Chapter 51

“It’s a dead end…”

Camilla’s brother quietly retraced the moves the Demon King had made.

“It’s hard to understand. Others might not, but I’m far from skilled in martial arts. He could have assassinated me relatively easily without going through all this.”

“Killing you is merely a means, not the goal.”

“Not the goal, you say?”

“…Indeed, a united Empire is strong. The wounds I suffered back then still ache. But that’s only under the assumption that the Empire remains united.”

“My death won’t cause any division. Didn’t I tell you? I’m the kind of person who could be assassinated at any moment without it being strange.”

“True. Even if you were in the Duke’s household, it would have taken some effort, but I could have killed you. But that’s not my goal. My goal is to kill you when you’re at your most vulnerable.”

At that, Camilla’s brother seemed to realize everything and gritted his teeth.

“You’re here now because of the Nevermore family. If it weren’t for this trial, you’d be in your heavily guarded mansion. If it weren’t for this trial, the other heroes would still be in the capital.”

“…”

“Even without those obstacles, I could have killed you… but the heart isn’t so simple.”

He had planned all this for one single purpose.

“I will plant ‘what ifs’ in your hearts.”

What if Rosie hadn’t started this ridiculous trial?

What if Raul hadn’t been imprisoned for causing a disturbance and had stayed by his side?

What if the Emperor hadn’t given that foolish order to pursue?

What if the Empress, with her sharp mind, had seen through the Demon King’s plan even a little?

Everything would have been different.

But Rosie, blinded by vengeance, started this ridiculous trial.

Raul, having lost his support, acted out of character and caused a disturbance.

And because of that, the enraged Emperor and Empress made uncharacteristic mistakes.

They all danced to the tune of his meticulously crafted scheme.

“That small ‘what if’ will dig into your hearts. As it takes root deeper and deeper, it will erode the rock-solid trust… How long can that strong bond hold?”

He wasn’t the same as he was in the days when he mindlessly slaughtered humans.

He had truly begun to understand humans. To cut them down, he studied their structure and grasped their form.

War was no different from swordsmanship. It was all about cutting down the most vulnerable part in the most efficient way.

“The Emperor who mocked her rain is dead. Why do you persist in this foolish revenge?”

“…Her life is not equal to that trash. To place the lives of a few pieces of trash on a scale and expect balance is arrogance. At least if it were all of you, it might be different.”

Seeing the Demon King, Camilla’s brother realized he was insane.

The swirling eyes of a wolf saw only delusions and hallucinations. They saw nothing else.

“You started this war. You shattered the peace. You brought this fate upon yourselves. Why are you surprised? If you truly want to stop this war…”

For a moment, his smiling face twisted, and black tears of blood began to fall.

“Bring her back.”

He, too, was trapped by the ‘what ifs’ rooted in his heart.

What if he hadn’t sent the rain?

What if he hadn’t trusted humans?

What if he hadn’t met her?

What if he hadn’t been born?

He swung his sword while making such meaningless assumptions.

“Ha… You’re not a king, just a mere clown. No different from a clown rolling on the ground to pick up a dropped coin. A clown satisfied with his exaggerated antics and laughing at himself.”

“Your sister and her brother are just as vulgar.”

Of course, no words reached the Demon King’s ears.

There was nothing that could bring back the blind and deaf man.

“…I wanted to see what kind of child would come from a fox and a boar.”

Camilla’s brother tried to take a pill from his sleeve, but the Demon King cleanly severed his wrist with just a glance.

“Kuh…”

“You must be killed by me. It must be murder, not suicide, for the roots to take hold much deeper.”

The Demon King’s red blade touched his neck.

“Any last words? I’ll listen.”

“…Just kill me already. I have no purpose, and I don’t have time to indulge in your show of anger.”

“As you wish.”

Unlike the complex conversation, the sound that followed was monotonous.

Just the ‘thud’ of a head hitting the ground.

“Charles Argos…?”

