93 - The Motive for Revenge
King Dracul, who had been permitted to be invited to the Undead Legion's garrison, felt as if he had been deceived. Ray had stubbornly refused the cooperation of the Vampio race. Yet, there were many demons at the garrison. Moreover, many of them were of the Ryan race, the race of the former Demon King Leo, who was the Undead Legion's greatest traitor.
Regarding the presence of demons, it was natural to think so. However, the thought that the race of the former Demon King was present was because King Dracul did not yet understand Ray. Ray also cared about the point of them being the race of the former Demon King. But what Ray looked at was the individual. Whether he should trust the woman before him, the parent and child. Race did not matter. Though, for more than half the reason, it was simply because he could not abandon them when they were cornered.
"...Is she Cecil-dono?"
Cecil tried to welcome the returning Ray happily. But noticing King Dracul behind him, she stopped in her tracks. She was observing the situation, wary of King Dracul, with the feeling that she would cast magic immediately if anything happened.
"Let me introduce you. Otherwise, you'll be glared at forever."
With a wry smile, Ray told King Dracul that he would introduce Cecil.
"Please do."
From a short distance away, Cecil glared at King Dracul with harsh eyes. Being targeted with hostility was not a very pleasant feeling.
"Cecil-san! Over here!"
When called by Ray, Cecil could not remain where she was. She trotted over.
"This person is King Dracul. The King of the Vampio race, and Kai-kun's father."
"I am Aldear Vad Dracul. Pleased to meet you."
"...I am Cecil. Pleased to meet you."
Even during the greetings, Cecil's gaze did not soften. She had no intention of lowering her guard just with greetings. King Dracul accepted Cecil's gaze. However, his consciousness was on something else.
"Hmm. Your blood is thick."
"............"
The same line that Barbari of the Ryan race had said before. Hearing that, Cecil's brows furrowed.
"...You don't understand? Well, fine."
This was also the same development as with Barbari.
"Wait. What do you mean by 'blood is thick'?"
Having been told meaningless words twice, she could not let the conversation pass like this. Cecil asked the meaning of the words.
"Do you need to know?"
"I am asking because I do."
"Hmm..."
"A fact that makes one hesitate to convey it is bound to be important to the person themselves! Please tell me!"
Without giving King Dracul time to think, Cecil questioned him loudly. Ray gave another wry smile at this.
"For now, shall we go to the room? The children are surprised."
"Ah... yes. I'm sorry."
Noticing the surrounding gazes, Cecil regained her composure.
"Then, shall we go?"
The group entered the building with Ray in the lead. The building that served as Ray's office and residence. Choosing this place was natural, but after entering the room, Ray regretted it slightly.
"...Could you go to the back?"
Hinata was in the room.
"...Yes."
Following Ray's instructions, Hinata headed to the back room.
"Who is she?"
The existence of a human he had not heard about. King Dracul was curious about who Hinata was.
"...The Hero of the Laurel Kingdom, former Hero?"
"What!?"
"There are some circumstances. For now, she is harmless. If she weren't, she wouldn't be alive."
"...I see. There was one more."
King Dracul also knew Fumiya and Akemi. He had seen them many times at the front lines.
"Ah, that's right. She was fighting, wasn't she. It seems she hasn't been to the front lines other than in battles with us. She doesn't seem to be good at fighting."
He had heard this directly from Hinata. Ray had decided to set aside revenge for a while, but there might be demons living with him whose families were killed by Hinata. This was to confirm that.
"Why is that Hero here?"
"That... is a long story, so later. Anyway, I'll just say she is harmless."
"...Understood."
He could not utter words that sounded like he doubted Ray's words here. Though questions remained, King Dracul accepted it.
"About the conversation from before. What did that mean?"
Words directed at Cecil. Ray asked the meaning.
"That... since it is the person's strong wish. It means exactly what it says. That her demon blood is thick."
" "Eh?" "
Ray and Cecil both let out voices of surprise simultaneously.
"Sudden Awakening can happen. But in many cases, it means there is a demon among close relatives. In this era, that is often accompanied by a demon's tragedy. Have you heard such stories from your family?"
Once it became clear that Cecil did not understand, both Barbari and King Dracul stopped talking. It was like this. They were being considerate, thinking she wouldn't want to know if she were a child born of rape.
"No... by close relatives, do you mean that a parent, grandmother, or grandfather is a demon?"
Cecil asked this with a pale face. Cecil was also shocked, as expected.
"That is a possibility. But as I said before, there is the possibility of Awakening."
"...Awakening?"
