CHAPTER 67
The Ex-Demon Lord and the Bright Side of Humanity, Part I
Once a month, the believers of Megatholium gathered together.
At these gatherings, Lizer would stand on a stage in the central plaza and preach to the masses. Apparently, the majority of citizens participated, making it an event befitting of a land known as a holy nation.
The citizens of Megatholium treated this gathering as a sacred affair meant to renew their faith, but…did they even choose to revere these events of their own free will?
I couldn’t help but wonder if something else was going on. Brainwashing, to be precise. They might be targeting this mass of people and using magic to mentally control them to a certain degree.
…Speaking from past experience of my own rule.
One might say Megatholium was Lizer’s attempt to re-create the world from those last ancient days. In that case, I imagined he would copy my ways of governing, too. Even so, he’d failed to create a perfect replica, and I was certain he never would succeed in the future.
It was incredibly difficult to use magic that manipulated brains. Even in the ancient world, it was rare to come by someone with enough mastery over the skill to impose their will or take control of the target. Even if it was feasible, it was hard to succeed—especially if the target was secure in their convictions or rejected these foreign thoughts from their body.
I was no exception. That was why I had resorted to using violence, reigning with fear to control the people in those last days—on top of my brainwashing method.
I thought back on the errors of my ways. Damn. I hated past me.
As one of the participants, I joined Ireena, Rosa, and Valdr as we made our way to the stage.
The stage in the plaza was dripping with extravagant decorations, signifying the importance of the ceremony.
That wasn’t just the case for the trapezoidal stage, which was sizable enough to look out upon the people. Even the connected pathway and stairs were lined with luxury.
Like the other guards, Ireena and I flanked our leader, maintaining a protective stance, keeping a fixed distance away from the nations around us as we inched forward.
“I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this plush carpet lining the procession… It seems almost too fancy,” Ireena commented.
“Well, this day will go down in the history books. I guess this is the standard.”
After we continued down the carpet and climbed the stairs…we finally joined the other nations onstage.
“Wow… What an amazing view…,” Ireena breathed out in awe as she stared down at the scene before her.
About 90 percent of Megatholium’s total populace had gathered. Several hundred thousand strong. The plaza was packed with people—standing shoulder to shoulder.
At that moment, we had the attention of each one of them.
“I address the public on occasion…but I do believe this is mine first time standing before such a crowd.” Rosa’s face grew tense with worry, but she let it relax into her usual smile. “Ah well, ’tis no matter… After all, Ard is by our side.”
“That’s right! Even if we mess up, Ard will save the day!”
“…Leave it to me.”
We made our way to center stage where five seats had been neatly lined up. They were made to look like thrones… One might say they were props that coincided with the ceremony’s purpose of bringing together the Five Powers.
Like the other leaders, Rosa sat in her seat. Prime Minister Valdr assumed his place behind her, while Ireena and I guarded them on both sides.
Holy Knights stood shoulder to shoulder all around us. They really weren’t taking any chances.
Once the leaders of the Five Powers had settled in their seats, Lizer approached the podium, announcing the ceremony was about to begin using a voice-amplifying magic device.
“There have been three major wars that have plagued the continent throughout our history. Include minor skirmishes, and that number soars to two thousand battles—or more. Ever since the passing of the Demon Lord, we have been engaging in war after war, endlessly. But today, that all changes. Peace will be upon this continent once again. His utopia will be realized once more.”
Lizer’s speech moved the people. Hundreds of thousands started to cheer, bursting into an enthusiastic frenzy, exalting this historic achievement. I thought it would rupture our eardrums, but Lizer carried on with the ceremony in a solemn and stately manner.
“Uh, thanks, man. I’m Buffer. I gotta be honest with ya, I ain’t great at this sort of thing, but—”
Each leader gave a little speech, and after all that was over, Lizer was going to formally announce the conditions of the treaty and give his closing remarks.
…According to the schedule.
Each leader finished their speech. I casually observed the proceedings for some time, then…I suddenly caught sight of Rosa’s face beside me.
…Call it nerves, but she looked paler than that morning. Beads of sweat dotted her forehead, and her lips were trembling uncontrollably.
I was about to say something to her, but it was her turn to go.
