“I am currently sealed by the previous hero, and my power is weakened. You probably know this as well. When a hero kills the Demon King, the Demon King is sealed for 100 years…”
“Hiiik!!”
The orphan boy, now no longer just a boy but Carlos, shuddered at the Demon King’s voice. The Demon
King’s voice was colder than the chill of the wind that brushed against the skin.
“I fought the previous hero for what felt like an eternity. But I was never satisfied. I could never fully use my power. That’s because the hero was so insignificant that my power was inevitably weakened. It was all due to that thing called the ‘Balance of the World’.”
“The… Balance of the World?”
“Huh? You don’t know? How ignorant. You didn’t even know that the power of the hero and the Demon King are proportional?”
“I-I don’t know. I never went to school…”
“Hmph. And here you are, trying to become an emperor… You sure have guts. Fine. I like that. I’ll make you an emperor.”
“R-Really…?”
A smile spread across Carlos’s face.
“Right. Not only will I dispose of the corpse of the prince you killed, but I will also curse the current emperor, making him fall ill. In a few years, you’ll become the emperor.”
“T-Thank you, Demon King!”
Carlos unconsciously knelt down.
It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the meaning of kneeling before demons… but in the face of overwhelming power, his submissive nature rose to the surface.
However, the Demon King spoke in a terrifying voice.
“It’s not for free.”
“Y-Yes, of course!”
“You will owe me for this for the rest of your life. You must never forget.”
“Of course, Demon King. How could I ever forget this favor?”
“Heh… Humans always speak before they think. Watching humans lie and deceive each other, I almost find our demon race more pure by comparison. Well, in any case, I can’t trust you.”
“Y-You can’t trust me? Then what about what you just said…”
“What… Don’t worry. I won’t repeat myself. I keep my word, unlike humans.”
“Y-Yes…”
“However… I will brand your body.”
“B-Brand me?”
It was then.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“Quiet, human.”
The Demon King began drawing a magic circle on Carlos’s back with his long claws.
Carlos’s skin was torn apart.
Of course, the Demon King showed no mercy.
“Stop! It hurts too much!!”
“This is a Time Record.”
“W-What’s that?!!
“This magic circle will record everything you’ve done today… every word you’ve spoken.”
“W-What?! What do you mean?!”
Carlos was so shocked that he momentarily forgot the pain.
“If you don’t keep your promise, I’ll reveal everything that happened today to everyone.”
“W-What promise are you talking about?!”
“I’ll tell you now.”
The Demon King left a final warning.
“I, you see, want to become stronger.”
“Y-You’re already strong, what do you mean…”
“I mean I want a power that is on a completely different level from what I have now. Unlike you humans who can’t live for more than 100 years, I am an immortal being. That’s why heroes pass down their power as generations change, but I share the same soul and body as the first Demon King. Therefore, my memories are vivid. I still remember the days when I fought against the first hero…”
A vibrant energy seemed to fill the Demon King’s face.
“Back then, I was powerful and superior…! I was intoxicated by the sense that I could dominate everything in this world! That power…! Just having it made everything feel complete, and I long for it…!”
Gulp…
Carlos swallowed dryly. The Demon King was releasing madness in all directions.
“But!! No matter how hard I try, I cannot reclaim that power. My power is proportional to the hero’s power! The heroes after the first one were not even close to the first hero’s level! They were all just mediocre… They couldn’t quench my thirst!”
“So… what will you do about it?”
“There was a prophecy.”
The Demon King grinned.
“It was the prophecy of the great prophet, Kirke, someone you know well. That person is quite an eccentric who gets along well with our demon race. Kirke came to me and said, ‘Soon, a new hero will be born who will surpass the first hero.’”
“…That can’t be true, can it? Even someone like me knows how great the first hero was. I can’t imagine a hero who could surpass that person…”
“Has Kirke ever made a false prophecy? That person is famous for never telling lies when it comes to prophecies.”
“…That’s true.”
