87
Chapter 87
Time is like a river. It always flows majestically and slowly. It has no waves like an ocean, nor rapids like a stream, yet no one can resist its current.
Quite some time has passed. Roughly a century. And during this century, the continent must have undergone immense changes.
It is currently the Imperial Year 614. This is the period when a nation called the 'Military Nation' is being established. The continent is likely developing rapidly, struggling through the Industrial Revolution. Democracy, which once existed only in the Republic, is probably coloring the Empire, turning it into a half-democratic, half-monarchist state.
Normally, one should invest and make a fortune during such a time of rapid change, but it's still a long way until Saint Maria's birth year. Though it's only a few dozen years left compared to the time I've waited so far.
"Your face hasn't changed a bit, my Lord. You are always the same."
Beatrice sheathed the greatsword she had been swinging violently until just now. Despite the fierce battle, Beatrice's face was stained only with sweat, not blood.
She had reached a level where she could predict the direction blood would spurt while cutting down her opponents. At this rate, she might eventually reach the level of a Sword Master, attaining the ultimate mystery of the blade.
Since she can operate both my demonic energy and holy power simultaneously, she'll be even more advantageous in actual combat. Realizing such a woman is my knight makes me feel proud of my ocean-like tolerance.
"Maybe it's because he's a demon? Demons naturally have long lifespans."
"I suppose so."
"Dame Beatrice, your face hasn't changed either. You look exactly as you did when we first met. Though I think your chest has gotten a bit larger? Hahaha!"
"...! T-That is indecent...."
"?"
I only said it because the only thing that changed was her chest getting bigger, so why is Beatrice lowering her head and bursting into laughter? Ever since I met Meta a hundred years ago, Beatrice has been acting more and more meaningfully. She often says things like, 'I am ready...'
"Woof woof woof! Woof woof woof woof!"
Aru, who came jumping from somewhere, climbed onto my head. How dare a mere beast be so rude as to covet their owner's head.
Whoosh-!
I immediately swung my fist to give Aru a flick on the forehead, but Aru lightly avoided it by tilting her head. Consequently, I ended up awkwardly swinging at nothing.
I was definitely ahead when I absorbed the Tragic Hero Claire a hundred years ago, but Aru grew significantly once more a year after that day. With a creature as big as me climbing on my head every single day, I feel like I'm getting osteoporosis in my neck.
Of course, it's a great thing that our party's combat power is increasing... but I feel like my prestige as the captain has been plummeting lately.
"Woof woof! I finished the hunt!"
"Really? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Woof! My cheek got scratched!"
"Sigh... what if it leaves a scar. Bring your face here. I'll treat it."
As I spoke with a sigh, Aru's round face suddenly dropped in front of my eyes. Her long, deep blue hair trailed down to the ground.
Staring at the upside-down face, I brushed Aru's cheek with my hand. A drop of blood was leaking from a very tiny scratch.
"Which brat did this to you?"
"Woof woof! A werewolf!"
"What? Aren't werewolves your own kind? Did you just kill your own kind?"
"No! Werewolves are monsters! I'm a wolf person!"
"...."
Does this girl Aru even know that translating werewolf means wolf-human? Today, I realize once again that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Then again, if humans slaughter their own kind so easily, there's no reason wolves couldn't do the same.
"Enough, stay still. You should have told me you were hurt."
Whir-.
Purple demonic energy gathered softly at my fingertips. A pearly, viscous liquid seeped into Aru's wound. Then, her snow-white skin healed perfectly without a trace.
I didn't use healing arts. I'm not a saint, and healing is beyond my abilities. I simply attached and stitched Aru's wound back together.
"Lord Oscar! I've just finished my hunt as well!"
Meta, the goblin who has now reached adulthood, approached me while proudly showing his two open palms.
Dense purple demonic energy and crimson blood were pooled within his palms.
"And! I've turned the skeleton legion I hunted today into my familiars!"
"...."
"The Skeleton King was quite powerful! But I think the 'Fourth Legion' is finally complete! The Skeleton King is, of course, the Legion Commander!"
Watching his cheerful demeanor, I couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
No, why is his growth so rapid? He's already commanding a Skeleton King as a familiar? Do you think you're some kind of lich?
Meta, whom I thought was a simple brawler, actually possessed an incredible talent for sorcery. In other words, he was a Goblin Shaman.
The problem was that his talent was extraordinary and he had learned black magic by observing me; after only a century of training, he already possessed skills on par with an average lich.
