[Can you believe they dared insult our Lina?]
“Yes, yes... I get it...”
I trudged along, only half-listening as the Demon God floated beside me in her spectral form, ranting passionately about the events of the previous day.
[Aren’t you the so-called director? Shouldn’t you be fixing this? At least pay attention properly!]
“I am listening.”
Ever since the incident with the Goddess of Wisdom, I’d started hearing the gods’ communication clearly, even in the form of celestial language meant only for the divine.
The Goddess of Wisdom claimed it was a sign of my true potential awakening, but honestly, I couldn’t make much sense of her explanation.
It was probably just another way of telling me I’m special, painting me in a golden light as usual.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been dealing with gods so frequently lately that their conversations have become comprehensible.
But honestly, I haven’t felt like I’ve grown much since solving the two-Constellation incident. I’d been able to communicate with the gods without issue ever since then.
[They’re busy fawning over that laboratory call girl, yet they dare slander our Lina by calling her a murderer!]
...She is a murderer, though.
I almost blurted it out but swallowed the words at the last second.
Remembering how Demon King Perlerina had once pouted like a child when I failed to preserve the fact that she’d been resurrected with her memories intact, I wasn’t eager to face that level of sulking again.
Still, “laboratory call girl”? Where did she pick up something so extreme?
She’d been lurking on forums so much lately that she’d started picking up the worst influences.
Claiming to defend Lina’s honor, she’d even jumped headfirst into the heated “Grails” battles between characters in the forums.
Is this really a god? The Demon God of the demon race?
“If the Goddess of Wisdom hears you say that, you’re in for it.”
[Hmph. It doesn’t matter. The game’s Versia isn’t the same as that goddess. She’s just a character inspired by her, nothing more. So this is fine.]
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She really doesn’t understand how much that goddess obsesses over her characters.
The connection between the Goddess of Wisdom and her past isn’t publicly known, and the game doesn’t explain it either. Other than me and my companions, no one knows that Versia is the Goddess of Wisdom.
In the game’s story, Versia reached a transcendent state and killed the Research Director before dying herself. With an ending like that, no one would suspect she’s a god.
“Well, by that logic, isn’t [Demon King Perlerina] also different from the real Lina? It’s just a character, yet you’re getting all worked up over it.”
[That’s completely different!]
What kind of god acts like this?
Are you demons really okay with this?
Ignoring her endless babbling, I arrived at the agreed meeting place: a small, secluded tavern on the outskirts of the Leira Academy City grounds.
I’d arranged with the owner to clear out the other customers so we could meet in private.
Security was important, especially for our Constellation.
Creak.
I pushed open the old, creaky door and saw someone sitting at a table, completely shrouded in a robe, hiding her identity.
Her face and even her hair were fully concealed, but the curvaceous figure beneath the robe was unmistakable. She was the person I’d arranged to meet.
The tavern owner, meeting my eyes, gave a knowing nod before stepping outside.
Now, it was just the two of us in the dimly lit tavern.
[What’s this? Is that her?]
And one noisy Demon God.
She’s extremely cautious, isn’t she?
To be this covered up...
Though, considering I was also using the power of dreams to obscure my own appearance, I wasn’t one to talk.
Meeting someone you’d only interacted with online in real life wasn’t easy.
What did they call this? “Offline rendezvous”? “IRL confrontation”? I couldn’t quite remember.
Pushing aside the unnecessary thoughts, I pulled out a chair and sat down directly across from the robed woman.
She, who had been staring down, slowly raised her head to look at me.
[What? What’s she doing here?]
Wait a minute.
There’s only one kind of person on the continent capable of talking to the Demon God without being a Constellation.
The Demon God clarified my suspicions.
[She’s the Demon King. The current Demon King, Lucia.]
I might have just stumbled upon Demon King Lucia’s secret, and very peculiar, hobby.
***
A suffocating pressure filled the room, as if pinning her down.
Demon King Lucia instinctively reinforced her internal magic, bracing herself against the oppressive energy radiating from her opponent.
She had expected her visitor to be formidable.
