Your Past - Eida Loden

“Yo, the king of humans. You're finally here.

 I'm the 'demon' of the Holy City of Kataliah.
What do you say we conquer this whole continent together?”

 

What I found in the Holy City of Kataliah is a small living being covered in black mist from head to toe.

Yes, one word enough to describe it is indeed “a demon.”

 

Legend has it that the Holy City of Kataliah is also called “the city of fantasy” where many great things slumbered in it.

 

In the land of the beastmen, it is said to have a power enough to change the whole world.

In the land of the fairies, it is said to have a particular code about magic.

In the land of the dragons, it is said to have an old book about maintaining order.

In the land of the seafolks, it is said to have treasures enough to make one’s life in constant prosper.

 

Each country makes the legend of Kataliah to have things that they themselves don’t have.
Maybe that’s why the legend differs from land to land, and even overlaps.

 

But well, when I looked into it myself,
all I find in it is a demon.

 

“Why don’t you and I make a deal?
I can give you power enough to dominate this whole world.”

 

The demon offered me a deal, like how a demon would.

 

When I said nothing in return,
the demon looked at me straight in the eye, as if trying to read into me.

“Believe it or not, I can see how many years you have left in you.
And it’s clear as day to me… Your lifespan will end in 10 years.”

 

The demon uttered lines of temptation to me.
I couldn’t have imagined I would know how long I have left in my years in such a way, and it left me dumbfounded.

 

The demon paid no heed to my shock and continued.

 

“After you die, I can bring you back to life with my power.
You will be reborn as the demon lord, and you will have power enough to conquer even the whole continent.”

 

The demon lets out a cunning smile. 

 

“Conquer this whole continent?
I have no interest in such thing, I refuse your offer.”.

 

I said in a bold tone, and the demon clicks their tongue in discontent.

Yet he seems to have given up to tempt me even further. Either because he can sense the strong belief I had in my heart, or because of something else, I will never know. He then opened his mouth again.

“Aight, then go home already.
I’ll just wait for someone else to come.
It’s fun to talk to someone else after all these years, though.”

 

The demon looks at me in the eye,
and showed me a smile so gentle unlike the ones it previously had.

 

“You’re a smart king who won’t be fazed by temptation of great power.
You better off die while remaining as a just king.”

 

So said the demon.

 

But something doesn’t feel quite right.
This being is the opposite of what demons I had in mind were like.

 

“Why do you want to conquer this continent?”

 

I asked him so, and the demon made a confused look.

“I was made by humans thousands of years ago. Maybe they want me to dominate the land,  and created me with such mindset, or whatever. I dunno.”

 

The demon said so with a sad face.

 

What lies before me now is not a “demon”,
I can only depict it as just a human, shrouded in loneliness.

 

This being created by humans to do evil things will of course can do nothing but evil things.

I can’t find any words to give to the being, and just silently looks towards the ground.

 

And then, images of a “certain future” flashed through my head.

It was a future enough to make me turn around and make a deal with that demon.

 

But in that future… I…
…No, that is more than enough. I shall do everything I can.

 

“Could you tell me more about that deal of yours.” I raised my head towards the demon once more.

 

“Hm? So you changed your mind?

 But let me ask this first. Those humans that made me, they had their hands covered in the blood of many innocents. But unlike them, you’re just a naive little king. Can you handle bearing the future of what's to come?”

 

The demon is actually worried for me, how unlike of a demon.

 

“I have a plan in mind. I shall make you cooperate as well.”

 

I say so in a bold manner.

It had probably sensed how serious I am, and said in a gleaming face.

 

“Fine, then.

 Tell me your name, O king of humans.
Our deal starts from there.”

 

Hearing that, I let out my usual warm smile.

“O demon of Kataliah, my name is Eida.
I will save you.”

 

The demon stared at me in confusion upon hearing my words.

 

And so I started my preparation, in order to save everyone in 10 years to come.