73
Chapter 73
"......After that, I succumbed to the Dragon King. As Iroel wished in her final moments."
The King of Humans' story had ended. It was quite the comedy and thriller. A comedy without a clown, a tragedy without a villain. That was my one-line review of his past.
"Was there any further retaliation from them?"
"The Beasts of Slumber are no fools. Naturally, most are stupider than humans, but when it comes to profit and loss, they are sharper than anyone. With their forces already depleted, they have no reason to provoke an opponent they don't need to fight."
"Hmm."
"I had no desire to be king. I only wanted to be with Iroel. The reason I fought for the throne and went against her advice was simply because I wanted to act spoiled toward Iroel for rejecting my love, not because I actually wanted to challenge the Dragon King."
"And then?"
"...In the first place, if I hadn't insisted on the throne, everyone would have been happy. It made no difference to the beasts whether the Dragon King or I ruled. So many beasts wouldn't have had to die. Iroel knew that. That's why she called it a 'meaningless revenge.' Now, I understand that too."
Well, I think a bit differently.
John, the King of Humans, isn't wrong. From the story he told, it seemed he valued a single meal with Iroel more than a position like the King of the West.
Even if he had become the true king, he wouldn't have been happy, and it would have only led to tragedy.
However, in my eyes, there was another reason why Iroel stopped John's revenge, even at the cost of her own horrific death.
Dragon King Endros.
An ancient dragon to whom even a Dragon Lord representing a dragon generation would show respect. In other words, the progenitor of all dragons.
When the conflict between the King of Humans and the Dragon King arose, the old generation of monsters sided with the Dragon King, while the new generation sided with the King of Humans. Why would they do that? It wasn't as if the King of Humans was taking special care of them.
Whether human or monster, there is a tendency to blindly believe only what they have personally seen and heard. The new generation of monsters had only experienced the power of the King of Humans. Furthermore, since they believed Iroel was on his side before she weakened, they naturally thought he was stronger than the Dragon King.
Why? Because the King of Humans was the strongest being they had ever encountered.
However, the old generation of Beasts of Slumber, who had lived for hundreds or thousands of years and witnessed the era of the Five Kings, knew better.
The Five Kings.
Dragon King Endros, whose single breath could redraw the map of the Demon Realm.
Eagle King Horus, whose brown wings could blanket the entire sky of the Demon Beast Forest.
Arachne, the Spider Queen, who wove webs that even gods could not break to slice through time and space.
Jormungandr, the Serpent King, who could wrap around the entire continent and bite his own tail if he fully stretched his body.
Kraken, the Fish King, who ventured into the continent's oceans because the rivers of the Demon Beast Forest were too narrow.
Over millions of years, as hundreds of Demon Kings and thousands of Heroes changed.
These five kings reigned as unchanging supremes. In fact, they occupied a position that even a Demon King could not easily touch.
Of course... the current Demon King Kanos is an exception. Absolute Strong One or not, if Kanos truly harbors murderous intent, everyone dies. When she visited Tartarus, she didn't just brag that 'I am the god of gods' for no reason.
Anyway, the point is that no matter how much the King of Humans threw a tantrum, he couldn't have beaten the Dragon King at that time. Saint Iroel, being well-versed in history, would have known this.
Of course, 200 years from now, the King of Humans will team up with Great Sage Merlin Gregory and kill the Dragon King. That is a settled fact.
However, there is one thing that must not be overlooked here.
Merlin Gregory was an unprecedented Great Mage, unparalleled in history.
And at that time, Merlin Gregory was a member of the Hero Party.
In other words, it was a raid. The entire Hero Party plus an Absolute Strong One like the King of Humans against a single Dragon King Endros.
Only Merlin Gregory and the King of Humans survived the raid to make their names known to future generations. The strongest of that generation's continent—the Hero, Saint, Great Warrior, and Elf Archer... they all died. All by the hand of a single Dragon King Endros.
The old generation of monsters knew the depth of the Dragon King's power. Thus, they sought to stop the impulsive youth who dared to raise a new banner while the Dragon King was merely preparing to awaken.
Even during the period of conflict, the Dragon King spent his time sleeping while the monsters fought tooth and nail. In truth, it wasn't the Dragon King himself battling the King of Humans, but the monsters under his command.
