"What is the meaning of this?"
I stared down at the remains of the foolish prince, Gilbert, reduced to mangled chunks of flesh, questioning myself.
This was unexpected. According to Rose, he had received an elite education in martial arts from an early age. Although he had completely stopped using magic after a certain incident, it was said that his raw talent alone could rival even the Court Head Mage. I had never dreamed in my wildest imagination that he would be defeated by a small-fry slug who couldn't even hide his true nature.
"That is why I told thee it was excessive for that ape."
Behind me, Asta let out a heavy sigh, repeating the sentiment he had voiced multiple times already.
"So you're saying I misjudged his strength...?"
"Master underestimates himself far too much. Lower organisms—mere humans—are far weaker and more fragile than Master believes. Weak enough to be one-sidedly slaughtered by small fry of that caliber."
Underestimating. And humans are weak, huh? I had never even considered such a thing. In the first place, I was confined to that Easy Dungeon for a hundred thousand years; far from fighting humans, I never even interacted with them. It was only natural that my ability to gauge the strength of fellow humans had grown terribly dull.
Still, I see... If my perception was fundamentally flawed, then—
"Hey, could it be that balloon-like undead was actually strong?"
"It depends on where one sets the standard of strength. By our measuring stick, it was small fry. But to the inhabitants of this world, it was an overwhelming Transcender. And even we, who say this, are mere small fry to Master. Truly nothing more than goblins wandering through a forest."
So that's how it is. It certainly had felt unnatural—why Babel and the Hunter Guild complied so readily with my instructions.
—Because they could never win.
Thinking of it that way, everything fell into place. Could it be that the pervert in his underwear and that small-fry three-headed dragon were actually formidable powerhouses?
If so, then... if that was truly the case... Never again will I—
"Asta, do you think I will ever be able to wield my sword with all my might again?"
Asta averted his gaze and shook his head slightly.
"...I see..."
My chin sank heavily against my chest.
"Kuhaha! Have I lost my mind, I wonder?!"
Wasn't this supposed to be what I desired, seeking a slow life? Then why? Why do I feel so hopelessly, agonizingly empty?
"Asta, I understand what you were saying now."
"Is that so?"
Asta nodded lightly with a sorrowful expression, then vanished.
"I will take responsibility."
My error in judgment resulted in the deaths of these people. I must shoulder that blame. It is clearly too late, but I will eliminate that slug with all my might, and I will personally crush the petty demon race running rampant in the north.
Before that—there is something I want to test.
I brought out the Subjugation Compendium. Indeed, upon clearing that Easy Dungeon, the registration targets of the Subjugation Compendium had expanded, allowing the addition of non-humans above a certain threshold of strength.
However, after trying various things with the compendium since then, it seemed impossible to register ordinary monsters or undead. The only ones I could register were non-humans like Ifrit, Titan, and Deimos. Furthermore, they were not registered as regular members of the Subjugation Compendium, but merely as kin to Girimehkala and the others.
The reason had eluded me all this time, but now I could make a vague guess. Registration in the Subjugation Compendium requires a spiritual connection with me. In other words, without a certain level of soul strength, one simply cannot be registered.
Therefore, this human here, as well as the dead monsters over there, fundamentally could not be registered. Even so, right now, I desperately wished to register them.
"Not much time has passed since their deaths. Their souls should still linger in those bodies. Please, register them."
Despite my heartfelt plea, the compendium remained utterly silent.
"So it's impossible after all, huh..."
I exhaled a long breath. That's right. Life rarely goes the way you want. The consequences of one's actions can never be undone. In particular, one cannot bring back the dead. That is the natural law of the mortal realm.
In the end, I became just like the scumbags who trampled over the lives of innocent people.
I have no intention of dressing it up with pretty words. I was self-righteous and hopelessly selfish to begin with. So this is by no means a tidy emotion like guilt. It's simply pure anger directed at my own blunder.
"Girimehkala, Belze, are you there?"
"By your side..."
"Yes I am, yes indeedy!"
Girimehkala and Beelzebub knelt before me.
"After I dispose of the slug named Sugar, I will subjugate the demon race to the north."
"Behind the northern demon race lies the Evil Army. What are your orders?"
At Girimehkala's mention of the Evil Army, Beelzebub clicked his mandibles in rapid, restless agitation. I had learned recently that this was a gesture Beelzebub made whenever he grew excited. He most likely had some history with those scumbags called the Evil Army. And considering Beelzebub's excitement, there was no doubt they were considerable powerhouses.
"The Evil Army? What is that?"
"They are the masters of the three-headed evil dragon god—Azi Dahaka—whom you previously slaughtered."
"Ah, right. Come to think of it, it was blabbering about a game or something."
At this point, I couldn't care less. In any case, mere masters of that small-fry dragon couldn't possibly stand against me.
"The trial is over. I will handle everything else myself. This is my responsibility, and I will settle it. I need you two to handle the cleanup and sweep up the remaining small fry."
"Understood!"
"As you wish, indeedy!"
After confirming the two had acknowledged the order, I drew Murasame from the scabbard across my shoulder.
"Now, let's kill."
Surely that will bring the most peace of mind. A tribute to the fallen. Sugar, and the Evil Army, was it? I will slaughter you as cruelly and humiliatingly as humanly possible.
I felt the corners of my mouth twist upward to their absolute limit. I surrendered myself entirely to the blistering fury swelling within my chest.
—After Kai Heinemann departed to enact his slaughter.
Normally, the Subjugation Compendium would have dissolved back into Kai Heinemann and vanished. Yet, the compendium remained hovering in midair at the very same spot.
Then, its pages fluttered frantically, and words began etching themselves into the parchment.
—Registration of Tama into the Subjugation Compendium—Failed! Theoretically impossible.
—Registration of Chato into the Subjugation Compendium—Failed! Theoretically impossible.
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—Failed? Theoretically... imppossible?
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—Faaailed!
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—Faa... iled!
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—Faa........ iled!
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—Faa............ iled!
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—F-f-f-f-f-f-f, Fai... led!
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium—F-f-f-f-f-f-f, Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiillllled!
The distorted error messages repeated endlessly.
They spanned across page after page—
—Registration of Gilbert Loto Amelia into the Subjugation Compendium——————————Success!
—Gilbert Loto Amelia has been promoted to legitimate kin of the Subjugation Compendium holder, Kai Heinemann.
—Soul connection with Master Kai Heinemann——————Success!
—Re-synthesizing physical body from the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia————Failed!
—Re-synthesizing physical body from the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia————Failed!
—Re-synthesizing physical body from the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia————Failed!
—Re-synthesizing physical body from the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia————Failed!
Re-synthesis of a physical body from the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia deemed impossible. Attempting alteration of Gilbert Loto Amelia's Gift—[Supreme Mage (Special Trait Type)] using the magical power of the compendium holder, Kai Heinemann——————Success——Acquired the Title [Soul Revenger]. Acquired the Authority—[Phantom Shift].
Attempting activation of newly acquired Title—[Soul Revenger]————Success.
Reverting the soul of Gilbert Loto Amelia randomly to a designated point in the past from the present moment.