I Got Reincarnated as the Villain and Saved the World, but After the Ending I Was Betrayed and Exiled. I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life in the Frontier, but for Some Reason My Former Companions Started Chasing Me with Yandere Eyes… - 20

Chapter 20: The Demon Lord’s Proposal

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The Demon Lord… That was the being that ruled over the demons. A being from another world who supplied magical power to the demon race. Its combat strength was top-class among demons. The only reason I managed to kill the Demon Lord was because of my Evil Eyes and a perfect ambush plan we had prepared. 

I stared at the expressionless girl before me, who was exuding overwhelming pressure.

“I… I’ve never heard of a Demon Lord Solomon…” 

“Of course not. We only arrived from the demon realm the other day.”

That’s not what I meant! I’m saying this information wasn’t in my previous life’s knowledge either!! 

I tried to recall information about this game’s sequel. Working at a black company, I was so busy so I only glanced at the game’s website. Because of that, my knowledge was fragmented at best. 

The sequel’s theme was coexistence between humans and demons, right…? But the internet went wild over how the previous game’s protagonist was treated. Depending on the route, the previous game’s protagonist could be brutally killed.

“So, don’t be so wary. I’m different from my father. I have no intention of dominating you humans.” 

“Then… Why are you here?”

While secretly casting teleportation magic without chanting, Elena approached us. It was probably so we could escape at any moment. Tia-chan, sensing something, came to my side.

“You humans are remarkable. Despite being far inferior to us demons, you’ve learned ways to defeat us, and you possess the intelligence to create music, sculptures, and stories—things demons cannot produce.”

Solomon pulled out a very old book from her modest chest. Though the cover was a bit worn, it was clearly something that she cherished dearly.

“You’re praising us a lot, but what’s your goal? Don’t tell me you want to coexist with humans?” 

“Gustav, what nonsense are you spouting…?”

Elena let out an exasperated voice, but Solomon smiled for the first time ever.

“Fufufu, unlike the haughty elves, you truly are the bearer of the Evil Eyes. What a sharp insight. Yes, I’m different from my father. I’ve come to propose coexistence with you humans. As proof, I’ve only fought in self-defense and nothing more, right?” 

“Huh? That demon over there was totally trying to kill adventurers and us. Plus,he was being super provocative, saying stuff like, ‘How pathetic~’ and all!” 

“Aye, that’s right, Demon Lord. Stop trying to fool us with sweet talk, you coward!!”

“Huh…? No way… Did you really…?”

Solomon, who had been smug until then, let out a dumbfounded sound at Tia-chan’s remark. Then, she glared fiercely at Amon.

“You…! I told you to be friendly with humans! I allowed a little roughhousing, but killing them would make them stop listening to us, you idiot!!” 

“Wait, wait, they attacked first! It was a legitimate self-defense!! Also, Young Lady!! Your real self is showing! Your real self!!” 

“I’m not a young lady!! I told you to call me Demon Lord Solomon!!” 

“This isn’t good… Their characters are getting all jumbled…”

The expressionless demeanor from earlier was gone as Solomon, with an angry expression, kept smacking Amon. Ignoring Elena, who had a complicated look on her face, I stared at Solomon. Noticing me, she cleared her throat. Her face turning bright red.

“Ahem. Let’s get back on track. As the Demon Lord, I wish to choose the path of coexistence with you humans. However, there’s one problem… A demon named Ose stole half of my father’s power. That one is trying to use the Demon Lord’s power to dominate both humans and demons.” 

“I see… So you want our help to defeat this Ose? But Solomon, you’re stronger than us. Why not do it yourself?”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if Solomon was stronger. She was certainly troublesome, but the pressure I felt facing the Demon Lord was far worse, and judging from her movements, I didn’t think she was that great in close combat. If I fully unleashed the power of my Evil Eyes, I could probably defeat her, but I wanted to test her. Unfortunately, I wasn’t naive enough to trust someone I’d just met.

“If it’s just about defeating them, Amon would suffice. But Ose’s specialty is transformation magic. Originally, they were supposed to be gathering information while hiding in a human kingdom… But they likely got consumed by greed.” 

