The Demon’s Offer
The name’s Ludaman. I was born the bastard son of a petty bandit and came to Labyrinth City to make a name for myself. It was all smooth sailing at first. They even started calling me the Plunderer King. But now…
“…I’m in a dungeon.”
As I sat grumbling on the dirty, stinkin’ floor, one o’ my henchmen stuck his ugly mug between the ceiling and me.
All of ’em have messed up their faces from using too much demonic potion.
“What’re we gonna do, boss?”
“Gettin’ into Violet’s not much better than public execution or the coal mines. We’ll just be human shields for fancy-pants nobles and knights.”
“So let’s make a break for it before they put them enslavement collars on us!”
“I can bend these bars no problem with my superhuman strength!”
“Yeah, exactly. We can fight unarmed just fine.”
I’d thought o’ that, too, of course.
But this dungeon was rigged up with magic-sapping magic circles.
My “Body Strengthening” and “Desperation” skills wouldn’t work here.
Not that we’d stand much of a chance busting out of this well-like place even if I could use my skills.
And even if we could, that “Hero’s follower” bastard already took our hideout.
We could break into a shop and steal some weapons and money, but where would we go? There was only the desert to the west or the monster territory to the south.
I didn’t think either of those would be any better than Violet or the coal mines.
“Just wait for the right moment.”
“What the hell’s the ‘right moment’ supposed to mean anyway?”
Kurse, my self-proclaimed “right-hand man” who’s always calling me “boss,” was givin’ me the stink eye.
So I grabbed his head and slammed it into the ground.
He flopped around, begging for mercy.
“You’ll know it when it happens.” I glared at my goons, speaking slowly. “We’ll hear from ’im soon enough.”
“Who? You mean that yellow-robed bastard?”
“You think demons are gonna come?”
“You idiots,” I snapped. “No, the guy who was making demonic potion with the ingredients he bought from us. The mastermind behind Sokell.”
The guy I’d sent to follow him got himself killed. His head actually got left on display in front of our hideout.
When we’d tried to sell our own demonic potions in the royal capital or the crossroads city of Kelton, the merchants got killed, too. The only place we got away with it was the trade city at the southern end of the royal family’s territory.
I didn’t know if they still needed us, but either way, I figured they’d contact us sooner or later.
Even as I thought about it, I heard the sound of the dungeon door being unlatched.
I knew it.
Then I heard footsteps.
Only one set.
The guards always moved in groups of two or more.
“Been waiting for ya.”
“Oh my, you say that as if you knew I would be coming, indeed.”
It was the old noble in green clothes.
I’d met him once before I became a plunderer, when I was doing dirty jobs in Labyrinth City.
If I remembered right, he was the rotten bastard who controlled the dark side of the royal capital’s highest nobles…
“…Count Poputema.”
“My son is the head of the family now, so I’m a former count, indeed. Nowadays many people call me by the charming title of Counselor Poputema, indeed.”
Poputema spoke like a weirdo, creepily ending all his sentences the same way.
The Poputema I knew was a much better speaker, his tone sharp as a razor.
Who the hell are you?
The words almost slipped out, but I stopped myself just in time.
If I said that out loud, there was no doubt the conversation would be over.
“Gotcha. Let’s cut to the chase, then, yeah?”
“You small fry are always so hasty, indeed.”
My idiotic henchmen all bristled at his rudeness.
Their growling and rattling at the bars would have frightened a weaker man, but this one’s face remained calm.
“Don’t gimme that. You’re the one who told us that Pendragon brat was coming to the guild, aren’t ya?”
Poputema didn’t answer. He just kept wearing that crescent-moon smile.
“I hear you succeeded in being sent to Violet, indeed. Are you pleased to serve as the disposable pawns of royal capital nobles, indeed?”
That really set off my goons.
They were playing right into his hands by getting riled up.
“Shut up! I don’t wanna hear another damn word from you lot till this conversation is over!”
I kicked an iron bar and shouted, which shut ’em all right up.
