Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Demon King Trial - 1
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Morning.
A message came from the Emperor through the communication orb.
- Hero. You coughed.
“Cough. Ah, yes.”
- Sorry for reaching out so early. It seems like you’re treating this matter with some urgency…
“It’s fine. Go ahead.”
- Yes. The venue for the Demon King’s trial can be ready by tomorrow.
He continued in the tone of a child fishing for praise after doing a good deed.
- Time is tomorrow morning at 10. Place is Dork Plains, on the capital’s outskirts.
“…….”
- The relevant announcement has already spread across the continent via communication orbs. Maide-nim’s measure from last time is proving useful even now.
“That was Your Majesty’s doing, not mine…”
- I hope this ends in good results as well.
He’s not listening. This guy.
I scratched my head.
“Understood. Thank you.”
- On that note, how do you plan to conduct the trial? It’ll be quite different from a standard one.
“Hm. I’ll start by reciting Idria’s crimes.”
I explained quickly.
“No need for any defense. This trial isn’t about fairness anyway.”
- Of course.
“I’ll list the crimes, Idria admits them, and that’s it. Simple process.”
And.
“For any crimes she committed that can still be fixed, she’ll handle them herself. I’ll supervise to make sure she does it right.”
- Splendid.
“For ones that can’t be fixed—like if the victim’s dead—I’ll make her apologize in person. I’ll oversee that too.”
- Yes.
“Once all that’s done.”
Here’s the key part.
I gathered my thoughts for a moment and went on.
“We hold a second trial for her final statement.”
The party members listening nearby looked baffled.
They hadn’t heard about this second trial or final statement before.
This was the heart of the strategy I’d hammered out with “Bion” and “Trail” yesterday.
- Pardon? But earlier you said no defense needed…
“Ah. More precisely, it’s just hearing her out if she has any last words before dying.”
- Hm. Is there really any need to grant the Demon King that mercy? Not that I’d question your judgment, of course.
Of course there was.
But not for Idria’s sake.
For humanity’s.
More precisely, for a world where Demon Kings no longer descend.
Naturally, I kept my real motives hidden and replied casually.
“Recording the Demon King begging for her life right before death has its own value, no?”
- Haha. True enough. Understood.
“Then we’ll head to the trial grounds by 10 a.m. tomorrow.”
- Best of luck, Hero.
Click.
The communication orb went silent.
Neril jumped in right away, as if she’d been waiting.
“Second trial? Final statement?”
“Ah. One sec before that.”
Rather than pocket the orb, I linked it to Idria.
Her voice came through soon enough.
- What?
“The time’s come. Your trial’s tomorrow.”
- Then it’s not time yet. I could’ve come right away if you’d called tomorrow.
“Quit pretending you’re busy and come to my spot. You can pinpoint it easy.”
Her voice cut out briefly at that.
Probably using her spatial powers to locate me.
- Inn in the capital?
“Yeah. Rented it for yesterday originally, but I talked the owner into extending till this wraps up this morning. Ours till then.”
- …….
“No one around, so come at ease… Huh?”
Crackle.
A line slashed across empty air.
Space tore open, and Idria stepped out.
Neril remarked dryly.
“Morning. Nice day.”
“The morning before my execution, for me.”
“Verdict’s not out yet.”
“Then what, you lot gonna show mercy and spare me?”
“That’s not our call.”
Idria let out a light sigh.
I cut in.
“No more small talk. Main point… Wait. Quick thing before the main point.”
“I’m listening.”
“Velosian’s dead.”
“……?”
“Killed him yesterday.”
Idria’s face said “don’t mess around” at first.
But as she saw our group—me included—dead serious the whole time, her expression tightened.
She asked.
“Bion. That true?”
[Yeah.]
[Yes.]
Not asking you, screen.
“You don’t look like you fought a brutal battle. Even with your fame lately…”
“Well, stuff happened. Wasn’t even a fight—he died without a move.”
“……A warning to keep me in line?”
“You’re reading too much into it. Just FYI.”
Idria’s eyes shook.
Made sense—from her view, one of her two mortal foes got squashed effortlessly by the other.
Great that threatening Velosian was gone, but terror at the last rival powering up too much.
“Anyway, Velosian’s toast. Focus on this now.”
“……Got it.”
“Back to it—I called you for the Demon King trial details.”
“We covered that. Format and order set from the start.”
She went on, expression a touch guarded.
