A Warrior's Honor and the Demon King's Mercy
As I watched the Demon King gaze at me with an expression of deep pity for the sake of honor, I let out a heavy sigh of relief inside. Thank goodness. It looks like it worked, at least to some degree. Pouring every ounce of genuine emotion into that long, heartfelt story was definitely the right move.
The tales of being betrayed by the heroines as a hero. Even though I hadn’t truly been the one who lived through it, the emotions tied to those events were anything but fake. The anger and irritation that inevitably fester in one’s chest as a victim of an NTR game. What’s more, since all of this had stemmed from my friend’s “betrayal”—something I never asked for—I drew out every last bit of that pent-up displeasure and poured it into my sincere lament before the Demon King.
Whether my “sincerity” had gotten through to her or not, the Demon King now looked at me with eyes full of compassion, unlike before. Seeing that, I began to feel a spark of hope that I might just be able to save my life if I played my cards right.
“Upon hearing your words, We too feel a sense of pity… Like you, the hero, We bear the mission of protecting the demon race as the Demon King. If such efforts were repaid with betrayal, We would have no choice but to fall into despair as well…”
“…Thank you for saying so.”
The Demon King spoke words of sympathy in a bitter tone. Then she looked directly into my face and continued.
“In that regard… We wish to show you mercy as a fellow warrior. What are your thoughts on the matter?”
“!...”
The Demon King’s voice carried a clear note of generosity. For a split second, I felt joy threatening to burst across my face, but I quickly suppressed it. I couldn’t afford to ruin everything I’d built up by showing premature delight. Exercising every ounce of patience I possessed, I kept my expression carefully controlled. Looking at the Demon King before me, I forced a weak, bitter laugh, my voice still heavy with despair.
“…Haha… Mercy, you say. You are far more generous than the rumors suggested, Demon King. To offer mercy to someone who once raised a sword against you…”
“Though we come from different worlds—demonkind and humankind—before we are hero and Demon King, we are both warriors who wield the blade. Granting honor on one’s final journey is the least We can do.”
…Huh?
The next moment, the Demon King’s words took a strange turn. A thick wave of bewilderment flashed across my face. Seeing my reaction, she continued in a voice laced with bitterness.
“We shall grant you the peaceful and honorable death you desire. Your remains will receive a proper funeral and be returned to your homeland with all due respect.”
This was completely different from what I had expected. Caught off guard by the unexpected development, I fell into deep confusion and desperately began spinning my thoughts again.
Shit. This is bad… If I’m not careful, she’s really going to chop my head off while talking about some “honorable death.”
In her own way, she had probably been considering torture or something worse, but after hearing my long, tear-jerking story, it seemed she had decided to send me quietly to the afterlife. On the surface the situation had improved, but an “honorable death” was the last thing I wanted.
Even rolling around in a pile of dog shit, being alive is better. I can’t die here!
Yet if I started begging for my life now, my evaluation would plummet again and I’d end up on the absolute worst route—torture followed by execution. To survive, I had to maintain the dignity of a proud warrior while somehow persuading her. It was an incredibly difficult balance to strike.
But I can’t give up now. After all the experience I’ve gained from the game, I have to find a way to overcome this crisis…
With my life literally on the line, I had to persuade the woman in front of me with everything I had. After spinning my thoughts so hard I nearly overheated, I spoke to the Demon King as quickly as I could without breaking the melancholic atmosphere.
“To show such consideration… I am truly grateful. Indeed, for a warrior, an honorable death is more precious than anything else.”
“Yes. Then We shall immediately instruct Our subordinates to prepare a medicine that will allow you to pass without pain—”
“However… despite your kindness, I fear my name will not remain honorable.”
“Hm… Why is that?”
My words, steeped in profound despair, brought a look of puzzlement to the Demon King’s face. Gazing at her, I answered in a voice submerged in sadness and hopelessness.
“The comrades in the hero party who abandoned me and fled… They will no doubt ruthlessly slander me before the lords of the racial alliance who sponsored us. If only to hide the dirty schemes they conspired on with the porter…”
“Even so… Do they lack even the basic courtesy for a warrior who died protecting them?”
“They were the sort who tried to use me even while I was alive. Once I’m dead, there’s even less to say.”
“...”
The Demon King seemed momentarily speechless at my irrefutable logic. Maintaining an expression full of emptiness, I continued.
“From the moment they abandoned me, it was already over. Whether they succeeded and wanted to claim all the credit, or failed and needed a scapegoat, they would have cast me aside without hesitation. There was never any path to salvation for me.”
“...”
As she listened, the Demon King’s eyes filled with even deeper pity than before. Carefully, I began to lay out the bait.
“If I depart this world like this, I will be remembered only as a fool who recklessly charged the Demon King and endangered his comrades. I worked so hard to become a hero, yet my honor as a human being has already been shattered beyond repair.”
“Haa…”
The Demon King let out a heavy sigh and began pondering something with grave seriousness. Watching her, I felt my insides burning with anxiety, desperately hoping she would take the bait.
For a true warrior, honor was more important than life itself. To lose that honor and meet a filthy death was utterly unacceptable. A genuine warrior would even endure momentary humiliation to protect their name. In that sense, what I was subtly conveying was that I could not accept death in this manner.
And… as if she had understood my true intention, the Demon King soon looked at me with a serious, solemn expression.
“What a pity, hero… That one as strong as you should fall into such a miserable fate…”
Her words carried deep regret. The moment I heard them, I realized she had taken the bait. I spoke in a voice thick with despair.
“…What can one do? This is simply my fate… It would be nice if there were a chance to change it, but I doubt such good fortune will ever come my way…”
Of course it could. No—it had to. After all, that was exactly what I had been aiming for from the start.
“…A chance, you say… In other words, if another opportunity were to appear before you, you would seize it?”
It’s here!
For a moment, her words sounded like the voice of an angel. Fighting down intense excitement, I kept my poker face intact and answered in the most bitter tone I could manage.
“…Haha… Well… Even someone like me, if there is still something more I can do… Yes. I would like to try at least once. After all, I have lived far too foolish and meaningless a life until now.”
I delivered lines of regret that sounded like they came straight out of a cliché drama. Yet hidden within that seemingly resigned statement was the plea: I’ll do anything for the sake of honor, so please just spare my life!
In response… the Demon King slowly nodded, as though she had reached a decision.
And then, the words that left her lips were—
“What a shame…”
Wait… miss?!?