Chapter 67: The Right Choice (Patreon)

"That's a lie..."

"It's not a lie. I have the power to grant that wish. Didn’t I tell you? I’m a god."

"Don't lie!!! Who are you to say that!? What do you even know?!"

Keno’s face contorted in anguish as she punched the white-haired man in the chest with her little powerless hands. Her blood-red eyes, identical to his, burned with frustration. Tears—transparent and bitter—streamed down her face. She had never lost control like this, never allowed her emotions to surface, yet here she was, breaking.

She felt utterly helpless, but at this moment, Aurelius remained silent.

He simply watched her, letting her cry her heart out until she eventually calmed down.

Even if Keno knew his words were like the whispers of a devil, so what? She recognized the danger, but could she truly ignore his proposal?

Could she resist the temptation? Could she turn away from the power that might bring her salvation?

On one side were her original family and kingdom, and on the other was the group she'd come to see as her new family. The internal struggle tore at her, ripping her heart in two, but the answer was clear, even if it pained her.

"C-can you really do it?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"If you become mine—if you betray your comrades—I can grant your every wish. But first, Tia must be... brainwashed."

"No!" Keno grabbed his arm in desperation. "Let my comrades go! If you can truly grant my wish, I will gladly become yours. But please leave them out of this!"

"You misunderstood." Sensing her willingness to give up, Aurelius replied softly. This time, there was no trace of harshness in his voice. He simply leaned down and cupped her face, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb.

"You and your comrades will all belong to me—Lakyus, Tia, Tina, and even Princess Renner of the Re-Estize Kingdom. You will all be mine. After you’ve given birth to my children, we will live forever. I’m not hurting anyone, Keno. I’m just taking precautionary measures. Trust me, this is for their own good."

The words were like honey—sweet, tempting—but laced with poison. His actions, however, caring and tender, made Keno’s heart tremble. His warmth confused her, and her breath hitched as she bit her lip, muttering softly.

"You really are a demon..."

"Of course I am. I am the ruler of dragons and demons, after all. I take it you understand now?"

"…yes."

There was no escaping his overwhelming power, no way to resist. Keno understood this, and she had no choice but to accept his terms, so she also let go of some reservations in her heart.

"But what about the royal capital?" Keno’s voice was soft, almost pleading. She needed to know what was happening there, even if it was beyond her control.

"Ah, yes. Beware of a man named Jaldabaoth—the Demon Emperor. That Great evil will soon bring calamity upon the capital."

"The Great Evil...? Aren't we on the same side now?!"

"Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth is my subordinate, though he’s growing increasingly... willful these days. Still, be cautious. Compared to me, Jaldabaoth is nothing more than a bug. But this bug can destroy the human world if left unchecked."

Before Keno could react, Aurelius teleported, appearing suddenly beside Tia. He reached out, placing his hand on her head for a brief moment, altering her memories with ease. Then, as quickly as he came, he vanished.

"Wait!"

Keno’s cries echoed in the night, but the white-haired man was already gone, his form disappearing into the dark, waving casually as if mocking her.

She looked at Tia, who seemed disoriented and confused, then turned toward the sky. The dragons that had filled the sky moments ago had also vanished, flying off to some unknown destination.

"Huh?"

Where Aurelius had stood earlier, there was now a silver vial and two parchments that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. One of the parchments reads:

[Feed this to Gagaran.]

No doubt, it was a resurrection potion. Keno grabbed the silver vial and stood, staring into the night, her mind blank.

"Dragon Demon God... and Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth..."

The moonlight bathed the world in silvery light, unnaturally bright against the deep night sky, as if it too were watching the unfolding events.

…..

"Demiurge."

"Yes, Aurelius-sama?"

"You overheard everything just now, didn't you?"

"Yes, I understand exactly what Aurelius-Sama desires. I will not interfere with the Blue Rose or the Kingdom's princess."

"Good. Then start Gehenna in earnest. Go wild."

"Yes! I, Demiurge, will obey the great Aurelius-Sama's command to the best of my ability!"

