Chapter 122

It was born approximately 700 years ago.

An entity of translucent mist, drifting endlessly through the world—without ego, without emotion, without thought—simply surrendering its form to the currents of the atmosphere.

The moment it first grasped the concept of “I” was by pure chance, swept into the ragged breath of a young girl named Disis.

“My child… is there truly no way for her to live?”

“It is impossible.”

“B-but, Sir Priest. The doctor who came before said that while it was beyond him, if a Priest came, you would surely be able to treat her…!”

“Of course, it could be done. Not by a low-ranking priest like myself, but by the Archbishops residing in the Royal Capital.”

“……!”

“But how exactly do you expect to summon such esteemed individuals?”

“I… I will carry this child on my back, somehow…!”

“On your back? This child is at death’s door this very moment. You’d take her to the Capital? She would draw her last breath before you even reached the next village.”

“……!!”

“And even if, by some miracle from the heavens, you managed to bring her before the Archbishops—do you have the money?”

“M-money, sir?”

“Indeed. To treat a case like this, it would take roughly 100 to 150 million Mil. If you offered that much as a donation, the Archbishops would gladly lend their hand.”

“B-but don’t priests perform such acts for free?”

“How could a lowly, insignificant priest like me be the same as the great Archbishops?”

“Wh-where would a poor woman like me ever find such a sum…!”

“That is why I am telling you. Simply give up and let her go in peace. All you can do… is ask her what she wants to eat when she regains consciousness, feed her that, and then send the child away with a smile.”

“Sob, ugh… sob… My husband was killed by bandits. My eldest was taken by wolves. The only family I have left is this child… how, how can you tell me to just let her go!! How can I wear a smiling face as I leave her behind!! Ugh, sob…”

“Sigh… dammit. Oh, Sea God… why must life be so bitter? Where exactly is this happiness you speak of…? If you truly are at work in this world… then please, grant a miracle to this poor woman, and to this small child suffering from the wasting disease….”

But it was at that very moment.

The girl let out a ragged cough—hack!—and suddenly began to vomit a substance like black tar.

“Disis! Disis!! Sir Priest! Disis is—! I haven’t even fed her anything delicious yet! I can’t let her go like this…!”

“Quiet!!”

The woman flinched at the Priest’s sudden intensity and stopped her weeping.

Hack! Cough, cough!

Splat! Squish!!

The Priest gasped as he watched the black, viscous liquid continue to pour from the girl’s mouth.

“My god… how did she expel the blood of a malevolent spirit on her own…?”

After vomiting for a long time, the girl finally went limp with exhaustion, having expelled the last few drops of blood and yellow fluid.

“S-Sir Priest… what on earth has happened…?”

Instead of answering the woman, the old Priest rubbed the girl’s chest with hands glowing with Holy Light and sang a hymn.

“Oh Sea God~ this humble servant has witnessed Your living presence~ Oh my Lord~ strengthen the faith of this one….”

After finishing the hymn, the Priest spoke calmly to the mother.

“…She is healed.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said, this child is healed.”

Indifferent to the commotion outside, the entity that had driven out the mass of negative energy from the lungs took up residence there, slowly circulating within the girl.

And so… as it slowly copied the girl’s ego, thoughts, and emotions, that “Information-Type Monster” eventually developed a desire to become an independent being—an “I.” It manifested itself outside the girl’s body.

Wearing the exact same appearance as the girl.

The mother, returning from her work, was horrified to see two identical daughters standing before her in the span of half a day.

“Disis!”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“M-my god… what in the world is this…?”

Even to the eyes of a country woman, this was no ordinary situation. Convinced that some sinister entity was at work, she tried to pick out her true daughter and drive the other one out of the house, but….

“…I-I don’t know.”

The problem was that even the mother could not distinguish which daughter was real.

What if she drove one out based on a mere hunch, and that daughter turned out to be the real one?

In the end, only one choice remained for the mother.

To raise both of them as her daughters.

Time passed.

One year. Three years. Five years.

Only then could the mother distinguish her true daughter.

The one who grew as she aged was the real Disis.

The one who remained exactly as she had been five years ago was the fake.

But by then, “it” had already taken its place as her other daughter.

“Mom. I want to eat fillet stew today.”

“Hm? O-oh, alright. I have some dried meat, so let’s have that today.”

“Hehe. I love you, Mom.”

“Hey! Today is Bread Day!”

“Ugh, whatever. Big Disis is always about bread.”

“So what! Anyway, today is bread!”

“Hmph. Big Disis who only likes bread!”

“Hmph. Little Disis who only likes meat!”

‘Oh Sea God. How could I cast out that lovely child just because she is not my biological daughter? Please, give me the strength to protect these children.’

And again, time passed.

Seven years. Ten years.

The mother and the two Disises left their home village behind with lingering eyes.

“Hmph. This is all because of Little Disis.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“A-ah, no, I’m joking. I just said it to make you laugh….”

