Chapter 256 – Chapter 256. Good Night, Celica.
Devil.
The existence that leads the destruction that will inevitably come to this world.
Those who accept that fate will have their egos castrated, and on the day the promised time comes, they will fall into a disaster that will only destroy the world.
And now I have accepted my fate as the Demon King.
Even so, being able to maintain one’s spirit was due to a very simple and absurd reason.
“… I never thought I would hypnotize myself to maintain my ego.”
The end of the demon king’s rule.
Standing on the deck of the sea fortress stationed in the coastal zone, Argen Alencia stared at the sunset sea and sighed over my explanation, bursting out with a snort.
“What an absurd solution. It is possible to maintain one’s ego through self-suggestion, what would those who have become demon lords know about? …”
“I don’t know because I’ve never faced the Ancients, but I think they probably don’t care too much. In the first place, they are beings who have completely exhausted their desires.”Aren’t they the ones who have lived longer than the elves in the first place?
Their life of chasing their desires is colorless, but their desires are finally exhausted. Walking through the fate of the demon king is not a goal, but a feeling of desperation.
If the world collapses, that’s fine, or just end a dull life…
Since the reason is obviously different from humans, it would be meaningless to put each other on the line of comparison.
“… Is that an attempt that was only possible because of humanity?”
Argen Alencia shakes her head with a smile at my words.
I responded bluntly to his words and quietly gazed at the sunset across the deck.
“I didn’t think I would either. I was lucky anyway… I should say.”
Yes, because what I tried as a last resort was beaten and caught.
If I, who inherited the blood of the ancient people, did not have a different opinion from the ancient people. Or if he failed to take the initiative of his ego in the fight against Garbonya, or if he failed to maintain his ego due to a broken will like Michael did…
“Lucky, you underestimate yourself too much.”
As I felt relieved at the result I barely achieved, Arhen, who was standing next to me, laughed lightly and said,
“If the current result is luck, it must mean that your tenacity is insignificant.”
“… What do you mean?”
“If even the act of suggesting that self is something that requires mental strength, can’t it be said that your obsession with them made you who you are today?”
“…”
I was at a loss for what to say because of his reasoning.
Yes, for them…
Denying that would mean that in reality my love is only that. Acknowledging that means proving how much you care for them, so I had no choice.
“… Even though he is a monarch, his way of living is amazing.”
“Before inheriting the throne, I was a prince and one of the king’s vassals.”
Archen happily accepts my evaluation and smiles. Then he looked back at me and asked in a more serious voice than before.
“What happened to Garbonya?”
As if to contain the danger that might come as an ambush in the future.
To that question, I answered in a lighter voice than before.
“It’s still locked inside me.”
“You mean it’s not gone, it’s asleep?”
“Yes, because she was inside of me the moment she became the Demon King. It’s in a state where it’s not easy to get rid of it.”
The reason why I was able to maintain my ego even after becoming the demon king in the first place was because I had strongly hinted at my ego even before becoming the demon king.
It is difficult to change what has already happened from the outside, but on the contrary, Garbonya, who ruled Celica, taught me that it is possible to block an invasion from the outside by consolidating the inside.
Of course, as Garbonya tried to eat away at my mind before becoming the Demon King, it was difficult to reach out her hand hastily to try to completely eliminate her existence, which actually occupied part of my mind.
So she says she must seal him inside of me until I can prepare that defense…
“… Maybe in a few hundred years, I won’t be safe either.”
As I lightly threw out her warning about him, Archen, hardened with tension, looked at me with her dumbfounded face.
“Hundreds, years?”
“Yes, hundreds of years. Until he grows up to the point where he becomes an ancient, he won’t be able to escape from the demon lord’s power.”
Humans can live less than 100 years, so how easy would it be for long-lived species like demons?
And that also means that the damn galvo bitch won’t be in trouble until the girls I love spend the rest of their lives.
“… Haha, yes It’s supposed to be peaceful for at least hundreds of years.”
Archen, who burst into laughter vaguely at those words, relieved her tension, and she again gazed at the sunset over her deck.
She is relieved to a certain extent, but nonetheless, as if her anxiety has not gone away, she opens her eyes slightly.
“It’s just a story when you’re hoping for peace.”
“…”
“… Demon King, Dave.”
The main topic that follows soon.
In fact, the reason why he had called me here separately began to spit out from his mouth.
“Even though you have risen to the position of the Demon King, he has been able to maintain his reason. Unlike demon lords who historically only pursued destruction, for the first time, I was able to maintain reason and wield my power as a demon lord.”
Yes, just like that
Now, beyond amplifying my power as a dreamer, I am in a state that is so high that it can be called authority.
Everyone obeys My words simply by giving a voice. Not only individuals, but also groups, and even the size of the army.
It is possible to swallow the entire world if you put your mind to it. Only one hero can stand against this power, but he can also use the group to block or persuade them to lay down the sword for a while.
“If you use that power, those who brutally murdered your mother and bystanders… It would be very easy to destroy all of humanity.”
