Demon King (5)
After killing time for a long while, I opened my eyes.
“Let's go eat.”
“……The temple again?”
“Anywhere else?”
“No.”
“Then that's it. Let's go.”
We slipped back inside the walls through the secret passage. The sun was still hanging high in the sky. The streets teemed with NPCs going about their business.
We passed through the bustling main road. Passersby occasionally shot us glances, but pairs dressed like us weren't exactly rare in this city.
Before long, the rundown temple came into view.
“We're here.”
“Already? It's closer than I thought.”
“The reason it felt far last night was because you were tired.”
“Oh, right.”
“……Why do you accept that so easily?”
“Because it's true?”
“…….”
The line out front was longer than yesterday's. Morning rations had started, and priests bustled about. Standing at the end, it looked like we'd have quite a wait.
“The line's long today.”
“……Mornings draw more people. The ones for whom this is their only meal of the day—”
“NPCs.”
“……Yeah. Lots of NPCs.”
“You're so sweet, Adel. I love how obedient you are.”
“……”
“But only meal? They serve dinner too.”
“Morning NPCs……and evening NPCs are different. If you line up for dinner, you get pushed out by other slum dwellers.”
“The world-building's pretty realistic.”
“……It's not world-building. It's reality.”
“No need to get it. Let's just stand in line.”
After a long wait, it was finally our turn. The priest handed over the same watery porridge as yesterday, with a smile.
"May the gods' blessings be upon you."
Adelaide's shoulders twitched just like yesterday. Now that I could predict it, I didn't even glance her way as I took the bowl.
“Let's find a spot. Same place as yesterday?”
“……Doesn't matter.”
“Then there.”
We sat side by side in the corner and scooped up a spoonful of porridge. As expected, it was bland as water. I was tempted to just spend the money and eat properly.
“Doesn't this get boring if it's the same taste every day?”
“……You should be grateful you can eat at all.”
“Hmm, fair point.”
I glanced around. The slum dwellers all looked exhausted, but while eating, they seemed a bit more at peace.
“You done?”
“……Almost.”
“Let's return the bowls. Out back, right?”
“Yeah.”
We carried our bowls around to the back of the temple and set them down where the priest pointed. As I turned to leave, my steps halted abruptly.
The temple's rear wall was made of weathered stone blocks. Nothing new since yesterday—but something at the base was glinting in the light.
“Adel, check that out.”
“……What.”
“Over there. Isn't that some carving?”
I pointed, and Adelaide turned her gaze.
We brushed away the dust, revealing intricate patterns and letters etched into the stone. Masterful workmanship. Definitely ancient, but the less-eroded parts sparkled in the sunlight—some special material.
“What do these letters say?”
“……No idea. Not any modern script.”
“Can't read it?”
“Impossible. Looks like ancient runes……feels older than the temple itself.”
“Older than the temple?”
“Yeah. Probably remnants from whatever building stood here originally.”
Adelaide knelt and leaned in close to the wall, carefully wiping away more dust. She looked so serious that I crouched down beside her.
The letters were illegible, but some symbols caught my eye.
A figure wearing a crown, shrouded in deep shadows.
A figure wielding a sword, enveloped in radiant light.
Between them, a perfect circle with a single star embedded inside. Below stretched a long inscription—unreadable gibberish.
“Any clue what it says?”
“……The script's a mystery. But these images……they seem familiar somehow.”
“From where?”
“Back when……I spent the night in the temple basement before my knighting ceremony, there was a similar drawing on the wall.”
“What kind?”
“……Memory's fuzzy. But I definitely saw these two figures.”
“Crown and sword?”
“Yeah. The instructor called them……the King of Darkness and the Sword of Light, I think.”
“King of Darkness and Sword of Light.”
“……Why?”
“Nah, just rings a bell.”
I tilted my head and stared at the carving again.
Around the crowned figure clustered multiple shadows—subordinates, maybe? The sword figure stood alone.
Beneath them, a fallen figure. Too worn to tell if it wore a crown or held a sword. A star gleamed beside the fallen one.
“Ah, got it.”
“……What.”
“This is just your standard cliché setup.”
“……Setup?”
“Yeah. Hero fights Demon King, winner makes a wish. Seen it hundreds of times in games.”
“What makes you think…….”
“Look. Crown guy's the Demon King, sword guy's the Hero. They fight, one falls, star lights up. Stars mean wishes in games.”
