Even though it is still an early time of the day, I couldn’t feel energy from the people in the village.

It reminds me of the closed-off villages that are deep in the mountains.

“It is a village that makes me feel like they would tell me: ‘We can’t trust outsiders’.” (Maou)

“Y-Yes…my village has a tendency to hate outsiders.” (Aku)

So it really was the case… I was just speaking out the prejudiced pattern here though.

I was thinking about getting food and doing travelling expenses if there’s the chance, but it looks like it won’t go as I want.

“My house is over here. It might give you a bit of a bad experience, but please forgive me… I will be done soon.” (Aku)

Aku slides down my back, and begins to walk off while dragging his right leg.

Seeing that back figure of his made me feel sad. Aku probably couldn’t get a proper doctor to look at that injury.

While following after Aku, I look at the village without lowering my guard, and as expected, I couldn’t feel any modern culture from it.

(The houses are made straight out of wood, hardened clay, and there’s also some that have straw roofs.) (Maou)

The air-conditioning devices and antennas that would normally be present in Japan were nowhere to be seen here.

It once again reminded me that this is a completely different world from Japan.

I confirm my surroundings step by step, and a number of villagers entered my field of vision as we went by.

Maybe because of the game’s influence, I reflexively hide myself. In the game, you won’t pass a good time when found by other Players, so this is practically a work disease.

“Counterattack Stance, change — [Stealth Stance]” (Maou)

When I said these words, my body dims out as if it were blending with the scenery.

In the game, it dramatically reduced the detection rate of the opponent, but it also has a demerit of drastically reducing my attack and defense.

Confirming that my body has disappeared, I sigh in relief with hand on my chest.

I was a bit nervous inside, but seeing the reactions of the people around, it looks like they can’t see me at all.

With this much resemblance with the game, it instead feels scary.

Is this world able to make reality everything that was in the game?

In that case, I should try testing other things as well.

“Eh? Maou-sama?” (Aku)

As expected, Aku can’t see me either.

In this ideal moment, I would like to try something.

How will the [Whisper] I didn’t use much in the game fare here? This is a feature that allows one to leave messages between Players.

When the game began, there was obviously nothing like a smartphone. At those times, Whisper was a priceless treasure, but in the present days, it is a completely rusted feature already.

<<Whisper: To Aku — Can you hear me?>> (Maou)

<<…Hih! The sinister voice of Maou-sama is ringing in my head?!>> (Aku)

<<The sinister part was unnecessary. No need to worry about me. I am closeby.>> (Maou)

<<U-Understood.>> (Aku)

Looks like the Whisper feature is working.

Testing really does wonders. If I had continued being alone in the forest, there would be a lot of things I wouldn’t be able to learn about at all.

I might have to be more grateful to Aku…

(Anyways, my nerves are quite tough… Normally in this kind of situation, I think I would be shouting and crying.) (Maou)

Could it be that the owner of this body, Kunai himself, is dragging my very consciousness into himself too?

(Stop stop… What kind of horror movie is that.) (Maou)

Even though I thought about it myself, that was an incredibly…scary possibility.

I hurriedly shake my head to shake off my stupid imagination.

“Oi, trash human. Why are you here?!”

When I direct my eyes at the displeasing words, there were a number of villager-looking people pointing at Aku and shouting at him.

I can tell immediately without even thinking. These are the people that are bullying Aku. No, it might be the whole village.

“Trash human, don’t tell me…you ran away, right?!”

“Don’t mess around! What do you plan on doing if that Devil comes to our village?!”

“Do you understand the reason why we offered you as a sacrifice?!”

The things the villagers were shouting was making my head hurt.

What are they saying to a child? Are they even hearing themselves here?

Well, I do say that, but I am not a resident of this world at all, so it is pretty difficult to speak out about the circumstances of this world.

This might be a world that’s normal to have sacrifices offered to Devils. There’s plenty cases in modern times where there would be special traditions overseas, and also countries where their common sense is completely unthinkable to have in Japan.

(Even so…)

It is not pleasant to see adults blaming a child.

If I were to drag them away with me, would it turn into a ruckus?

—If you don’t like it, just purge them.

My back freezes at the voice that reverberated in my head.

I soon understood who it was. And the hard to bear pain that was coming from the middle finger of my right hand…

I reflexively hold my hand, and crouch in place.

My legs could not hold straight at this pain…!

—Dispose of the people that are classified as impertinent. I have that authority.

Don’t joke around… That was in the game.

Things like the purging or disposal of real people…there’s no way I can do that.

—What a strange thing to say. Aren’t you the one who created such a mad country in the game, in the system?

I couldn’t speak back at those words.

—You are the root of evil. If I am the Demon Lord, then you are the one who brings destruction to the whole world…

I hold the ring to an extent that it could crush the ring, and forcefully hold my voice.

This is all just an auditory hallucination! -Believing this, I close my eyes tightly. There’s been so many things happening, that I must definitely just be tired.

<<Aku, you can leave those guys and get your things.>> (Maou)

I waited for a bit, but there was no response.

