Chapter 158

Yes, she had taught him that, hadn’t she. “In that case, let’s keep doing our best. Together.” “Right. After all, children leave the nest someday.” So Claude does understand that. No matter what the future may hold, their lives are their own. Even if the wind is strong, even if a storm comes—or even if a destruction flag from the game pops up, or a final boss appears. At the moment, the most pressing issue is the clouds that are gathering high in the sky, a reflection of the conflict the demon king feels. Apparently, he’s already unable to stand the idea of his children leaving the nest. What a dire omen. Encircled by his gentle arms, Aileen turns around. The moment the demon king’s lovable daughter appears in front of his beautiful face, the sky begins to clear. Changing one’s destiny is remarkably easy. After all, everyone is the protagonist of their own life. “Big Sister Claire.” A voice calls out her name, and the young girl turns around. Her cousin—a girl the same age—comes running toward her, a hand holding her hat so the sea wind won’t snatch it away. With her other hand, she clings to the girl’s arm. “So this is where you were! What were you doing? Do you miss Ellmeyer already?” “No. A squid demon stopped by to say hello a minute ago, so I was waving to it.” “You’re as popular with the demons as ever, aren’t you, Claire. They don’t like me at aaaall. Is it because my sacred power is so strong?” “It’s because all you do is pick on them, Aria.” “No, that’s not it. It’s the strength of my sacred power! The demons avoid Big Sister Estella, too.” “They’ve taken to Estella, even if it doesn’t look like it. Their attitude’s been softening ever since Charles ran away.” “Oh…” Aria sets an index finger to her chin. “Estella’s just serious, so it always seemed like the demons would like her. Villainesses really do tame final bosses.” “What sort of fairy tale is that?” “It’s something Mother told me when she taught me Hausel’s spell! In this world, there are heroines and heroes, villainesses and final bosses. And she said I might just be a heroine! And you might be a villainess, Claire.” Sometimes the things Claire’s aunt says are hard to understand. For now, she just asks a simple question. “Which one’s Lux?” “…Ugh. I absolutely refuse to have him be a hero. I won’t allow it.” Claire gives a low, trailing sort of laugh. Claire has two little brothers, twins, the first and second princes of Imperial Ellmeyer. It has recently been decided that Charles, the younger, will become the crown prince. The first prince, Lux, has been officially engaged to Aria. Lux agreed to it without the slightest protest, but ever since they were young, Aria has detested Lux as if he were a caterpillar. Aria is cheerful, easy to love, and readily showers unstinting affection on everyone around her—so the fact that she loathes nobody but Lux is enough to make Claire think he’s “special.” Claire doesn’t have anybody who’s even a little special to her, so she’s jealous. Both Aria and her younger brothers have someone like that. Even Estella does, finally. It’s just Claire who doesn’t yet. Her mother has cautioned her not to be attracted to someone strange just because she longs for romance, but clearly, she won’t be able to tell whether they’re strange or not without being attracted to them first. She’ll be out from under her parents’ watchful eyes from now on, so she intends to hunt and hunt to her heart’s content. “Well, you’re going to be the queen of Hausel, Aria, and I’ll be your knight. Even if Lux is a hero, I won’t lose to him. I’ll even defeat the final boss before he does.” “You mustn’t defeat him. Villainesses have to tame the final boss; even Aunt Aileen said so. She said it’s a waste not to.” “Mother did?” Her mother quickly stops her whenever Claire’s aunt brings up this sort of thing, so this is unusual. “Hmm.” Claire walks to the prow of the ship. A bright blue ocean and a bright blue sky. A horizon she can’t see beyond. A voyage her mother and father once took together. She’s traveling there now. What will be waiting for her? She doesn’t know, but heroines and heroes, and villainesses and final bosses, are just a few of the many special things she hasn’t yet seen. “In that case—I’m the villainess, so I’ll tame the final boss.”