Although he is not a destroyer, he is an omnipotent being who can move everything according to his will.
Despite facing such an absurd existence, Archen did not tremble in fear and wanted to ask on an equal footing.
“What do you want to do with that power?”
Is it because you believe in me?
Or did he think it was something he had to endure as a king?
“… After becoming the Demon King, I looked back at the Demon King’s territory for a while.”
Whatever it is, I am cold now.
There was no sign of resentment or resentment towards anyone.
I hinted at it that way, and if I fall into that way later on, I will tell myself to prevent that from happening.
“When I first saw the demons in the Demon King’s Territory, I thought they were selfish people living intoxicated by their own power. However, seeing it from the monarch’s point of view, I was able to realize it right away. They are only fundamentally different from humans, and just like humans, they live with their own circumstances and values.”
“There is a difference in degree, but in the end they are all the same… You mean?”
“As much as I met this result by being faithful to my desires, all of them seemed to be different from each other.”
Because I can look down on the world from a higher place than anyone else.
I can no longer belittle everything I see. Even its essence is visible, and I began to feel a desire to see what the results would be when this chaotic world was corrected.
All the more because I am sure that the results created in this way will affect their future as well.
“… In the end, did you decide to become a monarch who carries everyone, not a destroyer?”
“I don’t know if I can carry everyone, but I have to try.”
Whatever it is, I just try to do more than I decided to start.
Hearing that conclusion, Arhen smiled and quietly withdrew his gaze from the sunset.
To direct that gaze toward me.
“… Anyway, destroying the world would be impossible unless you fall into madness. It might have been regarded as a curse given to being overly responsible for maintaining reason.”
The head of the Human Union who reaches out to face me like that.
And even though he has fallen into this situation, he is still a man who wants to face me as a human being.
“So if you need help, just let me know. Although he is nothing more than a mere human scumbag, as a leader, he will be able to give you at least some advice as he is a senior.”
Argentina Alencia.
Having risen to the position of leader before me, he will surely be of great help in leading the future to unfold.
***
After finishing the conversation with the lord, I came across a familiar face when I came down from the deck.
A female knight with coarse gray hair. She always has a blunt face, but only in front of me, her face was dyed red and her body stretched out.
“I…”
“Take it easy.”
The king’s knight Darkan.
A knight of the Human Union who still retains his loyalty, but still retains his heart for me.
“Didn’t you tell me? As long as you stay by my side, you can put aside your mission as a warrior.”
Although I have become the Demon King now, I am no longer an enemy of the Human Union.
So there will be many opportunities to meet in the future. When I heard it, Darkhan smiled faintly and bowed his head quietly in front of me.
“Yes, then. I’ll see you later when I get a chance.”
After a short conversation, Darkan steps down from his seat.
Sensing that her meeting with her would also continue for a long time, I glanced around at the people who were talking at the exit of the fortress.
Officers and leaders belonging to the Human Union, and demons belonging to the Demon King’s Army facing them…
Among those under my command, those who want to actively interact with humanity have visited this fortress with me.
Among them, Beelzebub, a key officer in the Demon King’s Army, is leading the situation most actively.
For him, who wants to seize the ideal future without any loss as much as possible, the opportunity to interact directly with mankind would be the most welcome thing.
Of course, since he’s a demon, he probably doesn’t have a bad back, but well… It will end in something like corruption or embezzlement.
First of all, since he knows more about the Demon King’s territory than I do, he should use it as a manager. While I was trying to treat him with such a generous heart, familiar faces from afar began to approach me.
“… Is it the Demon King?”
“Is the conversation with the king over?”
Barmash, Warchief, and Margaret, head of the Witch Council.
“How did the two of you decide to belong to the Human Union?”
Orcs who pursue honor would be better suited to the Human Union than to demons, and as witches are human in nature, it might be better for them to hang out with humans as long as their safety is guaranteed.
Despite being given such an opportunity, the two of them just shook their heads and vomited denials at my question.
“All of us have decided to refuse to belong to the Human Union.”
“It looks like I’ll be living under you for the time being.”
“… I think it will be difficult for both of you to get along with the demons, is that okay?”
“Unfortunately, humans still have negative perceptions of us. I don’t know if it’s the former Demon Lord’s army, but if it’s the Demon Lord’s army led by Mr. Dave, it’s okay to stay.”
“Yes, because you are also a person who knows honor. If you respect us, we will always support you.”
Saying that, the two bowed their heads in front of me and bent their knees.
Those who became the heads of each organization sincerely swore allegiance to me for the safety of their organizations.
“… Yes, please take good care of me in the future.”
I also need servants like Katarina to correct the chaos of the demon king.
Deciding to respect their choice, I passed between them and had time to calm the lump that welled up inside.
Do you think it doesn’t feel real?
Hey, it must be strange to sanely accept that leaders who are greater and stronger than I was before me kneel.
Perhaps this moment of maintaining reason despite becoming the Demon King is a sweet dream before the end…
“… Oh, Dave.”
Even that kind of anxiety was cut off by facing the people who appeared in front of me at this moment.
