Chapter 24 – 8. The Village that Conceived the Hero (1)

8. The Village that Conceived the Hero (1)

Everything here has been settled.
From the sky above, I looked down at Barkius, swinging my feet back and forth with a broad smile.

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Indeed. Certainly, the sight of a human who had been running away from his past returning to his past self was truly a feast.”

Clap, clap, clap, the one who appeared clapping slowly was, of course, the demon.
The demon chuckled and stood next to me, looking down below.

The night in Barkius, a scenery as usual.
But that’s only when viewed from afar.

Like a bug eating the inside of a fruit, Barkius is being eaten from the inside out, bit by bit.
Someday, when the time comes, it will break through the fruit and become a splendid butterfly.

“When I first heard the story of Barkius.”

“Yes.”

“I wondered why you said he was the farthest from corruption, why would you say such a human is farthest from corruption. But now I understand.”

Why you said that.
Hearing my words, the demon began to speak with a satisfied smile.

“Corruption is when one who has risen high falls. It’s a morning star falling into the abyss. A beautiful light being dyed in darkness. You don’t call a fool who was wandering in the mud tripping over his own feet corruption.”

“That’s interesting. My name is also Morning Star. Did you aim for that?”

“Oh, if I offened, I apologize.”

“I didn’t particularly feel offened. It’s as offensive as a bowl of delicious stew.”

“Haha, you know how to command your subordinates. I’ll be tamed right away.”

I grabbed the wrist of the demon, who was about to leave with a bow.
Hm? With a questioning look, the demon stared at me smiling.

“I’m done. I’ll go too.”

“Enjoying a meal while watching the night view wouldn’t be too bad.”

“I can’t eat on a garbage dump. It ruins my appetite.”

“Hohoho…. I understand. Now, sir, give me your hand.”

I took the demon’s hand and jumped over the wall.
The sky of Barkius was still quiet tonight.

–
–
–

Upon arriving at the demon’s castle, I was led to a dining room with a long table.

“I’ll serve the stew soon, so please wait a moment.”

“Oh, before that. Where’s Nae?”

“If you mean Lord Nae, she is waiting at her seat.”

Following the demon’s hand, I shifted my gaze to see Nae’s head at the end of the table on the opposite side.
Nae’s head was placed on a luxurious red cushion.

“Her hair has become incredibly soft. Her complexion has improved too.”

“Haha, even though I was called the goddess of beauty by girls in my youth. Even if it’s a dead person, if they touch my hand, they become more beautiful than a living person.”

Wow, that’s impressive.
While giving a soulless answer and looking at Barkius under my feet, I tilted my head at a sudden question that came to mind.

A goddess?
The demon?

“Can a goddess become a demon?”

When I blinked and asked, the demon chuckled and said.

“In the far east, there is a saying. Three men make a tiger, meaning if three people insist, even a filial son can be made a murderer.”

“What’s a filial son?”

“He’s a very virtuous person. A character with no connection to murder.”

If that’s what it takes to make a person a murderer…
It means a lie holds such immense power.

“Hmm… So, you became a demon in the same way?”

“Yes. I had no choice. I guess it was a good thing I was weak”

I watched the demon feigning tears, then shrugged my shoulders and approached Nae. I hadn’t seen Nae in a while, and she was still as radiant as ever.

“Hehe.”

“I’ll go get the stew then.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

I waved the demon off casually and held Nae close, swaying back and forth as if seated in a rocking chair. I should have held Nae like this before I died.

I pouted at the regret I felt. But what could I do? I can’t bring Nae back to life now.

As I held Nae close, the demon who had disappeared at some point returned with the stew and placed it in front of me.

“Shall I show you to your room if you’re tired?”

“No, I’m fine. Here, take Nae first.”

“Okay.”

I handed Nae over to the demon and started eating the stew. Unlike the stew I used to eat in Barkius, the stew the demon gave me was sweet, savory, and delicious.

As I leisurely ate my stew, the demon who was combing my hair looked over at me.