With that declaration, Demiurge vanished, and Aurelius transformed into his adventurer form, Lucifer.

[Pandora's Actor.]

[What are your orders, oh Supreme One, the ruler of all, Aurelius-Samaaaaa?!]

[Ugh, stop with the theatrics. Anyway, there’s been a slight change of plan. There's no need for you to continue in your role as Lucifer. So, where are you?]

[I'm currently 400 meters above the capital!]

[Right. I’ll be there shortly. Make sure you’re concealing yourself from the magic casters around you.]

[Understood! I shall obey!]

With that, the [Message] spell ended. Aurelius’s vision shifted, and beside him stood Naberal, awaiting his next command.

As ordered, Pandora’s Actor disappeared, fooling the eyes of the magic casters around him.

…..

Gradually, chaos began to envelop the royal capital.

Meanwhile, the Adamantite-class adventurer team named Platinum was heading to the capital to eradicate the Eight Fingers crime syndicate. Along with Narberal, Aurelius, disguised as Lucifer, joined this mission.

However, the true purpose behind their journey was to subjugate the Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth.

In fact, Lucifer's role was supposed to be played by Pandora's Actor at first, but as everything went more smoothly than expected, Aurelius decided to change the plan a little.

To begin with, Aurelius hadn't placed much hope in his meeting with Evileye because he believed she would prioritize the living Blue Rose over the people of Inveria, who had been dead for 200 years.

But, to his surprise, her longing for her original family was far stronger than he'd anticipated.

Fortunately, this unexpected turn saved Aurelius some effort and also spared her from the potential suffering she might have to endure had she rejected his offer.

The current situation also gave him ideas about how to capture Lakyus and the rest of Blue Rose earlier than planned.

"The moon tonight is exceptionally beautiful," he murmured, signaling the beginning of the second stage of his plan.

Gehenna had begun.

…..

After Aurelius vanished, Evileye fed the resurrection potion to Gagaran.

A holy white light enveloped Gagaran’s body, and the withered appearance of her skin gradually regained vitality. Her severe injuries miraculously healed, and the dark circles under her eyes disappeared.

Evileye and Tia watched in disbelief as Gagaran’s body was restored.

"Could it really be... What kind of item is this?" Evileye muttered as she stared at the now-empty vial.

Moments later, Gagaran woke up and groaned, her voice groggy as she began to move.

"Ugh... ugh..."

"Gagaran!" Evileye called out.

Gagaran responded to Evileye’s voice, slowly sitting up as she relived her last memories.

"Evileye? What happened? Where did he go?"

"You died once. The man has already left," Evileye explained.

"I died...? Then, did Lakyus save me?"

"No. I used the magical item he gave me to bring you back."

"Is there actually a magic item like that?" Gagaran asked, still in shock.

Evileye turned her head, unwilling to explain further. Instead, she offered her hand and helped Gagaran to her feet.

"As expected, you're heavy. You’re just as heavy after coming back to life."

"Is that really the way to treat someone who just came back from the dead?"

Evileye brushed off the comment, quickly changing the subject. "We need to head to the royal castle now."

"Yeah, let’s go."

With Gagaran now fully revived, the group made their way toward the royal castle, ignoring the ruins and destruction around them.

Tina, whose memories had been altered, remained oblivious to the gravity of the situation. However, Evileye was all too aware of the burden she now carried. She had to betray her comrades and become the white-haired man's woman.

'How can I escape this fate? Is attempting to escape really the right choice?'

And then there was the looming catastrophe—the demon lord Jaldabaoth. The white-haired man had called him the Great Devil, a monster among monsters capable of destroying the human world.

'It could all be a lie,' Evileye considered, 'a trick meant to confuse us.'

But something about the man’s calm demeanor, the way he spoke, left her with little doubt. Furthermore, given his immense power and ability to manipulate memories instantaneously, he had no motive to mislead them, and his warning appeared sincere.

That’s why Evileye chose to believe him. When Jaldabaoth made his move to invade the capital, they would be ready. They had to be.

Their pace quickened as they approached the royal castle, the sense of impending doom growing stronger with every step.