The World I Was Supporting Was Real - Chapter 60



60. All I wanted was just one thing

Maybe ten minutes passed after the support?

A message popped in from the writer.

[GiveMeMoney: LeeGwoGwoDeon-nim…? Did you… perhaps just donate 100,000 won?]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: Yup]

[GiveMeMoney: I’m incredibly grateful but… the fact that you’d make such a generous decision, bestowing this much divine power for monsters, not for those blessed by god, I just… ]

Looks like he’d never imagined anyone would give him money to use on the monsters.

I strangely felt like I’d won against the writer for the first time. I mean, I’d always just been dragged along by the author-chan’s ultra-fast plot development.

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: Well, they are monsters, yeah]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: But they want to resolve things with conversation, not violence. It’s sad they can’t even try because of the way they look.]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: And honestly, these kinds of problems are usually solved by something really simple, you know?]

[GiveMeMoney: Something simple, you say?]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: Yeah]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: Communication]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: Like, “Yeah, my guys look scary but they won’t hurt you,” or, “We actually live differently than you think and we need sunlight. Let’s share.”]

[LeeGwoGwoDeon: In the end, they only wanted sunlight, but they haven’t been able to say that, so they’ve just kept fighting.]

These kinds of things happen all the time in real life, too.

The way things go sideways just because someone didn’t say a single word. I’d witnessed those unfortunate moments plenty in my life.

[GiveMeMoney: Communication… are we talking about words?]

[ThisIsMyTurn: Sure, they look scary, and if they can’t even talk, it’s understandable that you’d feel repelled. I can’t blame humans for that.]

[ThisIsMyTurn: But honestly, things like appearance… once communication happens, it kind of smooths things over.]

[ThisIsMyTurn: It’s common for misunderstandings about strangers to just vanish when you can actually talk, right?]

[ThisIsMyTurn: Still, I guess the Demon Lord must be truly terrifying, if that’s the case.]

[ThisIsMyTurn: If we just fixed that, maybe things could be resolved peacefully?]

[GiveMeMoney: Even so, the power of 100,000 won was beyond my wildest imagination.]

[GiveMeMoney: As an observer, I’ve never heard of a god who cares so much about creatures like monsters.]

Well, yeah, people wouldn’t exactly throw money at a monster they felt sorry for in a comic book.

That’s what monsters were meant to be. Just there to be sliced and diced for a thrill, or just growling and getting cut down.

I wasn’t going to judge that. If the author hadn’t bothered typing out monster dialogue, I’d probably have been enjoying the vicarious satisfaction of seeing Ophelia slash them to bits too, right?

But if I’ve heard the story, solving it is what a god does, I guess.

And—

[ThisIsMyTurn: lol 100,000 won, what?]

[Igwogeodeon : Might be a little nosy, but ]

It was a bit embarrassing, though.

I finished typing and then hit enter.

* * *

Saint Erin’s cry not to attack the monster.

The paladins all stepped back from the monsters making those eerie sounds.

As the paladins retreated, the monster let out a shriek and looked around.

“※◆※＃＆▽◁…….”

Its appearance, giving off an oppressive feeling like a predator hunting for prey— the soldiers, overwhelmed, couldn’t help but stumble back.

The paladins were elites who had gone through the rigorous training of knighthood.

Therefore, they could maintain a certain level of reason even in the face of a high-level monster that emitted such an imposing presence—

“※＆▽※＃◆◁…….”

“D-don’t… come closer…! You monster…!”

The problem was the soldiers who had come along.

A soldier, terrified by the monster approaching him with its shriek, thrust his sword out.

“Calm down, brother! Just calm down and put your weapon on the ground—”

“Ugh, UaaaHH!”

Was it from being gripped by fear?

The soldier swung his sword toward the monster—

The sharp blade, without much effort, grazed the monster’s arm.

“◁◈◁◆▼◇……!!!”

Crimson blood welled up on the monster’s left arm.

The wound wasn’t that deep… but for some reason, it was shuddering violently.

Rage.

The humans had no trouble reading the emotion of rage from the monster.

“◀□■◀※○＃▶▣……!!!!!”

“◀※□▶○!!!”

The monsters began to approach the spot where the three paladins had taken their positions once more.

They were already intimidating creatures, but this time, there was a definite feeling of killing intent, much stronger than before.

“S-Saintess!”

Linea, the first among them to sense the impending attack, turned her head towards Erin.

—A silent message that a battle was about to break out.

They would obey the Saint’s command, but they couldn’t just stand there and get attacked—

Erin looked back at Linea and nodded, then loudly shouted at the monsters.

“Please wait a moment!”

Erin, having shouted out loud, stood tall in front of the plate of a holy knight, slowly confronting the monsters.

And then, she pulled out the small knife she carried for self-defense from her bosom—

“……!!!”

She made a light cut on her arm, in a similar spot to where the monsters were injured.

A small amount of bright red blood flowed from her milky white skin, slowly staining her arm.

