Volume 4 Chapter 86: Master, Isn’t That a Bit Hardcore…?【Final Volume: Balor and Nanashi Arc】

“The previous lord of Apophis territory, the noble Kainz Apophis, is the source of it all.”

Nanashi declares it without hesitation.

Normally, people might get angry if someone bad‑mouthed their father, but I don’t feel that way at all.

After all, he really was worthless.

It’s not like he ever treated me well.

To me he’s basically a stranger—family or not.

Considering my origins, all the more.

“Kainz… you mean—”

“Master’s father, nya?”

“Yeah. That’s the backstory.”

“Backstory!?”

Artemis startles, but that’s exactly how it is.

“See, I’m an artificial human. Strictly speaking, we’re not blood‑related.”

The maids nod, looking convinced. I wasn’t born the ordinary way.

So it’s not a normal parent‑child relationship.

“Kainz may have used a bit of his own blood as one of the materials for Master’s body, so you could say there’s a link.”

“Even if so, it’s a trace amount. We’re not ‘blood‑related.’”

Why does Nanashi bring up unpleasant stuff? She’s doing it on purpose…

“So Marcel wasn’t actually your blood brother, then.”

“Right. Makes sense why he hated me: some ‘brother’ with no blood ties suddenly inherits the land that should’ve been his.”

Marcel, foolish enough to defy me and follow Father to the same hell.

Obviously, he knew I was a homunculus.

I was ‘born’ after he’d already grown some.

He must’ve been shocked when I took the lord’s seat he thought was his.

Still, if Marcel had ability and charisma, he might’ve fought me even after I appeared.

He had neither—his fault.

Honestly, even if he had, I’d have replaced him easily.

“So, why did Balor‑chan’s father create Balor‑chan in the first place? I’m super, super glad he did, so I kinda wanna thank him.”

“Ah—right… It’s an incredibly dumb reason, though…”

I sigh once and begin.

“Kainz Apophis wanted to rule this kingdom. He created me for that.”

“Rule… the kingdom?”

Konoha’s mouth hangs open, totally unprepared.

Yeah, same here.

“Exactly. Apophis territory alone wasn’t enough. He was ambitious. Planned to attack the kingdom with overwhelming force and take it.”

“But that’s normally impossible. One noble toppling a country? You’d need massive military might, or huge political clout to stir up rebellions… He didn’t have the might, right?”

I nod at Artemis’s question.

He sure didn’t.

“Right. He had a private army, but small and poorly trained.”

“Then did he have political power‑ru?”

I shake my head to Izun.

“No. Crafty, maybe, but not truly smart. Almost no allies. He even thought fewer collaborators were better, since he wanted sole control.”

“Th‑That’s savage, nya…”

But he really was useless.

Big ambition; zero means.

Driven by desire, he never thought of fallback plans.

Yeah—an idiot.

“Luck favored him, though. Somehow he obtained Balor’s Evil Eye.”

“Balor… You don’t mean Lord Balor, right‑ru?”

Izun tilts her head at Nanashi’s words; our shared name makes it confusing.

“Balor is the name of an evil god. Long, long ago it ravaged this world. Its immense, vicious power devastated most of the land; anyone who opposed it—heroes, even gods—was slain.”

Heh… I’d never bothered looking this up.

So Nanashi’s info is new to me. …That Balor thing sounds insane.

“Through countless plots, traps, and a coalition of remaining humans, demons, and gods, they finally killed Balor. Yet its symbol—the Evil Eye—didn’t vanish. Instead it spewed a monstrous curse, killing many more.”

I almost touch my eye unconsciously.

What a dangerous thing… I don’t need it…

“Several gods sacrificed themselves to seal it, but over ages it must’ve slipped into mortal hands. No records of Balor remain, either.”

“Why no records? If it’s that terrible, wouldn’t you keep them?” Konoha asks.

“Power draws fools. Even back then cults worshipped Balor. To stop anyone thinking they could use it, they acted like it never existed. As a result the Evil Eye leaked out anyway.”

So they erased it to keep idiots away from the power of an evil god. Makes sense—revival cults would be a pain.

“Kainz figured making weak homunculi was pointless. When he happened upon the Eye, he decided to implant it in one.”

“And that one is Balor‑sama…”

That scumbag father jammed that thing in my eye. He can enjoy hell with Marcel.

“More precisely, Master is the sole success. Many homunculi got the Eye before him, but its evil power crushed their minds—they went insane and became useless.”

Yeah, there were others before me. Every last one snapped from the curse. So don’t stick it in me, you jerk.

“You said Lord Balor ‘devoured’ it?” Izun asks.

“Master crushed the evil god’s power instead, establishing his ego without losing himself.”

The maids stare at me, dumbfounded.

What’s with those eyes? Show some respect.

“…He subdued the evil god that nearly destroyed the world? Master, that’s brutal…”

“Ha‑ha‑ha. I couldn’t let the world you live in get hurt, so I worked hard.”

I smile and spout words I don’t believe.

Nanashi sneaks close and whispers:

(Truth is, inside your mind you were like, ‘Why the hell is a freak like you inside me? Die, damn it!’—and you just painted over the god in your psyche. It was terrifying, seriously.)

(Shut up.)