Chapter 33: The Cycle of Tragedy·Come with Me!
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Frank saw Ash's confused expression and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Haha! I knew you'd have that expression, but... I wasn't lying to you. You're absolutely right."
"...Stop speaking in riddles. Can't you just be direct?" Ash felt his patience was nearly gone.
At this, Frank calmed down and began to explain slowly:
"It's a long story. First of all... when you were a general of the human race, what you despised most was using children as cannon fodder, forcing them onto the battlefield. So, there were no children in your army, right?"
"What's wrong with that? Is there a problem?"
"I hate that practice, too."
"Well, You are hero, after all, so that's understandable."
"But I'm just a hero."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"So, I can't change that." Frank, who had just been laughing, now clenched his hands unconsciously. His words were heavy with helpless sadness.
"Even if we defeat the Demon King, or even if we eliminate all the demons, this situation won't change. As long as humans exist, human nations will continue using this method of warfare. At least in the future that I can see, it won't change."
"If anything, once the demon threat is gone, the internal conflicts among humans will become even more vicious, Don't you think so?"
"That's right, your judgment is quite accurate."
"...Do I even need to say it? It's pretty obvious if you think about it."
Compared to the humans he'd known before, Ash thought the humans in this world seemed more ruthless.
At least in the ancient times he remembered, there hadn't been an era where most of the nations agreed, either directly or tacitly, to send their own children into battle as expendable fodder.
But here, in this world, even in the southern nations, which weren't directly threatened by demons, children were often sent into internal wars with only basic equipment. They were treated as cannon fodder and tools for psychological warfare. It was so commonplace that it had become a staple tactic, not just against demons but even among humans themselves.
This made Ash wonder if these humans were truly the same as those he once knew.
Why would their leaders collectively adopt such foolish, inefficient, and heartless strategies? Did they not understand that children were the potential of the future? Or did they simply not care? Were the nobles and kings here so short-sighted and lacking in decency? Was this a form of societal decline?
Still, he couldn't be overly concerned with the customs of the world's nations. Discussing the evils of the world while standing on a village road made him feel like he was back in modern times, talking about global issues next to a street vendor. It was... surreal.
...
The conversation had abruptly expanded to cover the entire world, leaving Ash's expression slightly uneasy.
But Frank remained uncharacteristically serious. While Ash debated whether to redirect the discussion, Frank pressed on:
"The wars between humans won't cease just because we've defeated the demons. In fact, the conflict will only intensify until a single unified nation emerges. Only then will there be a temporary calm."
"Haa..." Ash exhaled with a mix of fatigue and frustration. "A hero can't raise his sword against his own kind, huh? After all, you're just a hero, not a king, so you can't change these things. Is that what you're getting at?"
"That's exactly it. I can't change any of this. Even when it happens right in front of me, I can hardly intervene. This isn't the world I envisioned... But I'm just a hero. You, however, are different."
At the end of his speech, Frank finally revealed his true purpose: he hoped Ash would become a restraining force over the nations.
Frank wanted Ash to use violence as a deterrent, to prevent countries from sending children to their deaths.
If possible, I would gather the demons and the northern countries, then gradually rule the world, becoming the co-ruler of both humans and demons. Only then could the world truly return to peace—and finally break the cycle of tragedy.
Yes, a tragic cycle.
I don't know if this world is merely a game to the goddess. Every so often, a new demon king appears to threaten humanity with the destruction of the world, forcing new heroes to rise and save it over and over again.
The holy sword, bestowed by the goddess, can sometimes be drawn by someone, and sometimes not, but the outcome never changes.
There is always a threat of world destruction, and there is always someone who steps up to save it. But inevitably, there's always the next cycle of destruction and salvation, as if invisible rules govern both sides. Neither can truly destroy the other, but every so often, they will massacre one another.
The reason he didn't choose humans was simple—Frank had no choice.
He was a hero, and a hero would never kill humans.
It's not just his identity that restricts him—his own morals wouldn't allow it. He couldn't support humans to become rulers, and human kingdoms wouldn't grant a hero any real authority either.
At least, not in this world. Heroes here had no rights. At most, they received a bit of financial support and some freedom in their actions, but human laws would still bind them tightly.
To Frank, Ash was a very unusual demon—nearly immortal, unbound by the restrictions of laws and morals, yet possessing a morality that most nobles did not.
This realization solidified for Frank after he had seen firsthand the horrors of child soldiers at war. He knew he had to stop such atrocities at any cost and eradicate them from the world.
After listening to Frank, Ash wasn't sure how to respond. It felt like the scope of their conversation had suddenly expanded far beyond what he'd expected:
"...Even if you say that, how are you going to help me? You're going to become a hero, right? And you don't want to end up a criminal to humans, right?"
"Exactly, so I can't help you in that regard. But what I can do is train you in a way that's best suited for you."
"But I..."
"I know you have plenty of knowledge as a magician, and you already have a very powerful magic teacher, but you're still lacking when it comes to being a warrior."
"...You even know that?" At this point, Ash was no longer shocked, but rather starting to feel numb to Frank's knowledge.
"And I can see the future. That means I can tell you all the lessons you'll spend years figuring out on your own, as well as the shortcuts you haven't yet discovered. While I wish I could teach you to see the future too, it's not something that can be passed on just because I want to teach it. Otherwise, demons and humans alike would already be able to foresee the future. But I can still help you become the strongest magician and warrior in the world."
"...You can really do that?"
"Of course! As the future's strongest hero of the South, I can make this promise to you—join me, my friend!"
With those confident words, Frank suddenly stood up and extended his hand toward Ash, his heroism seeming far beyond his years.
However, Ash stared at the hand, tilting his head slightly, lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that the gap between this situation and what he had imagined was just too vast.