“Go get ’em, Rosie!” Ireena cheered, sounding like she was rooting on a friend at the school festival. She offered a gentle smile.
“……” Rosa stood and continued to silently stare at Ireena for a few beats. Then, she dispelled her nerves with a long breath and broke into a gentle smile that transformed her entire face. “…Ireena, think of only thine own happiness.”
Ireena kinked her eyebrows as she processed this enigmatic command that came out of nowhere. Rosa turned away and strolled to the front of the podium without looking back.
“…Haaah.” She gazed out over the audience with a sigh before facing Lizer.
Her eyes held…pity.
She turned back toward the people, bringing the magic amplification device to her lips to begin.
“I’ve felt lost for these past few days. The scales before me are in perpetual equilibrium; they lean not in either direction, preventing me from coming to a decision until now.”
Her tone was neither lost nor hesitant, but the citizens started to stir, trying to figure out the meaning of her speech.
“What are you talking about, Queen of Laville…?”
“Scales? Does that mean a decision of some sort?”
This rippled through the crowd. It was not only them. The leaders of the other nations and Ireena were just as baffled.
Only three people in this entire place could guess her intentions.
Prime Minister Valdr. Pope Lizer.
And me, Ard Meteor.
…So this was what it was amounting to. As I sensed my predictions coming to light, I began to ready myself for the next development.
Meanwhile, Rosa continued with her speech. “As a politician, I know this decision is wrong. But while I am queen, I am a person. Therefore…”
This was when she spun around. Her eyes stared pointedly at Prime Minister Valdr. The loyal retainer’s eyes were now wide, and he was drenched in sweat. He shook his head subtly to make his feelings known, but…her lips curled into a heartbreaking smile.
She turned back toward the audience.
“I choose my friend’s happiness! I have no intention of supporting the pope!”
Every face on display had been struck dumb—from the audience to the participants. None could comprehend it.
The people remained dead silent…until finally they began to shout in confusion.
“What is she talking about? What friend?”
“Why isn’t she supporting the pope? What’s going on?”
“I can’t believe this… Is she trying to back out of the peace treaty?”
They were starting to voice their suspicions. Panic spread through the citizens like a wave.
“Your Eminence! I have something I must say!” Prime Minister Valdr spat, as if he had a mouth full of blood.
His face looked ghastly…but there was also something insincere about it. It felt completely rehearsed, as if his words and behavior had been decided beforehand.
Valdr wasn’t the only one taking action. Lizer began to make his move. “…Speak,” he commanded.
Valdr scurried toward the front of the podium. He clenched his fists as he passed Rosa but did nothing. As all eyes trained on him, he raised his voice to address the crowd.
“The Laville Empire of Sorcery has been hiding a certain truth this entire time! That is—”
He’d said too much. I already knew what this preface would bring…
However…there was an anti-magic technique cast over this place.
Which meant I couldn’t cast any spells.
…I couldn’t make Valdr shut up and prevent the worst from happening.
“We didn’t just fail to deal with descendants of the Evil Gods! We’re lauding them as Heroic Barons, weaponizing this family for our own political exploits! These acts betray the Great Demon Lord and his followers! Therefore, I, Prime Minister Valdr, implore you, Your Eminence! Bring down the hammer of justice on Rosa, the traitor who dares to call herself queen!!” he shrieked, eyes flooded with tears.
It seemed like he was at capacity.
I took a deep breath and looked next to me. “…Ireena, remain calm,” I said.
No reply.
It didn’t seem reality had hit her yet. Her face was slack, and she didn’t make the slightest movement.
…Meanwhile, the situation continued to unfold before us, almost cruelly.
I knew this would happen. We were plunging headfirst into the worst imaginable future.
“I applaud your confession. Ah, but…it is a most gruesome truth. It isn’t just that descendants of the Evil Gods exist in this world… I cannot believe one of the Five Powers has sheltered and used them for their political ends.”
Lizer’s behavior was excessively theatrical, and I couldn’t help but have my suspicions.
The people seemed to be eating this up. They saw His Eminence as justice incarnate, which made them easily swayed. Valdr’s confession had steered the topic away from Rosa’s mysterious declaration, but the masses were too busy to pick up on how weird this was.
“Damn Laville…! How could they stoop so low…?!”
