Editors: Sebas Tian, Speedphoenix, Joker
"What… exactly is the meaning of this?"
I stopped glaring in the direction the demon had flown off in and turned back around to face the room once I heard the king's voice break the silence that accompanied the unexpected situation.
The caster that had manipulated and quite literally taken control of the prince had left the area, so his spell had been undone. Without anyone to maintain control of it, the prince's corpse had collapsed, fallen to the floor unmoving. There were still a few blades stuck in his side. But as he was a corpse, very little blood leaked from the prince's wounds.
Confused and filled with grief, the king kneeled before his son's remains. The prince was no longer the son that he had once known, but he took him in his arms and stared in shock nonetheless. His boy had passed, seemingly before his very eyes.
Likewise, the soldiers loyal to the prince stared in confusion. Like the king, they were unable to follow the series of events that had led to their leader's collapse. Even the rescue squad was stupefied, but they soon recovered and got back to work. They disarmed all the prince's soldiers and rounded them up. The men quietly obeyed and displayed no further resistance. They knew that a counteroffensive was impossible without their leader, the man that had provided them a banner under which they could rally.
"Well, king." I moved over to the country's ruler as I spoke to him. "It looks like someone was pulling your son's strings. Literally."
"All this time…?" His voice trembled with regret as he slowly tore his gaze from the man that was once his heir and turned it upon me. I could see in his eyes that his heart was filled with lament, that he was blaming himself for everything that had happened.
"Probably." But I answered him in my usual tone nonetheless.
"I do not deserve to call myself a father." He closed his eyes. "I noticed that he had changed. I saw the signs. I knew that something was wrong, and yet, I did nothing. I failed to truly understand what it was that my son was plagued by. Not until the day that I saw him fall before my very eyes."
"Your Majesty…" Nell tried to comfort the king. Her voice was filled with an empathetic sorrow that gave way to her intentions, but she couldn't quite seem to find the right words.
"I am sorry, Riutt…" The king turned his gaze back towards his son, closed his eyes, and began to run his hand through the boy's hair. "I should have known that you were suffering. As your father, I should have been able to protect you from all the hardship you were forced to endure. And yet, I failed you. I'm sorry, Riutt. I'm so sorry…"
The rest of us remained silent as we watched the king, the father bring his son's remains to his chest and quietly sob as he mourned his loss.
***
The whole civil war fought between the two factions came to a rather smooth end. The leader of the prince's faction, which was obviously none other than the prince himself, had ended up turning into a lifeless corpse. With their leader gone, the nobles that supported him were thrown into a state of confusion and disorder. It didn't take long for those within the capital to be rounded up and brought to justice. That said, not all of the prince's supporters had even been present to begin with. Some were still holed up in their territories, but whatever the case, their heads were sure to fly off their shoulders in the near future. Literally. My condolences. RIP.
After his release from prison, the king was once again reinstated as the country's ruler and placed at its helm. Honestly, a part of me was surprised that he had agreed to it. He had seemed so depressed that I thought he was about to just go ahead and off himself. However, he seemed to have resolved himself shortly after. The king knew that ending his own life and leaving the country without a head of state would be irresponsible, and he seemed to believe that he would have no right to visit his son's grave lest he ensured that the country was restored to a state of stability. Only after seeing through his duty would the king reconsider handing off the crown.
As the incident had caused many heads to fly, the parliament had ended up with a large number of empty seats, seats that found themselves ultimately filled by members of the church. The privilege was granted to them as a result of the major part they played in the king's rescue. The fact that the church had ended up as a much larger part of the political landscape likely meant that everything had gone according to plan. Its newfound political influence in turn meant that the church would ultimately end up being a much more significant force overall. Wow. They sure are ambitious for a bunch of clergymen. Whatever happened to men of the cloth being modest and stuff?
And that was just about how the aftermath went. Personally though, I felt as if most of my effort had been flushed right down the drain. Of course, it wasn't as if I had gained literally nothing, but I still wasn't all that happy about the way the situation had turned out. Finding out that the prince wasn't my only concern had tilted me, especially since it happened right when I felt like I had just brought everything to an end. Like seriously, gimme a break. What is this? Some manga for teenage boys where a new, more powerful antagonist shows up at the end of every arc? Yeah, no thanks. Nothing could possibly be more obnoxious.
The one saving grace was that said new antagonist probably didn't know who I was. My race still said human, and I'd been wearing a mask the whole time. It was unlikely that he, or anyone else for that matter, would come to learn my true identity. I was confident that the dungeon would remain out of harm's way, that I would be able to enjoy a period of peace. Man, I know I was the one to insist on wearing it and everything, but honestly, I didn't expect it to prove this useful.