My top brass hadn’t made a sound for a while. They were simply watching in silence, keeping a shrewd eye on Poputema’s position.
If he came within reach, they would probably grab him and use him as a hostage.
“I was hoping to enjoy your rage and fear a little longer, indeed.”
Poputema shook his head with an infuriating expression.
“So? Did ya come here to silence us? Or to make a deal?”
“You misunderstand, indeed.”
Poputema fished around in his enormous sleeves.
“I am not the demonic-potion manufacturer, indeed.”
The hell is he doing here, then?
“There’s been less miasma than usual in Labyrinth City lately, indeed.”
“The hell is miasma? Make some sense, will ya?”
I jerked my head at him impatiently.
“I do so despise uneducated scum—Ah, here it is, indeed.”
Poputema produced some kind of green stone from his sleeve.
What the hell is that?
“A Summoning Pearl, indeed.”
The green pearl hit the ground and broke, black liquid seeping out of it and drawing an ominous magic circle.
“Indeed, indeed, I am here, indeed.”
A grotesque green creature emerged, speaking in the same bizarre way as that Poputema bastard.
He was like a giant eyeball with limbs, wings, and a tail.
“A d-demon?”
One of my henchmen who could use “Analyze” spoke up.
For a demon, he didn’t have a very intimidating presence. Must be a lesser one, then.
Which meant…
“So yer a friend of Yellow Robes?”
“I suppose you could say that, indeed. We have been sworn allies since ancient times, or perhaps I should say we’ve been stuck with each other, indeed.”
The eyeball demon cackled at Poputema’s words.
Ignoring his odd behavior, Poputema walked closer to the demon.
“Were you able to borrow from the pink one, indeed?”
“Indeed, indeed, of course, indeed.”
A black hole appeared next to the eyeball demon, and he pulled out a strange pink clump.
As soon as I saw it, my whole body seized up with fear, like something had grabbed ahold of my heart.
Shit.
That thing’s bad news.
Way worse than any stupid eyeball demon.
“The hell is that?”
“It feels good, indeed.”
I forced down my fear and glared at Poputema.
“Sliiiime!”
Our resident slime-loving idiot in the cell across from us grabbed the bars and bellowed.
Dumbass. Does that really seem like a slime to you?
“Oh dear. Do you really want this sphere that badly, indeed?”
“Gimme it! Gimme that slime!”
Poputema nodded at the eyeball demon.
“Hurryyy!”
“Stop! You idiot!”
Heedless of my shout, the slime lover grabbed the pink ball from the eyeball demon.
“We’ll be together forever.”
As he always did with slimes, he opened his mouth and swallowed it whole.
“Guh, it’s a feisty one…”
His stomach began to swell.
“Oogh… It’s movin’… Nnngh—”
The slime lover’s body lost its shape, turning to transparent pink goop.
Then the slime spread, starting to swallow up the other henchmen in the same cell.
“Gaaaah!”
“H-heeeelp!”
“Boooss!”
My henchmen reached through the bars, begging for help.
“Indeed, indeed, fear, indeed.”
The eyeball demon flew about, clapping his hands in delight.
Having absorbed all the prisoners in one cell, the slime began reaching its tentacles toward the lower cells.
“Boss, they’re still alive in there…”
My self-proclaimed right-hand man, Kurse, was right: Even as their skin began to dissolve in the slime, my henchmen were still struggling desperately.
“Of course they are, indeed. The pink sphere exists to wring pain, fear, and hatred out of living things, indeed. It can’t do that if it kills them, indeed.”
“Indeed, indeed, extraction, indeed!”
The eyeball demon flapped around next to Poputema.
“B-but why us?” one of my men cried out.
It was a good question: He could’ve just gone to the slums instead of coming all the way to the guild dungeon.
“Normal humans are too fragile, indeed.”
From the sound of things, the bastard had already tested it out.
“Since you’ve turned yourselves into half-monster freaks with demonic potions, you’re much heartier, and your souls are nice and rotten from preying on your fellow man, indeed.”
