I Picked up the Demon King - Chapter 60

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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 60

 

‘How did the situation end up like this?’

 

Before dawn had even broken.

 

Johnny, who had stayed awake all night with his eyes wide open, laughed helplessly.

 

“Have you memorized the entire speech?”

 

He barely restrained himself from throwing a punch at the man who opened the door and entered while asking.

 

The other party was the owner of one of the kingdom’s most prominent trading companies. If he, a Guard Captain from a rural territory and now part of the expeditionary force, did such a thing, he wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.

 

‘No, maybe I don’t need to think about consequences…’

 

The moment things went wrong, even hoping to keep his life would be too greedy a desire. And in Johnny’s opinion, no matter how he thought about it, this plan had no chance of success.

 

“…It wasn’t that long anyway.”

“That’s fortunate. There isn’t much time left now. Let’s start preparing.”

 

The Golden Star Trading Company Owner said with a relaxed smile. Johnny couldn’t understand him.

 

He was the one who had prepared the speech, and he was the one who had helped him memorize it by staying by his side all night. He had even attended a meeting just moments ago.

 

“Um, aren’t you tired?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ve received training for quite a long time, so I’m confident in my stamina, but it’s difficult to move around as casually as you do after staying up all night. That, well. My head isn’t working properly either.”

“Oh my.”

 

Dahan widened his eyes as if he had heard something completely unexpected. Then he rummaged through his pouch and pulled out a glass bottle, handing it to Johnny.

 

“Here, it’s a potion. It’s surprisingly effective when you drink it when tired.”

“…?”

“They say it’s bad for your body if you drink it too often though. Come on! Drink it and go wash your face. You’ll feel much better.”

 

Was this what it meant to be the owner leading a major trading company?

 

He knew the man had money, but to think he carried around potions in his pouch that Johnny would have trouble even seeing after saving several months’ worth of salary.

 

‘And he uses it for fatigue recovery?’

 

Johnny, who received the glass bottle with a bewildered expression, could only stare at Dahan’s face, not knowing where to begin pointing out the issues.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, no…”

“Hmm? Ah… I don’t drink it just anytime. This is also for emergencies. I’m not one to enjoy luxuries.”

 

Johnny, feeling even more burdened by Dahan’s words, closed his eyes and gulped down the potion.

 

‘Right, when would I ever get to try something like this? With one bottle of this, today’s events should be manageable enough… like hell they would be.’

 

The potion couldn’t really be called delicious. Dahan watched Johnny, who shuddered slightly at the bitter and disgusting smell, then spoke.

 

“As I said yesterday, you don’t need to feel too much pressure.”

 

Johnny looked at him with an expression that truly had a lot to say.

 

Dahan raised his hand to stop Johnny from speaking.

 

“The war will end as soon as the mediator sent by the Empire arrives, but as you know, our current forces are in a situation where it’s difficult to hold out until then.”

 

Johnny let out a groan at the calm voice.

 

He remembered the fight among the commanders he had seen in the conference room. Just looking outside the tent, he could tell that the soldiers were not in good condition.

 

Dahan’s words were not an exaggeration at all. Rather, it would be more accurate to see them as considerably softened expressions.

 

“Your role is simply to buy time. And incidentally, boost our army’s morale as well.”

 

However, contrary to his words about not feeling pressure, the following words only added burden to Johnny.

 

“…Do you really think this will work?”

“Well.”

 

Dahan crossed his arms and tilted his head.

 

For someone who had devised the operation, it was quite an irresponsible attitude, and Johnny felt strength entering his fists again.

 

“I know that you’re not the real Hero from the rumors. Still…”

 

A meaningful smile formed.

 

“If God watches over us, things might work out well.”

“God?”

 

Johnny let out a hollow laugh.

 

Divine protection, indeed. That was the most ridiculous thing of all. The only god in this world, Goddess Aision, would surely be on their side.

 

Johnny gritted his teeth and stood up, wearing not his familiar spear but a decorated sword at his waist.

 

He opened the tent and went outside.

 

As he walked slowly, he could feel the gazes of the gathering soldiers. He could hear murmuring sounds. Life returned to the faces of those who had been consumed by fatigue.

 

Dahan had truly made an effort. Johnny’s appearance reflected in the blade was such that no one could think he was a country bumpkin from a rural territory’s guard unit. Even he thought he looked quite impressive.

 

So much so that he looked like a Hero from a fairy tale. It was perfect except for the fact that the full body armor he was wearing for the first time was quite heavy.

 

The castle gate opened.

 

He wanted to run away even now, but doing so would mean disobeying orders and desertion. Since they had promised quite a substantial reward if this plan succeeded, he had to move toward whichever option gave him even a slightly higher chance of survival.

 

Johnny forcibly lifted his feet that seemed glued to the floor and wouldn’t budge.

 

Originally, he was supposed to ride out on horseback. A white, large, well-trained warhorse had been prepared. It was such a fine beast that one might wonder how they had acquired something that only royalty would ride.

 

However, the proud creature refused to carry Johnny, and since Johnny had never learned how to handle horses, he had to walk out on foot.

 

How long had he walked?

 

Johnny arrived at a small hill located at the midpoint between the castle and the Holy Nation’s garrison, took a deep breath, and drew his sword.

 

Then he shouted.

 

“Listen!”

 

Though no sound could be heard, bustling movement was visible in the enemy camp.

 

“I am Johnny of Belive Territory! I have no family name!”

 

After catching his breath for a moment, Johnny continued speaking, hoping his trembling legs wouldn’t show.

 

“In Belive Territory, the Religious Order joined hands with the lord and conducted cruel human experiments! Therefore, I punished them!”

 

It was a lie.

