Salvos (A Monster Evolution LitRPG)

605. Father-Daughter Talk

He had dreaded it. He knew it was coming— he knew it would happen when he saw his daughter emerging from the ruins of his fallen kingdom alive and changed. He saw the corruption wisping off her. He could sense the change she had undergone.

It was an unsettling feeling, even to him. He was Sal. Or Samuel. Or whatever. He had gone by many names at this point, but it didn’t matter. He was the Devil. And yet, he still found his skin crawling at what he detected from his very own daughter.

She had seen the end of the world. The wall of infinite corruption that was eating away at the Netherworld. No— not just the Netherworld, but all of the Nexeus.

It came from below the world. The layers of the Netherworld that had been sealed off— a place which Sal had once claimed as his own.

However, he has been fooled. And now, very little stood between the Nexeus and its destruction. Ashamed of his failures, the former Devil King swore to himself that he would never return to the ruins below.

But… she did.

His daughter did.

She ventured into the ruins of his former kingdom— she explored it as he could only watch helplessly from above, hoping that she returned safe. And when she emerged, she was different.

Stronger, certainly. But Sal had expected that much out of her. Something had happened down below— something to do with the corruption. He didn’t question it. He only continued to observe her until he saw the power she now wielded.

The power of the corruption.

And it clicked in his head.

Salvos had been corrupted. Just like—

“Dad, are you listening to me?”

She spoke up, waving a hand in front of the Devil. He blinked a few times as he broke out of his stupor. Slowly, he nodded, letting the usual smile he wore slip back onto his face.

“Ah, of course. You want to talk to me. A father-daughter conversation. But…”

Sal swept his gaze over the small pocket space. Pitiful in size and composition compared to his own, but rather impressive considering that Salvos was only Level 165 in her Subspecies. The product of a Grand Skill, he surmised.

But it wasn’t the glass-like walls that drew his attention. Instead, his eyes flickered as he looked towards the other individuals gathered here in this room.

Four Archdemons that stood awkwardly to the side. Well— it was going to be three Archdemons and one Primeval Demon soon, but they would all still be eavesdropping in this conversation. And the Devil wasn’t sure if he was comfortable sharing details about his private life to his strangers.

He already found it hard enough knowing that he had to confide with his daughter.

“Could we possibly take this conversation elsewhere more… private?”

Sal asked, turning back to his daughter. But Salvos shook her head.

“Nope. I feel like they need to hear this too.”

She turned to Haec and held his gaze. He raised a brow in response, and she shook her head.

“Not just them. But everyone in the world needs to hear about this.”

“Aw, but isn’t this supposed be a talk between a father and his daughter about his past regrets? Surely you don’t want to be privy these strangers about your dad’s love life too, right?”

Sal nodded hopefully at Salvos. But she just cocked her head back at him.

“Love… life?”

She was distracted for a moment, and the Devil smirked. Good, while she isn’t paying attention— He swept back, ready to make his escape.

And Salvos shook her head.

“I don’t care about that. What I care about is what you’ve done.”

“I—”

Sal opened his mouth, and she just spoke matter-of-factly.

“The world is ending because of you, Dad.”

She took a step forward as he paused. To the side, Haec narrowed his eyes, Taburas blinked, and Bertrugil frowned. Aemula just looked around, confused.

“Uh… what?”

She asked, and no one answered. Salvos continued to hold her father’s gaze.

“I want you to tell me what happened. Tell us all what happened.”

And Sal sighed, acquiescing.

“…fine. But only because it’s you, my dear daughter.”

—--

First, my dad and I had to explain the whole situation about the end of the world to Haec and the others. And… of course, they didn’t take it well at all.

“You can’t be serious, right?”

Taburas stared at me with round eyes. Bertrugil elbowed her from the side.

“Is that seriously all you can say after hearing all that? The world is ending! Why the fuck would she lie about that?”

“I-I… I don’t know! But this is just…”

She trailed off, before turning to Haec.

“You don’t believe this, do you?”

My companion didn’t give an immediate response. His head was lowered, and his gaze darkened. He pondered over my words for a long moment. Finally, he looked up at me and locked my gaze.

“Are you sure about this, Salvos?”

He asked simply, and I nodded with a shrug.

“Yep! I even saw it with my own eyes— I went down to the second layer of the Netherworld, and I fought the end of the world!”

I recounted the time I spent in the Remnants of the First Demon Kingdom. I didn’t know how long I was down there for, but I knew it was a long time, even though it felt like only a few weeks or months to me.

Hearing that, Taburas pointed accusingly at me.

“That makes no sense! You fought the end of the world? I don’t believe it! How can you say that with a straight face and expect us to believe you!”

