Ch.42. She Never Makes a Bet She Will Lose.

Could it have been a nightmare?

The Imperial Treasury, where all the rare and important treasures of the empire are stored.

How could someone like me possibly infiltrate such a place?

Yet, that impossible event became reality, and suddenly turned into the past.

“So, the treasury door was wide open, and there were no guards on duty. Is that what you’re saying?”

“…Yes.”

There was much I wanted to say, but now that the moment had come, my mouth went dry and my tongue felt stiff.

I should explain properly to avoid misunderstandings.

But the anxiety etched into my body refused to dissipate.

“Do you think that makes any sense?”

Father glares at me with an unusually stern face.

“……”

Conversely, at times like this, Mother remains silent, only silence.

At least thanks to the Emperor quickly containing the situation, this private audience was arranged.

Though this matter will likely spread as unfavorable rumors.

“So, what did you do there? Or what happened to you?”

His tone wasn’t accusatory.

The Emperor’s voice was somewhat reassuring.

And in his blue eyes watching me, there seemed to be more curiosity than judgment.

“……”

However.

How could I possibly tell the truth?

-These kids have grown up quite a bit. Seeing children all grown up… well, I suppose that’s to be expected.

It was significant that we were in a reception room clearly meant for guests, not his office.

Nevertheless, I found myself distracted and irritated by that golden woman hovering in the air, observing the situation with apparent interest.

“I… heard some kind of voice… and when I realized it… I was inside the treasury. I tried to leave immediately…”

“Kariel. Your voice is too quiet. Please speak clearly to His Majesty about what happened, without being disrespectful.”

“Ah, it’s fine, Ermina. I can hear him well enough. Don’t rush him too much.”

Mother broke her silence to admonish me, but the Emperor intervened.

“So, you were called there somehow, but strangely there were no guards, and the treasury door was wide open. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes, that’s… correct.”

My mouth is parched.

My throat burns.

My heart trembles, and I can barely control my hands and feet.

Just suppressing this discomfort is making me dizzy.

-Hmm…?

And.

The golden woman leisurely observing my anxiety symptoms from mid-air.

She smiled genuinely at first, but quickly curled her lips into what seemed like a sneer.

But for Kariel, sitting with his head bowed in intimidation,

There was no opportunity to comprehend her mischievous, complex expression and the intentions behind it.

Still.

His palms were covered in unpleasant sweat, as if his inner nervousness was being expelled.

====

“It wasn’t magical in nature.”

The Empress returned to the reception room and reported the investigation results.

“There are unnatural aspects that suggest some kind of intervention…”

The Emperor rubbed his chin and questioned this.

“Even so, we can’t simply treat this as a supernatural phenomenon, can we?”

“A demon or heretic might be involved.”

The Emperor calmly accepted Mother’s opinion.

“The truth might be nothing significant, but until the situation becomes clear, we can’t make any guarantees. I’ll personally attend to this matter, so Lueld, Ermina, I’d prefer if you didn’t scold Kariel too harshly.”

“I’m embarrassed because of my foolish son.”

When Father spoke with a bitter expression, the Emperor chuckled and shook his head.

“There’s no need for that between us.”

“……”

Mother seemed to have much to say, but she maintained her silence.

“You must be tired, so you should head back now. Ermina, isn’t this a time when you should be especially mindful of your well-being?”

“But…”

“I’ll request additional personnel from the Order separately, so please rest quietly. Not for your sake, but for your child’s. You understand what I’m trying to say, don’t you?”

“…I appreciate your thoughtful consideration, Your Majesty.”

“Anyway, when it’s just us, stop being so formal.”

“Hehe. If I could live with my shoulders relaxed like that, I wouldn’t be Ermina.”

“…Well, that’s true.”

After some brief pleasantries, I had to board the carriage with my parents to return home.

“……”

“……”

“……”

Strangely enough.

The silence was extremely exhausting.

-This isn’t a normal family dynamic, is it?

The golden woman was lying in mid-air, propping her head with her arm.

She was watching the situation with interest, but.

I didn’t show any reaction to her presence, not even for a moment.