"Meta, hold on a second."
After stopping Meta, I pulled a black robe from Arachne's Bag. It was a robe that could cover him all the way up to his head.
I placed the robe on Meta. Then, giving a thumbs up, I exclaimed in admiration.
"Perfect! If a stranger saw you, they'd think you were a real lich!"
A lich is a being that leads an army of the undead. The legions of the dead commanded by a lich trample the castles of the living, crush civilizations, and destroy lives. Some call the lich the most fitting existence for a 'one-man kingdom.'
Meta is a goblin, not a skeleton, but looking at his visual with the robe and his current rate of growth, it's a perfectly plausible picture. After all, didn't he say he'd already completed four legions?
"Leader, regardless of everything, calling a living creature a lich... isn't that a bit too harsh?"
Uriel spoke up with her arms crossed, leaning back. Her tone was blunt.
To her, as an angel, a lich—a being that ignores the ethics of life—was the definition of blasphemy.
"It's just a figure of speech. Besides, Meta, do you hate the nickname 'Lich'?"
"Huh? No! Anything Lord Oscar gives me is great!"
"See! Even Meta likes it! Why are you trying to oppress the freedom of naming on your own!"
"I-If Meta feels that way, I have nothing to say... but Beatrice, do you have nothing to say? You were a Holy Knight, after all..."
"I believe any nickname my Lord bestows upon me is wonderful. A lich... the idea of crossing the boundary between life and death is truly a sophisticated nickname."
"...."
As expected, Beatrice is on my side. I flashed a grin at Uriel and patted Beatrice on the back.
"Demon, there is something I wish to ask."
The King of Humans, who had been sitting quietly, stretched his limbs and stood up. Possessing the largest frame among us, his height was such that he could be seen from anywhere across a plain, making him impossible to ignore.
"Mr. John?"
"Civilization... when will we be able to encounter it? Two hundred years have already passed."
"Hmm, just wait about another 70 to 80 years."
"How tedious... all we do is fight every day."
"You must have patience. Didn't you hear it from Saint Iroel? About the virtue of patience."
"Urgh... Iroel... Iroel...."
The King of Humans seemed to be getting restless. This was because recent battles had all been closer to massacres where the distinction between predator and prey was stark.
But if he is the king of humans, shouldn't John be able to rule humans just as Aru rules the wolves? When they fought the Hero Party a hundred years ago, how were they able to oppose John?
"...."
Worries that cannot be solved are meaningless. I quietly set aside the thought that had suddenly occurred to me.
Over the last century, I fought up my storm. As a result, I managed to exterminate nearly every monster in the Southern Demon Beast Forest.
However, the purge wasn't absolute. A few small groups of beasts survived by hiding in their own sanctuaries, avoiding our slow-moving guerrilla operations.
But there is no need to fret over them. The important thing is for the King of Humans and the arriving Hero Party to kill the Dragon King, one of the Five Kings. In that process, every member of the Hero Party except Merlin Gregory must die. A handful of cowardly beasts wouldn't dare stand in the way of the Hero Party.
There is, however, one problem. The Seven Dragons, the seven beasts surrounding the Dragon King, haven't been captured.
The reason is simple. The Seven Dragons are strong enough to have succeeded in a mutual death with the previous Hero Party. If I forced a confrontation and someone in my group died, the loss would be too great. Just as the previous grown Hero Party met a miserable end in total annihilation.
Of course, I would discard anything for Maria. Even if it were my companions, they aren't as important as she is.
Still, the reason I didn't let things proceed exactly like the original history is that the 'History of the Demon Beast Forest' and the 'History of the Continent' are strictly different.
I've already changed the history of the forest extensively. But since the only thing I truly need to protect is the history of the continent, I only need to ensure that the 'Death of the Dragon King' and 'Merlin Gregory's Survival' occur as written.
If my memory serves me right, the Hero Party should arrive at the Demon Beast Forest today. Like the party before them, they will try to fight the beasts of the forest... and they will head straight for the Seven Dragons without encountering any other monsters.
I'm not sure what happens after that. It's awkward for me to step in and help, given that everyone in the Hero Party except Merlin needs to die.
The best-case scenario is for the Hero Party to take down the Seven Dragons without any casualties, join forces with the King of Humans to defeat Dragon King Endros, and die in the process. Meanwhile, I'll secretly extract and absorb the Dragon King's soul.
"I'm going to step away for a moment. Everyone, just keep doing what you're doing."