“Indeed, indeed, perfect, indeed!”
Half monsters, huh…?
I touched my warped face unconsciously.
“As they struggle inside the pink sphere, they’ll pollute Labyrinth City with miasma, indeed.”
“Indeed, indeed, fertilizer, indeed.”
The eyeball demon nodded enthusiastically.
I didn’t know what miasma was, but I could tell by looking at those guys that it couldn’t be good.
If we didn’t get away, I had a feeling that a truly horrible death awaited us.
“What’re ya gatherin’ this miasma stuff for? We can probably help ya.”
While I searched for some way out of here, I kept up the conversation so that he wouldn’t turn his slime thing on us.
“To bring about His Majesty’s second coming, of course, indeed. But I do not need your help to—”
Then Poputema paused, sinking into thought.
I didn’t know what he was talking about, but “His Majesty” usually meant some big shot, like a king.
What the hell was this “second coming,” though? Maybe he was setting up some trap for the Shigan king or something.
“…Your soul seems to be nice and dismal, indeed. The hatred is perhaps too strong but not half-bad overall, indeed.”
Whatever he was getting at, it sounded like I might be able to avoid getting swallowed by that slime thing.
“Do you have any of those, indeed?”
“Indeed, indeed, souvenir, indeed.”
The eyeball demon ceased his dancing and handed Poputema some kind of pouch.
“Not just a short horn but a long horn, too, indeed. Perfect, indeed.”
Poputema took a sinister-looking horn out of the pouch.
“I will give you options, indeed.”
He tossed the long horn to me.
I could probably use it as a weapon, but judging by how it felt when I caught it, it was probably some kind of magic tool or cursed item.
“What kinda choices?”
“It’s simple, indeed. You simply hold that horn to your forehead and speak a little password, indeed.”
“This some kinda enslavement collar?”
“How very rude, indeed. It is an artifact given to us by my god, indeed.”
An artifact?
No artifact this guy had could be anything good.
It was better than that pink sphere thing, but not by much.
“If you’re compatible, it will make you far stronger than any amount of demonic potion, indeed.”
“More than the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga?”
“With that horn, yes, indeed.”
I gazed at the horn in my hand.
It was a trap, no doubt about it.
But if I could be more powerful than the strongest swordsmen in the Shiga Kingdom…
My whole life had taught me that strength was everything, so I’d be lying if I said the offer wasn’t tempting.
“B-boss?”
I ignored my concerned-sounding subordinate’s voice, thinking.
Demonic potion already had side effects that made the user look less human.
If this horn made me more powerful than that, then I might lose my humanity entirely.
But even still…
It sounded much better than being eaten by that slime thing and being tortured alive until I eventually kicked the bucket.
“If you don’t wish to use it, you can make miasma for me in the pink sphere, indeed.”
Poputema challenged me as if reading my mind, so I sneered back at him.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“B-boss, no. You don’t want to do that…”
Ignoring my henchman, I jerked my chin at Poputema.
“Tell me the password.”
“Such excellent determination, indeed. Your nastiness is worthy of this horn, indeed.”
He had no right to talk with that smug look on his face.
“If you succeed in adapting to the horn and gaining its power, I shall even let you meet His Highness, indeed.”
“Hmph. Like I’d waste my time meeting some damn king.”
Rebelling against a king would be way more interesting.
It might be nice to go at it against the Eight Swordsmen of Shiga, too.
“Hurry up and tell me the password.”
“‘Take my loathing as thy provisions and grant me tyrannical power’—no, I suppose that’s too complicated for someone like you, indeed. ‘Turn my hatred into strength’ will suffice, indeed.”
“You sure know how to piss a guy off.”
I glared at Poputema, held the horn to my forehead, and repeated the bastard’s words.
The simpler version, obviously.
As soon as I was done, searing pain spread from my forehead throughout my body.
Every part of me seemed to pulsate, like I was tearing myself apart. I tried to distract myself by focusing on the cold of the ground.
