Proof of the Demon Lord's Innocence - Chapter 7

In an inn in Sunflower City, Keny Cockscomb was deep in thought. As the leader of the team that defeated Demon Lord Trias, he was claimed as a hero and a champion. However, he was starting to feel uncomfortable with the title.

He had defeated the Demon Lord simply because he wanted to help those who were weak. He never intended to be a hero. Moreover, the Demon Lord was denying the charges against him, which only added to Keny’s unease.

“Keny, are you still lost in thought?”

In adventurer parties, the standard is usually a group of three. This is considered the minimum number to handle unexpected situations. While some adventurers prefer to go solo, they often realize the difficulties of their ways early in their journeys and seek companions.

The girl who spoke to Keny was one of his party members. She had long, wavy auburn hair cascading down her back and was twirling a staff in her hands. She was the same age as Keny, seventeen. Despite her freckles, her strikingly large, determined brown eyes made her quite attractive.

She possessed the talent of a white mage, specializing in support and healing magic.

“We captured the Demon Lord, didn’t we? It’s a fact that many people were saved because of what we did. You should be more proud of that.”

Her name was Catherine Nasturtium, and she was Keny’s childhood friend.

“Sure, he’s denying the charges, but a villain who did such terrible things wouldn’t easily admit to his crimes. Don’t let it bother you. Even if he admitted it, he’d still face the death penalty. That’s why he’s insisting on his innocence, trying to gain the judge’s sympathy, right?”

“Sympathy, huh. That’s what’s bothering me,” Keny replied.

“What do you mean, Michelle?” Catherine asked.

The third person in the room, Michelle Violet, chimed in. Being from a rural area, he spoke with a slight accent. Despite his small figure, he was quick on his feet and had a charming demeanor, making him a reliable negotiator. With his black hair and cat-like eyes, he always wore a smile, yet he was ruthless when it came to harvesting materials from monsters.

He often played the role of stopping Keny and Catherine when they got carried away. Despite his cheerful demeanor, he was the most level-headed member of the party.

“Well, there’s no precedent for a Demon Lord being acquitted in a world domination case, right? It seems like admitting guilt and aiming for a reduced sentence would be a better strategy. Even if a guilty verdict is certain, showing remorse might spare him from the death penalty. I wonder why he doesn’t do that.”

“What, are you saying he might be innocent?” Catherine retorted.

“I’m not saying that,” Michelle replied.

“Then shut up, will you? I don’t even want to consider the possibility of him getting anything other than the death penalty!”

Catherine was usually strong-willed, but today she seemed off. It was rare for her to speak so harshly to Michelle. Although she was strong-minded, she wasn’t heartless. In fact, she was known for being very kind to the weak and her friends.

Recently, however, she had been on edge, and Keny was wondering why.

“Calm down, Cathy,” Keny said.

He knew who had been the most eager to defeat the Demon Lord in this mission.

“The Demon Lord we captured this time is Trias, not Rene. He’s not the one who killed your aunt.”

Demon Lord world domination incidents occur every few years. The last incident happened several years ago, involving a Demon Lord named Rene Zinnia. Although Demon Lords are said to be hermaphrodites, they are usually born with a clear physical and mental gender. Rene was an extraordinarily beautiful female Demon Lord.

Compared to previous Demon Lords, Rene caused fewer incidents, but the number of victims was said to exceed three digits. She had massacred nearly all the inhabitants of a small town.

Among those slaughtered by Rene was Catherine’s beloved aunt.

“I know… I know that…” Catherine’s eyes welled up with tears.

She wasn’t a follower of the Lily Faith, but in a way, she hated and despised the existence of Demon Lords even more than the believers did. She had always said that it was wrong to let such terrifying beings roam free. It was too late once many people had been killed, and rivers of blood and tears had flowed.

