The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 5 - Chapter 63

CHAPTER 63

The Ex-Demon Lord and the Dark Side of Humanity, Part I

The glowing streetlights lit up Megatholium at night. However, Bordeaux was shrouded in darkness, melting into the night, as he processed my question. I couldn’t read his expression.

I could take a guess, though.

His deepest secret had been dragged into the light. I imagined his face was screwed up in surprise and agitation.

“…Why don’t we talk inside?”

His trembling voice told me what I needed to know. Bordeaux appeared to be terrified of me…but it might be a charade.

I wasn’t the only one who picked up on this. Ireena seemed to be on the same page as she stared at me. Her eyes conveyed What do we do?

I responded to her silent question: “Very well. We will speak at length in your office.”

I went along with his proposal.

Ireena must have guessed…he might attack us as soon as we stepped foot into the clinic. Because of his situation, there was a good chance he’d want to silence us…permanently.

Nonetheless, I decided that wouldn’t be an issue. After all, I had full confidence we’d be able to handle it—no matter what he threw at us.

“…Great. Come on in.”

Sounding a little relieved, Bordeaux opened the door invitingly. I stepped in, relaxing my stance, while Ireena remained uptight and vigilant.

No attack came. Bordeaux shut the door, ambled over to the other side of the room, and pulled up three chairs for us.

“Please, sit. I can brew some tea if you like.”

“No, that’s all right. We won’t be staying long…no matter what happens.”

The lighting above illuminated the single trail of sweat trickling down Bordeaux’s face as if he had sensed the gravity of my words. He was absolutely petrified of me.

Ireena studied him with a frown. “Are you really a demon?”

“…Your face tells me that you’ve never seen one so pathetic.”

For those born in this era, demons were a symbol of fear: evil incarnate, boasting devastating battle prowess, and serving as a constant threat to society.

All that being said, the man before us didn’t seem like a demon. He didn’t look like anything but a softy, an all-around good guy. Bordeaux presented himself as such, so it came as no surprise that he wanted to know how he’d been found out.

“Why do you think I’m a demon?”

“A host of reasons, but the deciding factor was…the nature of your magic.”

“The nature of my magic?”

“Yes. There are subtle differences between the properties of magic used by humans and demons.”

“…I see. This isn’t the first time my identity has been exposed, but never like this.” He burrowed his face into his right hand and let out a heavy sigh. He looked like he had lost all hope…but remained strangely calm.

It was almost as if…he was used to this.

“This isn’t the first time…? What do you mean by that?” Ireena asked.

“Just as it sounds. I’ve been hiding the truth and living my entire life as a human in your world. But…humans are sensitive to the unknown. I’m always found out one way or another…and I lose my home—each and every time.”

Tears pooled in his eyes.

“I thought I could learn from my mistakes and act more like a human. But it all ends the same. I knew it. Maybe demons weren’t meant to coexist with humans.”

Coexist.

Ireena’s eyes widened. “…Coexist? Do you really mean that?”

“You may find it hard to believe, but I’m serious. It’s not like I’m part of any organizations… I could never approve of what they do anyway.”

“So you hoped to live in harmony,” she stated.

“Yes. After all…I love humanity.”

I sensed no deceit. Of course, it could have been all a sham, but…

“Hey, Ard. Can’t we just leave him be?”

Ireena seemed to want to believe him.

Bordeaux was taken aback by her response. “Aren’t you going to try to eliminate me?”

“…No. We’ve suffered a lot because of the demons, but I know they aren’t all bad.”

“She’s right. Some of our classmates have the blood of demons, but they cause no trouble and get along well with everyone.”

Bordeaux’s eyes grew large. It looked like he wanted to say I don’t believe it and, at the same time, I want to believe what they’re saying.

“Is…is that so…? I have to admit I’m jealous of those children.”

“Coexistence is not out of reach for you. That is, of course, as long as you’re willing to obey the laws of the human world.”

It was here that I drew a breath before diving into the heart of the matter.

“Well, Mr. Bordeaux. I trust you are aware of the string of murders that have been going on within the city?”

“…I’ve heard about them. I would like to add that the pope’s personal knights are dealing with members of a certain organization.”

“I mean no disrespect, but we have been wondering if you were the criminal here. We have determined that the serial murders are assaults by demons.”

I paused and stared straight into Bordeaux’s eyes as I waited for an answer.

