Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Secret
George’s expression remained unchanged, his deep blue eyes still focused on Jima.
But in Jima’s eyes, the dull, harmless tool named George, who had been at her mercy just a moment ago, suddenly became incredibly terrifying.
His gaze seemed to be searching for the best place to pierce through her heart. His expression was filled with coldness, as if he could watch her bleed out at any moment.
The hairs on the back of Jima’s neck stood on end, and she instinctively took a step back from George, her heart inexplicably pained.
She said, “What do you think?”
“Answer me, Jima.”
The smile on Jima’s face vanished, and she replied, “Do you really have to dig deeper?”
George nodded.
He would definitely kill me, right? After all, he is a hero, steadfast and unyielding in his beliefs. I can only blame myself for being too arrogant and too foolish, letting my guard down and harboring unrealistic fantasies about him.
Jima wanted to laugh a little, but felt it was only right for her to die soon.
Foolish people end up dead.
Jima stood her ground, facing George, and said without evasion, “Yes.”
George was silent for a moment and said, “That ‘yes’ means you have no problem with me asking, ‘Are you not more than two and a half months old?’”
“Yes.”
George was silent again and asked, “How old are you this year?”
He still remembers… Did he ask me this to carve a birth date and death date on my tombstone?
Jima smirked and said, “A girl’s age is a secret she doesn’t want to share. Didn’t anyone teach you how to handle such matters?”
George frowned slightly and said, “Then I apologize, but could you at least give me a rough idea of your age?”
Jima extended a finger.
George asked, “Ten years old?”
Jima didn’t respond, still holding out her middle finger.
George asked, “One hundred years old?”
Jima remained silent.
“One thousand years?”
She still said nothing.
George’s voice involuntarily rose, “Ten thousand years?!”
Jima couldn’t help but say, “If I were ten thousand years old, would I still be here?”
George’s voice was tinged with some expectation: “Then one year old?”
“That’s not correct either.”
“How old are you, really?”
“Do you see this middle finger?”
“I see it.”
“Do you know what showing the middle finger means?”
“I don’t know.”
“It means contempt; it’s a gesture that carries an insulting connotation.”
“So you’re not going to reveal your age.”
“Congratulations, you got it right.”
“Do you disdain me?”
“Yes,” Jima said. “That way, I can die with a bit more dignity.”
George fell silent, looking at Jima with a quiet intensity.
Jima found George’s demeanor particularly annoying. In the past, she only thought he was dull, but now, she felt he was brewing a killing intent inside, contemplating what kind of death she deserved.
George’s voice sounded somewhat pained as he asked, “Do you think… I will kill you?”
Jima was a bit taken aback, then nodded, “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s my secret, George.”
“But that’s just about age.”
“You know nothing,” Jima replied. “Besides, one of the main reasons you’re willing to save me isn’t because I was born early, is it?”
George’s voice unexpectedly lowered: “But I don’t plan to kill you.”
Jima realized she had misunderstood him; he hadn’t sensed her resistance and fear at all.
She didn’t feel like she had escaped death; her emotions were complex—some relief, some awkwardness, and some sadness. Jima turned her head away and looked elsewhere.
The two continued walking, with an almost deathly silence between them.
Though it was a short distance, Jima felt as if time was crawling by like a snail.
She was lost in thought, her mind wandering further and further.
The recent period of too much comfort had dulled my instincts. I had unwittingly ignored the fact that my relationship with him was built on lies. Lies may be beautiful, providing a “truth” that people want to believe in, but ultimately, they are just a bubble that will eventually burst.
My current role is that of a “deceiver,” with lying as my core ability, and so it should be. You can deceive for a moment but not for a lifetime. Sooner or later, the detection system of the church will reveal my true alignment. Sooner or later, George will awaken from the lies; even if he doesn’t discover I am the demon lord, he will still choose to abandon me, a succubus full of suspicion.
At that point, what awaits me is a long prison life.
Run?
But without using the church’s power, how can I find the crown fragments with my current abilities?
I still need to fight my way back to the demon realm, bury everyone who might betray me alive in a grave.
In the end, Jima decided to execute everything as planned, but to be ready to run.
George opened his door, and Jima went inside to pack her things. She meticulously folded every book George handed to her and placed them neatly into her bag.
“Your place has been tidied up; here’s the address.”
George handed a note to Jima. “Would you like me to guide you?”
Jima shook her head, took the note, and without saying a word, walked toward the door.
As she stood at the threshold, George’s voice came from behind, “Jima, I’m sorry.”
Jima paused.
