episode_0124

Deep within the Demon Realm.

The abode of the Lord of Blood, Bloodstain.

“Krrr… Krrr……”

Bloodstain, with his massive physique, was breathing heavily, his anger simmering.

The target of his wrath was not the humans of that kingdom.

It was the Demon King, Versella, who had angered Bloodstain.

As he crushed the hero’s head, Bloodstain felt an indescribable thrill.

He wanted to storm into the kingdom without heroes and kill all humans, making this land completely the possession of the demons.

At the moment the hero’s breath was cut off, it seemed like his fervent wish would soon be fulfilled.

But the moment Versella learned of the hero’s death, she abandoned all intentions of attacking the kingdom.

It was incomprehensible to Bloodstain.

The humans of the kingdom were the sworn enemies of the demons.

Every time a hero came, they sought to kill the Demon King, the ruler of the demons.

They despised and abused the demons as if they were insects.

Despite being mostly made up of weak and foolish flesh, the humans held the best lands on this continent.

Among the demons, Bloodstain was a somewhat peculiar existence.

Among the various demon races descended from demon blood, Bloodstain’s race was the only one left.

In the distant past, his race had always been at the forefront of the war against humans, and most of them had died.

So now, his race had only one remaining member, Bloodstain himself.

“Bloodstain, were you here all along?”

“Krrr… What is it?”

“It’s me, Nailsay.”

Nailsay had come to Bloodstain’s abode.

He was known as the Lord of Deception, and he now appeared as the former bishop of the Freya Church who had hidden in the kingdom.

“Hmph, are you trying to live with humans in that form? Don’t you want to live with them?”

“I’ve lived like this for decades. It’s to gather clues to cut off the danger of the hero reaching the Demon King.”

“It’s pointless.”

Bloodstain snorted.

Even if he went through all the trouble to find the hero’s trail and kill him, it was useless without the will of the Demon King.

“You look like you’re having a hard time. The last flame of a race that was wiped out in madness for a fight.”

“Be careful with your words, Nailsay. I’m not in a very good mood right now.”

“Let me give you some good news. There’s been a change in the kingdom. A rebellion has broken out, and the capital has been occupied.”

“Hmph, humans are still fighting among themselves like savages.”

Nailsay smiled slyly at Bloodstain, who was indifferent.

“And the change isn’t just in the kingdom. It’s also affected the Demon King.”

“What do you mean?”

“She had a fit.”

“Krrr… That means…”

“Yes, now the Demon King’s will can’t do anything about the overpowering Demon Soul.”

That was certainly good news for Bloodstain.

If Versella gave up on invading the kingdom, Bloodstain even felt the urge to betray the Demon King for a moment.

But he didn’t betray the Demon King and was simmering alone in this place because of the existence of the Demon Soul.

The Demon Soul was a separate entity from Versella.

If the Demon Soul was the power and will of the Demon King, then Versella was the physical body of the Demon King.

Just as the hero had to come to the Demon Castle to kill the Demon King, the Demon Soul also had to do the same.

The will of the Demon Soul was the extermination of humanity.

Until now, the power of the Demon Soul had not been enough for Versella to suppress that desire.

But if a fit had occurred, as Nailsay said, then it was only a matter of time before Versella was consumed by the will of the Demon Soul.

“The seizures will gradually decrease from now on. The clash between Bersella’s unwillingness to fight and the determination of the Demon Lord’s soul will surely happen. Moreover, the kingdom is facing difficulties in uniting its strength due to the rebellion. It feels like this world itself is giving us an opportunity.”

“Grr… Then there’s no need to wait any longer. I will go and crush those humans right away.”

“You’re impatient as always. Even if you wait quietly, Bersella, who has been swallowed by the Demon Lord’s soul, will surely launch an invasion.”

Ignoring Javiel’s words, Bloodstain rose from his seat with his massive body.

He then grabbed his huge axe and went outside to gather his subordinates.

* * *

Mariel’s mansion, which had now become a new demon shelter.

A strange scene was unfolding there.

“Let’s all pray to Goddess Stellania together.”

The demons gathered in front of the incompetent Goddess Stellania, following the instructions of the saint Selena, clasping their hands and closing their eyes.

Mirabel, who had already completed her demon transformation, was also among them.

“Um… Isn’t it a bit strange to see the real goddess receiving prayers in front of us?”

“They need a place to lean on right now. Historically, faith has always been a sanctuary for those with nowhere else to turn.”

Algot, who had come to visit for a while, told me.

Due to Mirabel’s transformation into a demon, she was now in a position where she needed to be cared for by the demons.

While the demons could take care of themselves to some extent, socially dead beings like demons needed someone to look after them in order to live properly.

They provided necessities and essential items, giving them a warm feeling that they were not abandoned, and helped them manage their mental state.

Originally, this role was carried out by the supervisor Mirabel, but now someone else had to take over.

Initially, it was suggested that Mariel, the owner of the mansion, could take on the role, but it was not trusted.

