“Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Oscar was taken prisoner, and a very strange prisoner at that. He ate meat that a demon had cooked and drank warm milk in front of the bonfire that a demon had made. He was also gifted fur that had been sheared from a beast caught by a demon. Lara asked him with a curious smile.
“Do you believe me?”
“Yes.”
Oscar said so without hesitation. Lara looked at him with a strange face.
“Why? I’m a saintess who collects demons. I’ve betrayed humanity and am trying to become the demon lord. I will gather the demon worshippers on this land and pretend to be a King. I’m sure they will all worship me.”
“That’s why I’m asking you. What’s the reason you’re doing this?”
“Should there be any reason? I will be the last demon lord and destroy the world.”
“Why?”
“I won’t tell you.”
Lara grinned. Despite Oscar muttering that she was going crazy, Lara did not look that upset.
“Well, I’m sure you have your plan.”
“Don’t trust me.”
“Sure, sure.”
“Have you still not changed your mind when you said you would do anything for the woman Demian loved?”
“Yes, because he’s my friend.”
“I love Demian, too.”
“Yes, I knew… Wait, what?”
Oscar sprang to his feet and flopped again. As he moved, the pot on the bonfire fell over and Vassago’s deprecated gaze flicked towards him. Oscar quickly put the pot back in place and whispered to Lara.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I love him. Perhaps… even more than Demian does?”
“Why didn’t you tell him? Demian would get so happy he might drool like a madman.”
“I did.”
“What?”
“I have told him many times. It’s just that Demian didn’t tell you.”
“That little…”
Oscar trembled after hearing Demian’s betrayal. Lara sat by his side and told him that Demian deliberately kept their relationship a secret because it was fun seeing the three Barbarians trying hard.
“Oscar, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“That sly fox… Just wait until he comes here- pardon?”
“You’ll do what I say, right?”
“Nope.”
Lara thought she said it pretty sympathetically, though it did not work for Oscar. Oscar turned his body away from Lara with a straight face. Then he continued in a resentful voice, as if blaming her.
“I know you’re trying to ask me to do something strange. I will never be able to listen to you. If it’s something that will make Demian, or Madam Isadora, or Acerus, or Konny, or even Valentine angry, I will never listen to you.”
“Please.”
“…Fine, what is it?”
“Please tell them that you went up the mountain to uncover the demon lord's identity, that you saw the saintess creating undead out of dead demonic beasts, and that she is gathering demon worshippers.”
“Are you out of your mind?”
“Tell them that the demons knelt at the feet of the saintess and acted immoral. Tell them that the demon lord is born. And tell them that the Gorgon mountain range should be blocked and that all the people in the neighboring cities should be evacuated.”
“Why should you do that?”
Oscar asked with a distorted face. He could predict exactly what would happen after that as if it was drawn in his head.
People would throw stones at Lara. They would curse her name and try to erase the saintess’ record. Furthermore, all those close to Lara would suffer. Isadora, Demian, the Barbarians, Konny, Eunice, and even Ximena. Everyone would be criticized for being part of Lara’s family and friends.
Still, Lara remained calm.
“Do you know why I haven’t made any excuses even when I have been accused as a witch and wicked woman?”
“No, why?”
“If a good man does something wrong, he will be cursed ten times more than usual. But if a bad man does something worse, people will think that that’s par for the course.”
“Why does that matter?”
“A demon lord has always been the bad guy. So even if the demon lord does something bad, people will just accept it, right? Let’s say… the demon lord pretends to torment humans but suddenly slaughters all the demon worshippers.”
“What?”
“Even if the demon lord beats up the demons who ascend on this land for being arrogant, or wipes out the demonic beasts, or even executes the black sorcerers… People will just think that that’s how the demon lord is.”
“But even a saintess can do something like that.”
“No, saintesses aren’t able to gather them all in one place. Rather, they will run farther away and they will try to hide deeper.”
Lara was stubborn, and Oscar could not beat her stubbornness. He knew he was being persuaded, but he could not refute anymore.
“I beg you, Oscar. Please be my messenger.”
“Lara.”
“Prepare for the war based on the information you have taken from me. It looks easy but it’s very difficult. If people find out you’re the demon lord’s messenger, you may be caught and burned for whatever reason they could throw at you.”
