Dungeon Defense (WN)

“Pardon me for a moment.”

I excused myself from the Saintess and walked away. It might have been a misunderstanding, but it felt like the young, silver-haired noblewoman had turned her body to me the instant I raised my foot. I immediately realized it wasn’t a misunderstanding after I took my first step. The other party was coming this way.

People’s gazes focused on us. Normally, your steps would grow heavier when this happens, but I strangely felt lighthearted. I was like a skilled actor stepping out on stage with accurate steps while perceiving the audience’s gaze and immersing myself in my role.

That’s right. At this moment, I felt more certainty than I had ever felt before swelling up in my chest.

I wasn’t exaggerating. My steps have never had such a clear direction before. All of the steps you take on a road may look clear, but they are actually vague and filled with nothing but a chaotic sense of direction—this kind of ambiguousness didn’t exist in me at all. Now then, let’s ask myself a question.

What other direction could I possibly go right now except toward her?

It was a weird feeling. I always considered coming to this world a curse. However, if I were told that I was thrown into this world for the sake of making each and every one of my steps right now, then I would believe it.

Like when Alexander the Great pointed his sword at the walls of India, like when Julius Caesar pointed at the other side of the Rubicon river, my feet headed directly toward her.

My steps were all inevitable. I could tell I was being pulled by a certain feeling of inevitability.

I was no longer a foreigner. She was giving me the right to be a permanent resident in this world. When I saw her blue eyes, I could tell she was also thinking the same thing.

We stood in front of each other. I most likely had the most incredible smile I could possibly make on my face right now.

“My name is Dantalian.”

“I am Elizabeth.”

We didn’t need any more introductions beyond this. There was already an implicit agreement between us. Demon Lord, Count Palatine, Consul, the Last Imperial. It was a mutual agreement that acknowledged the fact that none of these titles fitted us at this moment.

You are Elizabeth and I am Dantalian. I guarantee that you are Elizabeth and you guarantee that I am Dantalian. However, the two of us were too shrewd to believe our guarantees with only one confirmation. We tossed questions at each other as if we were both blind and carefully feeling out each other’s face.

“We did exchange letters a while ago, but I am unsure as to whether my feelings had properly gotten across or not.”

“You cannot obtain what is undesired. The more you obtain, the less you desire.”

Elizabeth was smiling.

“That is most likely what a beautiful woman has in common with the world, Dantalian.”

“Truer words have not been spoken.”

I laughed. As I expected, Elizabeth had seen through the letter that I had sent with ‘the world’ written on it. Even if you flipped the world upside down, Elizabeth was probably the only one who could’ve seen through its meaning.

“Despite this, you and I have stepped foot in the world and are standing here.”

It was Elizabeth’s turn now.

“What makes you continue to stand on this land?”

“Haha.”

It was a little funny. When Saintess Longwy was able to get a slight glance at my true face, she asked, ‘Does it not bother you?’. On the other hand, look at this. Elizabeth asked me, ‘What makes you continue your life?’. It was a similar question, but the nuance was entirely different.

“I wonder about that. I do not think that this is an appropriate place to have a deep conversation.”

“Mm.”

Elizabeth glanced around.

People were peeking at us and listening in on our conversation. Elizabeth and I were famous for having an ill-fated relationship since the event on Bruno Plains. We also had a fierce diplomatic battle a few weeks ago. We were conversing despite this relationship between us. Anyone would want to eavesdrop.

“How about it? Shall we get some fresh air in the garden?”

Elizabeth nodded and we headed to the garden that was built outside the ballroom.

High society might become noisy for a while. The garden near the ballroom is often used for vulgar purposes. For example, having intercourse with your partner. Of course, there aren’t a lot of lovers who’re that brave and most people would simply share a light kiss while walking through the beautiful garden.

Elizabeth and I getting caught up in a scandal? Regardless of how I could use this politically, I found this situation rather amusing. Were we not the least matching duo in the entire world?

“I want to hear your answer now.”

“Very well.”

I stopped and turned to face Elizabeth. I was casting an anti-magic spell around me that was prepared beforehand on my necklace. There was no way anyone could eavesdrop now.

“For the sake of a distinct world, Elizabeth.”

“A distinct world?”

I nodded.

“I must not make any excuses for the road I have walked up to this point. That is the least I can do for the tens of thousands of lives that have fallen throughout the continent.

“……Are you a specter looking for a place to die?”

Elizabeth lamented.

“I cannot think in that way. The fact that you and I are slaughterers is undeniable. However, is it not because we are slaughters that we must realize an ideal of equivalent value to the lives that have fallen by our hands?”

I let out a small chuckle.

“Our starting points are most likely different.”

“Our starting points?”

“You carried a clear cause on your back when you killed your little brother. For the sake of Habsburg, for the sake of your people…….”

Therefore, your cause takes precedence before the murder.

“You become further unable to abandon your cause as you continue to kill your enemies. That would make the lives you have killed meaningless. Thus, you absolutely cannot abandon it…….”

“…….”

“But not for me. There is no clarity whatsoever. I have simply killed and killed again for my life and stability. Declaring some cause would only be hypocritical.”

