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CHAPTER 2: ROB'S HALF-LIFE

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*****

「What kind of being was the Demon King?」

「—'Absolute Evil.' He, and he alone, was an evil against every living thing.」

Rob spoke with absolute conviction, answering Arcelia's question without a moment's hesitation.

「Negotiation was impossible, let alone coexistence. No—even trying was a waste of time. There were nobles who turned traitor and those who pushed for peace. But in the end, everything was overturned, and they all died in despair. The Demon King and those who became demons killed for the sake of killing and raped for the sake of raping. There was no meaning behind it. Dominion was merely a means for further slaughter, pillaging, and violation; they had no intention of governing. They were beings that existed solely to scatter destruction and ruin.」

Everyone listened to Rob's words with solemn attention.

There was nothing particularly outstanding or martially imposing about Rob’s appearance or aura. He looked like the sort of man who would blend into the crowd if he walked through town in everyday clothes. His speech wasn't especially refined, nor did he possess any sort of obvious charisma.

However, the words concerning the Demon King spoken by this man—who seemed like a common soldier—held a unique, palpable tension. The weight of fifteen years spent fighting the Demon King, the memories of the countless dead he had passed along the way, and the simple fact that he had shouldered all of it to defeat the Demon King gave his words an undeniable power.

「—Then, would you say that you, as the one who defeated the Demon King, possessed 'Absolute Justice'?」

Rob looked momentarily blank. Then, he shifted his gaze toward Arcelia’s hands; she was sitting perched on the very edge of the sofa, her back ramrod straight.

「...Who came up with that question? It's a pain to answer. Certainly, I believe defeating the Demon King was an act of absolute justice. But that doesn't mean everything about me is 'justice.'」

It was a question that seemed designed to test his ideology, yet Rob answered it with ease. When a trap is that transparent, it's hard to even get angry. Arcelia looked slightly awkward.

She had simply asked the question exactly as it appeared in the records on her book-like magical terminal, but her delivery had been somewhat poor.

Arcelia cleared her throat and fixed Rob with her large eyes once more.

「Thith ith... This is one of the regulations necessary for the Alliance to accept you...」

Rob couldn't help it; a snort of laughter escaped him.

It was a painfully obvious, by-the-book response, and she had fumbled her words at the most exquisite moment. Seeing the serious, fairy-like Arcelia do that with a straight face was more than he could bear. Even the familiars and sprites listening intently to their conversation seemed to wear somewhat amused expressions.

「...Therefore, the Alliance has no issue with designating the 'Demon King' as Absolute Evil.」

As Arcelia managed to stumble through the rest of her explanation, Rob’s expression softened into that of a parent bird watching a fledgling leave the nest. Of course, he was still listening properly.

The term 'Demon King' here was neither a title for the ruler of demons nor a slur for an enemy.

It referred to something born one day somewhere in the world that slowly, steadily expanded. It would swallow the earth, people, and animals—then islands, continents, and oceans—consuming an entire planet before expanding further. Eventually, it would even contaminate the gods, cause the world to collapse, and then abruptly vanish.

That was the entity known as a 'Demon King,' which the Interdimensional Alliance had designated as a target for total extermination.

「Heh... So he was that dangerous, was he?」

For the first time that day, Rob learned the true nature of the being he had called the Demon King.

「We do not know where a Demon King goes after a world is annihilated. We do not even know if they are alive or dead.」

That was exactly why they were conducting this interview—to use Rob’s experience as an aid in their research into Demon Kings.

「Now then, I shall proceed to the next question. First, please tell me about your life before your reincarnation and summons.」

「Let's see... I think I was a university student, about two months away from graduation. The Lehman Shock happened while I was job hunting, and the economy tanked again. Since I’d been taking my time with my job search like an idiot, I naturally didn't have any offers. That day, I’d failed another interview. I went home, knocked back some cheap booze, and since I had another interview the next day, I went to take a shower while still drunk. Then my heart started hurting, and the next thing I knew, I’d been reincarnated.」

Tayama Routa. No girlfriend. He wasn't so shiftless as to be called lazy, but he certainly wasn't diligent; he was a man who had perfectly followed the typical pattern of failures university students tend to make.

Arcelia didn't look down on that life; instead, she asked Rob about the period surrounding his reincarnation.

「I was called by someone while I was half-asleep, half-awake. When I answered and came to my senses, I was a child of about seven. It was like my sense of self woke up, as if I were waking from a dream. I had faint memories of things up to that point. It was definitely me. It felt like an amnesiac version of myself had been living for seven years.」

Rob spoke in snatches as he searched his memories.

