Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Demons Step into the Sunlight
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"Th-that's right! Demon King! Do you recognize me...?"
"Of course. There are only a few who can approach me when I'm hiding my presence."
The Demon King drew close to Ballus, who had become human.
Peep, peep, peep.
"It seems you've been caught up in it and turned human along with me."
"Caught up, you say...? Demon King, do you have some idea what happened?"
The Demon King explained the circumstances to Ballus, whose not only appearance but speech had subtly changed.
"The god of the religion humans worship... came to you, Demon King?"
"That's right."
Ballus, now kneeling demurely and listening to the Demon King's explanation, rested her chin on her hand in disbelief and asked,
"Do you know why the god came to you?"
"It seems the god took a liking to me."
"I see...."
"The god supported your conversations with humans and transformed you into human form to help with that... Yeah, I think I get the gist of the situation."
"Exactly. I lost consciousness briefly when I encountered the light, and when I came to, I was in this form. I'm guessing the light you saw is the same one I witnessed then."
"That makes sense, Demon King. There's no other way to explain suddenly ending up in a body like this."
Ballus slowly lowered her head to look over her own body.
It was a good thing they were in the dim dungeon—otherwise, the sight of what appeared to be a full-grown adult woman kneeling naked would have been quite the avant-garde scene.
"Impressive how humans have suppressed us demons with such fragile flesh."
"It's less suppression and more that we just couldn't communicate. Anyway, for now... you should cover up somehow."
"Me?"
"Yes. You'll be living among humans from now on, and they consider wandering around naked deeply shameful."
"...Understood. Truthfully... it's mortifying to admit, but I felt extremely embarrassed myself. For some reason, it felt like I shouldn't be like this...."
She had once been a being all demons revered as wise and sagacious, needing no sackcloth or covering.
Yet just becoming human seemed to have changed not only her bearing but her mindset to match.
In fact, she'd hidden deeply in the shadows until the Demon King returned because she feared the other demons seeing her like this.
Even knowing that if discovered, a simple explanation would suffice—and that for demons, seeing a human naked was no different from how humans viewed other animals—
'...Still, it's embarrassing.'
"Got it. I'll prepare something for you to wear in a hurry. And we should call the others too."
"The others...?"
"Yes."
The Demon King flashed a broad smile.
"It's time for everyone to bask in the sunlight."
* * *
Not long after, in the largest cavern deep within the dungeon.
The demons, who had barely clung to life by subsisting on the scarce Demonic Energy inside, were assembled in orderly ranks.
Ballus, her chest and lower body crudely covered with a sackcloth made from animal hides, shouted loudly toward the demons.
"The Demon King will arrive soon! Everyone, show proper respect!"
""Yes!""
The demons had initially wondered why Ballus, a high elite demon, and their sovereign-like noble Demon King had taken on frail human forms—
But there was no need to explain it one by one.
The Demon King, pinnacle and origin of all demons, could imprint her will directly into the minds of every demon.
And soon enough—
Peep, peep, peep, peep.
The dark dungeon filled with the sound of chicks.
"Demon King!!!"
The assembled demons immediately dropped to their knees, paying homage to their one and only sovereign.
"For our sake... to bow to humans...!"
"Demon King...!! We're so sorry for making you bear all this burden alone...!!"
"It might be hard to fully trust humans, but if it's your word, Demon King, we believe!!"
Cries and howls—unsettling to human ears—echoed from all around.
It would surely take time for both sides to adjust. And it wasn't impossible that things might not go smoothly.
Even so—the demons all resonated with the Demon King's will that attempting this was better than doing nothing at all.
The Demon King waited patiently until the demons calmed, then carefully spoke.
"You've all heard, but I'll say it once more. From the dungeon entrance to the marked boundary—that's the territory guaranteed to us demons by the humans. Since it's land secured by our pact with them, make sure not to settle beyond it. Understood?"
""Yes! Understood!""
The Demon King tilted her chin up slightly, then stretched her tiny arms forward.
With her small palm facing downward, she spoke in a most dignified tone.
"Very well. Follow me now. I'll return the sunlight to you all."
Peep, peep, peep, peep.
With the sound of the Demon King's footsteps—
An unprecedentedly peaceful demon procession began.
The sight of demons with faces that could curdle milk marching single file to the patter of a little girl's steps—
This was peace in their era, without a doubt.
* * *
Thus, demons began emerging from the dungeon one by one.
Excluding the vanguard who'd clashed with humans—most were seeing sunlight for the first time since birth.
"This is... sunlight."
"It's warm...."
Some demons, overwhelmed with emotion, knelt right there and wept.
The soothing warmth soaking their skin—this was sunlight. What they had so longed for from the humans.
