Dantalion
by Afuhfuihgs
The threat to destroy the Demon Realm using Chaosification was actually a lie. It was impossible to completely analyze Chaosification with Ellie’s records alone.
However, Raellan thought that the Demon King, who didn’t even know that the cult artificially created Chaosification, wouldn’t think the information we had was a lie, so he came up with this plan.
Even though we expected a Demon King full of malice towards humans, the small and precious Demon King didn’t doubt my words at all.
[…To dare threaten the Demon King! How devilish…! If you pledge allegiance, will you guarantee the safety of the Demon Realm?!]
Rather, because things were going so smoothly, Raellan, noticing my fluster, signaled me to answer quickly. I nodded and said to the Demon King.
“Yes, our goal is to punish the Chaos Cult. If you join us, we promise to not only avenge you against the Chaos Cult, but also find a way to completely eliminate the Chaosification that threatens the Demon Realm.”
[…You must find a way! The fate of our Demon Realm depends on it!]
At the Demon King’s words, Raellan quickly jumped into the conversation.
“The harder you, Demon King-nim, help us, the faster you will get results.”
At Raellan’s words, the curtain of blood rippled greatly.
[Can you swear it?]
“I will stake my soul on it.”
[Good, I will help. But there is no way for me to help you right now. The truth is, I have never even left the Demon King’s castle. I am very curious about the outside world!]
For some reason, the Demon King seems more interested in seeing the human world than in me pledging allegiance. Since I had obtained the Demon King’s cooperation as planned, I let Raellan continue the conversation.
“You don’t need to cross over to the human world yourself, Demon King-nim. Can you give us the authority to borrow your power?”
[Huh…? That’s difficult.]
At the Demon King’s immediate answer, Raellan frowned and asked.
“Why is that?”
[I can share my vision by using a human body, but anything more than that is restricted for high-ranking demons like me.]
“…In other words, you’re saying that causality is needed to break the restrictions.”
[You’re a smart one! That’s right. If you want to borrow my power, you’ll need a suitable sacrifice. The power will also vary depending on the value of the sacrifice.]
Raellan, who had been pondering for a moment, said quietly.
“If we offer three cities in the north as sacrifices, to what extent can you help us?”
At those words, I unknowingly reached out and grabbed Raellan’s shoulder. Raellan’s piercing eyes glared at me.
“If you fail anyway, everyone will die. You wouldn’t object to us using lives that are going to die meaninglessly a few months earlier in a valuable way, would you?”
The words that were about to come out of my mouth disappeared like magic at Raellan’s question. What was I trying to say… I don’t know. As I lowered my hand from Raellan’s shoulder, thinking that Raellan’s words were correct, Raellan shook his head with a strange smile.
“Ellie’s right.”
“…?”
“It’s okay. I can use you best as you are now.”
Raellan, who had said something difficult to understand, turned back to the Demon King and waited for an answer. The Demon King, who had been calculating something for a while, opened his mouth after a while.
[If I roughly estimate the population of a city to be 500,000, then 1.5 million… You can directly possess an Apostle’s body for about 30 minutes using a terminal.]
“To what extent can you use your power?”
[Just enough to show off the Demon King’s majesty.]
Raellan, judging that it meant roughly appropriate, nodded as if he understood.
“Then can you appoint me as an Apostle?”
[Eek-?! That’s… a bit.]
“…”
Raellan’s eyebrow twitched slightly at the Demon King’s refusal.
“…Is there a reason why you are reluctant to appoint me as an Apostle?”
[I like the Hero’s younger brother behind you more than a smart human!]
Raellan, who had briefly glanced at me up and down over his shoulder, said to the Demon King.
“But that guy can’t become an Apostle.”
[Eh, why!]
“…Because he’s the Hero’s younger brother.”
[…I see. Still, I wanted to resolve my curiosity about the Hero.]
“You can do that much even if he’s not an Apostle, as long as we’re in a cooperative relationship.”
[That’s a relief then!]
In fact, that wouldn’t be the only reason. Originally, Ross in the novel had a setting where he was tempted by the Demon King and sold his soul. By eliminating the corrupt artifact that triggered it, the event of contacting the Demon King didn’t occur, so the setting wasn’t realized. If I were to become the Demon King’s Apostle, Raellan refused because he didn’t know how that setting would create variables.
[…It’s a shame, but it can’t be helped. Then, smart human. If you offer me a very sufficient sacrifice, I promise to appoint you as my first Apostle!]
“Thank you. I will quickly prepare a sacrifice that the Demon King-nim will be satisfied with.”
[Hmm! I’ll be looking forward to it.]
The atmosphere was like the story was about to end, but suddenly the Demon King looked at me and brought up an irrelevant story.
