Chapter 216: Demon King (6)
I didn't exactly put it simply, but to summarize briefly, I conveyed that the current Demon King was dead, and the God of Death who killed him now intended to kill countless lives, whether demon or human, and take them to the Underworld.
Lilith, having heard these unbelievable sounds one after another, showed signs of finding it hard to believe as expected, but.
“…All the more reason why I have no choice but to believe it.”
As she said, she realized immediately that this was no longer a matter of whether it could be believed or not, and let out a small sigh.
Furthermore.
“Ever since your appearance changed, Lord Bin, I feel a very familiar magic power… demonic energy. Is that perhaps why you opened the ‘Passage’ yourself?”
“Ah, I suppose I should explain that part too. ──Actually, I have now become the existence you all called the ‘Primordial Demon King’.”
“……Pardon?”
The fact that I was a bit… different from when I left this place must have played a part in adding persuasiveness to the story.
“This is also a bit long to explain, but──”
Of course, this too must have been an incredibly hard story to believe, but,
“S-So…”
Lilith quickly accepted it, saying that if that were the case, all the questions she had harbored about me until now were explained.
Above all, since she was seeing and feeling it right in front of her eyes, it was a story she couldn't deny even if she wanted to.
“…Please forgive the rudeness this humble concubine has committed against the great Master of All Demons.”
“Wait, please stop, Ms. Lilith. Not only have you never committed any rudeness against me, but why does the Queen of Night lower herself so much?”
“However…”
Although Lilith was in a position of serving the current Demon King, she had never tried to serve him by lowering herself to this extent.
Just looking at this, I could tell at once what kind of existence the ‘Primordial Demon King’ was to the demons.
“I am the Primordial Demon King, but I am also still the same Yubin you met for the first time. It makes me uncomfortable to see you lowering yourself, Ms. Lilith, so please treat me as you did before, at least in a setting like this.”
“…If you say so, I will obey your command.”
“It is not a command… but I would be grateful if you did so.”
“Then, Your Majes… Lord Bin, what do you intend to do now?”
“Naturally, I will fight back.”
Just as I did before.
However, I would choose a path clearly different from the past when I tried to suppress everything with power alone.
“With everyone joining forces, that is.”
“If you mean everyone…”
“If demons and humans do not join forces, we will never be able to stand against ‘Death’.”
An alliance between demons and humans.
Even if it was thread-like, if there was any possibility at all, it was definitely only that method.
“…!”
At those words, as expected, not only Lilith but also the companions listening together showed great surprise.
“Joining forces…”
Even if a common enemy called the God of Death had appeared, leaving aside convincing those who hadn't even faced it directly yet.
“…The old grudges piled up with the wall in between are not something to be resolved overnight.”
“This humble one… I also think there is logic in Lord Toric's words.”
Because it was just as the two ‘adults’ said.
In a situation where we couldn't even be sure if we could stop the fighting and killing right now, to form an alliance and fight back?
Even those present here were showing this reaction, despite their hearts being open as their old grudges had been significantly resolved through the journey so far.
“…Naturally, I know that too.”
After all, it must be something those who have lived in this world could never have even imagined.
“Because it is what I committed.”
Yes, and the one who made it so they couldn't even imagine such a thing was none other than me.
“Yes. I made a mistake.”
It was me who hated humans as stooges following the so-called gods who wanted to enslave us, and tried to suppress them with power.
“I made them build the wall, severing them from each other for over a thousand years.”
So, it wasn't a matter of whether I could do it or not.
“Although it is late, I intend to make up for that mistake.”
It was something I had to do.
“Fortunately, there might be a way if it is now.”
“W-What method are you talking about, Teacher Bin?”
As could be seen from the fact that even Miki, who usually believes and follows whatever I say, was expressing doubt with some hesitation, it was not an easy task.
Even right now, they are encamped in a situation of whether to kill each other or not.
Therefore, from the start, even if we safely defeated the Demon King and stopped the war as planned, I had no intention of creating an atmosphere like ‘We defeated the evil villain who drove a wedge between you, so let's hold hands and reconcile now!’ right at that moment.
It was absolutely impossible in the first place.
I just wanted to break the wall.
I intended to tear down the wall, which was like a physical symbol of the grudges accumulated over such a long time, and create at least a foundation where they could sheathe their swords and reconcile someday.
But now, the case was different.
We had to join hands, even if forced, for now.
Whether the old grudges could be resolved or not was a matter for later.
Because if we didn't survive this time, there would be no ‘later’.
Well, demons and humans might stop fighting each other, I suppose.
Whether dragged to the Underworld this time or not, they would eventually become slaves trembling before ‘Death’.
“How is the war situation on the wall side going?”
I had asked Lilith, who remained at the castle, to carefully watch the situation at the wall.
Asking her to please delay it even a little to buy time if a major clash seemed about to break out between the two before we defeated the Demon King and delivered the news.