The old generation feared that if the new generation offended the Dragon King upon his awakening, the western part of the Demon Beast Forest would be turned into a sea of fire, so they formed their own factions.
And then, there was Iroel.
The King of Humans, rushing forward in a fit of youthful arrogance, unaware that death was his destined end; and Iroel, the sage who saw it all clearly.
Knowing the outcome, Iroel told the King of Humans to abandon his revenge. As he just mentioned, if the King of Humans hadn't been hostile, the beasts of the forest wouldn't have had to form factions and fight. Things would have simply followed the law of the jungle.
But the King of Humans could not stop, and in the end, Iroel sacrificed her own life to break the cycle of revenge. In essence, she saved his life.
"After that... I lived quietly. Every now and then, bomb insects charge at this hut like they did back then, but it's solved once I blow them all away. It is a bit tedious. I regret not listening to Iroel sooner."
The King of Humans himself is unaware of that fact. Well, there's no real need to tell him. It would be incredibly troublesome if he became consumed by the guilt of having killed Iroel.
"Hooo... what a beautiful story. A true Saint indeed."
"Woof woof, Scarface. My friend. The King of Humans who is kind to wolves is a good human."
"Saint Iroel... I should have been a Holy Knight like her...."
"Shh, lower your voice. Especially you, Wolf King. Why are you barking? What if the King of Humans hears that we are here?"
"Woof? Woof woof! Are you ashamed of me?"
"A-Aru! Lower your voice! Why are you being so noisy!"
"Tsk tsk, I've just heard the story of a truly righteous human, yet why is this angel surrounded by such fools... how chaotic."
The sound of chatting drifts in from outside the walls of the hut. I strictly told them not to make their presence known, yet my trio of assistants are really something....
Oh right, one of them isn't an assistant, just a parasite. Those useless things.
Do they honestly believe the walls of a hut are soundproof? Then how do you think they heard the King of Humans pouring out his heart, you idiots?
"Beatrice... are you aware that your voice is currently the loudest...."
"Ahem, Aru isn't hiding her presence anyway, so he probably sensed all of us. The King of Humans isn't called that for nothing."
"Woof."
Sigh, forget it. I should just lower my expectations.
A combination consisting of a wingless angel, a Wolf King with the intellect of a dog, and a fallen Holy Knight. How did I gather such a collection of defective beings? At this point, I should question my own judgment for taking them as companions.
As I held my throbbing head due to the noise outside, the King of Humans pointed his thumb behind him and asked a question.
"Companions, are they?"
"Yes, I suppose they are companions."
A faint smile played on the King of Humans' lips. His bushy beard twitched.
"Companions, a good thing. Wonderful."
"Is it? I don't find them particularly great."
"One does not know their value while they are there. But you realize it once they are gone. It is lonely, and sad."
I'm not particularly lonely even though my previous life is gone, but the King of Humans' mood was so nostalgic that I couldn't bring myself to argue. Is this the vibe of a middle-aged man going through a crisis?
"One of them... is a wolf?"
"Yes, she's actually the Wolf King. Though right now, she's just a mere mutt."
"Woof? I'm not a dog! And definitely not a mutt!"
After hearing my comment pointing to Aru's silhouette, Aru instantly moved from the back of the hut to the front, pushed open the wooden door, and stepped inside.
The King of Humans gazed at Aru with a deep, lingering look.
"Wolves... good animals...."
Come to think of it, the King of Humans had a connection with a wolf too—Scarface. They have that in common, but I'm not sure how to use that to my advantage.
"Earlier... you mentioned the Moonlight Wolf Association? The Wolf King's association? That you belong to?"
"Ah, that? That was just a lie. Since you have no desire for revenge anyway, there's no need to keep deceiving you."
"A lie, was it? Hmm, I didn't expect that."
At my confession of the truth, the King of Humans was merely surprised; he didn't show the slightest hint of disappointment. He truly has no interest in revenge. Well, after everything he's been through, it would be strange if he didn't develop a trauma toward revenge.
I had set things in motion believing he would harbor a grudge, considering that he eventually takes down the Dragon King with Merlin Gregory 200 years from now, but my plan was twisted from the very start.