"That explanation is also necessary. First, do you know that the human race are hybrids of the humans who were once the rulers of this world and the demon race?"
" "Eh?" "
Ray and Cecil let out voices of surprise simultaneously. This was the second time.
"You probably don't know. This fact is a history that was erased among the human race."
"Are humans and the human race different?"
This was the first thing Ray asked. Even if he was an Otherworlder, even if he could use magic, he thought he was a human like himself. Though there was no basis for it.
"Human blood and demon blood. Those who were given blood with magical power were the human race. Simply put, it is like this."
"...Then, humans exist separately."
Besides the human race and the demon race, there are humans. That is how he took it.
"No, pure humans should have gone extinct a long time ago."
"Humans went extinct..."
Even if it was about another world, hearing that humans went extinct made him feel somewhat unpleasant.
"It is an event from the far distant past, a legend that even for us, it is no longer known if it is truth. Arrogant humans were supposed to perish under the wrath of God. But God forgave the evil deeds of humans, and to save humans, He descended demons to the earth, and by those demons repeatedly interbreeding with humans, the human race was born."
The second Genesis in this world. King Dracul told this to Ray and the others.
"...If that is the truth, why do the demons and the human race fight?"
For the human race, demons are one of their ancestors. He did not understand the reason for trying to destroy them.
"The trigger is unknown. But the karma of humans. It is passed down that they cannot tolerate existences above themselves."
"...I understand somehow."
"Various races' blood is mixed within the human race. The cause is unknown, but by Awakening, a human race with high-purity magical power is born. We also call that 'blood is thick'."
"So Cecil-san is that... is what you mean."
A human race born of rape, or their child or grandchild. Ray also avoided putting this into words.
"It might be the blood of the Vampio race. Her hair is the same as my race."
Cecil has silver hair. The same hair color as the Vampio race.
"That's... true."
Ray did not know how to react to that. Cecil was dazed. For Cecil, who is a human race of this world, it was indeed a very shocking story.
"You should be careful. The Charm of Vampio women is powerful. Could it be that you are already hooked?"
King Dracul did not stop talking. It was consideration in King Dracul's own way. Since the atmosphere had become heavy because of his story, he was trying to distract with light talk.
"...I'm fine. I seem to be insensitive to Charm."
"How do you know that?"
"Kamiira-san told me. That's why we can live together."
"Kamiira... no, wasn't that because you were a child?"
When Ray met Kamiira and the others, he was still a minor. If he were a child, it was natural to be dull to Charm.
"I was already an adult. By the standards of this world, that is."
"...What do you mean?"
"I... was a classmate of that woman from before. When I came to this world, I had become small."
"...I will ask once more. What do you mean?"
The words were the same, but what he wanted to know was different.
"That woman and I were the same age in the other world. When we came to this world, an age difference had been created."
"...In other words, you are an Otherworlder, and an acquaintance of the Hero?"
King Dracul's eyes opened wide. Before he knew it, King Dracul had changed to the side of being surprised.
"Huh? Did you not know? I told Kamiira-san at first, and I told that story immediately after meeting Rui. Kai-kun should have been there too."
He should have talked about being an Otherworlder in front of everyone. Ray clearly remembered that Rui had mistaken him for the Hero and was surprised.
"...I didn't hear that."
However, Kai had no such memory. Even if he was told stories about being an Otherworlder or a Hero, the young Kai could not understand it.
"Even though you were there... well, that's how it is. For the sake of an excuse, past relationships mean nothing. That woman is an enemy. The only reason I am keeping her alive now is that I trust Cecil-san."
"I see... you were an Otherworlder..."
There is something about Ray. King Dracul had been thinking that for a long time. He was convinced that Ray was an Otherworlder.
"...Even among people from the same other world, I have no power. Please do not have strange expectations."
Ray read King Dracul's emotions. It was not a happy emotion.
"A-ah. It's not that I'm saying I want to fight together because you are an Otherworlder. You understand that, right?"
"Yes, that."
If he had just found out now that he was an Otherworlder, then that was the case.
"...You probably think I'm doubting you, but I still want to hear it."
Judging from Ray's reaction that there was no point in deceiving his feelings, King Dracul decided to ask. He thought that would be more sincere.
"...Go ahead."
"You are an acquaintance of the Heroes of the Laurel Kingdom. Why do you, then, try to seek revenge for Kamiira and her daughters even at the cost of your life? Why try to kill your acquaintances?"
He was happy that Ray wanted to avenge his wife and daughters. But he did not understand why Ray, an Otherworlder like the Hero, would insist on revenge even if it meant throwing away everything including his life. He could not understand why he would walk the path of hardship without the help of the Laurel Kingdom.
