Next Life – Chapter 94

The demon army was defeated by humanity.

The loss of five Demon Lords, especially the high-ranking ones Albert and Franklin, must have been a severe blow.

In that sense, one could say they were defeated by Marius alone.

No one in humanity could have predicted that all five of them would die within twenty minutes of the war’s start.

While those who knew Marius’s power might be an exception, no one could deny he was overwhelmingly strong.

Who would have imagined that all the undead scattered across various regions would be wiped out in one go?

“Is this about it?”

The very person who had, in a sense, dealt a significant blow to his allies was now in Berganda, clearing rubble and purifying the area alongside volunteers from various countries.

This was the day after the war ended.

He had heard that the large number of dead and their subsequent transformation into undead would become a source of plague.

Intentionally ignoring the reactions of those around him, who were flustered that their benefactor was doing such work, Marius silently worked with his three Familiars, who had followed him, and Barra, who eagerly joined him.

Zofi, having received ample rewards, intended to earn more merits, while the other two aimed to make up for past shortcomings.

Barra, on the other hand, was a key combatant, capable of issuing commands and wielding purification magic.

“Lord Marius.”

It was Derek, the King of Seraeno, who called out to Marius and his group.

“My, my…”

Marius was momentarily at a loss for a response.

Seeing several guards flanking him, he surmised the person must be royalty or nobility from somewhere, but he couldn’t recall who.

El, using “Telepathy,” provided him with the information, so Marius decided to play along.

There was no time to question how he knew.

“King of Seraeno, please accept my sincerest apologies for my discourtesy.”

“No, it is quite alright.”

Derek seemed to sense that Marius hadn’t recognized him, but he smiled magnanimously and forgave him.

He was not a person who was particularly bothered by etiquette, and he believed that it was he who should have shown more courtesy.

“Gastark was my brother.”

Marius admitted that his lack of experience made it difficult to discern his true feelings from his expression and tone.

“He used to protect the weak, but at some point, they became mere hindrances…”

He had been, it was thought, executed by Derek’s father, the previous king, due to his extreme cruelty. However, he had survived and become a Demon Lord.

Marius was learning about these circumstances for the first time.

“On behalf of my people, I wish to express my gratitude.”

Marius was surprised by the deep bow, glancing sideways at Barra next to him.

Barra also looked surprised, indicating that this was highly unusual.

Knowing this was something out of the ordinary, he wondered how to respond without causing further issues.

“No, the gratitude is mine. It seems I have taken from you the opponent of your long-standing feud.”

Marius chose his words carefully. He worried that perhaps the Seraeno people had wanted to defeat him themselves, but Derek denied this as he straightened up.

“The fact that a slain royal lived is a disgrace in itself, and further harming my people is an even greater shame. Since he had become a being we could not hope to defeat, dwelling on it would be foolish.”

His expression and voice were flat, and he seemed to have no lingering resentment. If this was the result of his restraint, it was a testament to his immeasurable self-control.

However, Derek’s expression then shifted to one of confusion and shame.

“More importantly, if you know anything, please tell me. Do you have any recollection of someone named Mergen?”

His gaze was directed not at Marius, but at Zofi behind him.

Zofi looked at her master, and sensing he should answer, she replied.

“I do. He is a Demon Lord who frequently associated with Gastark.”

Derek closed his eyes in silence, and a soft murmur arose among his guards. The feeling of “as expected” seemed stronger than surprise. Marius also thought that if he was asking, there must be a reason.

“Mergen was Gastark’s sworn brother, and the mastermind behind his corruption. He is an exceptionally wicked individual, at least to that extent.”

Derek paused for a moment, then looked at Marius, who was wearing a hood.

“While we would prefer to defeat him ourselves if possible, entrusting it to you would be more reliable. I am aware of my presumption, but would you consider undertaking this task?”

Marius nodded silently. He personally found kings who bowed their heads to strangers for the sake of their people to be admirable. Furthermore, he was impressed that Derek showed no sign of subservience towards Marius, maintaining his dignity as a king.

“Mergen, like Gastark, excels in necromancy, but his mastery is likely even deeper. While you should be fine, Lord Marius, do not let your guard down.”

With that warning, Derek returned to his subordinates. The guards also bowed to Marius and followed.

“What can I say, he’s a king in the best sense of the word.”

Barra understood Marius’s simplistic expression and nodded before speaking.

“Seraeno has regained its strength since he ascended the throne. He is probably the most respectable king on the continent.”

Marius agreed with Barra’s praise, thinking it was fitting. Despite having only exchanged a few words, Derek had left a profound impression on him. Incidentally, Zofi and El expressed slight surprise to Barra, wondering if she could make sound judgments even outside of magical matters.

(Still, from human to Demon Lord…)

Marius attributed this to the difference between the game and reality. In the game, once a race was chosen, it couldn’t be changed. Of course, there were professions like “Lich” that involved ceasing to be human, which in this world might lead to becoming a Demon Lord. Speaking of Demon Lords, even the high-ranking ones were weak. In the game, they wouldn’t succumb to a single “Annihilation.”

(Perhaps the enemy’s strength is designed for single-player mode…?)

Could it be that because he was fighting enemies with the strength of a single-player RPG while possessing the stats of an MMORPG, the enemies felt weak? It wasn’t strange for the strength of enemies to differ between those that should be defeated by a group and those that could be defeated by a single person. Besides, it wasn’t as if this world adhered to common sense. Marius felt he had found a plausible explanation. If so, he could only consider himself careless for not realizing it sooner…

“Shall we resume?”

