CHAPTER 7
Demons, a race far, far superior to all other races inhabiting the world. Demons stand above every being; no one surpasses them. Even the weakest demon, with a bit of training, could single-handedly conquer a country.
The few demons defeated by adventurers like Sandro were mostly defeated because they underestimated their opponents. If they had taken their rivals seriously, there's no doubt humans would have only defeated a handful of demons.
Demons could conquer the world in minutes if they wanted to, but something is holding them back… And that "something" is already starting to manifest.
•
•
(Delsmo, Kingdom of the Demons)
Delsmo, once a lush, green country where beautiful landscapes could be seen everywhere, was transformed when the demons arrived. Most humans were expelled, the greenery turned barren, and now there's only dirt and corpses. The few human villages still existing in the country remain only because the demons prevent their escape. The reason? Only the Demon King knows.
The Demon King, the main threat… Or at least, that's what Daniel thinks, but the reality is very different.
"So? What happened now?"
Ten demons gathered with the Demon King to deliver new information.
The Demon King doesn't seem that terrifying. He's a bearded demon with a human-like appearance, red hair, wearing red armor and a crown made of bones.
His appearance doesn't inspire much fear, but before becoming demons, they were human, so most retain human-like appearances.
Demons are born from the sins they committed in life. When their souls are sent to hell, they become corrupted, sometimes undergoing physical changes, but this depends on the soul. Weak souls change drastically, while strong ones barely change.
The Demon King may not look monstrous, but that doesn't mean he's weak—not at all. Appearances don't define power. The Demon King is the Demon King for a reason, so underestimating him based on his looks is a foolish mistake.
"My lord, one of our own has just been defeated."
"Tch. They keep underestimating humans. Idiots. Who was it this time?"
"Zonder."
"Tch. That fool. But I don't care; he was useless, too weak. I'm not surprised he was defeated."
"His death doesn't matter to us, but you should care about who defeated him. According to my sources, an adventurer with all types of magic defeated him in a single blow."
Hearing this, the Demon King flinches for a second and straightens his back.
He narrows his eyes and strokes his beard, repeating those words in his mind over and over, pondering what to do if it's true.
"… You say he has all types of magic? Your sources must be lying; it's impossible to have all types of magic."
"I'm sorry, my lord, but my sources are highly reliable; they have nothing to gain by lying to me."
"Does such an adventurer really exist? What's his name?"
"His name is Daniel, and he's only 16 years old."
"Huh?!"
A woman reacts with shock upon hearing the name. She's wearing a red dress, with long black hair, and looks young, about 25, though she's older.
Hearing that name, her heart starts racing at an alarming rate, her forehead beads with cold sweat, and the face of a certain man floods her mind.
"Daniel?!"
"Is something wrong, Nadia?"
"N-no, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry, my lord."
"It's fine. Restro, go confirm the story."
"Of course, master," a demon said.
Nadia raises her right hand.
"What?"
"My lord, I'd like to accompany Restro, if you allow it."
"No problem, you can go too. Where is this adventurer?"
"I believe he's still in Central Town 1, in the country of Grenfor," the informant demon said.
"Good, go."
As she walks away, the woman lowers her gaze so no one sees her face, filled with worry and fear.
"… It must be a coincidence… But… what is this strange feeling?"
Nadia, a woman very close to a certain person, and one of the most powerful demons.
Her next target: Central Town 1.
•
•
(POV - Sandro)
I freed the adventurers in the town from the drug's effects, but it wasn't enough to free the adventurers across the Kingdom.
Damn King, you went too far this time. You drugged kids too, you idiot! Kids should be studying and playing, not fighting in a stupid war.
"Damn it, I don't know what to do."
The war is inevitable; adventurers are agreeing to fight in exchange for money. I can't force them not to participate—it's their lives, their choices—but I wish they'd think about their families. If this war progresses, thousands of kids will be orphaned. They're already facing a potential war against demons; their hearts can't take more pain. If they lose their parents, they'll lose hope too.
An adult's job is to guide and protect kids, not abandon them to fend for themselves.
"Son of a bitch, damn King!"
"Son of a bitch, damn King!"
"No, no, don't copy me. Trust me, I'm the last person you should imitate, kid."
Even the orphanage administrators abandoned the orphans to join the war for mere money.
