Chapter 51: The Demon King’s Renewed Resolve

When exactly did he truly resolve to get closer to Lamia? The answer now felt somewhat blurred. In just a few days, his resolve had undergone a profound shift. Now, he possessed a reason, an excuse, and the unwavering determination to face the crossroads ahead.

“——Go forth! By all means, go forth!”

“If you wish to avoid becoming a ‘villain,’ then, Lamia, you must follow my lead.”

“Just like that illogical dream I had a few days ago, I will… open my arms to you.”

“You make the choice, and I will devise the means.”

“——”

Upon hearing this, Lamia’s eyes widened for a fleeting moment, her crimson gaze reflecting Wade’s somewhat helpless smile.

“However, to speak realistically, my words are far too idealistic. With so many pressing matters now, how can there be any true peace?”

Before Wade could even finish his sentence, Lamia leaned forward, pressing herself against his chest as they lay side by side.

“Wade, do you have… an enemy you absolutely must defeat? Have you ever considered coexisting peacefully?”

This was clearly a veiled question, yet for Wade, who already knew her true identity, it served as an overt declaration.

‘She was speaking to me as the Demon King, under Lamia’s name, though her phrasing seemed somewhat ambiguous.’

‘What truly constituted peace? And how long could such a peace genuinely last?’

Wade truly had to consider this, for Lamia’s plan was indeed inclined towards peace.

Her intention was to corrupt him through love, rather than physically corrupting him with some specialized magic.

“Hah…”

Yet, when it came to topics where he alone could not speak for everyone, Wade could only sigh helplessly. His thoughts simply couldn’t represent the multitude.

“The enemy I face is one that keeps the situation incredibly tense. I’m not certain if the peace she desires could ever truly come to fruition.”

Confronted with such vague questions, Wade could only offer equally vague answers.

‘But what if it were just him? If he didn’t have to consider the positions or interests of others, if it were solely about himself…’

‘He could have a proper discussion with her, as an individual, of course.’

——!

Wade’s first statement had left Lamia feeling somewhat conflicted, but his subsequent words reignited a spark of hope within her.

After all, she was a true advocate for peace, and the endless days of conflict had truly worn her out.

Lamia had never truly intended to kill the White Knight. She had always been in a state of merely ‘exchanging blows’ with him.

However, the Great General constantly insisted that powerful humans like the White Knight could not be tolerated, as they would undoubtedly become a future menace.

Though she was the Demon King, bearing the title of ‘King,’ the Great General’s seniority was simply too vast.

He would always manage to put Lamia in her place with phrases like, “The several Demon Kings I’ve advised,” or “I’ve advised more Demon Kings than you’ve had sleeps.”

He even rallied other demons to join in the teasing, much to Lamia’s endless frustration.

She couldn’t argue with that; he truly had advised more Demon Kings than she had slept.

In her utter helplessness, she had resorted to this drawn-out method of combat. Yet, terrifyingly, the White Knight’s progress was astonishingly swift.

Initially, his movements seemed unrefined, for he was indeed a young man who had only ever dueled with other humans. He had never fought a Demon King before, and thus, due to his lack of experience, he consistently found himself at a disadvantage in the beginning.

However, it wasn’t long before this prodigy returned with newly honed tactics, demonstrating visible improvement.

Just recently, the White Knight and Lamia had been ‘exchanging heavy blows,’ nearly taking each other’s lives. It was then that their conflict truly escalated.

She saw this battle quickly escalating to a life-or-death struggle. While she could certainly find a way to go all out and kill the White Knight, doing so would shatter the delicate balance of mutual resistance without an all-out war.

It wasn’t that she feared war; she simply disliked it.

Blood, death, upon this land…

She was unwilling to see her people standing in pools of blood on this territory of hers.

This was, in itself, the will of the ‘Tower.’

Born from the Tower of the Earth, the indispensable word in her life was also ‘protection.’

To protect the earth, to protect her kin—that was why she abhorred the sight of death.

Every Demon King throughout history was born within the Tower. Was it that the Tower chose who would become Demon King, or was the Demon King the Tower itself?