“I see… So they’re hiding in a human kingdom. That’s indeed troublesome. If they have the Demon Lord’s power, they won’t vanish even if they’re here…” 

“Exactly. Normally, when a Demon Lord’s body vanishes upon death, all their power should get transferred to me, the successor. But that one likely toyed with my father’s corpse and stole his magic. Betraying us and stealing their master’s power…. They’re a disgrace to demonkind.”

Stealing the Demon Lord’s power… But when? The Demon Lord’s corpse… Or rather, his head was displayed by Cain as proof of defeat during the triumphal parade…

No, don’t tell me… I’ve got a really bad feeling about this…

“So, you’re here to borrow our strength, and you have no intention of fighting us, right?” 

“Yes, exactly. In fact, I even want to interact with you humans.”

The moment the atmosphere relaxed as she seemed convinced, Elena’s eyes sharply pierced Solomon.

“But… We killed your father, the Demon Lord. Do you really want to borrow our help?” 

“…That man was only interested in strength and was the worst father in existence. I don’t mind. In fact, I respect you for defeating my powerful father. I want to learn about the strength you humans possess, which we demons lack… Please, will you lend us your power?”

“““…”””

The expressionless Solomon bowed her head. There was no hostility in her demeanor and as we exchanged glances to decide what to do, Amon spoke up.

“Young Lady is telling the truth. I’ll stake my head on it. Elf Girl, you can cast an explosive spell on me if I do anything funny, okay?” 

“Amon… I’m grateful for your loyalty.”

Amon raised both hands as if to say “do as you please” and stood in front of me, prompting Solomon to let out a sigh of admiration.

“Then shall I charm Amon? Even if I can’t fully charm him, I can at least restrain his movements…” 

“Hell yeah!! Being charmed by a cool chick like you would be awesome! Come on, make me your dog!!” 

“Ugh, gross!! And I’m not a cool girl, I’m a cute girl!!”

Tia-chan gave Amon, who approached with a big grin, a look like she was staring at an insect.

“Wait… Amon? What about your loyalty to me…?”

Ignoring Solomon’s stunned expression, Elena cast a spell on Amon’s neck. If he did anything strange, his head would explode. With Elena’s excellent judgment, I felt reassured.

“So, we have a deal. Shall we go look for Ose?” 

“Do you have any leads?” 

“Yes. Ose has been hiding in the Istelia Kingdom for decades under my father’s orders. They’re apparently in a fairly high position.”

““What?!””

It was no surprise that Elena and I raised our voices. That was my homeland, where Henrietta and Cain were… And my younger sister, who became the lord in my place, was there too.

“So Ose stole the magic from the Demon Lord’s head?!” 

“I’ve got a bad feeling. We need to hurry!!” 

“Yeah.”

And so, we teleported to the city where the Adventurers’ Guild was using Elena’s magic.

 ★★  ★★

A woman in priestly robes was healing Abel and his group, who had been injured fighting monsters excited by the demons’ pressure.

“Thank you, Saintess-sama.” 

“Amazing… To be able to heal such wounds in an instant…” 

“Don’t mention it. This is due to God’s guidance.”

Ceres-san smiled gently, making Abel blush, only for Frau-chan to step on his foot. Ceres-san chuckled nostalgically at the sight.

“You’re all okay now. Do you know where Elena-san and the others went?” 

“Yes. They headed deeper that way. Are demons really that dangerous? Even with Elena-sama there?” 

“Yes, that’s right. But that’s not all. There was an adventurer with a mask with Elena-san, right? I have business with him.” 

“Oh, Gustav-san? What about him?”

Unable to imagine the connection between Gustav and Ceres-san, the Demon Lord-slaying hero, Abel gave her a puzzled look. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment.

“Gustav-sama… He is my benefactor and the one I’ve pledged my future to.”

“““Huh?”””

Abel and his companions let out dumbfounded sounds at her unexpected words. Ceres-san bowed to them and headed deeper into the forest, her eyes strangely devoid of light. 

“Please wait for me, Phantom-oniisama… I won’t let you escape this time.”

“Between Elena-sama and Ceres-sama, Gustav-san must be an incredible person to be so admired…” 

“I mean, isn’t Tia-chan’s love rival way too strong?”

Abel and Frau-chan muttered involuntarily. As a side note, since Gustav and the others had used teleportation magic to return to the city, they passed by Ceres-san without meeting her.

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