Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Demon King's True Wish
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"Yo…… You're the Demon King……?"
"That's right."
Nod, nod.
In response to Erin's words, the Demon King nodded and stretched her hand straight forward.
The excessively long sleeve of her garment slid down smoothly.
She moved her arm this way and that a few times, then parted her lips slightly in wonder, letting out a "waa—" sound.
"This is a human body…… I'm still not fully adapted, so even moving my arm feels awkward."
Pink long straight hair, eyes an even deeper shade of pink than her hair.
She wore solid black rags, but that somehow gave her a strangely cute impression.
She looked like a cute human girl no matter where you looked, but the black demon horns peeking through her hair clearly proved she was no human.
On her back were wings so adorably small you wondered if they could even fly.
"Igo nogodon……."
"Rabbit Lord, why are you so listless? Are you hungry, perhaps?"
"Derigogodon……."
While Ophelia was somehow coaxing the rabbit that had slipped from her arms, now noticeably low in energy, Linea cautiously approached Erin.
"Wait a moment……! According to historical records, the Demon King exudes such intense demonic energy that just facing her is suffocating…… Is that little girl really the Demon King?"
"Didn't you hear what the Demon King just said?"
"……!!!"
Come to think of it, that girl had said 'God's Plain Fact' applied to her.
No way…… Did God completely alter the Demon King's appearance?
Since gods don't really exist, it must mean the church priests did it…… Do they really have the power to go that far?
'No way……!'
That couldn't be possible.
Then, that girl isn't the Demon King, just an ordinary girl prepared by the church……?
But if so, what was the point, and more importantly, there was an even bigger question.
The horns could be explained somehow, but how do you explain those wings floating behind her?
Sure, magic could make it possible…… But then who was casting magic in real time right now?
Having walked the path of a mage, Linea knew.
No mana was detectable around, so if those were magical, they must have been cast and applied long ago—
Is it possible to keep wings floating so naturally behind someone's back like that?
Leaving the confused Linea behind—
Luca cautiously stepped forward and spoke.
"Um…… Demon King……?"
"Speak, human."
"It's about what happened a while ago—"
"You're referring to the incident where my kin were injured, yes?"
"……You knew."
The Demon King gave a wry smile as she spoke.
"I'm sorry about that. And at the same time, I'm deeply grateful. From what I heard, Erin, you handled it cleverly to keep things from escalating."
"Yes."
"It must have been frightening since they couldn't communicate, yet you managed it somehow."
Erin met the Demon King's eyes clearly and spoke in a steady tone.
"Because that was God's will."
"God."
The Demon King repeated the word several times, as if amused.
"I am God's vessel and His sole servant. Whatever the Sole God Igugwoden desires, I will do anything."
"I see. God…… It was also God who granted this body a human form."
The Demon King mumbled for a moment—
Then slowly approached Erin.
Peep.
Peep.
For some reason, every step she took produced an utterly adorable sound.
Like the chirp of a chick, perhaps?
"Anyway, I wanted to express my thanks for that. Thank you—"
At that moment.
—Thud!
"……."
Was it because she wasn't used to the human body?
She hadn't even taken a few proper steps before tripping over a stone and falling flat forward.
"A-Are you okay?!"
"……."
Supported by Ophelia who rushed over, the Demon King's eyes glistened for a moment.
At the same time, she bit her lip without a word, her body trembling—
Then she sniffled, brushed the dirt off her knee with her hand, and tossed out casually.
"……The human body is more inconvenient than I thought. Being bound to the earth like this is truly pitiable. No wonder they have such aggressive natures."
"Not necessarily."
"You……."
Ophelia, kneeling on one knee to meet the Demon King's eye level, said.
"It can be seen as being bound to the earth, but differently, as having taken root. We live bearing responsibility for this world where we've taken root."
"……I see."
"Anyway, I don't know the details, but it seems you, Demon King, have gained a human body by God's will."
"Since you're facing this body and speaking normally without issue, you're probably right."
"Then welcoming you is also a trial from God. I, Ophelia Translente, in the name of Dish of Holy Knights, will gladly escort you."
Ophelia slowly stood, extending her hand to the Demon King.
The Demon King hesitated a moment, then stretched out her tiny hand—barely half the size of Ophelia's—toward her.
—Squeeze.
In the Demon King's grasped hand, she felt the warmth of another race.……It was warm.
But the moment didn't last long as the Demon King and Ophelia walked hand in hand—
—Thud!
—Crash!
"O-Ophelia!"
Ophelia's spirit was certainly admirable—
The problem was, when it came to tripping, she wasn't much different from the Demon King, who had just obtained a human body and wasn't adapted yet.
* * *
"Now, please sit here. Demon King."
"……Thank you."
The Demon King plopped down on the mat Luca had prepared.
Facing her, Erin and the others knelt, looking at her.
In front of the dungeon leaking demonic energy—
The sight of grown women kneeling before a quietly seated little girl gave plenty to ponder.