“We’ll never forgive you…! Never…!”
Their minds had become imprisoned by hate. Hearts flooded with rage.
The leaders’ reactions were delayed compared to the audience, but finally they spoke up.
“Is he serious…?!”
“Oh my…”
“Hee-hee-hee! What a marvelous surprise!”
“………”
Few expressed shock or disgust. Others giggled or elected to remain silent.
Pope Lizer looked our way. His eyes settled on me first…as if to ask me something. I simply glared at him.
Then he turned his attention to Ireena.
“……!” She practically jumped out of her skin when he fixed his eyes on her.
When she reacted like a shy maiden, Lizer’s eyes oozed cruelty…and then he raised his voice to appeal to his people.
“I believe we ought to show forgiveness to Laville. The responsibility falls on the responsible individual. The nation need not suffer. This begins and ends the inquisition.”
A hush fell over the crowd. Lizer went on indifferently as if reading off a sentence.
“Queen of the Laville Empire of Sorcery, Rosa von Volg de Laville, shall receive capital punishment. Furthermore…the Heroic Baron, Weiss Litz de Olhyde, and his daughter, Ireena Litz de Olhyde, shall receive the same sentence. Only through death will the sins of Laville be absolved.”
Upon hearing His Eminence’s judgment, the crowd broke their silence.
“Kill them! Do it now!”
“Ack! Repulsive creatures…!”
“Destroy their dirty blood! Tear apart the descendants of the Evil Gods—limb from limb!”
The crowd was going berserk, attacking Ireena with their words.
“Eek…?!”
Hatred appeared to fan through the crowd. It seemed she was dealt some psychic damage…beyond description.
Nevertheless, there was no time to contemplate her feelings or cheer her up.
“My knights. Capture the daughter of the Evil Gods,” Lizer ordered.
The Holy Knights moved in unison.
“A-agh…!” Ireena couldn’t do anything but cower in fear as they drew ever closer.
“Do not fear. I am by your side.”
I, Ard Meteor, had a duty to protect her. I faced the approaching knights and took a bold step forward toward the most immediate target.
“A mage who can’t use magic? You’re as good as done!”
“…Yes, well, I wonder,” I replied, avoiding his double-edged blade.
My opponent lacked real skill. His movements were careless, driven by scorn.
His eyes peeked out from his helmet, signaling that I didn’t stand a chance against heavily armored knights.
“Good grief.”
So maybe it was a challenge to fight full-plated knights without magic. But even armor had its weaknesses. For example…the eye slits.
As I dodged the enemy’s second wave of attacks, rummaging through my breast pocket and producing a fountain pen, I launched off the ground, and…
“Excuse me.”
I jabbed the pen into the slit.
“GAH?!”
As I anticipated, the pen seemed to gouge out his eye. He dropped the double-edged blade as he writhed in agony.
“Allow me to borrow your fine weapon.” I collected the sword by the hilt and casually swung it down on the groaning knight before me.
Full armor had one more weak point: the joints.
The chainmail prevented a clean slice, of course, but…it wasn’t enough to dull the impact.
“Blergh?!”
I struck all the joints, hard, crushing bone.
One down.
“Tch! You cocky brat!”
A knight thrust his sword from the side. I dodged this and aimed for the same spots as the last one.
Two down.
“I’ll be borrowing this.” I equipped myself with his sword and gripped one weapon in each hand. Now I could work twice as fast.
“Surround him! Corner and crush him!”
Casting aside their pride, my foes turned to full-on offense. I had to give it to them: They were well trained…but it all felt like play to me. A herd of cats couldn’t outmatch a lion. Each time I showed off one of my many sword techniques, another knight fell to his knees.
I wasn’t stupid enough to hype myself up and eliminate them all. If I did that, even Lizer himself would decide to join the melee.
“…Now appears to be as good a time as any.”
After taking down another knight, I launched one of the swords in my hand at Lizer.
Naturally, it didn’t even graze him. However, I had succeeded in distracting him for a moment.
“Ireena, hide.”
“Ard…?” She was still shell-shocked.
I wrapped an arm around her waist, using the other arm to fling my remaining sword at an incoming knight. I once again dug my hand through my breast pocket.
“Ireena, please close your eyes. You must not look until I say so.”
