Defeating the Demon King.
To conquer the Demon King in this world, one must possess the blessing of God, known as [Divine Protection]. Typically, this blessing is bestowed upon heroes who have crossed over from another realm, and that hero was Lee Han.
Lee Han sincerely cared for his comrades. He truly wished to defeat the Demon King. There were more people dying “because of” the Demon King than those dying directly at his hands.
Many were dying due to political reasons such as collusion with the Demon King or accusations of witchcraft. Lee Han wanted to save them.
To Lee Han, this world seemed underdeveloped and thus in greater need of assistance.
As a result, although he cleanly severed ties with the comrades he trusted, he had come back to life now.
Lloyd was reading his former comrades’ emblems after a long time.
“I’ll offer 10 million Krone!”
The emblem of Princess Aina.
“Holy Constantine bids 11 million!”
The symbol of Saint Aria.
“12 million!”
The mark of Company Vice-President Claire.
Former subordinates of his old comrades were competing against each other at the auction to gain him. They raised bids as if competing to be Lloyd’s sole savior.
‘Why are they obsessed like this?’
Lloyd found it hard to understand.
They don’t know that he was Lee Han. In fact, they even competed for the boys in the previous auction. As a result, Lloyd’s value continued to rise, but not dramatically.
Nevertheless, their excessive fixation seemed too deliberate to be mere coincidence.
The reason for their fixation became clear thanks to the murmuring voices up ahead.
“Why are they so obsessed with that boy?”
“You don’t know? There’s been a prophecy in the church… Well, if we don’t find a certain boy, the continent will be in danger. That’s why all this chaos.”
“A prophecy is just baseless gossip.”
“Well, maybe it’s just a day or two of rivalry between those three heroes. It could be just a simple competition.”
Lloyd smirked.
Perhaps a prophecy about the resurrection of the Demon King had been delivered after all.
He recalled the dying words left by the Demon King just before death.
— I will return.
To kill the Demon King, a hero is needed.
That’s probably why those three heroes are sweeping up the boys in this auction.
‘When you cut off the head, and now you’re searching for it?’
(TLN: Not exactly sure of the Demon King’s gender for now, so I’ll use it/he/him, I forgot why I had it set as female before the chapter rewrite. >_<)
It’s so absurd that he can’t even laugh.
Killing the Demon King who was to be captured alive, and the fact that Lee Han himself had his throat cut as a hero who could confront the Demon King. It’s all their fault.
Therefore, they should bear the consequences.
Even if the resurrected Demon King were to sweep through this world, it was not Lloyd’s concern.
… No, rather, a sense of pleasure covered Lloyd’s mind.
When he imagined the world invaded by the Demon King, he couldn’t help but let out a small sigh.
‘Ah.’
A world where everyone perishes.
There, there would be no applause tormenting him, nor would there be any comrades betraying him.
It was a familiar thought. Since before, when he thought of the world’s destruction, he had always felt this way. It was like awakening a demon deep in his heart, yearning for destruction. Surely it’s PTSD or something similar.
Lloyd bit his lip.
‘Pull yourself together.’
His unstable mental state.
In times like this, Bella used to help, but Bella isn’t here now.
— Clap, clap, clap, clap!
The sudden applause only made Lloyd more uneasy.
He had to restrain himself.
He had to suppress the desire for revenge that kept bursting out.
Lloyd feared his own desire for revenge.
He feared the voice that whispered endlessly in his head.
— ‘Kill. From the culprit onward.’
It would surely be an endless revenge. He had no intention of seeking revenge only on the culprit who had put him on the gallows. Nor did he have the courage to seek revenge on the comrades who had believed in that culprit. Nor the ordinary people who applauded his death. Ultimately, it was the desire for revenge that would continue until the end of the world.
— ‘No, I’ll just kill them all. Then there won’t be any applause. There won’t even be any palms left.’
‘… Endure.’
Lloyd clenched his fist.
He clenched it so tightly that his palms were crushed.
“Holy Knights bid 15 million Krone! It’s today’s highest auction price!”
Thunk, thock.
Drops of blood trickled from Lloyd’s palm.
Vengeance. Resentment. Despair. Anger.
Amidst the swirling emotions, Lloyd shook his head.
‘I must never be sold to them.’
Aina. Aria. Claire.
If he were to join any of those three groups, he felt a foreboding that revenge would inevitably begin.
The end of that would surely be his transformation into a vengeful spirit.
A continent stained with blood.
He did not wish for that.
— ‘Let’s kill them all.’
He must not succumb to this voice.
But how?
How could he ensure he wouldn’t be sold to those damn comrades?
“Hey, kid.”