“…As you first predicted, Lord Bin, it is understood that they are still in a stalemate with their camps set up.”
“That's a relief.”
Whether I should say it went according to my plan or according to what I ‘knew’, the Allied Forces that came out of the wall reportedly retreated safely back to the wall without any major clashes after achieving the goal of moving the Demon King Army's troops and diverting their attention.
In other words, the Demon King Army, which had already sortied to the front of the wall, couldn't go back since they had come this far, so it meant they were encamped in front of the wall waiting for the Demon King to lead them into battle.
Originally, I intended to announce the Demon King's death there, causing the Demon King Army to completely lose their will to fight and disband them right then and there, but as you know, the situation has changed.
It changed too much.
If by any chance a major clash had occurred there and resulted in many casualties, the story would have become much more complicated.
I was worried that variables might have arisen on that side as well since the initial plan went completely awry due to the unexpected intervention of ‘Death’, but fortunately, it seems that didn't happen.
…No, perhaps the possibility that even that was ‘Death's’ plan isn't nonexistent.
Before the Possessed Body disappeared, he certainly said he ‘saved the trouble of finding and reaping them one by one’.
Perhaps he is quietly waiting for me to rally them.
Of course, whether playing into his hands or not, we have no other way but to join forces right now anyway.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Ms. Lilith.”
So there was no need to hesitate.
“Just say the word.”
“When the talk is over, please send a messenger to the Demon King Army immediately as the Corps Commander.”
First, the demons.
“That the Demon King is going personally.”
“…!”
“Hey, Demon King? Didn't he already die…”
Yes, he died.
The ‘current’ Demon King.
Then, Lilith, who seemed to realize the meaning of my words, suddenly gasped.
“Lord Bin, don't tell me…!”
“Yeah, that's right.”
As for what kind of existence the ‘Primordial Demon King’ was to the demons, wasn't it sufficiently clear just by seeing how Lilith's attitude changed when I first revealed my ‘identity’?
At first, I intended to remove the focal point called the Demon King to scatter them, but now, on the contrary, it was a situation where I had to unite them more than ever.
And to do that, a new focal point──
“──I will have to become the new Demon King.”
A new Demon King was needed.
Even though I became the ‘Primordial Demon King’, I am still Yubin, and thus playing king is still not to my taste.
But what can I do?
As I've been saying, it was something I had to do now.
That was the responsibility I naturally had to bear.
So whether I step down after doing my job later or whatever, to even think about that ‘later’, the existence of a ‘Demon King’ was needed at least for right now.
“Y-You… are going to be… the King…?”
Evie asked back in astonishment, as if asking if I was serious, and I answered slyly with the corners of my mouth raised.
“Yes. So offer the treasures you possess to this body right now.”
“C-Crazy bastard, snap out of it.”
“Ouch.”
Slap.
As expected, Evie immediately committed an act of insolence worthy of immediate beheading if I were truly a king, then, unconsciously gasping “Huk,” tried to withdraw the hand that slapped my cheek.
Of course, I had no intention of letting her do that.
“Offering your hand to me right away when I told you to offer treasure, does it mean you want me to make it mine for the rest of my life?”
“P-Psycho bastard…!”
“If that is your intent, it can't be helped. I shall consider that intent praiseworthy and make you my treasure.”
“C-C-C-Crazy bastard, let go!”
While I was teasing Evie, who was flustered because she couldn't overpower my ‘Strength’ unlike before as she tried to pull out her hand that I had snatched.
“A-As expected…!”
Miki, who had become accustomed to these pranks by now, just began to look at me in admiration.
“You are becoming the Demon King yourself to rally the demons, Teacher Bin!”
“That would be the best for now.”
“If it is you, Teacher Bin, you will undoubtedly become an excellent King…!”
“That's not it. Unless I become a tyrant who will go down in history.”
“P-Pardon…?”
Neither Yubin nor the Primordial are material to be a good king.
In the first place, the current me is of the position that a king is an existence that shouldn't exist.
Since such guys mixed and became one, what else would I become but the worst tyrant?
“Still, if I lead the Demon King Army, we'll at least gain the opportunity to stand against ‘Death’.”
But tyrant or whatever, there had to be one for now.
Because that's what responsibility is.
“If so.”
Then, Rine, who had been listening quietly, spoke up cautiously.
“You intend to ascend as the new Demon King and then propose peace to the humans, correct?”
“That's right.”
I am a Demon King, and capability-wise a Demon God, but at the same time, I am a Bard.
“You all know by now, right? That persuasion is my specialty.”
So, I will reach out to them not as the new Demon King, but as an ‘ally’ who has been with them all this time.
And, I will definitely [Persuade] them.
Even if I didn't have the power to grasp the 「Moment of the Star」 that can change fate.
“Then, shall we go to hold the coronation?”