“What...? Why...?” She stumbled back like she had just been struck in the face. Well, that wasn’t that much of a surprise. She had probably never expected anyone to bring up the name of her village from her previous life, let alone a demon prince.
“When you get reborn, memories of your past life are gradually overwritten with memories of your new one. That is to say, I don’t really remember much of Tancrette anymore. But undead are different, right? If your soul was caught not long after you died, you’d remember everything clearly.”
Judging from the way Claire acted, it seemed like her personality had persisted from life into undeath. But if Enma had wiped her memories, all of my plans would be snuffed out.
“Claire...do you remember me?” I said, as much a prayer as it was a question. But Claire, lips trembling herself, replied with a question of her own.
“Who...are you...?”
Finally. After all this time, I could finally say it.
“Alex. Your childhood friend, Alexander. Long time no see, Claire.”
There was a long stretch of silence as Claire stared back at me.
“Who is Alexander?”
I just about collapsed on the spot. She remembered Tancrette, but she didn’t remember me? My mind knew that possibility was technically on the table, but my heart wasn’t really ready for it.
If she had no memories of me, I had just revealed my true identity to one of Enma’s subordinates for nothing. Now that it had come to this, I had no choice. I’d have to silence her for good. Of course I was speechless, but so were Ante and Layla.
And then Claire started giggling, flopping over backward and landing face up in the grass. She quickly threw her hands up to her face, trying to contain her laughter.
“No way. Claire, are you...?” I couldn’t believe it. Now, of all times. Here, of all places. This was how she chose to get revenge?!
“Of course I remember you. How could I ever forget?” she said, sticking out her tongue, unable to keep the smug grin from her face. Overwhelmed by something much closer to exhaustion than relief, I dropped to sit on the ground myself.
“But wait...you’re joking, right? Alex? The prince is Alex? Seriously?” Claire sat up, her expression going blank as she tried to process the information I had just given her. The fact she thought to play a joke on me before even considering getting confused about the circumstances was so much like her it hurt. “But Alex was a big doof! Not a single thought went through that boy’s head. He celebrated being covered in horse dung!”
“Okay, that never happened!” I shouted back, slamming a hand on the ground. Even with my patchy memory, I was absolutely sure that wasn’t true. “You’re talking about that time you used a trap to drop me into a pile of horse crap, right? I felt like such an idiot for falling for it, I had to laugh at myself! Of course I was angry!”
“W-Wow, you really remember. Are you seriously Alex...?” Claire stared at me in evident disbelief, looking me up and down. “But... No way. That can’t be true. The timing doesn’t add up. Even if I accept the absurd idea that you were reincarnated as a demon, too much time has passed. Tancrette was destroyed decades ago. There’s not a chance a soul survived that long without a body. And besides, having memories of your old life left over doesn’t make any sense.”
As Claire went through all the logical reasons I couldn’t be who I said I was, things she knew from her mastery of Necromancy, a thought occurred to me. She had changed. Both of us had. We had changed so much since our old lives.
“On the day our village was attacked...I didn’t die,” I squeezed out, like I was trying to swallow a stone. “My mom carried me and ran all the way to the next village over. She didn’t make it, but I ended up surviving. I was sent to an orphanage, and when my coming-of-age day came, I manifested the holy property.”
Hii Yeri Lampsui Suto Hieri Mo.
May your holy light shine in my hands.
“The Holy Church got a hold of me, and turned me into a hero.”
Seeing the silver flame flicker to life on the tip of my finger, Claire instinctively scurried backward, stopping herself just barely before slipping out of the barrier. “A demon using holy magic?! There’s no way! And a hero?! You?!”
“You know about the white dragons’ attack on the castle seven years ago, right?”
“Y-Yeah...”
“I was one of the attackers riding them.” I stared at Claire quietly. She was openly afraid, trembling before the holy magic I wielded. “I fought the Demon King, and he killed me. The next thing I knew, I had been reborn as his son,” I explained, rubbing my face.
