episode_0004

How many times have I fainted today?

No, I guess I could say today. I came to my senses, but my eyes were closed so I couldn’t tell. I didn’t even have the will to open my eyes.

Why didn’t he die? The last time I saw him, he was definitely the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings. Maybe the Imperial Army came? Or maybe the Demon King is trying to play with me.

Yeah, if you want to die, you have to open your eyes.

So I opened my eyes without much expectation.

“…Huh?”

Yes, I didn’t have any high expectations. That’s why I didn’t even think about things like a soft, luxurious bed that you would only see in a noble house, or a clean, neatly-made white shirt.

The strong smell of blood on my body had completely disappeared, and instead a pleasant scent was present. …Is it the scent of peaches?

Looking around, I saw a hard floor, iron bars, and a long, long hallway.

It seemed like a prison. I don’t know why they put a bed like this in a prison, but if that’s the case, then I’m probably locked up.

“…”

My eyes reflected in the mirror were still dead. I really looked like a doll.

And, this place is probably related to the Demons. The mirror frame clearly has a unique Demons pattern engraved on it.

Rather, realizing that I was imprisoned by the Demons made me feel a little more at ease. I felt so detached from all that reality that I thought it would be better to not be in any more pain.

-Gulp

The belly clock on my stomach rang quite loudly. …Now that I think about it, I don’t remember eating anything since I woke up in the temple.

It wouldn’t be so bad to starve to death like this.

“Huh? What’s up, you’re awake.”

Is this… that Richie’s voice?

“Kuhehehe… Where did those bright eyes from 3 days ago go and have they become frozen eyes? You were once a warrior.”

Richie’s provocations now felt like nothing. It was empty, really.

“…What brings you here? Four Heavenly Kings, Galvein.”

“Kuhehehe… It’s food. I’m grateful for His Majesty the Demon King’s grace…”

…I looked at something that Galvein had left behind. This is a plate…

The condition of the plate placed before my eyes was dire.

“Why aren’t there any vegetables…? Are you trying to assassinate me by making me malnourished?”

The five compartments contained steak, bread, sausage, ham, and finally golden-roasted chicken.

It’s so luxurious… but why is it all meat…

If there was nothing, then it would be okay, but when a plate of warm meat appeared before my eyes, my appetite naturally responded and I couldn’t help but reach out for it. In the first place, I should be thankful that someone who was once my enemy was giving me such a luxury.

“Well…”

Starting with tearing off a chicken leg and devouring it, he began to devour the side dishes one by one. He had starved to death… However, since he had been a commoner before, and had skipped most of his meals when he was a warrior, it was impossible for him to not eat such delicious food right in front of him, even if it was just out of instinct.

“You’re eating well, …but I clearly told you to make separate porridge for yourself, so why are you eating my food? It probably won’t be good to eat meat after fasting for a few days.”

“Demon, Demon King…?!”

He swallowed the stir-fried pork in his mouth and replied. As soon as he saw her long, flowing hair, he felt sick to his stomach.

No, before that, I was embarrassed for showing such a disgrace to the Demon King. I quickly put down my rice bowl.

“…Now that I think about it, the last time I saw you on the battlefield, you were definitely a man.”

The Demon King, looking at me through the bars, muttered.

“Rich… Galvan made it like this, so ask him.”

“I know. I heard that he was trying to pretend to be dead and ended up tearing the magic scroll he was researching. Even considering that, it’s still amazing to see it in person.”

“…”

I pursed my lips.

“Come out.”

Creak, the iron door opened with such ease.

However, no matter how empty I became, my wariness of the Demon King did not change. It was probably because of the hostility that had built up over the years. I sat there as if I was nailed to the spot even though the iron door was open.

“…Get out.”

I said to him in a growling voice.

“Aren’t you going to come out of there?”

“How can I trust you, Demon King?”

“You’re very cautious.”

“…Because I’ve already been betrayed once. If you experience something as disgusting as that… No, what am I talking about to the Demon King? Just get out, I want to die like this…”

“…”

The Demon King was silent for a while.

“If you need anything… tell Galvein. I’m going now.”

“I wish you would give me a knife to kill myself right now.”

“Can you give me a waffle with chicken on it instead?”

“There’s no need for that.”

“Then, just know that you don’t need anything, warrior.”

The Demon King looked down at me with arrogant eyes that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking for a while, and then after a while he finally left.

Being left alone again was quite lonely.

