NOVEL WEB Chapter 462
Chapter 462. Shocking Truth
Thank you all for your tremendous support in the next KonoSuba voting! It’s greatly encouraging! I’ll keep doing my best~~!
By the way, changing the subject, the image of Zil-kun getting beaten in the last chapter reminds me of the scene in the Crayon Shin-chan movie where the betraying someone happens in the the Hen-da Land.
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Wipe out the vampires, huh?
“—Of course.”
I was momentarily surprised at how I almost faltered in my response.
Come on… get it together, me. What am I thinking?
…Anyway, I was intending to wipe out the dark ones, right?
Letting the vampires taste the blood of the demon race, I planned to literally feast on the remnants of the demon race when the Demon Lord Kingdom fell.
As for Yavka and the others, they seemed to be blending in quite well with the Autonomous District, at least until right before I set out.
But that was not out of kindness or compassion; rather, it was just that the blood of demons was tastier, and their interest in humans had simply diminished.
They were still bloodthirsty beasts, no doubt.
…No, with Diagias being an acting governor who has no interest in governance, it’s not strange if the facade of coexistence has already crumbled.
Surely, that’s the case.
So.
“I will do my utmost.”
Bishop Lexar nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer.
…But the next moment, his figure faded and vanished—!?
‘—No! If I think I can wipe them out, I might just be satisfied with that! [God’s Roar! God’s Roar!]’
Bishop Lexar shook his head vigorously, and like someone trying to wake themselves up, he started slapping his own cheeks with lightning.
No matter how much lightning attributes aren’t undead-specific, this is bad—!
“The spirit body! It’s wearing out!! This is bad, Bishop Lexar!”
‘Uoooh! Not yet! I can’t just disappear here without having hunted a single one since I died—!
I won’t let it end here—uooohhh—!!’
“That’s what’s dangerous!!”
I hurriedly injected dark magical power into Bishop Lexar, reinforcing the shell of his soul and enhancing his rationality.
‘Phew. So, I’ll gladly cooperate.’
Bishop Lexar regained his composure. Wait, isn’t his core essence looking a bit dull? Is he okay?
‘Wipe out the vampires, huh… that’s a wish come true.’
‘If our tragic dream can be fulfilled, well, I can begrudgingly accept that.’
‘Just barely, though.’
The other Vampire Hunters shown a somewhat reluctant, but positive attitude nonetheless.
‘…Don’t get the wrong idea!? I’m not forgiving you guys! I’m only reluctantly cooperating to wipe out the vampires!’
With a decisive point, Archie, a younger Vampire Hunter, glared at Leila while keeping his finger pointed at me. I noticed Leila shrink back by my side.
‘My hands and feet that you blasted away are still aching even in death…’
Looking closely, his spirit body was somewhat blurred in his right leg and left arm.
He—if my memory serves correctly, blew off his foot with a Teleportation Spell and lost his left arm in the process. To top it off, in an attempt to finish me off, he got burned to death by Leila’s breath…
‘My sister was killed after being kidnapped by a vampire. It was ultimately my choice to awaken my holy attributes and decide to become a Vampire Hunter, but my parents lost both their son and daughter. In about a month, I’ll probably receive news of my own death.’
…….
‘If I could die for humanity, I might have been able to feel proud! But looking at this horror, I don’t want to accept it even in death!’
…….
‘So… at the very least, I’ll repay my sister and my own resentment a hundredfold. I’ll destroy the Demon Lord Kingdom, and I’ll eradicate those vampires as well. Once I see that, I can rest easy and leave satisfied. …If that doesn’t happen, I won’t let it slide; I’ll curse you.’
With a soft tap, I was poked by a holy attribute fist.
“I understand. I’ll absolutely clear that grievance.”
As I declared this with a feeling of blood and sweat, Archie snorted, waved his hand dismissively, and looked away.
And so, we convinced the Vampire Hunters…
“…Arthur.”
The young hero had stayed silent all along.
With eyes uncharacteristically full of sorrow for his youth, he was staring steadily at the calm waves lapping the sandy beach.
‘…Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.’
Called by name, Arthur looked up.
‘By the way, should I call you Alex… or should it be Alexandre?’
“Ah… either is fine. I’m called Alex among friends.”
‘Alex—Alex, huh. Alex.’
Arthur chewed on my name, then chuckled awkwardly.
‘…The chains of Avalon are still wrapped around you. Does it hurt?’
“…Honestly, it hurts quite a lot.”
‘Sorry for not noticing. I wish I could remove them for you. I wonder if I can get you to listen to me, even with what I’ve become now.’
Arthur approached stealthily with an anxious demeanor and lightly poked the silver chain with a translucent fingertip.
With a lightness, the chain melted away, returning to the shield and plopping onto the sandy beach.
Ah… I feel so much better all of a sudden. It felt like someone lifted the barrel full of stones off my back.
This chain not only deprived me of my freedom of movement and caused pain, but it also suppressed my magical power slightly… If I were any ordinary demon, I wouldn’t have been able to move at all and I probably would have been finished off right there.
‘Oh, it’s back. Speaking of which, my arm is still attached to you.’