Tch. A war in the middle of a looming war against demons. Am I the only one with common sense? They're being driven by unjustified hatred. The demi-humans who harmed us died centuries ago; only their descendants remain, and they're not to blame. Why keep hating demi-humans? Because their blood is different? We're treating demi-humans the way nobles treat us. Nobles think they're superior to commoners because of their lineage, and commoners hate nobles for it, but now we're doing the same thing to demi-humans that nobles do to us.
"It makes no sense."
What do I do? I can't stop the fight. I want to, but I don't have the power. If I try to stop them by force, I'll end up dead; even I can't defeat thousands of people. And if I fight, I'll kill innocent humans just following orders, leaving kids without parents… I don't know what to do.
"Arghhh! Damn King!"
"Damn King!"
And you too, Daniel! What did you do?! You sped up the war…! No… It's not fair to blame him for the King's stupidity.
Daniel… Ugh… I admit I still hate you; after all, you killed me, you bastard…! But I also admit I brought it on myself. Being considered the best adventurer made me feel superior for a long time, and when you showed up… I don't know… I felt… offended… I mean… A new kid comes and destroys everything I've built over years in a single day? It infuriated me.
Daniel, you took Sara, the only girl worth anything in my group. You took my prey, the Black Demon. You took my position as the best adventurer… You took everything.
I hate you… And I hate myself for hating you. It's not that I think you're a saint or impossible to hate; I hate myself for hating you just for putting me in my place.
I hate myself for being so childish.
"Sandro, what happened to you?"
I don't know, Sandro… I don't know.
Mom, Dad… Sandra, little sister… Ha… Haha…
"Fufu… Yeah… Losing my family drove me crazy, huh?"
"Crazy, crazy!"
Yeah… Crazy…
Ugh… I want to have sex.
I set the little kid down from my arms.
"Let's go see if the food's ready."
"Food, food!"
While the administrators are gone, the girls and I will stay at this orphanage and take care of the kids.
I have more than enough money to feed them for years, so I'm not worried about finances.
I'll need to hire more people.
Ugh… When I built this orphanage, I thought hiring people to run it for me was enough, but now I realize I should've worked here myself for a while to learn how to treat orphans. Most of them are scared of me and don't come near.
… Ouch… What?
Before, I just enjoyed life and didn't care about others' opinions, but now… it hurts.
There are bad rumors about me, mostly false. They say I'm a rapist, an abuser, a murderer, a girlfriend-stealer… Well, that last one's half-true, half-false. If a woman offers herself to me, I accept, whether she's married or not. After all, if she's offering sex, it means she's already cheated on her partner. I'd just be another on her list, so I didn't feel guilty.
But most of the rumors are false. I've never hit a girlfriend. I've never raped anyone. Maybe I've sexually harassed a bit, but if they don't agree, I give up and don't keep pushing. And I don't kill innocents, only bandits.
I never cared about those rumors; I thought they weren't worth my time. But now they're affecting me.
… Ugh, no wonder Daniel killed me without hesitation. I seem like a bad person, huh?
"Hey, do you think I'm a bad person? Sure, my personality's a bit annoying, but… Am I evil?"
"You're a hewo!"
"… Ugh… Yeah, I wish that were true."
Sandra, little sister, am I enjoying life yet?
"Well… I'd say about 75%."
Women, sex, alcohol, food… I think I'm only missing kids to say I'm enjoying life 100%, but I won't have them, not now. The future could be a mess, and I don't want to put them in danger for a selfish decision. If the Demon King is defeated, I'll have kids. As long as he exists, I won't. I'm not going to screw up my kids' lives just to fulfill a personal desire.
"Mmm. Smells delicious."
I entered the kitchen and approached Cinriek, one of my girlfriends, who was cooking something tasty in a pot. The others are busy with other tasks… They're all helping prepare food… All of them…
While they were busy, I was wasting time with my thoughts… I'm trash.
"Hey, sweetie! Food'll be ready in five minutes."
"Thanks."
… They're weak; they only have one type of magic, and all they do on missions is collect monster hides and meat from what I kill.
They're not useful in fights… Ugh… Should I keep them around? If they're with me, they'll be in danger and could die. I'm one of the most famous adventurers in the country, maybe even the world. I'll definitely be a demon target.
I don't want innocent people dying because of me.