You could never be too careful. I quickly took out the item I had prepared for times like these…a white ball the size of my palm, known as a flash bomb.
“Well then, I bid you good day,” I said, striking it to the ground.
The white ball exploded upon impact—bursting into a blinding light that spanned a wide range.
“Rah?!”
“It’s so bright…!”
“Hee-hee-hee! Someone came well prepared!”
This flash bomb was originally created for adventurers to use against monsters, but its effectiveness in human battles was immediate.
“Hang on. It might get rocky,” I warned.
“……!”
As the citizens raised their voices, I clutched Ireena’s slim body and bounded away at the speed of light.
…………
…I was starting to pant, but I prevented myself from gasping for air. I wouldn’t be caught dead making a mistake by being too loud.
“Shit! Find them! They couldn’t have gotten far!”
The knights’ angry roars moved farther away. We were safe for the time being.
…As soon as I jumped off the stage with Ireena in my arms, I slipped through the town while the frenzied mob was preoccupied by the blast.
We were holding our breath in the alleyway of a certain sector. I had come across this spot by chance while we were investigating the serial murders. The entire place was like a complex maze. A perfect place to hide away.
“Phew. It seems we have lost them.” I tried to catch my breath, looking up at the sky.
It was clear and blue.
I hated how bright the sun was.
“…I have to do something.” A voice piped up right next to me. Sitting on the ground, Ireena hung her head. “I have to help Rosie…!”
Her bloodshot eyes turned to me.
“Sir Ard Meteor. Lady Ireena Litz de Olhyde.”
We were unsettled by the unexpected voice. I immediately glowered at it and prepared for battle.
My foe was a young girl. However, it was obvious she was no ordinary child.
“Oh, you’re finally serious. I guess it’s only going to get harder to escape from here.” I smiled, demonstrating that I was ready to fight.
In return…the girl shook her head. “I am not your enemy. I am part of the Queen’s Shadow.”
“The Queen’s Shadow.”
A secret organization that served the queen. They specifically carried out her dirtiest and most difficult tasks. Ireena and I were technically members of the group…so if this girl was being honest, that made her one of us.
Again, if this was true.
“…What proof can you give us that you aren’t lying?”
“None. However, I’d like you to trust me,” she said with somewhat vacant eyes.
“I will help you escape. That’s why I’m here.”
Religion anchors the heart. In fact, many are saved by their faith. It can be useful for keeping public order.
At the same time…religion can sometimes give birth to madness.
“My goodness. Faith comes with pros and cons,” murmured Rosa, Queen of Laville, in the cathedral’s cramped dungeon. “It gives people a fixed standard of values…which means it encourages them to reject anything else… Without religion, Ireena could have existed without fear.”
Rosa looked up at the ceiling as she sat against the wall on the cold stone ground. “…I do wonder if those two will properly heed my words.”
Her eyes narrowed with melancholy as she imagined where they might be at that very moment.
As long as Ard Meteor was with her, Ireena’s safety was guaranteed. They were surely meeting up with the personnel she’d readied ahead of time.
The problem was what came afterward.
“…For better or worse, neither prioritizes their own welfare. There is a high possibility they shall disregard my careful arrangements. My friends can be so difficult.” She sighed.
Click, clack. The sound of feet echoed through the dungeon.
“A visitor?” She turned toward the iron lattice. Sure enough, someone was standing there. “…Ah, Valdr. Thou dost not appear so well.”
The loyal retainer’s countenance seemed withered, dry. The change was drastic despite the fact that not even an hour had passed since Rosa was arrested by the Holy Knights and thrown into this very dungeon.
“I must admit, that does worry me. It would be quite awkward for thee to die of old age after I am executed. It is thy skill that shall keep the nation stable after my passing.” Rosa chuckled as if this was a normal conversation. It was as if she was visiting with her grandfather.
However, Valdr said nothing. His sunken eyes were a ghostly sight as he continued to stare at Rosa.
Finally…his lips trembling, Valdr spoke.
“Why…?! Why couldn’t you just stick to the plan as discussed…?!”
Fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Rosa felt a tinge of guilt at the sight of her faithful retainer…but there was something confident in her reply.
