After about 10 minutes had passed since I made the donation, a message from the author arrived.
[MoneyPlease: Is this… Igogoden? Did you, perhaps, donate 100,000 won?]
[Igogoden: lol]
[MoneyPlease: This is truly such a generous decision, to grant divine power for monsters rather than those blessed by the gods… I never imagined such compassion.]
It seemed the author didn’t expect someone to give money specifically for monsters.
Somehow, it felt like I had finally “won” against the author for the first time.
After all, I’d always been at the mercy of the author’s plot twists.
[Igogoden: Well, they are monsters, sure.]
[Igogoden: But they want to resolve things through dialogue, not violence. It’s just a shame that they can’t even try because of how they look.]
[Igogoden: And honestly, problems like these are usually solved by something really simple.]
[MoneyPlease: Something simple?]
[Igogoden: Yeah.]
[Igogoden: Communication.]
[Igogoden: Like saying, Our guys might look scary, but they mean no harm, or We live differently than you think, and we need sunlight to survive, so let’s share it.]
[Igogoden: In the end, all they wanted was sunlight, but because they never conveyed that, the fighting continued.]
This was a situation that was surprisingly common in reality too.
Misunderstandings caused by not saying a single word—tragic moments I had seen often in life.
[MoneyPlease: Communication… you mean?]
[Igogoden: Of course, if someone looks scary and doesn’t speak, rejection is a natural response, so I can’t entirely blame humans.]
[Igogoden: But appearances and such… can also be addressed to some extent through communication.]
[Igogoden: Misunderstandings about strangers often clear up when dialogue is established, right?]
[Igogoden: Although, yeah, the Demon King does look incredibly terrifying.]
[Igogoden: Maybe if we fix that, peace could be achieved.]
[MoneyPlease: Still, I never imagined anyone would use 100,000 won of divine power like this.]
[MoneyPlease: As an observer, I’ve never heard of a god who cares for beings like monsters.]
‘Well, it was true.’
‘Who would spend money on monsters just because they seemed pitiful?’
‘Monsters were designed to be fodder in stories—meant to be cut down for catharsis or merely roar and be slain.’
‘Not that I could fault it; if the author hadn’t written dialogue for the monsters, I would’ve probably enjoyed watching Ophel gleefully cutting them down too.’
‘Still, if their plight was heard, wasn’t it the duty of a god to help?’
And—
[Igogoden: lol, 100,000 won?]
[Igogoden: Maybe it’s a bit meddlesome, but…]
Feeling slightly embarrassed, I typed the rest and pressed enter.
“Stop attacking the monsters!”
***
The saintess, Erin, cried out.
The paladins hesitated and stepped back from the monsters, which were growling oddly.
As the knights retreated, the monsters turned their heads around, letting out strange noises.
”They look like predators searching for prey,” their intimidating presence causing the soldiers to stumble back, overwhelmed.
The paladins, being elite warriors trained in rigorous disciplines, managed to maintain some composure despite the oppressive aura of these high-level monsters.
But—
“Don’t… don’t come closer…! You monster!”
The problem lay with the soldiers who had accompanied them.
One soldier, terrified by the monster’s approach, swung his sword in panic.
The blade grazed the monster’s arm, leaving a shallow wound.
Blood trickled from the creature’s arm, and though the injury wasn’t deep, the monster began to tremble.
Rage.
It was easy for the humans to read the raw anger emanating from the monster.
The monsters advanced again toward the three paladins standing guard.
Their killing intent was unmistakably stronger than before.
“Saintess!”
Linnea, the first to sense the imminent attack, turned her gaze to Erin.
Erin nodded at Linnea, stepped forward, and stood firm between the paladins and the monsters.
She drew a small ceremonial dagger from her robes, then lightly cut her own arm—mirroring the monster’s injury.
“Stop! We do not wish to fight you!”
“I sincerely apologize for the harm caused to you. However, this is not our intention, nor is it the will of the god we serve.
“Just as you cannot understand our words, we too cannot understand yours. But surely you can see with your eyes that I now bear a wound just like yours.”
“I know it’s absurd to ask for forgiveness for this… but I plead with you, please, lay down your anger today.”
The saintess’s gamble worked.
The monsters, after some time, loosened their grip on their weapons.
”She’s truly chosen by God,” Linnea thought in admiration.
The monsters eventually turned and retreated into the dungeon, disappearing from sight.
The moment they were gone, Erin collapsed to the ground.
“Saintess!”
Ophel rushed to her side, helping her up as a small rabbit leaped from her bag and nestled in Erin’s arms.
“Are you all right, Saintess?!”
“Yes, it’s… resolved now.”
At that moment, the soldier who had attacked the monster approached and knelt before her.
“I’m so sorry…! It’s all my fault. I let my fear get the better of me and failed to follow Igogoden’s guidance…”
“It’s okay,” Erin said softly. “Even in the scriptures, it’s written: granting a second chance to those who is also part of God’s plain truth.”
“Please don’t be too harsh on yourself. Use this as an opportunity to grow into someone better. That’s what God desires.”
The soldier wept and nodded earnestly.
As Erin silently prayed to her one and only god, she thought, ‘I trust that you will always guide us down the right path, just as you saved me when I was alone. Please, illuminate the way with your plain truth.’
The Demon King’s residence, connected to all dungeons.
“Humans did such a thing?”
At the Demon King’s words, the monster with a wound on its arm knelt and replied, “Yes. Though I approached them to converse, I was attacked. It reminded me of Aluin, who was unilaterally attacked by humans not long ago.”