“Guraaaarrrgh!”
An ear-piercing roar echoed through the dungeon.
“Now, evolve into a being that can destroy any opponent, indeed.”
My bones cracked and splintered, piercing through my skin as I became something inhuman.
“Aaaaaaahhhwwwrggghgh!”
I didn’t realize that the awful howl was coming from me until the pain finally started to subside.
Just as it faded, I felt a new sensation course through my body like a muddy stream.
Fear, rage, bitterness, envy, hatred, every kind of dark emotion threatened to consume my mind.
“LIIIiiiIIKE… HEEeeEELLLLLL!”
I fought back against the forces attempting to crush me and warp me into something else.
“You won’t get the best of the Plunderer King Ludaman!”
I howled at the dirty ceiling with all my might.
Finally, the still-pulsing flood of dark emotions retreated somewhere deep into my body.
“What a surprise, indeed. I never imagined you’d be able to retain a sense of self after using the long horn, indeed. What a happy miscalculation on my part, indeed. You really are demonic to the core—”
Poputema applauded as he stepped toward the jail.
Dumbass.
I shot out an arm, which had become sharp and swordlike.
The iron bars were sliced neatly in half, along with that bastard Poputema, whose body fell to the floor in two pieces.
I couldn’t help sneering at the laughable sight.
This feels good.
Enjoying the emotional rush, I looked to the sky and laughed.
“B-boss?”
“You turned into some kinda monster…”
“N-no, that’s a…demon…”
A demon?
I see. So I’ve been reborn as a demon.
Suddenly, I felt all-powerful.
“H-help!”
“Mr. Ludaman…”
My henchmen trembled as they looked at me fearfully.
Ahhh, now, that feels good.
I want to hear them scream…
“How violent, indeed.”
Startled, I turned toward the voice.
“How the hell are you still alive?”
“I—I am a part of a greater demon, you know, indeed. Even if this avatar is destroyed, I will just wake up in my own castle, indeed…”
Poputema coughed up blood as he muttered.
“…H-how strange, indeed. Why can I not discard this avatar, indeed?”
“Indeed, indeed, it’s obvious, indeed.”
Looking down at the confused Poputema, the eyeball demon cackled mockingly.
“…Now I remember, indeed.”
Poputema stared up at the lesser demon, then widened his eyes, still bleeding.
“I was abducted by a demon and—mind controlled? Or was my personality overwritten…?”
As Poputema murmured to himself vaguely, the light left his eyes.
“Indeed, indeed, such a fool, indeed.”
The eyeball demon waved his arm, and the pink slime swallowed up the two halves of Poputema’s corpse.
“Hey, Mr. Eyeball. Who’s this ‘His Majesty’ Poputema was talking about, huh?”
Even the king of a huge land like the Shiga Kingdom couldn’t turn someone into a demon.
“Indeed, indeed, it’s obvious, indeed.”
“Just tell me.”
The eyeball demon looked mocking, so I kicked him as I gave him an order.
I didn’t really need to ask, but I wanted to be sure.
“Indeed, indeed, His Majesty, indeed.”
Cackling, the eyeball demon landed on the pink ooze.
The slime reached up with a tentacle and ensnared him.
“Indeed, indeed, the demon lord—”
Before he could complete his sentence, the eyeball demon was pulled into the ooze and melted away into nothing.
I knew it. “His Majesty” was a demon lord.
“…Boss?”
Ignoring my henchman, I pushed out the bars that I’d already sliced up with my claws, picking up the pouch Poputema had dropped when I killed him.
I couldn’t hold it properly with my bladelike limbs, though, and several horns fell out of the ripped pouch.
There were more long horns like the one I’d used, as well as some shorter ones.
I picked up a few and looked around at my lackeys as they quaked in the cell.
Now, this could be fun.
I would rampage with the ones bold enough to follow, and any fools who couldn’t commit would be fed to the slime.
“What’s it gonna be?”
I held out the horn in my hand and challenged them.
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