And it wasn't like I hadn't learned anything about the demon that masterminded the incident either. I was informed that he was some sort of fiend. Analyze did tell me the race's full name, but it was too long so I'd forgotten exactly what it was. But either way, the fact that he was a fiend meant that he was indeed a demon.
His skills included Brainwashing and Necromancy. There was also a whole bunch of other stuff that made him seem like a fairly effective spy. His skill page alone was, in fact, enough to determine that he was the type to engage in devious ploys.
Apparently, the demon had come into the prince's service as a minister several years ago and the two had been seen working together quite often ever since. Which means he probably slowly brainwashed him over time, and then used necromancy to turn him into a literal puppet when he felt like it was time to put the icing on the cake.
In other words, the prince most likely hadn't actually sent troops our way just because he happened to be greedy and ambitious. Chances were, the demon had wanted the humans to bother Lefi so she would return the favour by completely obliterating the country in retaliation. It fit well with the whole destroying the country from the inside out thing that he had going on given his whole two-factioned civil war and whatnot, but it wasn't exactly the type of plan I could approve of. What the hell. Lefi isn't a tool. You can't just use her to kill people goddammit. I'll not forget this, demon. I'll remember everything you've done and pay you back with interest. Just you wait.
There was something about the whole puppet prince scenario that bothered me. It was the fact that it so closely resembled the scenario we'd run into back in that town in the sticks. But, unlike the fake minister, the overly suspicious ringleader I had captured back then was human. Their methods were the same, and so were their powers. The only difference between them were their races. There were far too many similarities for it to be a coincidence.
Thinking back, the guy had asked me why a demon like me was interfering with his plan. I had taken it as him wondering why a demon would bother saving a human town, but the fresh perspective that this incident had brought me made me think that may not be the case. It could have been him asking why one of his supposed allies was getting in his way.
It seemed that there was a group of humans that bore some sort of connection to a similarly minded group of demons. Of course, there was always the possibility that I was just making too much out of a coincidence, but I didn't think so. Something was up. I just knew it. Ughhh… This is awful. Why the hell am I stuck thinking up conspiracies again? Y'know what? Screw this, I'm done. I love unravelling sinister plots like this when it comes to games and stuff, but doing it in real life is just a huge pain in the ass. So yeah, no. I'mma just call it a day and stop.
I wanted to hurry back to the dungeon so I could kick back and relax. There's no place like home. Home sweet home. Something happened to latch onto my waist right as I entertained the thought of ending my stay.
"Mr. Hero!"
Upon looking down, I found myself greeted by the princess' smiling face, which prompted me to turn my gaze back towards her father.
"I'm glad to see that she's all better now."
"As am I," agreed the king. "Her health and glee are both a result of your efforts. You have my thanks."
The three of us were currently in a room without any guards or servants present. It was just me, the king, and his daughter. Our current situation was likely a result of the king showing me his consideration. He knew that I wouldn't be able to speak without reserve otherwise. Just goes to show how much he trusts me, I guess. I mean, I get it. I literally saved you, but don't you think you're being a bit too careless? Not that I mind, since it makes my life easier, but you know.
"Mr. Hero, Mr. Hero!" The princess looked up excitedly as she called for me.
"What's up?"
"Why are you wearing that mask?"
"Well, princess…"
"Can you please call me by my name instead?"
"Uhhhh… sure, I guess? What is it?"
"Iryll!"
"Errr. Alright, Iryll. Anyways, you see, I'm not actually a hero. I'm an evil demon lord, one chock full of malicious intent. Wearing this mask is my way of making sure no one finds out. See these wings? Aren't they just terrifying?" I materialized both pairs of wings while speaking in a sinister tone, just to scare her. I could tell that she was starting to get attached to me, and for some odd reason, my sixth sense was practically screaming at me. I could feel chills running down my spine. They were telling me that letting it happen was a bad idea, and that I should avoid it at all costs.
But for some odd reason, my plan totally backfired.
"Wow!" The girl's eyes began to sparkle as she looked upon my demonic features. "They're awesome! You're really cool Mr. Heroic Demon Lord!"
Welp. Sorry sixth sense. I think I just fucked up.
"So, if you're a Demon Lord, does that mean you're going to kidnap me?"
"Huh? What? Why would I?"
"Because that's what the demon lords always do in stories!" said the princess enthusiastically.