Kirke, one of the five sages, was famous as a half-blood of both humans and demons, someone who could travel between the Demon Continent and the Human Continent.
She was known for making historically significant prophecies, and was called the Great Prophet.
No one knew when she would make a prophecy, but her predictions had never been wrong—not once.
That’s why, in a way, Kirke’s words held more weight than the words of an emperor or a pope.
“Soon… although, I don’t know when exactly. But at least 30 years. It’s been 70 years since I was defeated by the last hero, so I need at least 30 years to be resurrected, don’t I?”
“Y-Yes, I suppose so…”
“Then, in 30 years, you must summon a hero. As an emperor, that should be possible for you.”
“I-I see… Is that the condition?”
“There’s more.”
The Demon King coldly warned him.
“You can’t be sure that the next hero will surpass the first hero. So, if the next hero seems weak, summon the next one right away. Repeat this until you summon the mighty hero that Kirke prophesied. Then, I will defeat that hero, the one who supposedly surpassed the first hero, and bring darkness to the world!”
“E-Excuse me, Demon King…”
“? What is it?”
“When that time comes… what will happen to me…?”
“You’ll die.”
“…Hiiik.”
“I plan to either kill all humans or turn them into slaves. Your life will be just as short-lived… but you can’t refuse my orders, can you? If you do, I’ll expose to the world right now that you’re the one who killed the crown prince.”
“That can’t be…!! So, no matter what choice I make, it’s the worst possible outcome!”
“It’s not necessarily like that.”
The Demon King said to the whining Carlos.
“There is hope for you.”
“Hope… what kind of hope?”
“If a hero stronger than the first hero kills me, I will be sealed again for another 100 years. Then, the forces that threaten you will be gone, won’t they?”
“…Ah.”
“Meaning, that incredibly strong hero is essential even for your sake. Of course, this is my mercy. I am showing you mercy to fulfill my own desires. Killing you would be easier than flipping my palm, but I’m giving you a way to survive. In exchange, you must summon a powerful hero and send them to me.”
“Ah, I understand. I fully understand.”
“Good. You seem to be the type who is good at scheming when it comes to bad things, so I’ll trust you on that. However…”
The Demon King spread out five fingers.
“I cannot wait forever.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“500 days.”
“500 days?”
“I will wait for only 30 years and 500 more days. If you do not summon the hero I desire within that time, and if you do not send them to me, I will expose your secret. Then you will be kicked out of your position as emperor. You’ll probably be executed. Even without my interference, you will die.”
“I will never… allow that to happen.”
“Heh heh… your eyes are shining… You’re a man who makes sure to protect his own safety. I see… I can trust someone like you. You’re a lot like us demons. Then… next emperor… this contract is now sealed. I will wait… 30 years… and 500 more days…”
— That was 30 years ago… No, it was a year and a few months more than 30 years ago.
The Emperor and the Demon King.
The most secretive secret in the world, known only to the two of them.
“Time… there’s not much left.”
The Emperor Carlos, who finished his reflection, was no longer the orphan boy he once was.
Now, he was a middle-aged man in his 50s with a gray beard, a false emperor.
He trembled alone in the empty imperial palace.
He felt so scared and anxious that he was about to go insane.
“General Hokuk, Zero… I thought Victor was incompetent, so I didn’t think he was the one. That’s why I repeatedly oppressed and drove him out… But if Victor was the hero I had been waiting for… what on earth have I done? It’s like I was about to win the lottery and then bought a different ticket and started running around…!!”
Cold sweat dripped onto the floor.
“If… No, it’s not just a ‘if.’ Esther’s words were completely logical. So why did General Hokuk make such a wrong judgment? His assessment must have been correct, right? No… I appointed him as General Hokuk precisely because I valued his abilities, so why…? I don’t understand… But if General Hokuk misjudged Victor’s abilities… and if that’s why I’ve ended up in this predicament…”
The emperor muttered to himself, filled with anger.
“General Hokuk Zero, that bastard… I will make sure he dies in the most horrific way possible in this country.”