Each individual Demon King was, in essence, the Tower itself.

The entire land of the Demon Race, including its whole ecosystem, originated from the earth veins established by the Tower.

And the Tower’s purpose was to protect the land it had created.

The Demon Kings were naturally the same. As ‘proxies’ separated from the Tower of the Earth, their fundamental logic was to protect the Demon Race.

One could say that because the Tower’s nature was gentle, the Demon Kings it manifested would also be so.

Demon Kings were merely called Demon Kings; they were not demonic overlords who ascended to the throne through generations of slaughter.

In truth, they were merely ‘magic spirits’ possessing powerful primordial earth energy. The Tower granted them blank forms, imbuing them with individual consciousness.

From the perspective of the Demon Race, the so-called Demon Kings were more akin to their ‘deities,’ ‘gods of the earth’ who deserved reverence.

It was simply that the Demon Kings themselves bore this divine responsibility.

The Demon Kings were responsible for guiding successive ‘blank slate’ Demon Kings on how to embody their role.

Naturally, there was also a degree of interference with each Demon King. Indeed, at times, it could be argued that the ‘guide’ was the true demon who shaped the Demon King’s very personality.

However, the fundamental logic stemming from the Tower itself remained unchangeable.

From the human perspective, however, the so-called Demon Kings were merely the leaders of wicked monsters.

The demons who caused mischief in human towns at night were utterly depraved, so the Demon King must surely be the worst of the worst.

No one cared about the Demon King’s true intentions; they were simply regarded as adversaries.

After all, there was no diplomacy between humans and demons, so human understanding of demons remained superficial, only scratching the surface.

[No—I want both peace and victory.]

‘Only young demons make choices. This King desires all!’

‘To be a Demon King, one must possess such resolve!’

Of course, Wade’s words had also instilled a degree of confidence in her.

‘If he truly was willing to communicate, perhaps… their path could lead to…’

[Whether it’s the joy of victory or the stability of peace, I shall seize both for my people.]

Wade’s words had greatly strengthened her resolve. From her slightly curled position, she lifted her head to gaze at her enemy, her husband, her ‘male protagonist.’

[You—White Knight! You are the first target of this King’s victory!]

[Prepare yourself! My formidable rival, my beloved! Prepare for me to be the protagonist of both your nightmares and your sweet dreams!]

“”

Though Wade felt that the words ‘rival’ and ‘lover’ probably shouldn’t be used together, Lamia’s renewed spirit still brought him a sense of relief.

Their previous conversation had been far too serious, leaving Wade feeling quite heavy-hearted. Now, however, he felt much better.

‘As for nightmares and sweet dreams… Hmph, I’m not afraid of you, so you won’t become my nightmare!’

He made no mention of the sweet dreams, however.

[I will definitely make you fall irrevocably in love with me!]

[Hehehe… First, my initial step—]

The intimate late-night conversation between husband and wife seemed to have concluded. Lamia, who had moments ago appeared utterly aggrieved, suddenly no longer seemed so pitiable.

It was striking how quickly she had emerged from her melancholy, especially considering how just that afternoon, merely reading a novel could plunge her into such despair.

‘Very well, since she’s emerged, and a new round of contention has begun, let me see what your re-orchestrated plan entails—’

[—Sleep!]

“”

Wade couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat expected.

Lamia could be incredibly tense about certain matters, yet remarkably relaxed about others. She had become so unpredictable that Wade was slowly learning to accept her rhythm.

Even if Lamia were to suddenly strip off his pants and toss them out the window, he would probably only struggle, rather than being completely taken by surprise.

And… was she truly sleeping right now…?

‘Haaah… never mind.’

‘It’s good that you’ve recovered your spirits.’

‘I certainly don’t want to wake up every day only to hear your inner thoughts filled with such deep-seated grievances.’

‘…Just for my sake, try to be a little happier, like before.’

‘Though a bit noisy, still… hah, quite endearing.’

‘But, on a different note.’

‘So, she genuinely considered this a ‘plan’?’

‘Who exactly gave her such a terrible idea?’