#110: Chapter 110 — I Defeated the Demon King on Day One and Retired

“Honestly, I can’t even tell if that being is a woman or a man. It appeared in a female form last time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean its gender is female.”

I shook my head in disbelief.

Essentially, a seal is like using force to hold down a spring that’s trying to pop out. In other words, to seal a power of ten, you need an equivalent power of ten. Furthermore—as I found out later—creating a seal and maintaining one are two different matters.

If it’s just the act of sealing, a one-to-one exchange is sufficient, but a seal made that way is like water in a cup filled to the very limit of its surface tension. You never know when or what variable might cause it to overflow.

If you were to ask why Shia’s seal operates so stably, the answer is simple. Even within the same Potestates rank, the value of my status used for the seal is far higher than the value of Shia’s status being sealed.

Why? Because the value of a ‘pioneer’—a mortal-born transcendent who crossed the wall through their own effort—is much higher than those born as transcendents (gods, angels, demon kings, etc.).

When you compare the corporate drones… excuse me, the ‘Equilibrium’ angels that the Celestial Realm churns out like fish-shaped buns to a pioneer of the same rank, the difference in value is as vast as glass versus jewels.

It’s a long explanation, but the point is: to seal someone like Disis, who holds a Potestates rank, and to maintain that seal… you need something that exceeds the rank Disis possesses.

But as I’ve already mentioned, I have nothing left to use for a seal. That bastard Disis surely holds the same Potestates rank as Shia… so how on earth can I, who have fallen back to being a mere mortal, seal such a lofty existence? I might be impressive, but I can’t conjure up something out of nothing.

“Has that side tried to pull any tricks on you?”

“…Well, I haven’t noticed any signs of that. Oh, come to think of it, didn’t Disis say she would block the sea routes and the sanctuaries? Then the monster attack on the port this time might be her doing.”

“What about the sanctuaries?”

“I haven’t heard about any problems with the sanctuaries yet. Newspapers are common in the Tubilan Empire. If something like that happened, wouldn’t it have been reported quickly?”

“Hmm…”

“One thing I’m curious about, though… I’m surely a target of monitoring in the Celestial Realm. By now, even if they can’t intervene directly, they could easily drop a hint to Yuribel and send her down.”

“True… that is a valid point.”

“Ultimately, the fact that Yuribel hasn’t shown her face means one of two things. Either they intentionally kept the news from her as the one in charge, or they told her but blocked her from intervening.”

I told Shia about the incident I heard from Kelly—the clash between Merina, the goddess of the moon and madness, and Noina, the god of the elves. I told her how Noina got greedy, which pissed off Merina enough that she laid a curse disguised as a blessing on the Merina Elves as revenge. Because of that, over 200,000 elves and humans lost their lives.

“The gods I’ve seen and heard about since coming here aren’t exactly perfect beings with complete personalities. It means they’re perfectly willing to ignore right and wrong for the sake of their emotions or private interests.”

Shia’s expression turned grave at my words.

“Do you really think… the gods of the heavens orchestrated this?”

“No. I don’t think they’re that far gone. Being dragged to the Western Continent by Disis’s hand was probably an accident. But… it’s entirely possible they’re just looking the other way and leaving me be, isn’t it?”

“Neglecting to help and leaving you to clash with Disis intentionally?”

“Yeah. As of now, I’m the only one who has produced results against a Demon King. If things go well, they can solve their problem without lifting a finger… and even if I don’t get immediate results, if I grow to hate the very existence of Demon Kings in the process, that’s a win for them in its own way.”

“Indeed… that makes sense. Then I suppose we can only trust our own strength after all.”

“Yeah. That’s why I’m going through all this trouble. Trying to use me however they want. Tsk…”

“If only I could send you money from this side… I heard that 200 years ago, intercontinental banking was possible…”

“It’s fine. I’m working hard day and night, so it won’t take more than a few months.”

.
.
.

Shia, who had been lost in thought for a moment, asked me as if something had just occurred to her.

“Ah, right. I wanted to ask you this the moment I saw you.”

“What is it?”

“After you were dragged to the Western Continent, Disis tried to pull something on me as well. The difference in power was so clear that I was in a position where I had no choice but to take it. At that moment, your sword suddenly emerged from thin air and stabbed her in the neck. Because of that, she couldn’t hold out any longer and was driven out of the Northern Continent.”

“Ah… that?”

