Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 111

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 111   Human Heart

“I don’t know if you qualify as a demon, but what kind of host tests their own invited guests?”

Being a demon, I have a certain resistance to special abilities like demon eyes and celestial eyes, but Elsa doesn’t. Inviting us over only to scrutinize our inner thoughts is downright rude.

While it doesn’t cause any real harm, it’s their attitude that bothers me.

“Oh my, so you noticed after all… My subordinate, the god of magic, was insistent that an otherworldly demon was no significant threat, so I just had to test it out a little.”

“No, it’s not ‘just a little’…”

An adult woman shouldn’t be winking and acting all cutesy like that.

But, well, I can somewhat understand the gods’ perspective. They likely considered the danger of inviting someone aligned with demonic forces into the celestial realm. This test was probably to determine whether we were worth negotiating with in the future.

In short, if I turn out to be as gentle as their investigation suggests, that’s fine.

But if I was just a violent entity pretending to be mild-mannered, the gods of heaven gathered here will take care of me.

That was the plan from the beginning.

However, the magic god, who seems dissatisfied with my ability to see through the eyes of the goddess of creation, seems to have a slightly different perspective.

He’s probably a senior god.

There’s a nervous-looking guy with a ten-meter staff staring at us with bulging veins on his forehead.

Hmm, his mental state… is probably jealousy.

“Impossible! Even I, a god who cannot resist, cannot accept that the divine eye of the Creator does not see through such a creature of darkness! There must be something else at play!?”

“Shall we put that to the test?”

“W-what do you mean…”

Hey, what kind of test are you talking about, goddess?

You’re not suggesting I duel it out with this magic god here, are you?

Well, whatever, I guess.

I don’t feel like losing.

But, you know, this guy is technically your subordinate.

Don’t you think it’s a bit pitiful to drag him into a match where the outcome is already obvious?

“Magic God Oldemir, are you frustrated? You cannot tolerate the fact that such a creature of darkness equals you in magic, or perhaps even surpasses you… Isn’t that right?”

“N-no way! What are you saying, Goddess of Creation?! In terms of magic, there’s no one above me from the beginning…”

Hmm.

Well, as the entity governing magic in this world, he probably has some pride.

I understand the sentiment of that old man Oldemir.

But you know, I’m a supernatural being from a different dimension, a different world.

You don’t have to force-fit me into the standards of this world.

“So, that’s why I suggested we put it to the test. Fortunately, it seems our guest understands your feelings.”

“G-grah…”

Yeah, it’s hard to say.

Even though he probably thinks he’s superior, he can’t back down after provoking a fight using the Goddess of Creation, who is his superior.

I get it.

I’m an adult, after all.

The problem lies more with this sadistic Goddess, who has now cornered the Magic God Oldemir, who can’t find a way to retreat. She’s really got quite the personality, doesn’t she?

“Sigh… One-on-one fights are all well and good, but come on, ‘Goddess’ or whatever you are, think about the feelings of that Magic God old man too. Both gods and humans have their pride. When a rival appears in a field that could be considered the very purpose of one’s existence, it’s natural to feel some competitiveness. I don’t think this Oldemir old man was wrong.”

“W-what!”

I mean, why is Oldemir’s old man looking at me like I just said something profound? Weren’t you giving me the stink eye just a moment ago? Talk about a quick change of heart. He’s just too pure, isn’t he?

Hmm, things are starting to look a little suspicious. Are these guys plotting something else?

But even if I wanted to confront them about it, Preanis, the Archangel, is just too apologetic, and Elsa is too busy flapping her mouth open and shut over the unexpected turn of events where I might fight the Magic God.

And then there’s little Chibisuke, who seems to sense something’s off about the Goddess but is torn between siding with the suspicious Goddess, who’s technically her superior, and me, who seems to have some justification, even though she’s not fond of me because I always scolds her right away.

“Oh dear…”

With a troubled look on her face, the Goddess of Creation chuckles. Even though it’s difficult for me to read the thoughts of beings from this dimension, I can tell she’s probably still scheming something.

“Well then, how about this?”

“What now?”

“It’s about your wife, the Dark Elf. It’s quite remarkable how a demon god like you ended up marrying such a creature and even made her a substitute mother for Hero Ars, isn’t it? I find that quite intriguing.”

…

…

This woman.

Right now, did she just call my beloved wife “such a creature”?

For a moment, I couldn’t understand what was said, and my mind went blank.

I see.

Seems like this Goddess of Creation wanted to pick a fight with me.