“When I think of my subjects…it feels like my chest is getting crushed. Nevertheless, I feel not the slightest regret. I could never yield to the pope’s threats and betray those I love. Even if…blameless citizens fall victim as a result.”
She was having flashbacks of the past—thinking back on what had happened when Ard was on his school trip.
Pope Lizer had traveled incognito and shown up at the palace without warning.
“Cooperate with me if you do not wish for your secrets to be divulged,” he had said.
The meeting of the Five Powers and the peace treaty…were a front of some sort. She didn’t know the details. Lizer simply threatened Rosa and used her as a pawn.
He had just one demand: She had to promise to reveal Ireena’s true identity to the people and eliminate her during the ceremony.
“Then I shall absolve you of your sins and guarantee the peace of Laville. However, if you refuse—”
He had left that part unsaid.
Her life had been a living hell ever since. She could either make the choice as a politician or a single girl. She spent those days balancing the scales, but they always came out even.
Rosa’s final decision was obvious, seeing her present situation.
“Well, ’tis a saving grace that thou did not divulge the truth of the royal family. Had that been the case, it would have been checkmate.”
She was not true royalty; Ireena was. As the descendant of the Evil Gods, she was the real ruler of Laville. If this became public knowledge, and the matter went south, the nation would experience a mass exodus. This was just another symptom of faith: No one wanted to live in a land ruled by the offspring of evil monsters.
“Upon further consideration, one might say we’re making the best of the worst. After all, I am just a stand-in. I can be replaced as many times as needed—”
“Don’t be stupid!”
Rosa’s eyes shot open wide at his furious outburst. The old retainer glared back with a dark scowl. It was just like…a grandfather scolding his grandchild.
“Maybe you serve as a body double. However…to me, it is you, my lady, who is the true ruler! You cannot be replaced!” He gripped the iron bars, grinding his teeth as he glowered at Rosa. His bloodshot eyes were terrifying…but they seemed to have some warmth to them.
“…Hee-hee. I wonder when was the last time thou rebuked me so harshly.”
Her life was a shadow of the real monarch, but she hadn’t a single complaint. It was all because of this faithful vassal who remained forever by her side. However…
“I’ve betrayed you and, in the end, failed to answer your expectations… But allow me to be selfish and say my piece,” she began.
Valdr continued to stare at Rosa as she uttered the final wish that she’d been carrying her whole life.
“After I die, do not allow anyone to approach Laville’s most secluded region. I have prepared a safe haven for my friends there… Please, I beg of you.”
The retainer said nothing. His silent eyes grew wide for a moment…and his entire body began to tremble. Valdr closed his eyes and left the dungeon without answering Rosa’s plea.
“…Will my hopes be answered, I wonder?”
Everything would be decided by a single person.
Fate hung on Ard Meteor.
“Don’t mess this up.”
As his image floated in her mind, the captured queen sighed once again.
She came to help us escape, according to this member of the Queen’s Shadow, but we were skeptical.
“…What should we do, Ard?”
“Good question.” I put my hand to my chin as my mind raced. “Have you prepared a safe house?”
“Of course. We shall hide you there before discussing the plan further.”
“I see. Well then, lead the way.”
These alleyways were ideal for hiding, but the enemy would find us in hours. There were many things I wanted to confirm, so I decided to trust this person and follow along.
We held our breath as we slipped through some backstreets, crawled through sewers, and finally arrived at the safe house. A completely nondescript house in a nook of Megatholium had been prepared. We entered, and the girl spoke as soon as we made it into the living room.
“We will make our escape at midnight. As for the gatekeeper, we’ll—”
“We need no explanation of our escape route. We have no intention of leaving Megatholium until we have accomplished what we must. Isn’t that right, Ireena?”
“Bingo!”
“…And what must you accomplish?” asked the girl.
“Do I need to spell it out? We are going to rescue Her Majesty the Queen,” I announced.
“We won’t leave without her! We aren’t going anywhere until then!”
The girl showed no reaction about this. Her response was flat. “That will be an issue. I have been given orders that must be executed.”
“Oh, come on! Work with us here!”
The Queen’s Shadow stared blankly at Ireena. I observed her with a cold stare.
“If we do as we wish, you will be forced to resort to violence,” I explained. “And…it won’t be easy to stop us.”