“I survived thanks to that, but what on earth did you do?”

I manifested a sheet of paper and poked a hole through it with my finger.

“This is a spatial fracture.”

I then moved the finger I had poked through and made another hole on the other side.

“This is what I did that day.”

“…So, you mean you sent the sword into a higher dimension through a fracture, and then thrust the sword from that higher dimension back into the third dimension…?”

“Yeah. To be precise, the term ‘converged it back into the third dimension’ would be more accurate… but it’s something like that.”

“…No, that is truly nonsensical. Even if I were to yield a hundred times regarding thrusting the sword back into the third dimension… actually, I shouldn’t yield on that, but let’s just move past it for now. But you had absolutely no information regarding the three-dimensional coordinates of Disis’s neck in the first place. How did you solve that?”

“…I don’t know. Just did it?”

“…….”

“I laughed a lot seeing Talos roll around in frustration every time he talked to you… but now that I am on the receiving end, I realize I’ve done something quite cruel. How frustrating it must have been for him.”

I let out a short laugh.

“I can’t really explain it either, but I really just stabbed based on instinct. There was nothing else I could do to protect you in that situation. So I just went for it… and like they say, necessity is the mother of invention. It actually worked.”

“Good grief… you really are something…”

.
.
.

I checked the time. It felt like we had only been laughing and chatting for a moment, but thirty minutes had already flown by.

“Time is already up.”

Shia nodded as if she were disappointed.

“So it seems…”

“What are the others up to right now?”

“Ah, the Illeia trio is still working at the mansion. They are very worried, of course… but well, what can they do?”

“And Sodin?”

“She is also searching for a way to bring you back with the utmost devotion. It seems she is specifically looking for a Magic Tower that has secured a teleportation route between the Western and Northern continents… but it doesn’t look easy.”

“Hmm…”

“How have you been spending your time on that side? I would like to hear your story as well.”

“Ah, about that…”

I briefly summarized the story of what had happened since I flew to the Western Continent and told it to Shia.

I told her the story of falling naked, of how I had no ID and was forced to accept “donations”(?) with a tin pot in my hand, and finally, how I met Kelly and joined the C&K Guild.

At first, Shia clutched her stomach and laughed hysterically at the part where I fell naked and begged, but as the story progressed, she began to tilt her head more and more frequently.

“My dear. It is women again.”

“Ah, that. It wasn’t intentional… but it just ended up that way somehow.”

Seriously, that wasn’t an excuse; it was the truth. My own will had absolutely zero involvement in the gender ratio around me. It was just that the people who approached me first were women, and the ones who showed me kindness first were also women, so those relationships naturally formed.

From my perspective, there was no reason to go out of my way to befriend men who gave me annoyed or irritated looks the moment they saw me, while ignoring those who were actually kind to me.

Shia made a humming sound and wore a peculiar expression at my “explanation-that-wasn’t-an-excuse.”

“Oh? Are you jealous by any chance?”

Shia let out a short laugh at my words.

“Me? Have I ever once complained about you associating with other women?”

“Hmm… no, you haven’t.”

“Indeed. The feelings I have for you are somewhat different from things like love or romantic affection. In fact, I am actually in a position to cheer you on as more women connect and commune with you.”

“Eh? Cheer me on?”

“That is correct.”

…Hmm, for some reason, that actually felt a little hurtful.

Shia continued.

“Hmm…. I had been thinking I should tell you this someday, and the timing is perfect. My dear. Do you know why you were single since birth until now?”

“Ugh… why the sudden ‘fact-bomb’? You’re hitting me where it hurts.”

“Think about it logically. Does it make sense that not a single person approached someone with your ‘specs’? Looking at the notable women who show you favor here, you should know that much yourself. Surely the women on Earth don’t have different aesthetic standards than the women here?”

“…I guess not. But in reality, almost no women approached me on Earth.”

“It is because of your Spiritual Pressure.”

“…What?”

“A transcendent emits ‘Spiritual Pressure’ derived from their spiritual rank. The power of this pressure is truly terrifying, as it exerts a profound influence on the minds of those with lower ranks nearby. The reason mortals who encounter a god come to faith and worship is precisely because of the Spiritual Pressure that god possesses.”

“……?”

“And surprisingly, despite being in a mortal body, you are emitting Spiritual Pressure just like a transcendent. Of course, it isn’t quite as much as a true transcendent, and it is a very trace amount, but still.”

