I first whispered to Idria.

“Where are your other children?”

“I hid them somewhere your hands can’t reach. Don’t even think about looking for them.”

“Hmm.”

“The last time you saw them will probably be the last. I didn’t say goodbye, but that doesn’t matter, does it?”

“With my Eye of Omniscience, I could find them whenever I want.”

“……Don’t. Mide.”

Idria growled softly.

Considering even Velosian, couldn’t do anything to me, her voice almost sounded pitiful in a way.

I shrugged.

“I promise. As long as you don’t cross the line first, I won’t search for them.”

“Fine.”

“Now, that’s your seat over there. Follow me.”

Idria glanced at the seat meant for her and asked,

“You said there is no Append View or voice-amplifying spell yet, right?”

“Hm? Yeah.”

“In that case, before the official trial begins, there is something I want to say to you. I forgot to say it yesterday.”

“What is it?”

Idria spoke with a sincere voice.

“Thank you. Mide.”

“……?”

“Thanks to you, I get to live with my children. No more dying, no more running.”

“I didn’t do it for your sake.”

“That doesn’t matter. The result is that my wish was fulfilled.”

I let out a small laugh.

“Not like I feel honored getting thanks from a Demon King.”

“You are a twisted man.”

“And besides, things aren’t over yet. This first trial is just a warm up. Don’t let your guard down until the second trial ends.”

She answered in a serious tone.

“I know.”

The emperor began the Demon King Trial.

“As you all know, Hero Mide Mohan and the other heroes fought fiercely against the Demon King of Lies, Idria, and at last captured her. I have been informed of the Demon King Trial by the hero, and……”

His opening speech continued on for quite a while.

It was a bit boring, but it wasn’t the place to let my mind wander.

With a solemn expression, I listened closely to the emperor’s words.

About five minutes later.

“And so, I shall have the honor of presiding over the first Demon King Trial in history. First, the hero will recite the crimes of the Demon King. Everyone, listen carefully.”

The emperor looked at me.

My turn.

I lightly cleared my throat and spoke.

“First, I will state when the Demon King Idria first appeared in human history. It was before the Empire was founded, in other words, before the Demon King of Destruction even appeared.”

“…….”

“Before the Empire existed, the continent was in a chaotic era of countless small nations clashing with each other. During this time, Idria committed her first crime against humanity. That crime was……”

I began listing the secrets concerning Idria that I confirmed with my Eye of Omniscience, all in a calm tone.

Idria had been involved in the behind the scenes affairs of many small kingdoms before the Empire was born.

Someone not of royal blood ascending the throne.

Deceiving the high priest of a temple into giving a false prophecy.

Stealing numerous royal treasures and replacing them with fakes she made.

Honestly, up until the era before the Empire’s founding, her deeds were fairly “small” for a Demon King.

‘In human terms… was Idria still young back then?’

[There is that…… and also because I chased her down and killed her quickly.]

But once the Empire was founded, Idria’s actions gradually grew bolder.

Through repeated experience, she learned how to extract as much “lie” as possible before Bion killed her.

“After the Empire’s founding, Idria was involved in the following events. First, she stole the Hero’s Sword from the first hero, Grade, the founder of the Empire, and placed a fake Hero’s Sword in its place.”

“W-wait. Isn’t that from the era of the 4th hero, Padania?”

“In truth, long before Padania, the Hero’s Sword that everyone believed the Empire had been safeguarding was already a fake.”

“Ah… I see……”

“I understand how you feel, but please remain calm. I will continue.”

Naturally, many of Idria’s harvests of lies involved heroes.

Heroes were humanity’s hope and the center of everyone’s attention.

Any lie connected to a hero’s party would yield enormous results.

Trail had killed Idria as quickly as possible, but even in the brief time she had, she worked busily and efficiently.

Perhaps through building experience that way, she eventually came up with the idea: ‘A fake hero kills the Demon King.’

Anyway, I continued uprooting Idria’s lies from history.

Each time I exposed a lie, gasps and exclamations came from all over the audience.