I can't be romantically involved with anyone right now… I'm sorry.
"Girls, we need to talk."
"What's wrong, love?"
"Is something up?"
… Even though most of our relationship is about sex, they care about me… They… love me… They were even willing to sleep with Daniel when I asked them to… I used them as objects to get Daniel on my side, yet they still care about me.
I thought they were only with me for my money and fame, but they really… care about me… They truly love me… They love me, and I saw them as mere sex toys.
Daniel, I really am a piece of trash, I admit it.
Mom, Dad… Sandra… What have I done?
… I don't deserve to be loved.
"I'm sorry. I want to end our relationship, both romantically and professionally. I'm dissolving the group. Thank you for everything."
"W-what?"
I don't deserve love, not until I mature as a person.
Thank you for everything… And sorry for everything.
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
(Central Town 3)
My companions and I are walking through the town together to get to know it better since we'll be staying here for a while.
The place is nice… Though they're a bit scared of me. People look away when they notice I see them staring. They treat me like an unknown monster, and I don't blame them.
Well, I'm pretty weird, so it's normal. I won't dwell on it too much; I don't have time to clear up this misunderstanding. I have too much to do.
First, there's the issue with the King, the rocks, the war, the demi-humans… Ugh, I have so much to discuss with this Kingdom's King.
My head hurts, but I have to keep going. Cris and Sonia's presence only adds to my problems and headaches, but there's nothing I can do about it. I have to keep them safe; they're the ones who need the most protection.
Ugh… Sonia, Cris… Keeping them safe will be tough, but it's a manageable situation.
Rose and her sister… Ugh, I still don't know what to think about them. I know perfectly well Rose wants to use me for something, but I don't have time to investigate.
Sandro… That adventurer… Setting aside the personality he's shown, he's powerful and very useful. If he were on my team, my survival odds would increase.
I still don't trust him, but I need to give him a second chance. I need to get to know him better before making a final decision.
For now, I'll talk to the King first.
"You guys find a place to sleep; I'm going to the castle to figure something out."
"You're going to see the King?" my grandma said.
"I just want to know something; I don't want to stay long with the King. I don't want to interrupt his reunion with his kids."
"Alright."
They probably have a lot to discuss, cry about, and hug over. It's sweet, but it'd be awkward to watch if I'm there, just getting in the way.
I'll stay a short time and then leave.
"Arches Nexus!"
I fly off.
King, you seem more polite and reasonable than the last King. Please don't disappoint me. I want to meet at least one trustworthy King in this world.
… Wait… A King… I brought his kids back… He has a daughter… I think his daughter likes me because she's kissed me a lot since we met… Ugh…
"I'll reject her without hesitation."
I don't care what the King offers me to marry his daughter; I won't accept. I won't marry her. We won't start as friends or anything like that. I won't give her any chance, and if she's powerful, I don't care; I won't marry her. If she helps me, it'll be as a friend, not a girlfriend.
I refuse to have a girlfriend, especially now that Sonia's in this world. Her presence just reminds me of her infidelity.
As long as she's here, my distrust will grow every day.
I'll never have a girlfriend again.
"Never."
•
•
King Freis's Castle
While Daniel heads to his meeting with the King, the other King, King Freis, is in serious trouble right now. The reason? Rose.
The King is kneeling before Rose, filled with terror, fear, and anguish, as he's about to lose his greatest weapon.
"Don't leave! I'll do anything, I'll give you whatever you ask! Want me to increase mineral collection? I'll do it!"
"I can't stand your nonsense anymore. I'm going to King Finder."
"That coward?!"
"Yes."
"Daniel's there, isn't he?! That's why you want to go?!"
"Yes, any problem? Come on, don't stay quiet, pig."
"You can't leave; we need you to fight the demi-humans! Our plans will go to hell if you leave!"
"I don't care anymore; I'm interested in something else now."
"Please!"
"No, goodbye."
Rose flies off through the window, leaving the King with his dignity in tatters.
It took the King over a decade to convince Rose to support his fight against the demi-humans. When he finally succeeded, Daniel appeared and stole Rose without even trying. Instead of feeling defeated and reconsidering his actions now that his greatest weapon is gone, the King's fury grew, and he let his negative emotions take control.
"Damn you, Daniel!!"
The King storms out of the room, his face red, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails tear into his palms, spilling blood on the floor with every step.
