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Chapter

205. Useless Sacrifices

“—Are you going to do it?”

The Demon Lord spoke.

Extracting knowledge from the human race.

With the premise of using them as disposable serfs.

He commanded me to operate a slave farm under the name of an Autonomous District.

“—Well, there’s no helping it.”

Antendeixis quietly opened his mouth.

“At the very bottom of the Demon Lord Kingdom, as disposable serfs — it may be a miserable life, but even so, it’s better than being exterminated and processed into undead.”

True… that’s right.

If survival is allowed, albeit with minimal self-determination.

It’s incredibly close to the worst, but still—slightly better than the worst.

“And if the timeframe is ten or twenty years, you might have a sufficient chance to surpass the Demon Lord by then.”

So, Antendeixis said, looking sorry, but rather bluntly.

“You should accept this quietly.”

…Initially, I didn’t have the option to refuse. Even if I threw a tantrum, as the Demon Lord said, I would just end up being tossed to someone like Aiogias.

If another prince became the governor, the reign would undoubtedly become more brutal and without restraint. With the premise of being disposable, they wouldn’t mind if we perished; maybe they would show some leniency to draw out motivation or knowledge, but the Demon Race’s “compassion” is hardly worth considering.

However, even if I became governor, it would be the same.

Without raising suspicion, what could I possibly do for the human race?

At most, I could only maintain the minimum hygiene and food conditions under the guise of preserving labor force. Yet, I wouldn’t be able to help the injured or the sick. Perhaps, even the acquaintances of Barbara, who might still be surviving, would be discarded if they couldn’t move, while those who could would be roughly exploited as serfs, dying young… and all I could do was watch…

Moreover, the war hasn’t ended yet. Once the Autonomous District starts functioning, lively prisoners of war from other battlefields would be brought in and incorporated as new serfs.

And I would be the one overseeing that system… damn it!!

I don’t know if the prisoners would comply quietly. That’s precisely why I can easily imagine what kind of “autonomy” it would become.

It would be a regime of terror typical of the Demon Lord Kingdom. Irrational violence would run rampant.

The prisoners would be filtered; only those with knowledge and those who could work would be selected, while the rest disposed of. Until the end unfolds twenty years later, they would live in fear of senseless death, merely surviving—

Indeed… indeed! It’s better than being killed immediately and processed into undead!

But this feels just like a slow death…!

Even if I were to defeat the Demon Lord within ten years—

How many would have survived, and how many could return to their former lives…?

“…What do you say, Zilbagias?”

The Demon Lord asked again.

It was becoming impossible to pretend I was deep in thought. I have no choice… but to accept…

“You don’t have to worry. …No, you should worry. To the fullest.”

Antendeixis laughed, as if deliberately provoking me.

“That will give you strength. As a hero and yet the Demon Lord’s Prince, becoming the tyrant of the people— in the creaking of your heart, the forbidden power will smile.”

And… with a half-sigh.

“…It’s easier than taking direct action yourself.”

—

“What did you just say?”

Antendeixis.

What did you just say?

“Eh…?”

I felt Antendeixis shrink away within me—

But it doesn’t matter. Hurry up and answer. What did you just say?

“…You won’t get hurt.”

No, that was not what came before.

“The power you gain will be less.”

Even further back.

“…It’s still easier than directly taking action.”

…

An indescribable feeling—like something was igniting inside me, a fervor. My whole body heated up. I struggled to suppress my body which wanted to thrash.

…I don’t care how much I get hurt.

Certainly, there may be times when I reach my limit and embarrass myself like last time.

But that doesn’t matter. If I do my best to bounce back, it’s something I can manage.

I’m ready to suffer.

And… no matter how painful, sacrificing the people I should protect is also something I have resolved to accept.

To gain power, to defeat the Demon Lord, I have made the resolve to accept sacrifices.

However.

At the same time, I swore.

—I will never let those sacrifices be “useless.”

I realized it with Antendeixis’ words. “It’s easier than directly taking action,” precisely! That’s why it’s no good. Even if I become the governor of the Autonomous District and sacrifice people under oppression—

I won’t be able to generate that much forbidden power.

Because I won’t be directly taking action myself. Even if numbers are reported in a row on paper—how many people were hurt, how many died—

The pain in my chest would be far too slight.

The number of deaths wouldn’t equate to the little forbidden power I could get.

