I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 154

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 154

 

Casting soul magic on the Demon Lord. This isn’t the first time.

 

I’ve used necromancy, an advanced stage of soul magic, several times before.

 

But this time is different.

 

Necromancy. This wasn’t the method of temporarily surrendering control of the body, but using the original function of soul magic.

 

A single chain rising from the ground.

 

It slowly flew toward the Demon Lord’s chest and pierced through. The sitting Demon Lord’s body is lifted up. The Demon Lord who reached before me smiles.

 

With this, the Demon Lord becomes one with me.

 

If I had to express it, you could say the Demon Lord is being resurrected by borrowing my body, but more precisely, he’s having his soul absorbed by me.

 

What could be the Demon Lord’s reason for choosing this method?

 

I can’t understand it. I don’t see any aspect that would benefit the Demon Lord.

 

I’ve never once understood the Demon Lord’s thoughts. Even the dragon’s wisdom is difficult to interpret, and even such a dragon was deceived by the Demon Lord and perished.

 

However. Whatever ulterior motive the Demon Lord might be hiding doesn’t matter.

 

If this completes the contract, it’s beneficial for me. I can fill my other half and become a child who can be more helpful to Mother.

 

The Demon Lord is drawn to me.

 

The Demon Lord smiles.

 

The Demon Lord approaches me.

 

The Demon Lord smiles.

 

I become one with the Demon Lord.

 

The Demon Lord smiles. The Demon Lord smiles. The Demon Lord smiles. The Demon Lord smiles. Joyfully, desperately, sadly, with melancholy eyes, shedding tears, laughing madly. Sneering. Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. Laughing. Laughing.

 

Laughing.

 

* * *

 

Golden-tinted fields, taxes raised for war, bugs and sparrows ruining crops, a wife and children growing thinner, war intensifying, soldiers flooding the village, trampled land, a suddenly appeared demon realm gate, monsters and blood bursting out, screams, brilliantly shining swords, polluted and devastated land, family, death, tears…

 

A farmer’s life flashes by.

 

But the memories that should have ended in death travel back through time.

 

Days of hoeing barren land, the joy of sowing seeds and harvesting, family waiting at home, the day the first child was born, the happy wedding ceremony, the shy girl, the always stern father, wrinkled skin, shared dinners, the day of fighting with the neighbor’s child, the first moment of coming into the world…

 

Memories I couldn’t see when I first absorbed souls. A farmer’s, a person’s life.

 

And it accelerates. As soon as the memories end, another person’s memories appear.

 

Brief memories surface. Though poor and difficult, they were days sustained by small happinesses. They were so short I couldn’t tell whose they were. They didn’t seem to belong to just one person either.

 

Another person’s memories appear.

 

The day a newcomer joined the monotonous guard unit. His nervous expression was amusing, but also pitiful. We all gathered together and made a pledge. Let’s take good care of this newcomer. Just like the squad leader did when we first joined the guard unit.

 

Different memories appear.

 

A dirty body and wandering eyes. A boy whose appearance reminded anyone of the poor. Why did he remind me of the child I lost long ago? I impulsively brought him home. My wife was angry but soon understood. She too couldn’t forget the child. He must have many wounds. It would be better to approach slowly.

 

Other memories appear.

 

An emergency assembly was called during the knight order’s dinner party. It seems someone has invaded the domain. …It’s a monster. We must protect the lord, run away. We can’t win. Screams of agony echo.

 

Memories appear.

 

Magic unfolding without incantation. A beautiful and strange magic circle floating in the air. Greed surges. If I capture this and research it, even the tower won’t be able to ignore me anymore, what is this.

 

Memories.

 

My beautiful god, my mother. I offer my body to you. Please defeat that evil Demon Lord. Ah, the goddess looks upon me. Power wells up in my body. My body burns.

 

I see them.

 

The memories of the souls I’ve absorbed so far flow by one by one. I see their lives.

 

The two farmers who first tried to kill me, the resentments of the poor, Mike and the guards, the domain’s knight order, the mage who seemed overwhelming, the Holy Knight Commander, the bandits I encountered on the road, Master Sevian, the expedition soldiers and mages, Elf Birutta who took her own life, the other elves except the Elf King…

 

Amelia possessed by the Great Demon, the citizens of the Holy Kingdom absorbed together, the soldiers and knights who joined the Black Tower subjugation, all humans who perished across the continent.

 

These are things I’ve experienced countless times already. It was always like this when using soul magic. I was accustomed to glimpsing the memories held by souls as they passed by. But now.

 

I see their lives, every single one without exception.

 

The emotions they harbored, the experiences they went through, the sins they committed.

 

Yet it wasn’t burdensome at all.

 

Rather, it felt natural. Comfortable. These were things already held within my body. I’m simply becoming one with them and looking at them once more. It was like reminiscing about memories from long ago.

 

And.

 

After watching all those memories. While enjoying the brief afterglow, suddenly.

 

I felt an utterly unpleasant sensation. The terrible holy power pressing down on my surroundings. Even after my body burned, it endlessly stimulated me. Even my soul was ablaze. It felt as if I would be isolated like this forever.

 

What brought me back to my senses was a very small stimulus. At the same time, a sigh flowed from my mouth.

 

-How pathetic.

 

Is this my follower? But it’s far too insignificant. The mana it possesses is weak, and it seems like its breath could be cut off at any moment. Though it’s a bit different from the plan, using this wouldn’t be bad either.