After all, she was meeting a representative of a mysterious organization capable of harnessing divine power to create virtual reality games.
She had assumed someone powerful would show up, but this...
‘This is absurd!’
To think that even a Demon King like her, someone who stood at the pinnacle of her race, would feel this intimidated.
At the very least, this person was a transcendent being.
Even the First Apostles of the most supreme deities she had encountered didn’t exude an aura this overwhelming.
Could this person be a god manifesting in the mortal realm?
But for a god to operate in the physical world through an avatar required an astronomical amount of divine energy.
And the amount of divinity needed to influence the entire continent increased exponentially.
So why were they here?
And why would they reveal their identity to her?
Were they planning to blackmail her?
Lucia’s thoughts raced in panic.
Her opponent placed both elbows on the table.
Thud.
“Eek!”
Lucia flinched, but she quickly tried to compose herself.
The figure clasped their hands together and rested their chin on them.
It was difficult to discern any features hidden beneath the shroud of dark authority, but they seemed to be doing just that.
“Pleased to meet you, Lucia.”
!!!!
They know my name?
If it were ever revealed that the Demon King had been secretly engaging in cosplay-like activities, it wouldn’t just be her reputation that suffered—it could bring harm to her entire race.
After all, as the Demon King, she was both the protector and spokesperson for her people.
That’s why she had taken extra precautions, equipping the finest artifact to conceal her identity.
So they really were a transcendent.
No mortal being could possibly see through her disguise.
But why would they reveal that they knew her identity?
To threaten her?
Lucia’s heart sank.
No matter what they tried, she wouldn’t submit.
Even if her body was sullied, her love and devotion to her people would remain unbroken!
While Lucia was lost in her escalating delusions, Rian tilted their head, thinking, ‘Why isn’t she responding? Did I say something strange?’
“I am the Director and representative of DreamStory,” the figure said, breaking the silence.
“...Director?”
“There are circumstances that prevent me from revealing my true identity.”
**- You’ve gone to great lengths to hide your identity, haven’t you?
“Don’t worry. I’ll ensure your identity remains concealed. I understand all too well the consequences of having this ‘cosplay’ hobby discovered.”
**- I know that, despite being the Demon King, you’ve engaged in such unbecoming activities.
They’re blackmailing me!
Lucia felt a wave of helplessness wash over her.
“All I’m asking is simple, really,” the Director continued. “We’re planning an official broadcast to celebrate our game’s upcoming update.”
“An official broadcast...?”
“Yes. We want to thank our players—our prospective directors—and build excitement for the new update through the broadcast.”
“So, like a game trailer?”
“Well, something like that, though the trailer will only be part of it. Anyway, I’d like you to be the host of the broadcast. In your cosplay, of course.”
“The host...?”
She didn’t fully understand what cosplay was, but based on the context, it seemed he wanted her to wear her academy uniform and act as the broadcast’s host.
Was this an attempt to humiliate her? A way for him to declare victory by making the CEO of MaWangSoft, his competitor, submit?
This conniving...!
“If you’re worried about your face being revealed, there’s no need. I can use authority to obscure your face however you’d like. Your wig will handle the rest of the disguise.”
As long as her identity remained hidden, it wouldn’t be an issue.
But why would he ask her, his competitor, to host the broadcast?
Did he trust her not to sabotage it? Did he assume she cared too much about her people to do something so reckless?
Lucia carefully considered the conditions.
As long as her identity stayed concealed, it could work.
On the contrary, this might be an opportunity to infiltrate his company and gather valuable information.
He must think I’m just a toy to be played with.
But the demon race has always overcome hardship and adversity.
Long live the demon race!
“Fine. I accept your proposal. But I have conditions of my own.”
For the sake of her people, she would endure this indignity.
***
Elsewhere
“Demon God?”
[What?]
“When someone becomes a Demon King, do they also lose intelligence?”
[...Do you want to die?]
Who would have guessed that the Demon King secretly had a cosplay hobby?
Then again, wasn’t she also running a game company?
So, is she secretly a fan of our game?
Or... does she really just enjoy flaunting herself anonymously?