Only after returning home and shutting myself in my room.

Finally, I expressed my true feelings.

“…Who exactly are you?”

-Are you only asking now?

“It wasn’t… the right situation to ask before.”

In a situation where I was brought before the Emperor, Empress, and my parents, if I had shown any sign…

-Why not just honestly say you saw a ghost or a spirit?

“…Because I know exactly what they would say.”

Father would scold me for having insufficient mental fortitude to be deceived.

And Mother would likely suffocate me for a while, saying that such things attached to me because my thoughts were impure and my conduct improper.

Even the Emperor, though usually generous and merciful, was unpredictable in this matter.

-So does hiding it solve the problem?

“Revealing it wouldn’t solve anything either.”

-You seem a bit young for adolescent rebellion… The trust relationship here seems somewhat inappropriate. Interesting, indeed.

“Seeing how casually you referred to my parents and His Majesty… did you know them all when you were alive?”

-I knew them. But it was a bitter relationship.

Her smile was incredibly charming.

I had been avoiding looking at her due to tension, but as I first noticed, she truly was an attractive woman.

Her speech alternated between archaic and suddenly frivolous.

Her gestures and behavior were somewhat unrefined, but.

That very quality gave her a sense of freedom.

-Ah, the tension is dropping. Good, let’s do this.

She sat down as if finding her center after floating in the air.

-We have two options: the tedious method of asking and answering questions, or a way to understand each other at once. Which do you prefer?

“Are you suggesting using magic to share knowledge or experiences? In your current state?”

She’s clearly a ghost.

But is she saying that’s possible right now?

-Similar, I suppose. So, which do you prefer?

Asking and answering questions leaves room for either side to conceal or distort information.

As for the second option… I’m not sure.

If she possesses such superior abilities, the concern suddenly arose that she might simply toy with me one-sidedly.

-I can dispense with consideration if you prefer, but I’m neither a brute nor a tyrant. Fair trade and mutual agreement. Equivalent exchange. These transaction methods are the minimum safeguards that maintain civilization and society.

“……”

I know the type of beings who speak like this.

Fair trade.

Mutual agreement.

Equivalent exchange.

And.

Safeguards of civilized society.

This is…

“Are you… a demon or one of the demon race?”

-Have you decided on asking and answering?

“…No. Let’s make a contract.”

She snapped her fingers, and letters written in light appeared in the air.

One. We shall reveal ourselves to each other without falsehood.

Two. The method of disclosure shall be based on information from our experiences.

For example, memories.

Three. The memories provided may be selectively chosen.

Four. The contract is fulfilled when both parties are satisfied, and unnecessary stubbornness, persistence, and emotional release are strictly excluded.

-Once you’ve confirmed, press your hand there.

At the bottom, there was an underline like a signature line.

After carefully examining the content, I moved my hand toward it.

Naturally, my name was inscribed.

-Entering into contracts so carelessly is a bad habit, little one.

“If you wanted to deceive me, you could have used far worse methods.”

-What if my intention was to draw you in deeper and trap you so you couldn’t escape?

“…Spare me the empty words. I’ve already signed.”

-You were a timid little boy in front of the Emperor and your parents, but you’ve become quite bold in your own room.

With a small chuckle, she extended her hand and finalized the contract.

-Now, select the memories you wish to share with me. After I review them, I’ll provide memories that match accordingly.

“The contract didn’t specify any order, did it?”

-Even if I scraped together your entire life, it wouldn’t amount to even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a fraction! of mine. Stop arguing… and accept my generosity while it’s being offered.

“……”

The golden woman urged with a relaxed expression.

“But how exactly do I transfer them?”

-Exercise your will. It’s not difficult. Think, organize, and then submit.

…How would I know how to do that without experience?

Still, it’s not something to give up on from the start.

As she said, Kariel calmly organized what he wanted to show her.

So…

Excluding his early childhood which was already hazy in his memory.

‘Roughly.’

Fifteen.

From then until now should be sufficient, right?

About two years’ worth.

With that in mind, he mentally permitted the exchange.