But I don’t know my state right now. I just wanted to be alone for a bit.

Why did he say that he clearly wanted to die, but then when the food came out, he ate it in a hurry?

In fact, isn’t it true that I’m just feeling guilty and loathing myself?

What will happen to me now? I’ve been imprisoned by the Demon King’s army. The fact that the Demon King’s army is cruel and merciless is a myth I’ve heard since I was young, so much so that my ears bleed.

But, but…

I looked at the mirror again. Mirrors are truly amazing. Every time I look at them, I feel like my emotions are sorted out. When I told Belle about it, she just treated it as a strange story.

…Bell, yes… Bell…

I remember your happy face, flirting and having sex with that nobleman in a dark alley.

He chews over the names of his former comrades, one by one.

Belle, Anna, Gabriel, Nia, Sue

The desire for revenge boiled red from within.

I suppress the desire for revenge that is about to burst out at any moment inside my heart.

The self-loathing that comes with every breath I take right now, and the sense of loss that feels like my heart is going to burst, what’s lost can never be returned.

They say that what is lost cannot be brought back, but if that is the case, I want you to at least lose everything and fall like me.

…But in the end, how? I came back to the starting point with the question that came to mind on my own. There was no way for me, a normal person who would soon collapse with my holy powers gone, and I realized with my bones that I was imprisoned in the Demon King’s Castle.

I couldn’t hate those thin arms, those thin arms that didn’t have any strength in them.

A terrible loneliness came over me. It must have been born of revenge, self-loathing, and emptiness.

Actually, I don’t know. It’s just that no matter how much I covered myself with the blanket, I was still cold and I still wanted warmth.

Maybe it wasn’t that he wanted to die, but that he didn’t want to continue living in such futility, so much so that he wanted to escape the futile suffering even by dying.

Anyway, it didn’t matter. Now, the wounds of betrayal left me as scars, and I was afraid to approach someone first and ask for warmth. And the world had abandoned me, so it couldn’t give me warmth. Now, all I had left was to embrace this desire for revenge and slowly die a cold death.

*****

It was truly a coincidence that I discovered the warrior.

The only bright, pure and noble light in the midst of the deteriorating divinity.

How much poisonous had to be thrown into the world for it to be ruined? And why did it have to be her face? As expected…

Perhaps that confidence played a part in my bringing the warrior.

“Galvein.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Investigate what happened to the former warrior’s comrades who are currently trapped underground.”

“I will obey your command, Demon King.”

“And bring the Succubus Queen too.”

“Crazy… No, the Four Heavenly Kings?”

“Yeah… No, just bring Mino from the assassination squad. Judging from the level of the humans, I think we could beat them even if we took out all the Four Heavenly Kings?”

“Yes, I understand.”

I closed my eyes quietly.

This world is a hell that is maintained by feeding on the blood, sacrifice, and suffering of the noble.

Just as a world that can only be maintained by pouring hydrochloric acid on the face of a child has no need to exist, we, the devil, are hostile to humans at the root of our individuality because we are noble beings who have had hydrochloric acid poured on them.

But that’s why we couldn’t hate noble people. I was no exception.

Then what about the broken nobility, the warrior who became an empty doll…

The emotion I felt when I saw her was pity. I felt her mixed emotions and bursting out, and she was in pain, so her dead eyes seemed to paradoxically say that she wanted to die, but also beg for her life.

I looked in the mirror.

To me, a mirror is a portrait of sin.

The pupils are mirrors that reflect people.

Black eyes clouded with arrogance looked down at me through the mirror.

I close my eyes tightly, and only then do I see the pupils that are no longer visible.

…How far did we talk?

At first, I thought about killing her. Because she was already so empty, because I only wanted to die, I thought that was the last courtesy I could pay to her and to the person I loved who had the same face as her. Because there was no room for improvement.

But, I couldn’t help but feel the empty eyes that kept getting trampled on, as I was better than anyone at looking into people through mirrors, and I could see how much the hero had been ruined, so much so that he could never mix into human society again.

…The warrior’s vitality shines like firewood, so the warrior usually has a short life.

And now, she, who is in the dungeon, will die much earlier than average, having taken on the burden of the other two warriors and shouldered all the burden on her own. At best, she will live only a year or two.

In that case, wouldn’t the minimum treatment I can give my wife is to make an effort to let her die happily?

There’s no harm in trying it. Even if there is, it’s worth the risk.