“…I didn’t do it. Really. Please believe me,” he begged, sweat beading on his forehead. “I want to find a place in human society. I just don’t agree with the actions of the demons. I think it’s pointless to discriminate and oppress other races. Our power isn’t meant to terrorize…it’s meant to save. That’s why…I opened this clinic. To rescue people.”

I imagined Bordeaux was trying to say I could never be a murderer.

“All right. I believe you.”

“Y-you do…?!”

“Yes. Please forgive us for taking up your time. We shall take our leave. Let’s return to the manor, Ireena.” I rose to my feet, stalking out of the office without even a glance over my shoulder.

Bordeaux must have thought my unceremonious attitude was anticlimactic.

Ireena apparently thought so. As we marched through the streets, she spoke up timidly.

“Hey, Ard. Do you trust Mr. Bordeaux?”

“Do you?”

“Well… I guess…it’s more like I want to trust him.” She clasped her hands tightly against her chest.

I could understand why she felt that way. She must have seen herself in Bordeaux. Hiding one’s true self to find one’s place in a different world…was Ireena’s way of life…and mine.

I sympathized with her so much that it broke my heart.

“There is no proof that he’s worthy of our trust. We’ll tail him tomorrow and take it from there.”

“…Yes. Good idea.” Ireena nodded, seeming a little dejected.

Was she that unhappy with my opinion of him? I’d assumed we were both on the same page. I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out what she was thinking…

A moment later, Ireena volunteered the answer herself. “I guess it makes me kinda hate myself.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Remember what Valdr said before we reached Megatholium? That people fear what they don’t know… That everyone would turn on me if they found out the truth.”

“…I remember.”

“I thought that wasn’t true. Well, I was trying to convince myself of that…but…” Her lips began to tremble. “I don’t think that’s factual. I see that now. After all…we’ve just proven it.”

…I got it now. This explained her mood.

We all feared the unknown. Even your friendliest neighbors would stab you in the back once they found out your true self was outside the norm.

She had wished that wasn’t true, but…she couldn’t quell her suspicions about this strange entity named Bordeaux. He was a demon. A stranger to humanity. And that was why she had thought he might be the criminal and questioned him more than necessary.

Once she got to know his real intentions, she had chosen to trust him…and that was where the self-loathing came in.

“I thought I wouldn’t judge anyone. I thought I would accept everyone, even if they seemed strange to me…but I might have been wrong. I can’t seem to shake my prejudice toward the demons…which makes me just about as monstrous as them.”

I wanted to say something to lift her spirits, but…that was a tall order.

I couldn’t find words of comfort because I had treated Bordeaux as something “other,” an exception. Somewhere deep down, I had perceived him as some sort of threat to our peace.

…And as Ireena had said, I was just like him—an outsider.

“Hey, Ard. I wonder if His Eminence was right… Maybe we’re all just foul creatures,” she uttered, sounding dismal.

I couldn’t say anything to disprove her fears.

We had dinner and took a bath once we returned to the manor before heading straight to bed.

The next morning…I woke to the sound of church bells.

After a light breakfast, I invited Ireena to my room, where we surveilled Bordeaux as we’d discussed the previous night.

Queen Rosa showed interest in this venture…but she had to review documents as part of her official duties, which meant she was forced to remain absent…but not before throwing a tearful fit.

Using magic, I called forth a mirror in front of Ireena and me. The office came into view. Bordeaux had apparently already begun his day of work.

“How can I help you today?”

He never changed his gentle expression to put his patients at ease. He went about his work with quiet sincerity and devotion. If the illness was minor, he would use traditional osteopathy rather than medicine. For more serious ailments, he would go on to heal them with his magic.

“Wh-what?! It’s gone! That thing at my side is gone!!”

“If there is anything else that ails you, please come see me again. I will gladly heal you from any sickness.”

He looked proud of his calling. He seemed to love healing and saving others from the very bottom of his heart.

“He’s a great doctor, huh?”

“Yes. At present, we have no reason to suspect him.”

We continued to observe Bordeaux at work and came to understand him better.

I could see now why he was called the Saint. The man was virtue personified. He unconditionally served and healed the rich and poor without distinction.

Yet he refused to receive even a single coin from his patients, telling them that it was the thought that counted. There was nothing displeased about his expression.

My impression of Bordeaux was that he was holier than the clergy.

“How may I help you today?”

“A-ain’t nothin’ wrong with me, but…my big bro is hurt…! Well, we ain’t related, but…”

“Is it so severe that he cannot come here himself?”

“Y-yeah. I know it’s real rude of me to ask the Saint to come with me, but…”

“It’s no trouble. I shall ask everyone waiting outside for their patience… They will surely understand.”

