barre really want to kill him.
"You should go back now, Barre. It might already be too late, but if they're alive, you should prepare while you still can."
"No. It's too late to go back now. The fact that you guys have moved means other doppelgangers have moved too, so it would be far too late even if I went now."
"..."
"So I only have one thing to do. I just need to seal or tear apart Geotech and kill Elijah. That's the best way to screw over Elijah."
Barre took a deep breath to calm his agitated mind.
"Alright. The night is long anyway, and I have many things to ask you. I'm going to find out everything you know about Elijah."
Barre stuck his hand in the guy's mouth.
It was because he tried to bite his tongue to die.
"You can't die that easily. It's fine if you can't speak. I'll read everything."