“You recite crimes, I admit. I tour the continent fixing or atoning. End of story.”
“Adding one thing.”
I leaned back against the chair.
“Second trial after your continent tour.”
“……Why?”
“You give your final statement there.”
“What the hell. Why defend myself to you?”
Her face chilled a bit.
“Beg me for life—that’s enough.”
“No need to grovel ugly. Just follow orders.”
“Be specific.”
“So…”
I spoke the plan with Bion and Trail aloud for the first time.
Idria wasn’t the only one floored—the whole party freaked.
Long pause later, Idria spoke.
“Recap.”
“Sure.”
“You’ve got one law left to add, right?”
Right.
After Impellium handed over control, I could add one law.
Impellium asked if I’d use it for a law to kill Acteon.
But I had better use in mind.
“You’re using that law…”
She trailed off, clamping her mouth.
Jenia picked up.
“New law: from now on, all humans’ negative emotions dwell solely in Idria.”
“…….”
“I get Maide-ssi’s swamped and beat lately.”
“I’m good.”
“Then how do you think that! Concentrating power on Idria to stop new Demon Kings?”
I scratched my head.
“I get the worry. What if it lets Idria grow endlessly stronger?”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
“Fair point. So at first, I planned the negative emotions dwelling in ‘me.’”
The mood nosedived to subzero.
Party faces stiff as armor—no room for a pin.
Neril’s voice iced over.
“Say it again?”
“C-calm. I said ‘at first.’ Changed plans.”
“Smart move. Nearly dragged your old self out.”
……
Pretty sure that self’s still lingering.
I soothed the party first.
Then laid out why I wanted Hero and Demon King gone… or more precisely, the system itself scrapped.
They nodded along as I hit the three issues I saw with the system.
But maybe too much to unpack—they flapped mouths like crucian carp.
“Clear?”
“……Dunno if I get it.”
“System wires people to depend on Hero alone. Like praying to sky gods in tough spots.”
“What’s bad about that?”
“They’ll never stand on their own two feet.”
Party personalities varied, but deep down mirrored mine.
Since toppling the heavenly god, they’d felt the shift in stares aimed their way.
Not one relished the admiration.
Burdened and uneasy reactions? Plenty.
Neril said.
“Kinda get it. How you feel.”
“Neril-ssi’d back Maide-ssi if he claimed meat and veg taste same.”
“Metaphors so you.”
“Well… not totally lost on me.”
Ophense chimed in with something else.
“But rethink it. Scrapping the sacrifice plan? Relief. New one powers up Idria, like pheasant girl said.”
“Needs a manager. Watcher. Keep Idria honest.”
“Who? Wait, no.”
Ophense glanced over my head.
Others followed suit.
All eyeing Trail’s soul.
“Trail hyung…”
“Yeah. They’re Hero-Demon King set originally. Back to basics.”
“His buy-in?”
“Yeah. Last night.”
“Trail hyung, out here.”
Adwin yanked Trail out.
Cast the spell letting him talk direct, like last night.
First full look at him since Impellium party days.
“Hyung. For real?”
“Yes.”
“Why? Spill easy.”
“Hard to say… Felt like no big shift.”
Light throat-clear.
“You know I tangled with Idria steady before Maide or you.”
“…….”
“Bigger scale, that’s it. Used to kill her nonstop—now just watch. Only diff.”
Faces showed they got it.
Hearts not sold yet, though.
Risel blurted urgent.
“But Trail-ssi even? All humans’ negative emotions on one Idria—strength unimaginable.”
I fielded that.
“Screen elaborated on Trail. Hero no fame needed, yeah?”
“Y-yeah.”
“Impellium hit 4.8 mil min to kill Velosian. Me, 1 mil for Idria.”
“…….”
“Trail? No quota. Why?”
Heads cocked.
Grinned, dropped truth.
“‘Cause zilch needed. Idria powers up? Trail auto-matches.”
Kept going.
“Picture it. Idria born strong? Nah. Screen said early days, 200k fame enough.”
“…….”
“World’s lies piled, beefed her. This era? 1 mil to kill.”
Trail cut in.
“Shocked me hearing that. Never sensed her gaining.”
“Made sense. You scaled too.”
“Asked yesterday—how? Why possible?”
“Forget it. Screen clams up needless. Spill at my 20-mil fame.”
“20 mil… Code for ‘never.’”
Wrong.
I’ll hit 20 mil fame, no doubt.