A path leading to a cliff on the coast.
The three members of the warrior party who had just come down from there started to show their own reactions while facing me who had just come here.
It was closer to what I would call regret than joy. Not exactly about me, but about the beings they faced before.
“… Did everyone say hello?”
Yes, it’s coming soon
Because I decided to implement it as soon as it was confirmed that I was safe and the messy atmosphere was corrected.
“Do you really have to break up?”
A long-lived girl who cries as if it is difficult to accept such a result.
The archmage who saw that pitiful appearance made a pitiful face and quietly stroked his hair.
“Because that guy is asking for it. It must be unavoidable.”
“… Please, Dave.”
After that, the paladin who politely asks me.
After expressing my gratitude and apologies to the girls who finally agreed to accept it despite their disapproval, I quietly left the spot and headed towards the top of the cliff.
“Serica.”
There, calling the name of a woman staring at the sea reflecting the sunset light alone.
“The sunset light is nice.”
Celica.
A hero who will save this world. Even in the world where the demon lord still exists, the mission remains the same, but even so, she suppresses her instinct for him with her heart toward me.
“Even in the past, when I was walking around the Demon King’s Territory, I briefly admired the scenery here.”
Yes she loved me
Me who decided to love everyone who loves me.
So I must love her too.
“… It’s a meaningless memory now.”
Even if I can’t continue that expression after this moment.
“I don’t think it’s pointless.”
Still, she exists here.
Although he regards himself as a being that was created, and furthermore, as a being that should not exist.
Still, she definitely fights for everyone, and no one can deny that she is a lover who loves me.
“… After all, you, like the other party members, treat me as real.”
That’s why it’s a moment that has no choice but to be sad. After silently enduring that emotion, she smiled and began looking back at me quietly.
“Dave. I mean.”
With a very calm face.
At this moment, she silently controls all the emotions she feels, and starts to face me with her tired eyes.
“In the past, I didn’t know what being a hero was. Just… People around me say that, so I just walked down that path because I was born with special powers.”
In the past, when I first met her, I thought of that stupid and neat woman. As she recalls that she once was that kind of existence.
“It was awkward for me to even have a sense of mission, but now that everything is over, I realized how important my mission is.”
Yes, she has become a completely different being to the extent that she regards it as nostalgia.
To the extent that she regards herself then and now as separate persons.
“… To the extent that I wish I hadn’t realized it this way the first time.”
The woman who differentiated herself like that couldn’t bear the weight of her neck.
She quietly began to squeeze her hand on her chest.
“… Celica.”
“Dave.”
The question that follows the moment she tries to approach her.
“Do you like me?”
After that, I stopped her steps for a moment to her continued question, and I quietly answered as I withdrew my arm that was trying to hold her.
“… I like you.”
“But wasn’t it at first?”
“…”
“Yes, neither the mission as a hero nor the love as a woman started from the truth…”
As she said, it was a relationship where everything was a lie.
Even though it was her coincidence, she got greedy and made fun of her and tried to use her heart.
The three accepted me even though they knew my true identity, but Celica still didn’t know who I was.
Even if my apology was conveyed to Celica in front of me, that wasn’t what I did now.
It’s just a foreknowledge created by adding the extraordinaryness of a hero to the nightmare created by the dreamer. Since even that is not considered perfect, the relationship between Celica and I cannot be said to have been sincere yet.
“So, please rewrite our relationship from the beginning.”
So start from scratch.
If you truly love each other, let’s write that story in true form from the beginning.
“Once again, give me the most valuable beginning with your hands.”
She insisted on that, calmly accepting her own end, and quietly began to close her eyes.
As if time had stopped, he stood there, just waiting for me to make his wish come true.
“… If that is your wish.”
To make that wish come true, I quietly reached out to Celica’s head and exercised her power.
In order to erase her memories and personality with her mind control ability as her demon lord.
-Ttuk, ttuk.
One by one by its power.
She feels the things in her head disappear one by one.
I feel that I am destroying the person who loves me with my own hands.
“… Meantime.”
Only one
Leaving behind only the beating of the heart.
After erasing her memories, only the emotions that did not disappear were left on her body, and she smiled at me as she turned her back to the fading sunset.
“Thank you for loving me all this time.”
Like a candle before it goes out.
A smile that shines brighter because the end is ahead.
“Hello, Dave.”
“…”
I just silently watched the brilliance of that smile.
In the scene where the light disappeared and darkness eventually arrived.
Listening to the sound of the waves on the gradually cooling sea, and calming the tumult in her heart with the cool breeze brushing her skin.
“Ruler…”
I couldn’t even say goodbye.
“… Good night, Celica.”
Just one day she wakes up again and arranges her mind with an unpromising greeting.
She let go of the silence in her heart and gradually drew a smile on her lips.
She straightened the corners of her mouth and pretended to be okay.
Showing her her face again she slowly opens her eyes.
“Serica, did you sleep well?”
That’s how I faced her, acting perfectly as she remembered me for the first time.
As she wishes, return everything to its original state.
To start everything from scratch.
