The thoughts of making friends were what made this chicken a lousy one; it can only come up with ideas of âusing its position.â
He had been a virgin for 16 years, adding another 16 from his previous life, and he didnât know how much pressure he put on himself to have a one-on-one talk with a girl he was interested in.
He wanted to ask her what the h**l she had been thinking. But if he were to, would she ask, âWhatâs the Demon King so scared of?â
(UghâŠ)
He tried to hold his head in his hands imaginarily and followed Zangens.
They arrived in front of the guest room.
âPrincess, Iâve brought His Majesty, Kengo.â
Zangens knocked on the door. There was no answer. Nevertheless, the old warlord opened the door as if he knew what he was doing. Meanwhile, Kengo was not ready yet.
âWell then, please come in. Your Majesty, the Demon King.â
âAh, yes.â
Uncomfortable, Kengo replied quickly and entered the room with great reluctance. As expected from a front-line fortress, the interior of the guest room was very formal, with only modest furnishings. Across from the window, in the sunlight, there was a cozy altar that caught his eye.
It was a magnificent statue of a deity enshrined in the room, though small enough to carry around.
Kengo was not familiar with the culture of the human race and did not know what it was for, but it was a common culture in the human world to have an altar in the room to welcome guests. The human race worshipped the Heavenly Emperor, their sole God, and followed his teachings as a moral code.
As an example, when making a contract, it was customary to not only exchange signatures but also to swear an oath before the Heavenly Emperor. If there was an altar in the dignitaryâs room, they could do so in a more formal manner.
Despite his ignorance of such cultural and religious views, Kengo could not take his eyes off the altar. Or more precisely, from Princess Vannessia kneeling in front of the statue, praying with all her heart. It was a beautiful sight.
Her starvation had been cured, and her appearance had completely recovered. Her cheeks and skin were taut again, and her magnificent black hair was shining brighter and brighter. The pure white dress again looked dazzlingly great on her.
But it wasnât just the appearance that made her look beautiful. Looking at the profile of Princess Vannessiaâs sincere prayer, even the unbelieving Kengo was struck by how virtuous and pure-hearted she appeared. She was truly a saint.
Her air of excellence was unlike others. Her demeanour and atmosphere made Princess Vannessiaâs beauty even more extraordinary. He couldnât help but admire her.
(AhâŠ)
Kengo was forever in awe of her. But in fact, it would only be a short time before Princess Vannessia opened her eyes after the prayer.
âWelcome. I apologize for our humble abode, but please have a seat.â
She stood up, bowed neatly, and offered him a plain chair.
âNo need to worry. Itâs normal for a front-line fortress to be like this.â
Kengo sat down, cocking his head from side to side. He was facing Princess Vannessia across a low table that was as ruggedly designed as the chairs.
In the meantime, Zangens had closed the door and left, leaving him completely alone with Princess Vannessia in a closed room. The most beautiful girl in the world was right before him, but Kengo no longer felt dismayed. The sight of Princess Vannessiaâs praying, and her pure and innocent appearance, cleared his mind of all trivial thoughts.
(I donât care if I fell in love at first sight or not. I donât feel self-conscious because the other person is a beautiful girl either. Whatâs most important is that I want to have a serious discussion about world peace with this wonderful person.)
He felt that way from the bottom of his heart. Princess Vannessia, on the other hand, said apologetically again.
âI should offer you a cup of tea or something, but Iâm not feeling well right nowâŠâ
âIâm aware of that as well. I donât mind.â
Kengo responded in a dignified, demon king manner. Just after being attacked, there was no way she could prepare tea and sweets. He had sent a sufficient amount of food to her vassals yesterday, but he hadnât arranged for anything extra.
The two of them had never met before, and without tea and sweets, there was no way they could make small talk. The silence was untimely, or rather, Princess Vannessia looked uncomfortable, but this was not a problem for Kengo. He was in the mood to discuss the main topic as soon as possible.
âPrincess Vannessia⊠Iâd like to ask you something straightforwardly.â
Kengo looked the princess straight in the eye and spoke.
âYes, Your Majesty the Demon King⊠I will answer whatever I am able to.â
Princess Vannessia immediately responded by straightening up her appearance.
âWhat do you think about world peace, Princess?â
Kengo cut straight to the chase as he declared.
â⊠Eh?â
Princess Vannessia was unable to reply. She was puzzled, and it was no wonder. Who would have thought that such a question would come from the mouth of the Demon King?
The usual Kengo would have said, âIâm not very good at talkingâŠ,â but the current Kengo was different because of the atmosphere.
âYou may find this hard to believe, but I sincerely wish for peace. I do not wish to fight. The war between the demon and the human race has been going on since long before our parentsâ generation. In other words, it was before I was born. I have no animosity towards you people, nor do I have any grudges. Therefore, I want to put an end to this endless war and make peace with you. I hope that we can conclude a permanent non-aggression pact.â
He sincerely confided his inner thoughts and continued to speak until he fully put his thoughts out. It was with the same earnestness that Princess Vannessia had used when she was praying earlier.
He wondered if his feelings had been conveyed to her.
âYou⊠seem to be serious, Your Majesty, the Demon King. You donât look like youâre plotting against me.â
Princess Vannessia gulped and nodded with eyes full of determination.
