The Broken Scale

Unlike Raellan, who burst into wild laughter, Eunice, who was lost in thought with a bewildered expression, and Bella, who nodded as if she understood, Estelle, the only one staring at me with a blank gaze, tilted her head and opened her mouth.

,But the Demon King hates humans so much, right?”

,Probably, what’s certain is that the Demon King wants to destroy the human realm.”

The setting that the Demon King hates humans wasn’t added separately, but the setting that the reason the Demon King joins hands with the Order and descends into the human realm is to destroy the human realm did exist.

The discarded setting was simply that it was a ‘female’ with a body like Rosalyn, and there were no detailed settings, so it would definitely have the existing Demon King’s settings.

Only the appearance has changed for the Demon King, but in fact, that alone was fine. But Estelle, still doubtful, opened her mouth slightly and asked.

,How are you going to make such a Demon King join Roel’s harem? As soon as they meet, she’ll glare and try to kill him, saying he’s human.”

Of course, I don’t think it’s possible to make the Demon King a heroine just because Roel is good-looking. But Roel was the only human who could have a serious conversation with the Demon King.

,Roel has a setting that allows him to make a good first impression on anyone and easily gain their favor.”

The setting of Roel, a munchkin in human relationships, will definitely work on the Demon King as well. Now that she understood, Estelle nodded and adjusted her cat mask.

Raellan, who stopped laughing wildly, turned to me with a pleasant smile on her face and said to everyone.

,If it’s our Lord who reads the flow of plausibility, we don’t have to worry about the Demon King anymore. We just need to focus on Roel first, as our Lord said.”

I nodded and took over Raellan’s words.

,Then let’s divide our roles now. Estelle, please use Modiste’s intelligence to provide us with the necessary support. Monitor Roel just enough to grasp his location, without getting caught.”

Estelle, who received my gaze, nodded vigorously.

,Leave it to me. I’ll show you the power of Modiste.”

I nodded and turned my gaze to the strategists.

,The rest of you… from now on, we’re going to create a hit list for the Lily. For the next year, we’ll act as the Lily without touching the plausibility, reducing the number of followers of the Order and the Demon King.”

Next to Eunice, who was nodding with a serious face, Bella asked with sharp eyes.

,Are you sure? Killing someone is more unpleasant than you imagine. With a normal mindset, you’ll collapse in an instant, uncontrollably.”

Eunice also nodded as if agreeing with Bella’s words, and looked at me with worried eyes.

I already realized that in order to stand on equal footing with Roel, who aims for blind salvation, I also had to change so extremely.

To prove my determination, I opened the space warehouse and took out a box that had been left in the corner and placed it on the table. Bella, who recognized what the box was, sparkled her eyes and muttered.

,This is…”

,It’s the research data on the Thorn Disease left by Master.”

After the cure for the Thorn Disease was completed, I received Rotten’s research data back from Rosalyn. When Bella distributed the cure for the Thorn Disease all over the continent at my request in the past, she proposed to me to change the Thorn Disease into a weapon of mass destruction using its effects.

At the time, I rejected Bella’s proposal. It was also because I couldn’t trust Bella, and I thought it was an act of defiling the will of the dead Rotten. But now, I had to abandon my humanity for the sake of my goal in order to barely stand on equal footing with Roel.

So even if this action is a betrayal of my dead master… for the sake of the world where my precious people live, I could use anything without hesitation.

I pushed the box towards Bella and said in a low voice.

,I think you know enough what kind of determination I’ve made.”

At my question, Bella nodded slightly with a cool smile. Unlike Bella, who was satisfied, Eunice, who didn’t know the details, scratched her cheek and asked me.

,I understand the intention of creating a hit list. I agree with killing a crazy bastard like the Sixth Prince. But what if this happens in this situation? What if it’s someone who betrays us in a few years, or someone who hasn’t committed a crime yet? Should we put the names of people who have the potential to be drawn to our side on the hit list?”

Unlike Bella and Raellan, who freely use people as pawns, Eunice was still just a young student.

Just like her own fate, which should have become a strategist of the Order in a few years, has changed and she has become my colleague, she is worried about whether to put someone who still has the potential to be persuaded on the hit list.

I thought for a moment and answered.

,…Put them on the hit list.”

At that answer, Eunice’s eyes sank coldly.

,Even in a situation like mine?”

,Yes, they’re just supporting characters who won’t affect the plausibility even if they die anyway. Even if we take the time to persuade them, they won’t be of much help to us. In that case, it would be better in terms of efficiency to minimize the waste of time.”

