Demon King
Chapter 116 Guild Growth [1]
“I didn't know it would be like this.” Rain shrugged while looking around at the four hundred and forty-eight dwarves gathered in the central hall of the castle.
“This could be a great opportunity for Destiny.” Initially they survived the Devil's Night by adding Mireina to their ranks. But, when I was involved, they were free from stagnation and could go on. Unexpectedly, it caused the dwarves to be relegated to human society. They were different from demons, but were still underground dwellers.
Moreover, they were originally humans that entered the bodies of the dwarves. Now that humans have sided with the elves, we have no choice but to form our own alliance. On the surface, it's nice that the castle has increased, and my army is increasing, but …
“Of course, I think so, but ..” There are more killed than saved. Both humans and dwarves had suffered losses, and neither side would forget them. There was a clear difference in attitude between those who were against humans and those who managed to get here before increasing to that extent.
“How can a fellow human being be like that?”
They must have known that I had a dwarf couple.
“Human's name? They don't see us that way. ”
“I want to know if my friends are still alive.”
“Man or not, what's the difference? Did you not see? They have returned to a more primitive society. ”
“Unlike we are different.”
Surprise and sorrow, cynicism, and despair. They fill and change the atmosphere, it becomes difficult to distinguish the emotions of any individual. No matter how I intervened; my words would not reach them. Rather than pretending to understand, it would be better to emphasize their position even if it was a bit harsh. What is certain now is that I saved their lives and had access to more power than them. That gives me an advantage. How else, even if it's cold and unfriendly. We are in an alliance. I sighed, and Rain smiled at me.
“You look tired.”
“I.”
“Stands on top like that.” Rain gave me a full glass of purple liquor to accompany his words. I emptied it and then stepped forward.
[Body fatigue has decreased. Mana is increased, and the body has been purified.]
The dwarves looked at me as I stepped forward. Instead, they were all this time I was talking to Rain; I just didn't notice.
“At this point, every living dwarf gathers here. Let us say in the open: if you try to return to human society, you cannot expect to be welcomed warmly. Understood it? ” I answered with silence. Nodding, I continued.
“There are still more dwarves underground. As I promised, I will gather enough of you to overcome the threat of humans and elves. Until they are saved.. ”.
“We will guard the castle, right?”
“Iya.” One of the dwarves rose with a cold expression on his face.
“Who scores what numbers are enough? Ye? If we judge that it would be too difficult to live alone, do we have to stay here until we die of old age? ”
“No, the decision is in your hands to decide. Whether you elect a representative or cast a vote, do whatever you want. If you feel like you can stay outside, just ask and I'll give you a door. ” I decided to announce it directly.
“If you do not want to die in vain, however, I will ask you to discuss it among yourself before choosing to do that.”
“…”
“You.” One of the others spoke up.
“Are you the strongest in the world right now? How strong is our enemy? ”
“I'm not too far away. You can judge it by objective numbers, but many enemies are suspicious. They must have many who are stronger than me. ” I decided to eliminate that there are people stronger than me here as well. They'll find out soon enough with the next Devil's Night.
“Cooperate with me and defend the castle. We will grow stronger together. If you risk your life fighting, you will become stronger faster. ”
“I've been risking my life ever since I was trapped in a dwarf's body. Don't underestimate me. ”
“If that's what you all think, I have no complaints. I'll tell you specifically now. ” It took a long time for all the dwarves to reach an understanding with me and to resolve the smaller conditions, but it was important. That would make it easier for them to join the alliance in the future.
[They are very hard.]
After we finished discussing the terms, I heard the voice of Kain from outside as the dwarves dispersed.
“Do you say you've seen them on the underground battlefield?”
[Yes. It was a place where only the fallen could go. We fought against monsters underground together. They don't know why they fought, but they desperately fought to survive like the rest of us.]
I nodded silently at his words. I wonder what he was thinking when he saw the dwarves.
[To keep our promises to them, we also.].
At that moment, the bracelet I was wearing exploded with a loud noise, stopping us both. The record broke a while ago, but now that the mission has been completed, I feel a bit of pity for the lost artifact.
[... How will you thank him for helping?]
“ Him? Thank you?”
[He worked really hard to give you mana through that bracelet. Thanks to him, so many dwarves were saved today, so I would like to thank you too.]
A bright red hue spread across his face, which I could clearly see through the window. It was a bit scary, to be honest, but it revealed his feelings. I nodded at him.
“Alright, I'll be back.”
[I'll keep Mireina and Lee Chan-yu busy, so don't worry and take your time.]
“Hrgh ...” I turned away from Kain and started to leave.
[There will be plenty to do later, so relax for a while and enjoy a break.]
“Ya ..” I waved at him before heading to the top of the tower where L is. She had a broken bracelet on the table in her room when I opened the door, knocking for a bit before entering.
“I'm back.”
“…”
“L?”
“... Hm.” He sighed, combing his hair as he raised his head to look at me. I was fascinated to see her thin fingers piercing through her delicate hair. He looked at me with glowing red eyes, then sighed once more.
“It looks like you and them are fighting the elves.”
“Quite a lot.”
“Come, sit.” I felt like a child to be scolded, but I was no longer as young or innocent as I used to be. He trudged along to lie on the sofa, letting out a hint of laughter. He stood back up, moved to where I was sitting.
“Diam.”
“What?”
“Still.” Her cold hands touched my cheeks. She felt soft, and her scent made me feel as if I was floating in the air. He had gone wild for almost two days, giving me mana, which seemed to relax him. It took me a while to realize which one was flowing into me through his hands.
“Hmm.”
“It looks like the bracelet helped, but not enough.” I relaxed, feeling the flow of mana spreading from his fingers to every corner of my body, blending with my own energy. The wounds and scars that I didn't even notice began to disappear gently. The traces of the battle with Elakatra turned out to be deeper than I expected, so many wounds were engraved deep within my body and soul. But I am not tired even after fighting for so long.
“Elakatra is the opposite of us. You may think you kill them easily, but just touching them will ruin you. I finally spoke up. I remembered the time I fought that soul monster, which was covered in armor and light. I feel where we react to each other.
“... I've forgotten.” Elakatra has evolved to a higher system. I have to be careful of them.
“It was an attack from a level that you didn't understand very well, so it's only natural that you don't understand it. I don't understand it too much myself. ” As L spoke, a scene appeared in my head. It was like a blurry photo of L and I being as close as we are now. I was stroking his head. I tried to keep my poker face to hide my thoughts, and L continued in an affectionate voice.
“You said that to me, when we haven't met.”
“I don't know about it.”
“New if you don't remember.” He quietly took a step towards me and hugged my head. Small voice.
“But now, can we remember today together?” It's my turn to be quiet. That's not something I can answer immediately. Our relationship was wrong from the beginning. He harbors feelings from the past that have not cooled down. I have avoided them because I do not believe they are directed at me now. There is no way to turn back time. Even if we collect new memories of a mismatched relationship, it's like covering up a pile of trash. That's what I've been thinking about all this time, but his movements and voice are very warm. It flowed right into my heart, making me feel like I wasn't alone.
“We can. My memory is not that bad. ” I opened my mouth without thinking.
“Stupid ...” L answered frankly, but he did not let go. The atmosphere was different from before, and I felt like I had to keep quiet. To be honest, I hate it when I get separated from him too.
Maybe if we keep covering up the trash, it doesn't matter.
“It's an unreasonable time, but..”.
“Hm?”
“No, stop.” I smiled, extending his hand to hold me. He spoke slowly.
“Please be careful in the future.”