“Ah… sorry. I had no other way to take it off… Thank you, I feel much better…”
‘Yeah… that’s good.’
…Beyond that point, the conversation didn’t continue, and we stood side by side, gazing at the dark surface of Aulitos Lake.
The silver moon reflected on the water was swaying gently in the breeze passing over the lake.
‘…When I first heard about the assault operation on the Demon Lord Castle, I had just completed my coming-of-age ceremony.’
Arthur murmured as if talking to himself.
‘If I had been born a little earlier, maybe I could have participated, huh? I remember feeling that frustration just like it was yesterday.’
The assault operation was eight years ago. If he was just completing his coming-of-age ceremony at that time, then…
“Were you… around twenty…?”
‘Yeah. I turned 20 last year.’
So young… I heard Bishop Lexar’s murmur from behind, and I closed my eyes.
At 20—was that the level of strength he had?
His appearance made him look like he was in his mid-20s because of Excalibur.
Arthur… truly, he far surpassed me from my previous life, a mythical hero…
he was…
‘Hey, Alex. If someone like me had been able to participate in the assault operation back then, do you think the Demon Lord could have been defeated?’
“…”
Still—the Demon Lord is—
“In a straightforward brawl, I’d have a tough time fighting even if I had ten people on my side.”
‘…’
The sound of the gentle breeze and the lapping waves echoed unusually loudly.
…Hey, Ant, just how strong am I right now? You’ve been keeping all the new magical power I’ve gained lately, right?
‘Hmm. Since coming to the allied area, I’ve grown somewhat, but… the growth over the past few hours has been remarkable, indeed. Hohoho.’
What’s so funny about that? I’m gonna slap you!
‘Oh, I’m scared, I’m scared. And actually, earlier on the battlefield, when you were in danger, I provided magical power without permission. More than half of what you’ve newly gained is already yours. Right now, you’re on par with Aiogias and Rubyphia, or maybe even surpassing them. Unless they’ve dramatically grown since the last time they met you.’
Is that so…?
‘Excluding the Demon Lord, you could very well be considered one of the strongest demons in the Demon Lord Kingdom.’
Ant gave his stamp of approval.
‘That woman too will be delighted to see her son’s progress…’
—while smirking.
‘The Demon Lord is that strong…’
Meanwhile, Arthur laughed weakly.
‘Then I probably wouldn’t have made a difference, even if I was there…’
“No, if you had been there then, more people would have been able to reach the Demon Lord. Compared to a nobody like me, if ‘Saint’ Liliana had joined us, then if everyone could have connected, it would have been a different story.”
My earlier claim about needing ten people—would have changed if Liliana was around for support. Even when I fought Emelgias, it felt like I managed to push through thanks to her help…
With Liliana there, Arthur there, along with Sword Saints and other hero priests, dwarf warriors, elf sages, and we all joined forces to challenge the Demon Lord…
Hmmm… well, maybe I could’ve at least caused one or two injuries.
And the Demon Lord, unlike me, couldn’t use the Teleportation Spell.
“The Demon Lord has such powerful magical resistance that he can’t accept healing through our Reiju Tribe’s Teleportation Spell. Unlike the miracle of healing, it’s a curse at best, and even if he wants to accept it, he gets repelled.”
‘Oh… even unmatched magical resistance has such a weakness. Does Alex also not work on him?’
“Yeah, it’s impossible for me too—”
—Wait, if I hit a weakened Demon Lord with a Teleportation Spell…
there’s a chance it might work, right…?
‘What! If that happens, you’d be the only demon capable of healing the Demon Lord in the Demon Lord Kingdom! Hahaha!’
Ant burst out laughing. This isn’t funny!!
—No, thinking about it, it’d probably be difficult. The Teleportation Spell is a form of a curse in its evolved state, used mainly for harming the enemy. It requires the utmost intention to kill in order to execute, and the Teleportation Spell is based on the aggressive impulse of ‘I’ll make you feel my wounds!’
If I were to try to heal using the Teleportation Spell, I’d essentially have to align my violent desire with the compassion of ‘I’ll take your wounds upon myself.’
At least for me, it’s impossible. Especially not against a Demon Lord.
Ah, thank goodness, I’m not the only demon who could heal the Demon Lord…
‘…Wait a minute. I’ve realized something major.’
Bishop Lexar opened his mouth.
‘So Alex-kun participated in the assault operation eight years ago?’
“Yeah.”
‘And… you found yourself reborn as the Demon Lord’s Prince?’
“That sounds about right.”
‘Then—then—’
Bishop Lexar, unusually, looked somewhat fearful as he asked.
‘How old is… Demon Lord’s Prince Zilbagias…?’
Oh.
…Ohhh.
Have you realized it…?
“I’m six years old…”
I answered in a quiet voice, while averting my gaze.
‘‘‘Six years old?????””’’
…………An awkward silence.
‘Don’t mess with me.’
‘Cut the jokes already.’
‘You’re such a fool.’
‘You’re way too young!’
‘No, you’re not just young, you’re a child!’
‘Tell me it’s a lie.’
‘Your body is way too big for that!!’
‘What’s going on here!!!’
‘‘‘It’s ridiculous!!!!’’’’
What are you asking me for～～～!