It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

10. The Demon King

It all started with god’s discrimination.

God, who is all-knowing and all-powerful, or so they say, does some pretty nasty things.

“I think our conversation has strayed off topic, so let’s get back on track.”

“It’s my fault for asking about magic. Sorry.”

“No need to apologize, Master. It’s only natural for you to have questions.”

The one called the Demon King was different from other demons in that they had a strong desire for knowledge.

Was it not because they desperately wanted to obtain the magic that was not given to demons?

First, they had to acquire magic. Then, they could stand on equal footing. There was no other way for demons to escape their slave-like status.

“The Demon King was a slave of the wise one.”

“A wise one?”

“A scholar of magic, as we would call them today. The Demon King is said to have obtained knowledge by sneaking glances at the wise one’s books.”

“So, they were able to use magic because of the knowledge they gained?”

“No, as I said earlier, demons only have the attribute of darkness. And the wise ones were researching the six attributes they could handle. Even if the Demon King gained knowledge, they couldn’t use it.”

“It’s because the way they handle magic power is different.”

What’s essential for using magic is attribute affinity and magic power. Having knowledge about the magic you use is also better.

While some people use their senses to cast magic, having a deeper understanding of magic increases its performance, so knowledge is crucial.

───Magic can only be used when you know your own attribute affinity. The key lies in the fact that the way magic power is used differs for each attribute. If you don’t learn how to handle your attribute, no matter how hard you try, you can’t use magic.

This is the cruel part of God’s plan. From the start, they didn’t intend for demons to use magic.

The way demons handle the six attributes taught to non-demons makes it impossible for them to use magic. Even if they gain knowledge, it’s useless because it’s not suited for demons.

God probably knew that demons could only use the “darkness” attribute. This is utterly cruel.

“The situation was hopeless, but the Demon King had no choice but to desperately seek knowledge.

They were determined to change the current situation, no matter what it took.”

“It’s understandable that they would seek magic with all their might, but it’s frustrating that they couldn’t use it.”

I think they were desperate.

They must have hated a world that wouldn’t change.

If nothing changed, demons would remain slaves forever.

“In the end, the Demon King’s efforts were in vain. They spent years acquiring knowledge, but couldn’t even get information on the darkness attribute.

The situation remained unchanged. Well, one thing did change – the Demon King’s status changed.”

“They didn’t receive punishment, did they?”

“I didn’t hear about that, so maybe they didn’t. The wise ones back then were struggling with their magic research. They seemed to be at a loss, unsure of what to do.”

They must have been in a difficult situation, seeking opinions from slaves.

It’s likely that they didn’t have anyone to share their knowledge or opinions with.

When you’re doing research alone, it’s smooth sailing when things are going well, but when you hit a wall, you’re left to struggle on your own.

The wise one must have suffered alone.

“The wise one valued the Demon King’s opinions. They seemed to be delighted when their research finally made progress.”

“The wise one treated them better than other slaves, didn’t they?”

“That’s because the wise one desperately needed their opinions.”

“Yes, that’s true. But even if the wise one treated them a little better, it didn’t change the situation for demons as a whole.

There were many demons who were favored by their masters and received better treatment, and the Demon King was just one of them.”

“I see…”

The Demon King’s efforts over the years ultimately amounted to nothing.

They struggled to obtain magic, but the harsh reality remained unchanged, and eventually, their hearts would give up and become obedient slaves.

It seemed that God had willed it to be so.

“If we continued down this path, the demon tribe would remain slaves, and the dominance of humans and elves would only grow stronger in the future.”

“But that didn’t happen.”

In the past, humans and elves were the two dominant forces.

However, currently, the power of humans and elves has diminished, and other races like dwarves and beastmen have gained strength.

Each race has its own country, and although there are some differences, the balance of power is roughly equal.

“There was one miscalculation on the part of the Church’s God.”

“Miscalculation?”

“Yes. The God who pitied the demon tribe, who were oppressed and lost their freedom… or rather, the demon king. This God felt heartache towards them.”

“Was there another God? No, what I mean is that this God felt heartache towards the demon king personally.”

It’s understandable when it comes to the entire demon tribe, but the fact that God felt heartache towards the demon king personally implies that God had some sort of feelings towards the demon king.

“That God’s name is… Mirabel.”

For a moment, I couldn’t understand Durandal’s words. Why did Mirabel’s name come up here?

“Mirabel, you say?”

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“You’re reacting similarly to your previous master. Your previous master was also greatly surprised when Mirabel’s name came up.”

“Even Takashi-san…”

The fact that Takashi-san was also surprised implies that he’s highly likely to be someone who, like me, has a connection to Mirabel and is a reincarnated person who came to this world.

“Mirabel granted knowledge to the demon king. It’s said that the demon king desired this knowledge above all else.”

“The knowledge that Mirabel provided to the demon king…”

“Was about ‘darkness’ attribute magic.”

“Yes, that’s correct. This was the first time the demon king learned about the existence of darkness attribute magic, and Mirabel taught them that all demons have an affinity for darkness attribute magic.”

This was how the demon tribe finally obtained magic.

I thought that the demon king had discovered darkness attribute magic through research, but that wasn’t the case.

No, it’s just that researching magic is incredibly difficult.

It’s extremely challenging to discover new magic from the existing six attributes, and at the time, darkness attribute magic didn’t exist.

Finding an attribute from scratch and discovering magic is nearly impossible.

Although it’s not zero, the possibility is extremely low, as seen in the revolutionary discoveries made by scientists in my previous life.

“And so, after confirming that the obtained ‘darkness’ attribute magic could be used in practice, the demon king secretly shared the information with the demon tribe.”

“In other words, they confirmed that it could be used in practice before sharing the information. That’s cautious.”

The persecution that exists today was created by God.

The demon tribe was isolated and discriminated against.

Since the root cause of this persecution is God, it’s impossible to blindly trust the information provided by God (Mirabel).

“At the very least, they secretly shared the information with the demon tribe over a long period, making sure not to let humans and elves discover it.”

“They understood their position as a race and waited for the right moment, only sharing the information.”

If someone had immediately taken action after obtaining magic, the demon tribe would have been eliminated.

It’s unthinkable that humans and elves would permit the fact that slaves can use magic. They would have destroyed the source of the information and eradicated the demon tribe before it spread.

“It wasn’t until the demon king took action to free the slaves that humans and elves finally learned about the existence of darkness attribute magic.”

“By then, the information had already spread, so it was too late.”

“That’s predictable. The slaves used magic simultaneously and started to rebel.”

“That’s correct, Master. The first rebellion was suppressed by the ruling masters, and then the demons gathered under the Demon King, forming a group to counterattack against humans and elves.”

“That’s the beginning of the muddy struggle that has continued to this day.”

“That’s how it turned out.”

The initial spark was the discrimination by the gods.

The demons, who wanted to be freed from their status as slaves, and the humans and elves, who wanted to dominate them as slaves.

The war that started with the goal of liberating slaves turned into a struggle for survival, with the fate of entire races at stake.

Something similar must have happened in the past as well.

What suddenly came to mind was the Third Servile War led by Spartacus. However, it was eventually crushed by the Roman army.

“There’s one thing that bothers me. Why did God Mirabel teach magic to the Demon King personally? Was it just a coincidence?”

There was one thing that bothered me in the conversation.

If my concerns are correct, it’s possible that I won’t know who to trust anymore.

“There’s hardly any information left about that, so I don’t know the details. But the Demon King did say it was ‘atonement’.”

Ah, I see. So Mirabel (you) made a mistake a long, long time ago.