—Because, right? I’m a Demon Lord’s Prince and of the Reiju bloodline. I indulge in the wealth gained by trampling over alliances, living lavishly today, stuffing myself with delicacies and continuing to live in comfort. And even at this very moment, humans somewhere in the Demon Lord Kingdom must be suffering as they become substitutes for the teleportation spell, getting hurt, and dying.

I recognize that even so.

While feeling a bit guilty.

Hey, Antendeixis, how much power am I gaining?

“…That is…”

Too little, right? While lounging over the corpses of dozens or hundreds of people?

I felt it intensely on the battlefield. I realized it painfully after actually slicing up allied warriors.

—It’s heavier to kill one with my own hands than to let a hundred perish.

If my hands weren’t stained with blood, if I didn’t feel the sensation of ripping flesh and breaking bones.

I cannot face my sins. I can’t perceive the forbidden power.

The lack of vividness only dilutes the forbidden power.

Yet… it’s also a fact that those hundred I let perish are actually dead.

Even so, I can’t gain power for that one I killed.

—I’m not doing anything, yet I just happened to gain power! I can’t say that even if I die, nor can I laugh at it.

Hey, Antendeixis.

I swore. I will never let sacrifices be “useless.”

This is clearly useless. It doesn’t add up. In terms of lives lost!

While I said I would accept sacrifices to defeat the Demon Lord—

I cannot accept such half-hearted sacrifices!!

“Then—then, what will you do!?”

Antendeixis screamed, almost like a shriek.

“I understand the extent of your resolve! And your reckless disregard for your life! But what can you actually do? There’s no other way!!”

…For now, I’ll take on the position of governor.

Do I have to go there myself and kill every prisoner with my own hands…?

“Uh… yes…”

Rather than allowing a half-hearted sacrifice, I should consume them all—

No, that won’t work. If I commit such an outrageous act, I’ll just get replaced before I can kill them all. The plan for the Autonomous District will continue, and new prisoners will still arrive. Then, people will end up being sacrificed needlessly anyway.

Moreover, if that blunder leads to the next opportunity for spear work being delayed, it would be counterproductive.

Above all, from the very moment the idea of an Autonomous District came up, in a sense, we were already cornered. So I should think about altering the idea itself. I need to rethink fundamentally—

Also, the issue of the Demon Lord Kingdom’s revealed weakness, “the worsening food situation,” would still remain unaddressed by the Autonomous District.

Defeating the Demon Lord doesn’t mean the war ends immediately. Even if I destroy the Dark Portal and cut off contracts with new demons, battles with Demon Soldiers who have already grown powerful and remain in this world will continue.

At that time, if the Demon Lord Kingdom is weakened, it will be resolved quickly. …But if it’s in perfect condition, it will draw out the conflict.

I am now in the most privileged position in the Demon Lord Kingdom. I can directly confront the Demon Lord and interfere with the governing…

Then what will I do without utilizing this? Is there no good way? A method to minimize sacrifices, or maximize their utilization, while avoiding suspicion and simultaneously driving another wedge into the Demon Lord Kingdom’s weaknesses—

Think! Use this naturally gifted, privileged brain to its fullest!

Now is the time to apply the knowledge given generously by my mother and tutor!!

—

“…Zilbagias?”

Finally, the Demon Lord voiced a note of suspicion.

…It’s reaching the limit.

I relax my shoulders.

“No, I apologize. I was lost in thought.”

“Hehe, that’s fine.”

The Demon Lord chuckled merrily at my composed face.

“I like your ‘thoughts.’ You always present ideas that surpass my imagination, surprising and entertaining me. I would love to peek inside your head and see what kind of thoughts are being formed—”

Good thing you don’t have that power.

“So, what were you thinking? Zilbagias.”

You’ll share it with me, right? The Demon Lord leaned forward, hands clasped on the desk.

“Yes. First regarding the matter of the governorship… I will humbly accept it.”

“Good, that is pleasing.”

“On that note—”

I licked my lips to moisten them. Now—

“I was thinking of managing the Autonomous District in a way somewhat different from my father.”

“Oh? How so?”

The Demon Lord was intrigued.

I met his gaze and declared.

“—I will treat humans as the lowest class, just above beastmen, but as actual citizens of the Demon Lord Kingdom.”

 

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