DKVM Ch 30

Chapter 30

Well, Dad lives in the empire, so of course he’s heard of that person.

‘That’s because he’s such a famous and awesome person.’

In this world, there is a race of beings different from us called demons…

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Though their numbers are small, they are said to be a race of people who are all skilled in magic, unlike humans, with only a few individuals gifted enough to become mages.

They used their power to invade and plunder the humans from time to time.

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Because of this, there was fighting between the humans and the demons.

Ten years ago, the current emperor lamented the suffering of the people in the demon realm and the surrounding area and formed an operation to subjugate the demons.

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There was one man at the forefront of the campaign.

He was Dane Rothweed, the captain of the second order of imperial knights.

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Rothweed was an undisputed genius who was the youngest person in the history of the empire to reach the rank of swordmaster.

His prowess was recognized and he rose to the rank of Deputy Grand Master when he was only twenty years old.

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That year, he led an Imperial army into the demon realm, and despite fighting in unfavorable terrain, he won a series of victories.

Eventually, he was attacked by demons and cornered.

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‘In that situation, he ordered all his men to retreat and stayed behind to face the demons alone.’

Four years later, his body was not found during a second demonic extermination campaign, and he was officially declared missing.

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‘No matter how great of a swordmaster he was, when he was surrounded by enemies, what could be expected but for him to die.’

In any case, he died, but it is said that his victory streak in the demon realm led to a lull in demon invasions and plundering for a time.

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So the people of the empire honored him and called him a hero.

It was just like what I was learning from the history books now.

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“So, my princess, what did you think when you learned about him?”

I blinked at Dad’s question.

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‘I didn’t think of anything really.’

I’m nine years old right now, but mentally I’m older than when this great man in history made his big splash.

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‘But if you’re really nine years old, you’re supposed to admire history’s great figures, right?’

And if I put myself in that person’s shoes….

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You know, choosing your own death to save others, that’s kind of cool, right?

“He’s a cool person!”

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“…he’s cool?”

“Yeah! He’s strong enough to take down a whole bunch of bad guys single-handedly, and brave enough to die saving his men.”

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I answered with some sincerity, but for some reason, Dad gave me a bitter smile.

“Vivian, he might not actually be that awesome after all.”

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“Huh? Why?”

“Because history is the record of the winners, and it sides with the winners.”

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I’d already heard this in my past life and didn’t give it much thought.

“Maybe the demons are actually good, and that person is bad, and people were lying to them, and he is just a person like us, so we have to take his side.”

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My dad explained it as best he could, at my level, so that my nine-year-old self could understand.

It was something I already knew, but I listened intently, curious about his sudden motivation for telling me this story.

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“But it’s bad to judge someone by their race because just as there are thieves and bad people among humans, there are good demons among demons.”

He seemed worried that I might be prejudiced by only seeing one side of history, the side written from the empire’s perspective.

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That’s my dad for you.

Wasn’t it thoughtful of him to think of things like this?

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“Vivi, I don’t want you to hate the nice demons because you only see history as written from our point of view.”

“Has Dad ever met a good demon?”

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I asked to check, and Dad paused as if he was weighing his answer.

Then, with a wistful look in his eyes as if he was remembering the past, he answered.

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“Yeah. That was before the demon realm was closed.”

The passageways to the demonic realm are hidden throughout the empire and were completely sealed off six years ago at the end of the war.

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‘It’s said that the demon king sealed the passageways to the demon realm after losing to us at last.’

And now it’s said that neither humans nor demons can travel between the worlds.

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“At that time, I only believed the history books and thought those people were bad. And….”

Dad’s eyes, as he reflected on the past, reached out to me.

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His golden eyes, like mine, curved into a faint smile.

“I wound up regretting that.”

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The smile was both sad and nostalgic.

Perhaps he was remembering the ‘good demon’.

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Just as I was beginning to wonder what kind of person they were, Dad spoke up.

“So I hope our princess doesn’t have the same regrets as me.”

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I stared at him as he said that.

My dad is one of the most mature and decent adults I know.

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He knows how to admit when he’s wrong and fix it, even in front of his daughter.

‘I should grow up to be like him.’

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I nodded vigorously, trying to reassure my dad.

“I understand, Dad. I’ll decide if someone is a good or a bad person. I won’t listen to what other people say.”

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A smile spread across my dad’s face, and his huge but loving hand cupped my cheek.

“Whose daughter is this, so sweet and smart?”

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“Umm… is it Mom’s daughter?”

At my playful reply, he chuckled and gave my cheek a little tug.

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I giggled, delighted by the touch.

It was a peaceful evening, just like any other.

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* * *

After dinner, Vivian went upstairs to the bathroom to wash up.

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Dias stayed on the first floor, came upstairs to wash the dishes, tidy up the kitchen, and prepare the bread to bake tomorrow morning.

By now, Vivian would have gotten out of the bath and was at the dressing table to have her hair brushed.

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It was part of his routine to brush her hair and watch her fall asleep.

“Princess, did you brush your teeth thoroughly and rinse off the soap bubbles… Vivian?”

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Vivian was standing in front of the window, her head wrapped in a towel, as usual.

Beyond the window was the western woods, which she had been told every day not to enter.

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Feeling his presence, Vivian turned around.

“Dad.”

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“Why are you standing there? You didn’t even dry your hair. Is there anything out there?”

“Nothing much.”

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“Yeah.”

Vivian hesitated, studying him for a moment, then pressed her lips together and shook her head.

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“Ah, no. It’s nothing. Just dry my hair.”

But he could feel that she was trying to hide something.

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Having no memory of the mother she lost at a young age, she’d been raised by a father who was learning everything for the first time.

As a result, she tended to hide things from her dad when she thought it would worry him.

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Dias slipped his hand between Vivian’s arms as she made her way to the vanity and hugged her tightly.

He felt her small body, so much smaller than his own, but she was still a substantial presence.

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“Dad?”

“Come on, tell me before my arms fall off. What’s wrong?”

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“It’s nothing…”

“If it’s nothing, why can’t you tell me, Princess?”

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Rolling her big eyes, Vivian sighed heavily as if she’d been defeated by Dias’s grip, then opened her mouth.

“It’s nothing really, and this might sound weird… but I think the forest keeps calling to me.”

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“The forest, the western forest?”

“Yeah.”

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“Who is calling you? Are you hearing a voice?”

“No, no. I feel like the forest is calling me, not someone.”

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“…the forest?”

“Yeah. Isn’t that weird?”

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Hearing Vivian’s answer, Dias’s eyes turned cold, and he turned to the forest beyond the window where Vivian had been looking a moment ago.

But he quickly regained his composure and looked back at Vivian and said playfully.

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“Don’t you think it’s because I told you not to go to the woods that you want to go more?”

“No, because Dad said there are scary monsters in the woods, and I never thought I wanted to go!”

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Dias chuckled at Vivian’s vehement protest.

He sat Vivian on the dressing table, combed her hair, and reinforced his words.

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“That’s right. So you must never go into the forest. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Yes…”

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Vivian replied sleepily, yawning softly.

She’d been wide-eyed since he’d brushed her hair, but by the time he’d finished, she’d dozed off.

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Dias picked up Vivian, whose head was about to hit the vanity, and carried her to bed, laying her down gently.

Dias gently kissed Vivian’s curved forehead as she slept.

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“Sweet dreams, Vivi.”