“……We, do not wish to fight you!”

“■◀※○＃…….”

“I sincerely apologize for having inflicted an injury. But it is not our will, nor is it the will of the god we serve. The deity does not wish to cross blades with you and gamble on life or death.”

“Just as we cannot understand your words, you cannot understand ours. However, you have eyes, so you must see that we have obtained the same wound as you.”

“I know how ridiculous it is to ask for forgiveness with this…… But today, could you please, just with this, withdraw your anger?”

I knew talking wouldn’t get through to them, but still.

Like they’d suddenly felt a fierce killing intent from me the moment I’d cut my arm—couldn’t they feel *something* from our actions too?

Erin’s gamble, based on that judgment, worked splendidly, the monsters easing the grip on their weapons.

‘That’s the woman chosen by the gods, a saint…’

Linea was genuinely impressed with Erin’s decisiveness.

A being that inspires such fear just by being looked at—to address a demon with such boldness.

How many people could even speak while lightly injuring themselves like that?

And she was a saint, not a warrior, by any means.

As a human who hadn’t endured rigorous martial training, she had to feel fear in the presence of monsters.

And yet, she could face them with such boldness without even a tremor.

To be chosen by the gods, even if the Pope designates it… it wasn’t something anyone could achieve, was it? That thought, maybe, was what made me start to understand—just a little—how people could devote themselves to religion.

“◁◆▼◇…….”

“◆◇…….”

The monsters stared at Erin’s face for a long while—

Without delay, I trudged back into the dungeon’s depths.

‘……Hoo…….’

Only after the monster had vanished from sight—

*Thump*, the Saint collapsed onto the ground, as if giving way.

“Saintess!”

Ophelia was the first to rush to her support.

The instant she took off, the rabbit that had been inside her bag popped out as well, nestling naturally into Erin’s arms.

“Are you alright, Saintess?!”

“I did welly-good.”

“It… It seems to be resolved, then.”

“I’m so relieved you weren’t badly hurt, Saintess…!”

The moment Luca’s words ended.

“Saintess…!”

The soldier who had swung his sword at the monster approached, his face a mask of distress, and knelt before the Saintess—

He bowed his head repeatedly, uttering words.

“I’m so sorry…!! It’s, it’s because of me… I, like a fool, got scared and couldn’t carry out what Lord Igwogweodeon told me…!!”

“It’s alright. It’s in the scriptures, you know. Giving another chance to those who make mistakes is also a simple fact that Lord Igwogweodeon speaks of. And, it’s not a big wound, so it’s alright. A wound like this, the priests can easily heal. So, please, don’t be too angry with your own shortcomings, and I hope you’ll take this moment to move forward as a better person. That is the will of God.”

“Ugh… Saintess… I’ll never, ever forget the words of Lord Igwogweodeon that you’ve given me…!!”

With the crying soldier in front of her, Erin slowly closed her eyes and whispered a prayer to her one and only lord.

In this current situation where the Demon King has descended, why you wouldn’t want battle, as a creation, I cannot know –

Even so, I believe that Lord Igwogweodeon will always show us the right path.

Just like when you saved me, who had been left all alone.

So, please, illuminate the path ahead with simple facts…

That was the wish of the pitiful saintess, who would sacrifice her own body to carry out the will of God.

* * *

The place where the Demon King resides, connected to all dungeons.

“Humans did such a thing?”

At the Demon King’s words, a monster with a cut on its arm spoke, kneeling.

“Yes. Even though we approached to talk, we were attacked, so it reminded me of Aluin, who was recently unilaterally defeated by humans…”

Another monster who had gone with it added their testimony.

“Though not in words humans could understand, it was as if, by inflicting the same wounds, they were saying, ‘Can’t you forgive us this?’”

“Is that what it means…”

Aluin.

The monster who had retreated just moments before, saying to the Demon Lord, ‘I could not disobey the Demon Lord’s will.’

“I’m sorry…! I know that disobeying the Demon Lord’s orders cannot be forgiven, no matter the reason. Please, sever my head and make an example to maintain the discipline of the demon race…!”

“…It’s alright. In the end, didn’t you put your faith in the actions of those humans who couldn’t be reasoned with? …I only feel sorry for giving you such a difficult task.”

From noble mtl dot com

“Demon Lord…!”

And so, after the monsters had withdrawn.

Left alone, the Demon Lord sank into deep thought, buried in pitch-black darkness.

Hearing the details, it seemed that the humans, upon seeing those of our side attempting to converse, had wielded their weapons, wearing terrified expressions.

It was as the records of the past showed. The accounts of humans who feared them, refusing even to attempt conversation, were not just one or two.

It was a relief that there seemed to be individuals among the humans who “didn’t seem to desire unconditional battle”-

But in the end, to have a dialogue, they would need to speak with the representative of the demon race, which was himself.

Yet, since humans were already frightened of even the higher-ranking monsters, he couldn’t possibly show them his own appearance, so they would naturally need to be summoned to this place, but-

The problem was whether humans could even withstand the demonic energy that existed here, to begin with.