「When I woke up, I was a seven-year-old kid in an orphanage. As I gradually understood my surroundings, I became desperate. Back then, that orphanage had close ties to the Slavers Guild. By age twelve, you either went somewhere as an apprentice or you went to the Church. If you couldn't do that, you had to save five silver coins and become an adventurer. If you failed at all that, you fell into slavery. Every year, about half the kids ended up as slaves. Since I had a terrible affinity for magic, I was headed for the slave block. I polished my Gift—my extraordinary ability—as hard as I could. In secret, of course.」

Everyone listened intently to the early life of the Hero who had defeated the Demon King. Arcelia would ask, and Rob would answer.

In this manner, Rob finished recounting the bulk of his life five days later.

「...And so, taking advantage of the fact that the Demon King had us cornered, I had slavery abolished and gave guns to civilians, not just the royals and nobles. We pushed back bit by bit with a total national mobilization, and finally, we managed to subjugate the Demon King. Well, the Demon King contaminated half the continent at the very end, so we had a rough time after the war. The rest, well, you know how that goes.」

Of course, they hadn't been talking for five days straight; it had taken that long because they only spoke for a few hours every night after dinner.

「—Thank you very much. If you would like, I would be honored to hold a small welcome party for you tomorrow evening in the second-floor common space. Would you be willing to attend?」

Cubus the conductor visited the compartment just as the story was finishing and made the suggestion.

「I don't have much in the way of manners or etiquette, but if you're fine with that, then sure.」

When Rob agreed, Cubus gave a slight bow, expressed his thanks, and left the room. On the other hand, the familiars and sprites were overjoyed that Rob had accepted, dancing and flitting about in excitement.

The following evening.

As promised to Cubus, Rob stepped into the second-floor common space for the first time—and was taken aback.

There were many people in a space that could only be described as a high-end, members-only salon. There were the admiring murmurs of adults and a scattered round of applause. There were the cheers of young children and their sparkling gazes.

The races were diverse; there were humans like Rob, as well as Elves, Dwarves, and Beastmen. There were even information-based lifeforms that looked like spirits or holograms, and mechanical people—yet every single one of them was clearly part of the wealthy elite.

(Ah, I’m definitely out of my league here,) Rob thought, a dry smile almost forming on his face, but he suppressed it when the children stood before him.

「—We offer our heartfelt praise for your great achievement.」

A bouquet was offered along with the lisping blessing. Along with it came countless gazes filled with respect. Rob felt embarrassed yet proud as he thanked them and accepted the flowers.

Two hours later.

He was offered alcohol by humans, praised with noble words by Elves, and begged by Dwarves to show them the gun at his hip. Those who had no physical or biological commonalities with him kept their distance, but they were deeply moved to be in the presence of a real Hero, or were marvelling at the secrets of his strength they read from his skeletal structure. It had turned into quite an enjoyable night.

「Just because it's offered doesn't mean you have to drink it all. You're being unsightly.」

「Good booze... isn't bad... for the body... so it's fine.」

The happily drunk Rob was dragged back to his compartment by Arcelia.

***

『—We will soon arrive at Marsus, United States of Ardonne, Fulgas Continent, World Number 78.』

Rob woke up to Cubus's clear on-board announcement. It was likely close to noon. About five days had passed since the welcome party; Rob had grown accustomed to the environment of the Interdimensional Train and was settling into a slightly shiftless lifestyle of staying up late and sleeping in.

When Rob climbed down the ladder with sleep-filled eyes, Arcelia was already sitting there sipping coffee. Rob's nose twitched at the fragrant aroma, and just as he thought he’d like some too, his eyes narrowed as he looked out the large compartment window.

Sunlight and blue sky, after so long. As Rob’s squinting eyes adjusted to the sunlight, they gradually grew wide.

Stone walls and streets spiraled into a vast sphere, floating in mid-air. Each appeared to be a mooring point; winged ships, giant flying stone statues, airships covered in gears, and dragons with crystal wings were tied up there. Sailors, crew, passengers, and merchants bustled along the spiraling streets. A massive mirror in the center seemed to be a teleporter, with people constantly entering and exiting.

This was an advanced world belonging to the Interdimensional Alliance. It was one manifestation of the pinnacle of civilization.

*****

Have you ever dreamed of crossover between all the story you have ever read?
This one feels like that.

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