episode_0157

Edward did not give an easy answer to my request.

Instead, he was seriously considering my words.

On the other hand, Algot next to me looked visibly delighted with my words.

It could be compared to the expression of a person who found an oasis in the desert, or the face of a person who found hope in despair.

Of course, achieving peace between demons and humans is not easy.

I know that it is close to impossible to unravel emotions that have accumulated over hundreds of years in just one generation.

But the difference between starting such activities and not starting them was clear.

The reason why the evil feelings between demons and humans have been incited until now is because there was a ‘hero and a demon king’ who created an environment in which they were forced to fight each other.

But now, neither the Demon King nor the Hero has any coercive power.

In that case, it is right to restore a natural relationship according to each other’s interests.

It may not necessarily lead to peace, but wouldn’t it be better if we at least try to make peace with each other if we don’t fight?

“ Yunoa, didn’t you say that the Demon King’s soul is still alive?”

Edward spoke after thinking for a while.

“That’s right.”

“It is difficult for us to first find a way to resolve our feelings with the demons. The demon king’s spirit is alive, and it’s impossible to know when the demons will suddenly turn and invade the kingdom, and it’s difficult to persuade the kingdom’s people.”

“Edward, do you know the history of the continent before the Demon King and the Hero appeared?”

“Well… … .”

“Originally, demons and humans lived together and had a symbiotic relationship. It was the humans who first banished the demons to the demon world.”

“Such absurd history has never been recorded as far as I know.”

But it’s true.

Because history is written by the victors, the history passed down to the kingdom would have portrayed the demons in a negative light.

Edward, who was originally a royal, would have received history education in the kingdom, so of course he would not know about the history that was unfavorable to that kingdom.

“It’s true. There is also a way to check.”

“How do you verify the authenticity of history that is already hundreds of years old?”

Isn’t there “? A living witness of history.”

“No way… … .”

“Yes, you just need to ask Goddess Stellania. The history of the kingdom is ultimately written by humans. Is there any history in the kingdom written from the perspective of the demons?”

“If she is definitely a goddess… … .”

Since there was a walking history in Kubel, it was easy to see the truth of what I was saying.

Stellania, who created the troubling concept of heroes and demons and was involved in many world problems, would naturally remember the days when humans and demons coexisted.

If the goddess can prove the truth about what was on this continent, there will be some justification for returning to the days when the devil and humans coexisted.

Still, since the bad feelings have been building up for such a long time, it won’t be easy to come back… … At least I can convince Edward.

“I agree.”

At that time, Algot, who had been watching our conversation, intervened.

She had memories of losing someone precious to her in the past due to a demonization incident.

Therefore, in order to prevent such victims from occurring again, he directly established and operated a demon shelter in the capital.

My proposal was like a dream to Algot.

Once the kingdom stops being hostile to demons, humans who have been transformed into demons will no longer have to live in hiding.

But Edward was cautious even as the story came to this point.

“But promoting peace with demons is not an ordinary task. There is a possibility that the kingdom, barely united under the name of the City Union, will be divided again.”

“Umm… Is that so?”

It wasn’t that I couldn’t understand Edward’s opinion.

The reason the kingdom came together under the name of the City Alliance was to fight against the Demon King’s army.

But what if the Demon King’s army suddenly returns and they say they will pursue peace with the Demons? Naturally, there would be many people who would rebel.

“Of course, I understand what Yunoa and Algot want. I also think that if the demons have no intention of fighting us, there is no reason to go to war and make useless sacrifices. Because, unlike monsters, demons are thought to be intelligent and social like humans.”

“Demons without a demon soul are in fact no different from ordinary other races. Like Meruru, who is currently working as a receptionist at the guild.”

“It’s not that there is no way. We have a Goddess that no one can deny. If he helps us, we may be able to change the thinking of the people in the kingdom little by little.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to move forward little by little? I think opportunities like this are rare.”

Edward shook his head at my words.

“It’s not just that. To be honest, I myself have doubts about the current demon king and demons.”

“Doubt… … ?”

“I understand what Yunoa said. I also know that the Demon King’s soul has escaped from the Demon King’s body. But what guarantee is there that the devil wants to be at peace with us? This is all just our guess. If the kingdom arbitrarily asks to stop fighting and live in peace when the other party has no intention of doing so, it will only reveal its own weakness.”

“Umm… … .”

I listened to Edward and thought for a moment.

Before persuading the people of the kingdom, is it important to remove Edward’s doubts?

“Then… … .”

