Chapter 11
The next morning.
The rain had stopped and a large crowd had gathered at the s.p.a.ciously created city plaza.
With the trade routes blocked off by the demons, there were no exchanges of goods.
Occasionally there would be those merchants who deliver their goods with the preparation to die but most of them remain unreturned.
There will be those who miraculously manage to deliver their products but even then, the price of the goods will skyrocket to prices that make one’s eyes pop out.
When people walked around to do their shopping in such a declining market, a loud voice echoed across the plaza.
「Listen everyone!! It is now!! Now is the time for us to repent!!」
At the heart of the city plaza near the fountain stood a man wrapped in worn out clothes.
「There is a rumour that has been spreading – our G.o.ddess is the one that created the demons, but that is false!! Our G.o.ddess is constantly looking over us and our lives!! 」
The citizens began to stir.
「Hey, who is that?」
「Haven’t seen him before.」
「Or rather, isn’t he a believer of that Satan?」
「He’s spouting some nonsense about a G.o.ddess, shouldn’t we report him?」
The man that donned the tattered clothes over his well-trained body continued on.
「The foolish Kings were manipulated by the true Satan! They have invaded the G.o.ddess’s Sanctuary!! But! The benevolent G.o.ddess has yet to abandon us! 」
「We can still make it! Regain your faith!! It is time to be released from the true Satan!!」
Hearing the man’s words, the people were convinced.
「Hey! He’s definitely a Satanist! 」
「This guy!! Capture him! 」
「Barricade the exit!! Don’t let him get away! 」
「Hide the women and children inside the houses!! Men, bring the weapons!! 」
The man was captured by the h.o.a.rd of citizens and after being beaten and thrashed, he was finally handed over to the city guards
The battered man was tossed into the dungeon with his execution decided on the same day.
In this country, the method of execution for Satanists was not banishment.
They are to fight the
demons inside the giant colosseum located at the middle of the country which will be displayed to the citizens.
This method of execution was quite popular as a type of entertainment, and also quite useful in gaining support for the royalty.
While the man was being thrown into the dungeon, the king inside the castle was anguishing.
As the years pa.s.s, the situation around the country worsened.
Trade has practically stopped and lately, it has been difficult to even get any information from other countries.
But in order to protect the lives of the citizens, the king had gathered intellectuals, desperately running the state.
Originally, one would wear fine clothes to preserve the dignity of a king.
However, it was unthinkable to raise the tax for such a reason and therefore the king was wearing clothes that were a bit old.
Day after day, he fulfilled his duty as the king without succ.u.mbing to the paining reports of information.
For the ever increasing impoverished, the royalty’s private lands were opened up and using private funds, residential houses for the poor were built.
He also persuaded the merchants who continued to raise the prices as well and somehow managed to sustain the economy.
Even so, the country’s situation was not good.
It was deteriorating by the day.
The minister brought forth a report to the anguishing king.
In the report, it was mentioned that a Satanist had been captured.
Similar to the king, the minister who presented the report wore old and slightly tattered clothing.
Normally, he had a difficult face on him but for the first time in quite a while, he was smiling.
「Well well, it was quite lucky for us to capture a Satanist.」
「Really. Recently there has not been much good news. With this, the citizens should be able to let out some steam.」
「A few years back, it was so nostalgic… It really riled people up, watching the naked knights of the church battling it out with the demons…」
「The citizens really do like their blood-enticing entertainment. But if only we left some knights back then, we could periodically
periodically use them to let out some gas… Such a regretful thing.」
「Well, my king. The captured Satanist this time seems to be quite lively. We should be able to get some enjoyment out of him.」
「That’s true. Now then, I suppose I should head to the colosseum for the first time in quite a while. Keeping the citizen’s support is quite important after all.」
While saying so, the king changed into the only remaining set of luxurious clothes, kept to maintain his dignity in front of the populace.
And with the minister and a few extra escorts, he headed towards the colosseum inside an extravagant carriage.
When noon came around, the colosseum was at its peak of excitement.
The main event this time was the execution of a believer of Satan who had created the demons.
Recently, the demons had strengthened, causing the failing defence of the country to fall further in decline.
All of this was the fault of the demons so even if the believers were in the form of humans, they weren’t considered as humans by the populace.
