“What’s your real goal?” Prince Guido asks, giving Julius a once-over. “Are you asking us to help you usurp the throne? Planning to depose the current Demon Lord so you can become Analia’s next ruler?”
“I have no such plans. I simply wish to live out my life in peace once the Demon Lord is defeated. Protecting this peaceful lifestyle is my only goal,” Julius quietly confesses.
Prince Guido’s eyes go rounder than the saucer on the table, betraying the depth of his surprise. But the hard contours of his face immediately soften.
“Live in peace, huh…? I never expected to hear that word from you,” he says with a gentleness that’d been absent from his voice until now.
I think some of the barbed edges in Prince Guido’s attitude toward Julius have dulled. But Golem’s scowl is just as distrustful as the start.
“I’ll never believe such blatant lies from a man known to all the world as merciless and ruthless! Don’t fall for his deceit, Your Highness. This devil is scheming something!”
Prince Guido nods twice, then thrice to Golem’s warning.
Beside him, Saint Aela also offers up her advice. “He speaks the truth. No lies or deceit color his words. I trust him.”
Prince Guido nods in agreement with her as well. He flashes the mischievous grin of a child playing two sides.
“Sorry, Golem. It seems I have taken quite a liking to him… He wants to defeat the Demon Lord in order to live in peace? Haha! Julius the Merciless does! Have you ever heard anything more amusing than that?!” he exclaims, letting out a real laugh.
“Can I take that as you agreeing to assist me?” Julius confirms over the prince’s laughter.
“Absolutely,” Prince Guido vows. “Also, to be clear, defeating the Demon Lord is our greatest wish. Whether you ask it of us or not, we won’t stray from that goal.”
Oh yeah, that’s exactly what they’re after. Knowing the manga, I know why Saint Aela’s group is traveling the world. Right now it’s a journey to save Gaea, but they will eventually infiltrate Analia and head for the Demon Lord’s castle—to defeat the Demon Lord.
Saint Aela’s smiling over Prince Guido’s decision, but Golem isn’t pleased, obviously.
“Overthrowing the Demon Lord’s definitely our greatest ambition, but joining hands with one of them is playing with fire…!” he objects.
“Golem, I understand where you’re coming from,” Prince Guido concedes with a sorry smile. “…Many of Gaea’s soldiers have been slaughtered by Analia’s army. But put another way, our armies have killed a great number of Analian sorcerers as well. We have been killing each other—that is the way of war. And I don’t doubt that more Gaeans have been killed. But does having more kills make one side eviler than the other? Is it a matter of how many you killed?”
He lets that question hang in the air.
“If it’s a matter of numbers, you should also consider that Analia has a much smaller population than Gaea. Furthermore, I’ve heard that Analia’s army isn’t made up of soldiers and volunteers who have sworn loyalty to the king like in Gaea. It’s said that their side is made up of sorcerers with no battle experience suddenly taking to the battlefield upon nomination by their Demon Lord. Doesn’t that mean we’ve been killing mostly civilians all this time?” Prince Guido passionately appeals to his knight.
Golem lets out a low, rumbling groan and bites his tongue. He doesn’t appear completely convinced, but he loudly exhales and heavily slumps back in his chair as if to signal he will obey his prince’s orders.
Ooh! Prince Guido is as open-minded and cool as I hoped he’d be! That’s the way one of the lead male characters from a manga oughta be! And even Golem matches perfectly with his manga character. He’s so cool in his own way. Golem’s aggressiveness toward Julius comes from his concern for Prince Guido and Aela. He cares about his allies.
I’m getting all excited and impressed by the group of characters I fawned over when they were just drawings on a piece of paper.
I’m observing Prince Guido and the others when I sense a pair of eyes on me and look to my right. There, I find Julius pouting. Why does he look so upset?
He quickly looks away when our eyes meet and returns his attention to Prince Guido.
“Thank you for thinking of Analia’s citizens. However, Analia is made up of people who don’t think twice about dying for the Demon Lord. There are many sorcerers who are suddenly thrust into the army without any special training like you mentioned, but I doubt they feel any fear.”
“I see… Then that’s even worse on us for killing people with no will of their own under the guise of war. Haha. I’ve come to despise the Demon Lord even more now. That’s a ruler who thinks nothing of the people. No doubt the Demon Lord views the citizens of Analia as little more than useful puppets… But you seem different. A puppet would never think of turning on the puppeteer,” Prince Guido points out, holding Julius’s gaze.
His expression is clear of the tension and suspicion he had at first. The mood in the room has grown more serene, too.
As I’m picking apart the moment, I catch Prince Guido looking at me.
