The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Frozen Ink
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 119: The Sage Receives the Goodwill of his Subordinates
“Are you hesitant to remain as the Demon Lord?”
Logan asked.
I shook my head and denied it.
“No, I am not.”
I could say this for sure as it came from my heart.
As I think back, I gradually uttered my response.
“I have no regrets in my quest for peace. I intend to continue to reign as the pinnacle of evil, as the last Demon Lord of the world. However, I am unsure about fulfilling my personal wish.”
It was something I’ve been vaguely feeling for the last half a year.
No, perhaps I already felt so from a long time ago.
I just hid such thoughts inside me so I couldn’t see them.
They just came to the surface before me now and made me question myself.
It was, without a doubt, a problem I had to face sooner or later.
Logan looked at the night sky.
He then opened his mouth.
“Either pursue peace or satisfy your desire. You don’t know which one to prioritize.”
“…That’s right.”
I nodded with self-hatred.
To put it bluntly, that was the case.
I couldn’t just choose one or the other.
There were various thoughts involved, but that was basically the case.
I was but a fool who couldn’t come to a decision.1
Once I realized that, I felt weakened and looked up to the sky.
If I was still a human, a dry laugh would’ve escaped from my lips at this point.
“Isn’t it pathetic? Despite possessing overwhelming power and destroying one nation after another, I am now troubled with such trivial problems. It is laughable.”
“…”
Logan remained silent.
His eyes were staring at a distance.
It wasn’t like I was seeking comfort.
I continued my self-ridicule without care.
“I thought I was already prepared for it by the time I became the Demon Lord. However, it was just a half-assed resolve. I thought I was prepared to do everything for the world’s peace, but I want to meet that person again. I want to tell her I inherited her will. I want to introduce my subordinates in the Demon Lord’s Army to her. In the end, all I thought about was nothing but my own desires.”
When I thought back, various immature sides of me came to mind.
It was an emotion that stuck to me despite me turning into an immortal.
I still had my regrets.
I was a shallow person.
So much so that I wanted to curse myself.
However, I couldn’t deny these feelings that rose from my heart.
It was because it was, without a doubt, my own feelings.
“I don’t wish for the tale of that person to end in tragedy. Don’t you think it was too cruel? I still don’t want to admit it. For a Hero who devoted herself to the world to be executed, such an end is nothing but absurdity.”
I spewed out feelings I kept holding within me ever since I was in the Valley of the Dead.
My real thoughts, which I have never voiced, overflowed as if the dam burst.
When I noticed it, my shoulder dropped a little.
It was something I shouldn’t have said, but everything was said in the end.
After a moment of silence, I apologize to Logan.
“…I’m sorry, I got too emotional. I guess I am a failure as a Demon Lord.”
“I don’t think so.”
Logan, who was silent all this time, suddenly said so.
I could feel his firm will on his words.
He looked at my face with a gaze that was partly a glare.
“The burdens you carry aren’t something you can carelessly decide on after having it thrust upon you.
“But I—“
“If you really are obsessed with your position as Demon Lord, you definitely wouldn’t allow the revival technology to exist, and If you truly were indecisive, you wouldn’t wish for Claire’s revival without hesitation.”
Logan spun his words without allowing my objection.
He had a fierce expression.
“You hesitate to decide and put yourself on a scale. That is your human nature and the answer for your worry. It might sound bad to be called half-assed, but I think it is more desirable.”
“My human nature…”
I was ruminating on Logan’s words.
There was a certain sensation that spread within my chest.
“It is a good thing you have a chance to worry like this. It is a problem that can only come up since the situation is stable. You’re definitely moving forward. You are an immortal; is there any need to be impatient? You will live for a very long time, so you could make your own decision until then.”
“But, if I postpone the decision, there will be a problem for—“
“Dwight Havelt. You are too dedicated and serious about everything. That has been your bad habit since back then.”
Logan sighed and said this without hiding his exasperation.
His tone was softer compared to before.
It was a tone of voice directed toward an old friend.
“Be more flexible. Come to compromise within yourself. There should be some of your subordinates who are good with that. Learn from them. If it was hard for you to learn, then talk with them about it. Don’t hold everything alone. There are people who want to take care of you… to the point some of them come around and eavesdrop right now.”
Logan looked behind me as he said that.
I followed suit and turned around.
There were three faces peeking out from behind the roof.
From the right, there were Diella, Luciana, and Grom.
The first person who spoke out as they sensed our gaze was Diella who jumped out.
“Nuo?! They’re totally staring at us!”
“Hey, bone minister! We must have been found out because of your rough breath!”
Luciana continued and complained.
Grom, who was called out, argued while clacking his jawbone at high speed.
“Fool! I don’t breathe! If you are to say that, then it must be because of the noises you make!”
Those were the reactions of the three people.
The place suddenly became noisy.
“You people…”
I was speechless at their actions.
Perhaps I was being so emotional that I wasn’t able to notice they were hiding.
To think that I couldn’t detect them until now, I must have been very agitated all this time.
I wondered. Since when had they started listening?
Even as I wanted to ask them, the situation didn’t allow me to.
“De, Demon Lord-sama! It is not what you think it is! I only came to remonstrate the succubus and the predecessor who shamelessly came to eavesdrop…”
“Grom! Don’t you lie! When I first came, you were already hiding here! You are the one who ought to be most criticized!”
“Yes, that’s right! You totally acted suspiciously as you were polishing the throne earlier!”
The three people in question had an unsightly exchange.
As for Logan, he shrugged and sighed.
It went beyond disappointment and became astonishment instead.
He was aware that we currently weren’t in a situation where we could continue having a serious conversation.
When the situation eventually calmed down, Diella came toward us.
She scratched her cheek, feeling a little shy as she spoke.
“Well, you see, even a woman like me managed to become a Demon Lord. You need not worry so much. Be confident in yourself!”
Then Luciana walked up next.
She looked proud as she spoke.
“It is as Diella-sama says. Demon Lord-sama is just thinking too much. You can be less uptight, you know? If you make a mistake, I’ll be there to help.”
Finally, it was Grom.
With a warm attitude, he quietly knelt in front of me.
“We will always be Demon Lord-sama’s allies. Please don’t hesitate to rely on us.”
“—I appreciate it.”
That was the only thing I could say as I heard their words.
I couldn’t come up with any clever words.
I’m glad my body is all bones… otherwise I would expose my unsightly expression.
I felt relieved in my heart.
It felt as if the shackle that had bound my heart loosened a bit.
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