“Eh? I’m emitting something like radiation?”

“Radiation is a bit… well, anyway, that is the case. I cannot actually see Spiritual Pressure, so this is ultimately just a deduction, but I am likely correct.”

“…….”

“As I said, yours is so weak that it isn’t enough to move the hearts of those who already dislike you. However, it is enough to make those with no particular feelings feel favor toward you, or to make those who already like you fall in love. Cases like Illeia, Selan, or Sodin are exactly that.”

“Aha… so that’s why. I did wonder why I became friends with them so quickly.”

“And you were likely spreading that Spiritual Pressure on Earth as well. Considering your level of attainment, it is entirely possible.”

“…On Earth too?”

“Yes. And most likely, that Spiritual Pressure was the reason you remained single.”

“Why is the effect the opposite of what it is here?”

“Because Spiritual Pressure reflects your will.”

“Wait. Does that mean…?”

“Yes. On Earth, you did not desire the opposite sex.”

“No way! You have no idea how faithful I was to my instincts. Just looking at my hard drive alone…”

“No, let me rephrase. It would be more accurate to say it like this: on Earth, you ‘did not recognize the human women of Earth as members of the opposite sex.’”

“…Eh?”

“Why? Am I wrong? Did you not say so yourself? At that time, you did not consider people to be sentient beings equal to yourself. Would women have been an exception to that?”

“Ah…”

“Therefore, your unconscious mind at the time defined them as something other than the opposite sex, and that was reflected in your Spiritual Pressure, preventing the opposite sex around you from approaching. Perhaps they even felt a ‘Uncanny Valley’ effect from you.”

Aha… I see. So it wasn’t that I couldn’t do it. I just didn’t do it. I just hated “furries”(?).

“Though that doesn’t change the fact that someone who has been single since birth is still someone who has been single since birth.”

“…Ugh.”

“That is why I like the fact that there are more women around you, and that you show sexual desire toward them. It means that unlike in the past, you now regard them as the opposite sex… in other words, it means you are gradually preparing your mindset to mingle with ordinary people.”

“……”

“My dear. I remember the words you spoke to Yuribel when we first met.”

—I want to live happily while fitting in with the world.

“I want you to achieve that wish and be happy.”

I was silent for a moment before asking the girl again.

“Shia… you said the feelings you have are a bit different from love, right? Then what exactly are your feelings?”

“I wonder… words like ‘love’ are far too trivial and light to express my heart for you. It is difficult to define it as ‘this,’ but… let’s just say that when I am with you, my heart feels full; when I look at you, I am happy; when we are together, it is joyful; and when I think that I can continue to be with you in the future, it is so overwhelming that I can hardly breathe.”

“…….”

“And even if my feelings were to turn dark and develop into a desire for monopoly over you, I would be perfectly capable of enduring it.”

“…Hmm?”

“How many more years will the women around you live? At the least, several decades; at the most, two or three hundred years. But to those with a Potestates rank like you or me, ‘lifespan’ is meaningless. It means we have an infinite amount of time remaining. Two or three hundred years? I can easily laugh that off. After all, compared to the ages we will spend together in the future, that is but a passing breeze.”

“…….”

While I hesitated to choose the right words to reply, Shia grinned and lightly kissed my cheek.

“So, I look forward to your continued support. My Hero.”

“Hmm. Me too. My Demon King.”

Kelly was dreaming.

The version of her reflected in the water spoke.

—Well done. As expected of me.

‘Well done? At what?’

—Becoming close to him. Harboring romantic feelings for him. Skillfully leading him here.

She immediately realized who the “him” her other self was referring to was.

‘What are you talking about? Becoming close to Orabeoni and the fact that I like him were all things I did of my own will. It wasn’t something someone else made me do.’

—Yes. That is exactly what I want. Just act as your heart and instincts lead you.

‘Who… are you?’

—What a foolish question. I am you. You are me. We are you. You are us.

‘…Creepy.’

—It’s time to wake up.

Bolt!

“Ugh…!”

As soon as Kelly sat up, she bowed her head at the surging nausea.

“Ke-heck! Ugh…! Blegh…!!”

Surprised, Elizabeth left Sword God’s arms and ran to her.

Tatap-tap!!

“Kelly. Are you okay? You looked like you were resting well, so what happened all of a sudden? Should I rub your back more?”