“I’m well aware. Even if I try to make you listen via brute force, we’ll risk wasting time and energy—and hindering the plan… Therefore, my hands are tied.”
“No. There is something you can do. You can provide us with information.”
“Like what?”
“As someone who works undercover, you’ve investigated a number of matters, I imagine. I’m certain you know what I am looking for. If you give it to us…I shall put it to good use.”
“How so?”
“To save the queen and leave this country with our heads held high. That’s our ideal goal.”
“…Impossible. Keep dreaming,” she mumbled, sounding tired before giving a deep sigh. “The entire city of Megatholium is currently shrouded in an anti-magic barrier. Therefore, we can’t use it—and neither can they. This battle will be decided by the quantity of available weapons.”
“Indeed. Ireena and I are up against…ten thousand.”
“Yes. Even for you—”
“We’ll show ’em who’s boss!” Ireena narrowed her eyes threateningly. “Don’t you go underestimating Ard! Ten thousand Holy Knights? Might as well be ants to Ard! He’ll clean ’em up in a split second…Like: Bam! All done!”
The girl sighed as Ireena stomped on the floor. She didn’t seem to have the least bit of faith in us, but oh well. As long as she gave us the key information, that was good enough.
“Let’s start with…the time and date of Her Majesty’s execution and the location. That kind of thing. If you aid us, then I will overcome our present situation.”
It came as no surprise that she still seemed doubtful…but she was at least willing to talk. Rosa’s public execution would be the following morning in the central plaza.
“Hmm. Tomorrow morning? I see.”
“E-everything will turn out fine, right?!”
“Yes, I expect no problems whatsoever.”
…I knew it. Lizer was doing just what I thought he would. I knew his motive. He was only after me, Ard Meteor… Well, I guess he was after the Demon Lord Varvatos. That must have been why he was buying me more time—time for me to come to a decision.
…And this was just as much of a trial for Ireena as it was for me.
…After that, the Queen’s Shadow did her best to persuade us, but we stubbornly refused to listen…or go along with her escape plan.
We knew that because we could hear the bell ring across the town. If we’d done things her way, we would have been heading toward the sewers at the evening bell. However, Ireena and I were currently in a room of the safe house impatiently waiting for morning.
“…Ireena, you ought to sleep for a little bit.”
“Yeah, I know. But…I guess I’m just too nervous to sleep.” Ireena’s entire body had been trembling for some time as she lay stretched out across the bed. “Hey, what about you, Ard? Aren’t you gonna sleep?”
“I’ll be fine. I can go for three days with no water, food, or sleep. Besides…as I mentioned before, there are things I must do.”
In fact, I was doing those things at that very moment. I appeared to be doing nothing more than having a conversation on the surface, but my mind was turning.
I assumed this would be a late-night operation. However, Ireena had no obligation to come along. In fact, she might get in the way during the decisive battle in the morning if she didn’t get proper rest.
…Nonetheless, I doubted she’d get a wink of sleep tonight. Her body was still shaking like a leaf in the wind. She had said it was from excitement…but reality said otherwise.
In that moment, she seemed crushed by fear.
…A short silence settled over the room. A true silence. There wasn’t a sound to be heard. It was as if the entire world stood still.
It felt like it continued for an eternity…until it was broken an instant later. Ireena’s voice called out.
“I wonder if Daddy is okay,” she wondered quietly as a seed of worry escaped her lips.
“Weiss is the Heroic Baron. I’m certain my parents will be by his side. There is nothing to fear.”
“…Yeah, you’re right.”
Even though she agreed, it seemed the concern in her large eyes was growing more prominent. This silence was wreaking havoc on her mental state. It forced her to face the truth—whether she wanted to or not. It made her think…about the future.
“…I wonder what’ll happen from now on. What am I supposed to do?”
This verbalized everything that was on her mind. We would save the queen, escape the city…and then what?
Return to Laville? Back to the royal capital of Dycaeus? Back to the Academy?
“Who would even want to see my face…?”
I didn’t see any place for her.
The citizens of Megatholium weren’t the only ones who knew her true identity. The entire continent had been made aware of this devastating truth. From the speed with which the news had traveled…Lizer must have preemptively spread the information soon after we left our capital.
He had exposed and propagated her secret.
