Chapter 86
Is it okay? Worry suddenly hit me hard.
“…Are there no side effects?”
“There are none. Ah, is this a side effect?”
“What is it?”
When I asked in a sharp voice, the Demon King tilted his head and answered.
“He will live a bit longer than an ordinary human. Since it’s part of my origin, there’s no helping it.”
I was dumbfounded by the unexpected words. I had thought it might make my personality rude like the Demon King, or turn me into a demon or something….
A side effect… isn’t this an enormous advantage? Ah, maybe living excessively long?
“How long will he live?”
“Well. It seems he’ll easily surpass 100 years.”
“…….”
Thinking of Kaiden living long made my heart feel at ease. By the standards of this era, it’s far above the average lifespan, but if it’s just a little over 100, it might just be a slightly unusual case.
“You will live long too.”
“Me too?”
When I looked at him with surprised eyes, the Demon King nodded as if it were obvious.
“Yes. Since you inherited my blood, that should be the case.”
“Ah….”
I don’t want to admit it, but I was the Demon King’s daughter. Then, Kaiden and I can live long together. If that’s the case, there’s nothing more to wish for, but….
Suddenly, a doubt arose. No matter how much he searched for me for over twenty years, can he do this much just because I’m his daughter? Isn’t this behavior pattern too different from the Demon King so far?
Things seem to be going too easily, so I grew suspicious that he might have some ulterior motive. I looked at him with wary eyes and asked.
“…What price do you expect?”
“That’s not a very pleasing thing to say.”
“Do you expect something?”
“The thing I wanted most has been achieved, but there is one more thing.”
As expected.
I asked with a tense face.
“What is it?”
“I want to watch over you.”
“Yes…?”
“You don’t have to think of me as your father. I have no intention of forcing it.”
…That’s good. Because I absolutely couldn’t see him as my real father. But what does watching over mean?
The Demon King stared at me intently and slowly opened his mouth.
“In human terms, seasonally, on occasions to celebrate or laugh, on sad occasions, when there’s nothing special, I want to see your face anytime and exchange greetings.”
“…….”
“Even just acquaintances would be fine.”
I don’t know what to say.
His indifferent face showed no emotions at all, like a transcendent being itself, but somehow, the words he uttered carried a hint of humanity.
I was confused by this dissonance.
“…That would be quite a close relationship.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“I’m fine with it.”
I’m not really. Perhaps noticing my displeased expression, the Demon King offered a compromise.
“Then let’s just exchange greetings when something happens. Even a single greeting is fine.”
“…….”
It felt awkward for him to ask for my opinion.
‘…When he didn’t know I was his daughter, he did whatever he wanted.’
Needless rebellion arose, but then the sight of Kaiden, pale as a sheet of paper, caught my eye.
‘There’s nothing to argue about. This is a deal.’
Having made up my mind in an instant, I nodded.
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
The extremely dry conversation ended, and the Demon King raised his hand.
The orb floating above his hand headed toward Kaiden. It passed through the air and slowly entered Kaiden’s mouth.
I watched his complexion with a tense face. At first, there was no particular reaction, but soon some energy began to escape from Kaiden’s body.
When I looked at the Demon King anxiously, he explained.
“The completely worn-out original core is coming out. Soon it will be replaced with a new core.”
As soon as those words ended, a whoosh— sound came from Kaiden’s body, and a dark crimson energy began to spew out. I could also feel that it was being replaced with a new core.
With a humming sound, Kaiden’s body slightly lifted into the air and then sank back down. Soon after, the dark crimson energy completely subsided. At a glance, Kaiden’s complexion looked much better.
“Your Grace…!”
When I let out a small cheer, the Demon King looked down at Kaiden and said.
“It seems to have settled well. But it’s not complete. Time is needed until full integration.”
“Ah….”
Still, isn’t it great that he’s alive like this. It felt like one heavy stone pressing on my chest had disappeared.
I slowly held Kaiden’s hand. Unlike before, I felt a warm warmth. A sigh of relief naturally escaped.
“Thank you.”
“Clinging to your mate like that, you take after me.”
At his words, I almost frowned for a moment, but since he was the one who saved Kaiden’s life, I quickly managed my expression. Though it was also the Demon King who tried to kill Kaiden.
“When will he be able to open his eyes?”
“Well, he looks stronger than an ordinary human, so within a few hours….”
He stroked his chin with his hand while speaking, then stopped. When I looked up with puzzled eyes, I saw his expression gradually turning ferocious. Soon, a terrifying energy began to slowly leak from his body.
“These foolish things….”
The Demon King muttered in an angry voice.
I was startled by the suddenly changed atmosphere and went on guard. Why is he acting like that again all of a sudden? He looked at me and slowly opened his mouth.
“Little child, come closer.”
“Yes…?”
“Not you. I’m talking to my creation.”
“What do you mean….”
[I, I greet the Demon King.]
From behind my shoulder, Bled peeked out his head. The Demon King had been speaking to Bled, who was hiding behind my back.
“Come closer.”
[S-sorry. I should have greeted the Demon King first….]
“Quickly!”
At the Demon King’s roar, both Bled and I were startled. Bled trembled all over and flapped his small wings to go in front of the Demon King. The Demon King lightly tapped Bled’s forehead with his index finger.
Then, just like when he had transferred the origin to Kaiden earlier, a dark crimson energy settled into Bled’s body as well. Bled was rejoicing, saying [Ah, ah…! Finally!].
The Demon King muttered.
“Tch, I should have done it sooner. But since you are my creation, you’ll absorb it quickly.”
[T-thank you!]
What is all this? Confused and bewildered without knowing the reason, the Demon King finally explained to me.
“Pelles is destroying and absorbing my origin.”
“Pelles…?”
“He’s a fool choosing annihilation because he wants power he can’t even handle….”
I was flustered. If it’s Pelles….
“Are you talking about the Mage Tower Lord? Didn’t he die? And what do you mean by annihilation?”
The Mage Tower Lord clearly had his head cut off and died. I saw it clearly with my own eyes, done by the Demon King himself, yet he’s alive? And what is annihilation?
“Pelles is alive. Like a rat pulling tricks, ugh…!”
“Demon King?!”
The Demon King suddenly staggered and clutched his chest with his hand. Startled by his suddenly pale face, I approached. Even ‘that’ Demon King was showing a weak appearance.
He said in a ferocious voice.
“Prepare.”
“What preparation are you talking about?”
“I have to go deep into the eastern waters to restore my origin. But Pelles will soon invade the human world, it seems.”
“Yes?”
What is this again?
The Demon King looked at me gently with his red eyes and opened his mouth.
“Marion. I’ll explain quickly. In this world, there are several origins. Among them, the origin of demons and demonic beasts is managed by me, and the origin of humans and animals by Nyx.”
I looked at him with confused eyes.
“The origins that make up this world are like well-meshed cogwheels, so none should be damaged or handled carelessly. Yet Pelles, who has no ability to handle it, forcibly broke my origin. What do you think will happen then.”
At his question, I quickly turned my mind. If even one of the cogwheels making up the world goes wrong….
“…Will the cogwheel fall out?”
“Yes.”
If a cogwheel that was turning well falls out, the machine will break. It might stop forever, or worse, shatter into pieces. If it’s a machine, that’s fortunate.
If the target is the world…? …The world will be destroyed.
Hearing once again that we’re heading toward destruction made me feel like I was losing my mind.
“I can restore the origin. But time is needed. Until then, block Pelles together with the swarm of humans you brought.”
The humans I brought? Does he mean the 10,000 troops Lucas brought? But why need so many people….
At that moment.
Boom!
A tremendous noise exploded from outside.
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