“Oh, thank the stars…” Medello exhaled hard, pressing a trembling hand to her chest. “When I saw you surrounded by those giant rock monsters, Belamus, I honestly thought you were finished.”
“You saved me,” Belamus replied plainly. “If you hadn’t put up your barrier when you did, mine alone might not have held.”
Medello’s face flushed. “I-I was just acting on instinct, really…”
Belamus nodded once, letting the gratitude linger before moving on. “More importantly, what about the other assassins? Are they dealt with?”
“They’ve all been neutralized,” Medello reported, quickly regaining composure. “A few are still alive, but unable to fight. According to Rumalus, not all of them agreed with the order to kill Lady Mimi. Some resisted it.”
“I see…” Belamus folded his arms, considering this carefully. Aled, the one who had been most determined to see Mimi dead, was now gone. That alone could shift the tide.
If she’s still alive… if she returns from the cave… she might actually have a chance to reclaim her place in the palace.
Keeping some of the special forces alive could prove useful. Depending on how things unfolded, their testimony or their change of allegiance might serve Mimi well in the future.
If she returns… But Belamus trusted Delarosa. If anyone could bring Mimi back, it was her.
With that thought, he turned toward the edge of the battlefield. The remnants of the special forces were scattered there, battered and bloodied, but still breathing. He made his way over, determined to lend aid.
After binding the remaining soldiers with Magic Thread, Belamus moved quickly, casting healing spells to stabilize their wounds. They were still beaten down and weak, but no longer on the verge of death.
“I’ve taken care of your commander. Lazalit is dead,” he said plainly.
“What? You’re lying!” one of them shouted, eyes blazing with disbelief. “It’s gotta be a bluff!”
None of them believed him. Their faces tensed with denial, their bodies rigid despite the magical restraints.
Belamus had expected as much. The body had vanished, after all; Lazalit had been reduced to a flawless magic stone. It wasn’t definitive proof, not to them, but it was all he had. Without a word, he pulled it from his satchel and held it out.
“This is Lazalit’s magic stone,” he said calmly.
“W-Wait, how do we know that’s really his?” another soldier stammered, his defiance faltering.
“Think,” Belamus replied, his voice quiet but firm. “If Lazalit were still alive, do you think I’d be standing here right now, talking to you like this? Use your heads. This is his, there’s no mistake.”
The special forces soldiers fell silent. One by one, their expressions shifted from suspicion to confusion and finally to reluctant acceptance. Belamus’s logic was hard to refute. Slowly, realization began to take root. And then, unexpectedly, tears welled up in some of their eyes.
Was he more respected than I thought…? Belamus wondered at first, but the next words he heard made the truth clear.
“He’s gone,” one of the soldiers murmured, voice trembling with something between disbelief and fragile hope. “That demon is finally dead. Does this mean we’re free now?”
Another let out a ragged breath, as though a weight had finally lifted from his chest. “Maybe now we can do honest work again,” he said quietly, eyes glinting with cautious optimism. “Serve the kingdom instead of hiding in the shadows…”
They weren’t mourning. They were relieved.
As it turned out, many of them had been pressed into service by force. Some had been coerced, their family members held hostage to ensure their loyalty. The tears weren’t for Lazalit. They were for themselves. For their chance at freedom.
Belamus nodded to himself, then made his offer.
“Would you be willing to serve Mimi from now on?” Belamus asked, his voice calm and unwavering, eyes locking onto theirs with quiet conviction. “She needs help clearing her name and returning to the royal palace. If you’re willing, I’d ask you to assist her.”
“Lady Mimi?” one of them echoed, uncertain. “But, isn’t she cursed? We were told that was why she had to be sent away…”
“If it’s about helping her leave the country or break the curse, we can cooperate,” another said cautiously. “But…”
“There is no curse,” Belamus interrupted firmly.
Then he turned to Rumalus: once one of their own, now standing beside him. “You explain it,” he said. “They’ll listen to you more than they will to me.”
Rumalus nodded, stepping forward with quiet determination.
“S-Seriously?” one of the soldiers muttered, his voice shaky with disbelief.
“But why would Lazalit do such a thing?” another demanded, his brows furrowed in frustration. “What could he possibly gain by slaughtering dwarves?”
“Even I’m not entirely sure,” Rumalus admitted, trailing off.
At that point, Belamus stepped in and gave a full explanation of everything he had heard directly from Lazalit before his death. For most of those present, it was their first time hearing the truth. And once they did, the reaction was unanimous: outrage.
“That bastard!” Navasha growled, fists clenched and shoulders trembling. “I’ll never forgive him! I swear I’ll—wait… we already killed him, didn’t we?”
Belamus gave a slight nod.
“Right! Then hell yeah!” she shouted, thrusting a victorious fist into the air. “Justice served! One more scumbag down!”
“Used to be human… and he could possess other people’s bodies?” someone muttered in disbelief. “What kind of monster was he?”
“Dwarves died for such a twisted reason,” rumbled Rugen, his voice heavy with grief. “You’ve done us a great service, Belamus. You have my thanks.”
Next to him, Gregald stood pale and visibly shaken, arms folded tight across his chest. The truth had clearly disturbed him. But Belamus sensed it wasn’t just fear; there was something deeper, something personal.
“Used to be human, huh. Makes sense now,” murmured Linden, a member of the special forces. Belamus recognized him from earlier; he’d heard Rumalus call him captain. The others seemed to defer to him as well.
“If it’s true that Lady Mimi intends to return to the palace, I think it’s possible now,” Linden continued, more firmly this time. “Most of the royal court, including the king himself, was under Lazalit’s thumb. He was a master manipulator, blackmailing anyone who dared resist. But with him gone, that grip will loosen. If she presents her case clearly, they’ll believe her. Especially with the old man here claiming to have the original records to back it up.”
His words offered Belamus a rare moment of relief. Maybe, just maybe, Mimi really could go home. She’d saved the kingdom, after all. It would be cruel not to let her return to the place where she belonged.
Linden spoke again, his tone grim. “About serving Lady Mimi… I’d like to. I truly would. But I doubt she’ll ever forgive me.”
Belamus turned to him, puzzled. “Why not? We need all the allies we can get.”
Linden’s expression didn’t waver. “Because I’m the one who killed Kuusha, her attendant. I struck her down with my own hands. She’ll never accept me after that.”
Belamus fell silent. Until that moment, he hadn’t put the pieces together. But of course, Kuusha had been attacked during the assassination attempt. She hadn’t survived. And for Mimi, that loss had to be profound. Kuusha had been one of the few people she trusted without hesitation.
“I’ll tell her everything,” Linden said at last, his voice quiet but unwavering. “I’ll accept whatever punishment Lady Mimi deems fit. But let me make one thing clear: I killed Kuusha. The others didn’t lay a hand on her. They didn’t even injure anyone. If someone has to be punished, let it be me. I’ll ask her to spare the rest.”
It was a noble sentiment, but one with no guarantee of forgiveness.