Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Crush - 3
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I raised my voice even louder.
“That cursed Demon King’s name is Idria! The Demon King of Lies and Deceit.”
“Lies and deceit...”
“Idria?”
“Quiet down. The hero’s speaking.”
I shouted.
“And that Kaild Wake who claimed to be the hero is the vanguard of the Demon King of Lies, Idria!”
“W-what did you say?”
“Kaild...”
“Then the one who healed our lord?”
I hurried to continue.
“The Demon King tried to create the perfect lie by elevating the fake hero Kaild’s name. We must not fall for that scheme!”
“Gasp.”
“Do not be fooled by lies any longer. Do not let lies swallow you whole!”
Fire began to kindle in the eyes of the territory’s people.
Determination settled on their faces.
They clenched their fists, muscles tensing in their arms and legs.
Soon, they cried out as one.
“Ooooh! We believe the hero!”
“So Idria and Kaild are humanity’s enemies, right?”
“Hero! Slay the lies!”
“We’ll spread the truth far and wide. Believe us.”
Good.
I grinned and subtly turned my body.
“Fear not. Throughout history, Demon Kings always fall to heroes. Lies will vanish by the hands of me and the heroes beside me!”
My cry maxed out the territory people’s excitement.
They shouted in unison.
“Hero Maide.”
“Heroes who will save the world.”
“Long live Maide!”
“May the gods bless the heroes!”
It was then.
[Ding! Obtained 10,000 Fame Points.]
[Fame Points needed for next level: 108,760/100,000]
[Your name will echo throughout the Dronor Territory from now on.]
[Total Fame Points to be acquired from this incident: 15,000]
[Your name is echoing in Drucker Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Quelk Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Rior Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Avis Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Reynus Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Tetra Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in the capital. (All points collected!)]
[Your name is echoing in Hasfil Territory. (All points collected!)]
[Neril Slaine thinks of you as a ‘cool guy.’]
[Jenia Side thinks of you as a ‘person who’s done too many favors to repay.’]
[Offense Dyke thinks of you as a ‘true leader.’]
[Adwin Ain thinks of you as the ‘center of the continent.’]
[Risel Vaint thinks of you as a ‘person Kaild was never a match for from the start.’]
[Serein Magnus thinks of you as a ‘person who deserves to succeed.’]
I’d finally met the point requirement.
‘It was really tough.’
[Good work. Tears are blurring my vision.]
‘Level up right now, please.’
[Got it.]
[Ding! Level up!]
[Level: Very Famous.]
[Fame Points needed for next level: 108,760/500,000]
Level: Very Famous.
Now I could see A-rank secrets.
“Ughh. Ophelia.”
David hugged the now-aged Ophelia and shed endless tears.
He was on the verge of collapse.
Count Achain asked with reddened eyes.
“Can you restore her to normal?”
His attitude was impeccably polite.
A dramatic change from the beginning.
“Yes. It’s possible.”
“Don’t comfort me—tell me the truth, Hero.”
“I only speak the truth. I’m opposing the Demon King of Lies, after all.”
“Ah...”
Count Achain nodded without hesitation.
“You’re right.”
“...”
“In other words, this great Demon King is Idria, the Demon King of Lies and Deceit, and Kaild is her puppet?”
“Yes. The Demon King seeks to harvest the ‘perfect lie’ through Kaild.”
“I see...”
He nodded deeply.
“When I first saw Kaild, I truly thought he was the hero. There was no one to compare him to.”
“Count.”
“The miracles you’ve performed here, Maide, can’t even be compared to Kaild healing my illness.”
“...”
“Having the real hero before me opens my eyes. You are undoubtedly the hero.”
The count bowed deeply.
For a moment, my chest swelled.
But I calmly gripped his shoulder.
“Thank you for saying that. Please, lift your head.”
“Hero.”
“I’d appreciate it if you could officially announce what you just said. You can withdraw cooperation from Hasfil or Avis Territories if you like. Their lords see me favorably, after all.”
“My statement would align us. The empire’s division would vanish on its own.”
“Not just vanish—it would bind us strongly.”
I skipped “with me at the center.”
I knew how to read the room.
I changed the subject.
“Anyway, let’s return to Ophelia.”
“Go ahead.”
“Her body is a fake tampered with by Idria. The purification’s aftereffects are holding for now, but soon Idria will control Ophelia again. Then the bug massacre will repeat.”
At those words, David paled more than the count.
He crawled on his knees to me.
A noble—and the count’s son—kneeling before me.
I panicked and tried to stop him.
“P-please stand.”
“Hero. Please don’t kill Ophelia.”
“Pardon?”
“She’s my light and hope. More precious than any heavenly god. Please...”
David still loved the near-death Ophelia as if she were part of him.
As if her appearance meant nothing.
Neril muttered.
“Beautiful love. Age really is just a number.”
“I’d nod if anyone else said it...”
“Won’t shut up?”
I spoke to David.
“Why would I kill Ophelia?”
“Th-then?”
“But first, hold on.”
I said to Trail.
‘Show me now. The secret between Idria and Ophelia. What she did with Ophelia’s real body.’
[Okay.]
A screen soon appeared.
[Used Eye of Omniscience.]
[Current Eye of Omniscience level is 4. Viewable secret rank: A-rank.]
[Selection condition: ‘Secret between Ophelia Mace and Idria.’]
[Secret rank: A-rank. Viewing.]
Idria was in the screen.
And Ophelia too!
Ophelia’s eyes were closed, but it wasn’t just sleep—even from afar, it was clear.
‘A body without a soul.’