"Messenger!!"
The messenger, hearing the shout, sighs tiredly and runs to him.
"Do you need something, Your Majesty?"
"I need you to send this message to King Dreisi and King Ednoc: 'King Finder has a plan to avoid the fight against the demi-humans; he has really powerful adventurers, including Daniel. We need to act as soon as possible.'"
"I'll send it immediately. I'll take my leave."
The messenger runs off, leaving the King alone with his fury.
Desperate and fed up, he began destroying everything in his path, heedless of the value of the objects he smashed.
"Tch. Damn you, cousin!"
His daughter, watching from a distance, clasped her hands to pray as tears streamed down her cheeks and fell to the floor.
"God, please stop my father."
While the King lost control and succumbed to his rage, in King Finder's Kingdom, the King was about to receive major news.
"Your Majesty, the adventurer Daniel has arrived."
"Let him in!"
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
Ugh, I hope I'm not bothering him with my visit. It'll be quick; I don't want to disrupt his reunion too much. The sooner I get the information, the more time I'll have to plan how to handle it.
Two guards open the doors to the grand hall, and I enter. The place is elegant and refined… I don't like it… I don't belong here… My poor-person mentality is still with me.
Ugh, you'll get used to it little by little, Daniel. Little by little.
"Daniel, did you decide to stay for the party?! It's tonight! Want to eat something specific? Want anything special? I can get you whatever you want."
I like the King; he seems like a good person. His appearance is clean, and he seems kind. So different from the last King.
"No, I just want to know what the Kings are really planning."
"What do you mean?"
Kings don't have the luxury of wasting human lives fighting demi-humans. The real enemy is the demons. If the Kings are attacking the demi-humans, there's another reason… I don't think they're stupid enough to attack over mere differences in blood and appearance.
"Why do they want to fight the demi-humans? I don't believe they're fighting just out of hatred."
It's obvious. Demons are the villains; humans should fight them, not other living beings. There must be a hidden reason, and I confirmed it when I saw the serious expression the King gave when I mentioned it.
"Alright, I'll tell you. Follow me."
"I appreciate it."
We walk through the halls and enter a library.
"A long time ago, humans and demi-humans lived together. Discrimination and rejection drove the demi-humans to separate from humans and form their own country. Now the other Kings want to kill the demi-humans and conquer their country."
Yeah, that's obviously what happened, but why attack now? I heard they separated centuries ago. Why wait and attack only now?
"But why? Is there really no other reason?"
"In the country of Soular, there are rocks that increase a person's magical power if they touch them. The Kings want to get them to kill the demons."
Those famous rocks… They sound dangerous.
A rock that can boost magical power with a single touch… No wonder the demons are after them. With those rocks, they could definitely defeat whatever they want before conquering the world.
"Are the demons after the rocks too? Are they the same rocks the demons are looking for?"
"Of course, but they haven't been able to find them."
"And do the Kings know where they are?"
"No, that's why they sent an adventurer to Soular to investigate where they're hidden."
"An adventurer? Lina?"
"Yes… I believe the demi-humans don't deserve to be killed over some rocks. They've already suffered enough being treated as monsters."
… I really like you… You're different from the other King.
Hmm… The Kings know the demi-humans have the rocks, but the demons are still searching for them in human towns. Isn't the King a traitor? Well, I guess he just turned out to be an idiot.
The demi-humans have the rocks, and the demons don't know yet… I suppose.
Wow, wow. I see.
"I get it."
I think first I should… Huh? Oh, it's my phone.
My phone rings, and I pull it out. It's a call from Rose. Wow, wow.
"Rose?"
I answer and put the phone to my right ear.
"What's up, Rose? By the way, good afternoon. I hope you're doing well."
"Wow, wow. It really works over long distances. I'd like you to give me another phone so I can analyze it and figure out how it works. On another note, we need to talk; I'll be at King Finder's castle in a few hours."
Rose is coming?
"You're coming to King Finder's?"
"Yes, I need to talk to you."
"Sure, I'm with the King right now. Want me to tell him anything for you?"
"Great, I'll call you when I get there."
She hangs up, and I put my phone away. I guess she didn't want to talk to him.
"What's that?"
How many times will I have to explain this? Ugh…
"It's a phone; it basically lets you talk to people over long distances."
