I think I understand why Cao Zhen sent me here.
Although I really don’t want to interfere with Cao Cao in any way, I can’t deny that I’m intensely curious about her.
Driven by that curiosity, I spoke up.
“Why do you want to change the world as a Demon King?”
Cao Cao paused mid-step, thought for a moment, then lifted her feet.
Water trickled down her fair, delicate feet, dripping onto the surface with a pleasant sound.
Just as my gaze was inevitably drawn to her, Cao Cao’s voice pulled me back to reality.
“Because gods can’t save the world.”
Gods can’t save, but a Demon King can—I couldn’t help but ponder the reason behind this.
No, that’s not right.
It’s a mental trap.
It’s not that a Demon King can do it, but for Cao Cao, a god absolutely cannot.
“…Because the gods didn’t answer you?”
Cao Cao froze, instinctively sitting up straight, her feet splashing into the water.
She looked at me with a surprised expression.
Did I guess right?
I could only give a wry smile.
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not entirely sure either. I just figured that if you said something like that, it must mean the gods you believed in let you down.”
At the end of the day, I’m a thorough atheist, inherently skeptical of gods and demons, so I couldn’t fully grasp Cao Cao’s mindset.
But I knew that Cao Cao’s reverence for gods wasn’t just the superstition of an ancient person.
It was something deeper, as if she had placed her hopes in them only to be betrayed.
“As expected of my kin! Is this what they call a meeting of minds?”
“Not really.”
Ignoring my rebuttal, Cao Cao’s eyes sparkled, her fists clenched as she got excited on her own.
Annoying, but kind of cute.
Finding her reaction amusing, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Hearing my laughter, Cao Cao stopped, lowered her hands, and closed her eyes, speaking with a hint of self-mockery.
“Pretty ridiculous, huh?”
“Yeah, it really is,” I said, continuing to laugh without minding her reaction.
“Calling yourself a Demon King while aiming to be the Lady of the Lake? Those two titles are so contradictory, it’s almost greedy.”
“Is that so…?” Cao Cao’s expression turned a bit lonely as her gaze shifted from the sky back to the pool.
I stood up, stretched my arms, and said, “But, well, isn’t that kind of nice?”
“…?”
I lowered my hands, resting one on my hip and looking into the distance.
“This world has too many simple-minded people. Corrupt officials only know how to scheme for evil, loyalists blindly follow their lord’s orders, warlords only know how to plunder, and commoners only know blind obedience. Maybe what this world needs is someone as contradictory and greedy as you.”
“To rule the world as a supreme Demon King and to embody the grace of the Lady of the Lake—perhaps that’s not bad at all.”
Cao Cao, somewhat puzzled by my words, tilted her head and asked uncertainly, “Is… that so?”
I gave her a candid smile.
“No idea.”
“Huh?” Her gaze seemed to say, You’re the one who said it, and now you don’t know?
“What you can do in this world, how you can change it… If I had the answers to those questions, I wouldn’t have been sent off by my father to train in martial arts on some mountain.”
Under Cao Cao’s puzzled gaze, I extended my hand to her.
“Those are things you’ll have to find on your own path. I don’t know how to do it, but I do know… your name is Cao Cao, and you call yourself a Demon King. You’re someone who can change the world—or at least, someone with the potential to do so. That much, I can guarantee.”
Of course, that’s assuming you’re like the Cao Cao from my world.
Cao Cao’s wide eyes, perhaps reflecting the moonlight on the lake, shimmered with a crystalline light in her captivating, gem-like blue pupils.
Was it the excitement of finding a kindred spirit, or the emotion of being recognized by someone other than her family?
Maybe… both.
She reached out, not to wipe the tears in her eyes, but to gently place her hand in mine, standing up with my help.
We faced each other, our eyes locked.
After pulling her up, I let go of her soft hand and instead hooked my pinky with hers.
“It’s not exactly a contract, but let’s call it a child’s promise. If we meet again someday, whether it’s years or decades from now, if we see each other again, I’ll believe there’s some kind of bond between us. And then, I’ll seriously consider… whether to form a formal contract and acknowledge you as my Demon King.”
Cao Cao listened in disbelief, as if she hadn’t expected me to take this seriously.
She wiped away her overflowing tears and flashed a dazzling, radiant smile.
“A Demon King’s lifespan is long, you know. Even if it’s centuries, I’ll wait for you to appear before me. And when you do, you’ll kneel reverently and call me ‘My Beloved Demon King’!”
She said this with conviction, but her pinky clung tightly to mine, as if afraid I’d vanish.
“Sure, sure. When the time comes, I’ll even kiss your feet if you want.”
“…That’s kind of gross, you know,” she said, squinting at me with a hint of disgust, shattering the romantic atmosphere.
“Eh!?” Oh no, I messed up!
I blurted that out without thinking—I’m not into girls’ feet or anything!
“Ho ho, is that so? Already so devoted to me?” Cao Cao’s cute face lit up with a satisfied smile. “Not bad! That’s the spirit! This brings me one step closer to my Eleven Demon Knights and Seven Ghost Strategists!”
“She’s getting carried away again… By the way, what are these ‘Eleven Demon Knights’ and ‘Seven Ghost Strategists’?”
Caught up in her excitement, Cao Cao’s chuunibyou spirit flared up again.
“My loyal subordinates who will serve me in the future! They swore allegiance in their past lives and will return to me in new, youthful bodies to serve again.”
She’s even got this planned out…
I’m at a loss for words.
“By the way, the original plan was for Ten Demon Knights, but since you showed up, it’s now Eleven. You can lead them.”
“Ha…”
Why am I not thrilled about this?
“Weren’t they decided in their past lives? How can you just change it?”
Cao Cao breezily ignored my question.
“Alright! Since it’s decided, I’ll have to work a bit harder! I’ll become a Demon King who can change the world, feared and revered by all!”
Cao Cao burned with enthusiasm, while I clutched my forehead, groaning, “Did I make a terrible mistake?”
Unbeknownst to us, Cao Cao’s mother, standing behind a pillar in the distance, smiled gently and said to Cao Zhen beside her, “What an extraordinary boy. It was the right choice to entrust this to him.”
Cao Zhen nodded, saying, “Indeed,” as the two walked away together.
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