31 – Woken

The religious leader screamed. "I'm sorry, Dale!!! I've laughed at your suffering!!! I have no excuses!!! I'm evil!!! I am the one who deserves to die!!!"

"I told you. I'm fine, Jude." The fake Dale patted the old man's shoulder. "You don't have to feel guilty anymore. You deserve to be happy."

Jude hugged the tiny body with more and more tears. His mouth said sorry many times.

"I have to go now, Jude." The fake Dale let go of his embrace. "I can't stay here for long."

The little boy walked away from Jude, who was still sobbing.

"How are you feeling, Father?" I watched the fake Dale, who was actually Ayre, leave through the front door.

The religious leader wiped his tears and was silent for a moment. "Who exactly are you?"

"Maybe I'm the one called the demon lord in your holy book." I looked at the Lyra statues. "But, to be honest, I don't remember the events in my previous life. So, maybe you know more about my confrontation with Lyra the prophet."

Jude got up from the floor, not looking at me. "You are Vorn, right? This is something that really surprised me. Were you the one who destroyed the crime district in Marystar?"

"You're right." I shrugged. "I saw a mother afraid of losing her son because of drugs made in that district. She is also a follower of your belief. She asked the religious leaders in the city but got no solution."

Seeing Jude, who didn't answer, I continued my speech. "And I saved the people who were about to be sold from there."

Jude's hands were tightly clenched. I know his loyalty to God, which has been around for years, is being shaken.

I approached the religious leader. "By destroying the district, I've made the city safer. Maybe you disagree with my harsh methods, but rather than many people getting damaged by drugs or being sold, it's better to do that, right? You definitely want those vile things to stop, right?

He still didn't answer, but the expression on his face stiffened even more.

"Now I ask you, Father. Can your God do that? Remember, he also did nothing to relieve your childhood trauma, something that terrorized you for decades."

"I know..."

"Can anyone confirm what is written in the holy book is true?" I cut his words off. "It is possible for someone to twist the facts from events a thousand years ago. It could be that I didn't do any evil things in my previous life."

"Please, enough." The religious leader held his forehead. He couldn't refute my argument.

I then walked in front of him. "Is it because of our hideous true form that you judge us, thinking we can't do good? We are creatures that know love, O father Jude."

Jude picked up his holy book from the floor, taking a deep breath. "I've lived this belief since I was little. It was tough to let go of that."

I can't hold back my smile anymore. "Think about my words, Father. I have the truth. Maybe some of my methods go against your moral compass, but trust me, I'm doing this for good."

"I heard a story about a minotaur helping girls from goblins." Finally, he smiled too, albeit very faintly. "Is that also your order?"

"Yes, Father." I tapped the old man's shoulder. "Now they are with their families again, although their minds still need healing."

"Your behavior does not match this book. The book that is said to be sacred." He looked at the three statues of Lyra again. "Do you know about the fourth Lyra version, Vorn?"

I chuckled. "Of course not. Remember, I didn't know anything about the prophet back then, and you had to explain her to me."

"What I'm about to tell you isn't in the holy book. People think of it as a rumor." The religious leader wiped his face. "It is said that she likes to torture her captives, be it humans, elves, demons, and so on. Some even depicted her holding a whip and looking like a lunatic."

"We, living beings, must have flaws. I will not claim to be a saint. Far from it." I took the holy book from Jude's hand, then opened it. All the writing in it looks legit. It's impressive that the game developer can make details like this. "Maybe this Lyra is a good person with a bit of a twist. However, maybe she fought me in the past just because I was called a demon lord. There could also be parties who use her to exterminate me."

I don't want to discredit Lyra, who is deeply ingrained in Jude's heart. I want to look good in his eyes. "The thing is, I can't imagine if I did terrible things like the ones in this book."

My eyes moved to read the writing that described Vorn's cruelty. He ordered his subordinates to pin many people to stakes. They are placed in such a way that they don't die immediately but are tormented for a very long time.

Even though my goal is to rule this world, what I said to the religious leader just now was true. I would never do something this cruel to innocents.

It's more fun to trick and take advantage of them.

"You want to spread your name in this city, right?" Jude smiled again, though his eyes were still teary. "Maybe I can do it. I will show them this good side of you. However, it may take a little longer. I have to convince my comrades in this temple first."

"I'm sure you can do it, Jude." My heart was pounding hard because of this victory. "You managed to reverse my influence on the people here, after all."

The mouth of the religious leader let out a small laugh. "It happened because I really believed in my God. So, I have confidence that I can do that."

"Then, trust me completely. Even if you start to doubt me, remember what happened just now and the good things I've done." I handed the holy book to Jude.

He pushed the book back to me. "Take it. I don't need it anymore. Maybe you need reading material. Even if I must pretend, I'll just use another copy."

"Thank you." I nodded. "I have to go now."

"Before that, I have one more question." The religious leader looked at me again. "What is your ultimate goal, Vorn?"

"To rule the world." The words came out of my mouth almost like a song. "To make it better."

This time, Jude's laughter was louder. "You are indeed a demon lord!"