"Uh huh…"
"So please do exactly that and kidnap me!"
"Err… uhh… Suuuuuuure, if I ever feel like it, I guess."
"Yay! I can't wait!"
I smiled awkwardly before turning back towards the king.
"So uhhh, yeah, you might want to stop grinning like a moron and do something about this daughter of yours. She's at risk of being kidnapped by an evil demon lord, y'know?"
"Why, that's terrible." The king laughed in an over dramatic manner. "I suppose I should prepare a handkerchief so that I may weep as I watch you "forcibly" take her hand."
Bruh, what the hell!?
"Now now, Iryll. I'm sure you would love to continue being in his company, but this isn't quite the time for it." The king, who'd spent a good bit of time happily smiling as he watched me interact with his daughter, spoke in an admonishing tone. "The two of us have business to attend to. Could you please wait in another room?"
"Of course, father." Iryll responded in a polite manner one would expect of a princess before turning back towards me and completely dropping it. "I guess that means I gotta go! See you later, Mr. Demon Lord!"
She continued to rapidly alternate between her more polite and casual modes. Iryll performed a polite curtsy, pitter-pattered over to the door, waved energetically, and closed it behind her.
As could be grasped from her words, the nickname she had ultimately decided on giving me was "Mr. Demon Lord." There were a number of other contenders, many of which included the word heroic, but she had ultimately dropped it and just called me by what I was.
"I am overjoyed to see her in such high spirits," the king spoke in a low tone of voice as he watched her go.
"Yeah. Honestly, I'm surprised she's like that," I said. "Acting like that takes guts with all she's been through."
The princess had been subject to torture at the hands of a perverted sadist. I highly doubted that any normal child would ever be able to smile again after suffering at the aforementioned pedophile's hands. And yet, despite her experiences, Iryll had almost seemed like a ball of joy. Talk about mental fortitude.
"I must express my gratitude to you once more," said the king, his voice filled with emotion. "You are the sole reason that my daughter was not robbed of her smile. And for that, I thank you."
"Don't mention it. Like I said, I wasn't there 'cause I wanted to help or anything." I shrugged. "I was just taking care of business."
"That does not change my stance on the matter." The king shrugged off my indifference. "You have saved my country. I suppose that I must offer you something akin to a token of my gratitude. Is there anything you wish for? I will endeavour to accommodate your desires so long as I find myself capable."
"Hmmm. I dunno."
I hadn't saved the king because I had wanted anything in particular. My goal, murdering the prince, was complete. And that was honestly all I really cared for. The king owes me big time. It's probably safe to say that I won't be bothered by any more of this country's men so long as he stays in power. Not like there's any reason for them to hit up the Wicked Forest anyway. They're afraid of Lefi, and they know that place is her nest. We should be able to enjoy a good bit of peace so long as there aren't any more conspiracies. Y'know what though? I might as well get me some insurance.
"Alright. Well, all I want is for intruders to stay the hell out of my territory. So how about you tell people that the deeper part of the Wicked Forest is off limits? I don't mind if they enter it, but only if they don't wander too far in"
Adventurers had explored the area near the forest's edge on several occasions. And I was fine with that. The only people I had a problem with were the people that ignored the invisible boundaries set by adventurers and dove straight into the Wicked Forest's depths.
"Consider it done," said the king. "Truth be told, your request merits little change. The Wicked Forest has always been considered a place far outside the reach of human hands. To accommodate your request, however, I will see to the creation of documents stating that none should intrude upon it and violate your domain unless they wish to forfeit their lives."
"I mean, works for me, but you sure you want to make it official? Can't say I think it's the best idea." I asked the king for confirmation while raising an eyebrow.
Putting it into writing meant that the king and I would have created a formal contract, a fact that would likely prove problematic. Of course, it wasn't as if either of us intended on violating the contract's terms. It was just that I was a demon lord, a breed of creatures known for being hostile not only to humans, but most other races as well. His decision would likely result in others calling his character into question should it ever become known to the public.
"That is not an issue. The document will remain highly classified and only accessible by those with royal blood," said the king. "If anything, I suppose I should be the one asking you whether or not you are certain. I believe that a large portion of the Wicked Forest falls under the Supreme Dragon's jurisdiction. I understand that you are a force to be reckoned with, but I suspect it may very well eliminate you should you intrude upon its nest."
"Nah, it'll be fine. Me and the Supreme Dragon know each other. We've already talked about it and figured things out."