 

Johnny had actually been on the side that suppressed the Territory Residents under the lord’s orders, and had committed no small amount of plundering in the process.

 

Even though he had done it believing they were demon worshippers, he knew well that it was something difficult to forgive.

 

“The same happened in the capital Balaih! An Archbishop himself stepped forward to commit evil! This means there were already countless corrupt clergy in this country!”

 

This was something Johnny knew nothing about. He was simply reciting the words Dahan had written for him. Of course, he had heard rumors that the Golden Star Trading Company had been involved in an incident, but he couldn’t know if it was true.

 

“Yet the Holy Nation declared war using the punishment of those people as justification!”

 

Someone could be seen running out from the Holy Nation’s camp.

 

A pure white horse and armor. Without a doubt, it was a knight. A real knight, not a fake like Johnny.

 

“I ask you! Are you also corrupt! If not!”

 

Johnny closed his eyes, hoping the knight wouldn’t attack him outright.

 

“If you have even a handful of faith, even a handful of conscience left, throw down your weapons!”

“What gives you the right to say such things?”

“I told you!”

 

Fortunately, the Paladin chose dialogue over attack. Of course, that would probably be the last time. The moment he heard the next words, as one who served the Goddess, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.

 

“I am Johnny of Belive Territory! In the name of the new… Hero, I say this! Stop this meaningless war!”

“….”

 

As Johnny expected, the Paladin drew his weapon with an enraged expression. The Holy Nation soldiers watching from afar also stirred as if they would charge at any moment.

 

‘This is a complete failure…’

 

Far from buying time, it was as if he had cast a berserk spell on the enemies.

 

The gamble of Dahan, the commander, and Johnny had failed. Johnny would be the first to pay the price.

 

Then.

 

“…!”

 

As dawn broke, a strange vibration spread throughout the world. The soldiers who had been exhausted literally felt life force filling them.

 

“This is…”

 

According to legend, the Hero possessed the power to boost companions’ strength and weaken enemies.

 

That legend flashed through the minds of everyone listening to the speech. This was especially true for some of the Holy Nation soldiers who had participated in the Demon Realm subjugation following the Hero.

 

And once again, the vibration spread out.

 

The Paladin, who had been reflexively drawing upon Holy Power, could only make a stunned expression.

 

The Divine Power had weakened.

 

The Goddess’s power that had always protected them.

 

* * *

 

The Elf King died, and the Great Forest withered.

 

The number of elves involved in this incident was not small. In fact, since most of the elves had gathered there, it was beyond what could be expressed as “not small.”

 

Perhaps the story of the Great Forest and the elves would now remain only as legend, gradually fading from human memory.

 

Regardless of how one felt about it, the incident was over.

 

-Hmm. So you’re not going to absorb it after all?

“Yeah.”

 

Jude answered as he stood up, brushing the dirt from his hands. In front of him, a small sapling had been planted.

 

Though it had such a frail appearance that it looked like it would topple over with a touch, its true identity was the tree that had been revered as a god and supported the world. It was the World Tree.

 

-That power you just used, you won’t be able to use it anymore. Not only did you waste all that life force, but you even gave up your divinity.

 

A power worthy of being called Divine Authority, one that overwhelmed the strength accumulated by an entire race over generations. Planting the World Tree and leaving meant giving up that power.

 

It wasn’t that Jude didn’t know the benefits he could gain from absorbing the World Tree. Moreover, if he took the World Tree that had absorbed thousands of years’ worth of accumulated life force, he would never have to worry about death for the rest of his life.

 

But…

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Even so, not a trace of regret could be felt from Jude’s face.

 

Rather, the Ice Spirit perched on his shoulder was the one openly showing signs of reluctance to part.

 

“You’re… leaving the World Tree behind?”

 

A bewildered voice came from behind.

 

Dirt-stained brown hair. Wounds scattered across her body. There stood Elf Remal, who just hours ago had been blessed as a hero of her clan, wearing the face of someone who seemed to have everything in the world.

 

Honestly, she wasn’t a particularly welcome sight for Jude. But thinking about it, there wasn’t much reason to be hostile either. The king she served was already dead, and Remal herself didn’t seem to have any thoughts of revenge.

 

In the end, Jude nodded with a displeased expression.

 

“You take care of it.”

“…Us?”

 

Just like when he used Spirit Summoning against the Demon Lord, the World Tree Branch seemed to have suffered considerable damage as well.

 

Though it hadn’t disappeared thanks to absorbing all the artificial spirits of the Great Forest, life force alone couldn’t heal wounds of the soul. Recovery would require much time and effort. Even after recovery, it might be different from its original form.

 

“Yes. Don’t do anything useless, just tend to it carefully. Think of it as atonement for what you’ve done so far.”

 

If it were the Elves, they would be able to help the World Tree regain its strength. That was Jude’s judgment.

 

Remal looked like she had much to say, but soon knelt down and bowed her head. The other Elves around her, who had been clutching their wounds and eavesdropping on the conversation, did the same.

 

Though most had died in the battle, the number of survivors still reached the hundreds.

 

However, Jude only sighed and turned away.

 

-How about taking that even now? Opportunities to obtain divinity don’t come easily.

 

The Demon Lord asked.

 

Seeing the Demon Lord, who rarely showed signs of regret, Jude could be certain that his choice was right.

 

“You said divinity would develop naturally by passing through trials anyway, right?”

-…Yes.

 

Jude smiled refreshingly.

 

As expected, not absorbing the World Tree was the right answer. Of course, even this might be part of the Demon Lord’s plan, but absorbing the World Tree would have been literally the worst choice.

 

“Enough. I’m sick of trees now.”

 

The Elves silently bowed their heads as they saw Jude off. Even long after his figure had completely disappeared.

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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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