“Husband!”

“No, please! This is probably a test from the Goddess of Creation! Please calm down, Mr. Kakyu!”

Yeah, I get it.

This is probably just another test to ensure safety.

But you see, there’s a line that can’t be cross, a line can’t be compromise on.

Whether it’s a test or whatever, I can’t just stand back and let my wife be insulted.

Protecting Elsa’s dignity or proving my safety.

There’s no need to think about which one to choose.

If that’s what she’s after, then I’ll make enemies of the entire world for it.

“Sorry, Elsa. I won’t just play along to protect your honor. At worst, even if it means abandoning this world, I’ll protect your dignity and happiness, so please forgive me.”

“…”

Don’t make that face, Elsa Mama.

A face that I can’t tell if it’s sad or happy, it’s hard to comment on.

And just when I was about to go all out against this Goddess of Creation.

Suddenly, the goddess, who had been sporting a creepy grin until now, smiled naturally.

“…I see. It seems you indeed have a human… heart within you, Lord Kakyu, the Demon God. Indeed, you seem different from the demons we have known until now.”

“What?”

A human heart within me?

What the heck?

What’s she talking about now? Is she going to retract her previous statements?

Hey, what’s the deal here all of a sudden?

Isn’t this supposed to be the Goddess of Creation bowing down to me?

Just fight me already.

“No need to say it, I understand. I retract my previous statement. It was very disrespectful to belittle the wonderful woman who stands by your side, even if it was to assess you.”

What…?

What is this goddess trying to assess exactly?

I’ve been finding her attitude strange since earlier, but maybe she wasn’t really concerned about my “safety” from the start.

If that’s the case, what she really wanted to know was probably…

“Of course, it’s only natural for one with love to feel indignation. And of course, I have no objections to bowing my head. With sincerity, I humbly offer my apology.”

Tch.

She’s really apologizing with all her heart.

She went through the trouble of undoing her magic defenses, accepting my Devil’s Eye without resistance. It’s frustrating.

This just makes it obvious that she genuinely feels sorry.

A cowardly move.

But, I think I’ve got the gist of the situation now.

“Why did you do such a thing?”

“We wanted to know. As a being of darkness, whether you truly possess a human heart. If you had retreated at that moment, it wouldn’t have been worth trusting you. However, if you had shown a genuine desire to protect your wife, Elsa-san, regardless of personal gain, then we would have deemed you worthy of trust from the beginning.”

…Sigh.

So that’s it.

Since it’s impossible to see through my heart with magic, they forcibly tested my spirituality.

What the gods truly wanted to see wasn’t “safety,” but my “humanity.”

I guess that’s what it was after all…

Indeed, if they wanted to confirm that, this would be the perfect method.

Even I, Kakyu, would struggle if I had to face not only the Goddess of Creation but all the remaining gods. And if I were acting out of self-interest, it wouldn’t make sense to make enemies of them all for the sake of just one wife.

Naturally, they would try to control the situation to demonstrate transparent safety.

Quite a clever strategy.

Probably, even the magic god, Oldemir, picking a fight with me was part of their plan.

Because my magic defenses are so strong, it must have been a desperate move by the Goddess of Creation to start this farce deliberately, unable to see through my inner thoughts.

From the perspective of the gods managing the world, they must have been extremely uneasy about an unknown demon suddenly becoming active in their domain.

I can’t say I don’t understand those feelings.

In fact, from the perspective of the goddess, deliberately playing the villain to make the other gods understand my existence and to gain their acceptance, I can now see the logic behind it.

Sigh…

I guess there’s no other way…

“The Goddess of Creation, huh… I understand your feelings well. But even so, consider this a favor. No matter the reason, there won’t be a next time.”

“Yes, there won’t be another time like this. If something like this were to happen again, it would likely mean the end of this world.”

Those words made me a little uneasy, but unfortunately, I could confirm with my Devil Eye that she said it in all seriousness.

Sheesh, what a troublesome goddess…

Well, I guess I’ll listen to what she has to say. Even Chibisuke is grinning, adjusting her sunglasses now that I’ve calmed down.

It would be uncool to complain any further, so I think I’ll leave it at that for today.

Besides, seeing the obvious relief on the faces of the Goddess of Creation and Oldemir old man, I can’t really say much.

“Hehe, I knew it from the beginning, you know? You have a warm heart after all~ Just a little bit.”

“Haha, maybe you’re right, Chibisuke.”

A little bit is a bit much, though.