Holding a lamp, he descends the stairs leading underground. With each step he takes, a pleasant echoing tap sounds.
As he enjoys the sound for a while, he reaches the end of the stairs and is faced with a wooden door.
Entering the room beyond the door, he's met by a chilling breeze.
Illuminated by the lamp's light — right in the middle of the dim room — there stands a lone stone monument.
He kneels before the stone, touching it tenderly. All he feels under his fingertips is the cold sensation of the stone.
With feelings too profound for words, he traces the names engraved on the stone monument. Each of them belonged to those who once supported him — the only family he ever knew in this world.
After it was all over, he returned to the basement.
The scene in the basement was horrific. Blood covered the floor, and barely any bodies were left recognizable. Yet, he knew who each one was.
He mourned for them one by one. Afterwards, he somewhat restored the basement and erected a tombstone in the middle of the room.
"To my beloved family, resting here."
Ever since then, he often visited the basement, reminiscing about the old days to distract from his loneliness.
Today was no different. Just like always. Over and over again.
Sitting on the cold floor, with the flickering lamp by his side, he lost himself in memories of his family.
"Hey, hey, giving up already? Mr. Demon King?"
A giant man, towering over two meters tall, holding an enormous sword nearly his own height, speaks to the figure lying on the ground. That figure, the Demon King, lies there defeated.
"Ugh, as always, your brute strength is ridiculous... Gainos."
Somehow mustering the strength to stand, the battered Demon King looked far from well.
"Well, yeah. After all, I do know my way around a sword."
"I doubt there's anyone among the demons who can match you in swordsmanship..."
Gainos, known as the Sword Fiend, is a feared demon with two horns protruding from his forehead and unmatched strength in wielding a sword. He had volunteered to tutor the relatively inexperienced Demon King in the art of the blade.
Gainos laughed heartily, patting the Demon King on the shoulder.
"You look better these days. Feeling a bit lighter?"
The Demon King scratched his cheek, seemingly embarrassed. At this time, it had been about a year since his battle with the first hero.
Thanks to the efforts of his aides, his demeanor had been improving. While he was initially burdened with a somber mood, he was now recovering and was able to train with Gainos.
"Sorry for worrying you."
"Don't sweat it. If you keep moping around, it'll bring down the morale of everyone in the castle."
Gainos playfully slapped the Demon King's back, acting in a way one wouldn't expect towards a king. But the Demon King accepted this familiarity without issue.
"Look, the princesses are here to greet you. Pull yourself together."
Smiling slyly, Gainos pointed to several figures rushing towards them.
"Lord Demon King! You can't just leave without saying anything, we were worried!"
A blonde girl — Irum — spoke first.
"My apologies. Just felt like clearing my mind a bit."
"It's okay to clear your mind, but at least tell us! Think about how we feel, always worrying..."
She seemed genuinely concerned, her pointed tail drooping slightly. Behind her, the other aides were nodding in agreement.
The Demon King scratched his head, thinking how overprotective they were. Yet, their concerns were valid. Ever since the battle with the hero, he had been in a daze, and they constantly feared he might harm himself due to the guilt. Although he had shown signs of recovery lately, the worry lingered.
As he listened to Irum's scolding, someone tugged at his sleeve.
"Are you... alright?"
A petite girl, hidden under a robe, asked with few words.
"Yes, sorry for worrying you, Rem."
Rem, a mage, was the Demon King's magic tutor. While Gainos taught swordsmanship, Rem was an expert in magic, and despite her shy nature and small stature, she had the power to obliterate the entire castle if she so wished.
Treating her as one would a younger sister, the Demon King gently stroked Rem's head, making her eyes narrow in content.
"I'm glad..."
Her innocent smile warmed his heart. And the other aides smiled warmly at the scene, like watching a cherished family moment.
It was a peaceful and serene time, a far cry from the brutal otherworldly battles they often faced.
He believed that this happiness would last forever.
Sword-fighting with Gainos, crafting fun spells with Rem, and enduring Irum's scolding — he thought such days would never end.
Their smiling faces are still vivid in his mind. All he sees, always, are their smiles.
"Why... I wonder."
Despite everything, in his memories, they only ever smile at him. There's no hatred, no resentment.
It's that very fact that pains him the most, eating away at his heart.
"Even though it was my fault..."
A single tear rolls down his cheek.
He wished they would scold him, curse him. Perhaps even haunt him in his sleep. Anything but those forgiving smiles. "Why are you always smiling?"
"If only I had realized sooner. If only I hadn't over-relied on the barrier. If only I had been by your side to protect you..."
I spill out pointless regrets.
At first, when I lost it, I was infuriated by the irrational reality, screaming like a child, but now even that energy has completely withered away.
The Demon King continues to monotonously string together words. What exists there is neither resentment nor sorrow, but envy and resignation towards the "everyday" life that can never be regained.
All that is felt when reaching out is the cold touch of stone.
Tormented by an overwhelming sense of emptiness, the Demon King says,
"I wish I could join you soon."
He unintentionally voiced his true feelings from the depths of his heart.
If it had been amidst his usual empty days, it would not have been a problem.
However—
"What are you saying?"
The voice coming unexpectedly from behind made the Demon King's mind clear as if doused in cold water.
It's not that he had forgotten about her presence. He remembered her in the back of his mind, but he had lost the ability to think that far. It was entirely his oversight.
Without showing his surprise, the Demon King wiped the tear tracks on his cheek and turned around to retort to the voice's owner.
"Don't rain on someone's parade when they're reminiscing about the past."
Trying to put back on his facade, he feigns calmness.
"Reminiscing about the past, huh..."
Narrowing her eyes, the girl looks skeptically at the Demon King. Her slightly flushed cheeks and damp hair indicate she has just come out of the bath.
Though he had suggested it, the Demon King never thought she'd actually take a bath. Who would think that a person, looking so beaten up and struggling to walk, could then bathe and stroll around so effortlessly? Normally, no one would.
The Demon King felt a slight chill at the girl's abnormal recovery power.
"It didn't look like you were reminiscing."
"It's just your imagination."
"If you're going to lie, at least make a more convincing face."
The girl said, sighing with exasperation.
"Look at your face in a mirror."
"Regrettably, there are no mirrors in this castle."
"That's not the point."
Perhaps because the Demon King wasn't taking her seriously, the girl's mood visibly darkens.
"Do you realize the face you're making?"
"A grand and majestic face of a Demon King, no?"
"The exact opposite. You look lifeless, like a dead man."
The Demon King could only keep silent. There were too many truths in her words, and he couldn’t find a comeback.
"It's strange when you think about it. Why do you, the Demon King, know so much about the Hero's abilities? How did you know I am Japanese?"
Then the girl paused and firmly looked into the Demon King's eyes.
"You're still hiding something from me, aren't you?"
Her clear eyes pierced through the Demon King. They seemed to say, "No excuses will be accepted."