,…I see, that’s what you mean. Efficiency.”

Eunice’s voice answering was rough. I know what answer Eunice wants, but I don’t want to answer with a lie. If I were to act as the Lily, I was going to kill all the families, even if they were innocent.

The Lily is not a hero. It’s just a monster that feeds on the fear of others.

I said clearly to everyone in a firm voice.

,If killing 100 innocent people helps to persuade Roel, I won’t hesitate.”

At those words, Raellan smiled with satisfaction.

,In order to deal with a utilitarian hero, you have to become a utilitarian yourself.”

No, that’s wrong. I’m not a utilitarian like Roel. I’m not moving for the happiness of all. It’s just an action to protect the people who are precious to me. There’s no way I, who can kill 1000 people for the sake of 1 person I know, am a utilitarian.

Without bothering to say that, I brought up another story to change the subject.

,Tomorrow, I’m going to leave the capital for a while. I’m thinking of giving Kane an opportunity and making him grow.”

At those words, Eunice’s eyes flashed sharply.

,Are you going to use the Messiah club as a pawn too?”

,No, that’s not it. The Messiah club has nothing to do with our plan at all.”

At my answer, Eunice sneered.

,You’re going to kill 100 innocent people for profit, but you’re not going to use the Messiah members who have grown up with opportunities? Don’t you think it’s contradictory? Like you said, I think it’s the way to go for everyone to use them as pawns efficiently.”

A faint sigh escaped from my mouth at Eunice’s tone, which had become aggressive towards me due to the conversation a while ago.

I know it’s a contradiction. I fully understand that my actions are to be criticized. So what? What do you want me to do? I’m this kind of person.

Words that welled up from the depths of my heart flowed out of my mouth on their own.

***

Only silence flowed in the reception room that Ross had left. While each of them was organizing their thoughts, Raellan suddenly said.

,Has everyone realized it now?”

Everyone’s eyes were on Raellan. Raellan massaged her nape with a leisurely touch and said.

,What we need to pay attention to is not only Roel and the Order.”

At Raellan’s words, everyone recalled the conversation a while ago. With a voice that had no expression or emotion, neither high nor low.

,Without the members, this world has no meaning to me.”

To Ross, who gave them an eerie answer.

Everyone gathered here realized it. The reason why Ross thinks the world in the novel he created is real is simply because there is a special relationship in this world.

Raellan said in a low voice.

,Ross is also an external being that we need to pay attention to after all. The reason why Ross is trying to protect this world is only for the happiness of the Messiah members, there is no other grand reason.”

,In order for Ross to fight for this world, we must protect the Messiah members as much as possible. If a member dies or loses Luna… the creator’s instinct will gradually awaken.”

At Bella’s words, Eunice swallowed hard.

,Because the creator is the purest evil.”

Estelle, who was fiddling with her mask, asked with a mixed voice of annoyance.

,So what are you going to do now? You’re not going to betray Ross, are you? Then I’ll never get involved. Ross and I are in the same boat.”

,There’s no way we’d betray the last hope. We have to make our Lord, the copy of the creator, give this world an even greater meaning than it does now. That way, he’ll fight even harder to save this world.”

At Raellan’s answer, Bella and Eunice nodded at the same time. Eunice said with a smile.

,It seems like everyone has come up with a good idea?”

,Because the answer is obvious.”

Bella, who said that, sparkled her golden eyes and continued.

,There’s one person who has been the reason why Ross has been able to endure and the driving force that makes him overcome trials, right?”

Raellan leaned back in her chair and said.

,Hehe, we should give a little help so that our Lord can dream of a happy future.”

Estelle, the only one who didn’t understand, tilted her head.

,What, what… so what are you going to do? Explain it properly!”

At those words, everyone opened their mouths at the same time.

,We’re secretly helping Ross propose to Luna! To instill in him the goal of overcoming destruction and living happily with Luna for a long time!”

,Of course, we’re helping Luna and Ross’s relationship to deepen even more. To the point where he can’t give up this world. Haa, I can’t believe you can’t even think of this… are you as short-sighted as your height?”

,It’s simple. Secretly put a strong aphrodisiac in the food, then drive them into one room―.”

All the women in the reception room glared at Raellan with contemptuous eyes. Raellan, who received the gaze, just shrugged her shoulders.

,Taking children as hostages is the basis of blackmail. Work harder to save the world for the sake of the child to be born, wouldn’t that be more certain?”

No one answered Raellan’s question.