Veto

The fatigue hit me twice as hard because I’d poured out all my strength and mental power in such a short time. I eyed the corpse with caution, wondering if it would revive as some kind of chimera like when I fought Professor Dwinn.

Suddenly, a clear, *tong-tong* sound filled the alley. As if clapping, the Demon King, who had been watching the fight while stuck to the wall of the alley, was tapping the woman’s belly from the inside. The action was incredibly unpleasant and made me feel a sense of visceral disgust.

,That’s amazing. To think you could beat Kormo, a transcendent being, without even reaching the realm of transcendence yourself.”

At the Demon King’s voice, which sounded like he’d enjoyed the match, I hid my exhaustion and glared at him.

,A fight isn’t all about strength.”

,But no strategy can shine in the face of overwhelming power. Just like I can destroy the human realm with my power alone.”

It wasn’t arrogance or bluff. No one but Roel could beat the Demon King. The only weak point that could kill the Demon King, the only hope, was the hero setting. The woman’s belly wriggled, and the Demon King said.

,I’ve become even more curious about you. I’m starting to want you as a loyal subordinate by my side. So, as the king who rules the Demon Realm, I propose this to you. Space-manipulating spearman, become my subordinate. Then I’ll give you everything you want.”

It was like a declaration only someone in the absolute position of overlord, with everyone beneath them, could make. Like an incantation of oath, a declaration imbued with the Demon King’s power as a ruler, making it impossible to doubt its truth. The action stirred a strange ripple in my indifferent emotions, awakening temptation, and I shook my head violently to shake off the feeling.

I growled, raising my guard as I spoke to the Demon King.

,I refuse.”

A moment of silence descended on the alley where a corpse with a hole in its head lay collapsed. The Demon King, who had been stroking the woman’s belly with her hand, asked as if he couldn’t understand.

,Why? Aren’t you humans living for the goals of immortality, great power, and wealth? If you become my subordinate, I can give you all of that.”

It was definitely an attractive offer. But the Demon King and my goals were too different. The Demon King, who hated all humans, wanted to destroy the human realm. He wouldn’t leave a single survivor. The Demon King’s followers were just expendable.

The massacre wouldn’t end as the Demon King’s followers wanted, and the followers wouldn’t become the rulers of the remaining humans with legitimate rights. Humans would all be wiped out by the hands of demons. The followers seemed to have forgotten that they themselves were included in those humans.

It was only natural that I, who was busting my ass to protect my loved ones, would reject the Demon King’s offer. I don’t regret what I’ve decided. I’ll definitely do it. The Demon King, who awakened the emotion of temptation with just one offer to me, who had made that resolve a pillar supporting my heart, was truly a terrifying being.

I could feel, even if just a little, why Ross, who had felt inferior and had difficulties in his school life, could sell his soul to the Demon King’s temptation so easily. Without realizing it, I sighed and gripped the Spear of Destruction tightly. Raising my fighting spirit, I said in a firm voice.

,What I want is your head, you son of a bitch.”

,Hehehehe… You’re different from the Ross I knew after all. So different from that idiot who would sell his soul for just one woman.”

The woman snapped her fingers. Then, the sound of a skull shattering echoed through the alley. The woman’s head, which had been pierced by the spear, suddenly exploded. In response to the sudden situation, I lowered my center of gravity to be ready to fight at any time and slammed the spear into the ground. Then, a voice came from inside the woman’s belly.

,Calm down. I told you, thanks to the restrictions, I can only watch right now. Since I couldn’t have you by force or temptation, I’m thinking of giving up for today. There’s no need to bear the causality in a place like this. Either way, I can always find you again later in a better body.”

The Demon King didn’t know that I came from another world. The Demon King, who didn’t know that I would disappear from this world tomorrow, didn’t have a reason to push himself. I deliberately frowned and glared at the Demon King so that he wouldn’t see through my true feelings.

,Hehehe… I tend to be possessive, so you better be prepared. Then, until our next meeting….”

The woman, whose head had disappeared, snapped her fingers once more, and her belly exploded. Something drew a parabola and a lump of flesh fell in front of me. A baby with its umbilical cord torn off rolled to my feet. And then, it held out a very small hand covered in dirt and dust to me.

,How about a handshake between gentlemen?”

I stared blankly at the hand held out by the baby, who couldn’t even open its eyes, then drew upon the power of destruction and blew the baby’s body apart, leaving not a single piece of flesh behind. I swung the spear through the air to shake off the flesh and blood clinging to the blade, and muttered.

,What a load of bullshit.”

The faint magic power contained in the baby’s hand. It was definitely a trap to leave a trace for the Demon King to chase me.

