The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 35

In front of me, a female demon race was looking at me with an unpleasant expression.

She was the mother of Eliza, who had once worked with me, and realizing that she was also the Elias from the original story, which had clashed with the Hero Party, made me feel quite complicated in many ways.

“I was certain that in the original, she was just an incredibly capable Demon General…”

Honestly, after watching YOUDIE many times because of Elias, I had automatically assumed that this being, clad in red armor, would definitely be a burly male demon with a cold demeanor…

Starting with the fact that even the distorted voice was closer to a male’s.

In the descriptions of Elias in the story, there was hardly a trace of femininity to be found.

Riding a blood-red warhorse, she wielded a massive axe that felt almost like a spear with overwhelming ferocity.

And then, during the desperate Last Stand and the coincidental moment of her escape marked by the ground collapsing, despite being an enemy that I had to defeat, her impressive appearance as a red knight stimulated the so-called man’s romantic ideals.

Even I, aside from the fact that targeting her was quite challenging, felt a slight thrill from the sight of Elias.

However…

The fact that this entity, which had made me feel a man’s romance, was actually a woman…

Moreover, a mother with a daughter, hit me with a heavy shock in various ways.

“No, the Demon King was like this too… and now Elias. Why are there so many characters in this world with twists like this?”

As a result of this unexpected situation, I found myself feeling quite dazed.

Then, Elias, having turned her clear hostility toward me, spoke in a voice filled with animosity.

“By the way, what are you, the Hero, doing here? No matter how much you’ve surrendered to the Demon King, you are still undeniably human.”

Although her demeanor softened a bit thanks to Eliza’s intervention, she still remained on guard.

Feeling a deep confusion, I pushed aside the awkwardness and quickly gathered my thoughts to respond.

“I, too, have come in response to the Demon King’s summons. So rest assured, there are no suspicious reasons as you might think.”

Honestly, I wanted to ask if she really was Elias, if Eliza was really her daughter, and so on, but I knew this wasn’t the time for such questions.

What was important now was to dispel the doubts of this commander who had fought against me in the past as a ‘gamer’, and now as a ‘Hero’, and to create as friendly an atmosphere as possible.

To prevent any unnecessary mishaps.

“…You mean the Demon King.”

“…”

Elias turned her head slightly towards Eliza with a reaction that seemed incredulous at my words.

Eliza nodded, confirming that what I said was not a lie.

“If the Demon King said so, there’s no helping it, but remember, no matter how much the Demon King trusts you, I will keep watching you.”

With those words, Elias passed by me and disappeared down the corridor.

Watching her, I suddenly shifted my gaze to Eliza, who was looking at her mother with a somewhat regretful expression.

“Come to think of it, when we first went on a mission together, Eliza said something similar, right? In that sense… it really does seem like the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

While she had softened a bit now, when we first met, Eliza had been constantly wary of me.

From that perspective, I began to wonder if, even though Elias was glaring at me, we could perhaps build a more comfortable relationship in the future.

However… just after that, another realization hit me slightly late.

So, I turned to Eliza beside me and opened my mouth.

“…I’m sorry.”

“Eh? Sorry for what?”

Eliza looked at me with a puzzled expression at my sudden apology.

Observing her, I continued sincerely.

“Regardless of the circumstances, at any rate, I almost killed your mother back then. I was an enemy at the time, but now that we are allies, I want to apologize for that.”

“Ah…”

Only then did Eliza seem to grasp the meaning of my words.

However, surprisingly, in response to my apology, she smiled lightly and said,

“I don’t need such an apology.”

“Wh-why?”

Eliza replied unexpectedly calmly, and I felt more perplexed than her being angry…

With a serious tone but without a hint of discomfort, she said to me,

“Back then, you were our enemy. You had a duty to win against us. From your perspective, my mother was undoubtedly someone you had to defeat, and you simply did your best to achieve that.”

“That’s… true, but.”

Eliza, with her youthful appearance yet a composed demeanor, was quite adorable, and I found myself continuing to listen to her words.