The people wished for that Satanist to be thoroughly torn into pieces by the demons, colouring the colosseum with his blood and innards.
The captured man was made to stand in the centre of the stadium.
A st.u.r.dy looking chain was connected to his foot, with the other end being tied up to a pillar standing at the centre of the field.
Now, it should be impossible for the man to escape.
Empty husks of other dead Satanists rolled around, surrounding the man.
The husks that lay on the ground were the ends of those believers who were eaten, crushed and shredded into pieces by the demons.
The man silently touched his hands together for those husks.
Jeered and hissing towards the man who had silently touched his hands together filled the stands that was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people.
「Die! You demon!! 」
「How much people do you think have suffered because of you guys!?」
「Take this!! 」
Rocks and sticks were thrown towards the chained up man.
But there was no way it
way it would reach the centre of the arena where the man was.
Eventually, the sound of a gong being hit was heard.
This gong was the signal for the beginning of the execution.
When the sound rang out, the crazed audience raised cheers of excitement.
Raising the volume of his voice using magic, the announcer spoke.
The announcer paused to listen to the audience,
「Hurry up and kill him!!」
「Shred him into pieces!!」
「Make him regret ever living!!」
and nodded his head in response to the jeering from the audience.
The sound of the gong rang out along with the declaration of the announcer.
A gate connecting to the arena was opened and a demon the size of a child holding a club sprang out.
Even within demons, this demon was cla.s.sified as the weakest and if the injured man picked up a fallen stick and attacked, he would be able to beat it.
And that was what the people wished for.
As a believer of Satan, to be killed by demons. That would be the best form of amus.e.m.e.nt.
But he must not be immediately killed.
Releasing the weakest demons at the beginning, then gradually letting the stronger ones out.
He would fight desperately, but his arms bitten, legs torn off, becoming more and more immobile.
In the end, the tattered believer would look at the demons surrounding him, with an expression of despair floating on his face as he is killed… This was the best form of entertainment there was.
The audience looked forward to seeing the man desperately picking up the sticks at his feet to fight the demon but the man did nothing of the sort.
He looked up to the sky and muttered in a small voice;
「Hm, it should be about time for the prayer.」
As he kneeled down at the centre of the arena, and started praying.
Seeing that, the audience was disappointed.
That man had given up on living.
He probably won’t fight the demons.
What a boring guy
It won’t be exciting like this.
A feeling of dissatisfaction started to drift across the venue that was excited up untilexcited up until a moment ago.
The King who had sensed the subtle change in surroundings gave an order to the guard standing next to him.
The guard who had received the order pulled out the sword hanging by his waist and threw it into the arena.
The sword made a loud sound as it stabbed into the ground at the foot of the man.
Seeing that, the audience regained their excitement and began to fuss.
「Hey! Use that sword and fight!! 」
「You may just be able to survive!!」
「If you can defeat the last demon, you’ll be free to go! So hurry up, pick up that sword and fight!!」
Jeers and boo’s for the man to fight were shouted out.
But still, the man did not move.
The man had just started a long, long prayer.
As he did, the audience witnessed a peculiar sight.
The demons that were released onto the arena started to aimlessly wander the field instead of attacking the man.
Occasionally, demons would drift close to the man but after sniffing him a few times, they would walk away as if they had lost interest.
In fact, the demons had started to threaten those in the stands.
「Hey, what’s goin’ on? The demons ain’t attacking him!! 」
「Must be because the b.a.s.t.a.r.d used some magic to erase his presence from the demons !!」
「I see! Then why not!! Stronger! Unleash the demons with resistance against magic!!!」
The citizen’s thoughts became one as it echoed through the colosseum.
The panicking announcer progressed through.
The song of the gong rang out once again and the next demon was released.
……
…..
….
「What’s happening!! What’s going on!!」
「Is something wrong with my head??」
「Why!! Why!! WHY IS THAT MAN STILL ALIVE!?」
Various types of demons roamed the arena.
But, none of the demons showed any interest towards the man as they wandered the inside of the stadium.
In the middle was the man whose posture of prayer had not crumbled the tiniest bit, devoting all of himself to praying to the G.o.ddess.
「That b.a.s.t.a.r.d!! He must’ve done somethin’!!」
「Stop f.u.c.king with us!!」
And the people finally yelled.
「「「BRING OUT THE KINGーーー!!!」」」