Bertrugil looked incredulous too. He didn’t return with a quip like he normally did. And while Haec wanted to defend me, it was a bit too much for him to take in all at once. He rubbed his temples, processing everything I had just said. He needed a moment.

But funnily enough, it was Aemula who was the first to accept my words at face-value. She crossed her arms as she looked between her fellow Archdemons.

“Uh, I don’t get it. Why are you all doubting Salvos?”

She posed the question to both Taburas and Bertrugil. The [Abraxas] hesitated.

“I mean… we barely even know her?”

He gave a non-committal answer, and the [Succubus] shook her head as she explained.

“But more than just that— it’s just ridiculous! If everything about this corruption and the end of the world is true, why should we believe that she could survive something that could kill us all? Something which the Demon King has never mentioned once before!”

She gestured exasperatedly at me. I cocked my head back at her.

“Um, because I’m better than you?”

I answered simply, and her brows snapped together. She took a step forward, opening her mouth. But she stopped when Haec caught her by her shoulder.

“That’s enough, Taburas.”

“But Haec—”

She protested weakly. He shook his head at her, and turned towards me.

“Salvos has no reason to lie to me. She is my leader. If she says it is so, I will believe her.”

The [Succubus] paused, hearing his words. She tried to work her jaw, only for Aemula to speak up again.

“You’ve seen what Salvos did to the Demon King. He considers her his Enemy. And she’s the daughter of the Devil!”

She gestured towards Sal who was standing next to me, just listening into the conversation. Taburas flinched when the Devil looked back at her. And Aemula sighed.

“It’s not that unreasonable to believe what Salvos is saying here is true.”

“That’s right.”

Sal finally spoke up, taking a step forward. He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me towards him. I quickly pushed myself off him, slipping out of his grasps.

“Are you saying that my innocent, little daughter is a liar?”

Taburas backed away nervously as she tried to work her jaw.

“I… no! I would never—”

She sputtered, but stumbled over her words. I rolled my eyes and poked my dad’s side. He yelped as he turned back to me.

“Stop scaring her, Dad.”

“You’re so mean, my daughter. You’re not letting your dear father have his fun…”

He pouted cutely— which was just weird. I shook my head as I turned back to Taburas.

“If you don’t believe me, you should at least believe him. He’s the Devil! He wouldn’t lie!”

I waved at my father, and the four Archdemons stared at Sal. Haec scratched his cheek.

“I do believe you, Salvos. But you know, telling us to believe the Devil is not as convincing of an argument as you think it is. He has a… a reputation.”

“He does?”

I blinked back at my companion. Bertrugil pinched the bridge of his nose.

“He’s the Devil. He’s a liar, a deceiver, and a trickster.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m all of that…”

Sal spoke up, waving a hand off.

“I’m certainly a trickster, but I’m not a liar or a deceiver. Come on!”

“That’s besides the point.”

I crossed my arms as I turned to my dad.

“He can back me up— he’s been around for longer than the Demon King. So that’s why that dumb, stupid Regnorex doesn’t know about it. He’s too young… or something.”

Taburas bit her lower lip as she glanced between Sal and I. She looked back to her friends for help, but she couldn’t find any there. She had no choice but to finally accept what I was saying was true.

“...fine. But even if it was all true, what are we supposed to do about it?”

“Nothing.”

I replied with a smile.

“Not right now, at least. It’s like you said. We’re weak, and we can’t stop the end of the world. But…”

I slowly turned around to face the Devil standing next to me. Haec, Taburas, Bertrugil, and Aemula faced him as well, and he tilted his head hesitantly.

“Why is everyone looking at me?”

He asked in a small voice. I looked at my dad— I saw the way he was still trying to avoid the conversation with his little jokes and playful remarks. But I wasn’t having it. I looked into the Devil’s dead eyes and spoke resolutely.

“You can do something about the end of the world. You should do something about the end of the world. After all…”

I trailed off, leaving the words unsaid. But Sal could see it in my eyes. He knew what I meant to say.

That it was his fault. That it was his responsibility.

And my dad just closed his eyes as he craned his head back.

“You met him while you were down there, didn’t you?”

The Devil took a seat, crossing his legs as he massaged his forehead.

“Belphegor.”

And I nodded.

“I did. And he told me everything.”

But Sal rebuked my response.

“No—”

He lowered his head once more, meeting my gaze. His eyes were glinting as he spoke.

“Belphegor didn’t tell you enough.”

Sal gestured at the glass-like ground of my pocket space. He looked at all of us— Haec, Taburas, Bertrugil, Aemula, and I— as he waited expectantly.

“So gather around, sit down, and allow me to elucidate you about the end of the world.”