“Aah.”

“That can’t be. That’s completely different from what we knew.”

“So you’re saying all the suffering Leon went through was because of Idria?”

“If Leon had fallen back then, what do you think would have happened? The world would have ended, that’s what.”

“Warrior Kadak left no descendants? Then what about the family claiming to be his bloodline now?”

“Scholars kept saying the reason for that territorial war was still a mystery, and this is why.”

The further my story progressed through the ages…

The more lies were revealed.

The darker and harsher the expressions in the audience became.

And the paler Idria’s face grew.

She spoke to me through soul link

[How long do I have to endure this?]

[Do you need to use the bathroom or something?]

[Don’t joke around. You’re breaking the lies I built up. My power is weakening.]

Right then, Neril’s voice chimed in as if waiting for that moment.

[We told you we would leave you the minimum lies you need to exist. And we agreed on which ones we wouldn’t reveal.]

[…….]

[Just hold on until you’re almost about to die, then speak again.]

Idria gave a tiny nod.

Well, I was nearly done anyway.

We had finally reached “the present.”

“Next, I will speak of the Martial King, a story I myself was involved in. Idria met with the Martial King Terce long ago and handed him the Gem of Desolation.”

“Ah.”

“The Martial King was already a man overflowing with greed, but Idria fanned that greed. The result is as you all know.”

I then recounted the ghost incident in Raynus Territory.

The incident with the Black Sun in the capital.

The crushing deaths in Hasphil, the poisoning in Atrium, the absorption in Gabriel Territory.

And even how she sent out Kaeld as a fake hero during the monster invasion.

“At this point, there is no need to elaborate further, but the individuals introduced as Kaeld’s party members during the monster invasion were all Demon King’s underlings.”

“I knew it.”

“That should cover it. Hey, Idria. Did I miss anything?”

By this time, Idria’s face was so pale she looked like she could cough up blood any moment.

It was because her power weakened as her lies were broken, but to the people, it looked like something else.

“Look at her face.”

“Of course she never imagined she would go through something like this.”

“The hero’s words are all true, she can’t refute anything.”

“Hah. Serves you right, Demon King.”

“Hero, please just kill that Demon King already.”

I spoke to Idria.

“Answer.”

“……What?”

“I asked if I missed anything.”

“No. You exposed all the lies I created.”

Right then…

Whish. Tak.

Something rolled to Idria’s feet.

It was a small stone.

“……?”

I tilted my head slightly.

Then…

Suddenly, man-made rain poured down.

From the audience, people picked up anything they could throw, stones, sickles, eggs… anything with weight and hurled it.

Right in a place presided over by the emperor!

“Watch your mouth! Who do you think you are to speak so casually to the Hero!”

“How dare you accept all that so calmly!”

“Get on the ground. Bow your head.”

“Die, hurry up and die.”

“Just die already! Please, just die!”

Well, this is unexpected.

Of course, the soldiers’ defensive line was set quite far from the trial stage.

Thanks to that, none of the things they threw reached Idria.

But I was still somewhat shocked by the scene.

I glanced toward where my party members were, and their expressions showed they were clearly flustered as well.

[Heh heh.]

Then I heard Idria’s laughter through her soul.

[What do you think, Mide?]

[Think about what?]

[Even in my current, infinitely weakened state, I could wipe out every human gathered here with a single finger.]

[…]

[The humans chattering over there surely know that too.]

She continued calmly.

[But just your presence here has made them so emboldened, hasn’t it? Reminds me of a little kid hiding behind his uncle, saying, “They hit me!”]

[…]

[These same people would pee themselves if they faced me one on one, but the moment they felt certain, “No matter what they do, the Hero will protect us,” look at them now.]

Her tone was quite cynical.

[You said you would focus humans’ negative energy on me to prevent the Demon King’s descent, right?]

[Yes, but…]

[The world you create will be a place where exactly these kinds of vermin live.]

[…]

[When there is no longer a threat to humanity, they will feel safe and freely display all their ugliness.]

