Chapter 94
Although I was kicked out when I was ten.
Anyway, I was born and raised here, an honorary Gaian.
As such, I roughly understood the common sense of Gaians. In addition to that, I also knew how the people here perceived Demons.
If a Manifestor is a time bomb about to explode, a Demon is an already exploded bomb.
A disaster that mercilessly slaughters humans like a spreading wildfire. An embodiment of violence that cannot be reasoned with.
Actually, that wasn't too far off the mark.
History itself proved it. Wasn't history stained with blood whenever they appeared?
Not only that, but the Demons that have recently appeared, while varying in degree, were similar in their indiscriminate attacks on people.
Honestly, I also believed that the correct answer was to eliminate all Demons.
No, it's beyond belief, it's a conviction. They were clearly my enemies, and obviously a different race from humans.
In my mind, Demons are all evil bastards like that Seere asshole.
“In short, this place is so boring and tedious. If I could at least eat and drink to my heart's content, it would be fine, but I can't even do that…”
But what is this…?
What is it that’s clinging to me and continuing to complain?
At least the ones I know try to look imposing, but this one… feels somewhat pathetic.
“Of course, I was prepared for this…! Rather than dealing with the annoying power struggles in the Demon World, I thought it might be easier to just come to the human world and expand my influence… I thought it would be alright to be imprisoned for a while, like a vacation.”
The reason for this situation is simple.
As I thought before, I went out briefly to check the weather and came back.
And she was apparently so touched by the fact that I returned that she grabbed me and started chattering non-stop.
“But I didn't know it would take this long…!”
“Hmm, I see…”
For several hours, no less.
It seemed like she needed someone to talk to after being alone for so long.
According to her, she sometimes summoned Demon Beasts to relieve her boredom, but they probably can't talk.
I listened quietly to her story. Although I felt like I’d become an emotional trash can… honestly, I felt a sense of kinship with her.
That lonely heart… I know it better than anyone. It might not be as much as hers, but I've been alone here for quite a while too.
And there was another reason. Her complaints contained a lot of information.
First of all, judging by the phrase "power struggles," it seemed like the Demon World wasn't exactly unified. And listening to her story, she seemed a bit tired of that Demon World.
Although she said this place was boring, the fact that she doesn't go back speaks for itself.
Isn't it strange that she's afraid of other Demons noticing her?
Of course, she seems to be hiding most of the information because she’s still wary… but eventually, it’ll all come out as we talk.
After listening to her story for a while, I started to feel sleepy.
Night was approaching. So I interrupted her.
“Alright. That's enough.”
“Uh, hmm? Why?”
“It's late. I need to sleep.”
At those words, she looked momentarily uneasy before breathing a sigh of relief.
But only for a moment, before she lifted her head haughtily and said to me,
“Truly a weak human body. To think you have to waste a part of your day sleeping.”
“So you don't sleep?”
“What do you take me for? I am a Great Demon revered even in the Demon World, a transcendent being. I don't need to sleep.”
Even as she said that, I could see it.
The faint fatigue in her eyes.
Thanks to that, she looked quite ridiculous, but I ignored it and lay down on the floor.
“Yeah, yeah, this weak human needs to sleep, so please be quiet now.”
“You insolent…!”
I planned to just sleep at the Altar.
Even though there was a Demon in front of me, she didn't seem particularly dangerous, and above all, it seemed safe because it was underground. I also wanted to sleep in a place with a roof rather than just out there.
Even if there were Monsters, it wouldn't matter much. My intuition, honed by recent events, would sound the alarm if a dangerous moment arose.
I was confident that I could respond even if they attacked.
So I fell asleep listening to Barbatos's grumbling.
It was the moment a strange cohabitation began between me and a Demon who only had a head.
＊
Several days passed like that.
If the past 20 days were a battlefield, the time after was relatively peaceful.
Monsters didn't rush in easily, and since I had reached the end of the Deep Layer, my purpose was over.
Since I had to wait until it rained anyway, I decided to be her companion at the altar.
And I learned a few things. First, she was definitely a being far removed from humans.
She felt hunger, but didn't need to eat. The same went for sleep; even though she felt fatigue, her sleep time was significantly shorter than others.
It was a pretty enviable physique.
Other than that, another characteristic… despite only being a head, she was incredibly arrogant.
“He, hehehe.”