“Is it truly just my own greed to think that I can resolve things through dialogue with humans?”

From the start, the very idea of wanting to converse with humans was a mutant thought, one that no previous demon king had ever entertained.

The demon king himself knew this better than anyone. He was, after all, the one who embodied all of his predecessors’ experiences.

“Is it my fate… to simply follow the reason I was brought forth?”

To become a demon king who, for the sake of his own kind, leads them to their doom.

To whisper war to them, to awaken their instincts… to repeat the history of shedding human blood.

If that is fate, then why did I even conceive the thought of resolving things through dialogue— It was at that very moment the thought crossed his mind.

＜＜It was because you were touched by divine love.＞＞

“…!!”

The demon king, uncharacteristically startled, glanced around.

…It wasn’t a voice physically emanating from his surroundings.

This fact stirred a strong sense of intrigue within him.

“It seems you are no ordinary being if you can access my mental framework. Who are you?”

＜＜I am the agent of God.＞＞

—Demon King, I have come to deliver the word of God to you.

“A god, you say?”

＜＜God exists.＞＞

The Demon Lord waited silently for the story to continue.

＜＜The reason you descended so quickly is because the love of god overflowed in this world. God’s love embraces all, without distinction. That love, mixed with your intensified demonic aura, is what led you to have these thoughts.＞＞

Truly, a Demon Lord.

Just from hearing that, he instantly understood what the god’s agent was saying.

‘Doesn’t sound like lies.’

＜＜The god cherishes you.＞＞

‘This body of mine?’

—This is the will of god.

‘!!!’

It was truly a strange experience.

A sensation like something vividly experiential was entering his inner world.

It was clearly intruding on his domain… and yet, for some reason, a corner of his heart felt warmly heated.

* * *

[GiveMeMoney: Even so, I never imagined the power of 100,000 won]

[GiveMeMoney: As an observer, I’ve never heard of a god who cares about even monstrous beings]

[LeeGweoGeoDeon: lol 100,000 won, what?]

[LeeGweoGeoDeon: It might be a bit meddlesome, but]

[LeeGweoGeoDeon: If it’s a price where no one sheds blood]

[LeeGweoGeoDeon: Even if someone else other than me were a god, they would have paid it?]

* * *

‘……!!’

That was… the will of god?

＜＜The god understands your hardships. And highly values your ideals.＞＞

―Therefore, the god is… removing the demon king’s curse placed upon you.

‘The curse on my body…’

In that moment.

From the deepest part of the darkness, a small light seeped out.

And— the only sentence that reached the demon king’s ears was this.

A god’s language, one that even the Demon Lord dared not comprehend.

――Ten thousand won donation, hooray.

A small light enveloped the Demon Lord, who had always been forced to dwell close to darkness.

A first experience.

For the Demon Lord, it was the first light.

* * *

“Igogodon.”

“I told you, Rabbit-kin. The God left another message for the Saintess. Today isn’t for fighting.”

“Igogodon.”

“Resolving everything with force isn’t right, Rabbit-kin. Today, I don’t intend to wield my sword either.”

The rabbit, who had said he wanted to see the outside world, was nestled in Ophelia’s arms instead of a backpack, chatting with her.

As she said, the Saintess’s party was heading back to the dungeon where they had encountered monsters recently.

This was Erin’s will, who had summoned a plate of paladins as soon as she woke.

Linea carefully addressed Erin, who was leading the way.

“But…are you really sure? You said it would be alright without bringing the soldiers, but if an unforeseen situation happens like last time…”

“It’s alright, Lady Linea. The Divine One commanded that only the four of us venture into the dungeon.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry too much, Lady Linea.”

It was Luca, placing a hand on Linea’s shoulder, who answered in Erin’s stead.

“Since it’s the will of the Iguoguo, we won’t be harmed or anything.”

“Y-yes…”

And so, they arrived at the dungeon entrance.

How many minutes had passed, standing guard before that place that pulsed with such intense mana?

‘…!!’

Erin’s group, instinctively, felt something emerge from the dungeon.

Anyone would have had to feel it.

It wasn’t because of the overwhelming mana, like their bodies were being crushed, the suffocating tightness—

—no, it wasn’t that.

‘…Huh?’

*Pop. Pop.*

Like it was keeping time with my footsteps, a series of *boop boop* sounds were coming at regular intervals.

And so, emerging from the depths of the dungeon, *boop booping* along, was—

“……?”

“You are the one representing humanity, Saint Erin?”

“Uh… Yes?”

“For a mere human not to be startled at the sight of me, it seems the god’s bland fact has been safely delivered to my form.”

*Boop boop* with every step.

“Could it be, you’re…?”

“Indeed. I am the one who represents all demons, the origin and apex of all demons—the Demon Lord.”

Adorned with clear horns and small wings—

“….Durgledur…go…”

She was a small and adorable girl.