Chapter 112: I Don't Peek Into the Future

In the pitch-black darkness, within this ritual space where only the two of them remained.

It spoke.

“You must change your fate.”

The Demon King laid out the premise first.

“The source of the various rumors spreading about your ‘Alliance with the Demon King’ and such is likely your Empress. Though it may have spread contrary to her intentions, it was ultimately because Melineos remembered the prophetic dream she once had.”

“…A prophetic dream?”

“I deliberately locked it away, but that wasn’t a permanent seal.”

If Melineos had remembered the contents of that prophetic dream immediately after waking up back then.

The current you wouldn’t even be here.

“So you’re saying that’s why she could link me to the Demon King without any doubt, that she could conclude it was so? Is that what you mean?”

“Probably. Therefore, it would be a stretch to say that Alessia, the girl you trusted, leaked that fact. Still, I don’t know what happened after the rumors began to spread. Perhaps she is suffering, or has suffered, under the pretext of trying to cover it up.”

“That is….”

This was troubling.

Thinking back, he should have kept that in mind from the start.

He had vaguely assumed that if it were her, there wouldn’t be any major problems.

How irresponsible….

“I didn’t doubt her. But it wasn’t absolute. On one hand, I hoped she would leak it in such a way to ensure her own safety. I implicitly accepted that possibility. That’s why I didn’t feel particularly anxious about her well-being. That’s why I didn’t consider it seriously, isn’t it?”

“…….”

“Because you felt that the memories of her left in your mind were enough. Even if she betrayed your expectations, that was a matter for a possible future. So you thought it didn’t matter, right?”

“…….”

He had nothing to say.

Looking back, it was perhaps a deeply flawed and distorted way of thinking.

“Should I look into it and intervene immediately if the situation is serious?”

“Judging that is your share. This is your life, isn’t it? You’re gaining power, so who are you consulting? Shall I help you take your first steps too?”

“…….”

This was the problem with dependency.

The fact that his brain had stiffened in this regard because he had been so focused on training was also a problem, if it could be called one.

“I understand.”

It wasn’t a problem to worry about excessively.

“Then, let’s go back to what you mentioned earlier. How can I change fate?”

Melineos’s prophetic dreams were famous.

Among the journeys of the Nine Heroes, her prophetic ability was the core of the core.

None of the Nine Heroes were unnecessary.

And before the Nine, there had been sixteen.

The fact that their sacrifice and devotion contributed to the current peace of the continent.

That was a point acknowledged by the entire continent.

The only problem was that after the Demon King’s death, the majority of the Nine Heroes were either from the Empire, exiles, or had migrated to the Empire.

This led to growing resentment from places other than the Empire.

Excluding three of the Nine Heroes, the other six belonged to the Empire, serving it or acting on its behalf.

In Gazef’s case, because he was bound by a Solemn Covenant with a dragon during the journey, he went into seclusion immediately after the Demon King’s death.

“You will need my Magic Armor in the Imperial Palace Treasury.”

“…You had something like that?”

This was the first he had heard of it.

“Its use is not material or phenomenal.”

It was created for one single purpose.

“Fate Conversion.”

Something called the ‘Golden Afterimage.’

Very few people knew its true nature or its use.

And of all things, the one who knew it had managed to entangle even him so that he could use it.

It was utterly galling.

“Fate Conversion. What does that mean?”

“I have converted fate several times. This was formed from my history, origin, traces, and attributes that remained.”

If Divine Beasts and Spiritual Creatures have Spirit Pills and Divine Pills.

Then the ultra-high-ranking beings of the Demon Realm seek to possess Magic Armor befitting their status.

Without it, they generally possess Spirit Pills, Divine Pills, or Demon Pills, similar to what Divine Beasts, Spiritual Creatures, and Magic Beasts possess.

Therefore, it is common to kill high-ranking beings and take their husks or Demon Pills.

No, rather, it could be seen that the Demon Realm itself was structured to encourage such things.

That said, taking these didn’t mean one became absolutely stronger or fully inherited the abilities of that being.

Still, there was the magical power, or a portion of the nature of that magical power.

While not common, there were cases where one could inherit that power to the maximum extent if their nature, attribute, or constitution were similar.

That was why the Demon Race naturally developed a sense of community through clans, bloodlines, and tribes.

“However, if the owner dies suddenly and unintentionally, everything goes to waste. From the perspective of passing things down, this is a truly inconvenient structure.”

Nevertheless, traditionally, after the death of a general, a clan chief, or a leader.

Everything from deciding who would succeed them, to passing on even a portion, or researching special techniques and methods to convey those fruits as completely as possible, was an Arcane Secret in itself.

“In that sense, Magic Armor has a convenience that makes it easy to hand over. And it’s easy for me to use as well.”

In the Middle Realm, these were called Demon Treasures.

“Look at the Divine Authority acquired by your Princess or that girl Mines. The Legacy of the Great Demon King is one of those fruits. Usually, it’s impressive to have just one in a lifetime, but the Great Demon King scattered as many as fifteen of them. I used my authority as the Current Demon King to take the masterpieces among them, and under the pretext of giving them away, I was able to bring countless legions on an expedition to the Middle Realm. Even those who are known to have betrayed me, calling themselves the Edenlevan Regiment, were able to adapt quickly to Middle Realm society because of such massive bribes. The fact that your Princess mastered it is also a result of those fruits.”