“I know everyone has secrets, and I have mine too. I shouldn’t have insisted on digging up yours.”
Jima shook her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I was wrong, wrong to bring you fear.”
Jima turned back and said, “This isn’t like you; you suddenly can feel other people’s emotions.”
With that, she smiled and said, “But it’s still so off; for deeper things, you still haven’t sensed them. But as I said, you’re not wrong; you really don’t need to apologize. Your apology only makes my remaining sliver of conscience uncomfortable.”
“Can you tell me why you suddenly distanced yourself from me?”
Because the truth is cruel; we are destined to be enemies, pure and simple.
Jima said, “I can’t. George, I enjoy spending time with you.”
With that, she closed the door, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked toward her temporary home in the church.
Jima touched the corners of her eyes and realized they were damp.
Sigh, after all, life isn’t like an anime. Many serious issues are brushed aside with a laugh, some cuteness, and humor; at worst, a few punches to the face, and everything is over.
George will eventually find out that I am the demon lord Jima, that I was once a virile, handsome, strong, and enduring man.
Any feelings are as fragile as paper in the face of this truth.
And for the sake of revenge, for survival, I must betray him before he discovers the truth and take back what once belonged to me.
This fundamental contradiction cannot simply be laughed away; it is unavoidable.
At this moment, a priest in white robes walked towards her, his curious yet amazed gaze scanning Jima.
Jima wiped her eyes, sporting a polite smile, standing tall, even humming a little tune.
After walking for about ten minutes near George, Jima found her house.
It had a small courtyard, built of stone, with a wooden roof. It was just over half the size of George’s house, but it was quite suitable for Jima.
Opening the door, the inside was empty, furnished with only a table, a cabinet, and a freshly made bed. On the table was an unlit oil lamp; the only commendable thing was that the house was very clean.
For some reason, Jima’s heart felt as empty as the house, and the unfamiliarity almost engulfed her.
However, she quickly overcame it.
Carefully, she put her clothes and other items into the wardrobe and tidied up.
Jima opened her personal system, found “The Tale of the Fallen Elf Queen,” and felt a surge of energy.
This is the fastest way for me to enhance my strength. I’m not just simply seeking revenge; I’m working hard to become stronger and survive.
In no time, inspiration flowed from her like a fountain, and words began to form—a huge pile of text talking about the persecution of the elf queen appeared before her.
When she finally couldn’t hold on any longer and stopped, she felt exhausted and pushed open the window to see that the moon had already risen.
The bells outside had rung a total of twenty-three times.
Unbeknownst to her, the word count had already reached twenty thousand, and it needed to be revised for clarity.
Seeing what she had written made Jima feel a headache coming on.
Forget it, I’ll have that “Mr. Understand” find someone who can write to help me revise it.
Jima eagerly closed her personal system panel, didn’t wash up, and lay down on the bed.
She didn’t have nightmares, nor did she dream of the beauty of doing whatever she wanted after becoming powerful.
Jima only dreamt of herself holding a sword, meticulously following George. The surroundings were filled with danger, with many people watching her closely, but she didn’t feel scared at all.
…
…
“Brothers, this is a letter from Gray City.”
“Aside from the usual insults directed at us, Gray City has provided us with incredibly important information.”
“After demon lord Jima was hunted down, another demon lord has stepped in just a week later; now there are only two demon lords left. We have reason to believe that demon lord Marus has gained a vast amount of wealth, power, and supporters from the deaths of the two demon lords.”
“The balance of the demon realm is on the verge of collapse; a demon lord who might unify the entire demon realm is about to emerge.”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Someone asked, “Has demon lord Marus collected all the crown fragments?”
“As of now, no. According to reliable intelligence, the location of the crown fragments belonging to demon lord Jima is unknown. This is the second gift from Gray City; they also mentioned intercepting a squad of demons searching for demon lord Jima’s crown fragments.”
Someone said, “We can’t sit idly by; we must discuss how to respond next.”
Everyone began exchanging opinions,
“… No one knows where demon lord Jima’s crown fragments are. We might be able to leverage this; as long as there are no crown fragments, demon lord Marus will be unable to break the balance and seize the entire demon realm in the short term.”
“… That succubus girl, since she knows the treasure vault’s location, perhaps she also knows where the crown fragments are.”
“We can’t pin all our hopes on this; we must inform the empire and the northerners to pay attention and send paladins for cooperation.”
“Recently, the undead have been causing quite a stir; our manpower is somewhat lacking… I’ve also heard that an unprecedented green-skinned warband is on the move…”
