Chapter 172: 172

The golems let out a roar as they advanced. The trees cracked loudly as they were pushed aside ruthlessly. The fairies flew behind them.

The golems and fairies had marched together many times now. They had all reached their max level of 10 as the lowest-tier monsters. Their stats were also increased nicely thanks to Laura raising them personally. I could leave the battle to them with an easy mind. I simply had to watch them from behind.

On a side note, I ordered them to not murder humans if possible. It was fine if they just incapacitated them. If the boy who was going to become the hero turned out to be missing, then we would have to ask the slash-and-burn villagers about his whereabouts.

There was no way that slash-and-burn villagers would be able to retaliate properly when abruptly hit by a surprise attack. They would have no choice but to quit fighting back once their limbs were broken. However, if they still refuse to give up, then we’ll behead them. That was all there was to it.

“Hoo.”

I strangely felt tired. I sat down on a boulder nearby.

The sound of screaming broke out from the village. I could hear the sounds of screaming children and women as well. I still have some sympathy left inside of me. It was like an unnecessary piece of fat attached to my emotions. I had to let this damned luxurious emotion go through my chest for a while.

It was only for an instant anyway. I looked down at the ground and pushed a rock around with my foot. This will all be over in an instant.

“Your Highness, we are here to give a ‘battle’ report.”

Shortly after, Jeremi jumped down from above. She landed gracefully. Had she been jumping through the trees? She barely made any sound as she landed.

“Go ahead.”

“There was a total of thirty-four people in the village. Three of them died while trying to fight back, and five of them were taken out because they tried to escape. The remaining twenty-six people have been greatly injured and taken as prisoners.”

No human got away. The boy who was going to become the hero was either in the village or was already outside the village before the battle started. I personally hoped that it was the former.

“Good work. Do not lower your guard. Jeremi, you will be following me.”

“Understood.”

I took out a mask from my bag and put it over my face. There was a chance that the hero might get away. I can’t let the hero see my real face in case that were to happen. I told Jeremi to not lower her guard and the same applied to me as well.

I walked into the village. The golems had destroyed the tents which resulted in the village naturally becoming an open field. There were dozens of humans trembling in fear on the ground. There was even a woman who was bleeding from the face.

There was crying……. Did they also have a newborn baby? They did a good job getting through the rough winter. This meant that these villagers were genial. Their bond was so firm that they didn’t abandon young children or the elderly. Well, different from the commoners that live in this territory, slash-and-burn villagers are able to get firewood whenever they want. They made full use of this, huh……?

I held my back up straight as I stood there. The humans looked at me with fear in their eyes. Even though I looked almost identical to them, they didn’t thoughtlessly become hostile to me or think of me favorably. They probably figured out that I wasn’t a normal person since I had arrived with the monsters.

“I am the master of all demons, Rank 72 Demon Lord Andromalius.”

One of the humans let out a shriek. The shriek was cut off mid-way, so the person next to them must have urgently covered the person’s mouth. That was wise of them. It was best to not make a ruckus in a situation like this.

“Put aside your questions like why I am threatening you and why I decided to attack you. From this point forth, you are not allowed to ask any questions and must only give me answers.”

“O-O Greater Being, please grant us mercy.”

The man at the front spoke up.

I glanced at Jeremi. Jeremi pulled out a dagger from somewhere and―with a speed that could barely be seen with the naked eye―she tossed it. The dagger stabbed directly into the man’s throat. The man couldn’t even let out a death throe. He grabbed his neck and fell over.

“Kyaaaah!”

“Village Chief!”

That man just now was apparently the village chief. Since he had managed to lead a slash-and-burn village of this size, he must have definitely been a capable man. I folded my arms and waited for them to settle down. They calmed down surprisingly fast. Their fear was practically taking a physical form around them.

“This is my final warning. I will not allow you to ask any questions. You are tasked with only giving me answers. If you are not able to give me a proper answer, then I will kill another person as an example each time.”

I took out a wooden ball from my pocket and held it in my hand. This was a habit of mine that I would do whenever I wanted to compose myself. I recalled my goal as I proceeded to speak in a calm tone.

“Is there a boy named Luke here?”

Luke. This was the name that was automatically given to the protagonist in the game. As long as the player doesn’t go out of their way to change his name, his name would get set to Luke by default. However, none of the villagers responded. I was only met with silence.

“Hm…….”

How should I interpret this?

Does Luke not exist in this village? Did I perhaps choose the wrong village? Or was the protagonist’s name set to something other than Luke? Or were the villagers feigning ignorance despite knowing who I was referring to?

I spoke up.

“Maria’s husband Pierre and Pierre’s wife Maria.”

A few people flinched. The corners of my mouth twitched. I got you.

Pierre and Maria were the protagonist’s parents. Is that it? Does this village have a stronger bond than I imagined, huh? They were covering for each other even with death before their eyes. Should I praise them for being impressive or mock them for their foolishness?

“To think you would dare to ignore my order, you all have quite the nerve.”

The villagers trembled more intensely.

“I am truly in awe by your camaraderie. Very well, then. It is fine if you do not tell me who Luke is. In order to show you my respect, I will slaughter every last child in this village.”

“Luke went to go play at the stream!”

A certain man shouted.

“Wurtz!”

“How could you sell out a fellow villager!? Are you insane!?”

“How could you betray us!?”