Rosie, who had come to consult with Camilla’s brother about future matters, witnessed the entire scene.

She saw everything up to the moment the Demon King’s sword mercilessly struck his neck.

“My… the hero’s sister has arrived.”

“What are you…? Who are you to do such a thing…!”

“Saying one’s title twice in a day is a bit undignified, don’t you think? You seem obsessed with flaunting your name, but I’ll kindly tell you anyway.”

The Demon King smiled as he spoke.

“I am the Demon King Beled. A humble swordsman.”

“Demon King…?”

If he was the Demon King, he was the one responsible for the war that killed Rosie’s sister, Layla.

“You… because of you, my sister…!”

“If you want revenge, be a bit clearer about your target. Only fools die to randomly swung blades.”

He didn’t see Rosie as a threat, let alone an equal.

That’s why he could smile so calmly at her. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck for Rosie.

If he had seen her as a threat, he would have immediately slashed her head off.

“I’ll kill you… and Raul… all of you…!”

“Having two delusional dreams is beyond absurd, it’s pitiful.”

“Just shut up and die!”

Rosie immediately transformed the ring she was wearing into the Sword of Four Forms.

But before she could even swing it, the Demon King’s knee struck her abdomen.

“Drawing your weapon after declaring you’ll kill someone? Even if the order is wrong, there’s a limit.”

“Ugh…!”

The pain felt like her insides were being crushed, but the precise control of force meant her organs were unharmed. It was just excruciatingly painful.

“You were the best pawn. As a reward, I’ll teach you one thing.”

Even as Rosie clutched her stomach and groaned, the Demon King paid no attention.

“Surprisingly, naive people are hard to deal with. You never know how they’ll react. So, do you know who’s the easiest to deal with?”

“Ha… ha…”

“People like you, who overestimate themselves…”

The Demon King grabbed Rosie’s head and smiled kindly as he finished his sentence.

“Those who think the dignity of their position is their own dignity.”

He then slammed Rosie into the wall, knocking her out.

“…It’s about time to leave. I hope everyone finishes their walk quietly.”

He waited for his disguised subordinates to return quietly.

—

Around that time, a white-haired woman strolled through the bustling streets of the Empire, capturing the attention of every man.

Her beauty was so overwhelming that no man dared to approach her.

Her snow-white hair and clear silver eyes gave off an almost mystical aura.

Except for her missing left arm, she looked like an angel straight out of a painting.

“Raul Berze… Your heartbeat reaches me even here… Such a pleasant rhythm.”

With a faint smile, she walked through the streets until she stopped at a stall.

“This is…”

“You have a good eye, miss. This is a painting of the five heroes who protected the Empire.”

Seeing the painting by an unknown artist, she covered her mouth and immediately handed the artist a pouch full of gold coins.

“Th-this gold…!”

“I’ll take this.”

“Yes, yes! Take as much as you want! I’ll frame it for you!”

“That’s fine, but could you cut out the unnecessary parts?”

“Unnecessary parts… what do you mean…?”

She pointed at Raul in the painting and answered.

“Everything except Raul Berze is unnecessary.”

The women who saw her peculiar taste passed by with expressions of disbelief.

“What a strange taste.”

“To like that lowly monster of all people.”

“You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Hearing this, the white-haired woman pointed her little finger at them with an expressionless face.

Just as she was about to take action, a steel giant clad in armor grabbed her wrist.

A man whose entire body, including his face, was covered in armor, giving the impression of a steel golem.

“That’s enough.”

“What are you doing?”

“Today, we only take one life.”

“…Don’t meddle, you undead ghost who can’t even die properly? I never said I’d spare those who ruined my mood.”

“If you cause a scene here, Raul Berze will step in. Do you want your reunion with him to be like this?”

“…That would be troublesome. I don’t want it to be like this. I want our reunion to be the best it can be.”

She looked in the direction of Raul and smiled faintly again.

“A couple’s reunion should be more dramatic, don’t you think?”

“……”