The white light wrapped around my body. My eyes began to feel very dazzled.
It was exactly at that moment that my mind began to wander.
I started to close my eyes. Not only so that I wouldn't feel too much glare, but also so that my brain would travel more smoothly.
***
Demon Lord and Hero of Light.
That was the title of the novel. The words were clearly written on the cover at the front. You would be able to read the title of the novel without difficulty in just one glance.
What did you think when you read the title?
For me, when I was reading a title that had the word Hero of Light, the figure that Hero of Light refers to was definitely the figure that would be the main character.
And sure enough, when I read it, the Hero of Light was indeed the main character, that was Jullian.
Then, who was the Demon Lord figure written in the title of the novel?
From the moment I read the word Demon Lord in the title of the novel, my mind automatically guessed that the Demon Lord would be the final boss that the main character, Jullian, would fight.
But it turns out I was wrong.
I read word after word and paragraph after paragraph. I also went back and forth page by page to find out who the demon lord character was.
Maybe I had missed the part that told the demon lord's character. That's why I was confused.
But when I finished reading the novel until the Epilogue, I still never found the Demon Lord character.
Even though the word Demon Lord was clearly displayed in the title of the novel.
How did that happen?
In the novel, it was only told that the Demons who invaded the human world were led by 72 Demon Commanders from the demon world.
There was no story about who the real Demon Lord was.
I couldn't possibly doubt my memory because I had read the novel over and over again.
Then, if the demon lord character didn't exist in the novel, then, who was the main villain in the novel?
A story will never be complete without the main villain, right? It was like eating food without salt, something that is quite impossible to happen.
If there is no main villain, or maybe low-level villains, then a novel will never sell.
Who will read a story if there is no villain? Are you willing to read it?
I would even be confused to imagine how a story could continue to flow if there was no villain in it at all.
At least there should be a low-level villain, even if there is no main villain, then a story can develop.
If the author wants their book to be very popular, then they must create at least one main villain.
Despite the absence of a Demon Lord character, fortunately, there was a main villain in Demon Lord and Hero of Light. Yes, even though the novel wasn't popular and I was the only one who had it.
Are you curious who the main villain was in Demon Lord and Hero of Light?
You might have guessed that one of the 72 Demon Commanders was the main villain, but you were wrong.
In the novel Demon Lord and Hero of Light, the 72 Demon Commanders are just low-level villains.
They were just fuel for Jullian to continue growing. Let alone their men, the low-level demons. Obviously, none of them have the potential to become the main villain.
Then who the main villain was?
There was another figure who becomes the main villain. That figure wasn't from the pure demon race, rather, she was from a different race.
Beastman race.
How can someone who has animal ears and a tail become the main villain?
The first time I read it, I was confused. Inside my head, I keep asking, is this really the case?
But after I had read the story until finished, I came to know that it was real.
The beastmen race that became the main villain? Even though the title on the front cover alone has the word Demon?
I hope you won't utter cursed words. Because even if you utter dirty words against the novel, you won't be able to change the ink strokes that have been etched on the paper.
The name of the main villain was Reine Rosewood.
She was a beastman from the nine-tailed fox tribe.
It was said that she became the leader of the demons who attacked the human world.
She led the demons and fought with Jullian. The fight takes place right before the epilogue, which you could call it the main battle of the story.
Just like most of the villain characters out there, the fate of Reine Rosewood was the same, she was dead in the hands of Jullian.
And after her defeat, Jullian betrayed humanity and killed members of his harem.
Whereas…
She was the only character who has animal ears and a tail among creatures that have dark reddish skin.
Can you imagine how strong one must become for a beastmen to be the one leading the demons that invaded the human world?
It was common knowledge that the demons would not accept a leader who was weaker than them.
Therefore, it was clear that she was a very strong character, stronger than the 72 Demon Commanders.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be the main villain character in the first place.
But that's only when the story ends.
Like most characters, she was initially a weak character. But she climbed up to the top.
In the current timeline, where I've regressed, I believe she hasn't yet acquired the power to become the main villain.
This was the opportunity. My opportunity was wide open to get a potential character.
What if I get a character that has the potential to become so strong that it becomes the main villain and makes her by my side? Just imagining it is amazing. The road to a comfortable life will definitely be wide open.
If I didn't do anything to her, wouldn't it be a shame if she met the fate that was her path, to just die at Jullian's hand?
There's no reason for me not to think about it.
Especially when I know her background.
There was enough information that I can use and exploit.
How did she become the main villain?
Why would she want to fight Jullian in the fight that happened right before the epilogue?
I know all the answers to that question.
According to the current timeline, she is not yet the main villain.
She also doesn't have enough strength to be the leader of the demons yet.
Because… she was currently being confined within the Nest of Darkness.
The Nest of Darkness was a place that was included as one of the 7 mysterious places on the Averus Continent.
The Nest of Darkness was different from the Fier mountain which you can see or visit as you please.
No one knows for sure where the Nest of Darkness is actually located. Only a few people know. Among those people, Marquess Stronghold and his men knew about it.
How do they know?
Of course it was because that place was connected to the Nest of Slavery, a place where slaves to be auctioned or traded were being placed.
The only way to get to the Nest of Darkness is through the Nest of Slavery.
The main reason I came to Burgenfield city wasn't actually to meet Jeanne… Although mostly it was to see her, but that wasn't really what I was after.
If I came to Burgenfield city just to meet Jeanne, then I would try my hardest to make her my ally.
But I instead let her hate me, right.
That's because I'm actually aiming for the real main villain. The main reason I was deliberately caught and willingly made into Marquess Stronghold's slave was to be able to get to the Nest of Slavery.
The Nest of Slavery was a top-secret location.
I did know roughly where it was, but I didn't know exactly.
I only know that the Nest of Slavery was located west of Burgenfield city.
I knew that from the novel.
Since I didn't bother to find out exactly where the Nest of Slavery was, I was willing to be turned into a slave and experience the unfavorable treatment of Marquess Stronghold.
Only by being made a slave can I be escorted to the Nest of Slavery through the Teleportation Gate.
I could have rummaged through the western part of Burgenfield city to find a place called the Nest of Slavery, but I didn't want to waste my time and energy.
And here I was, in the Nest of Slavery when I opened my eyes. The colorful beam of light that enveloped my body from the activation of the teleportation gate has disappeared.
Slowly but surely, my eyes began to gain the ability to see what was around me.