Hence why I said a definite world.

Let’s say a person who committed murder were to suddenly desire world peace and were actually able to accomplish it. What could the family and friends of those who died possibly do at that point?

The murderer turned out to actually be a nice person, this would be the story that gets established. Even if they got revenge on the murderer, it wouldn’t leave a pleasant taste in their mouths. This gives the murderer an excuse…….

“Many people are being murdered by others. They may be holding swords, but they are only for swinging. I wish to give those swords a clear sense of direction.”

“……Then the day you stop your evil deeds will never come.”

“Of course.”

I smiled.

“It is similar to how you are unable to ever give up on your ideal, Elizabeth. This is not a matter of will. The issue is the roles that have been given to us.”

I’m not taking action because I’m able to do so.

I do so because I must.

Elizabeth gazed up at the night sky.

“The will of fate. What happens first and what happens after. The only difference is the order of things, and yet, they are all decided by fate…….”

She lowered her head and looked straight at me.

“I now understand clearly. There is no room for compromise between us.”

“Indeed.”

“I will take your life. After doing so—I will shoulder the tens of thousands of lives on your back along with your own.”

There wasn’t even a speck of hesitation in Elizabeth’s blue eyes.

How splendid.

Her eyes were simple and clear. I was confident that I wouldn’t have any regrets if I were to die at her hands. I raised the corners of my mouth and silently rejoiced. Elizabeth raised a finger and pointed it at my chest.

“First, I will make this representative meeting a success. You are afraid of republicanism being established indiscriminately between humans and demons. The republicans of the Demon Lord Army must undoubtedly be acting on their own.”

“A splendid deduction.”

I almost applauded her.

“If this side unites, then the Demon Lord Army will become divided. Dantalian, for someone like you who believes you are a part of the weak, a divide is most likely a worst-case scenario.”

“Once again, you are correct.”

I actually did applaud her this time.

“The word splendid is not enough to express how impressive you are.”

“The Black Death may have been a golden opportunity for you, but it has contrarily become a golden opportunity for us now that the plague has settled down. The number of farmers has drastically decreased, which resulted in the expansion of every surviving farmer’s land proportional to the number that has fallen.”

Indeed. The fields that used to take ten people to cultivate now had to be cultivated by six people.

“The value of farmers has exceeded unprecedented heights. The value of mercenaries and engineers has also been increasing gradually. This means that farmers are starting to reach positions high enough to threaten the existing ruling class.”

In other words, now was the perfect era for republicanism to bloom.

“Empires and kingdoms will mostly take the side of nobles. A large-scale clash will occur. The formation of free cities is nothing more than the prelude to the clash. Dantalian, republicanism is a historical flow.”

“That is if the people succeed in rising up.”

I smiled.

“I will delay that explosion for as long as possible. Let’s see. I would say until you are no longer around. So about fifty years.”

“I will make that explosion happen in two years.”

Fifty years or two years.

We could only laugh about how drastically different our numbers were. It wasn’t a pleasant laugh. There was only honest hostility between us.

“But, Elizabeth. It is already too late.”

“……?”

Elizabeth furrowed her brows.

It was at that moment.

– Boooooom!

An explosion came from the ballroom. The explosion was so intense that it made all of the plants in the garden sway at the same time.

Elizabeth turned to the ballroom on reflex before turning back to face me. Elizabeth’s face was contorted.

“Dantalian!”

“This assassination was carried out by the extremists who believe that humans and demons should not unite.”

I shrugged off her intimidating gaze as I continued calmly.

“This event will most likely not be remembered as a republican representative meeting now. It will be recorded in the history books as a tragedy that unfolded due to racial supremacists who wished to destroy peace. As a result, people will react by putting more of an emphasis on the peace between humans and demons…….”

“Did you not invite me to this garden to have a sincere interaction with me!?”

Elizabeth shouted.

“I was certain that I had gotten across to you for a moment……!”

“Of course, I also came here because I wished to have a sincere exchange with you.”

A smile made its way to my lips.

“But, Elizabeth—is there a rule that forbids us from taking advantage of sincerity? Whether it be mine or yours.”

“……!”

Elizabeth’s gaze became even stronger.

For some reason, I felt more pleased.

“Earlier, you called me a specter looking for a place to die, did you not? That is half wrong and half correct. I am nothing like a specter, Elizabeth. Right now, here in this moment, I am a single Demon Lord standing before you.”

The sound of screaming and crying could be heard coming from the ballroom. I wonder how many people died. The best-case scenario would be if no one died, but I could handle at least 6 deaths. Shall I trust in Paimon’s ability……?

“Please bear this in mind, I do not particularly plan to let myself die to you.”

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Well, this was an enjoyable chapter to work on. Dantalian and Elizabeth had a pleasant little chat.

The next chapter might come out a little late because of my work. A lot of work suddenly got piled up, so I have to focus on finishing that or I might end up having to work overtime or worse, on a Saturday. So yeah, I’ll probably spend the next couple of days focusing on getting all that done quickly. It’s honestly so boring right now cause of how repetitive the work is.

Ugh, in any case, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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