Another monster who had accompanied Aluin added, “We couldn’t fully understand the human’s words, but it seemed like they were trying to say, ‘Can you forgive us with this?’ while inflicting the same wound on themselves.”
“So that’s what happened…”
Aluin—the monster who had told the Demon King, “I couldn’t disobey your orders,” and immediately retreated not long ago.
“I am sorry…! I know that disobeying your orders is unforgivable. Please take my life to restore discipline among the demons…!”
“It’s fine. You still believed in the actions of humans, who couldn’t even communicate properly. …I am only sorry for entrusting you with such a difficult task.”
“My King…”
After the monsters withdrew, the Demon King was left alone, lost in deep thought in the pitch-black darkness.
From what he heard, the humans seemed to have reacted in fear and swung their weapons, even as the monsters tried to communicate.
It was just like the records of previous Demon Kings.
There were numerous accounts of humans being too afraid of demons to even attempt communication.
It was fortunate that there seemed to be humans who didn’t seek unconditional conflict.
But ultimately, for proper communication to happen, the Demon King himself would need to speak with them.
However, the mere sight of him might terrify humans already frightened by high-level monsters.
Calling them to his domain was the only option, but…
The real problem was whether humans could even endure the overwhelming demonic energy of this place.
‘Is resolving this through dialogue just my own vain hope?’
The thought of communicating with humans was unprecedented—a deviation no prior Demon King had entertained.
The Demon King himself was most aware of this anomaly.
After all, he had inherited all the experiences of his predecessors.
‘Is following the reason for my descent truly my destiny?’
To be the Demon King who pushes his people into unavoidable war, who whispers of battles, awakening their primal instincts…
…To repeat the bloodshed of history.
‘If that was his fate, why had he entertained the idea of resolving things through dialogue?’
It was at that moment—
<<Because there was divine love.>>
The Demon King, startled in an uncharacteristic manner, looked around.
It wasn’t a physical voice.
He felt a strange presence, and his interest was piqued.
‘For something to access my mind’s system, it must be no ordinary being. Who are you?’
<<I am a messenger of God.>>
“I have come to deliver God’s message to you, Demon King.”
‘God, you say?’
<<God exists.>>
The Demon King silently awaited the continuation.
<<Your early descent into this world was due to the abundance of divine love overflowing in this world. Divine love embraces all without discrimination. The intensified demonic energy you possess was mixed with this divine love, which caused you to entertain such thoughts.>>
As expected of the Demon King, he immediately understood the messenger’s words.
“It doesn’t seem like you’re lying.”
<<God holds you dear.>>
‘Holds me dear…?’
“This… was God’s will.”
‘It was a truly strange experience.’
‘Something vivid and experiential entered his mental world.’
Though it was intruding on his domain, for some reason, he felt warmth spreading in a corner of his heart.
***
[MoneyPlease: Still, I could never have imagined divine power worth 100,000 won would be used in such a way.]
[MoneyPlease: As an observer, I’ve never heard of a god who cares for beings like monsters.]
[Igogoden: lol, 100,000 won?]
[Igogoden: Maybe it’s meddlesome, but…]
[Igogoden: If it means no one bleeds, isn’t it worth the price?]
[Igogoden: If someone else were God, they’d have done the same.]
‘Could this be…’
‘God’s will?’
<<God understands your struggles and values your ideals.>>
“That is why… God removes the curse binding you as the Demon King.”
‘My curse…!’
At that moment, a faint light shone from the depths of darkness.
And then—
The Demon King heard a single sentence, incomprehensible even to him.
“Long live the 100,000-won donation.”
The small light enveloped the Demon King, who had always lived in proximity to darkness.
It was his first experience.
That light… was the Demon King’s first.
“Igogoden.”
“I told you, Bunny. God left another message for the saintess. Today isn’t a day for fighting.”
“Igogoden.”
“Violence isn’t the solution to everything, Bunny. I won’t be drawing my sword today either.”
The rabbit, wanting to see the outside world, sat in Ophel’s arms instead of the backpack, chatting with her.
As she said, “the saintess’s party was once again heading to the dungeon where they had previously encountered monsters.”
“This was Erin’s decision, made as soon as she woke up and summoned a group of paladins.”
Linnea cautiously approached Erin, who was leading the way.
“Are you sure about this? Without soldiers accompanying us, if another unexpected situation arises…”
“Don’t worry, Linnea. God has commanded that only the four of us go to the dungeon.”
“But…”
“Trust me, Linnea.”
Beside her, Luca placed a reassuring hand on Linnea’s shoulder and spoke for Erin.
“It’s Igogoden’s will. We won’t come to harm.”
“Alright…”
***
As they arrived at the dungeon entrance, a few minutes passed.
Erin and her party instinctively felt something approaching from within the dungeon.
It wasn’t just the overwhelming demonic energy or the suffocating pressure—
‘…Huh?’
Instead, there was a strange squeak-squeak sound, matching the rhythm of footsteps.
Emerging from the depths of the dungeon, making the squeaking noise, was—
“Are you the one representing humanity, Saintess Erin?”
“Yes…”
“To think a mere human doesn’t tremble before me… it seems the plain truth of God has reached me safely.”
Every step was accompanied by a squeak-squeak.
“You… could it be?”
“Indeed. I am the one who represents the demons, the origin and pinnacle of all demons—the Demon King.”
With prominent horns and tiny wings—
“…Igogoden…”
—a small, cute girl.