Responding to Barra’s voice, Marius and his companions returned to their work. The people of Berganda had been turned into zombies and used as disposable pawns by the demon army, but they had been purified by Marius’s magic. Purification left no remains, but he hoped that at least their souls had been saved. It was perhaps for the better that the bodies of those not used in the invasion remained. For every body, a grave would be made, and for those whose bodies did not remain, memorial stones would be erected. This was also part of a national strategy. With Berganda’s devastation, those who had been its main trading partners faced the threat of unemployment. They needed to provide temporary work and income while devising follow-up measures. An increase in unemployment would affect the nation’s security and economy.

“Demon Lords are such a curse, aren’t they?”

Marius’s voice carried a sharp edge, and the women around him exchanged glances, sensing it. He was naturally a gentle and passive person. Because of this, others were less burdened by him, a quality many appreciated, but perhaps it needed to be adjusted, even partially. However, the women found themselves thinking, “Lord Marius angry is also wonderful,” and the tension did not become truly serious.

Humanity’s problems extended beyond the economic losses from Berganda’s destruction. There was also the issue of how to deal with Vester, Misra, and Barshark, who had been uncooperative in countering the demon army’s assault. But for now, the more troublesome matter was how to reward their benefactors. The second-highest merit was awarded to Zofi for defeating Pal. Although she was a Succubus and her strength in defeating Pal one-on-one made her true nature obvious, she incurred no blame. After all, she was a Hero who had defeated a Demon Lord. “She fought for our sake. To question her true nature would be ingratitude,” argued King Derek of Seraeno, garnering much support. Moreover, she declared herself to be Marius’s Familiar, insisting that all credit should go to Marius, leaving the minority with no choice but to silence themselves. It was also revealed that Marius had been concealing his power, but it was too late for a significant reaction. It couldn’t be entirely attributed to Barra’s passionate defense, “She refrains from abusing her power despite its strength. How admirable.” Everyone, to varying degrees, wore expressions of resigned acceptance, thinking, “If we care about it, we lose.” Marius himself was undoubtedly recognized as the foremost contributor. He had consecutively defeated two high-ranking Demon Lords, Rebera, and Gastark, and routed millions of demon soldiers. He was also Zofi’s master. His deeds were immense, but that was precisely the source of their headaches. There was no precedent for how to reward such unprecedentedly great achievements. The kings were once again holding what was colloquially called the “Meeting to Consider Rewards for Marius.”

“What if we gave him the entirety of the former Berganda? He is undoubtedly a person beyond our control,” proposed King Derek of Seraeno. Bernhard III opposed this, not out of malice towards Marius. “However, Lord Marius is not adept at managing territories. If we were to grant him land, we would need to assign aides. Managing a territory the size of a nation requires a considerable number of people, but… are there any available?” The kings found this to be a valid point. People capable of managing territories with steadfastness were rare and held positions and salaries commensurate with their abilities in every country. It was not easy to prepare such a number of people within the range that would not interfere with the governance of a nation. “It’s impossible. Even pooling resources from each country wouldn’t be enough,” Philip, the King of Ranleo, stated, and no one contradicted him. While a single region might be feasible, an entire country was not realistic. The number of people could be gathered, but the crucial element was individuals capable of giving instructions. In most cases, the approach was to provide the bare minimum and say, “The rest is up to your own talent,” nurturing them into greater individuals while bestowing rewards. Of course, assistance would be provided if anything arose, but in this instance, he couldn’t see that approach being applicable. Marius’s achievements were too great, and he was too strong, but the biggest problem was that Berganda had become a no-man’s-land. To claim it as territory, residents would need to be resettled, and roads and strongholds would need to be built from scratch. To hand over such a monumental undertaking, even at a national scale, to an amateur would be irresponsible. “In hindsight, we should have proposed marriage to our daughters at this stage,” King Venuto II of Galius murmured, eliciting wry smiles from the other kings. Indeed, “marrying a princess” was often considered one of the ultimate rewards for commoners. Most popular stories among the populace ended with a knight, hero, or brave warrior marrying a princess and living happily ever after. It was no exaggeration to say that it was a scenario many young men dreamed of. This, so to speak, “ultimate treasure,” had already been used, and they felt it would have little value if brought up now. “Besides, I heard Lord Marius is opposed to polygamy,” King Derek of Seraeno remarked, drawing all eyes to King Filat. “Hmm. Recently, there seems to have been a change of heart, as that no longer appears to be the case,” King Filat replied nonchalantly. An unspoken battle of information exchange occurred, with him implicitly stating, “I am collecting intelligence,” and “That information is outdated,” but no one feigned ignorance too obviously. Such minor skirmishes were commonplace in the duties of kings. “In any case, we cannot be the ones to propose it. If Lord Marius were to propose it, it might be a possibility,” King Galius said, bringing the atmosphere, which had been growing somber, back to a lighter tone. “Indeed. Perhaps it would be best to ask Lord Marius himself? That might be the safest option,” said King Ranleo, and the others contemplated his words. The idea was to have the appropriate reward decided by the recipient himself, and it didn’t strike them as a bad idea. Frankly, given the current situation, it was impossible to prepare a reward sufficient for the people who lauded Marius as a hero, let alone for Marius himself. Although they had won the battle, they had not gained wealth or territory, and what they had lost was far greater. If Marius’s demands were met, they could apologize for not being able to adequately compensate him at the moment, and Marius might accept it. The people would praise Marius’s selflessness and pass it down as a beautiful story. In reality, this had happened several times in the past. It had already become apparent that Marius was not a greedy person, so there was hope. For insurance, they could discreetly brief Barra, Lovisa, and Catherine on the current situation. “It seems we can manage this,” said King Henry IV of Ranleo, and King Filat and King Galius nodded. Only the King of Seraeno remained skeptical but remained silent as no alternative ideas emerged. What outcome this would yield remained unknown to everyone.