“Really…?! Thanks, man…! Let’s go!”

Bordeaux left the office with this tough guy.

“…Hey, Ard. I’m not sure we need to observe him anymore.”

“You’re right.”

We didn’t just observe his innocence with our eyes. We had confirmed it with a magical investigation, which came up empty on this man named Bordeaux. He truly was a virtuous demon who wished to live alongside humans.

“It seems there is no doubt of his goodness.”

“…I kinda wanna keep cheering him on,” Ireena said meekly.

I nodded. There was something about our existence that was similar to Bordeaux—valuing people, surrounding ourselves with friends, enjoying days full of joy.

On the other hand, our hearts were saturated with anxiety and fear…constantly terrified of losing this sense of belonging. As fellow outsiders, we understood where he was coming from.

That was why I felt the same way as Ireena.

I prayed his secret would remain hidden—and that happiness would follow him until the end of his days.

…After we finished our little patrol on him, we hurried out into town. Now that Bordeaux’s name had been cleared, we were back at square one with the serial murder investigation. Ireena and I swept the streets on the hunt for fresh clues, but…

“Is this the part where we give up?”

“Hmm. We know the perpetrator is a demon, but everything else remains a mystery. To be honest, I did not expect us to have so much difficulty.”

Good grief. I sighed.

The bell pealed across town. It was noon.

Gooong, gooong. The chime seemed to go on and on.

Between its rings…I heard a gurgle.

It had come from Ireena’s stomach.

“Hee-hee-hee…,” she chuckled. “Wanna grab a bite to eat?”

“Yes. We can’t work on an empty stomach. Look at that restaurant. Why don’t we check it out?”

We passed through the crowded road to our destination. It was a small restaurant with a lot of charm. The menu was out front, and we headed inside after inspecting it.

As expected of the lunchtime rush, it was packed with customers. The place was spotless and lined with booths and counter seats…and hardly any were empty.

Luckily for us, a pair sitting at a table had just finished their meal when we walked in. Upon being shown to our seats, we rested at our table after placing our orders.

“This is a cool place!”

“Yes, especially the decor.”

For a moment, we let ourselves forget about this incident, allowing ourselves to enjoy a quiet moment.

“Yeah?! You’re expecting us to pay you, asshole?!”

A sudden outburst killed the mood in the restaurant. I turned toward the noise, feeling a little nervous.

I saw a boorish orc. Next to him was a beast person. His companion shrugged in exasperation.

“Hey. Don’t make a scene, man.”

“But, Bro! This guy wants us to pa—”

“Shut it, dumbass. Don’t you know they’ve got moles working here?”

It seemed like the beast person had more authority.

“Hey. Sorry my partner has caused a such a fuss. Here’s the bill and…something extra for your troubles.”

“Huh?! This is too much…?!”

“Don’t worry about it. In return, it’d be great if you could forget we were ever here.”

After this exchange, the two fled the restaurant.

“What was up with them?! Were they just looking to complain about the service? Ugh, get a life!” Ireena fumed.

The entire restaurant seemed to share her sentiment…but didn’t make anything more of it. Including Ireena, many of them returned to their meals, eventually forgetting about the two men.

Meanwhile…

“What’s wrong, Ard? You look concerned.”

“…Just thinking about those two customers.”

If this had been any normal situation, I would have dismissed it, but…my sixth sense was telling me otherwise.

“…Hmm. That means…” I planted my chin on my hand, lost in thought. I was forming a certain hypothesis.

“H-hey, Ard? You’re acting a little funny… Is something wrong?”

“Hmm… I can’t say for sure yet…” I crossed my arms, mumbling to myself. “I think I might know who the culprit is.”

“What?!” Ireena screeched.

Nearby customers jumped out of their seats, surprised by her sudden outburst, but this didn’t seem to bother her.

She leaned forward. “And?! Who is it?!”

“There’s no definite proof. I would like to gather concrete evidence… Ireena, how well do you know Megatholium?”

“How well? I think I have a general idea. After all, Daddy said I share an important connection with Megatholium. He told me to learn all I can about it. I’ve been keeping up on the latest info.”

“I see. In that case…do you know the ins and outs of Megatholium’s laws and political system?”

“Well, yeah. Can’t exactly skip those.”

Good job, Ireena. I knew I could count on you.

“Let me ask you a few questions. Oh, I know. First…would you say laws are stricter here than in other nations?”

