We reached the 50th level.
This was a small, empty floor measuring just fifty meters on each side, unlike the previous ones.
Has there ever been a floor this small?
In fact, it felt unnatural. In the center of the room was a purple orb floating on a pedestal. And as before, there is a magic circle was generated around it. It makes me depressed to think that I will have to endure that pain again.
“Hoh~, it looks like someone else was here before us.”
“Someone else?”
At that moment, with the sound of clattering footsteps, Eva emerged from the dark corner of the room.
“It’s been a long time, Moore.”
“Yeah, it’s been a while. I’m glad you are doing well.”
Moore and Eva greeted each other lightly and looked our way. We are confused because we couldn’t grasp the current situation.
“Why are you here?”
“Don’t be so alarmed. I only come to ask you how resolved you are.”
“What do you mean by resolve?”
“I already know that you have broken the first barrier. But, do you truly understand the real meaning of breaking it?”
Real meaning? What does she mean by that?
I looked at Moore and the later just shook his head in exasperation.
“Eva, you are one of the Four Demon Kings, aren’t you? You are not opposed to removing the barrier, are you? A second betrayal will not be tolerated.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to betray or anything. I’m just saying that I don’t agree with releasing those people without him being informed of anything.”
Moore scratches his head and wrinkles his brows.
“Hmm, I understand what you’re trying to say. But if Shinichi becomes a god, he’ll know about it whether he likes it or not. As for explaining it to him, it’s just a matter of whether it’s sooner or later. After all, the choice has already been made.”
“You are still as selfish as ever, and you don’t care about others. What have we learned in the last millennium?”
“Why, this old hag! You’re the one who says whatever you want without even considering my feelings. It’s been that way since the old days. You’re arrogant and quick to point out small things, and it seems your personality hasn’t changed.”
The two of them glared at each other while holding their fists. But in the end, they sighed at each other and put their fists down.
“Do as you like. I don’t have the strength to argue with you anymore.”
“Hmph! After a thousand years, you finally realized your stupidity.”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I’ve waited too long.”
After a few conversations between the two of them, Moore rolls on the floor and slept in sulk. Eva muttered, “You fool!” at the sight of him. Then she approached me.
“Leave that selfish old man alone. I will explain everything to you.”
“I’m grateful for that…… but you two seem pretty close.”
Eva chuckled at my words.
“It’s nothing. He was my husband.”
H-husband!?
All of us were so surprised that we broke out into a cold sweat.
Erna spoke in disbelief.
“B-but…. Moore-sama had twelve wives but I don’t think Eva-san’s name was among them……”
“I know that very well. His first wife was Maria. Elise is next. I’m his third wife. But at that time, I’m known as Lily so there should be no mention of the name Eva in the records.”
I see. As a young man, Moore was very energetic. It’s scary that he would even take a demon as a wife. When I looked at him, I saw that he was farting while scratching his buttocks.
“He may be an old man now, but he used to be a good-looking, reliable man. That’s what I fell in love with him, but now he’s nothing but trash.”
「「「「「 Trash?」」」」」
It sounds like a terrible thing to say. However, is this what an old couple looks like?
“He’s changed a lot since he lost Maria. To think that he went all the way to the deepest level of the Great Dungeon to bring the dead back to life. What a foolish man he is.”
“So, the person he wants to bring back to life is the woman called Maria?”
“…………”
Eva went silent for a moment. Should I say silence means yes?
“If that fool hadn’t changed his mind, he would still be working to achieve that goal. That’s why he deliberately hid the secret of the bottom level from you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Someone at the bottom level offered him a deal. It was for him to remove the two barriers in exchange for bringing Maria back to life. I can’t believe he still hasn’t given up after a thousand years.”
She said as she gave Moore a sidelong glance. On the other hand, Moore blurted out, “Heh, I’m a selfish man anyway”, without looking at me.
If that’s the case, then Moore had another reason for taking us to the bottom level besides what the God Tree had asked him to do.
What kind of being made a deal with him? And why does he want the barrier lifted?
“You have already peeked at my status, haven’t you?”
“Well, only once though…”
“As you already know, I wish for the resurrection of the God of Destruction. That’s because I am his loyal servant.”
Suddenly, the words of the God Tree crossed my mind.
“The subordinates of the God of Destruction, who once fought the gods, are also sealed on this planet.”
That’s right, the subordinates of the God of Destruction are also sealed on this planet.
Then, where are they? Are they still sealed?
The answer to that was already out. They are probably at the bottom level of the Mohed Great Dungeon.
“The Four Demon Kings were created by the Lord, and we are his loyal and strongest subordinates. They are the absolute rulers of demons and monsters, commanding an army of tens of thousands. You are about to unleash them onto the world once again.”
“But I heard that the three demon king died in the last great war.”
“That can’t be true. The true forms of the Four Demon King, including myself, are still alive and well. What was destroyed was merely a fake created by a skill. They are nothing more than a shadow in the sun.”
I see. That’s how it is huh. I’m convinced. The subordinates of the God of Destruction are still inside the barrier. And so, using their clone, they managed to slip through the “net” that the main body couldn’t cross and made it onto the surface. As a result, the Great War between Humans and Demons began. The Demon Kings killed the sacred beasts and planned to release themselves and the God of Destruction by breaking the barrier. It feels like the story is finally coming together now.