I opened my eyes and saw the figure of Aku collapsed face up. The villagers seem to be speaking ill of him with foul words while raising their hands.

I couldn’t keep watching anymore and undo my Stealth Stance.

In an instant, the villagers begin to make a big ruckus. I suddenly appeared out of nowhere, so it is a natural reaction, but that confused state of them was quite the laughable sight.

“Aku, go get your luggage quickly.” (Maou)

“U-Understood…” (Aku)

Confirming that Aku was heading to his house while dragging his leg, I slowly light up my tobacco. In the time I was doing that, the villagers didn’t stop making noise, and their numbers were steadily increasing.

Normally, I should be asking them a variety of questions, but I didn’t feel like having a conversation with these people.

“Y-You, are you a Devil? Are you its subordinate?”

“Please don’t attack our village! We offered you a sacrifice!”

“This is not what we agreed! Even a Devil keeps their contract, right?!”

I think about the words of the villagers while puffing out smoke.

The promise with the Devil or the contract were words I was interested in. Though I am not really sure if the now deceased Devil had the intentions of keeping those.

Rather, wasn’t it trying to use the contract to bind the people?

“Sorry for the wait, Maou-sama!” (Aku)

“M-Maou?!”

“M-M-M-Maou!”

(Oi oi, don’t say unnecessary stuff!)

The words of Aku made the ruckus of the villagers increase in volume even more.

However, I don’t have the energy to clear the misunderstanding with people like this. Calling a child trash, offering him as sacrifice, and to top it off, the whole village bullies him.

Is there a need to even put energy with people like this? No, there’s none.

“I-I will go contact the feudal lord!”

Saying this, the man that seemed to be the one that made Aku fall runs off.

That face had a disgusting smile in it.

The man must have remembered something, he briefly returned to his house, and when he came out from it, he had something like a bag in his hand. Must be a bag for when he gets a reward.

My brows…unconsciously furrow.

As if resonating with my own emotions, the ring releases a strange light… But I didn’t feel like stopping it this time around.

My right hand stretches to the inner side of my coat, and throw a knife to the man’s house without difficulty.

Going exactly where I aimed, the knife is stabbed into the wall of the house, and a black flame gushes out from the blade. The wood house instantly got swept in flames, and covered in black smoke.

“T-The house…my house…!!”

“Ahahaha! No matter how many times I see it, fire really is great! Feels as if it washes my heart!” (Maou)

I was shocked by the words that suddenly came out from my mouth.

I hurriedly put Aku on my back…and escape from the place. If I let my body go along with this ring, I feel like things will get terrible.

(I ended up like an arsonist!)

With cold sweat flowing down, I begin to run full-throttle. The scenery sweeps by as if it were flying, and it felt as if only I was going in fast forward.

“M-Maou-sama! I-Is that okay?!” (Aku)

“Don’t misunderstand. That was a simple warning. I would say it is kindness instead. Yeah, it kinda feels that way!” (Maou)

My running legs won’t stop anymore.

My mouth that’s running off excuses isn’t stopping either.

“B-But…! I-It refreshed me a bit!” (Aku)

Saying this, Aku laughs.

This might be the first smile I have seen from him.

“R-Right?! Looks like kindness does transmit!” (Maou)

Those way too half-assed words were making me laugh.

By the time I noticed, the two of us were laughing out loud.

Looking up at the sky, the once bright sun was sinking, and the curtains of the night were about to fall. With this body that doesn’t know fatigue, I feel like I could run to infinity and beyond.

“Maou-sama, how far are you planning on going?!” (Aku)

Aku shouts within the blowing wind.

Before, his face had been showing gloominess every now and then, but now it was showing a shine that was fitting of his age. I unconsciously shout forgetting my own age.

“To the city, the so called Holy Capital!” (Maou)

And in this way, the journey of the Demon Lord-sama, who had turned into somewhat of an arsonist, and the bright Aku had begun.

The many incidents that the two of them would be causing will stir an uproar in the Holy Light Kingdom, but…that’s a story for a bit in the future.

□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□□　□　■　■　□　■　■　□　□

A part of the data is now available.

[Status]

The attack and defense being 1 is a number that the average human has.
Regardless if you are a child or an adult.
In other words, a number like 2 is double that of an average person. A 3 would be three times that, and when that reaches to numbers like 4 or 5…if it were to be put in modern time’s standard, it would be like that of an elite or olympic level athlete.

In this world, there’s quite the difference between 1 and 2, and in order to go a single number above, there’s a big wall. That might be what it is called as the ‘wall of talent’.

[Vitality]

It is used in a variety of ways, and things like magic cost vitality to cast.

In basis, you can move at full-power till it runs out.
If we talk about a warrior of the highest class, they would have around 50. This would allow them to move around in full power for approximately 2 hours.

Kunai’s vitality is 600.
In the game’s standpoint, he is supposed to always be able to move at full power.
He is a monster to the greatest extend and a Demon Lord.

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