The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 148

As I looked at Eileen, who was bowing her head to me as the summoner, a broad smile began to spread across my face.

A lich.

An undead wizard with a body of nothing but bones. They are known as the remnants of powerful beings who either spontaneously occur from the corpses of those who wield magic power or have transformed themselves in pursuit of greater power. While they are technically classified as part of the demon races, their actual existence is very rare, even among the demon kind.

Having spent quite a long time observing various types of demon races as a significant figure in the Demon Kingdom, I had encountered liches fewer than five times.

Moreover, the power possessed by liches was remarkably formidable, and Eileen, who stood before me, had likely become a monster capable of taking on two elite guards or a demon general all on her own, considering she had considerable strength even as the vice minister.

However, aside from this powerful ability, liches held a fatal flaw that made it extremely unlikely for anyone not completely driven mad by power to choose to become one.

That flaw was… the fact that in exchange for their immense strength, they could not experience something called ‘happiness’ at all.

With bodies that had nothing but bones left, they no longer felt any warmth. They became numb to anything but pain, and were completely isolated from all sensations that could be felt by having skin, such as comfort, softness, and warmth.

The hollow body of a skull completely void of organs couldn’t take in food, and naturally, could neither taste nor smell anything.

Without reproductive organs, engaging in sexual activities was out of the question.

And in such a situation, there was one more horribly tragic reality for the subject who had become a lich.

Despite being isolated from all sensations like this, the desires for happiness they experienced during their previous lives did not disappear; instead, they remained stronger than ever.

A body that could not eat yearned endlessly for food and hunger, while a body that could not feel warmth persisted in longing for warmth.

And the empty reproductive organs burned with an insatiable lust that seemed to drive them mad.

These nightmarish desires that could no longer be attained endlessly stimulated the emotions of liches, leading them to become beings that were inevitably enmeshed in combat, slaughter, and pain unless they transcended their desires through rigorous self-training.

On the battlefield, they were the ones who killed more enemies than anyone else, yearned to suffer the most pain, and ultimately wished for death.

This was the miserable fate of those who had become liches.

And it was the ‘punishment’ Eileen received due to the unbreakable slave contract bound by the essence of corruption given by the demon king.

*

‘…Something has increased again.’

Along with the beautiful woman I encountered before, there was now a new presence added today.

Dressed in a robe and emanating an unsettling aura, Cassandra instinctively recognized what it was.

‘A lich…? I think I have some idea of who it is, but there’s no need to point that out here.’

Thinking that, Cassandra began to smile as widely as she could at the demon king and his subordinates, who were saying brief farewells to commence their mission in front of her.

“Well then, I look forward to working with you, Your Majesty, the Demon King.”

“It is you who must handle matters well on this side.”

With those words, the demon king and his entourage began their journey on horseback.

As Cassandra watched the demon king’s back, which somehow felt light at the last moment, she felt a bit of doubt, but soon pushed those thoughts aside and began to recall the tasks she needed to undertake.

‘So, first, what I have to do is handle the situation with the Elf Church Country. Then immediately after that, I’ll send troops to Macedonia.’

Originally, Cassandra was supposed to be leading on the battlefield, but now, as the most powerful ruler of this nation, there were many duties awaiting her.

If, just as the demon king mentioned, the issue with the Elf Church Country was truly resolved, handling that would also fall upon her shoulders.

Thus, despite feeling a bit fidgety, she acknowledged that this was the duty of a ruler.

Cassandra lightly embraced the young emperor, who clung to her like a child seeking comfort from their mother, and headed towards the palace.

‘But still… will it really go well? After all, it was the elves who instigated this war. The possibility of them backing down at this point is…’

*

The Alliance Army of the Elf Church Country and the Beastman Kingdom was enjoying continued victories in the war against the Falcon Empire.

However, at this very moment, the Pope, who was feeling intense joy from the sweet revenge of their previous battles, was experiencing deep confusion upon seeing the emissary from the Demon Kingdom standing before him.

“What… do you mean by that?”

“I will say it once more. His Majesty the Demon King has requested Your Holiness to cease the war.”

“…?”

The emissary from the Demon Kingdom, Elias, stated confidently while in a private audience with the Pope. Flabbergasted by her assertive words, the Pope retorted.

“Cease the war…? Do you think that’s possible at this stage? No matter how much our Elf Church Country has become a vassal state of the Demon Kingdom, we are entangled with other allies and have no intention of withdrawing.”

The continuous reports of victories and the rapidly expanding territory brought immense joy, and the Pope had no intention of obeying any order from the Demon Kingdom that would deprive him of that.

Firmly expressing his refusal in the face of the emissary, the Pope was met with Elias’s calm voice that held no signs of wavering.

“I expected you to say that. I fully understand Your Holiness’s position. However, you must halt the war now. Not for the sake of our Demon Kingdom, but for the Elf Church Country.”

“…What?”

Despite being in the presence of an emissary from a vassal state, Elias continued her dialogue as if speaking to an equal ruler.

The Pope began to sense that this woman was not simply there to deliver a message, and Elias continued speaking to him.

“We are fully aware of the current situation at the front line. Right now, the Falcon Empire is unable to respond to attacks from both sides and is floundering, allowing the Elf Church Country not only to reclaim old territories but also to occupy several key cities within the Empire.”

After that, Elias lightly sipped from the teacup before her, maintaining her composed demeanor as she regarded the Pope, Julius, with a voice now sharpened in tone.

“Thus far, this war has indeed been remarkable. However, continuing to advance unduly beyond this point would ultimately harm the Elf Church Country. It wouldn’t be merely a problem for our Demon Kingdom.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

Elias’s demeanor was steeped in sincerity rather than mere persuasion, causing the Pope to slightly frown.

Her words pinpointed the reality he had been consciously avoiding due to his intoxication with victory.

For a brief moment, the Pope’s composure wavered, and Elias began to lay bare the unfiltered truth drawn from her military and economic knowledge.

“The Racial War. Coupled with the ongoing conflict with the Falcon Empire, the internal situation of the Elf Church Country has deteriorated to a severe extent. Thanks to the assistance of the Magic Kingdom and the Beastman Kingdom in this war, we’ve managed to come this far; however, we are approaching our limits. The recently reclaimed territories won’t be a problem, but regaining lands originally belonging to the Falcon Empire will be increasingly difficult.”

“…”

“Until now, riding high on victory, you have not yet encountered a setback, but once the Falcon Empire begins their counter-offensive, the Church Country will have no methods to resist. In the worst-case scenario, you may find yourselves pushed back to the territories you just reclaimed.”

Unmercifully delivering these stark facts, Elias left the Pope no room for rebuttal.

Then, with an even clearer voice, she directed her gaze firmly at the Pope and continued.

“Therefore, at this point, my country and I are offering to assist the Elf Church Country in withdrawing. Without having to consider the gaze of your allies, this is a moment where the Elf Church Country can maximize its benefits under the guise of our Demon Kingdom.”