[Hero’s younger brother… Ross, do you perhaps need power?]
“Didn’t Raellan already promise to take the Apostle’s position?”
As I said cautiously, the curtain of blood rippled and the Demon King stretched his face towards me. I felt unnecessarily burdened and stepped back slightly, and somehow I felt that he was disappointed.
[Of course, I’m not suggesting you become an Apostle, I’m offering you something better! If you want my power, how about abandoning your human body and being reborn as a demon? You can become several times stronger than you are now, and your lifespan will also increase greatly!]
I was about to scoff and ignore the Demon King’s offer, but the words that followed could not be ignored at all.
[If you want… yes, I will specially give you the name Dantalion! Unlike other demons, you can live happily in the Demon Realm with me like a friend!]
It wasn’t the first time I had heard the name Dantalion. That was the name that Ross in the world where Ellie from another world, who saved me and died, sold his soul to the Demon King and obtained. Is this really a coincidence? No, it’s not a coincidence.
Originally, the entire story of Ross in the novel was that he was tempted by the Demon King, sold his soul to gain power, and caused a massacre at the academy before being killed by Roel. Going over to the Demon Realm and becoming Dantalion is just another story created by Ross in that world.
Come to think of it, the muscular demon I met back then also said that Ross, who became Dantalion, was receiving the Demon King’s favor. Perhaps the reason why the Demon King is tempting Ross is not just because he is the Hero’s younger brother, but because he has a great interest in Ross himself.
Is this something that happened because the setting and plausibility collided somewhere…?
Anyway, I said firmly to the Demon King, who was waiting for an answer.
“No.”
[Why?!]
I sighed at the reaction that reminded me of Aria.
“I’m going to die as a human.”
“…?”
Were those words just out of my mouth…? It was as if the words were unconsciously spat out like a sneeze that came out regardless of my will. I’m not sure if I just imagined it, or if I actually said it.
[Hmph, I didn’t expect you to refuse… That’s a shame. I was sure you would become a good demon who suits the name Dantalion.]
“…Does that name have a special meaning?”
Feeling unnecessarily uneasy, I asked, and the Demon King, mistaking it for interest, kindly explained.
[Of course, every demon’s name has a special meaning. Just like the power of Uricus that you are using now, Dantalion also has the power to use a special book. That book is… was it the Prophecy of Patulga?]
“…!”
Raellan and I stared at each other with wide eyes. We were taken aback by the name Patulga that suddenly popped out. It was also unexpected that the Demon King knew about Uricus, who was sleeping in the Shadow Spear. I just thought he was a small and precious Demon King… but it seemed that the title of King wasn’t for nothing.
The Demon King didn’t notice our confusion and continued his explanation.
[Dantalion has a condition that only those with special qualifications can obtain the name. If you are the Hero’s younger brother, you will definitely be able to… uhm? Where did I get this knowledge from…? Was it my dad’s study? What is it, there’s no way I would have such advanced knowledge in my memory….]
The Demon King, who suddenly stopped talking, remained still as if frozen before opening his mouth again.
[I don’t know! It’ll just give me a headache if I keep thinking about it. Anyway, are you really not thinking of becoming Dantalion?]
Somehow, this felt like the Demon King’s last offer. I looked at Raellan, but he was just watching, as if he was leaving the choice up to me. After pondering for a moment, I recalled what Ross of Yearning had said about Dantalion.
“Yes, just like you met Dantalion Ross, who deliberately approached the Demon King to change the flow from the Demon Realm, there are all kinds of Rosses in countless multiverses. Ross who became a Sword Master, Ross who became the best chef in the capital, Ross who became a huge tycoon, and even Ross who became a Transcendence professor. There’s even a Ross who built a harem! Wouldn’t there naturally be a Ross somewhere in the universe who gave birth to Roel’s child in the third year? There was even one case where Roel was a woman, but only once. She was an incredible bo-bim-ma.”
At that time, I was feeling an instinctive unpleasantness just because the Ross called Dantalion was in the Demon Realm. I am now aware that that Dantalion is completely different from me, but at the time, I couldn’t stand the essential disgust that came from having the same existence as myself.
I don’t know what the suddenly appearing Prophecy of Patulga means, but I was sure that I couldn’t become Dantalion. Because I can be the only last of all the countless Rosses.
“The real talent of a writer is not to be eaten by the power of the story and dragged around arbitrarily, but to lead the story to the desired ending.”
I think I know a little bit about what Ellie’s advice from Jinshian means now. I don’t need Patulga’s help anymore. So….
“I don’t need the name Dantalion.”
Even if I’m mixed with Ross’s soul, I’m still a writer with the responsibility to finish the story.
“Because I’ll still be Ross even when all the stories are over.”
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