“Way tougher. It feels like there’s a rule for everything. Daddy says Megatholium is a ‘constitutional government.’”

“I see. And what about their methods to exert control over the people? Would you say it has more influence than our systems in Laville?”

“Hrm… They do have a wider reach…but I think it’s overkill.”

“Overkill?”

“I don’t know how they do it, but Megatholium keeps an eye on its people. The city knows everything—from obvious facts like the birth and death of each citizen, to income and purchase history.”

“Huh.”

“I think it’s only possible because they’re so small… Even if Laville could implement the same system, I would be against it. Having someone spying on you all the time? That just feels like a free-range prison.”

“I have to agree… Going back to the topic, would it be safe to assume tight surveillance has significantly reduced criminal activity?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“Meaning?”

“People rebel when there’s too much pressure…which means there are a lot of murderers and criminals here. Except there’s something twisted about it…”

“In what way?”

“The victims and perpetrators are all adults. No children get caught up in criminal affairs. And…the laws favor children and are especially punitive toward adults.”

Okay. I see. I was starting to get a better picture of the legal system here.

I knew he was trying to re-create the society I had once built…except this wasn’t a complete reenactment…because everything about it prioritized Lizer’s ego.

“And of those crimes…how many cracked down on illicit drugs?”

“Um, let’s see, uh…a bunch? I think. There’s a zero-tolerance policy for selling drugs to kids. It guarantees the death penalty. Apparently, it’s only a minor crime to peddle drugs to adults. Seems like they can be found anywhere.”

Ireena looked at the ceiling as if this triggered something in her memory. “Some of the patients in Mr. Bordeaux’s office seemed drugged up.”

“Yeah… Seems like this city-state is particularly sick.”

Even though it seemed like a constitutional government that boasted an innovative political system, it was actually rooted in Lizer’s strange fixation on the happiness of children.

This made it the perfect breeding ground for the black market.

However, it required a little ingenuity.

I looked around the room again and quickly murmured, “This restaurant seems to be a microcosmic representation of Megatholium.”

Ireena didn’t seem to understand, looking at me with a tilted head.

That was when our food arrived.

“I would have loved to enjoy our meal, but I’m afraid that’s impossible. Let’s dig in.”

“S-sure! I don’t really get it, but I’ll pick up the pace!”

Ditching all manners and decorum, we focused on wolfing down our meals. We stuffed ourselves in seconds.

“Phew… That was delicious.”

We paid our bill and rushed out of the restaurant.

“Burp… W-well. What now? Should we check out the crime scenes?”

“That’s no longer necessary. No need to interview any more witnesses, either. We shouldn’t have even investigated the crime scene or tried to locate the culprit to start.”

“Then what should we focus on?”

“The victims. Let’s learn every detail available about them. If my hypothesis is correct, that will lead us to the truth.”

We would start by learning the names of the victims. We had been so preoccupied with the details of the case and forming a criminal profile that we hadn’t given any attention to them. We knew nothing about their character. Not knowing these facts would get us nowhere.

“Let’s head to the library. They must have tabloid articles about the incidents. If we read those, we might be able to identify them.”

I hurried down the main avenue while informing Ireena of our next destination.

“Hmm…”

On the way there, we spotted Bordeaux among the passersby.

“Oh, it’s Mr. Bordeaux. Looks like he just finished a house call—Huh? Ard? Where you going?”

“After him. I have to warn him about something.”

“What thing?”

“There is a chance Bordeaux is involved in the case.”

“What?! B-but he’s not the criminal, right…?!”

“He’s not. But if my suspicions are correct, he is the one in the most danger. I’ll go over the details later. Right now, we need to get to him as quickly as possible.”

We accelerated our pace and approached Bordeaux from behind. We were just about to call out to him…

“ gh?!”

A strained wheeze escaped his throat.

There was a housing complex before him…with an old woman slouching by one of its walls.

As soon as we spotted her…a potted plant fell from the third-floor sill when someone opened the window. It was heading straight for her head…

Bordeaux had already sensed danger and made his move. He closed the distance between himself and the old woman, shielding her with his own body. Seconds later, the pot struck him square in the back.

“Gah…!” he cried, anguished, but that wasn’t enough to leave much of a mark on his body.

Even so, the old woman would have died if it had struck a vital area. Bordeaux had prevented the worst from happening. It was worthy of praise…but no one even whistled—much less cheered for his efforts. They all gaped at him and held their breath.

Why?

…Because half of Bordeaux’s body had transformed into a beast.