Fiddling with the cross in my pocket, I left the group. After walking about a hundred paces, I hid behind a massive tree.
Good, sounds shouldn't carry from here. I immediately took out the black rosary and infused it with magic.
"Tel."
Whir-.
The rosary vibrated a couple of times and then emitted a person's voice.
[Good morning, Lord Joker.]
It was monotonous, quiet, and peaceful.
Yet it was an alluring, elegant voice that sounded more attractive to me than any other.
"Yeah, good morning. Though I'm sure the Saint wouldn't know what a morning is."
[You may not know, Lord Joker, but it's quite bearable here.]
Ha, yeah right. Especially while hanging there nailed to a cross.
"About... 70 years? That's how much is left. You know that?"
[That calculation is based on the day I am to be born, is it not?]
"Of course it is. Why, is there a problem?"
[I look forward to the day I reunite with you more than I do to escaping this place.]
"...The Saint really has a knack for saying lovely things."
Perhaps it's because respect and consideration for others are hardwired into her very being.
"But our reunion will probably happen around then anyway. Not necessarily at Eden Academy."
[Is that so? Why is that?]
"Because I'll be the one sprinkling holy water at your baby baptism! Hehehe!"
[I-I believe I asked you to please refrain from doing exactly that...!]
"Listen, Saint. If I didn't even listen to the Demon King, do you think I'll listen to you?"
[Ugh...!]
The Saint bit her lower lip and let out a soft groan, which was unlike her. I burst into a series of vile laughs.
[Sigh... you truly are mischievous.]
"But teasing you is the only way I have. No matter what else I do, I can't seem to shake your emotions."
[I'll take that as a compliment.]
What a funny woman.
I love messing with people. There is a small, simple pleasure in mocking and humiliating others.
But no matter what I say, the Saint almost always remains serene. Yet, talking to her is when I'm most joyful.
She really is an extraordinary woman. I licked my lips.
[By the way, do the others know about me?]
"Only Aru does. And even then, I strictly told her to keep her mouth shut."
[The Wolf King had already noticed my existence a long time ago, hadn't she?]
"True, but I'm talking about others like the King of Humans or Beatrice. Beatrice and Uriel especially act fascinated whenever they see my rosary. They find it absurd that a demon like me carries a cross."
[That is fine. The faith in your heart is more precious than the eyes of others, Lord Joker.]
"You make it sound weird when you put it like that. You're the one I believe in. Not some Lord in the sky or whatever."
[I have lived my life denying every god except the Lord God, yet I never imagined I would become someone's god. Would this not also be blasphemy?]
"God? Faith doesn't always have to be about a god, does it? The priests of the Church have faith in the Messiah, but that doesn't make the Messiah a god. Why not think of it that way? The second Messiah, Saint Maria!"
[...Such an undeserved title for one as humble as I, I am too embarrassed to even lift my head....]
Just as she said, the Saint's voice trailed off. I should stop teasing her for now.
"But aren't you happy?"
[I'm not sure I follow?]
"You were born as a believer following the doctrine, yet you were called a Messiah by a piece of trash like me. Shouldn't you take some pride in your achievements and your life?"
[To be honest, I am inwardly happy... It is just that I am so bashful I cannot look up.]
"Ahahaha! Your modesty is far too much!"
I burst into loud laughter right into the rosary. I couldn't see her, but if I could, I imagine she'd be wearing a soft smile right now.
"There is one thing I'm curious about, Saint."
I stopped laughing and opened my mouth to speak.
In truth, this was the primary purpose of today's communication.
[And what might that be?]
"Your memories."
[Pardon?]
"Your regression is incomplete. You were simply swept up in mine. So I'm curious. Will your memories remain intact after you're born, just as they are now? Or will you start again as a blank slate? Forgetting everything about me, and about us?"
Four hundred years have passed. It is by no means a short time. Especially for the Saint, who possesses a human lifespan, it must have felt like an eternity.
She dedicated that long stretch of time to ensuring I didn't stray in the wrong direction, making a deal with Cronos, the God of Time.
But can that time, that sincere labor, and those grueling efforts...
Continue even after she enters a new life?
[It is half and half.]
"What?"
[By day, I will be my young self, and by night, I will be as I am now.]
While I stood there blankly, unable to grasp her meaning.
Maria calmly laid out her own future.
[In short, I will have a dual personality. My pure self who knows nothing, and the regressor who remembers the memories with you, Lord Joker... These two will coexist within my body, alternating between day and night.]