Chapter 224 – A Different World!?

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“I heard that Kyuby took his mother and left. That mother…”
“Slave hunters took her to a human city, where she was killed. I was able to care for my wife during her last moments… But for Kyuby, it was sudden. I heard that she was killed with a whip.”

Yomotsu said with a pained expression.

I was talking to Yomotsu about Kyuby’s past.
Aside from Iria and Melk, Yomotsu’s children were also listening.

To summarize what I heard, after Kyuby and Yomotsu left the foxfolk settlement, they were caught by human slave hunters. That was how Kyuby lost his mother. Yomotsu also lost his wife in the human city they were taken to.

And since Kyuby and Yomotsu were both foxfolk, they were in the same city, and given the same work.

So one day, the Demon King, who happened to be in the city, found them.

For some reason, the Demon King knew that their curse crest. Apparently, she could use magic to reveal it, much like the priests.

And so, as if having found them at long last, the Demon King took them under her wing.

I asked Yomotsu,

“Still, why was the Demon King in a human city…?”
“Leaving mine aside, Kyuby’s curse crest is special. There are no monsters with the same power in the Demon King’s territory. No magic like it.”
“And so she was searching through a human city.”

I was surprised to hear about that.

If she wanted to, she could easily destroy a city or two… But she had not, so perhaps she did not hate humans as much as most monsters.

Either that, or there was something more important. Something similar to what Kyuby and Yomotsu wanted…

“Yomotsu. Who is…the Demon King trying to meet?”
“The person who gave birth to the Demon King.”
“You mean…a parent?”

I asked, and Yomotsu thought for a moment.

“I suppose…you could say that. However, if they really are a parent…we do not…even the Demon King does not know.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Demon King just appeared one day. Just as the previous Demon King withered away.”
“In other words…she came from a different world?”

Like Ronea the Demon Lord that I could summon. It was possible that she was a resident from another world.

However, Yomotsu continued.

“That in itself is not strange. Such things happen when general changes. However, she is special.”
“Special?”
“While weak, she has some memories of that other world. Very faint, but she remembers someone who used to talk to her. Who was close.”
“And that is the person she wants to meet?”
“Of course. However, more than that, there are words that the person said that have remained in the Demon King’s head.”
“What words?”
“Open the gate… And then everything will become one.”
“In other words…the living and the dead will be one.”
“Even the walls between the races will be no more.”

Yomotsu said with a nod.

“Another world… Wait a minute. I will speak to Ronea about it.”

And so I took out a summoning stone and summoned Ronea the Demon Lord.

A beautiful woman with wings… Ronea appeared and went down on one knee.

“You called for me, Lord Joshua.”
“Ronea. I want to ask you something… About your world.”
“Unfortunately…once I am in this world, I cannot draw from my memories of the other world. I only have what is necessary to serve you.”
“I see… However, you called me the Demon King once, didn’t you? What did that mean?”

I asked, and Yomotsu scowled.

“You? The Demon King?”
“That’s what Ronea called me once. I just assumed it was what they called someone who was a leader.”

However, Ronea shook her head.

“No. It is not as if we call anyone a Demon King… But Lord Joshua, you are someone who should be called Demon King.”
“…Why is that?”
“As I am right now, I cannot say why.”

Yomotsu closed his eyes and thought about it.

“A demon being summoned is rare in itself. Now only that, but summoned monsters usually do not speak…”
“Is that so?”
“Aye. And she is calling you a Demon King. So that means in her world, you have the right to take that title. And maybe that world and the world of the dead…”
“Are the same world… It could be related to how Demon Kings are replaced.”
“Indeed. On the other hand, if they can be summoned with a summoning stone…perhaps there is another way, without opening a gate.”

Milina said,

“For instance…you could make something like a summoning stone?”
“No, summoning stones cannot be made… In the first place, it is said that they are things that just exist in nature.”

Celes had said that as well. Summoning stones could not be made.

“Yomotsu. Could it be that the crafting method has just been lost?”
“That is absurd… You don’t…mean?”

Yomotsu asked and I nodded.

“If we could find out how it is made… Perhaps the Demon King had some information.”
“I’m sure she will tell you what she knows… However, in reality, it is completely impossible.”

Yes, like Yomotsu said, it seemed unlikely that such a thing could be made…
However, I could use Production Magic. And so if it was possible to solve this by making something, that’s what I wanted to do.

Yomotsu continued.

“It will be difficult to persuade the Demon King… However, we can help those who aren’t warriors to escape the southern cities, and allow those in the Demon King’s army who wish to go home, to do so. If I can persuade the Demon King to do something, that would be the limit.”
“Yomotsu…thank you. We will speak to the Demon King then.”

Yomotsu bowed.

However, just then, Asuha burst through the door.

“Sir Joshua! The Demon King has appeared at the banquet hall!!”
“The Demon King?”

And so we rushed to the mountain with the banquet hall.

Next Chapter

Seisan Mahoushi no Rakuraku Henkyou Kaitaku - Saikyou no Ajintachi to Howaito Kokka wo Kizukimasu!