0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 33: The Choice (2) (Part 1)
“I…”
Her hoarse voice echoed in the room. She seemed about to say something but then closed her mouth.
“…I’ll go out for a bit.”
Sinclair staggered to her feet and grasped the doorknob.
“You are not a child. You are a great hero.”
Karos said. Sinclair’s hand, which was about to open the door, stopped.
“Choose for yourself what is right.”
“…”
Sinclair opened the door and stepped outside. The familiar air felt strangely unfamiliar. People ready to fight at any moment, screaming at each other, came into her view.
“Hey, hero!”
The village chief hurriedly approached her.
“Do you believe these bandits’ words? We are followers of the Sun God! We do not lie!”
“…Right. That is also in the doctrine.”
The Sun God said. Those who lie will suffer.
Everyone around her said it. Lying is bad. You should not lie.
So she believed those words. She had never doubted them once. Seizing the opportunity, the village chief exclaimed with a brightened expression.
“Exactly! It’s clear who you should trust, hero!”
Sinclair blankly looked into the village chief’s eyes.
“Village chief.”
“Yes, hero!”
“Your eyes are trembling.”
“What?”
The village chief’s eyes darted around. It was agitation that she had not seen before. Or rather, had chosen not to see.
Sinclair let out an empty laugh.
**** ****
Laughter erupted outside. The fortress fell silent in an instant. Karos lay in bed, quietly listening to the sound.
– Is it over?
“Roughly.”
He replied to the voice in his head. Bathesia sighed in relief.
– It was easier than I thought. Just exposing them and she’s already shaken. Too weak-willed?
“She simply followed because she didn’t know,”
The order forbade the hero from meeting with ordinary people, fearing her change. To her, who had only received one type of emotion, the world was too simple.
“The more delicately raised a child is, the more they are swept away by reality. Not that the hero was delicately raised.”
– Stupid. If it were me, I would have broken her spirit first.
“There might also be religious reasons. Or maybe they were scared of the ‘what if.'”
If the hero harbored other thoughts, the Sun God’s order could not bear the impact. It was a decision made after considering such a possibility, but they could not know for sure.
“How could we understand the minds of madmen?”
Thanks to them, they had gained an opportunity. For them, it was not a bad outcome. Lillis spoke with a mixed voice of relief.
– You should come back now. The hero won’t have the leisure to worry about the Demon King.
“Perhaps so.”
Sinclair had realized the contradiction she harbored. From now on, she would be too engrossed in her thoughts to spare attention for others. Bathesia muttered as if it was regrettable.
– I wish she would oppose the Sun God.
– Having devoted her life to that faith, it wouldn’t crumble so easily. She won’t show hostility towards the Sun God itself. It will probably be limited to its followers and this village.
– Tch. So it won’t be resolved that easily. Alright. Karos, then come back…
“No.”
Karos interrupted her. He said calmly.
“I won’t return now.”
– Huh?
Irina voiced her surprise. From the other side, an anxious voice echoed.
– Demon King?
– What are you talking about?
“Just what I said. I won’t return right now. For the time being, I’ll move with the hero.”
– …Karos? What are you saying!
Bathesia raised her voice in urgency.
– The hero’s destination is the holy land! You seem to be complacent about not being caught by her, but there, you’ll definitely be caught!
“I know that.”
He didn’t think he wouldn’t be caught even in the realm of the gods. Karos playfully murmured.
“A Demon King stepping into the holy land with his own feet. It will make history.”
– …Damn. Have you gone mad with sacred power? Lillis, we need to go save him.
Bathesia’s response, as if she would rush over any moment, made Karos shake his head.
“It’s not like that.”
– Then what is it!
“I’m already known. And the hero knows where I came from, what that place is.”
Karos’s greatest advantage was that he hadn’t been caught by humans.
Expanding his territory stealthily from within and bringing it down was his goal, but that plan was foiled by Sinclair.
“If I run away now, I’ll last a year or two at most. Unless I devour the empire itself within that time, I’ll eventually die by her hand. You know that?”
– ……
Neither Bathesia nor Lillis responded.
“So, Irina.”
– Yes.
“Tell them about me.”
– …Karos!
Bathesia couldn’t hold back and shouted out. Karos grimaced at the piercing voice.
“Quiet.”
– You! What are you thinking!
“I told you. There’s no other way. Or do you all want to die?”
– Even so, that’s madness! Where are you!
“It won’t change anything if you come.”
Bathesia couldn’t defeat Sinclair. Even if she regained the Demon King’s power, that wouldn’t change.
On the contrary, Karos looked puzzled.
“Wouldn’t it be better for you if I died? The Great Demon King might release you?”
– Don’t joke around!
Bathesia ground her teeth as if telling him not to spout nonsense.
– It’s more disgusting this way! It can’t be done!
“Hmm. Unexpected.”
Karos scratched his cheek. He thought Bathesia wouldn’t be happy but also wouldn’t oppose so much.
“Then I’ll say this. Bathesia.”
– Stop talking nonsense and come back…
“I am your master.”
His voice wasn’t filled with the usual lightness.
Towards the silence on the other side, as their master, Karos spoke.
“Whose hand are you?”
– …I am the hand of Demon King Karos.
“Then follow your master’s command. I won’t allow further objections.”
Bathesia no longer resisted. Leaving her silent, Karos asked Irina.
“So, is it possible?”
– It is possible. Given the situation, they won’t doubt it.