Once, this happened. I woke up to find her laughing meaningfully.
I looked at her and asked,
“Why are you laughing like that?”
“You should be grateful to me.”
“…Huh?”
“I can summon Demon Beasts into this cave at any time. However, I have not.
If I had, you would have died a hundred times over. In other words, I am quietly showing you mercy.”
Then she said this:
“So always be grateful to me, and show me respect.”
I chuckled at that. It seemed she was quite dissatisfied with always being called "Hey" or "You."
Of course, I wasn't the type to quietly go along with it after seeing that.
“Summon them then.”
“Wh-what?”
“How do you think I got this far in the first place?”
“Ugh, that's… just luck! If you had encountered even a Tiche on your way here, you would be dead already.”
I tilted my head at her words.
There was an unfamiliar word in what she said.
“…Tiche?”
She answered my question.
“A Tiche is a Demon Beast that I've supported since it was young. It showed promise, so I diligently supplied it with my Demonic Power. A particularly large tiger, haven't you seen it?”
At those words, someone came to mind. The Mountain Lord I caught a few days ago.
I wondered why it was so big, so it was because of her?
“I think I caught that one…?”
“What?”
She looked dumbfounded at my words.
“Don't lie…! That beast is a large Demon Beast that even Demons like me can't easily catch, how could you have caught it!”
“No, really. I'll show you.”
Saying that, I pulled Roar's Claw out of my pocket. Because I had cut it off in a hurry, the tiger's characteristic striped fur was still attached to the end.
Barbatos looked shocked when she saw it.
“No way. After I raised it…”
Then she raged at me.
“You wicked…! You bad person…!”
Somehow, the level of vocabulary she used seemed to have regressed, though.
“Shut up.”
I stuck my finger in her mouth. Honestly, I was quite annoyed by how arrogant she had been acting.
“Ugh, ack…!”
Her face contorted at the foreign object suddenly entering her mouth.
Then she immediately tried to bite my finger. Feeling threatened, I quickly pulled my finger out. As expected of a Demon, her bite force felt considerable.
After spitting once, she said with a frown,
“You insolent…”
Seeing that, I was able to suppress the devious thoughts I had.
…Although there were occasional incidents like this, we got along relatively well.
From her perspective, I was a good listener, and for me, she was a good source of information.
I heard many stories as time passed.
Sometimes I would ask what I was curious about first.
“But why are you Demons trying to invade this place?”
“…It’s a simple reason. The kings of the Demon World are starting to feel that one Demon World is too small.”
As we spent time together, her wariness seemed to have dissipated, as she often answered me readily.
“…Kings?”
“That’s right. In the Demon World, there are four kings, one for each direction: east, west, south, and north.”
This was another story I hadn't heard before.
I thought Demons had a hierarchy, but I didn't know there were multiple kings.
“Of course, they don’t get along well. They’re busy fighting over territory all the time, and since their power and influence are similar, it’s not easy to gain an advantage. Then, one of them came up with a bright idea.”
She continued.
“Instead of competing like this, let’s go to another world and expand our influence. The kings agreed to it.”
I see… so that’s why the Demons are popping up.
I suddenly remembered the history of this world. 600 years ago, the story of a Demon named Decarabia appearing. Their plan had started back then.
“So we have no choice but to follow. We can’t disobey the kings. …Sigh, but honestly, I don’t know. When I think about it, the Demon World isn’t that small.”
She sighed as she said that.
Somehow… she resembled an office worker tired of the tyranny of their company.
An office worker who seems to have complaints, but can't easily voice them because of the difference in power.
“…”
I quietly watched her.
The situation in the Demon World and the fact that there are multiple kings were surprising, but for now, I was curious about her thoughts.
“…What about you?”
“…Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean, if you descend, what will you do? How do you feel about staying here like this?”
It was also something I secretly hoped for.
If she acted like other Demons, we would eventually have to fight.
To be honest, I didn't want to be hostile to her.
She lowered her head for a moment at my question.
But only for a moment, before she spoke with a resolute expression.
“What do you expect?”
With a somewhat solemn expression. But as if she didn’t quite want to.
“Of course, I will subjugate you and seize your territory. It can’t be helped.”
Hearing those words, I sighed.
I looked at the altar where her head was attached for a moment. Should I destroy this altar…? I was still contemplating it.