"It's hard to answer... but I liked Kamiira-san. I wasn't hit by Charm. Kamiira-san tested that for me."
"Tested?"
"...I was just provoked a little."
"...I'm curious about what kind of provocation that was, but that's fine for now. You're saying affection for Kamiira is the motive for revenge?"
The person he loved was killed. That could sufficiently become a motive for revenge, but in Ray's case, the opponent was far too large. He tried to take on a country.
"...When I noticed, I was in this world. I didn't even know who I was. I lost the memories of my original world and was just standing in the forest. Then Kamiira-san appeared and invited me to her home. If I hadn't met Kamiira-san, I would have died."
To make King Dracul understand, he had no choice but to talk about what happened between him and Kamiira. He didn't know if it would be conveyed, but he decided to talk anyway.
"...So she is your savior?"
"That's true, but it's not just that. Life in the forest was harsh. Above all, there was nothing edible. In order for me to survive in the forest, I had no choice but to eat fruits that I knew were poisonous."
He didn't think he could survive. He thought he had come to the other world just to die.
"I actually almost died. I think it was like that. Do you know about the revolving lantern? In the short time until death, the memories of the life spent so far flow through the head. I regained my memories through that, and because of that, I desired death. I thought it would be fine to die just like that."
What kind of memories make one want to die. King Dracul and the others could not even imagine. If that were the case, they did not understand why Ray was living like this.
"Pitch black. In that, I felt myself sinking. A world of nothingness. And yet, I was sinking deeper and deeper. It was painful, existing was painful, and I wanted to disappear quickly."
The sensation at that time. That was true, but for Ray, it wasn't just that. It was a sensation as if he were in his life until then.
"...At that time, I saw a light. It was small, very small, but a very beautiful light. I was strongly drawn to that light and reached out desperately. Toward the light that looked distant and should have been unreachable."
Why he saw it, or felt like he saw it, he still doesn't know. But that light certainly enveloped him. He certainly felt the warmth of the light.
"...When I woke up, Kamiira-san was there. In that moment, I thought. A goddess saved me. If I stay with this goddess, my life might be illuminated by light too."
What he overlapped with Kamiira was hope. While being in the 'Forest of Bewilderment' where even living was difficult, Ray was able to find hope in his life. Things he had lost in his original world. But that hope.
"...But that light, I extinguished it myself."
A single tear overflowed from Ray's eyes. Whether he didn't notice it or not, without wiping it away, Ray continued to talk.
"Rui came to like me. For some reason, Rui liked someone like me. It was different from my feelings for Kamiira-san, but I felt I could try to live a future with Rui. But I closed that future myself too."
Ray lost the light. He lost the meaning of living. Who made it so. In truth, it was not the Hero, nor the Laurel Kingdom. It was this world. The true opponent Ray wanted revenge against was this world.
"I cannot see the light now. I cannot see the future. All that remains for me is revenge."
The motive for revenge is not affection. It is not gratitude for having his life saved. Affection and gratitude disappeared from Ray's heart, and what remained was the desire for revenge. The motive and everything else did not matter. Revenge was Ray's reason for living. Those who felt that could not find words to say to Ray. They could only gaze at Ray in silence. Except for one person.
"Then Ray can just become the light."
"...Eh?"
"No. You don't need to become it. For us, Ray was the light."
"Kai-kun... I'm not that..."
Ray had no memory of being told such a thing. An existence that was only supported. He could do nothing other than live.
"Mother was always irritated. Rui was always frightened of something. Kara and I always stayed quiet so as not to make the two of them angry."
"Eh...?"
Ray did not know about such a situation.
"When Ray came, our days became bright. Rui always looked happy. Mother also became busier than before, but she started playing with me and Kara."
"............"
He didn't know. He thought they had been living happy days before he came. That couldn't be. For demons, life in the 'Forest of Bewilderment' was a daily life of living in anxiety without a future, fearing the human race who might come at any time.
"Thanks to Ray. Ray made our lives bright. Ray was the light for us. Ray, I, we as a family, are grateful to have met Ray."
"............"
Kai's words soaked into his chest. Those were words that should not be given to himself, who had killed Kamiira and Rui, who bore an unforgivable sin.
"Thank you for coming to this world. This is not just my feeling, but the feeling of the whole family."
"...Kuh... guh..."
Ray could no longer endure the sobbing that leaked out. The tears that had been flowing quietly were now wetting his entire cheeks. Since losing Kamiira and Rui, this was the first time he had shed this many tears. Ray had not even been able to cry.