Why would a brave man...?
Are you going to try to defeat the Demon King...?

　At the young brave's question, Arantzill-san and Granbaza-sama raised their eyebrows at the same time.
　The question was so fundamental that they felt struck by the emptiness of the question.

''I was asked it before. Why would a brave man defeat the Demon King?　And.

　I've always wondered about it too.
　The clash between the heroic party and the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army for hundreds of years has been caused mainly by the Demon King.

　The heroes try to defeat the Demon King-sama.
　The Demon King's Army is trying to protect the Demon King.

　The two forces, whose objectives completely clash, have been fighting for that reason for a long time.

　There are surely not one or two people who feel that this is a ridiculous thing to do.
　Both the brave and the Four Heavenly Kings have been replaced many times in their long history, and I'm sure a large percentage of them have questioned the battle.

　Like me here, I come from the Demon King's army.
　I can't see what's going on in the enemy camp, the brave side.

　So in the past, I tried to ask the brave Radie, a good opportunity, but she was unable to answer.

''I........I thought it was obvious. I thought it was natural for a brave man to defeat the demon king because that's what he was supposed to do. But in fact, it can't be that way. You can't pride yourself on being a true brave man without knowing the true reason why a brave man would want to defeat the Demon King.

　So, I thought I'd ask the previous generation's heroes and the previous four heavenly kings who just happened to be gathered together.......

　Well, it's natural for the elders to know things, plus the two of you are very important figures representing the previous era.
　I can understand why you would want to ask them........

''Sorry, but I don't understand.

　Granbaza-sama answers and says.

The reason you guys are after the Demon King is just for your own reasons. In fact, I'd like to know why you are after the Demon King," he said. Why do you want to use the Demon King as your enemy?

　Granberza-sama's gaze turned to Aranziel-san.

　Indeed, if it comes to this, there is only this person who can be expected to give the correct answer.
　Only this person, a legendary figure on the human race side........

''........The Demon King is the pinnacle of evil, and all the plagues of the world have their roots in the Demon King.''

　Mr. Aranzir said slowly.

''Therefore, if the Demon King is defeated, all the plagues will disappear equally and an era of peace and prosperity will come. The brave men of the past have fought with this belief. That killing the Demon King is justice...
It's...!

　I was about to argue with him, but Mr. Arantzill's hand restrained me.

''Of course it's a construct. The longer you have been a brave man, the more you begin to realize the falsehood. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　In such a situation, Arantzill-san continued to be a brave man until he was seriously injured and retired because he had his own motivation to replace the false pretenses.

　His hatred for the demon tribe that took away his family drove him to fight against the demon tribe regardless of the pretense.

''Then, Arantzill-sama. What is the reason why the brave man wants to defeat the Demon King...?

　In response to a question from the young brave, the old brave answered.

'Power.'

　And.

''The Demon King is the most special being in this world. He possesses the greatest wisdom and power in the world. If we can defeat him and take away his power and wisdom, the human race will be able to develop further.
"For that reason...!　Is a brave man in conflict with the demons...?
Are you disillusioned?

　The young and idealistic Radie would find it hard to accept such selfish motives.

"It's true that it's too transparent, so the guild that dispatches the brave men has a good reason to send them out. That's the 'Demon King is evil' argument.

　A brave man marches in as a righteous man who defeats evil.
　The sordid truth behind it remains hidden.

'It didn't matter to me, though. I just wanted to take out my grief on the demons for the loss of my family. It didn't matter what I thought or how I really felt.
That's why it was so scary for us to stand there. Arantzill, who wanted to fight of his own free will, would have been the strongest and worst brave man alive.

　The horror of it all was something I realized, having actually stood on the battlefield.

　It's something strange, though, the more I know now that I had a hand in why Mr. Alanziel was fighting like a demon god.

''It's only now that I know that Dariel is alive and my vengeance has been quenched that I can ask him. ........What's really going on?

　Mr. Aranziel asks Lady Granberza.

''Is the Demon King as versatile as the Center Guild expects him to be?

　In other words, could it be a fact that the human race would become more prosperous if they defeated him and took away his wisdom and power?

　For the human race, the Demon King is an unknown entity.
　It's possible that their expectations are self-explanatory.

For example, magic is said to have been given to the demons by the demon king. I've heard that the people in the center guild believe that the magic belongs to the human race once the demon king is defeated.
You're being paranoid.
"Maybe. But it is possible that for those caught up in greed, delusion can outweigh reality.

