“Huh!”
In the depths of the dungeon, Ballas slowly opened his eyes.
‘What happened?’
He tried to recall.
On his way to where the Demon King resided, he had suddenly felt a strange light.
Whether it startled him or for some other reason, he had lost consciousness.
‘Wait a moment.’
Ballas quickly checked the location of the Demon King.
‘The Demon King… isn’t here?’
The Demon King’s presence, usually hidden in the darkness to avoid awakening the primal instincts of the demons, was nowhere to be found.
‘What on earth happened? Could it be that the Demon King made some sort of ultimate decision, like the Demon Kings of the past?’
For a brief moment, that thought crossed his mind.
But as his severed senses began to return gradually, something else became evident.
And as his senses returned, so did his realization.
“Huh?”
Only then did Ballas notice the ‘change’ within himself.
***
“Sunlight… is that what you’re asking for?”
“Yes, sunlight. That is our only demand.”
Luca, who was kneeling slightly behind the saintess on her right, cautiously spoke up.
“I thought demons had a natural aversion to the sun…”
“I’m not sure how such a notion became widespread, but it is a misconception I wanted to correct.”
“Then all the actions taken by demons were…”
“Yes, all of it was to seek the ability to bask in sunlight.”
The humans, including Erin, were left speechless.
‘For such a reason, had they been at odds for hundreds of years?’
‘What had they and their ancestors spilled so much blood for?’
The Demon King, noticing the complicated expressions of Erin’s party, let out a bitter smile.
“It seems my words are difficult to accept. Considering the long years of mistrust between us, it’s no surprise if you doubt my sincerity.”
“That is not true. The very fact that we are able to meet and converse with the Demon King like this is, after all, part of the divine will.”
“Saintess Erin, while those like you who have faith in the divine may quickly grasp and accept such a will, do you believe others—humans or demons alike—will trust every word they hear so easily?”
“That is…”
“If my words sounded accusatory, I apologize. I have no right to reproach you. I simply mean to say… such is the nature of things. Even among demons, not everyone embraced my ideals unconditionally.”
To demons, the Demon King’s ideology was an absolute compass.
Unlike humans, demons were biologically incapable of disobeying the Demon King’s orders.
Moreover, the Demon King could perceive the thoughts of every demon.
While demons might declare, “I follow the Demon King’s will,” deep within, some harbored bubbling defiance.
The Demon King, however, had no intention of punishing such thoughts.
After all, hadn’t the humans denied them even the right to sunlight, driving them deep into the dungeons?
“Humans are likely no different. Some may have lost precious family members to demons. Others might have had their livelihoods destroyed. To them, the idea of ‘coexisting in peace’ may be too difficult to accept, even if I propose it.”
“I won’t deny that. But, isn’t the key point that we do not wish to repeat any more tragedies?”
“If only everyone thought as you do.”
The Demon King said this while looking at the woman standing to Erin’s left—Linnea.
“It seems you do not trust me.”
Caught off guard by the Demon King reading her thoughts, Linnea hesitated for a moment.
But then she realized there was no point in lying to a being capable of seeing through her completely.
“I am a member of the imperial family. I assume you are aware of the Empire’s existence, Demon King?”
“Of course, I am.”
“The Empire has stood for over three hundred years. Two centuries ago, during the war with the demons, the Empire suffered irreparable damage. Anyone who has studied the Empire’s history knows the horrors of that time. Even though communication between us was nonexistent, I find it difficult to accept that such atrocities were committed merely because demons desired sunlight.”
“In other words, you suspect I have another agenda, and this desire for sunlight is just a cover?”
“I apologize for being unable to hide my thoughts from you, Demon King.”
“Linnea!”
Luca, standing nearby, tried to intervene with concern.
“Let her speak.”
“Ophel?”
“She has voiced her thoughts, has she not? Communication begins there.”
Hearing Ophel’s words, Luca no longer tried to stop Linnea.
The Demon King, surprisingly, seemed amused by Linnea’s words.
“It’s fine. Even if my form has changed, I do not dislike humans who maintain their resolve, even before the Demon King. Then let me prove my sincerity to you in a way you can understand.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is someone among your group who can easily determine whether or not I speak the truth, is there not?”
“It seems like you tried to hide it, but there’s no way I wouldn’t notice. That intense power—similar to magic yet distinctly different—is emanating from you.”
At the Demon King’s sudden remark, everyone tilted their heads in confusion.
Erin cautiously stepped forward to ask on behalf of the group.
“Um, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who you’re referring to—”
The Demon King raised a finger silently and pointed.
“…Me, you mean?”
She was pointing at Ophel, who was kneeling.