In normal circumstances, demons appeared just like any other person. However, exhibiting their true powers triggered transformations to half-beast. As he had just done.

By using his inhuman powers to save the woman, he had accidentally outed himself as a demon.

“H-hey, is that guy…?”

“N-no. No way…”

At first, one person started to see what was going on. Then a second person spotted it.

This was bad. We were seconds from mass panic spreading through the people.

“I guess there’s no way out of this…!”

To prevent the worst from happening, I cast a spell. A crowd had gathered around Bordeaux. Over their heads, a geometric pattern expanded, and seconds later, it dissolved into gleaming particles. The targets looked up at the sky and blinked.

“H-huh?”

“I feel like we saw something crazy?”

The results were instantaneous.

“Wh-what did you do, Ard?”

“Wiped their memoires… It’s poor taste to tamper with people’s brains, so I rarely use it, but…I didn’t have much choice.”

The crowd was blinking up at the sky. While that was going on, Bordeaux immediately transformed back into his usual self. He didn’t seem to know what was happening, either.

“…That was a close one. Good thing we made it in time,” I murmured with a sigh of relief as Ireena and I approached Bordeaux.

He caught sight of us and seemed to piece together the situation.

“…It looks like you saved me somehow.”

“Think nothing of it… Let us head to the alleyways. I wish to discuss something that is best not heard by human ears.”

Bordeaux nodded gravely and obliged. We slipped into the narrow backstreets. I sighed after I confirmed it was unoccupied.

“I’ll be frank: Mr. Bordeaux, you’re being targeted. I urge you to hide for the time being.”

The only one shocked by the news was Ireena. Bordeaux himself appeared calm, and his answer was brief.

“Ah, really? I knew it.”

“What? You knew? What do you mean?” she questioned, looking between the two of us.

Ireena was totally lost, and I couldn’t blame her. I looked at her and explained in simple terms.

“Bordeaux is being used as a scapegoat.”

“A-a scapegoat?”

“Basically, he’s taking the blame for someone else.”

“Wh-who would do that…?!”

Bordeaux answered for me. “I’d guess it has to do with the recent murders.”

“…You knew. Do you know the culprit?”

“I have no evidence, so I can’t say for certain. I do have an idea, but…it took me until now to come to terms with their scheme.”

There was something almost unnaturally composed about his expression.

…I knew that look. I’d been intimately familiar with it in my past life.

It was the face of a man who was jaded by the world. He looked just like me in the past. This had been the same expression plastered across my own face.

“…Maybe this was good timing.”

“For what?”

“To close shop.”

“…Are you just going to give up? Cast aside your sense of belonging in society?”

“Yes. That seems to be my fate. It always ends the same, even when I try my hardest. I will always be the target of fear, hate, and elimination. Such is the will of the Creator.”

“Th-that’s not true! We don’t hate you! Right, Ard?!”

“Ireena is right. No need to be hasty, Mr. Bordeaux. You do not know what life has in store.”

He didn’t say a single word. He merely stared at us with that abnormally calm expression of his.

“You’re always putting people first, Mr. Bordeaux! You’ve healed so many patients! The public adores you! They’re indebted to you! Those feelings don’t just go away! People aren’t…… People aren’t that stupid!”

She wanted to have faith in humanity. Ireena’s eyes shone with emotion.

However…Bordeaux’s heart would not be moved. The forlorn man did not show an ounce of change, as he had lost faith, because he was aware of it all.

“…Listen, please believe us. We want to help. As I requested before, please go hide. All right?”

“Okay.” His vacant eyes held no willpower.

…I didn’t feel the most comfortable leaving him in this state, but I had to. We still had tasks on our plate.

We would solve the murders and safeguard Bordeaux. Everything else would come later.

“…Let’s go, Ireena.”

“R-right.”

I turned on my heel to leave Bordeaux behind…

“Hey, Ard. Didn’t you say one of your classmates is a demon yesterday?”

“…Yes. What about it?”

“What’s their name?”

“…There is a girl named Carmilla.”

“I see. Carmilla, huh. She must be happy to have friends like you… Could you give her a message for me? Tell her she mustn’t forget her love of people—no matter what transpires.”

His message was cryptic. There was a deeper meaning. It was easy to read through them, but…it was too late to resolve the underlying problem…

“I will relay the message.”

“Great. Thank you.”

After this simple exchange, Ireena and I parted ways with Bordeaux…purposely ignoring the fragile voice coming from behind me.

“I’m so tired.”