Chapter 142

This mage’s bad habit is getting sloppy the moment the end is in sight. “Don’t be so modest. Couldn’t you fill in for me?” “Aaaaaaah, I can’t heeeaaaar yoooouuu. No, no, I could never. Anyway, I’m going back to the battlefield, okay, Master Claude?” Elefas seems to be implying that being on the battlefield is preferable to obeying Claude’s orders. The man starts to turn on his heel, so Claude swiftly gets up, trips him, then plants a foot on his cloak. “As my brilliant mage, not only can you stand in for me, you can also recast the wall’s spell, can’t you?” “I don’t want to. I’ve only made it this far by drinking tonics. I can’t do any more! Even repairing spells takes time!” “No matter what Kilvas does with it from this point on, fixing it is probably the safest option. How long will it take?” The enormous spell has been cast over the entire capital. Not only that, but it was designed by Hausel. Even if it takes days to fix it, simply holding back its collapse is not an option they can entertain. “Three hours, no matter how desperately I work at it.” Elefas is still sitting on his rear on the floor. Claude gazes at him steadily. “What is that look for? Yes, it’s only piecing a broken spell back together, but it’s not the sort of thing one can do in ten or twenty minutes. Even if I borrow your magic, that is the very fastest I can manage.” “No… I was just thinking my mage was brilliant. If you use my magic, I think you might be stronger than me.” “If I can’t win without borrowing it, there’s not much point, and you know it.” It’s hard to tell whether that response is him being servile or supremely confident. With a wry smile, Claude lifts his foot off the mage’s cloak. Looking cross, Elefas gets to his feet. “I’ll leave rebuilding the spell to you. Teleport me outside the capital.” “Wait, Master Claude! I can’t borrow your magic right now. I can’t be your substitute.” “It’s fine—I’ll be right back. All you have to do is buy time.” “There’s no way you’ll be ‘right back.’ The last time you said that, you were gone for half a day!” “I mean it… I have to be the one to settle things this time. Please.” Elefas shuts up. He exhales, shoulders slumping. Then he looks at Claude with eyes the same color as Claude’s. “I wish you good fortune in battle.” “I really have been blessed with good retainers.” Rudely, Elefas shrugs, but he promptly vanishes and is replaced by a stretch of sky. In the distance, Claude can see the ramparts of the imperial capital. He hasn’t been outside it in a long time. Now, then… He looks around. Still, they really underestimated me. Didn’t they realize breaking that wall would set me free? Or did they assume I’d try to fix it somehow? They might have. As a matter of fact, if Elefas hadn’t appeared, Claude probably would have chosen to maintain the wall. After all, keeping the number of demons who enter the capital low enough that Diana and Cattleya’s group are certain to be able to drive them off is the best way to keep the damage to a minimum. Cattleya probably thought that was the choice Claude would make. It was a type of trust. However, there’s one other woman who accurately guessed what he would do: his wife, who will hold her head high and claim, That is why I am here. In the dry wind of an unfamiliar land, Claude closes his eyes, then opens them. Calling to the demons is enough to tell him what the war situation is. All right, I’ll go along with the shadow commander in chief’s plan. If I’m going to be manipulated, I’d prefer it that way. On the battlefield, the advantage keeps shifting from one side to the other. First, the antidote Almond and Sugar’s group scattered was fairly effective, so they gained the initiative. However, although they tried to push the demons back behind the wall, they weren’t able to communicate with them. They knew this would be an issue, since the demons had failed to respond to Claude—or rather, since they’d heard about the demons of Kilvas in the first place—but it was still discouraging. After all, being able to persuade them to stop would have been the fastest solution. In the end, the Valkyries and Almond’s group worked together to drive the demons back inside the wall, as if they were herding animals. Then they were spotted by the Valkyries who’d stayed at the wall. They hadn’t taken the fact that some might still be there into account. Humans joined the demons, and the battle devolved into a chaotic melee where friend and foe were jumbled together. Irena’s unit is strong, but their magic lances have no divine stones. Beelzebuth is protecting them, but his force’s strength is halved since he has to fight without killing. In the meantime, the enemy continues scattering more demon snuff. The demons of Kilvas, who have been milling about in confusion, rampage again. Starting about then, the front line begins to buckle. The demons of Kilvas are screaming. The Valkyries have grown impatient and started attacking both Irena’s group and the demons. They just need to use demon snuff to lure the demons to the capital. As long as the enemy in front of them vanishes, it’s fine. That’s the only way they see the situation, and that’s why they’re able to do something so thoughtless. If