“Sylphy…sees the Evil Gods as a sworn enemy…and Ginny thinks their descendants are monsters…”
There was nothing left to dispel Ireena’s negativity.
I was in the same position. I wanted to say something to her but couldn’t. I felt so spineless.
“They all…think I’m…”
That burst the dam containing her emotions. Tears cascaded down her face and wet the sheets.
Everything had come crashing down—the trust, the friendships, all of it.
People feared the unknown. Now that they found out her secret lineage as a descendant of the Evil Gods, her former friends would detest her. Ireena was certain of this.
…I couldn’t say she was wrong. That was why I had chosen this future.
“I wonder if…Mr. Bordeaux felt this way…when he died…”
He was a man with faith in people and love for humanity, trying to find his place among them. However, their betrayal sent him spiraling into despair, and he chose his own death.
People would not allow someone so strange to exist.
People would never love someone who was beyond the norm.
People…must have been disgusting creatures, according to Lizer’s theory.
“N-ngh…!” Ireena faced the wall and stifled a cry, refusing to show me her crying face.
…It seemed like her heart might break at any moment.
“Ireena, I…”
With my sobbing friend right there before me, I couldn’t help but call out to her…but I got choked up.
Ireena, I’m by your side. You’ll always have me.
…I was disgusted with myself for trying to say the words I planned to say all along.
“I’m with you?” “There’s no need to fear?”
Whose fault do you think this is?
…Mine. I’m to blame.
I took away Ireena’s home to save myself.
“I…”
I knew. I understood Lizer’s plan as soon as Bordeaux died. I could have put a stop to his plans if I wanted to at that moment. I could have prevented this entire situation.
But I didn’t.
Because…I was scared.
In my current form, I would have had to battle Lizer by weaponizing my full strength to take him down and end this whole tragedy before it started. Then I wouldn’t be watching Ireena cry right now. But in exchange…Ireena would fear and reject me.
…To save Ireena from the White Dragon—Elzard, the Frenzied King of Dragons—I unleashed 30 percent of my true powers…and…
That had petrified her, even though it was just for a second.
In the end, the scales tipped over to affection, which was how we were still friends.
However…if I gave my all, there was no question she would become horrified of my true form.
After all, I…the one who called himself Ard Meteor…
…was Varvatos the Demon Lord—the most irregular entity of them all.
Even though we’re talking about Ireena here, that didn’t change the fact that she was a person. Humanity will never accept the odd one out.
…I wanted to believe in her, of course. But I couldn’t. Because I didn’t want her to reject me, I put Ireena at a disadvantage…making me the only real winner in all this. That was the choice I made. In the end, Ireena would lose her friends and her home, leaving her with sorrow.
And what about me? I lost nothing.
Since no one knew my true identity, I could keep all my relationships.
After we saved Rosa, I’d hide away Ireena and Weiss in a remote corner of Laville, go to school, hang out with friends on occasion, and stop by her place for a friendly chat. I’d live my life and somehow create a world that could accept Ireena. Even if it took some time, I knew I could do it.
Call it a distant dream. That was what I’d chosen. I had believed it to be the right decision.
…I thought back on my earlier conversation with Lizer.
“We ought to scorn those who use others and ruin lives for their own gain.”
“Yes, I must agree. However…do keep in mind that those words reflect on you as well.”
…He hit the nail on the head. I’d been trying to justify my decision. I’d told myself that everyone would be happy in the end. That it was the best thing I could hope to do.
…How the hell could it be the “best” option?
How could it be the case if I was seeing Ireena in this way?
It couldn’t be right. You couldn’t call this perfect.
…I could never be like Lydia because I was selfish. Maybe it was why I was never loved like her.
“What…do I do now…?” Ireena sobbed, quivering.
Seeing her had made me finally realize where I went wrong. I shouldn’t have let my narcissism take hold of me. I should have…sacrificed myself and saved my friend. That’s what Lydia would have done.
…I couldn’t turn back time. I couldn’t take back my mistakes.
But…there was probably still time. I could fix everything and save the friend before me.
“…Do not worry, Ireena. I will take care of everything. I will return your home to you.”
Even if it meant losing my own place in this world, I had to see this through.
Ready to carry out my decision, I balled my hand into a fist.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login