CH 195

“Hey Ed, what the heck is that after all?”

In stark contrast to the demon king who’s screaming with an incredibly fierce look, Gou, who was calm, asked me, who was fiddling with the black orb. I can explain, but telling the truth as it is would only confuse Gou who lacks the prerequisite knowledge. So…

“This is the source of the Demon King’s power. As long as this exists, I think he can probably resurrect as many times as he likes. Conversely, if we suppress this, he can’t resurrect again.”

With a smirking grin, my gaze caused the demon king to tremble.

The power contained within this orb in my hand was undoubtedly mine… a fragment of the power of the Demon King Of The Endl. But the Demon King before me, for some reason, had severed this power, which could be said to be his essence, and stored it separately.

This meant that even if I touched the Demon King, I couldn’t steal or be stolen, and he wasn’t able to notice my existence, which any other demon king should have noticed the moment I entered the world.

This power, in a sense, has cut itself off from me, the main body, and the God who caused this situation. He succeeded in discarding the too big and unavoidable obligations along with his power.

“Hm? So you mean, if that’s safe, he can resurrect as many times as he likes? Why would you keep such an important thing in a hidden shelf behind a castle? Shouldn’t you have protected it more securely?”

“Ah, that’s a matter of perspective. If the Demon King had a heavily fortified place, you’d think there must be something there and you’d go looking for it, right? Tia said it too, didn’t she? That being unknown is the strongest.”

“Ah, I see! That makes sense.”

Remembering the exchange about the hidden staircase, Tia nodded at my words.

“Right? Moreover, if it’s sunk to the bottom of the sea, no one could reach it, but then the Demon King himself wouldn’t know if this orb is safe or not. If it’s hidden at a distance where he can always check and protect or retrieve it in an emergency, there’s probably no other place than that. Actually, it probably wouldn’t have been found normally.”

Unless Gou was a hero fixated on the jar, this orb would undoubtedly not have been found. Well, in our case, we’d probably look for the cause If I couldn’t recover the power of the demon king, but if not, there would hardly have been anyone who would have noticed the secret of the demon king.

“So, with this… it’s over.”

As I forcefully squeezed my hand, a crack formed in the black orb, and a mist began to spurt out. Perhaps because it’s separated from the will and become pure power, it’s absorbed into me without any resistance.

At the same time, the orb rapidly became transparent, and when all of its contents had been absorbed within me, the orb shattered with a snapping sound.

“Now you can’t resurrect again. What will you do, Demon King… um, what was it again?”

“Marhagen… no, Zamahagen?”

“Either way is fine! Here we go, Demon King Zurahagen! Be ready!”

“It’s Zamahagen! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Don’t underestimate me!”

With a scream, the Demon King extended his claws and beheaded himself. But instead of disappearing, the Demon King’s magic power swelled hundreds of times over, and could  be felt pressing in from all directions.

“This is…!? This is bad, let’s get out of here quickly!”

“Roger that! Let’s go, Tia!”

“Yes!”

Led by the frantic Gou, we run up the stairs at full speed, eventually exiting the Demon King’s castle. Luckily the door is open, and we make it about halfway along the long, narrow cliff path when we hear a familiar bass sound accompanied by an enormous roar from behind.

“Guaahahahaha! Look, brave Hero! This is my true form! The ultimate golem, created using all the magic power accumulated in the Demon King’s castle over 500 years!”

“Wow… it’s huge.”

“Yeah, it’s big.”

As we look up at the massive body of the Demon King’s castle, now a Demon King Golem, standing tall, Tia and I give such impressions.

“Hey, Ed and Lunaritia! Why are you so calm!? There’s nothing we can do about such a huge enemy!?”

“That’s right! This magic power isn’t the power of the Demon King, it’s gathered from the magic power of this world! Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you are the main body, you can’t take this power! Come on, grovel at my feet while gnashing your teeth at your own insignificance… no, let yourself be crushed!”

“Grr! Let’s go, you two! This is the final battle!”

“Oh.”

“Well, let’s do our best.”

Facing a formidable enemy, Hero Gou raised his voice without giving up. Tia and I replied in a slightly relaxed manner, and finally, the last battle began…

****

—-And it ended.

“You have done well to defeat the Demon King! The Hero and his companions!”

This is Gou’s home country’s castle. In front of the king, clad in luxurious robes, we kneeled and lowered our heads to receive his grateful words.

By the way, there’s not much to talk about the Demon King Golem battle. The Demon King’s castle was indeed big and sturdy, but being big meant that he couldn’t avoid our attacks, and no matter how hard it was, it meant nothing in front of my [Sword of Thin Life].

Moreover, it seems he didn’t have the power to regenerate that massive body. When I cut it in half with my first move, it was all over. Perhaps there was also a compatibility issue, but I still had the impression that he was stronger in his humanoid form… Poor Demon King Zamahagen. Rest in peace.

“That being said, I want to give you a reward that matches the task of saving the world. Take your time and think about it.”

“Um, excuse me!”

As I ignored the king’s words, it seemed  they were discussing the rewards. In response to the king’s words, Tia raised her hand and interjected.

“What is it?”

“Well, about the reward! There’s just one thing I really want to know, or rather, something I want to ask right now. Is it okay to ask?”

“Hmm? Minister?”

“If it’s something that can be answered here, then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

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“I see. In that case… it was Lunaritia, right? Go ahead and ask.”

With a nod from the king, Tia smiled happily.

“Thank you very much. Then, if I may… um, why do heroes have the privilege to break other people’s pots and rummage through their chests? It has been bothering me for a long time…”

“Well…”

Upon hearing Tia’s words, the king furrowed his brows. After exchanging a few glances with those around him, the king addressed Tia once again.

“If the Demon King has already been defeated, then I suppose it’s fine. However, this must never be spoken of to anyone else. Are the other two fine with it as well?”

“Of course, I promise.”

“I’m okay with it too. I promise.”

“I see. Then… if you were traveling with Hero Gou, you must have occasionally seen him picking up golden medals, right?”

“Yes, I have seen that.”

“Those medals only appear out of nowhere when the hero breaks a pot or rummages through a chest. The owners of the pot didn’t place them, and sometimes they even appear from empty pots. And those medals have a use. When you put this medal into a secret magical device located underground in the holy land of Elshoa, you can exchange it for a barrier stone that prevents demonic beasts from entering the town. Barrier stones are useful but consumable. So if humanity doesn’t have heroes collecting these medals, eventually towns won’t be able to maintain the barriers. But if we openly explain this, it would give the Demon King’s army an opportunity. That’s why in every country in the world, heroes are allowed to exchange these medals for cash or valuable magical items, and publicly, it’s presented as a tradition of ‘royalty collecting these medals.’ By doing so, we can recognize those who pick up these ‘medals that only heroes can obtain’ as genuine heroes and continue the steady supply of medals. How about that? Does this answer your question?”

“–Yes! Thank you very much!”

Even if it’s an unreasonable rule, laws have their meanings. Tia, who obtained the answer she desired, answered with the most radiant smile.