“…….”

This was a hidden history.

Even in the Middle Realm, there wouldn’t be many who knew this truth.

“Due to the nature of the Demon Realm, it is impossible to inherit the legacy and will of the Great Demon King. Instead, it is better to bring them to the Middle Realm and spread them into the culture and civilization itself. Because of the concept of the Principle of Order, the Demon King can nullify and reset everything if they set their mind to it in the Demon Realm… but that is impossible here.”

“In the end, you’re saying your expedition was for the purpose of preserving your culture, traditions, technology, and history… is that what you mean?”

“That was one of the intentions. And that has now been converted into the responsibility and duty of my kin who live among you. At the same time, that will be the only support that allows them to survive in the Middle Realm. Otherwise… would the residents of the Middle Realm have any reason to accept and let live those who were foreigners and enemies of the continent?”

It was a ruthless story.

“No matter how vast the territory, there is eventually a limit. Once civilization harmonizes, systems are established, and technology develops to achieve stability, the population will grow exponentially and the territory will shrink further. Eventually, it will lead to resource problems. Things that are useless now will one day hold more value than gold, and if the one who possesses them can achieve hegemony… could a head of state or a power-holder ignore that? Absolutely not.”

It wasn’t talking about just a few years or decades from now.

Perhaps much further in the future.

100 years, 200 years, or even beyond.

For some reason, it felt like an intuition? A premonition?

At any rate, that was the feeling.

“I’ve rambled long enough. Anyway, you should witness for yourself what kind of future Melineos saw.”

And so.

Kariel was able to glimpse what was seen from the perspective of the Magic Empress Melineos.

Specifically, a dream where the Empress lay on a bed unable to move her body properly, and Elhermina, looking miserable with one arm gone, saw that Kariel had become the Demon King and would face her, and that even his father, Lueld, would be determined to oppose Kariel as the Demon King.

“…….”

The Demon King.

Me, of all people?

Why?

“Naturally, you wouldn’t want that. But think of it this way.”

What if an event occurred that was so shocking and despairing to you that it led to that?

And what if it didn’t happen just once or twice, but repeatedly, until you became that person?

“…….”

Kariel closed his eyes and sank lightly into thought.

His consciousness expanded.

Like a sprout rising from the ground becoming a tree and spreading its branches.

He vaguely observed the sight of his entire life splitting and fracturing into countless choices and various variables.

“I think I get the gist of it.”

“Will you also be able to glimpse the future as time passes?”

“…No. I don’t think so.”

The moment one glimpses the future, the moment that future gains certainty.

One becomes nothing more and nothing less than a bystander and an observer.

Just as Grandeus fell into that trap and was eventually forced to give up on forging his own fate, throwing his life away while hoping for a later day.

“I am glimpsing possibilities. Just as anyone can, through thinking, predicting, and speculating.”

Though the method and the result would be quite different from the typical outcome.

“Yes, I thought as much. My Magic Armor would be useless to someone who glimpses the future.”

When the Great Demon King asked if she wanted to glimpse the future.

The only one who immediately answered that she did not wish to know such things in advance.

Was her.

That is why she was once called the Eye of the Great Demon King.

The eye symbolizes wisdom.

Not the right arm or the left arm.

Not his leg or his heart, but the eye.

And the Gold, who became the final victor, claimed wisdom for herself.

“There is a line and a degree to knowing. Wisdom is ultimately about crossing that line while maintaining it, without falling into it.”

Not committing failures and blunders because of it.

Mistakes can happen, but a critical error is another matter.

“Only after falling and getting hurt does one learn to run and walk carefully, and look at the ground they step on. Thus, what is gained from a mistake is a lesson. It’s just important that the mistake doesn’t spread into fatal damage… but that is not an easy task.”

“…….”

“If I were to narrow down what you should pursue moving forward, it would be roughly this.”

As the Demon King snapped her fingers, characters made of light were written in the air.

First, complete the contract with me.

“I won’t waste my breath explaining further what this is.”

The battle with his father.

And a definitive victory resulting from it.

“…….”

Strictly speaking, this was the fundamental reason why Kariel had no choice but to grow his power.

Otherwise, everyone associated with Kariel would become extremely miserable.

Since the Demon King guaranteed that misery, it would far exceed a level that could be normally endured.

Not to mention what Kariel himself would experience.

“And.”

Her slender index finger pointed to another.

Second, the Residual Grudge of the Demonic World Tree.

“If you aren’t going to the Demon Realm, you’ll eventually have to settle this problem by contacting the World Tree of this world.”

Looking at the timing, it was clear that it had attached itself then.

If you’re curious about this, you could dig a bit deeper.

And while you’re at it, you might learn about the past you lost.

“And third.”

Third, deciding how to handle the prophecy that he would become the Demon King.

Would he accept it, or reject it?

And if he were to reject it.

In what way would he convert and forge his fate?

“If I count them, it’s these three? What do you think?”

“…….”

The past.

He had thought that he would have to find out someday, but now that the fact was right before his eyes… he felt a bit strange.