Meaning Idria had already separated Ophelia’s soul from that ‘real’ body.
To Idria, just an unnecessary shell.
Yet she floated Ophelia’s real body in the air, admiring it from all angles.
‘When was this?’
I scanned the screen.
And was shocked.
This secret was from just three days ago.
When we arrived in Dronor Territory.
It was then.
A deep male voice came from the screen.
“That body looks exactly like the one sent to Dronor Territory recently.”
I recognized the voice.
My teeth ground involuntarily.
‘Kaild!’
Idria didn’t even glance at him as she spoke.
“It would. This is the original, and the one sent to Dronor is a fake based on it.”
“Then is there any need to keep the real body like that?”
“You’re a curious bug.”
“...”
“No practical reason. But it’s a matter of taste.”
She twirled her finger.
Ophelia’s floating body rotated with it.
“There’s something I’ve always wanted to do once I achieve everything.”
“What’s that?”
“Tell all the fools who believed in truth my lies, one by one. Very kindly and in detail.”
“...You’ll reveal your lies? Isn’t that breaking them? Is that okay for the Demon King of Lies?”
She spoke calmly.
“For ages, no one knew me. I died and died to Bion, remembered by no one.”
“...”
“Bion too. The hero who saved the world countless times, yet no one remembers him. So I feel a strange kinship.”
“What are you getting at?”
Idria smiled somewhat detachedly.
“When I achieve everything, I want humans to know. That Demon King Idria didn’t fall from the sky one day. That I’ve always been right beside you, wherever lies were.”
“...”
“Evidence would help.”
“Ha. So you’re keeping Ophelia’s body as proof.”
“Yes. Call it retirement prep.”
I was dumbfounded.
‘Retirement prep?’
Someday I’d teach her what retirement really means.
[Teach me sometime. Your retirement plan’s nothing special either.]
I ignored and checked the screen again.
Idria raised her other hand and swiped up and down.
Space tore.
She placed Ophelia’s real body inside.
“I look forward to that day.”
Snap.
The screen cut off.
I thought briefly and spoke to David.
“Ophelia’s real body is safe.”
“Y-yes?”
“Idria’s keeping it. I’ll kill Idria and retrieve it. Then Adwin will transfer the soul.”
“Ughh. Thank you. Truly.”
David bowed, tears dripping.
I patted his shoulder and continued.
“But we can’t leave Ophelia like this.”
“Of course... You said the Demon King might do it again anytime.”
“Yes. I’ll place her where the Demon King’s power can’t reach.”
“Where could that be?”
“Here.”
I drew my sword with a shing.
David flinched but didn’t dodge.
He trusted me that much.
Instead, the count spoke in surprise.
“Hero. What are you—?”
“Step back and watch.”
“Ah, understood.”
Serein whispered.
“Risel. What’s Maide planning?”
“I was about to ask. Offense, know?”
“No idea.”
Come to think of it, I used this in Reynus Territory, so these three wouldn’t know.
Adwin haughtily spoke, nose up.
“Heh. As expected, too profound for you foolish mortals. No helping it. This great one will mercifully explain...”
“Maide said last time. He’s gonna tear space and store her inside.”
“No, wasn’t that a metaphor?”
“Maide’s straightforward.”
“That’s way different from straightforward!”
Adwin, aiming for a cool moment, slumped in disappointment.
As he drooped.
“Hehe. You must be Adwin.”
“Yes? Ah.”
“The hero wondered who’s superior, you or me.”
It was Ophelia.
She opened her eyes and struggled to rise.
David quickly supported her in shock.
“Ophelia. You okay?”
“Don’t look at my face.”
“What? Why?”
“Don’t want you seeing me all wrinkled. Especially you.”
“Ophelia!”
He forced her face toward him.
“Even if I aged, you’d say that?”
“No! Never...”
“Me neither. What are you saying?”
Ophelia shed tears.
She weakly raised a hand to caress David’s face.
“I want to meet you as my old self soon.”
“You will. The hero promised.”
“The hero.”
Ophelia turned to me.
“Hero. Please take care of it.”
“No worries.”
I nodded firmly.
Relieved by my answer, Ophelia smiled.
She spoke to Jenia.
“Jenia. Always dumping baggage on you. Since our mission together.”
“Ughh. Don’t say that. Without you, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Still eating two bowls?”
“Yeah. But now I can’t. Promised Maide half... Wait, what am I saying in this mood?”
“Yeah, us fighting and making up suits us. Right?”
Jenia wiped tears with her forearm.
“Hmph. You rascal.”
Time to start.
The territory’s purification was ending.
I raised my sword.
“Let’s begin.”
Everyone nodded.
I took a light breath and activated the skill.
‘Space Tear!’
Space Tear, made to counter Idria’s space power.
My space bypassed Idria’s authority.
Proven before regression.
When fighting the first finger of deceit.
We had the upper hand.
The cornered first finger made its ‘last struggle.’
An overwhelming ability we couldn’t grasp.
Kaild ordered retreat, feeling outmatched.
But escape was impossible against it.
So I hastily tore space.
And evacuated the party inside.
Before it closed, I saw Idria.
She appeared personally, intrigued by my skill via the first finger.
“You’re a freak. Why party with trash like Kaild?”
“Idria!”
“Using space authority before me piques interest. Come out.”
Snap.
Idria snapped her fingers.
But my space only closed tighter.
“...?”
She tilted her head, snapped a few more times.
No use.
Before my space fully closed, Idria’s question came.
A somewhat urgent voice unfit for her.
“Who the hell are you?”