A brief silence followed—
And it was broken by Saintess Erin, chosen by God.
"Demon King. May I bring it up first?"
"Very well. Speak."
"We came here by God's revelation. God led us here, and meeting you means facing you is God's will. If anything comes to mind, I'd be grateful if you shared."
"……."
Hearing Erin's words, the Demon King seemed to understand what she meant.
God's will—the being who used His power to prevent bloodshed.
Having grasped the situation roughly from talks with God's Proxy, she cautiously voiced her bold idea.
"Erin. We have no desire to be enemies with you. Do you know that my kin who emerged from the dungeon never struck first?"
"……Yes, I knew. Actually, from the moment I received God's will, I vaguely thought so."
"I wanted to converse with you humans. I thought if we shared our demands, we could end it without bloodshed.
—However, they said this body appears extremely threatening to you humans for conversation.
Just meeting eyes drives one to madness and loss of reason.
"……."
"So when I pondered repeating history, I heard God's voice. More precisely, God's Proxy's voice. Said they'd share Plain Facts. At first, I didn't understand."
"I see……."
Erin nodded slowly and asked back.
"Are you saying demons can coexist with humans?"
"Yes. The continent is vast, isn't it? Not mingling actively in your spaces, but we can surely live together."
In a situation where the Dish of Holy Knights couldn't interject—
Erin nodded very cautiously…… and answered without avoiding the Demon King's gaze.
"I think your intent, Demon King, is most noble. We humans would like that too, if possible."
"Your answer isn't wholly positive."
"I'm sorry. But from our human perspective, there are difficult parts……."
"It's fine. Isn't that why I gained this human body? Speak honestly. What about my kin is hard for you to accept?"
—Well, I have some guesses.
"You mean you have an idea……."
"From a human viewpoint, we just look ferocious."
Erin couldn't say a word.
Indeed, monsters were frightening just to look at. The greater the demon, the proportional the human fear.
Without God's Plain Fact, even a private audience with the pinnacle, the Demon King, would be unimaginable.
Even so.
If 'having this conversation' is God's will……
Erin felt she understood why Lord Igugwoden created this situation.
"You're right, Demon King. To us humans, your kin…… the monsters are objects of fear and terror."
"I have no intention of blaming instinct as foolish. My kin don't accept you casually either."
Communication failed both ways, and they recognized each other as different.
"However, what I can't accept isn't just the frightening appearance."
"What do you mean?"
"What you just mentioned. The day your kin was injured…… Somehow, we passed without clashing through non-verbal means. And it happened before hearing your story, right? So that part, we can overcome depending on how we proceed."
"……That makes sense."
"What we can't accept…… Might be highly offensive to you, Demon King, but it's closer to demons' customs than appearance."
"Our customs?"
The Demon King tilted her head as if wondering what she meant.
As if asking, 'Did my kids do something?'
And Erin, with a far more serious expression than usual…… cautiously brought up what she knew as 'common knowledge.'
"It's…… Filling lakes with human blood until they're red pools, hanging decapitated humans from them, and eating hunted human flesh that day……."
"……?"
"Or for weak individuals who fail to kill humans, gang-violating them then burning at the stake to boost morale……."
"???"
"And besides, according to our historical records—"
"……Wait, Erin. Forgive my interruption, but you seem greatly mistaken."
"A misunderstanding?"
And then.
Hearing Erin's story, the 'will of the Sole God Igugwoden' conveyed by God's Proxy became clear.
[ Igugwoden: And really, these issues resolve from something simple, right? ]
[ Igugwoden: In the end, they just wanted sunlight, but couldn't convey it, so they kept fighting. ]
Recalling that, she couldn't help but laugh.
Yes.
Demons and humans had run parallel because they never talked.
As God said, such problems resolve simply.
"By the Demon King's honor, I say: We demons have no such customs."
"Is that so? But if not, then why do you emerge from dungeons to hunt humans? We know that due to demonic energy, living in dungeons is natural for demons. We thought coming out was to vent destructive instincts……."
Destructive instincts.
They'd have to think that.
The previous Demon King awakened demons' instincts to drive out humans and seize territory by force.
Such bizarre tales becoming canon made sense against demons with only destructive instincts.
Especially records from those who fought such demons.
However, crucially—it wasn't true.
"Yes, I knew that's the common belief. And as you say, we can't live without demonic energy. But it's not the only thing sustaining us."
"We……."
One word.
Had they antagonized for centuries just to convey one word?
Being able to share what seemed impossible…… Was thanks to overflowing divine love from God's Proxy creating a 'mutant Demon King who desires conversation,' as said.
The Demon King, her pink eyes sparkling—
"Just wanted to bask in sunlight."
"Pardon……?"
"Without sunlight, we can't properly absorb demonic energy, so except a few high individuals, we die painfully before our lifespan ends."
"So, what we need— is sunlight. That's the main reason we leave the dungeon."
—Toward Erin, she conveyed the demons' true aspiration, unspoken for centuries.