ALL NOVEL Chapter 5
I entered Lucius’s house and listened to his explanation.
“This place is one of the towns in the ‘Virgo Kingdom,’ which is one of the twelve countries on the Zodiac continent.”
“Virgo Kingdom, huh.”
I remembered it as a place I had conquered about half of while reigning as the Demon King 500 years ago. During the process of ruling the kingdom, I brutally killed many of those who resisted and used them as material for necromancers.
“I’d never just kill anyone, regardless of being a king.”
Why would I kill the excellent slaves that humans make? I’d just rule over them and have them work for me. Just passing a token rank to one of them to control the others worked pretty well.
A country where half of the kingdom became the Demon King’s slaves.
I remember it that way.
“How nostalgic.”
“Um, excuse me…”
Lucius was fidgeting in the chair meant for guests, looking at me like a puppy wanting to go out.
“What? I saved you from the water, so I said I wouldn’t question you.”
“I actually have a really curious question, if I may?”
“What is it?”
“Who are you?”
Who am I? That’s a rather difficult question to answer. If I said that the Demon King Bel Phegor, who caused a ruckus in the human world 500 years ago, had been summoned back to the surface and was now moving around possessed in the body of a female undead, my head would surely roll off.
No matter how nice-looking this young man appears, the name Demon King Bel Phegor…
“Demon King Bel Phegor.”
“!!”
His face went pale immediately. Through his expression, I was assured that the news passed among the demons I had encountered in the Intermediate Realm was not false. The continent still fears me.
“Do you know?”
“Ah, everyone knows. It’s someone you shouldn’t dare call by name…”
“Is that so? Well, 500 years ago, all humans were shouting ‘Bel Phegore, that bastard!'”
“…Really?”
Now is the time. I crossed my legs casually. Just breathing with one slime’s magic stone drained my mana, so crossing my legs alone consumed it, but if I could deceive Lucius with this mana, it would be worth it.
“I am a witch.”
“A witch…?”
“Yes. A witch who lived 500 years ago. I sealed myself to prepare for the world’s dangers.”
“Are you saying your seal has been broken and you’ve come back?”
“Exactly.”
Perfect!
Lucius wasn’t the type who would understand without detailed explanations one by one. For someone living in such a remote village, I was impressed by how sharp his mind was.
‘First, my fondness for him began when he offered me a bed.’
Seeing him take the guest chair while making me sit on the cushiony bed showed his considerate nature.
“The breaking of my seal means that somewhere the Demon King has been summoned. The continent is in danger.”
“T-that can’t be…”
“Don’t worry. I came back for that reason. However…”
Wobble.
I tried to stand up, but lost strength in my legs. I stopped supplying mana down to my lower body for a moment, and like an undead groaning in the dungeon, I slumped back onto the bed.
“I fell for it. I was cursed by dark sorcerers. I lost during a battle.”
“Y-you lost?!”
Not that I lost. But claiming I lost would earn me more goodwill for the dramatic situation. Lucius had to realize the world was in danger for him to help me.
“What kind of curse was it?”
“The curse of the undead. To suppress the curse, I need a magic stone. By any chance…”
I lowered my head, making sure my chin wasn’t visible, hands gently clasped around my thighs, and shoulders hunched inward. And with an added sprinkle of humiliation needing to ask a mere human for help, I spoke.
“…Do you have any magic stones?”
As I half-closed my eyes like a seductress among the demon kings, I asked Lucius.
“Ah, well, I have some I got while hunting.”
“…….”
He was intentionally holding back. I just blinked, waiting for Lucius to say something.
“Wait a moment.”
Lucius began rummaging through the table beside the bed. I sat on the bed, observing him closely.
‘Nice body.’
He called himself a hunter, and he had the physique of a proper warrior. If he were merely hunting beasts, his muscles would be flexible and shaped by daily life, but Lucius had the build of a ‘warrior’ who wields and swings weapons.
‘So, he’s a monster hunter?’
If hunting wasn’t for ordinary beasts but for magical beasts, that would make sense. But that’s not quite right, as this house was full of signs of hunting regular animals instead.
From the deer antlers hanging on the wall to the cushions made from animal pelts and the equipment for tanning leather.
“I found it. Here.”
While I pondered over his identity, Lucius handed me three magic stones.
“Thank you. I’ll definitely repay your kindness.”
The words “I owe you” nearly slipped out, but knowing I’d likely die the next day with the slime’s magic stone I had, I gratefully accepted the magic stones.
