Chapter 410
[…Unbelievable.]
The 2nd-realm being let out a sound of surprise.
[All of humanity has shared the responsibility, and the price you must pay has been lessened.]
“!!”
[Of course, you will still have to pay a massive price.]
Chris swallowed hard.
[You must pay with your ‘authority’. You will lose your qualification as a Great Being and return to the quality of a mortal.]
Loss of quality!!
It was a great price.
For the great beings of Gehenna or the Celestial Realm, it was a fate so terrible that annihilation would have been preferable.
It was a price on a similar level to offering one’s soul, but.
‘…This is actually good?’
Chris swallowed hard.
It meant that he would return to being a high 9-Star, not a 10-Star.
‘I was wondering how I could return to being a human, anyway.’
The moment he had become a perfect 10-Star, he had transcended humanity.
He wore the guise of a human, but he had become an existence that could no longer be called human.
It was not what he had wished for.
He wanted to feel the joys and sorrows of life as a human and enjoy wealth and glory.
‘Most of all, I don’t have the confidence to maintain a proper human mind while remaining a 10-Star.’
It was fine now.
But could he remain unchanged after decades, or even over 100 years, in a state that had completely transcended humanity?
The reason the Magus Chancellor and the Magus Emperor had crossed the line so terribly might have been because they had transcended humanity at 10-Star.
[Furthermore, there is more. We, the 2nd-realm beings, will bear the insufficient price, so from now on, you, as the king of men, shall restore the shattered balance of the world.]
“…I understand.”
Chris wore a reluctant expression.
He had been saddled with an unwanted duty.
But it was a task that only Chris could do.
Then, the 2nd-realm being disappeared, and the party, including Evan, approached Chris.
Chris gave them a wide grin.
“It’s finally over.”
Yes.
Everything had come to an end.
It was the beginning of a new era.
***
Since that day, various changes had occurred in the world.
Nordian became the new emperor of the Magus Empire.
The appearance of the Magus Empire changed in many ways.
They calmed their hostility toward the Alliance and decided to move forward as coexisting partners.
The same was true for the Alliance.
Whether it was the Holy Empire, the Golden Cross, or the Karn Empire, they decided to stop their disputes with the Magus Empire and move toward the future.
It was an astonishing event.
That this was possible was because of one being.
The king of men, Christian.
He had stood tall from above and orchestrated all of this.
“It’s all thanks to the Demon King of Contempt.”
“If it weren’t for the Demon King of Contempt, what would have become of us?”
“Wait, watch your words. Calling him a Demon King. He is the Hero of our Alliance.”
“What Hero? He is the great Demon King of our Magus Empire.”
“He’s not a Demon King, he’s the Hero!!”
Although there was such bickering, there was something that everyone acknowledged in common.
That Christian was the benefactor of the world.
Meanwhile, as for how that great Christian was doing after stopping the ruin of the world….
‘…Ah, I’m so tired. Why can’t I be happy?’
He was swamped with work.
‘Why is there so much to do!! That damned Magus Emperor, that damned Magus Chancellor, those damned Mystic Demonic House bastards!’
The mess they had left in the world was substantial.
First, politically, he had to resolve the problems of the Alliance, which had suffered immense damage from them.
Besides that, there were many instances where the positions of the Magus Empire and the Alliance were in conflict, and there was no one but Chris to mediate.
In addition to that, the fact that the boundaries of the three realms were on the verge of collapsing was also a big problem.
It would probably take decades of working day and night to restore it to its original state.
‘Ugh!! I want to have fun! I want to have fun!! Where has my life of debauched wealth and glory gone?! What’s the point of having money! If I can’t even use it!’
The fact that he had money was also a bit ambiguous.
He was the king of all humanity.
That meant he did not own any particular country.
Everything in this mortal realm could be said to be his, but strictly speaking, it felt like nothing was truly his?
‘It’s just a title with no substance!’
Of course, it wasn’t that he felt lacking.
If there was anything he desired, it would be supplied to him.
‘Still, this is different from what I wanted!’
He let out a heavy sigh.
‘I still can’t even drink.’
His current state was that of a high 9-Star.
Absurdly enough, even as a high 9-Star, his constitution that couldn't handle alcohol remained the same.
To the point where he wondered if this was a heavenly punishment.
—…I’ll try to find a way to cure your alcohol intolerance somehow.
Chris frowned as he recalled what Maris had said.
He wondered how long it would take, and if it was even possible.
And there was an even bigger problem.
—Instead, if I solve your alcohol intolerance, you have to grant me one request.
Chris wore a flustered expression as he recalled the ‘request’ Maris had made.
‘What should I do?’
An unusually troubled atmosphere, different from his usual self who would find a solution to any problem with the sharpness of a knife.
Yes.
Chris was currently facing a huge obstacle.
An obstacle that might be even more difficult to overcome than the Magus Emperor or the great beings of the Dark Heaven.
—I like you.
Chris’s face turned beet red as he recalled what Maris had said.
‘No, what am I supposed to do if you suddenly say something like that.’
The problem was that it wasn’t just Maris.
It had started with the Demon King of Silver Snow.
—I want to try dating, too! Let’s try dating!