they’d looked closer, they would have noticed that Irena’s group was avoiding attacking the demons of Kilvas. They can’t have thought Irena’s Valkyries were doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, can they? “Those idiots,” Isaac mutters. He’s peering through a pair of binoculars from a tent pitched on high ground a little distance away. “You’re quite harsh. I’m sure they can’t help it. This country has far too little information regarding the demon king. How is Master Ernst’s command?” Keith asks. “Even better than I’d hoped. I shouldn’t have expected less from a guy who has experience in the field. He’s made the right choice and is beginning to pull back.” “If possible, I would have liked to find him. With the situation as it is, though…do you think he’ll come?” “As the demon king’s adviser, do you think he wouldn’t?” “He’ll come. If demons are being hurt, the demon king will appear.” Just then, a demon so large they don’t need binoculars to spot it punches a new breach in the wall. For a brief moment, the wall flares with light as if it’s resisting, but the newcomer stomps through the spell as well. Any demon who can do a thing like that is obviously the demon king. The demon is covered in shining black scales, and he plants four feet on the ground, crouching low. The flames that jet from between his sharp fangs rise into the wintry sky like steam. The demon’s red eyes seem to glare at everything. And when the demon hears the screams of the other demons who are being attacked, his whole body trembles. This is the red-eyed demon—a dragon. He isn’t shaped quite like Claude, though. His form isn’t much different from those of the demons of Kilvas. That gives Keith and Isaac some faint hope. However, the large wings that sprout from his back aren’t just for decoration. “So he can fly, huh?!” The red-eyed demon soars high into the sky and sucks in a deep breath. His mouth is turned toward them. Apparently, he is intelligent enough to locate their position. He may be inhaling the magic around them; the tent flaps and sways. Naturally, Isaac and Keith have no way to block the attack. “Hey, adviser. Do you have any last words?” “‘This, when you can’t even make tea.’” “Okay, mine are ‘Now I can’t keep her from standing on the front line, got it?’” The blast of gathered magic is unleashed at them. Its light bleaches out the world. The attack is blocked by a human figure. “That would be a very big problem.” Isaac realizes he had the wrong idea. That demon—Vica—hadn’t been aiming for their position. He’d instinctively sensed a strong foe and aimed for him. The area around their position has been singed a little, but he and Keith are alive. Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Isaac rakes his fingers through his hair and smiles. “Haaah, we won…” “It seems a bit early to make that call… So that’s Vica?” Having descended to their position, the demon king of Isaac’s country looks behind him, black hair streaming in the wind. The demon king’s adviser smoothly steps forward and says, “Milord, I have a message from the shadow commander in chief: ‘Take him alive.’ She also wants you to give him hope. There’s still a good possibility that he’ll come back.” Claude blinks. Isaac repeats the words. “Did you get that? Take him alive. Alive. Even if worse comes to worst and we can’t turn him human again here, we can ask Ashmael for help.” “…Oh, I see. Ailee— The shadow commander in chief doesn’t think Vica’s become a demon completely, only that his magic’s destabilized and gone out of control. If so, we can pull him back. Still, there must have been some sort of trigger that made him lose his inhibitions.” The sort of sadness or anger or despair or resignation that would make him want to give up on being human. Keith gazes into the distance, looking melancholy. “…In all probability, the woman he loved said something horrible to him. ‘You monster,’ or something to that effect.” “Oh yes, that’s brutal. The poor boy,” Claude says sympathetically. “Huh? I didn’t hear anything about that… Oh, wait, did you get that by working backward from this? C’mon, don’t destroy the world over that! Demon kings do this every time. Do you lot have romance on the brain or something?!” Isaac is more irritated than anything else. Claude wishes Isaac would direct his complaints at the world that made its demon kings that way. He laughs a little, then takes to the sky. The demons understand his orders even if he doesn’t say them out loud; they begin evacuating the humans and clearing the area. Conversely, the demons who have taken Vica’s orders all begin attacking at once, trying to bring Claude down. Vica is the king they serve. I’ll have to show respect for that. To celebrate the birth of the new demon king. To teach this king, who is still immature, how to live. And so that those young, red, glaring eyes, identical to his own, will see him properly. As an older brother and someone who’s already walked this path. Even in the south of Kilvas, it’s quite cold out on the ocean. However, in addition to hot tea, her outstanding ladies-in-waiting have provided a magic heating item manufactured in Ellmeyer and cold-weather gear made with down feathers. Thanks to