“With that out of the way, I would love it if you would introduce the adorable young lady with you now. I heard the villagers address her as Lady Elle. Where does she hail from?”
Oh! It’s here! The marvelous time for me to introduce myself!
My excitement swells in anticipation.
I glance over at Julius to check if I’m good to go. Can I say it?! I can say it, right?!
Julius furrows his brow slightly when he notices my antsy gaze and seems to consider it for a moment. Then he turns to look at the prince.
“Guido, let me confirm it with you officially. You are willing to help me defeat the Demon Lord, correct?”
“Do you even need to ask? Like I said, we’re after the same thing.”
“I see…,” Julius says, still reluctant.
Why are you so resistant to me talking about myself?! Bah! I can’t wait any longer.
I rise from my chair. “I’m more than happy to tell you who I am if you wish to know! For I am— Mmph!”
Julius covered my mouth again! My words came out muffled!
WHY?! Why won’t you let me say it?!
“Forgive me. I would rather not hide things from possible allies in defeating the Demon Lord, but it’s more important to me that word about her does not make it back to the Demon Lord… Will you vow not to speak of her outside these walls?”
Prince Guido seems a little baffled by Julius’s frantic insistence. “Of course. You have my word. But why the secrecy?”
Julius drops his hand from my mouth.
“What the heck, Julius?!” I huff with my first gasp of air. “Why do you keep getting in the way of my grand introduction?!”
“You heard my answer to the prince. I don’t want the Demon Lord to discover you, no matter the cost. Please stop being so quick and careless to reveal yourself every chance you get.”
“I’m not quick and careless when I reveal myself! I always take GREAT care when I announce my name! I make sure to use over fifty words every time!”
“I’m not talking about the care you put into your introduction.”
He’s not? Then what’s he talking about?
I frown, completely at a loss over what obstinate Julius is trying to say. Prince Guido’s entertained laughter fills the room.
Uh, why is he suddenly laughing?
He has a good, hard laugh and wipes the tears from his eyes. “Haha! Did you seek help from us when it’s so out of character for you because of her?” he asks Julius, amused.
“Yes, that is why,” Julius asserts. “I want to give her freedom. The kind where she can live without fear of another.”
Julius was being such an obstinate goat, but then he had to go and give that embarrassing answer. I can’t help but look at him.
“J-Julius…,” I call without thinking. He slowly turns his gaze to me.
“I want to live with her in this village enjoying peace and quiet without being controlled by anyone,” he says with his usual cool visage, but the look he is giving me feels so hot, my heart squeezes.
Could it be that…Julius…me— No! Don’t go there!
I wrench my gaze away and look down.
…Crap! Crap! Crap! I nearly let myself get the wrong idea.
The kinda wrong idea like Julius might have feelings for me…
Julius is going to fall in love with Aela. He’s going to love her. I can’t get the wrong idea. I tend to misunderstand things a lot. Heck, I’ve lived my whole life under one big fat misunderstanding. I don’t want to go back to being the girl who lived her life based on the misconception that she was loved by the Demon Lord.
“Hehehe. You two must be very close,” Aela says with a delicate laugh. Even Guido and Golem are starting to look at us like we’re an adorable sight to behold.
What is it?! What’s that look trying to convey?! I s-swear I’m not misinterpreting the situation!
“Wh-What’s with that look?! D-Don’t get the wrong idea! Also, before we get into all this side talk, Julius, I need to talk to you first! How are we supposed to defeat the Demon Lord when it’s that?! How do we defeat that?!” I emphasize in a loud voice.
I mean, the Demon Lord’s real identity is a magic circle that takes up an entire underground room!
“What?!” The fairy on Aela’s shoulder takes flight. “You people know the true identity of the Demon Lord?!”
Julius sits up straight. “I need to inform you about what the Demon Lord really is for us to win. The truth may be hard to believe. Nevertheless, what I am about to tell you is true. Are you prepared to believe me and face the truth?”
Prince Guido, Aela, and Golem nod—but then Julius abruptly springs to his feet. He jumped up so fast, the soup spilled on the table.
Hey! That’s my soup! I look up at Julius to complain…and swallow my words. He’s paler than the white tablecloth.
“Julius? What’s wrong?”
“Someone just teleported into the village center…,” he says, then runs over to the window and throws it open so hard, the shades bang against the wall.
I rush after him and nervously peer outside.
I activate Analyze in my right eye and see the shimmer of a magic circle in the blue sky. That circle floating in the air is for a teleportation spell. And three people just leaped down from it?
There’s one person I don’t recognize, but the other two are…
“Sereniel the Temptress and Steel Regulus…?!” I utter the names of my former allies.