"This isn't the time to dawdle! Let's build homes quickly!"
"This land looks like it could be cleared nicely."
Caves sufficed inside the dungeon, but demons too needed food and shelter from the elements, every last one.
The demons moved as one, swiftly constructing their village with perfect coordination.
They'd survived by hunting animals and mushrooms in the long-life fungi groves, so one might think their farming skills had rusted—
"No need to hesitate! Just do as the Demon King instructed!"
The previous Demon King's memories included all demon habits, and she could implant this 'will' into every demon's mind, so there were no issues.
"Ballus. How are the other dungeons faring?"
Ballus stood primly beside the pint-sized Demon King like a secretary, bending at the waist to look down and reply.
"They're all coming out and starting to settle."
"I see. Sooner or later, we'll have no choice but to encounter humans."
"Don't humans know about the proclamation?"
"Unlike us demons, humans often have gaps in thinking between those who decide at the top and those who follow at the bottom."
"...."
What worried the Demon King most—Demonic Energy.
She could sense it. Merely starting to cultivate their new home here had already caused Demonic Energy to rise from the earth, like in a dungeon.
The Demonic Energy granting demons far greater strength and magic than humans—was it a blessing or a curse for their kind?
Either way, the die had been cast.
Now was the time to face the humans.
And—
"Those boundary markers the Demon King mentioned are there, so beyond this must be human territory."
As one demon surveying farmland reached the boundary line.
Thinking that if they met humans, they'd make sure to show no hostility—
Thud—thud—
"...Hm? Is someone there?"
* * *
"I'll be back."
"Jake. You haven't forgotten the proclamation, right? Don't go too deep, or demons might appear—"
"I know, boss. Don't worry."
At a small inn in Cheriside Village.
A boy geared up to gather wood and headed into the forest.
Demons. He'd never encountered one himself, but living near the dungeon meant he'd heard adults' tales of run-ins ad nauseam.
'Ugly as sin, and just being near one gives you headaches and chills.'
Some adults claimed it made them retch violently, which stirred a bit of fear—
"No. Her Majesty the Empress and Saintess Erin said they're fine."
The boy hailed from a plague-ravaged region too.
In those hopeless days, he'd witnessed Saintess Erin visit his village, performing miracles and relief work.
Moreover, since connecting with the god through her, the Empress seemed to rule with great benevolence.
He didn't fully grasp the details, but elders griping daily about high taxes now praised the Empress, and bards sang of the Ainsberg Imperial Family's virtues for coin.
So surely demons were fine too—he thought.
"Alright, let's get to it."
Thud, thud.
The moment he swung his axe deeper in—
"...▣◈▷◀▲■?"
"...!!!"
Turning at the spine-chilling noise—
A never-before-seen figure stood frozen, back turned.
Bones protruding sharply along the spine from the back.
Eerie blue skin that didn't seem of this world.
Just the back view alone... the boy instinctively knew.
A demon!
The horrifying visage said to terrify on sight alone—a demon right before him!
"U-uaaaah!!!"
The boy toppled backward.
Butt planted, he couldn't even think to flee.
Had his yell drawn attention? The demon slowly began turning its head.
'N-no...!'
Even if it was the Saintess's word—
The demon's gruesome form from the back was too intense a shock for a young teen.
Dropping his axe, the boy covered his face with both hands and cried out.
"P-please spare me! I beg you...! I won't come this close anymore...!"
"◀○▲◎■◀...."
Eyes squeezed shut, but—
Fearing he'd be monster chow if he stayed put, he mustered courage to crack his eyes open.
And—
"P-please spare... me...?"
—The demon's front finally revealed.
What of the face that struck terror with its back alone?
"◀○▲◎※◎......(●ó⌓ò●)"
"...Huh?"
—Clearly, the face matched the monstrous tales.
"◎※▼◎◀●...... (◕‿◕✿)"
But somehow... it was cute.
Realizing it wasn't so scary after all, the boy quickly regained composure—then the demon extended a hand and spoke.
"※▼◎▼◎......(⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝ )੭⁾⁾"
"A h-handshake...?"
"◎▼■◆( *•ᴗ•*)⸝"
The boy tentatively reached out to the demon.
Grasping the cool, damp, unfamiliar, slightly creepy hand...
Unbeknownst to the boy—
This was the first time an ordinary civilian and ordinary demon clasped hands.
Perhaps that's why.
As the boy unwittingly took his first step, a profoundly benevolent voice whispered in his ear.
A celestial voice warming the heart—
! ! ! ✪‿✪ Long live the 80,000-won sponsorship! ✪‿✪ ! ! !
Erasing human disgust and fear of demons, allowing them to intuitively grasp demonic intent—
This was divine grace: the Normalization of Demonic Energy.