âIâm serious.â
Although Kengo felt that he received a good response, he continued to explain the situation in detail, warning not to be hasty.
âBut there are many obstacles to world peace. As you may or may not know, I was crowned only half a year ago. As the Demon King, it is still difficult to say that my intentions have fully reached my subjects. My subjects have a longing for world domination, and they believe war is what they need. As a part of that, I had no choice but to attack this fortress. However, this was never my intention. If it were possible, I would like to change the very nature of the demon world itself.â
âOh, I see⊠I canât help but feel sorry for your unavoidable situation and your troubles, and I admire your noble aspirations.â
âThank you very much.â
Kengo was so moved by Princess Vannessiaâs immediate understanding that he felt a shiver run down his spine. However, this was not the end of the story.
Kengo suspected that the human world was facing a similar issue as the demon race and was overwhelmed by their vigorous fighting spirit. After all, even a single soldier was declaring to âKill the Demon Kinngggg!â.
Even if the demon race formally asked for a peace treaty, it wonât be possible to conclude it so quickly at just the discretion of Princess Vannessia or anyone else.
Even soâŠ
âPrincess, I am sure that you are fed up with this futile war. Therefore, I have a proposal. Let us join hands to realize world peace. It will not be easy, but we will work together. Let us end all strife and territorial ambitions in our generation and leave a world where one can live in peace to our innocent children.â
Kengo said as he folded his arms.
He believed that this unclouded saint would agree with him. He hoped that she would become a reliable comrade.
â⊠I see. I had thought that peace between the human race and the demon race was an impossible dream⊠But if His Majesty, who reigns over the demon world, and I have a say in all human nations, it may not be impossible.â
The Princess Vannessia pinched her shapely chin and pondered, then answered.
âSo be it, so be it! You and I can do it!â
Kengo couldnât take it anymore and joyously shouted in a devouring tone.
(Iâve finally found someone who really understands meâŠ)
He looked up to the sky with joy. It has been sixteen years since he reincarnated as the Demon King, and he felt that the bill for all the bad luck he had accumulated was being paid off all at once.
After a few moments of chewing on the happiness, he proposed again.
âThen why donât we start by drafting a treaty!?â
âNo, thank youâ„.â
⊠Ha?
Kengoâs eyes widened.
âI-Iâm sorry, Princess Vannessia⊠I didnât quite hear youâŠ?â
He scratched both ears and asked again.
âI refuse, Your Majesty the Demon King. I have no intention of stopping this war, much less signing a non-aggression pact. Even if the human race dies out, I will continue to fight against the Demon Kingâs army.â
Princess Vannessia clasped her hands in front of her chest and smiled daintily. Yes, with a smile as innocent as an angelâs, she made a remark that surprised even the devil.
Kengo scrubbed at his eyes, wondering if there was some mistake. He analyzed and thought.
âYouâre not hallucinating or hearing things, Your Majesty. Iâm serious and sane.â
â⊠May I ask you to elaborate on that?â
âOf course.â
With a smile on her face, Princess Vannessia began to speak.
âThe Heavenly Emperor stated that only those who have gone through the pain and ordeal of bleeding throughout their body will be invited to the heavenly realm. Before Him, the blood of those on this land is tainted, and they will not be forgiven for stepping on Paradise with a tainted body.â
â⊠Are you insane?â
Kengo was so shocked that he couldnât help but revert to his usual tone of voice.
âI told you, didnât I?â
Princess Vannessiaâs face was smiling, but her eyes were not.
â⊠Oh no, youâre serious.â
Kengo felt like a donkey.
âNo but wait a minute! Then why did you say you were giving up yesterday?â
âBecause the generals who tasted the h**l of starvation lost their will to fight. Thatâs all there was to it. If you had really let them starve to death, they would have been able to go to Paradise. His Majesty, the Demon King, is really merciful.â
âThatâs why you asked for my generosity, even if it cost you your life!?â
âSacrificing myself to save the lives of tens of thousands of peopleâthis is because it is in accordance with the teachings of the Heavenly Emperor. By offering my life, I am proving my faith!â
Princess Vannessia clenched her fists and made a speech. Gradually, her eyes took on a mysterious glow, and eventually, her cheeks were flushed, her breathing was ragged, and she looked ecstatic.
âYour Majesty seems to be a very good-natured person, but the rest of the demons are all befitting of their name, arenât they? So, you wouldnât be so naive as to dispose of me at once, would you? Are you starting with torture? Is it torture? Iâm sure Iâll be subjected to horrible torments that I canât even imagine for a human being. Ufufufu, this is a hardship. Iâm sure itâs a test given by the Heavenly Emperor to shed all the unholy blood that flows through my bodyâ„. A test of my faithâ„â„â„.â
The chair almost fell over.
He stepped away from it and pointed at Princess Vannessia, criticizing her.
âYou said something about the Heavenly Emperorâs trials but arenât you just a m*******t!? I feel sorry for the soldiers who have to deal with you! You might be able to handle the pain, no matter how hard it is, but thatâs not the case for the average person! Are you aware that youâre doing something terrible using your position!?â
âIf so, whatâs the problem?â
âUwaah. Youâre opening up, Princess.â
This one was a human in the skin of a Demon King, but the other was a demon in the skin of a human. The ideal beautiful girl? Love at first sight? He felt like crying because his eyes were so blind. He had been completely deceived!