Bribed by the Demon Lord Right Before the Ending

■ In-Depth Interview □

After the hero party, bound by chains, was dragged to the underground dungeon, I, left alone in the audience chamber, decided to have a more substantial conversation with the Demon King.

Though enticed by radical conditions and rashly declaring myself his subordinate, I still needed to hear what role I would play and what tasks I would be assigned within the Demon King’s Army.

When I brought up this matter first, the Demon King readily explained without much thought.

“You will initially be my direct subordinate. Placing you under any of the Four Heavenly Kings would only cause unnecessary conflicts, wouldn’t it? Cald… no, Partarth. As you know, the number of demons you’ve killed isn’t just a few. I don’t want to randomly assign you somewhere and end up getting criticized.”

“Yes, that’s a very reasonable point.”

Still, I was satisfied to see that the Demon King had more sense than I’d anticipated.

Compared to that old geezer from the human kingdom who, despite offering no proper support, shamelessly demanded the Hero capture the Demon King, the Demon King before me seemed almost like a celestial being.

While I was nodding with such thoughts, the Demon King leisurely rested his chin on his hand and asked.

“Is there anything else you’d like to ask? I’m a busy person, so there aren’t many opportunities for me to answer questions so freely.”

“Oh, then one more thing—if I may ask, what do you plan to do with my former comrades… the Hero Party?”

At this, the Demon King smiled wickedly for the first time.

“If nothing special happens, I intend to execute them soon. Hanging the Hero’s head outside the castle will lower the morale of humans and boost ours.”

Upon hearing this explanation, I quickly waved my hands.

“Lord Demon King, if I may kindly request a reconsideration of that decision?”

Surprised by this unexpected suggestion, the Demon King furrowed his brows.

“What’s your reason? Surely it’s not out of sentiment for your old comrades?”

“My request is not based on personal feelings, as Lord Demon King rightly guesses. It’s because I fear that killing the Hero might lead to the birth of a new one.”

“…I’d like to hear more about that.”

Fortunately, it seemed I had piqued the Demon King’s interest. Slightly bowing, I began to elaborate on the information about Heroes I had personally gathered.

“Originally, the Hero of the human race is chosen through the oracle of the Goddess of Courage—a fact Lord Demon King must already be familiar with, as it is a well-known story across the continent.”

“That’s correct. That’s what I’ve heard too.”

“However, never in a single generation have there been more than two Heroes. Therefore, when a Hero dies during their journey to defeat the Demon King, the Church of Courage immediately receives the next prophecy from the Goddess to appoint a new Hero. This is a historically recorded fact.”

The Demon King nodded as if he understood the implications of my words.

“As you say, among the previous Demon Kings, there were quite a few who killed the Heroes sent to defeat them. But most of them ended up having their heads cut off by the next generation of Heroes.”

“In the end, it’s an issue of utility. The Goddess of Courage doesn’t choose a new Hero unless the current one dies. If the Demon King is too strong and the current Hero perishes, she chooses someone capable of defeating that Demon King. However—”

“However?”

“The part I wish to highlight is this Hero selection system itself. Just as a new Demon King won’t appear until the current one dies, a new Hero won’t emerge until the previous one does. It’s likely the Goddess’s strategy to prevent two excessively powerful individuals from existing at the same time.”

It seemed the Demon King finally grasped what I was trying to convey, as he muttered in shock.

“Could it be…?”

“Therefore, keeping the Hero alive for now would benefit both Lord Demon King and the entire Demon King’s Army. Surely, you wouldn’t want to live in constant fear of when a new assassin (Hero) might appear again, right?”

The Demon King nodded in agreement after hearing my explanation.

“Indeed, your argument makes sense. For that reason, it might be better to keep even the hated Hero alive rather than kill him. But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it mean we can kill all other humans except the Hero?”

Caught off guard by this unexpectedly sharp observation, I gave a wry smile.

“Well, technically yes, but personally, I recommend sparing them as well. If we leave the Hero alone, there’s a chance they might make an extreme choice in the worst-case scenario.”

“Why is that?”

I grinned mischievously.

