Chapter 58
"For now, what is the purpose of the cult?"
When Yuurai asked, Fia answered with a bright smile.
"It is to dominate this world with the power of Demon King-sama and dye it in darkness. As for my personal wish, I hope that Demon King-sama will completely destroy everything in this world."
"......So, the cult's purpose is world domination. And Fia's wish is the destruction of the world. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Is it okay for your goals to be misaligned like that?"
"There's no problem. It seems that each follower has slightly different goals, but ultimately, we intend to follow the will of Demon King-sama."
"It depends on me, huh...... Well, fine. What exactly do you mean by world domination? For example, do you want everyone in the world to bow to the Demon King Cult and follow its orders? Or is it about all the wealth or whatever in the world belonging to the Demon King Cult?"
"As a cult, it seems we aim to overthrow the existing powers and make everything in the world bend to the will of the Demon King Cult."
"Hmph...... It kind of feels like a group of pitiful people who can't let go of childish dreams."
"......Childish dreams, you say?"
"That's what I think."
"Is that so......? I think it's a grand dream that can captivate the heart, in its own way......"
Fia didn't seem convinced and tilted her head slightly.
"......Even I can understand the desire to control everything in the world as I please. If that were to happen, I think it would feel really good. I'm not going to completely deny those kinds of wishes. I believe it's probably important to work toward making the world the way you want it to be. If everyone just gave up, saying there's no hope, the world would only move in a worse direction. So, wanting things to go your way is a good thing, but I think the direction of that desire mustn't be wrong. Instead of dominating the world with violence or despair, I believe it's the proper thing for an adult to wish for a world filled with kindness and hope."
Words that are hardly befitting of a Demon King.
However, having been born and raised in Japan, and heavily influenced by manga and anime, such thoughts come naturally.
"I agree with Yuurai."
Claire muttered softly.
"Yeah, I think it's good too."
"So do I."
Lipia and Gilka followed Claire's lead.
Yuurai felt glad about this.
(Well, it might be strange to say things like I'm on the side of justice after committing mass slaughter. I'm aware that what I say and what I do are contradictory...... Anyway, let's set that aside for now.)
"......I think Demon King-sama's thoughts are wonderful. However, Demon King-sama, you are still young and don't seem to know the ugliness of this world."
Fia showed a distorted smile.
(......Young, huh. She's probably not that much different in age from me...... Hm? She is young, right?)
Apparently, there are beings in this world who are older than they appear. Elves, for instance, are long-lived, looking like they're in their twenties even past a hundred years old.
"......Fia, are you Human?"
"Yes."
"How old are you now?"
"Sixteen."
"......That's pretty young, isn't it?"
"How old is Demon King-sama?"
"Hmm...... Five months?"
"You are young indeed! Surely, the world still sparkles and shines in your eyes! I, too, once had such a time! I believe it won't be long before you realize the false brilliance of it all!"
"......Yeah, yeah. I'm young."
Huh, five months......? Claire and the others seemed shocked. Since Yuurai hadn't mentioned her age before, it must have been a surprise.
(It's been five months since I got this body, but in reality, I've lived much longer...... I'll explain that later.)
"......My age doesn't matter. As Fia said, I certainly don't know much about the world. I think the world has uglier sides than I imagine. But isn't it the same for Fia, not knowing much about the world? Maybe Fia has seen more of the world's ugly side than I have. But on the other hand, don't you know very little about the beautiful side of the world?"
"No. This world is entirely ugly."
"......Ah, I see."
(She has an air of not yielding no matter what I say. It feels like she's looking at everything with the preconceived notion that the world is ugly. As I thought, trying to understand each other with someone like her is a bad idea.)
"Demon King-sama, you still don't know the true nature of this world. I will teach it to you. And once you fully understand, let us destroy the world together. This world isn't even worth dominating. Let's just destroy it."
"......Thinking about it is fine. Anyone can think whatever they want as long as they don't harm others recklessly."
"I'm sure Demon King-sama will come to understand the righteousness of my cause."
"Yeah, yeah. ......By the way, Fia, did something unpleasant happen in your past? Like, what made you join the Demon King Cult?"
"What made me join, you ask......"
According to what Fia recounted.
Fia was born and raised as a noble.
She lived a happy life until she was seven, but her father was executed on baseless charges of treason.
Furthermore, her family was also sentenced to execution.
Fia alone managed to escape.
The murder of Fia's family was the result of a conspiracy by other nobles.
She hid her status and lived in hiding as a common citizen, but that life was extremely harsh.
No matter where she went, she encountered terrible people and was treated horribly.
When she felt there was no salvation in this world, she encountered a member of the Demon King Cult.
She partly sympathized with the cult leader's ideology and joined the Demon King Cult.
......That seems to be the rough outline of her story.
"......Are most of the followers of the Demon King Cult like that?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know much about the pasts of other followers."
"......Well, it's probably something like that."
It shouldn't be so easy for a person to be dyed in despair.
Losing someone important, having happiness taken away—there's usually a flow like that.
There aren't many people who can hate the world so naturally.
"......I kind of understand Fia's situation."
Yuurai stood up from her chair and moved behind Fia.
Then, she embraced Fia's delicate frame.
"......Fia, you've probably killed a lot of people, haven't you? Just like you did in front of us. You're an irredeemable sinner. But...... regarding the painful events you've experienced, I honestly feel sorry for you. If you like me that much, the least I can do is give you a hug."
"D-Demon King-sama......!"
Yuurai didn't know if this would be salvation for Fia.
Doing something like this probably wouldn't remove the distortion in Fia's heart.
It was nothing more than self-satisfaction.
Fia might be a far worse person than those who attacked Lipia and the others before.
Feeling sympathy for someone like her might be contradictory.
(Even so, that's fine. I decided to hug her right now. The Fia I'm hugging is the one who was just around seven years old.)
Fia seemed overjoyed to be embraced by the Demon King, breaking down in tears from the overwhelming emotion.
If she can shed tears of emotion while saying the world is ugly, there might still be some salvation for her.
(If she stays with me, maybe she'll change her mind surprisingly easily......)