***

I returned to the accommodation provided by Estelle, finished showering, and lay down on the bed. Checking the runic letters on my wrist, it seemed I would be able to cross over to another world tomorrow morning. I took out a fountain pen and notepad from my spatial storage. Organizing my thoughts in writing would be a great help later. It might become a small puzzle piece in the grand picture of causality.

As I was organizing what had happened today and things related to the Demon King, someone knocked on the door. There was only one person who would come looking for me from another world. When I opened the door, Estelle was standing there as expected. I could see a luxurious wine bottle in her arms. Noticing my gaze, Estelle held out the wine bottle and said.

,I was wondering if you’d like to have a drink before you go to another world.”

I stared at Estelle without a word. The Estelle here was different from the Estelle I knew. Her personality and tendencies would be different. Just like the gothic dress that the Estelle I knew used to wear had been replaced with casual clothes, the revealing clothes that showed off her cleavage and figure that Estelle was wearing now might be normal for the Estelle here.

But it was late at night. It wasn’t a time to visit a man with a wine bottle for no reason while wearing revealing clothes. I leaned against the doorframe and said to Estelle.

,Is that really the only reason you came?”

Estelle, realizing that I had noticed her purpose from my probing voice, gave an alluring smile and approached me with a seductive gesture.

,Men get loose-lipped in bed when they’ve had some alcohol. The guild master of the Information Guild can’t miss an opportunity like this. Especially with someone special like you.”

I gave a bitter smile at Estelle’s words. I could tell that she had come to me with the calculation that the more time she spent with me, who knew information about the future, the more information she could get. It was only natural for a man swept up in alcohol and lust to become loose-lipped.

,I’m sorry, but I’ll have to refuse.”

,Why? It shouldn’t be a big deal for adults to spend a night lightly… Or am I not good enough as a partner to spend a night with?”

I let out a hollow laugh at Estelle’s appearance, looking up at me pitifully as if trying to evoke sympathy. Somehow, it felt like the Estelle here had collected information in this way many times. She felt really different from the Estelle who couldn’t even make eye contact with a man without a mask.

,I have a girlfriend.”

Estelle, who had been looking up at me with wide eyes as if it was an unexpected answer, thought about something for a moment and then said with a seductive expression again.

,Doesn’t it matter? It’s just a one-night story that happened in another world today. How would your girlfriend know? And it’s natural for a capable man to have relationships with multiple women. Just like your brother, Roel.”

That was true. There was no way Luna could know what I experienced in another world. But that didn’t mean I was going to have sex with Estelle. It was just a matter of heart. I wasn’t going to do bad things just because I wouldn’t get caught. What would be the difference between that and throwing a punch because it wouldn’t leave a scar?

,It matters to me.”

Estelle, realizing that she couldn’t persuade me any further with my firm voice, sighed and only held out the wine bottle in her arms.

,…I’m sorry. I was greedy and acted pathetic. I never thought you’d have a girlfriend. But since I brought it all the way here, at least have the wine. It’s a good wine.”

I watched Estelle’s retreating figure as she handed me the wine bottle, then muttered in disbelief at the thought that belatedly came to mind.

,…Why didn’t you ever think I’d have a girlfriend?”

***

The next day.

Estelle, who had been rejected by Ross last night, visited the accommodation again and knocked on the door. She was thinking of having a meal together and extracting even a little bit of useful information. But even with the knocking, no footsteps could be heard from inside. According to the caretaker, he hadn’t come out of his room.

Could it be that he went to another world without even saying goodbye? Just in case, Estelle knocked on the door a little more and received a master key from the caretaker to open the door. There was no one in the bed that showed signs of use. Only an empty wine bottle was placed on the table.

,Haa, it seems he really left… Without even saying goodbye.”

It seemed he felt burdened by her visit last night. It was a mistake to approach him so openly, thinking he was just like any other man. Estelle, who was about to turn around to leave the room with a sigh, found a small folded piece of paper placed under the empty wine bottle.

Estelle unfolded the paper and tilted her head at the words – The wine money is under the pillow – then approached the bed and lifted the pillow. There were several sheets of paper that looked like they had been torn from a notebook. Estelle, who read the paper filled with dense handwriting, sat down on the bed with a satisfied smile.

The information was far too much for the price of the wine. It even contained information about the place where the demon was sealed in the north and something called the Fountain Pen of God. Estelle carefully stroked the words ‘With support for another Estelle’ written with a fountain pen at the end of the paper with her fingertips, and let out a sigh filled with deep regret.

,…I should have just jumped him.”