Lloyd raised his bowed head.
Right in front of the stage where he stood.
A woman who looked noble at a glance.
Her light gray hair and dignified purple dress. And a fan adorned with elegant frills.
She clearly belonged to an extremely high-ranking noble or royal family.
She was worthy of being called ‘Lady’.
“You seem in need of assistance.”
Her voice was as soft as cotton candy, yet it seemed to hide venom within. Noble yet dangerous. Despite this, he had no choice but to respond.
“Yes.”
“You don’t want to be sold to those heroes. They’re known for being war heroes. Is there some story behind it?”
The woman’s tongue, winding like a snake, was infinitely provocative.
Who on earth is she?
Two things were certain.
First, she was someone with an ulterior motive.
And second, despite everything, for Lloyd himself she was his only lifeline.
Lloyd bit his lip.
“…Yes.”
“Then prove your worth to me.”
Woosh.
With a rustle, she leaned against the backrest as if she were watching the show. She was smiling with her eyes, as if this were a little game. It was a story of satisfying oneself if you wanted to live.
How do I lure this woman?
“…”
Lloyd assessed her.
Her eyes caught sight of an expensive-looking fabric. However, patches of skin were visible here and there. It was easier to undress than other women’s clothes. Her lips looked moist, and there was a flush under her eyes. It was a color to enjoy. It was clear who the target was in the boy auction.
“My body.”
“…Body?”
Her composure momentarily shattered.
In that fleeting moment of confusion, Lloyd confidently spat out his words.
“The body’s frame is good. Of course, there too.”
“Ha!”
She laughed, scanning Lloyd.
“You really know how to flaunt yourself. Indeed, your body is well-toned. Enough to make my mouth water. However, there are plenty of other kids like you. You could probably fetch up to 5 million Krone.”
— Princess Aina’s side offers 16 million Krone!
Five million. It was an unexpected offer in the heated auction hall.
“Human beings have value. Prove your worth. I’ll be extracting ten times your value, that’s my nature.”
But Lloyd wasn’t worried.
“I also have a good eye for people.”
“Eye for people, huh.”
“Just now, I grasped the Lady’s preferences and noticed that you’re a prominent figure in the Empire…”
The Lady’s eyes gleamed sharply.
“… Also, that the blue-haired scout observing from the VIP seats above is affiliated with the Lady’s side.”
Interest sparked in her pupils.
Her body shifted slightly, towards the stage.
“How intriguing. 15 million Krone.”
The amount tripled in an instant.
It was said that having an eye for people hinted at ambition. That probably meant a keen interest in politics.
Step. Step.
As Lloyd walked to the end of the stage, he whispered into the Lady’s ear.
“The three heroes of the Hero Party. I know of a strategy to sow discord among them.”
Snap.
The Madam unfolded her fan to cover her mouth.
But her eyes continued to shine as brightly as ever.
With boundless greed and a profoundly dark cunning.
Her lips slowly parted.
“30 million Krone.”
An amount sufficient for the winning bid.
The Lady gestured upwards.
A woman in the VIP auction seats looked down at them in surprise. The Lady nodded.
Soon.
The scout raised a paddle. It was number 44.
— “Number 44, bidding on behalf of the Grey Dukedom.”
The Grey Ducal House.
Only then did Lloyd recall the Lady’s information.
The Grey Dukes. A family with a strange widowed matriarch who is set to pull off a massive upset.
— “Ah, the illustrious Grey Dukedom! The current bid is 23 million Krone from the Harold Trading Company. Would you like to place a higher bid?”
— “Yes.”
A sense of foreboding.
The unease Lloyd had felt since first seeing the Lady was not unfounded.
Once sold at auction, he would become the purchaser’s property for ten years.
Lloyd, maintaining his composure, spoke.
“However, there is a condition.”
“A condition?”
“If someone wants to buy me for ten times the amount, you must let me go.”
“Ahaha. What a clever and bold child you are, preparing an escape route.”
“It’s a mandatory condition.”
“Very well.”
Surprisingly, the Lady nodded in agreement.
The bidding proceeded swiftly.
Lloyd glanced back at the Madam.
She silently mouthed some words.
‘Look forward to it.’
The Madam’s smile was beautiful.
Behind her, the scout’s voice could be heard placing a bid.
“The Grey Ducal House offers the following amount.”
“How much?”
“100 million Krone.”
The auction house fell silent.
Only the sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the space.
In that silence, the woman, her mouth covered by the fan, softly whispered.
“If you wish to escape, it will cost you 1 billion Krone.”
Snap.
The fan folded.
Her upturned lips resembled a gray serpent.