 

‘Ah.’

 

I realized. What I’m experiencing now is the Demon Lord’s memory.

 

I almost wanted to laugh at the fact that pathetic, almost foolish thing was my appearance. After seeing my journey as observed by the Demon Lord, time rewinds.

 

When I was defeated by the Second Hero, when I gathered the demons in one place, when I collected power for resurrection, when I was defeated by the first Hero, when I made a contract with him, when I joined hands with the Goddess to destroy the six gods, when I first discovered the Middle Realm…

 

As I watched the Demon Lord’s memories like this, something came to mind.

 

When I first absorbed Master Sevian’s soul. Unlike when I absorbed other souls, I was able to obtain an unusually large number of memories. It felt as if I had truly become a master.

 

That was because Master’s soul had a good wavelength match with mine, wasn’t it?

 

By absorbing the Demon Lord’s soul, my soul magic became complete. To the extent that I could now fully examine even the memories of other souls that had only shown brief scenes before.

 

Then, at this very moment. As I absorb the Demon Lord’s soul, which could be considered half of myself.

 

I realized.

 

The Demon Lord’s plan, the plan conceived over the past thousand years, the plan that became a complete mess from the moment he met me, with this…

 

The Demon Lord smiles.

 

* * *

 

It was such a beautiful world.

 

“What are you going to do later?”

 

The sky was clear, and the fields were green. Good harvests continued. Even beggars on the streets rarely went hungry.

 

“…Who knows?”

 

Asking children about their future careers in a small rural village is thoughtless. Not so much rude, but because most simply inherit their parents’ work.

 

“I’m going to inherit the mill!”

 

“Fool. We know that without you saying it.”

 

A farmer’s child farms, and a blacksmith’s son hammers iron. A coachman’s child feeds horses, and an innkeeper’s daughter carries food.

 

They live that way even before becoming adults. It’s natural if you think about it.

 

However, there are occasionally those who cannot inherit such occupations.

 

That was me.

 

“That kid doesn’t have a dad.”

 

“Only no dad? I don’t have a mom either.”

 

An orphan.

 

A parentless child who drifted into the village one day. The village overflowed with kindness, and there were many who pitied the orphan.

 

Thanks to that, I didn’t starve. I didn’t freeze to death in winter, and I could play with the children.

 

But what meaning would that have?

 

When everyone inherits the family business, I would remain a beggar. If I started looking for work I could do from now, things might be different. But it would require incomparably more effort than other children.

 

“Ah, right.”

 

Thinking like that, I developed a dream. A vain, ridiculous dream.

 

“I’m going to become a king.”

 

“King? What’s that?”

 

One child tilted their head and asked. Perhaps it was an unfamiliar story in this small countryside. Even I, who ate humble pie while begging, didn’t hear such words often.

 

“Something greater than the Village Chief.”

 

“Isn’t that the Lord?”

 

I didn’t know the details either. But I spoke with a confident face.

 

“A king, you see. Is something even greater than a Lord.”

 

Someone who doesn’t need to knock on friends’ doors to avoid winter’s cold wind, doesn’t need to pace in front of doors when hungry, and has family waiting for them.

 

“The master of this world, greater than anyone.”

 

Not one or two, but someone who is with more people than all the villagers combined. Though I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes and it was just stories I’d picked up.

 

What I understood at the time was, well, roughly that kind of person.

 

“How can you become a king when you don’t even have a dad?”

 

I was momentarily speechless.

 

Just as a farmer’s child becomes a farmer, just as a blacksmith’s son becomes a blacksmith. Just as a coachman’s son becomes a coachman, and an innkeeper’s daughter runs an inn.

 

If there really was such a thing as a king.

 

The one who becomes King would also be the King’s child.

 

In the end, it’s all the same. Since I have no parents to inherit a profession from, there would be nothing I could do.

 

I didn’t want to accept that.

 

Looking back later, that was surely a childish thought. It was an inferiority complex. Considering how much the Village people looked after me. Thinking about how amazing it was that a parentless beggar orphan could even be alive, it was a somewhat absurd emotion, but.

 

I, who was only a bit quicker to catch on than other Children my age. Without thinking about such complicated matters, I said.

 

“Actually, my dad is a King.”

 

I didn’t think deeply about it.

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then why are you here?”

 

It was a reasonable question. The son of someone supposedly greater than a Lord, sitting around begging in a rural village.

 

Even a Child could easily see through such a lie.

 

But I didn’t stop talking.

 

“Dad really is a King. But the situation isn’t good right now.”

 

I racked my brain.

 

“He said he’ll come get me when I grow up. He asked the Village adults too. That’s why everyone treats me well. He promised to give them a big reward when he comes to get me.”

 

It was a crude lie. It didn’t add up, and anyone could notice it was false with just a little verification.

 

But for some reason, the Children didn’t seem to catch on.

 

“A big reward?”

 

Perhaps it was because the story wasn’t finished yet.

 

“Uh, so like. Three horses?”

 

“Wow…”

 

Perhaps it was because of my confident attitude.

 

“For each Home too!”

 

“Wow…!”

 

Perhaps it was because they wanted to believe it.

 

That’s how I told my lie. Of course, I was caught quickly. The Children who went Home and confirmed with the adults pointed fingers at me starting the next day.

 

“Your dad isn’t a King!”

 

“They never made such a promise!”

 

“We won’t play with you!”

 

Right.

 

“Liar!”

 

I was a liar.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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