[Enough. Stop it.]

[No one can kill me, no one can stop us. If humanity truly believes that, the world will perish, through human rampage.]

I scratched my ear.

[What, are you trying to make me change my mind by saying that? Your only way to survive will be through my method.]

[…]

[I already guessed it. In a world without the Demon King, it will surely be full of people like that.]

Idria’s mouth opened slightly at that.

She seemed rather surprised that I had predicted it.

[And knowing that, why…]

[You said that without the Demon King, human ugliness would be revealed. But I also believe humanity’s wisdom will reveal itself alongside.]

[What…]

[They will raise themselves to their own level. As ugly humans increase, wise and good humans will increase too.]

[Even seeing that, you say so?]

At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.

“Everyone, quiet down!”

The shout was so loud that everyone’s attention turned toward him.

I recognized him and couldn’t help being surprised.

‘That’s the innkeeper at the place we are staying!’

He strained his neck.

“What is this commotion in the presence of the Hero, the heroes, and His Majesty?!”

“W-who are you to interfere?”

“Isn’t this the moment to vent some frustration? Wasn’t this arranged so the Hero could do exactly that?”

“How can you forbid cursing someone who has committed so many crimes, that Demon King?”

The innkeeper shook his head and tried to say something more.

But then another person intervened.

He was the owner of the grocery store we restocked from whenever we visited the capital.

“This attitude seems inappropriate.”

“And you are…?”

“Remember what kind of occasion this is. This is a moment that will go down in history!”

At that, a few fell silent.

But many angry voices still remained.

“So what’s your point?”

“Do you really want history to remember us like this? ‘The Demon King trial was delayed because of the crowd’s commotion’?”

“……”

“I may be ignorant and know nothing of dignity, but I don’t want it recorded that way on this historic occasion.”

This time, even more people went silent.

Yet some still remained.

“Ha. Acting all high and mighty. Are you that perfect?”

“……”

“Could this be a spy for the Demon King? No, it’s obvious. Definitely a spy.”

I frowned.

Then another voice spoke.

He was the owner of the general goods store where we bought clothes and ropes.

“Damn it. Do you speak recklessly? Calling me a spy for the Demon King?”

“No, but just look at that guy’s attitude…”

“That’s exactly how the Demon King used to make us divide among ourselves. By that logic, you seem like the Demon King’s spy.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

“See? You feel insulted too, don’t you? That person felt exactly the same earlier. Put yourself in their shoes.”

Murmurs rose.

The crowd no longer spoke with one voice.

Neril spoke.

[The commotion among the capital’s observers is spreading across the entire continent.]

[Oh, really?]

[Yes. Is this okay? Can it stay like this?]

[It’s fine.]

[No. It’s still way too noisy.]

I chuckled softly.

[Noise is normal. Naturally.]

[…]

[It was strange to blindly follow someone like a God or a Hero anyway.]

[Hmm.]

[Well, I agree that we shouldn’t let this drag on too long.]

It’s time to step in.

Before that, I looked at Idria.

Her face was stiff as she stared back at me.

I said,

[Already speaking up, huh? Any other opinions?]

[Hmph. This only makes things more chaotic. Is a Chaos Demon King about to descend? Or a Splinter Demon King, perhaps.]

Right, the world of Impelium had already seen the Splinter Demon King’s descent.

Impelium had used my world as a role model.

High probability that, although I don’t remember, my world also had a Splinter Demon King.

But now and then, there’s a decisive difference.

[There is no more Demon King. No matter how fractured or chaotic things get, the Demon King will not descend. I will make sure of it.]

[…]

[That’s enough. That’s the limit of what I can do.]

[And after that?]

[After that, humans have to walk forward on their own. I’m retiring, so I can’t take responsibility for the aftermath.]

Idria didn’t answer at first.

But soon, in a slightly softer voice, she spoke.

[What kind of Hero is that?]

Not sarcastically, just a light, joking tone.

So I replied in kind, joking as well.

[I started out as a fake Hero.]

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