"Amazing! How does it work?!"
"I'll explain later. So, when are they planning to start this fight? In a few months? A year?"
"When Lina finds out where the rocks are."
So it all depends on her. Ugh, I'll have to find her.
"Well, I think I'll go to that country. I need to do something to stop this fight."
"I don't recommend it; the demi-humans hate humans. If they see you, they might try to attack you."
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll be friendly if I'm friendly. I'm definitely going."
And I won't go disguised; I'll go as is, in my normal clothes. I want Daniel, the human, to stop the fight. I won't trick the demi-humans by wearing fake ears or a tail, because if they discover my lie, they'll never trust me again.
"When are you planning to go?"
"Maybe in a week; I want to go alone, so I need to earn enough money for my companions to stay in a house."
"Do you need a house? I have an empty one in the noble town; maybe your companions would like to stay there. It's quite comfortable."
"Noble town? What's that?"
"That's what we call the place where the nobles live."
"The houses around the castle? They live there?"
"Yes."
"… Why?"
"Honestly… I don't know. It's always been that way. Not all nobles live here, but many do. Mainly engaged nobles, who live together to strengthen their relationships, and some nobles force their kids to live here to find a partner."
"I see, not everyone's forced to marry."
"Sometimes. If they don't find a partner after ten years, one's chosen for them."
Ugh… Fifteen years would've been better. When I was ten, I was still playing in the dirt, pretending to fight aliens, not thinking about love or women… Well, yeah, I liked Sonia, but I prioritized fun.
Ugh, what memories of my childhood. I remember I loved imagining I was fist-fighting a completely black-skinned alien. Ugh, such nostalgia.
… Arghhh! Daniel, you don't have time to reminisce about your childhood! Get back to the main topic.
This place is different from fairy tales… It's weird, but also interesting.
"It's a bad name, no offense."
"Don't worry. We haven't changed it because we're used to it."
"Thank you so much for the house; I really appreciate it."
"I'm the one who should be grateful; you revived my children and now want to help stop this fight. You're truly a great adventurer."
"No problem, don't worry."
"Will you stay for the party? Please, at least for a few hours."
Ugh, he said "please"… W-well… I guess I can stay a bit. I want my grandma to have some fun and get more used to this world.
"I suppose I can stay. By the way, let me warn you about something. I promised myself I'd always stay single and never have a girlfriend or get married. Don't waste your time trying to convince me to marry your daughter, because I'll leave for another country forever if you keep insisting."
The King turned pale at my threat, confirming that his daughter already asked him to convince me to marry her. Fufu. Sorry, but I already knew your intentions, Molly.
"T-that's fine. Ugh, it'll be hard to convince my daughter to give up. She was even going to propose to you at the party in front of everyone."
"Please stop her from doing that, because I'll reject her no matter the setting. I won't give in to social pressure."
And trust me, I'm used to girls asking me out in front of crowds, hoping I'll cave to social pressure, and they always fail.
Ugh… I need to relax. A dangerous mission is about to begin.
Demi-humans… I hope I don't have too many problems with them.
We leave the library, and I notice the girl with the creepy smile was eavesdropping, standing at the door, waiting for us.
She scared me at first, but I decided to ignore the fear and keep going. I shouldn't judge by appearances. Maybe she's a good person, and her immense power is what's scaring me. I shouldn't judge her without knowing her.
"You're going to Soular?! Let me come with you!"
I get a bad feeling again… Am I scared? No… This feeling is different… Nostalgia… I think I know her… This is weird… She feels familiar.
Ugh, whatever.
"No, I'm going alone, and eavesdropping is rude."
I walk away from her and whisper to the King.
"Who is she?"
"She's an S-rank adventurer; she's my bodyguard."
"I see… Is she always so weird?"
"She's just impressed with you; don't be scared of her."
"Huh? You're scared of me? Fufu. A beautiful girl like me scares you?" the girl said.
She approaches me with that creepy smile, and I step back in fear.
"Just a little. King, my companions and I will be here tonight. Bye."
I run out of there… There are some really weird people in this world. I need to get used to it.
•
•
After Daniel left, the girl laughed a bit and licked the palm of her hand.
"Kei Molfer. It's been a while. Fufu. You got hotter, huh? Not complaining. Much better for me," she said to herself, quietly.