Chapter 251
- Ah, is that so? (7)
What is going on?
I clearly received word that the demon army had crossed over to the north.
There was also confirmation from Shuttle.
The Demon King is in the north.
Whether he crossed over to the cold north to avoid the gathering of heroes which burdened him, or to increase his army in the north, I don’t know, but the Demon King fled to the north.
All information said so.
But now, in front of my eyes,
“I finally found you, instructor.”
Was that the Demon King?
“How?”
This was something even I could not imagine.
No matter how much you believe, even an axe you trust can hit your foot, isn’t he tracked by the gods?
Even if he’s incompetent, he has radar that sees all things in this world, how could he miss that!
“I was lucky.”
It’s a lie.
Even if he’s a hero blessed by the fortune god, he can’t evade the eyes of a god.
It wasn’t luck but a meticulous plan that deceived the gods.
“How did you deceive the gods?”
“I didn’t deceive the gods. The gods continue to watch the existence called the Demon King.”
It was saying it already knew where the eyes of the gods were. Well, that’s obvious.
Anyone who’s lived in this world for a while would know the gods watch over the world.
The previous Demon Kings just didn’t think about it because they lacked reason.
“The gods were properly watching the Demon King, not watched?”
“As expected, instructor! You don’t let even passing words slip by.”
Now’s not the time to let things slip by.
The demon army, or rather the pathetically small number of monsters, was enough compared to the knights and soldiers defending this place.
With some of the hero’s party remaining here, the forces were considerable.
But against this guy, it would be impossible.
Even the greatest talents of the demon continent couldn’t stop this guy, there’s no way the non-heroes of his party here could stop him
Especially since this place isn’t the demon continent where you can escape on a drake.
Not only can they not pilot it, because of the Demon King’s nature to corrupt other races to evil, drakes don’t even exist here.
Ah, this is… what do I call it? A crisis?
“The God of Nature said the heroes are fighting the Demon King now! So why are you here?”
Shuttle’s voice was shaking.
He’d been so quiet I wondered, but it seems he was praying to the gods.
“It’s simple. The heroes are fighting the Demon King. That’s the truth. Just not me, they’re fighting a different Demon King.”
Ah, what nonsense is this again?
“There’s two Demon Kings?”
“There could be more.”
He doesn’t seem to want to give more information.
So at least I can tell there’s a minimum of two Demon Kings…?
I’d never heard or seen such a thing.
“It’s a lie! Something like that has never happened even once!”
“Has there ever been a time the Demon King had reason? Don’t get caught up in preconceptions. Strange things happen in the world.”
The smirking jerk added ‘That’s what the instructor said’ at the end’.
Did I ever say something like that? I don’t remember well since he was my first disciple.
“There’s no way that…”
Shuttle seems to want to deny there being multiple Demon Kings, but reality is cold.
Whether that guy’s words are true or false, the fact he was here in front of me, deceiving the gods was real.
“How is it possible?”
“It’s simple. I just gave one fragment of evil to the dragon that came to me. I can use the power of evil thanks to the evil qualities that gather on the fragment of evil.”
In other words, there could be as many Demon Kings as there are these so-called fragments of evil.
Like the number of drawn balls last time, 7.
Minus the one I have, at worst that means there’s 6 Demon Kings?
Compared to the hundreds of heroes, it seems a small number, but it means there’s 6 who can destroy the world.
…We’re really screwed this time, huh?
“I wouldn’t have imagined a dragon would become the Demon King. It was unimaginable.”
“I was surprised too. I’d heard of dragons rampaging from weariness of eternal life, but I couldn’t imagine there’d be dragons defecting to the demon army.”
A single dragon can easily destroy a country.
Even a common goblin gains the combat power to fight a trained soldier when joined to the demon army, so how much stronger would the dragons called the strongest race on land become?
That’s why dealings with evil for dragons are forbidden, and they’re confined to the dragon’s cradle, so I heard, so why in my lifetime did a worthless dragon appear from the cradle to devote itself to evil!
If it’s something that never happened even once before, then don’t let it happen while I’m alive!
“Don’t you have any other questions?”
“No, I have quite a few.”
“Then ask them all. I will answer everything I know to the extent I can.”
Hmm… Does he think he’s caught me?
He was overflowing with leisure to say the least.
Well, it’s good for me but…
“Ah, but if you’re trying to buy time until allies arrive, I advise you to give up. I’ve already completed the barrier so no one can enter. “
“Barrier?”
“Didn’t you teach me that when the enemy speaks, pretend to listen while preparing a surprise attack from behind? While you were trying to prepare something as I spoke, I did the same. I created a powerful barrier around this area with my power.”
When I said to try contacting the gods, Shuttle started praying.
“Mr. Naran…”
And soon Shuttle’s face turned pale blue.
Damn! So it’s real huh?
“There aren’t many in the world who could break this barrier. Beings who can oppose evil, at least heroes of the Nature Religion would be needed.”
Hero boy’s top brass huh…
“There’s quite a few at that level…”
“What? The people of the demon continent? I know their skills well from fighting them directly. They’re plenty comparable to heroes of nature.”
The Demon King looked briefly disturbed by my words but soon maintained a blank expression.
“But for humans, the demon races are the enemy. Even if demons from the demon continent came to defeat me, humans wouldn’t readily trust demon races. Rather, they’d listen for chances to invade the continent while I’m fighting.”