“No. If only I grew up big and strong like Big Disis, people wouldn’t have called me a witch. Why do I stay in this same shape from when I was small… sniff…”

The mother tightly hugged the weeping Little Disis.

“My daughter. My love. As long as I am with you, I could move hundreds of times more. You are a blessing to me and Big Disis. So do not blame yourself so.”

Fifteen years.

A plague swept through the village where they resided.

Because it was such a remote area, by the time the Kingdom and the Church of the Sea God learned of the fact, everything was already over.

“Ah, aah….”

“Burn it all! Don’t leave a single rat alive!!”

“Yes, Commander!”

The village was burning. The quiet, warm village where she, Big Disis, and their mother had lived together….

Little Disis—the entity—could not bear to watch her mother and sister be consumed by the flames. She dragged their bodies away, fleeing deep into the forest.

“Mom, Momma…. Big Disis… hic, ugh….”

“Here! A fugitive! There are two corpses, too!”

“Damn it…. We almost missed one.”

“Shit. Kill her and burn her with those bodies!”

In the moment the two soldiers raised their spears, the hands of the girl clutching the corpses of her mother and sister flashed. The soldiers were instantly reduced to a handful of bloody mist.

Crunch!

At that moment, the girl felt the memories that had been suppressed inside the box labeled “Little Disis” burst forth.

The self that had drifted through the world on the wind without ego or thought.

The self that was accidentally inhaled into the lungs of the ailing Big Disis.

The self that unintentionally cured Big Disis’s illness and began to mimic her.

And… the precious family she had found through it all.

‘Ah… I, I wasn’t human after all….’

-Information-type Monster.

-Doppelganger.

‘You have to be… be happy…. Even for my sake… Little Disis.’

‘Daughter. Our Little Disis… please, live as a human, among humans.’

The entity, wailing as it embraced the bodies of its mother and sister, quietly brought the two corpses to its mouth, tears streaming down its face.

“Mom, Big Disis… we are together forever. Forever….”

It continued to live among people, maintaining the personality and appearance of Little Disis. Because that was what her mother and sister had wished for.

And so… living within the world, loving and fitting in…

…At some point, it had become the ruler of the Kingdom of Bordeaux, where the family once lived.

-The Veiled Queen.

Bordeaux was to be a nation ruled by a Queen, and she established the rule that the Queen must never reveal her face beneath the veil….

“A messenger from the Tubilan Empire.”

“Let him in.”

“His Majesty wishes to convey his deepest apologies for being unable to send an envoy when the previous Veiled Queen passed away.”

“I am aware that the Emperor is occupied with many affairs. Tell him I fully understand.”

“Your grace is boundless. In that spirit, we wish to offer this to the newly crowned Veiled Queen. It is the pelt of a white bear, a rarity even in the North.”

…Through the creation of “Kin,” a feat that had become possible at some point, she created a fake family. For a long time, she ruled over the Tubilan Empire while posing as a daughter, and then a daughter’s daughter.

‘This is my country. This is my home. Mom. Big Disis… I will strive to make the people happy, at least within this island. I will do my best to love and be loved….’

Then, 200 years ago.

Chains descended from the heavens.

Clank-clank-clank-clank!!

Bound by those chains, she wept tears of blood as she heard the chains whispering to her.

-O being destined to become a Demon King.

-The time has come to fulfill your duty.

“No, stop…!”

-Kill. Slaughter. Become the Great Adversary of the world and put this world to the test.

“No! Please!! AAAARGH!!!”

Five pairs of wings sprouted.

Kin rose to their feet, and monsters poured from the sky. Regardless of her will, the chains moved her.

-My children. This place shall now be the territory of the West Demon King… Kill every creature that walks on two legs and announce the birth of the Demon King.

KREEEEEEEE!

GRAAAAAAWR!

KWAAAAAAAH!

And so, the Kingdom of Bordeaux was burned and destroyed at the hands of the 11th Veiled Queen, who had been transformed into a Demon King.

“I, the West Demon King Disis, earnestly entreat you… please, just as you did for the North Demon King Akathastasia… save me as well.”

And then, a firm rejection flowed from the mouth of the man before her.

“Not happening.”

“Please… I will offer anything. If you want this body, I give you my body; if you want martial power, I give you power… I will offer anything, so please, release me from this cursed cycle.”

“I told you, it’s not happening.”

“Is it truly, truly impossible?”

“Yeah. I’d help if I could… but I really can’t.”

“Then how did you do it for Akathastasia? Why was it possible for her but not for me! What is the difference between her and me?!”

“Probably… the order in which we met?”

“Ah….”

“Aah….”

“Aaaaaah….”

After letting out a groan that sounded like she was vomiting her very soul, she slowly stood up.

“I see. Then… I have no choice but to kill you.”

Tears of blood flowed from the eyes of the West Demon King Disis.