“Haa…”
Oscar clasped his head in his big hand. He missed Demian to death at this moment.
Of all the people he can fall in love with, why did he have to choose such a great woman?
“I get it.”
Oscar mumbled helplessly.
“But you still have to promise me one thing. When the war is over, we will risk our lives to fight to clear your innocence. Even if it’s something that will make us become the Empire’s enemy… We will make sure to do that.”
“Thank you.”
Lara smiled but she did not nod. Oscar was in agony with his head down, not even noticing Valac gazing pitifully at him.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The demon worshippers that had scattered all over the continent began to move toward western Gorgon. They have lived in the dark all this time, trying not to reveal themselves as much as possible in the dark. Since they did not know when the demon that would lead them would appear, they thought it was their mission to secretly expand their power.
Then one day, they heard news that the demon lord had finally ascended.
‘Two demons, both of which were strong demon lord candidates in hell, had knelt and sworn allegiance before the new demon lord.’
Not only did the news reach the demon worshippers, it had also reached the black sorcerers who manipulated them, and even to the demons themselves.
“May you gain notoriety!”
“Mother of destruction!”
“Lead us to death!”
The number of demon worshippers entering the mountain range also increased.
“It hasn’t even been a few days, and yet there are already hundreds of them.”
“They’re like roaches.”
Among the gazes of the demon worshippers pouring on her, Lara noticed some to have suspicion in their eyes. A woman who was once a saintess suddenly appeared as the demon lord. The suspicious black sorcerers struggled to grasp Lara’s true intentions.
“I don’t care.”
Of course, Lara did not answer their questions. They sacrificed the living, dug into the hearts of the weak, and used them to the bone. The crimes committed by the demon worshippers so far were countless. Not to mention the black sorcerers, all the magic they used was borrowed from the demons. And the demons always wanted a greater price than they were offered, they would steal or take things away from innocent people in the name of their ‘price.’
Lara had no intention of forgiving them. Evil for a greater evil. Now it was their turn to be on the receiving end for the same things they had done wrong.
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“Finally we’re here.”
Sebastian sighed with relief with a thin face.
They moved almost nonstop from Hautean to western Gorgon. The wolves were said to be as good as the Barbarians when it came to long journeys, and even they breathed heavily and rubbed their tired eyes. Still, Isadora’s eyes remained glistening. Looking at the magnificent city before her, she asked.
“What’s the name of that city?”
“It’s Memoria. The ramparts are high and strong so the Imperial Army is using it as their base for the great demon war. I heard that there are still civilians left here, that might be because the three small cities that are being used as advanced bases are in good condition.”
“Who’s the feudal lord?”
“Now, on behalf of the feudal lord, the commander of the Imperial Army has the command of the whole city…”
“Madam Isadora! Someone is coming!”
A mercenary wolf approached Isadora while she was listening to Sebastian’s explanation. Looking at where he was pointing, some familiar-looking Barbarians and a few Imperial Knights were running towards them. It was Oscar, Domino, and the commander of Memoria.
“Madam Isadora!”
They were genuinely delighted to see Isadora appearing with the Knights of Hautean. Because a huge amount of weapons, armor, and rations were moving behind her. Whatsmore, they had arrived much earlier than Dandelion’s reinforcements.
Isadora had enough funds to feed a whole country. She thought that Memoria should be made the strongest fortress in the world.
“We have recently heard that the Emperor is personally taking action. But we didn’t expect you to be the first to come to us from Hautean. How did you do that?”
Oscar asked. Isadora, who had been looking at his peaceful face, suddenly spoke.
“Where’s Lara?”
Oscar shut his mouth. Domino glanced uncomfortably away from Isadora’s gaze. Surprisingly, it was the commander of the Imperial Army who answered her question.
“Your daughter has become the demon lord.”
“What?”
“These are what the demon worshippers have been crying out about, they have gathered in the mountain range since a few days ago.”
He uttered with a heavy groan and deep regret in his voice.
“Tomb of corpses, the mother of destruction… the monarch of hell who insults God in the name of the saintess. They bow down to your daughter in the morning and evening.
The commander confessed with a gloomy face. He said that the demon worshippers looked like they were about to pull their hearts out alive to give them to her.
“Hmm.”
The corners of Isadora’s lips twitched. So did Konny’s lips, too.
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