“Oh no, it’s just a small thing. You can just use it.”
He didn’t consider it a debt. But Lucius waved his hands bashfully, pretending it was nothing.
Damn it, is the Demon King really supposed to thank someone for just three goblin-grade magic stones?
‘Still, this should last me a week.’
I firmly held the magic stones in both hands. Then, I brought them close to my heart and focused all my mental energy.
‘Absorb.’
Using the principle of osmosis, I forcibly drew the mana from the magic stones. The mana in the stones quickly burst forth into my heart, and the crystals in my hands crumbled like powder.
Gently.
‘One week of life extended.’
I extended my life by a week with this. Of course, if I did nothing and just breathed for a week, it would work; however, using any magic in between would simply turn me into an undead.
“Is that perhaps….”
“…Yeah, it’s the process of neutralizing the curse.”
I showed off the remnants of the crumbled magic stone with self-pity.
“I have no choice. To survive, I have to do this.”
“Witch, um…”
Lucius knelt on one knee with a serious face and met my gaze.
“I’ll help you with everything I can. Please take me under your wing.”
Yes, that’s it, Lucius. You should be desperate to help me right away.
“Why?”
Of course, I would bounce back once. With my arms crossed, I raised my head again. The air was filled with pride, different from when receiving the magic stones, but once Lucius took a submissive posture, the conversation shifted.
“Thanks for the help. But asking me to take you in? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“What will you do, Witch?”
“Well…”
I met Lucius’s gaze. I could sense his yearning through his eyes.
A vigorous young man. An ordinary village. A sturdy body. Someone wanting to become a warrior.
And now, in front of him appeared a mysterious being. A girl (for now) weakened by curses from dark entities.
The witch must now embark on a journey to save humanity.
To seal the Demon King.
Then, would Lucius want to end his life as just a village lad who helped a witch?
“I should leave. To seal the Demon King.”
“I will help the Witch! I want to assist you in saving the world’s peace!”
“And so, I must take you in?”
“Please!”
Boom!
Lucius knelt before me, and the intensity in the air felt like he’d take his own life if I didn’t comply.
“I’ll do anything!”
“I’m curious now. Why do you want to follow me?”
“Well…”
There’s lots of benefits for me in taking in Lucius. But if there’s any sinister desire within him, I cannot take him in.
If Lucius had strange thoughts, it might be better to kill him and use his body as an undead or gamble on switching bodies into his.
“Be honest. Why would you want to travel with this cursed witch to seal the Demon King?”
“Well…”
“Speak plainly. You can’t come with me unless you do. Your true feelings.”
“…I want to repay my grandfather who took me in.”
It’s an old tale starting from there. Tired of the boring tales of humans—
“If I can give my life to save the world, I will.”
“…….”
I speculated various things about Lucius’s true intentions.
One: Ambition. ‘I’ll become a hero and be renowned!’
Two: Greed. ‘I’ll be a hero who slayed the Demon King and gain immense wealth!’
Three: Lust. ‘I’ll follow the witch and secretly ravish her!’
Four: Bravado. ‘A lady’s in danger; a man must help!’
Five: Boredom. ‘I can’t die in such a backwater town! Ending my life as a villager would be awful!’
“Is that really how you feel?”
“Embarrassingly, yes.”
“Looks like we have a hero here.”
“…For me to be called a hero is rather humble, but even a person as modest as I can do something for the world.”
But all of that was negated through Lucius’s pure ‘true feelings’.
“I will do my best in everything. For the world.”
This guy is a prime example of an extreme pushover.
“It’ll be harsh. You might die. I won’t take responsibility. I could abandon you while fighting for my own sake. Are you okay with that?”
“…If it’s for the world.”
“Pass.”
“What?”
“Thank you in advance.”
A sense of justice. The perfect existence to make use of as my subordinate.
“First, should I see if you can properly carry out my orders? I’ll give you a task.”
I pointed to the way we had come.
“Bring me five magic stones. Slime or goblin, go hunt them down by yourself and bring them back.”
“I’ll go right now!”
Lucius beamed with a wide smile, gathered his gear, and left. I closed the door behind him, waving goodbye as I lay back on the bed.
‘How comfortable and nice it is, lying down and having magic stones appear.’
I’ve acquired a good slave.
“That kind of guy would make a perfect hero.”
To hide my identity.
“…Hehe, brace yourself, Zephar.”
I’ll directly raise a hero to go seek revenge.