A method came to mind.

Edward is currently a demon king who has lost his demon soul… In other words, I’m not sure what Versella is thinking right now.

I don’t know how the situation in the demon world is going.

In such a situation, the kingdom cannot be the first to seek peace with the demons… … .

In that case, wouldn’t it be a good idea to check it yourself so that you can be sure of it?

The appearance of the Demon King Bersella that I saw in person at the Demon King’s army headquarters was that of a weak and young girl.

Based on the information given in the narration, I already knew that she was not an inherently bad demon.

Now that the demon lord’s spirit has escaped, wouldn’t it be a big problem to meet her again?

No, on the contrary, if they found out that I was the one who removed the demon king’s soul from Versella’s body, they might unexpectedly welcome it.

Of course, I have to avoid Xaviel, who tried to kill me, and secretly meet Versella.

If I build a friendship with Versella, wouldn’t it be possible to prevent other demons from touching me?

… … That is, if she can continue to hold sway over the demon world.

“I will go to the Demon World and meet the current Demon King whose spirit has escaped.”

“Wouldn’t it be too dangerous?”

“Because I saw her with my own eyes. We’ve never had a conversation, but if all the evil deeds the demons have done so far were the will of the demon lord’s soul, conversation would be enough. I will go there in person to check the situation in the demon world and have a conversation. If it is confirmed that the demons have no will to fight us, wouldn’t the kingdom be able to move little by little?”

“Umm… … .”

“I would also like to ask you a favor, Mr. Edward.”

Algot reinforced my opinion.

There may be some emotional reasons as to why she is taking my side, but it’s good if it helps.

“… … All right. If you say so, I will wait. Until then, priority will be given to maintaining the kingdom. We must also listen to the words of the goddess.”

Edward eventually accepted my opinion.

That’s how I went to the Demon King’s Castle to meet Versella, a Demon King without a Demon King Soul.

* * *

“Goddess~ Goddess~ What are you going to do today?”

“Umm… I haven’t thought about it yet.”

Mariel’s mansion.

Goddess Stellania was flirting with Saint Selena.

Before going to the Demon Castle to meet Versella, I thought it would be a good idea to report the situation to the goddess, so I came here.

“Hey, I came here because I have something to say today.”

I approached Stellania and immediately started talking to her.

These days, I really don’t feel like this person is a goddess.

It seems that people in this world will never doubt that she is a goddess, no matter how powerless she is.

At least I don’t have the heart to truly revere Stellania.

“… … So the Demon King’s soul disappeared, and Versella, who was the Demon King, returned to the demon world.”

“Why didn’t you plunge the holy sword into the Demon King?”

“That’s right, because I didn’t receive much recommendation from someone higher than you.”

“Ah… … .”

Being a being higher than Stellania naturally means narration.

Just saying this was enough for Stellania to understand what was being said.

“If he said so, it must be right.”

“Is there any way to find the Demon King’s soul that has flown away somewhere?”

I asked Stellania.

Promoting peace between humans and demons is ultimately useless if the problem of the demon soul is not resolved.

Still, since she is the goddess of this world, I asked because I thought that if I explained the situation properly, it might provide some clues.

Stellania closed her eyes for a moment as if trying to feel something, then opened her mouth.

“It’s a demon spirit that lost its host… Considering the original nature of the demon lord’s soul, it would want to use another new demon as a host. However, this is the first time that a previous demon king has been pulled out of the host’s body without dying… … .”

“Can you guess anything?”

“If the structure of the world was originally created, the Demon King’s soul that escapes after the Demon King is killed by the hero loses all the power it had built up and returns to the Demon God’s side. And there, we gather our strength again, find a new host, and create a new demon lord.”

“Drank… … .”

“But I don’t know how much power the current demon king’s spirit has because its host hasn’t died. Still, there is a possibility of returning to the demon god.”

It’s a new fact, but it doesn’t really help much.

At that time, a narration began to enter my head.

『The foolish goddess Stellania did not feel that the balance of the broken world had been restored to some extent now that the demon king’s soul had escaped and both the demon king and the hero had disappeared from the world.

As long as the Demon King’s Soul exists, the previous balance cannot be restored, but at least the power of the Demon King’s Soul has stopped growing stronger.

And the fact that the balance of the world was being restored meant that the lost power of the goddess could also be restored little by little.』

hmm? The goddess is recovering her strength… … ?

After listening to the narration, I quietly looked at Stellania.

… … She looked like she didn’t know anything about the world.

* * *