Then how on earth did Merlin Gregory convince him to join her? I have more to think about.
By the way, his speaking skills have become quite fluent after just a few hours of conversation. I guess this is the power of the King of Humans, the lord of all creation. I can see how Saint Iroel managed to bring him up to a conversational level in just a few months.
"Grrr...! Take it back! Take it back! I'm not a dog!"
"Hey now, there's a time and place for crossing the line. How dare a mere puppy interrupt a conversation between adults...."
*Crunch*.
"Aaagh! Take it back, take it back! Aru is a wolf!"
"Grr, woof! That's why you shouldn't tease me...! Now you're in trouble...!"
"Good grief, a crazy wolf is scolding its owner. This is just so sad...."
"Umm, the wolf seems a bit fierce. Wolves are good beasts."
Wow, he called Aru a good beast. I never thought I'd live to hear the day. To that ungrateful mutt.
I have a lot I want to say, but I'll hold back for now. It won't be too late to badmouth Aru once I make the King of Humans my assistant.
Though I'm not sure if a savage is capable of gossiping. Then again, I might become the first demon to successfully gossip with a savage. Since being the first is always a good thing, I should consider this a win.
"But, why did you lie?"
The King of Humans asks, his eyes wide as he pokes Aru's forehead with a thick finger.
"About the association part?"
"Correct. Was there a reason to lie?"
"I used that as an excuse to try and make you a companion. Though that's all gone to waste now."
"Companion?"
"Grrr, stop it...!"
Aru bares her teeth at the King of Humans. A chilling murderous intent swirls within Aru's blue eyes. Uh-oh, if this keeps up, she might actually bite him.
"Companion...."
Poke, poke-.
"Grrrrr...! If you poke me one more time...!"
Poke-.
"Woof!"
Aru finally snapped. Baring her gleaming fangs, she lunged and bit the King of Humans' finger. Damn it, I'm trying to win him over, and she goes and bites him...
"Yelp! Yelp! Yeeeelp!"
Huh?
"Yeeeelp! Yelp! Whine, whine, whiiiiine...."
Aru suddenly clapped both paws over her mouth and bolted. She scrambled back and forth in a frantic retreat, eventually hiding behind me with tears and snot streaming down her face. What just happened?
"Whine... whiiiiine... Captain... he's weiiird... whiiine...."
Only calling me Captain when she's in trouble, this damn wolf.
Trembling, Aru points to the King of Humans' finger. The King looks completely bewildered. Focusing my vision, I see there isn't a single scratch on his finger.
Ah, so she bit him to teach him a lesson, but he was so hard that it only hurt her own teeth?
As if confirming my theory, Aru opens her mouth and fumbles with her teeth. Her front tooth is wobbling precariously.
The moment I saw that, I burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! You arrogant wolf! This is absolutely priceless!"
"Whiiiiine...."
"You've been acting all high and mighty biting soft demon fingers, haven't you? Well, your arrogant reign of terror is over! You've finally met a finger harder than a steel beam, forged in the wild by a savage! Muhahaha!"
"Whine... mean... young demon is so mean...."
Aru starts tearing up. God, that's satisfying. I feel all my built-up stress vanishing. From now on, whenever Aru tries to bite me, I'll just hide behind the King of Humans.
Of course, for that to work... I'll have to successfully manipulate him into becoming my assistant first.
"Companion... companion...."
The King of Humans kept muttering the word 'companion.' What's with him?
"Excuse me, you."
"Yes?"
"If you are alright with it, I do not mind becoming a companion."
"...Eh?"
"I want to be a companion. Companions are a good thing. Losing one is as sad as if the world were ending, but having one is as joyful as owning the whole world."
What? What? He'll be a companion? Is he for real? Did he really just agree to be my companion? Just like that?
"Are you serious?"
"Companion, good. I do not know who you are, but you spoke with me. You, are kind."
"...Hah."
I just realized something.
Come to think of it, the King of Humans has no reason to refuse.
Aru loathed me from the start, and Beatrice was barely clinging to life, haunted by the trauma of killing her father, so I had to put on a tiresome show to change their minds.
"Wonderful! Now you are my 'assistant'!"
But this time, there's no need for all that!
I love it!