“By the way, have you thought about where you’re going next?”

“Not really, I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Oh… You’re not already bored after finishing just one, are you?”

Bored? What a ridiculous thing to say. I returned the words the nun had said to me back to the demon and chuckled as I scooped up more stew.

“I’m not bored, I just have so much to do that I’m wondering where to start. And do you think I’d be satisfied after just finishing one?”

My goal is the death of the hero and the saint. The most dreadful and painful kind of death.

I want to see those two chase hope until they reach the end, only to fall into despair and crumble. I want to see them die in at the edge of despair, where their souls die before their bodies.

“But it’s too early to finish.”

“Indeed, you’re different from others. Not only demons, but there are also many pitiful humans who forget what they wanted and are content with the present. That’s why I dare to be presumptouse and worry about you.”

“I think it’s the difference between those who are satisfied and those who are not.”

The demon’s eyes curved like crescent moons, as if he found it amusing. I shrugged my shoulders at the sight of her.

“They’re content because they’re satisfied. But no matter what I do, I’m not satisfied. Yes. After finishing the work in Barkius, I’m sure. I’m not satisfied.”

“Hehehe… Yes, that’s enough for now.”

“Oh, speaking of which. I mentioned that I want the hero and the saint to have agonizing deaths.”

“Yes, you did.”

“Talking about it reminded me of why I chose Barkius.”

As I spoke with a beaming smile, the demon who was combing my hair looked at me. She had a puzzled expression on her face.

“Uh? Wasn’t your choice driven by the desire to see the Saint suffer?”

“Of course, that was part of it. But I had something more important in mind.”

I chose Barkius because subconsciously, I thought he would be the most entertaining human to toy with. Then why did I find the idea of corrupting Barkius amusing?

“It’s the fact that I destroyed the haven where the Saint would rely on. That was so enjoyable. Only after all the things they believed in are denied, and the places they could rely on disappear, do humans truly despair.”

With a bright smile, I stood up from my seat, raised my hands above my head, and shouted. Eureka!

“I’ve decided where to go next!”

“Interesting, where have you decided?”

“Having destroyed one place for the Saint, it’s now the hero’s turn.”

Let’s go to The Village that conceived the hero. I have something I want to experiment with.

–
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–

The coastal city of Ruben. The city where the hero was born and was chosen to be a hero.

Located at the easternmost edge of the continent, it has a port that does not freeze even in winter, making it a trade center and a place called the second heart of the continent.

The city was already famous for trade, but when it became known as the city where the hero was born and chosen by god, a tremendous crowd flocked, turning it into a metropolis.

Of course, I had never been here before I started traveling with the demon. Because my father, the hero, hated me so much. Because I was incompetent.

Would such a father take me to the village where he was born? Haha, he would rather kill me than become a laughingstock.

“Wow, it’s lively, isn’t it?”

Mother.

Looking down at the village bustling with various people, I smiled and looked to my side. There stood a demon with red eyes and black hair that reached her waist.

Hair and eyes that look exactly like mine. The face of my father, which makes me nauseous just thinking about it, came to mind, and I almost killed him without thinking.

While thinking about this and laughing, the demon looked at me and smiled kindly.

“Child, you should use honorifics with your mother.”

“Oh right. I forgot. Hehe.”

Good, good. She stroked my head as I laughed.

“Let’s go look for a house now!”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

I held the demon’s hand tightly and wandered around the village looking for an empty house. But there happened to be a family planning to leave for another city, and they were so poor that they had to leave their house empty-handed.

The demon and I tried to protest, saying it was too reckless a journey, but the family insisted on handing over the house. We tried to pay at least a minimum amount, but they refused even the money we offered and left the city in a hurry.

The demon and I had no choice but to accept the house. We couldn’t just abandon a house with no one in it.

“Hello, ma’am.”

“Hello.”

But oh my. What a coincidence.

“You must have just moved in.”

Next door lived the hero’s mother, my grandmother.