He’s right. Humans don’t even fully trust other humans, there’s no way they’d trust demon races from the demon continent who are complete enemies.
Even if demons from the demon continent came to my continent purely to save me from brainwashing, humans would see them as enemies and attack.
But,
“My words were that there are many in humans who have the skills of a hero, no?”
“How could that be?”
The Demon King grimaced at my words.
“You can think of his skills as similar to my level as a hero. In this generation, the only heroes who killed a dragon are me and the hero of the Nature Religion. No, since he killed an ancient dragon, he may even be stronger than I was as a hero.” Said the disciple.
“I see.”
“In my hero days, there weren’t many with skills close to mine. At least they had to be at the level of the Sword Saint of the Empire to be my match.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. The hero of the Nature Religion is an existence that wouldn’t lose even compared to that Sword Saint. There’s multiple people like that? Then the world would have already fallen into human hands.”
So he thinks there aren’t many with hero level skills.
But reality always exceeds imagination.
In that strange group trying to kidnap me, there’s probably at least ten with hero level combat ability.
The problem is they don’t know my exact location…
I’d rather get kidnapped by that strange group than die!
To the one saving me now, I’ll gladly get captured!
So save me!
Don’t make a fuss when I’m living quietly, and come when I really need you! I need you now so please come!
“It was good you tried to provoke me, but I know well there aren’t many with that level of skill. Now give up.”
I tried to say it seriously but he still thinks I was lying.
He’ll know my words were true when he fights the empire later.
“I think I’ve answered enough…”
No! I still have so many questions!
At least act leisurely like a third-rate villain until someone saves me or I think of a way to escape!
“Now I will ask you something.”
Did my mental cries reach him? The Demon King kept behaving like a third-rate villain giving the hero party a chance.
“What do you plan to ask?”
A chance. No matter what he asks, I just have to pretend I know as much as possible to buy time.
If I know, I have to talk about it as much as possible. If I don’t know, I have to pretend like I do.
Alright, ask anything. Show me the evasive conversation skills honed by the evil organization and the imperial family!”
“Why are you there, evil god?”
“Huh?”
But at his following question, I blurted out ‘Huh?’ without thinking.
Damn. That’s as good as saying I don’t know.
“I thought so…”
But Shuttle beside me had an expression like he knew something.
No, he was nodding at me like he thought I was the evil god.
“It’s not me?”
“Is it not?”
Why answer like that?
You clearly don’t believe me, Shuttle!
“I know the instructor isn’t it either.”
See. Even the Demon King acknowledges I’m not the evil god.
…Is that effective though?
“That means…”
This time I looked at Shuttle with narrowed eyes.
Could it be the saint of the Nature Religion was fake, and the evil god was living in secret as this guy!
A saint actually being the dark lord, it’s pretty good material for a story!
“There’s no way that could happen!”
Shuttle waved his arms as if wronged, but I won’t be fooled.
There’s only two people here, me and Shuttle.
First, I’m not the evil god, so the only one left is you, Shuttle!
“To think you were that kind of guy…”
“There’s no way a servant of the God of Nature could be something like an evil god!”
“There’s the setting he could be a reincarnation of the evil god who lost his memories.”
“There’s no such setting!”
Hmph! They say strong denial is strong affirmation.
Denying it so strongly makes me more suspicious!
Hurry and reveal your true nature, evil god!
-Yes.
At that time, a voice sounded in my head.
And at the same time,
“He is not the evil god either.”
“That’s right. I’m a faithful servant who believes in the God of Nature! I’m absolutely not an evil god!”
I didn’t hear the words of either the Demon King or Shuttle.
The voice from earlier had a bigger impact.
-The one who just spoke… was it you?
I managed to squeeze out the words with a trembling voice.
This guy who hasn’t spoken since getting angry last time, why’d she speak up at a time like this!
-Yeah.
-No, there’s a time and place for jokes!
-Does it seem like I’m joking?
-Why act so scary…
Say something upbeat like usual, ‘Yep! I’m actually the evil god!’ or ‘Hahaha! I fooled you, Master!’
Please!
“The evil god I spoke of is the thing the instructor holds.”
The Demon King pointed at the metal bat in my hand.
“At first I mistook the fragment of evil the instructor held for power. A fragment gathering the evil collected from dragons. I thought that because they are the supreme race, faithful to their desires, they would gather strong evil. But after sensing the instructor’s evil energy for a long time, I realized. That wasn’t the energy of the fragment of evil the instructor held.”
“Then…”
“Yes. That was the energy of an evil god, a god originally of this world who unsealed its’ own evil and fell. And the soul of that evil god resides in the object the instructor holds.”
“I knew it…!”
Shuttle looked at the metal bat with trembling eyes.
They’re clearly the words of the Demon King who could be called the world’s enemy, yet this guy who’s supposed to be a saint believes it so readily? You should be more suspicious!
-When Master hasn’t either.
What, you’re saying it’s real?
-Yeah. I said it’s real.
-Why only say that now?
-I’ve been saying it all along? I’m always saying it? I said I’m a goddess?
Who would believe that! I’d only believe it if you explained it properly!
-Master.
The metal bat called me in a very low, cold voice unlike usual.
-Hm?
-I was trying to say that but Master told me not to! I was somehow worried because it’s related to evil! I was trying to tell you out of consideration for our relationship so far! But the one who rejected that was you, Master!
-Ah…
Did you?