“Yes. More specifically, the bag you’re holding in your arms.”
“The bag? It just has my rabbit companion in it.”
Ophel glanced at the Demon King with a puzzled expression and then opened the bag.
Inside, her rabbit companion was napping peacefully.
“Wake up, little one.”
“But I’m sleepy…”
“It’ll only take a moment.”
Ophel gently grasped the rabbit’s front paws and lifted it out, placing it on her head.
“Is this what you were referring to?”
“Ho. A mere human commanding such an incredible existence as if it’s nothing. You might be far more powerful than you appear.”
“It’s not my subordinate; it’s my friend. But I still don’t see what you mean by your earlier comment…”
“Do you mean that sincerely?”
“Why would I lie to you?”
The Demon King’s eyes sparkled with interest and amusement.
“Let me be honest. Even in this human body, which is an undeniable penalty in terms of combat ability, I’m still fairly strong. With just a wave of my hand, I could easily take the lives of ordinary humans like you.”
Despite the serious tone, the sight of the tiny girl delivering such a threat made her more endearing than intimidating.
Unaware of the effect her appearance had, the Demon King continued in earnest.
“However, against that rabbit… It would be a tough battle. If I let my guard down, I might even lose. I can feel an overwhelming aura of strength radiating from it.”
“Is it really that strong…?”
Before Ophel could respond, Erin, the saintess, spoke up.
“The rabbit is a divine envoy. Naturally, it’s no ordinary being. It’s not surprising even for the Demon King to feel that way.”
“Now that I think about it, my little companion has performed some remarkable magic before. Even though it’s a rabbit, it eats meat… Yes, you truly are amazing, little one!”
“I’m still sleepy…”
“Anyway, what is your name?”
“…Linnea.”
“As long as that rabbit is here, deceiving or manipulating you would be impossible. It would see through any lies instantly. So please, believe my words. What we desire is the same as before—nothing but the right to bask in sunlight. I swear there is not a single lie in that.”
Linnea still found it hard to accept.
From the Demon King turning into a young girl to the sudden call for peaceful coexistence, it was all too much.
Even so… If this was truly the ‘will of the divine,’ as Erin claimed—
Perhaps this could be an opportunity to understand a truth she had long avoided.
After all, her ultimate goal wasn’t the downfall of the religious order but achieving harmony between it and the empire.
“Very well. I will trust you, Demon King.”
“I am deeply grateful.”
The Demon King slowly rose, gripping the edges of her tattered black garment and curtseying like a noblewoman.
Her small frame and the way she lifted her skirt gave her a more adorable than dignified appearance.
It felt more like a child playing pretend.
“Hmph!”
“Luca? What’s wrong?”
“Ah, it’s… nothing…”
Luca, unable to voice her urge to hug the adorable Demon King, stayed silent as Linnea spoke in a serious tone.
“However, I must acknowledge that most humans will not share my sentiments. With centuries of conflict and hostility between us, few will be able to accept calls for reconciliation so easily…”
“That’s fine. I will do to humans what they did to us. I believe the divine gave me this human body to achieve precisely that.”
“And what is it that you intend to do?”
“Dialogue.”
The Demon King smiled gently, her eyes gleaming.
“I plan to represent the demons and convey our intentions directly to humanity.”
“Erin, forgive my boldness, but may I ask for your help? Could you create an opportunity for me to deliver the demons’ message to humanity?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Erin nodded firmly.
“The divine brought us here for this purpose. You have said that the divine made you human. As a saintess, my only duty is to follow the will of our one and only god. The Guodun Church and I fully support your cause and will strive to create a world where humans and demons can coexist.”
“Of course, it will likely be a very difficult path, considering our history of mutual hatred—”
With a radiant smile under the sunlight, she added, “But if it’s the will of the divine, I would gladly give my life for it.”
The Demon King couldn’t help but be moved by Erin’s conviction.
The warmth she felt was undoubtedly the love of the divine.
And this woman, perhaps among all humans, received the most of that love.
‘So this is the will of a saintess.’
The idea that ‘all humans are weak and must be subdued through fear’ seemed to be just another unfounded myth about humans, much like the misconceptions about demons.
‘Yes, if there were misunderstandings on both sides, dialogue could resolve them—’
With that thought, the Demon King took her first step onto a path none of her predecessors had dared to tread.
***
Days later, rumors began spreading like wildfire.
“The Demon King has descended upon the continent.”
“The saintess brought the Demon King to the cathedral.”
“The Guodun Church has allied with the demons.”
Each rumor was explosive enough to cause an uproar on its own, yet now several had emerged simultaneously.
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