“If that’s the case, isn’t it a big problem to break the barrier?”
“No, I don’t think what you’re thinking will happen. In the first place, we, subordinates, only wish for the resurrection of the God of Destruction. We don’t have any particular interest or attachment to the mundane world. We just don’t like the idea of our Lord being sealed away by the righteous gods.”
As she said this, Eva’s eyes were stained with anger. In other words, even if the Demon Kings break out of the barrier, they are unlikely to harm humans on the surface. In fact, I felt like I could even draw them into our side. The enemy of your enemy is also called your friend. If the Demon Kings hated the gods, we may be able to form some kind of alliance to defeat Gohma.
“I mean, that shouldn’t be the case if you become the God of Destruction.”
“Please explain it more clearly.”
“We, Demon Kings, serve the God of Destruction. So, if you become the next God of Destruction, we will naturally become your subordinates. However, it depends more on whether or not you can really become a god. And no matter how much we want our Lord resurrected, I don’t think they’re willing to give up the Lord.”
Eva smiled, “That’s why it is necessary to explain this beforehand.”
I finally understood. She had come to warn me of the presence of demon kings who would be in my way. Certainly, if I hadn’t been told this first, I might lose my head later.
I looked over at Moore, who was sitting cross-legged and facing me.
“I’m not trying to deceive you or anything. I didn’t have to tell you in advance because I was planning to get between you and the Demon Kings and make things work behind the scenes. Unnecessary knowledge would only cloud your eyes.”
“What are you talking about, you old fool? You were probably planning to sell these guys out to the Demon Kings anyway.”
“There’s no way I’ll do that. I’m not that cruel. You’re complaining just because I left out a few explanations, you old hag.”
Seeing the two of them fighting each other makes me think that they are still on good terms. However, I would like to decide on what to do with the barrier sooner.
Erna and the others are tired of their squabble so they spread out their playing cards and played a game of concentration.
“This and this! I win!”
“Oh my gosh, was it there?”
“Look closely. This elf has scratched the cards.”
“How sneaky! Ten points deduction for cheating!”
It looks fun, so I want to join in. But I can’t just leave Moore and Eva to keep on fighting. As it’s getting more troublesome, I’ll just decide on my own.
I stepped into the magic circle and walks to the orb. Gravity and severe pain weighed on my bones making it creak. It’s already my second time. I know how much damage it can do so it wasn’t that hard now. I have to break the barrier anyway. In that case, it’s better to get it done quickly.
“Phew, I managed to endure it huh.”
I exhaled heavily as I reached the orb. Moore and my comrades didn’t seem to notice this. In terms of time, it all happened in a matter of minutes. Well, that’s to be expected, I guess. As I picked up the orb, the magic circle disappeared.
Eva, who had sensed what has happened, widened her eyes.
“The barrier has been lifted……?”
“Mmm, I decided to get it done while you guys were fighting.”
“I see…… This means that my role here is over.”
“Role?”
“The reason why I came to this world was to eliminate the Sacred Beast and break the barrier. Now the Sacred Beasts are already our ally and all the barriers have been lifted. There was nothing more to do. I can now rest in peace in the human world.”
Eva smiles gently, as if she has been liberated from a curse. Unexpectedly, my heart started to flutter. Moore must have been struck by her smile as well.
“By the way, do clones have a lifespan?”
“More or less, yes. I heard that it varies greatly depending on the main body. In my case, it is around 10,000 years.”
10,000 years!? What a long time!
I was so surprised that I couldn’t close my open mouth. That’s when Moore butt in.
“You’ve successfully broken the barrier huh. My long-cherished wish will now come true.”
“Hmph! What are you trying to achieve by reviving Maria now? Do you really think she’ll still love you when you’re old?”
“So annoying. This is my only goal now. I have nothing else.”
“You’ve really fallen to the bottom, Moore. Trying to get that girl back just to live. Huh! I can’t believe you’re the man who once shone as the great mage.”
“What do you mean? Say it again, old hag.”
“I’ll tell you as much as you want, you old bastard.”
The mood was getting worse again, so I stepped in to calm them down. It’s also a problem that they get along too well. No, wait… I wonder if it was right to say that this is really a good relationship. It’s possible that I just assumed that and they really hate each other so much that they don’t even want to see each other eye to eye.
“I’ve told you what needs to be told. I’m going back to the surface.”
“Is that really all that you came here for?”
“I don’t mind going to the bottom level with you, but I don’t want to meet the main body if possible. And please don’t equate me with the main body. We’ve been separated for thousands of years, so there should be big differences in our personalities.”
I nodded at Eva’s words. I guess she wants to tell me not to treat the main body in the same way as I treat her. Saying goodbye, Eva made her way to the staircase that led upstairs.
Moore calls out to her back.
“When we get back to the surface, shall we have a drink together once in a while?”
“Another silly old story? Hah! Never mind. I’ll only put up with your whining.”
She walked up the stairs without looking back. Moore continued to stare blankly at the stairs.
After that, we set off for the fifty-first level.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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