these, she doesn’t feel the chill while out on deck. On the other side of the long wall that runs all the way to the horizon, there’s a flash of light as if the sun has set. Slowly, Aileen steps away from the telescope and returns to the small, round table that’s been set out on deck. When she settles back into her chair, her brilliant lady-in-waiting promptly gives her a lap blanket. “Master Claude has made it in time. We’ve won.” “Congratulations.” Rachel pours her more hot tea. “Being a disinterested spectator requires serious mental fortitude, doesn’t it?” “As you are the shadow commander in chief, you mustn’t act recklessly.” “I know… If only I still had the sacred sword, I wouldn’t have asked for Lady Lilia’s advice.” “There, you see? It’s just as I said. Aren’t you glad you went? “Oh, come on. Don’t be angry, Lady Aileen. I’ll answer properly. Now tell me what happened! “Huh? I don’t even know why you think you’ve got trouble. I mean, the red-eyed demon can go back to being human. He just has to regain his sanity. He didn’t go back that time because he steeled himself to be killed as a demon. “Honestly, you really should check the game’s rules properly before going into a fight.” Lilia was right, of course. The game never mentioned that the demons of Kilvas were former humans. That meant it also never said they can’t change back. On top of that, Vica had become the red-eyed demon and returned to being human several times before. As one would imagine, the great former player who’d weaponized her knowledge of the game to toy with reality noticed many things. Frankly, Aileen is vexed. Here she’s been thinking timid things about how she’d need the sacred sword to solve this. “However, Lady Aileen, everyone is glad you do not have the sacred sword. Things would be much more complicated if you did. Besides, it’s nice for a change to take over after everyone else has worked hard, isn’t it?” “True. I can’t fight the same way forever.” The sacred sword may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the responsibility she’s accumulated has vanished. “Are we all ready to welcome Master Vica?” “Of course, Your Majesty. Lady Serena has made a private arrangement with the principal consort of Ashmael, and Grand Duchess Levi is working to provide both sacred and magic items. Depending on the situation, we may have them dispatch the Daughter of God as well. If Master Vica’s form makes it difficult to keep him in Ellmeyer’s capital, we plan to prepare residences in the grand duchy of Levi and the Revanche County. Ashmael says they will also cooperate by increasing production of the demon-snuff antidote. There’s a demon-snuff expert over there who rivals Luc.” “Thank you. I really can’t do a thing. I’m completely reliant on others.” Aileen gives a deliberate sigh. Rachel responds primly, “Quite true. I pity Empress Diana and Princess Cattleya.” My wife probably thinks we’ve already won. Claude sighs. I’m the one who’s about to head over there and win, you know? Granted, he doesn’t intend to lose. Claude has transformed into a dragon. Even when the demon king gazes at Vica with his deep-purple eyes, Vica doesn’t flinch. He overtakes the other frightened demons and lunges at Claude. He’s instinctively protecting the other demons. Ah yes, he really is the demon king. The thoughts and actions that bleed over from his instincts are exactly like Claude’s. The demons adore him, and he loves them. However, he can’t completely hate humans, either, and is unable to become fully human or demon. Most demon kings probably know that agony. That said, Claude can’t have him ending that way. All right. If it were me, what would I have to remember in order to go back? What if Aileen called me a monster and rejected me? What then? Vica sinks his teeth into Claude’s neck, and Claude bats him off with his tail. Claude is larger, but his opponent is more agile. Vica flips, righting himself, then begins to circle Claude. “Are…you sure…about this?” Maybe because he’s in his right mind, Claude finds he’s able to speak. I suppose I would be, Claude thinks after he’s spoken. Almond and the others talk, so why wouldn’t the demon king be able to? Yes, Claude is sure hearing this would have snapped his old self out of it. “I’m going…to save…your wife.” Vica’s red eyes waver unsteadily. He howls, firing another blast of magic at Claude. He’s flustered and hasn’t taken aim, though. There’s no way an attack like that would hit Claude. Claude soars high into the sky. He punches through the clouds, then flips and plunges back down, making gravity his ally. He said, “Save my sister.” Claude thought it was odd that Vica hadn’t said wife. It was possible that Vica had no feelings for her, and his sister was the one who mattered. Even so, something seemed off. Claude wouldn’t have left the woman who was most precious to him to another man. Why are you giving up? Monster. What’s wrong with that? All he has to do is convince the woman he loves that it doesn’t matter… As Claude falls, Vica looks up at him, and their eyes meet. Then Claude’s forehead collides with Vica’s face. In an additional blow, Claude spits a magic light ray from his mouth. At point-blank range, Vica can’t dodge.