'Cause, you know, she kinda lazes around my place all day. I had actually spoken to Lefi about the topic in the past, and she'd told me that she did in fact have a nest at one point in time, but that she had effectively abandoned it and given me the whole area. With the king's new policy in place, the Wicked Forest's inner sanctum truly became mine, both in name and otherwise.
That said, the dungeon had yet to absorb the entirety of Lefi's territory. There were still a few pieces of it here and there that lay outside the realm of my control. I guess me and Rir can go around adding more area to the dungeon for the first time in a long while once we get back. Er, after I grind a few levels, that is.
"You are acquainted with the Supreme Dragon…?" The king cocked an eyebrow. "I would think that claim to be one spoken in jest if it had come from anyone but you. But given your place of residence, I suppose I find it believable enough. Very well, if you have no qualms or complaints, then I see no reason for me to have any either. I will have all the documents in order shortly. Is that all?"
"Uhhhh let's see… you guys got like travel authorizations or anything? I like to go sightseeing, so I would like some sort of document that can allow me to go around the country and visit wherever. You know, for vacation and stuff," I said. Like a free pass or something. That'd be nice.
It wasn't like I didn't have an ID card. I'd gotten something back when I registered as an adventurer, but I figured that whatever the king would give me would likely prove far more convenient in the long run. It would be much easier for me to take the dungeon's residents into town if I happened to have something with a royal seal on it.
"That is quite the interesting request," said the king. "I would not mind providing you with one, but I cannot say that it will necessarily function the way you hope. Humans and demons have been at war for a long, long time. A mutual dislike is all but ingrained in our upbringings, and though I am this country's king, I cannot guarantee that you will not be attacked if you reveal your identity."
"Yeah, I figured. It should be fine though. I've got my methods," I said. "I won't be causing any trouble."
I wasn't making an empty claim. Case in point, the church. The church had yet to realize that I was a demon despite the fact that I had spent a decent amount of time in the company of its members. My methods worked. I could disguise myself as a human with ease. However, the same couldn't be said for Illuna, Shii, or the maids. My experiences indicated that people would actively employ enchanted items in order to check the races of those around them. I guess I'll need to think of some kind of workaround.
The goal was to bring everyone so that we could all enjoy our vacation together. Especially Illuna and Shii. I want to give the two of them a chance to see the world. Though uhhhh… I'm not exactly sure if I can do all that much to help Shii out though. She's kinda, you know, blue. Oh well, whatever. I'll figure something out eventually.
"If you say so," said the king. "I suppose I will have that prepared for you shortly as well."
"Sweet. Thanks. How long do you think it'll take?"
"I will have it ready in approximately an hour." The king paused for a moment and regarded me with evident disappointment. "Were you planning to leave immediately? I would have liked for you to stay for dinner, at the very least."
"I mean, I appreciate the sentiment, but truth be told, I've got someone waiting for me outside the city's walls, and I probably shouldn't just leave him there."
"I see no reason why I shouldn't extend that companion of yours an invitation as well."
"Well uhhh… you see, about that… It's kinda my pet wolf," I said. "Well, kinda. He's not really a wolf. He's a fenrir, and I'm pretty sure that you'd probably not want a fenrir in the castle. You know. Just sounds like that'd be pushing things a bit far."
"Well… putting the fact that you so casually mentioned keeping a legendary beast as a pet aside, I believe it shouldn't cause any issues. Many adventurers are monster tamers and they are allowed to bring their beasts into cities so long as they register them beforehand."
"Huhhh… fair enough."
I wanted to hurry back to the dungeon, but truth be told, I was kind of interested in taking a peek or two at the food. I mean, whoever's responsible is literally going to be making stuff fit for a king, right? Can you really blame a guy for wondering what that stuff's like?
The king immediately caught onto the fact that I was entertaining the thought and followed up his assault by playing a card he'd held onto just to put the nail in the coffin.
"I suspect that some may begin to call my dignity into question should I send the country's saviour home without any sort of formal celebration. And that may in turn lead them to question my right to rule. I am sure you would prefer for that not to occur," said the king. "And more importantly, Iryll has been looking forward to it. I am sure that she would be rather saddened if you chose not to attend."
"Did you seriously just call me the country's saviour? Talk about an over exaggeration…" I sighed. "Let me guess… you're totally just trying to keep me here for your daughter's sake, right?"
"I'm surprised you didn't notice sooner," chuckled the king. "Don't worry. While it will be a feast, I will keep it on the smaller side and only invite a select few."
"Alright. Fine. I guess I'll stay for dinner." I flashed a wry smile as I gave in and responded with a nod.