In fact, among young people, especially those who followed the Lily Faith, this way of thinking was becoming more prevalent. Fortunately, the presence of a Demon Lord Job is detected at birth. Some believed that once detected, the child should be taken from their parents and managed in a government facility for life to prevent their blood from running rampant. Given the repeated incidents every few years, it was perhaps understandable that people would resort to such extreme ideas.

“I know Rene and Trias are different people. But he’s a Demon Lord. Just like Rene, he’s a Demon Lord who killed many innocent people… He doesn’t deserve mercy. If we let him live, something even worse might happen next time. It’s too late once someone dies.”

“Cathy…”

“I know I’m being emotional. But… but I just don’t want there to be any more victims like my aunt…”

Catherine’s aunt had been found among a pile of corpses in the town’s central district. The sight was unbearable for Catherine, who was still a child at the time. Rene’s gravity magic had twisted her limbs in unnatural directions, and her swollen abdomen had burst, spilling her organs.

Her hair had been torn from her scalp, exposing her skull, and her eyes had been gouged out, hanging from her face. It was terrifying to imagine. Moreover, most of the wounds showed signs of life, leaving one speechless. Rene had tortured Catherine’s aunt before killing her. It was no wonder Catherine fainted at the sight.

How much must a person harden their heart to destroy another human being alive like that? Even Keny, a warrior and hero, found it unimaginable.

“There’s no way he’s innocent,” Catherine said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.

“There were eyewitnesses where he caused the incident. Someone saw him using magic from a high place when he attacked the Iris region.”

“Yeah, I saw that in the newspaper. Trias was spotted on a hill behind Iris Town, summoning a tornado with magic. I don’t know why he wore such a conspicuous red robe.”

“Maybe he wanted to pretend to be a mage? Everyone assumes you’re either a white or black mage if you’re wearing a robe.”

“Not that I would know,” Catherine snorted.

“Even though it was quite a distance, he was spotted because of that red cloak. And the witness was a girl with a black mage Job. The magic matched Trias’s, so it became evidence. What a careless Demon Lord!”

Oh, so that’s how it was. Keny thought and felt a bit remorseful. He knew he was a musclehead, but he should read more books. Especially since he hadn’t even read the newspaper articles about the Demon Lord he captured because he disliked reading.

Noticing Keny’s reaction, Michelle shrugged in exasperation.

“Keny, you should read the newspaper more. There’s a lot of important information in there. It’s sad to miss something important because you’re the only one who doesn’t know.”

“Shut up! I know! I can’t help it if I get sleepy while reading!”

“That’s why you always check the broadcast lineup and read four-panel comics, right, Keny? You’re a hero now, and technically our leader. You should be more on top of things!”

“Ugh…”

Being told that made him feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Keny had always struggled academically in junior high school. Catherine, on the other hand, excelled in both academics and sports and was well-regarded by the teachers. He couldn’t count how many times he had failed exams and begged Catherine for help.

Despite being childhood friends, Keny found it surprising that they were now adventuring together and being treated as heroes. Catherine had always wanted to become a doctor, and he thought they would go their separate ways.

Her change of heart was likely due to her aunt’s murder in Rene’s massacre. Catherine, who had said she wanted to help people, had been harboring a desire for revenge all along, something Keny knew. Even though Rene had already been executed and was no longer in this world.

—Get it together, as a hero.

That’s not it, Keny thought. He wasn’t someone worth to be called a hero. He just wanted to help those suffering in front of him.

And that “someone” included Catherine, who was consumed by hatred for the existence of Demon Lords. Trias had been arrested, and they had become heroes. Yet Catherine still didn’t seem relieved. Why was that?

Was it because Trias was still alive? Would she be relieved if he were executed? Or would her darkness remain until the existence of Demon Lords disappeared from the world?

And were there many people like Catherine in this world?

—What is a Demon Lord, really?

Demon Lords are always defeated by heroes. That’s what he had been taught. But now, as a hero who had defeated one, he found himself thinking about it seriously for the first time.

What exactly is a Demon Lord? Is it truly something that must be eradicated from this world?