Chapter 49
Chapter 49 - Betrayal(2)
"... Heh."
Lucy flinched when our eyes met, but soon raised her chin confidently to face me.
Makes sense since the situation has turned much more favorable for her.
I smiled mockingly and threw out a joke.
"You damn migrating bird. You betray me just like that?"
"Hmph. Is there a problem with the Demon King wanting to kill the Hero? I'm just pursuing my interests."
"Well... I guess so. When you put it that way, I have nothing to say."
I mumbled casually and immediately raised Bestak. There was no hesitation.
The Demon King, who was chanting an ominous spell while looking at me, startled and ordered Eldritch.
"Oh no! He's trying to commit suicide! Stop the Hero! Quickly!!"
"Too late."
I had already thrust the sword into my neck.
After a moment of dizzying pain rushing like a tidal wave, my vision blurred and consciousness rapidly faded away.
'... I got what I needed. Please... my next life self.'
Making one last desperate wish, I closed my eyes.
* * *
"Ah! I'm born!"
The Demon King finally hatched from the egg after a long wait.
At the same time, a checkpoint update notification blocked my view. I dismissed it and took in the Demon King's appearance.
"Is this... the Demon King?"
I muttered, then carefully examined Park Hyeokgeose Demon King's appearance.
A woman with white hair trailing to the floor, eyes rippling like wine-red, black wings on her white naked body, a tail like electrical wires, and three impressive horns on her forehead.
Suddenly, our eyes met as the Demon King looked down at me.
"... Heek."
The Demon King made such a sound and quickly shrunk back.
Her eyes were drooping sadly. Those deep red pupils glowed ominously.
Eventually, she carefully walked up to me, sat gently on the bed, and spoke to me in a coquettish manner.
"Um, well... that earlier was just a joke, a joke. How could I, the immortal Demon King Lustica Asmodeus, betray you! Su-surely you're not so narrow-minded that you can't take that level of joke? You're a Hero, aren't you? You'll forgive me, right? Hm?"
... What nonsense is she spouting right after being born.
I was taken aback by the Demon King's behavior as she suddenly clung to me and acted coy.
No, more than that, just get away first! That soft... thing keeps touching me from the side!
"...Hmmmm."
Moreover, Seolbaek's gaze feels particularly cold as she watches the Demon King clinging to me like a leech.
Ignoring my pleading gaze, she covered herself with a blanket and said curtly.
"I don't know what's going on but you two seem to be having fun. Enjoy yourselves. Just please leave the room."
"No, you saw it too! Even I don't really understand what this situation is..."
"Yes, yes. I know too. That's why I'm telling you to go handle your business elsewhere?"
Seolbaek completely ignored my gaze without even looking at me.
What's wrong with her now? With a miserable feeling, I dragged the Demon King toward my room.
"Hey you. Just sit here quietly for now."
"Okay~ I will. Because I'm a wise Demon King who respects her guardian's opinion!"
I first detached the Demon King and sat her on the bed.
Then I sat down in front of her and looked straight at her.
Looking at her like this, she's quite beautiful... no, that's not it.
"Hey. Tell me. What exactly have you been rambling about since earlier?"
"What do you mean? Earlier when I fell for my subordinate's words and I betrayed..."
The Demon King's fidgeting movements while checking my reaction suddenly stopped.
She stared at my puzzled face silently, then swallowed her words. She let out a brief exclamation with widely opened eyes.
Then she suddenly stood up and leaned her upper body toward me.
... An incredible volume caught my gaze.
I quickly turned my eyes away.
"Ahhh! I forgot! Hero! You lose your memories when you revive!! That's what it was!"
"That's true but... wait."
I came up with a hypothesis from the Demon King's actions and her words.
I stared at the Demon King with an expression of disbelief. She silently watched me.
I asked with a trembling voice.
"Did I... die once?"
"That is correct."
"And you... remember that?"
"That is correct."
The Demon King kept nodding her head. I stopped breathing for a moment from the shock.
Damn it. I thought I was used to this development, but finding out like this is a first, so it's quite fresh. Only after taking deep breaths for a while could I finally calm down.
Then suddenly, the words she said to me when she was first born started bothering me.
My gaze toward the Demon King instantly sharpened.
"What's this about betrayal and whatever else you mentioned?"
"Ah.... That, that's... nothing! It's nothing... at all."
The Demon King's characteristic arrogant and haughty way of speaking that she had shown until now disappeared without a trace.
There was only a white-haired woman there, shrinking like a child who committed a crime. She even started using honorifics.
There's definitely something here.
I smiled brightly and immediately locked the door.