　Sparks flew between Granbaza-sama and Arantzill-san.
　As expected of the rivals of yesteryear, the sharpness of the spirit they emit is still different.

　Granbaza-sama said with a deep sigh.

''To be honest, I don't know.

　And.

Magic is now so natural to the demons that they have been with us since birth. It has been with them since they were born, so much so that it is natural for them to use it.

　At least I was able to agree with what Granberza-sama said.

　That's why I was regarded as a heretic and ridiculed for not being able to use magic in the demon race society.

It's a good thing that the legend of the demon king gave magic to the demon race a long time ago is true. But this legendary fact existed long before I was born, so there's no way to know for sure if it's true or not.
'You didn't think he was going to say, "Is that for real? I can't just ask what it is...!

　I also nodded to Granberza-sama's explanation as a person from the Demon King's Army.

''Um........can I have a word?''

　Then, Radey timidly asks, "What's going on?

"Since a while ago, there's something........strange about the way you said it.......?
What?
''It's the Demon King. From the way you two talk, it sounds like the Demon King who gave you magic in the legends and the current Demon King are the same person...?
What's the matter?
What does it matter?　Legends talk about events at least hundreds of years ago, right?　If the Demon King in that legend and the current Demon King are the same, then that means he's been alive for hundreds of years!

　.........hmmm?
　Oh.

　I see, that's where the human race has a difference in perception from.
　I'll have to explain this place from scratch....

''Radie, the Demon King is, you know, an immortal.
What?
So they've been around for hundreds or even thousands of years. So it's not surprising that they're part of the legend.

　The look on Reedy's face when he told her this.
I didn't know that people's eyelids could open that wide! I'm sure it's a good idea.
　Arantzill, who was listening next to me, had a shocked look on his face.

''It sounds like a lie, but it's the truth. It's been hundreds of years since the Demon King's Army was established. During that time, there have been hundreds of hand craftsmen who have taken over the throne of the Four Heavenly Kings and replaced them, but during that time, there has always been one person who has reigned as the Demon King.
Oh, no...
''I can understand your disbelief. But at least since I took over as the Fourth Heavenly King more than 30 years ago, the Demon Lord was still the same Demon Lord. Incidentally, the previous Four Heavenly Kings, who retired in place of me, also said that the Demon Lord was still the same Demon Lord since the day he took office.

　Probably its predecessor, and its predecessor and its predecessor again....
　They must have prostrated themselves to the same Demon King all the way from the time they took office until they retired.

　They must have thought that the Demon King, like the heroes and the Four Heavenly Kings, had been replaced.
　I can't hide my confusion.

''It's a person who is that far removed from the norm. You can't help but think that no matter what great things he may have done in the past that we don't even know about, it's still possible for him to do it.
"Radey,

　I'll ask questions to Radie instead.
　To make him more aware of the Demon King's insanity.

''The brave men and the Demon King's army have been fighting for hundreds of years. You know that, don't you?
'Of course!　I've even sworn to put an end to that fight!

　It's admirable.
　Let's leave it at that and move on.

''Both the brave men and the Four Heavenly Kings have replaced each other hundreds of times and continued to fight. Depending on the generation, there may have been competent and incompetent brave men and women, as well as the Four Heavenly Kings. Even the Four Heavenly Kings.

　In such a series of games that spanned hundreds of generations, the winners and losers would always swing.
　Sometimes a brave man would win, and sometimes the Four Heavenly Kings would win.

''If the games were so repetitive, why do you think they're still going on today?''
What?
Because, you know what?　This battle is a battle of aiming and defending the Demon King. If the heroes break through the Four Heavenly Kings and reach the Demon King, isn't that the game that will be decided there?

　Nevertheless, the game between the brave men and the Four Heavenly Kings is still going on.
　No matter how many times the heroes win.

　Why is that?

''It's because the Demon King will win.
What?
''This is because any brave person who breaks through the Four Heavenly Kings and reaches the Demon King, without exception, will be crushed by the Demon King. So the match will not be won forever.

　If the Four Heavenly Kings win the match between the brave and the Four Heavenly Kings, the Center Guild will simply prepare and send in a new brave.

　If the heroes won the match between the brave and the Four Heavenly Kings, the heroes who reached the Demon King's doorstep would be crushed by the Demon King, and the Center Guild would simply prepare and send new heroes again.

''The skirmishes between the demon race and the human race in the last few hundred years have always been like that.

　The fierce battle between the strongest class of wizards and adventurers might just be a sideshow for that person to drown out their eternal boredom.

　That's the existence of the Demon Lord.