—…You shameless Demon King. Stop spouting nonsense to my grandson and come here.
The incident with the Demon King of Silver Snow’s confession had fizzled out as Nordian dragged her away, but it had caused an unexpected ripple effect.
It had made those who had been quietly hiding their feelings begin to move actively.
—I don’t know who might snatch him away if I just stand by!
With this thought in mind, everyone, without exception, began to approach Chris.
“Your Majesty, Lady Marie has arrived.”
“*Hiccup*.”
Chris hiccuped.
For reference, Marie, by becoming one with the Magus Empress completely, had escaped her state as a spiritual entity, a ghost, and had gained a living body.
It wasn't just her physical body that had changed.
“Your Majesty, I have missed you.”
“…I-I missed you, too.”
“Have you been avoiding me all this time? This girl was very hurt.”
As Marie approached, her innocent face and moist eyes made Chris take a step back.
If she had been mostly playful before, such lightheartedness could not be found in Marie now.
She was approaching Chris with genuine sincerity.
And Chris was very vulnerable to this kind of approach.
‘I don’t know much about these kinds of problems!’
An unexpected side of him.
When he thought about it, it was only natural.
In both his past life and his current life, he had no connection with the opposite sex.
It was an unknown territory.
“So there is something Your Majesty cannot do.”
Alros, who was doing paperwork next to him, sneered.
For reference, Alros had an unexpected talent for civil official work and was currently suffering by Chris’s side.
Perhaps because he had a lot pent up from having to work so hard that he couldn’t even sleep, he could be heard muttering like this.
“Some people haven’t even held hands, let alone dated, while some are in a flower garden. Ruin, O world.”
Although he could hear everything, he had no time to punish Alros.
An even more formidable opponent had appeared.
“What do you think you’re doing to my friend Christian, ghost? Do you want to die?”
A voice full of a chilling coldness.
It was Idrinne!
But Marie was no pushover, either.
“Ohoho, a mere friend should step aside. His Majesty and I were in the middle of a communication to advance to a deeper relationship.”
“…I am not a mere friend. We will become something much deeper… that is, a relationship beyond friends.”
“Huhu, you have big dreams. I hope you continue to dream on forever.”
Idrinne’s face grew even colder.
Chris felt his heart pound with anxiety.
Idrinne being a goofy idiot was something limited to when she was with Chris; to others, she was a being who reigned with terror.
And then, something happened to worsen the situation.
Hwik!
The empty air distorted, and a nine-tailed fox appeared through spatial movement and jumped onto Chris’s shoulder.
It was the Dark Chatterbox, Lena!
Lena had been receiving treatment for a long time after her soul was damaged during the incident with the Mystic Demonic House.
Since her condition was not perfect, she often spent her time in her fox form, and so she stuck close to Chris as if she had become his pet.
‘…But isn’t she all better now? Why is she still in her fox form?’
Idrinne and Marie’s faces turned fierce.
“Ohoho. This lowly creature keeps wagging its tail at my dear husband.”
“If you do not wish to die, get away from Christian at once, you wicked fox.”
However, Lena acted as if she hadn’t heard them and yawned, then even stuck out her tongue and licked Chris’s shoulder.
It was a natural action for a pet, but the two did not take it that way at all.
Sparks flew from their eyes, and a faint sneer could be seen flashing across Lena’s lips.
“How dare you!!”
“Get away!!”
Pajijijik!!
Hwaaaaat!!
An immense energy surged from Marie and Idrinne’s hands.
Both of them were 9-Star Demon Kings.
Chris’s face turned pale, and Alros shook his head from the side.
“If the castle collapses again, it’s a budget cut, Your Majesty.”
And what's more, Chris’s ordeal was not over.
“What is everyone doing? Get away from my brother at once!”
A sharp voice, no less than the ones before.
It was the Pontiff of the Golden Cross, Olivia!
She had reunited with Chris after everything was over and had learned of his true identity.
Afterward, she had stayed by his side as his younger sister, but the problem was that it was a bit excessive.
“I will never give my brother to the likes of you, so all of you, get lost.”
Of course, they were not the kind to back down so easily.
“Ohoho, little sister. It seems you are the one who does not know her place.”
“I, too, cannot acknowledge you as Christian’s sister.”
[Nyaa, Christian is mine, though?]
Olivia frowned, and hwaaaaat! the wings of the Celestial Realm spread out behind her.
A touch-and-go situation.
Just then, a voice that would be Chris’s salvation appeared.
“…Everyone, shut up. Christian belongs to no one.”
It was Evan!
Evan had become his knight.
…Of course, now that there was no one who could harm Christian, his main duty was to stop them.
The problem was that even Evan was no match for them.
He was outnumbered.
“…I don’t know. Please take care of it yourself, Your Majesty.”
Alros stealthily slipped away, and Chris, in the end, swallowed hard and made a decision.
“…Evan, I’m counting on you.”
…To run.
“Christian!!!”
“No! Catch him!!”
“Stop!!”
‘Save me!!’
Leaving the rest to Evan, Christian fled in a hurry.
‘Forget dating or anything else, for now, I just want to enjoy wealth and glory!!’
As if to bless him, the bright sunlight shone down.
A peaceful.
It was a scene from a new era.
<The End>