Claire’s jaw dropped.
After that, I went on to explain the story of my life as a demon. I had done the same for Layla, Barbara, and Hessel, so I was getting pretty used to telling it by now. The only difference this time was that I didn’t explain what my goal was.
“It’s totally unbelievable...but it does line up. Yeah...and it explains a lot. I always thought you were strange for a demon. But deep down, you were Alex this whole time... It explains everything. Okay, maybe not everything. You’re way smarter than Alex ever was...”
“Yeah, well...I can’t really deny that. When I was initially reborn, I was that same idiot.”
“Oh, are you saying you’re not an idiot anymore?”
“Not to toot my own horn or anything, but you could say I’ve learned a thing or two. I received the minimum education required for a member of the royal family,” I said with a shrug, getting a pout out of Claire.
“How annoying. I don’t want my Alex getting all smart...” Then she turned to Layla and Liliana behind me. “So...what about them?”
“Those two are some of my very few allies. They know everything.”
Layla (still in her dragon form) nodded, and Liliana puffed up proudly with a bark.
“So...all that stuff about them being your pets and lovers...?” Claire’s eyes narrowed. I felt a cold sweat starting to form.
“No, uh...all of that isn’t exactly true...”
“He treats us very well,” Layla suddenly interjected, transforming back into her human form with her face totally flushed.
“Layla?!”
Also she was completely naked.
“Oh, I see how it is. You’ve really grown up, haven’t you, Alex?” Claire said, eyes narrowing even further. My cold sweat was getting considerably worse. Describing it as gross wouldn’t do it justice. What was I supposed to do now?!
“Okay, that was a joke,” Layla added. “But he really does treat us well. Those rumors he spread was his way of protecting us...though I guess not all of them are lies,” she explained as she shifted back into her dragon form. There was a strange force behind her words as she spoke. “Alex is the only reason I can be who I am. That’s the truth.”
“But...your father...”
“Yes. Alex killed him,” Layla said, voice gentle as her golden eyes closed. “I can’t say I don’t hold anything against him for that. But more than that, I’m grateful to him. It is because of Alex that I was reunited with my father and got the opportunity to speak with him one last time.”
“No way. So when the professor couldn’t summon Faravgi’s soul...?!” Claire’s eyes went wide.
“His soul really was erased by a special kind of light magic, that part was true. Only, it happened just before that lecture.” All I had done was smudge the details about the timing and circumstances of those events.
“Alex, you... From here on, what exactly are you planning?” Claire asked, a faint hint of fear in her voice.
Now, the real battle was underway. I hadn’t said anything about wanting to destroy the demonic kingdom yet. Claire might have had her suspicions, but not saying it out loud yet was important. Enma was a vassal of the demonic kingdom. If Claire sympathized with my efforts, that would likely be treated as a betrayal on her part. It could very well trigger whatever mechanisms Enma had placed inside Claire to ensure her loyalty.
“Before I answer that, I have an order as Seventh Demon Prince.”
“O-Okay,” Claire stiffened as I sat up straight.
“Those blades on your body, they’re probably covered in poison, right? And you can’t retract them. Seeing as how that’s a bit dangerous for me, I would prefer if we continued this conversation with you in spiritual form. Is that possible? Of course, out of respect for Enma’s workmanship, I won’t try to dissect your body or try anything of the like while we’re here. You have my word,” I said, speaking in a roundabout way to emphasize this wasn’t about betraying Enma.
Claire paused for a moment. “Okay, Mr. Prince. I suppose it was improper of me to converse with you while covered in poisoned blades like this. My sincerest apologies,” she adopted a formal tone as she spoke, bowing her head. So they were poisoned. Having such an obvious tool for assassination so close to a prince was beyond the pale. Enma really couldn’t complain if I smashed Claire to bits right here.
Claire lay down on the grass, and in short order a transparent ghost emerged from her body.