As if the exchange was established and the transaction completed,

Unknown memories flowed into him like a welling spring.

The content wasn’t extensive.

No, it was so concise that he was momentarily bewildered.

“……?!”

The Golden Beast.

A being known as the Worst Gold.

The one who led the human world into hell for four years.

The Golden Demon King.

The entity who provided the catalyst and origin for nine heroes, including my father,

to make their names known to the world as warriors.

He.

No, she was…

“Y-you?! W-why did you attach yourself to me?!”

-Don’t panic, little one.

The woman smiled.

-Did I wish for this? You were the one who approached me. Let’s be clear about that point.

“……”

Looking at her like this, she appears to be just a beautiful woman.

But her true identity… is the Demon King who once set the world ablaze.

This so-called Golden Demon King was once one of the lieutenants of the Great Demon King who unified the demon realm.

And after the Great Demon King disappeared, she eliminated all competitors to establish her own kingdom, the ultimate victor.

Yet now, for some reason, she had taken this form.

“……”

-To finish the contract with just revealing a name! Isn’t that cheap? Isn’t that unfair? I expected at least this much complaint, but you’re not so naive. Hahaha!

“…You said something similar earlier. If you wanted to deceive and backstab me, you could have used far worse methods.”

Moreover, she’s a Demon King.

And the woman before me didn’t become a Demon King through brute force.

Wisdom and conspiracy.

More precisely, she became a Demon King through gold.

Was she weak in terms of power?

The story that all nine heroes barely won after nearly being annihilated is certainly no exaggeration.

So much so that even among heroes, the topic of the Demon King remains taboo.

That’s how terrifying and chilling it was.

Even if it’s all in the past.

The wounds and scars left behind still remain.

-If I had intended to deceive you, I could have claimed to be a Spirit King, or even lied about being a god. That would have been entirely possible.

“It was possible, so why didn’t you?”

-Because there was no reason to.

She was composed.

-Why should I pretend to be a mouse? I might tease someone for fun, but unless I’m deceiving an opponent to win a war, why would I need to consider such things now?

“But…”

Is she bound to the earth because she has lingering attachments?

Or perhaps she should fall to hell but cannot, so she’s forcibly bound to the earth?

…I don’t know.

-Don’t worry. I’m a woman who knows how to accept defeat. If I were alive, I might use anything, no matter how pitiful, to make a comeback, but as you can see, I’m dead. There’s no point in being petty about it. It’s just ugly and no fun.

“Aren’t you curious? About what happened to your people?”

-Why should I care? The dead don’t interfere with the lives of the living. I’m neither a ghost nor an evil spirit. Why would I concern myself with matters from my life even after death?

…It’s different from irresponsibility.

Her words made perfect sense.

Perhaps.

Even this might be a disguise to deceive Kariel himself.

-I made all the necessary preparations. My people are probably maintaining appropriate relationships with yours by now.

She smiled fiercely.

-Those who didn’t listen to me are likely still being persecuted and executed. Everything is reaped as it is sown. When a king speaks, it’s the duty of the subjects to listen. If they rebel, they must face the consequences.

“……”

Is that the mindset of a tyrant?

Or the rational thinking of a sovereign?

Honestly, I don’t know.

-More importantly, seeing your memories has made me more curious. I’d like to know more about that in depth.

“Then, are you not satisfied with the contract?”

-No, that’s not it.

She draws a clear line.

-Reading memories and hearing someone speak from their own mouth have different flavors. Now that I have basic knowledge about you and your surroundings, let me hear why a man like you ended up in this sorry state. What events occurred in your past?

“……”

-Of course, I’ll provide compensation that won’t disappoint you. What you need most right now.

What do you say, Kariel?

-Do you desire power?

Power to overturn your miserable fate.

Power more overwhelming than any being in this world.

-You can change the world. If you wish.

“……”

This is truly a devil’s temptation.

The devil never makes a bet they will lose.

As someone once said.

However.

“I don’t need it.”

-Huh?

What did you say?

Did I hear that wrong?

The Demon King’s brow furrowed, creating a small wrinkle on her porcelain forehead.