“……That's just your interpretation. And what's a game?”
“They exist. Trust me, this trope's everywhere.”
“Does that make sense for ancient ruins?”
“Especially for ruins. Legends carved on walls? Classic foreshadowing.”
“……Foreshadowing…? I don't get it.”
“Normal not to. You're an NPC.”
Adelaide furrowed her brow. But instead of arguing, she turned back to the wall. She stared at the sword figure, then shifted to the crowned one.
“Why are you staring so hard?”
“……Dunno.”
“Dunno?”
“Just……can't look away.”
“It's just a stone carving.”
“I know that, but……I don't know why.”
Adelaide's finger traced the wall. It followed the sword figure's outline, then paused at the circle between them. Right on the star.
“Adel.”
“……What.”
“If you're not interested, let's go. Staring won't fill your stomach.”
“……Just a bit longer.”
“A bit longer?”
“Lemme look a little more.”
“Hmm……”
I stood and looked down at her. Crouched there, eyes fixed on the wall—her profile was pretty captivating.
“Adel.”
“……What.”
I leaned down and tapped her cheek.
“Ugh……!”
“Stop spacing out. You can't even read it anyway.”
“……Don't poke me.”
“Didn't hurt.”
“That's not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“…….”
“Not answering again? Guess I'll poke once more.”
“……Fine. I'll get up.”
Adelaide stood reluctantly. But even as she turned, she glanced back at the wall one more time.
At the sword and crown figures facing each other.
“Still lingering?”
“……No.”
“Liar. Your eyes give it away.”
“……I'll go, Master.”
“Hmm……Only now? Good girl anyway.”
King of Darkness. Sword of Light. The setup struck me as oddly amusing. But no point wasting more time on an obvious story.
“Adel.”
“……What.”
“What should we do today?”
“……How should I know.”
“That's why I'm saying let's think together.”
“…….”
Adelaide quickened her pace. Watching her, a chuckle slipped out.
The far eastern edge of the continent. In the vast territory untouched by human feet, known as the Land of Darkness, a pitch-black sky stretched endlessly.
At its heart, a massive fortress of black spires pierced the heavens like spears. On the top floor, in a vast conference room, four pillars stood. And beneath each, a seat.
But only three were occupied.
“You sensed it. Right?”
“Sensed? This is……Her mana. No doubt.”
“Lies. Impossible.”
The woman's voice denied it first. Arms bared with black scales propped on the table, she glared suspiciously at the man across from her.
The man drummed his fingers on the table.
“I'd love if it were fake. But the throne's mana can't be mimicked. Especially not at that purity.”
“Demon King. Your Majesty.”
“That shell? Please.”
The black-scaled woman sneered. The current Demon King on the throne was nothing but a puppet left by the previous one. Sitting there without combat prowess or charisma—what a joke.
The man shook his head.
“Not a shell. The real one's come.”
“Indeed.”
“Finally……She has descended. Not some hollow pretender—the true one!”
Heat crept into the man's voice, belying his usual stoicism.
“Proof?”
“The mana fluctuations. Remember the massive release from the west a few days ago?”
“……A whole small town vanished. Yeah.”
“Exactly. That.”
“That was the true Demon King's……?”
“Not. Yet. Conclusive.”
“So we confirm.”
The man rose. His gaze swept the wall map of the continent. The western region. Somewhere there, their king awaited.
“Location pinned?”
“Not precisely. But we can narrow it by tracing the mana echoes.”
“Means entering human territory.”
“Send. Spies.”
“Right, we have ones who can disguise as humans.”
“Risk of detection?”
“Minimal. Small elite team.”
The inhuman creature gripped its chin, eyes alight with anticipation.
“Hundreds of years. Waiting.”
“Not just waiting, surely.”
“Shut it. Sahadin.”
“You of all—”
“Enough. When do we send?”
“Sooner better. It'll fade with time.”
The man pointed to a spot on the map.
“Search this area. Assemble scouts disguised as humans.”
“Not too small a force?”
“Get spotted. Backfires. Move. Quietly.”
“Got it.”
The inhuman, Gartia, stood and cracked its joints. Heavy breaths echoed through the room. The black-scaled woman, Livaton, snapped her fingers and vanished into thin air.
Sahadin, who had led the meeting, gazed far off—toward where their Demon King would be—and murmured softly.
“We'll meet soon, Your Majesty.”