All of the villagers condemned the man indiscriminately. There was a big uproar for a moment. The villagers who were trembling in fear were now shaking with anger. The man protested with a shaky voice.

“I am sorry……but we cannot sacrifice all of our children!”

“You bastard, have you already forgotten that Pierre lent you some rye last year!? How could you repay good with evil!? Dear Lord! Please smite this man!”

“Sorry, I really am sorry……I’ll repay this sin with my life…….”

The humans continued to clamor for a while. However, it wasn’t long before they all closed their mouths one by one.

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They had just noticed that I had been watching them in utter silence.

I muttered with an impassive look on my face.

“I now understand why the other Demon Lords are unable to trust humans. To think it would feel this uncomfortable to be unable to read emotions.”

After my comment, Jeremi responded with a smile.

“Should we kill them all, Your Highness?”

“No, let us show them some generosity.”

The anger in their faces disappeared and was soon replaced with fear once again. Their lives had almost ended at that moment. I hope that they realize that it would be a simple task to kill them all here.

“Do you have a smoke?”

“I do……but what I have is rather noxious. It is highly addictive.”

Tsk, a drug, huh?

There was a time I tried marijuana in the past. It really didn’t fit my body. I’m not sure how the drugs in this world are like, but I doubt a skilled assassin like Jeremi would give out something weaker than marijuana.

“Next time, carry around a pipe exclusive to me.”

“I apologize for being unable to meet your expectations. Hehe, my body has built up such a strong immunity that I require drugs of this caliber to affect my body…….”

The villagers remained dead silent while Jeremi and I were conversing. They managed to learn how to be quiet.

“Wurtz.”

The man panicked as he looked up at me before dropping his head again.

“Y-Y……Yes!?”

“Did Luke go on his own?”

“Y-Yes, O Great Being. He went to the stream alone.”

It was better to single a person out when asking a question in a situation like this if I wanted answers. That was why I singled out the snitch.

“When will the child return?”

“M-My……apologies.”

So he doesn’t know that much.

“If Pierre and Maria are here, present yourselves to me.”

Among the humans, a man and a woman staggered as they stood up. The man’s right arm and legs were greatly injured. This was proof that he resisted intensely against a golem. They barely managed to step forward as the woman supported the man. They bowed before me as courteously as possible.

Hm.

“I praise you both for not even flinching when the name of your precious child was mentioned.”

“…….”

The slash-and-burn couple remained silent while bowing to me. They remembered that they were only supposed to respond when I asked them a question.

In the game, these two people cherished their son Luke greatly. They remained calm even though their beloved son was in danger. No, a majority of the villagers here were calm. Even though their neighbors had died to my golems…….

Looking to the side, I could see a woman desperately trying to soothe a newborn baby. She was most likely aware of what kind of misfortune would fall over them if the baby were to cry. They may have tried to feign ignorance to my question, but that was for the sake of not betraying the trust of their neighbors.

This was a world where betrayal happened almost as naturally as people breathed. It would only be right for these villagers to be praised for their sincerity. They have not done anything wrong…….

“Hoo.”

I let out a sigh. It seems the people before had ‘value’ in their lives.

It was the same for Jack Aland. At the very least, they had the right to know why they had to die. My bad habit, in other words, my habit of being merciful to people whom I had taken a liking to had pushed its way into my head again.

“Pierre, Maria, and the rest of you humans who live by burning the forest, I will now tell you why you must die and why the boy named Luke must also die.”

“…….”

The woman’s shoulders trembled once I mentioned Luke’s name again. She didn’t speak up or cry. She was a strong person. Come to think of it, this was the woman who gave birth to the hero…….

“A prophecy has been told. The most renowned shaman in the demon world was the one who received this prophecy. The Goddesses forewarned that a decade from now, a cold blade will be stabbed into the hearts of Demon Lords one by one before they are eventually all gone.”

“…….”

“The name of the human who will end the lives of us Demon Lords is Luke.”

The villagers started to stir.

“There must be a countless number of Lukes throughout the continent, this thought must have surely come to your minds. However, this prophecy was precise to an unprecedented degree. In the Lorraine province near Laelia Mountain. Near the towns of Pometra and Campagne, that Luke will be born in a slash-and-burn village with no name.”

The couple that was prostrating at my feet started to shake visibly. They could no longer make any excuses.

“Therefore, I descended upon this village in order to kill this boy named Luke. It is a misfortune that must be hard for you all the accept, so I will not make any more unnecessary remarks. For the sake of myself and the other Demon Lords, and going beyond this, the fate of demonkind, I must have you all die here today.”

“Wait a moment.”

Someone shouted from among the humans. It was a young but ambitious voice.

“O Great Being, there is something I must inform Your Highness.”

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. So, you guys should probably know that I may have gotten a job recently. It isn’t official yet since I have to still send them the sample text I worked on, but if they decide to hire me fully, then my translation speed for DD will definitely slow down. I still don’t know how my schedule will look like, but they said that I will probably be busy for a while. Either way, I’ve been struggling with money recently since my family is planning to move, so this is a good thing for me. The donations I receive from you guys for early access chapters definitely isn’t small, but it isn’t large enough to fully support a person’s lifestyle either. Honestly, I’m just hoping that I don’t end up experiencing a repeat of what happened last time with that egotistical old man. If that happens again, you guys can expect another rant post.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter! Please understand if the releases are slower from now on!

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