Click. At that sound, the startled Demon King quickly raised her voice.
"Wh-what?! Why are you locking it?! Wh-what are you trying to do?!"
"Nothing much. Just trying to create a room of truth."
"Hieeeek!"
The Demon King had a fit at the words 'room of truth' before I even did anything.
What's this? My past self must have done something. Maybe I scolded her for her rude attitude.
If so, then the Demon King herself probably knows what's about to happen.
I approached her, who was trembling like an aspen tree, while deepening the smile on my face.
"Shall we have some time for honest conversation?"
"... Hmm. That's right."
"Uh, uuh. Didn't I tell you so? I swear there are no lies!"
The Demon King, wearing only a shirt, is kneeling in the middle of the room with hands raised.
I am sitting on the bed, witnessing this peculiar scene of looking down at such a Demon King.
"Hey. Your hands are dropping. Keep them straight up."
"....."
"Answer me."
"... I'm, I'm sorryyyy..."
The Demon King was trembling all over, either from humiliation or exhaustion. With a reddened face lowered, fidgeting restlessly.
I decided to forgive this insolent Demon King at this point.
"Good. Lower your hands."
"Phew!"
The Demon King lowered their hands instantly as if waiting for those words. Then spent a while massaging their shoulders while holding back tears.
I approached the Demon King's side, massaging their shoulders while asking.
"Really? Everything is true, swearing on your name?"
"Really! Truly absolutely certainly really! I told the truth exactly as it is! Please stop tormenting me! I told you I was wrong!"
I had learned about my past life events through Demon King Lucy.
That I successfully infiltrated enemy lines and made contact with Eldritch.
That I managed to obtain one of the two Vessels that Eldritch had.
That the Demon King betrayed me right after due to Eldritch's persuasion.
That I committed suicide right before the Demon King could terminate the contract.
And that we regressed to this current time because of that.
'Damn it.'
Even without memories, dwelling on it makes me feel annoyed.
I firmly smacked the grumbling Demon King's head beside me. The Demon King clutched their head in shock and glared at me.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me!"
"Because you're insolent. Any complaints?"
"Complaints...! Well... no."
Having committed the deed, the Demon King quickly became submissive.
It's hard to believe their proud image when they first appeared, breaking the egg. Was it like this in my past life too?
"Anyway, this is one of Eldritch's Vessels..."
I caressed the bright red jewel in my hand with renewed interest.
Due to the Demon King's bizarre behavior, I noticed late that it was inside the updated Box of the Dead. Even in that urgent situation, my past self thought ahead to pass the Vessel to the next life just in case.
As expected of me. Amazing. Thrilling.
While blankly staring at the Vessel, the Demon King who was massaging their head suddenly remarked.
"By the way, it's surprising. To think the heavens could create something that interferes with my immortality contract."
"... You mean the Box of the Dead?"
"Yes. No doubt it's the work of those damned three Ashin sisters. How disgusting."
At first, the Demon King was startled to see Eldritch's Vessel inside the Box of the Dead.
Their face seemed to ask 'Why is brother coming out from there?' Of course. Even though time went back, the Vessel was still in my hands. It means their contract was disrupted.
As I was thinking about this while quietly staring at the ruby.
Beep. As always, the item's detailed description popped up.
[Name: Eldritch's Vessel (Legendary)]
[Stats: ???]
[Details: A highest grade rune where the ancient demon race, Undead King Eldritch sealed his life essence. Due to Eldritch's powerful protection magic, copying or enhancement is impossible by any means.]
[Available Enhancement Count: 0]
"Copying is impossible..."
Well that's fortunate. I gripped the Vessel tightly with a smirk.
Basically, items from past lives contained in the Box of the Dead are 'created' as new items unrelated to items in the current life.
That's why even if I tear my clothes to write in blood, my clothes in the next life remain unchanged.
'This is exactly what it means to dig your own grave. Right, Eldritch?'
Eldritch's protection magic that he probably placed for safety. That acted fatally against him.
Copying is impossible by any means.
In other words, this bright red rune can only exist as one in this world no matter what.
'But no matter how great you are, can you outrank gods or Demon Kings?'
The Box of the Dead, a contract item of the Ashins.
Its effect cannot be blocked even by the immortal Demon King. It's truly absolute.
Therefore, Eldritch's Vessel that I put in the Box of the Dead must continue to this life.
Rather, the Vessel that should exist in this life, originally possessed by Eldritch, has probably disappeared now due to the copy prevention effect.
―What... are you...!
And at that moment. Suddenly such a voice echoed from within the ruby.