“Of course, now that you have suddenly become an ally, both my mother and I can’t help but doubt you. But this is because we are allies; now that we must have trust in each other, it means I don’t need to bear any resentment for your actions as an enemy.”

“Mm…”

Eliza spoke in a surprisingly mature manner, and given her position in the Elite Guard, she naturally exuded a noble and aloof vibe.

I couldn’t help but nod my head automatically, and with those words, our gazes returned to the conference room.

“Now then, let’s wrap up this discussion and hurry along. We shouldn’t keep the Demon King and others waiting.”

“I understand.”

*

In the deepest part of the Demon King’s Castle, the Grand Conference Room.

In that space, centered around a massive oval table, I, the Demon King, and four members of the Elite Guard, along with three of the Demon Generals, were gathered in one place.

“Then, from now on, in accordance with the Demon King’s orders, we will conduct a strategy meeting. The main focus is on how to push the Racial Alliance Army, currently within the limits of our Demon Kingdom, out.”

At the remarks of Beelzebub, the Chancellor of the Demon Kingdom, the aides focused their attention.

Following her words were details I’d somewhat already known,

Like the losses at the supply bases and information about the weakening of the Racial Alliance due to internal conflict.

And then…

Immediately after her talk concluded, a voice that felt powerful even when simply spoken began to resonate in our ears.

“If we have such a good opportunity, wouldn’t it be right to advance immediately?”

A male demon standing at one side of the conference room, taking up a significant amount of space.

His build was almost 3m tall, covered in thick muscles, and with a bushy beard—he exuded an aura of raw masculinity, speaking with blazing vigor.

“Commander Samson will take the lead! Your Majesty, grant me the order to wipe out those filthy Racial Alliance bastards right now!”

“I share the same sentiment. They are exhausted and confused due to hunger and internal strife. I believe this is indeed the perfect time to drive the enemies out!”

Two Demon Generals urged to launch an immediate attack with a fierce demeanor.

Listening to their passionate but aggressive remarks, the atmosphere began to heat up with an eagerness for battle.

At that moment…

“I have a word to say.”

A calm yet unmistakably clear voice interrupted those two.

As her words poured over the room like cold water, all eyes turned towards her…

Towards Elias.

Then, she began to speak in a composed tone.

“I, too, agree that we need to act as soon as possible. However, no matter how exhausted and hungry the enemy may be, they are not fools and must have some plans in place. I believe we need to take a bit of time and establish a more tactical plan.”

Elias took a cautious approach. In response, Commander Samson, who seemed ready to ride out at any moment, shouted in a frustrated tone.

“Elias! Don’t you know that if we hesitate, we could miss our golden opportunity? Our courageous warriors of the Demon Kingdom wouldn’t be defeated by weakened opponents!”

“A cornered rat will bite the cat. If we cannot maintain caution until the end, we could very well taste the bitter cup of defeat.”

“Hah! So, is that why one so distinguished couldn’t stop the Hero Party and ended up shamefully defeated? Even if the Demon King forgave you, you haven’t forgotten your place in that defeat, right?”

“I would like to express that the circumstances then and now are different.”

With a slight vein popping on her forehead at Samson’s remarks, Elias held her composure.

However, as I listened to the exchange, I was fully aware that Samson’s words were said in ignorance.

In the original story, Elias not only possessed brute strength but also employed cunning strategies to scatter the Hero Party, using traps to attempt to pick them off one by one.

If the Hero Party had been even slightly weaker, or if the Hero’s combat power hadn’t been overwhelmingly high, they might have been caught in Elias’s schemes and ended up failing.

‘But there are always humans who don’t know this, especially those who are just strong and ignorant…’

Even with that thought, I remained quietly silent as the only human sitting in this assembly, a veritable newcomer.

Yet…

“Since the Hero is here with us, I’d like to ask—Hero, what do you think? Do you see any reason for us to lose against these weak humans in our current situation?”

“Eh?”

Suddenly, Samson turned his arrows toward me.

I felt like I had been ambushed as I sensed all the gazes in the conference room shift toward me.