It was feared that entrusting the role of ‘supervisor’ to her might lead to some suspicious actions.

So, the alternative was for the living Goddess Stellania and the saint Selena to stay at the mansion and take care of the demons.

Especially Stellania felt sorry for the way the demonized people were being treated in the kingdom.

“When the Demon Lord was created, the power to turn other races into demons was also given. At that time, demons were driven to the brink of extinction by humans, so it was necessary to increase the number of demons to restore balance.”

However, even the goddess Stellania did not expect that, due to the power of the demon’s blood, beings like the demons here, who did not belong anywhere, would be created.

Meanwhile, Mirabel surprisingly accepted her transformation into a demon well.

This was largely due to her long experience as the supervisor of the demon shelter.

Thanks to her experience of directly caring for demonized people, she had less aversion to becoming a demon compared to others.

People born and raised in the kingdom usually undergo a shock when they become demons and turn into the very demons they despised.

In fact, they are almost treated as monsters in the kingdom, and they are not welcomed anywhere, making it even harder to adapt.

But Mirabel knew that demons were different from monsters, so even though she became a demon, her acceptance speed was different.

“The capital has fallen to the rebels…”

Instead, Mirabel was more saddened by the news that the rebels had taken over the capital.

Now that she could no longer return to being the captain of the knights, there was nothing she could do.

“When will the Demon Lord attack again in such uncertain times…?”

Mirabel clenched her fist tightly and muttered with an angry expression.

As she said, the Demon Lord’s power was still growing stronger.

Even if we all join forces, it seems like it won’t be enough when the time comes for a rebellion.

Honestly, considering the actions the kingdom has taken, it’s understandable to think that way, but the rebels who are the core of the rebellion ultimately turned out to be scoundrels who had swelled their ranks with all sorts of illegal activities in the underground sewers.

Even if there were changes in the power that moves the kingdom due to the occupation of the capital, it didn’t seem like it would move in a good direction.

In my eyes, it felt like they had just replaced trash with even smellier trash.

* * *

A few days later, at the Adventurers Guild.

Guild Master Algot sat in his office, looking at a document with a grim expression.

“What a bunch of scoundrels.”

“What’s going on?”

“The leader of the rebels who have taken over the capital seems to have declared himself the new king. And in a letter sent to all cities of the kingdom, he requests cooperation to resolve this chaos and stabilize the kingdom.”

If the leader of the rebels is the one known as the King of the Underground…

『The King of the Underground, Lotus, has occupied the royal palace and declared himself the new king.

He was trying to completely control the capital of Pifnel and make this kingdom his own.

Of course, without any legitimacy or lineage, Lotus’s words to ascend to the throne were not convincing.

However, he was prepared to designate cities that did not cooperate as enemy states and forcibly annex them through war.』

At that moment, the narration detailed the chaotic situation in the capital.

“Some cities near the capital have already surrendered. If they refuse, they might be attacked immediately.”

“What about Kubele?”

“Kubele’s administrative authority lies with the mayor, so it will depend on the mayor’s decision. The concern is that the mayor of Kubele is known to be a weak person and might surrender quickly.”

Algot said with a troubled expression.

If the city falls into the hands of the rebels, it could lead to several troublesome issues.

Above all, handing over the city to criminals who have been engaged in all sorts of illegal activities in the underground sewers is unacceptable.

“…Yunoa.”

At that moment, Milaia, who had been quietly listening to our conversation while leaning against the wall of the office, spoke up.

She looked at Algot and me alternately with an expressionless face and said to me.

“Yunoa, you don’t have to worry about this kind of thing. You have things to take care of, right?”

“Miss Milaia?”

“I will try to handle the kingdom’s rebel problem and Kubele’s issue somehow. Can you allow me to do that?”

Among adventurers, she boasted overwhelming power.

But no matter how powerful she was, could she handle this situation alone?

『Milaia was not pleased with the rebels causing chaos in the kingdom.

To her, they felt like obstacles hindering Yunoa’s justice.

In fact, there was no significant reason for Milaia to actively intervene in this matter.

The only reason was that she couldn’t stand those who were obstructing Yunoa’s mission to eliminate the Demon Lord and save the world.』

…A typical ignorant reason from Milaia.

Just because she thinks it might be a hindrance to me.

But it didn’t seem like Milaia could handle such a huge task alone.

Even if she was powerful…

『Contrary to Yunoa’s underestimation, Milaia had the power to resolve this issue.

All she needed was Yunoa’s permission and motivation.』

The narration abruptly cut off my thoughts.

…Really?

It was hard to believe even after hearing it, but the narration had never made a mistake in that direction.

“Yunoa, can you allow me to do this?”

Milaia asked me again.

If she agrees, what exactly does she plan to do?

No, why would I need her permission in the first place?

But if she can help resolve the kingdom’s troublesome affairs, then I can focus on eliminating the Demon King.

“Yes, I will ask for your help.”

Upon hearing my response, Milaia immediately left the office.