“People grow stronger when they have responsibilities. Conversely, they cannot weaken if they have someone to protect, especially if they have loved ones close to them.”

“…So you’re planning to use them as a safety net to prevent the Hero from committing suicide.”

“That’s partly true, but fundamentally, humans are creatures easily dominated by emotions. A small amount of sadness could drive them to extremes. Wouldn’t it be better to leave them with a false hope?”

Having concluded my long explanation, the Demon King shook his head in amazement.

“You really seem to lack both blood and tears. Listening to you speak, one might not even know who the real demon is.”

“Haha. Since I’m now on the same boat as Lord Demon King, I merely tried a little cunning. Given enough information, anyone could deduce this much.”

“Alright. Then regarding the treatment of the Hero, I’ll follow your advice for now. Speaking of which, though, may I ask you something?”

“Yes, please ask anything.”

The Demon King, seated on his throne, looked directly into my eyes with seriousness.

“Even though you were originally human, judging by your actions and words so far, it seems you intended to betray humanity and the Hero from the start. When exactly did you begin harboring such thoughts?”

“Hmm.”

For a moment, I was speechless.

It was difficult to pinpoint exactly when it started, given the complex reasons behind it.

So, I delved into my old memories.

At first, I took pride in being part of the Hero Party, and my relationship with the female members wasn’t particularly bad either.

But the atmosphere within the party began to change significantly after a major battle when the Hero started touching the female members.

Truthfully, I could have overlooked that.

After all, it was their business, and as a third party, I didn’t need to interfere.

But the double standards were infuriating.

Those girls, who were perfectly fine cavorting with the Hero during our travels, would look down on me disdainfully whenever I returned from the brothel.

Hey! You guys weren’t going to offer yourselves anyway!

Yet revealing this exact motivation to the Demon King would be akin to self-sabotage. So, with a composed voice and a bittersweet smile, I replied.

“There’s a saying in the world: every salaried worker carries a resignation letter in their hearts.”

“…So today was the day you finally handed yours in?”

“Yes. Though impulsive, I have no regrets. I’m just a petty man who thinks only of my own wealth and glory.”

“I understand. That’s a sufficient answer.”

With that, the Demon King nodded and snapped his fingers.

– Snap!

Someone outside the audience chamber entered upon hearing the signal.

‘Wasn’t anyone supposed to be out there?’

Curious, I turned my head slightly to find a demon with a goat’s head and a human body standing silently like a shadow.

“This is Seneca, the Chief Steward of the Demon King’s Castle. He will guide you to your quarters. You must be quite tired from traveling here today, so rest well. We’ll discuss your official duties starting tomorrow.”

“I don’t know how to repay Lord Demon King’s kindness.”

“Haha, stop with the flattery. I’m well aware that you’re known among humans as the reckless mage.”

Though his mocking laughter felt a bit annoying, I didn’t deny it.

Because it was all true.

“With that, I shall take my leave. May you remain ever healthy, my lord.”

After bowing respectfully according to noble etiquette, I turned around to follow Seneca, the demon steward, when—

“One last question, if you don’t mind? Sorry for holding you back.”

…He’ll be my superior from now on, so I can’t complain about such trivial matters.

“Yes, please feel free to ask.”

“Do you really intend to change your name to Partarth? Seriously?”

Though somewhat random, it was a valid concern.

After all, the name I chose was just a simple rhyme.

“…My past self is dead, so I do plan to change it eventually. But if it bothers you, you can call me by my original name for now. It hasn’t been finalized yet.”

“I see. You must be tired, so go rest well.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

With another deep bow, I followed Seneca, the chief steward of the Demon King’s Castle, out of the audience chamber.

Due to the numerous events of the past day, my tension hadn’t fully dissipated, and my heart was still racing.

But I felt incredibly good!

Because starting today, I’m no longer Caldlasth, the perennial second-in-command of the Hero Party, but Partarth, the loyal hound of Demon King Nero, beginning a brand-new life!

‘Ohoho, wonderful!’

Anticipating the rosy future ahead, I unknowingly performed a joyous tap dance in the hallway.