A beauty with blue skin.
If it weren’t for that distinctive feature, she could’ve been classified as a different race without much issue.
But the horns sprouting from her head contribute to an entirely different perception.
Prejudice… or something like it.
Even though various races live together, there’s still hierarchy, differences, and unspoken rankings among them.
Being a daemon from the Demon Realm is akin to having a brand of sorts.
Though plenty of time has passed since they blended into the continent, and now second generations are growing up mixing and mingling, problems still abound.
They are people who have resolved to endure inequality, discrimination, prejudice, disdain, neglect, and rejection.
At some point, the Demon King of Wisdom said that gold accepts such things as normal.
Living under someone else’s roof shouldn’t feel strange—if it does, that’s what’s truly odd.
Think about it: even in your own territory, weird stuff can take over. Would you just sit there and watch?
In this regard, the Middle Realm is merciful.
There are even mild, passive opinions floating around among them.
In the Demon Realm? You’d either be eaten, enslaved, or used as a plaything—those were the only three options.
Defeated ones don’t deserve rights.
Harsh, but it’s an unshakable truth.
…Until the Great Demon King twisted that structure.
And the practical successor to that Great Demon King was none other than the Demon King of Wisdom.
“Minette.”
Inside the Edenlevan Legion Branch building.
In her private office space, Ruelde watched as the quietly appearing girl turned woman, and greeted her with a soft tilt of her yellow eyes, as if she had been waiting.
“Did he leave?”
“Yeah, just departed.”
Carriel Brendiar.
Son of Ruelde Brendiar.
Since childhood, he gained fame in many places, but given the era, his story was often exaggerated or diminished.
Some regarded it as folklore or legend.
Oddly enough, despite being a relatively recent tale compared to when Grandeous was active, without wandering bards or poets spreading the word, such stories might never reach people’s ears.
Unless you’re in one of those massive cities, capitals of kingdoms, or institutions of empires, which seem to transcend time…
…In this age, it’s not easy for anyone’s story to spread far and wide.
Especially when events are deliberately ignored or suppressed.
Still, those who know, do.
The child Carriel was incredibly brilliant, solving many hardships beyond mere intelligence.
It was partly possible because he was an outsider and a child.
But more so due to his own competence and brilliance.
Talents are influenced by luck, the times, environment, and circumstances.
Once a brilliant communicator with deep strategic thinking, after a major accident left lingering effects, his communication skills closed off and his once-sharp mind became clouded by malice.
Everything came to a halt.
After finishing his foreign life and narrowly escaping death due to an unfortunate incident, at the fading peak of his glory, excessive expectations were piled upon him.
Yet, his parents were extraordinary.
Surprisingly, many lower their self-expectations when surrounded by overly powerful guardians.
“He had memory impairment. Thus, he didn’t remember his early years. Unaware of his greatness, situations to showcase his talents were never provided. Surrounded by feelings of inferiority, burdened by unrealistic expectations, yet capable of little.”
“What… are you trying to say?”
“Most rulers feared the future of this boy named Carriel.”
But that future, while fearsome, wasn’t disastrous.
Peace is a process, not the goal.
What Carriel pursued back then—cooperation, integration, harmony—it benefited everyone, which is why even the leaders of nations took it seriously. If he had flaunted his abilities arrogantly instead, Carriel would’ve died somehow, inevitably leading to war between the empire and other nations.
“Look outward, not inward,” he suggested.
Despite calling it a continent, there are countless unexplored areas.
“There may be dangers we don’t know about outside. Or perhaps new paths toward a better future.”
“…What exactly are you talking about?”
“I’m telling you about your benefactor. You might ask later.”
But there seemed no intention to let her speak right away.
Thus,
“Congratulations, Minette. For now… I’m just relaying what I heard, so don’t take it out on me.”
“…?”
“The contract between you and ‘he’ has been invalidated.”
“What… What kind of contract?”
“Guardian of the Sword.”
“…”
“He transferred the contract control to Carriel, who nullified your obligation. So, starting now, you’re free.”
Luslan’s words made Minette ponder deeply.
However, there was still something crucial to ask.
“What about my younger brother?”
“He’s doing well. Not just okay, but really well.”
“…How do you know that?”
“I told you—I heard it.”
Luslan continued explaining calmly.
“Apparently, originally you were meant to be a hostage to control him, but the kid showed willpower and talent.”
“What… kind of talent?”
Unexpectedly, Luslan’s answer was surprising.
“Sewing. He’s good at making clothes.”
“Huh? Clothes? What kind of clothes?”
“In this era, it’s quite unusual for a man with mobility issues to handle fabrics. Especially for the head of a fallen noble family.”
But,
“Because of his condition, his options were limited. Labor is impossible, and realistically, receiving respect through manual work alone is… impractical, right?”
“…”
“However, special talents shine best when the right environment is provided.”
In that aspect, Lou was lucky.
“Apparently, he excels at designing clothes appealing to daemons and nobles alike. Because of that, ‘he’ considered actively employing your younger brother.”
“That’s… impossible.”
“Fear not, according to ‘him,’ if you hadn’t fulfilled your role properly, regardless of whether your brother had talent or not, he would’ve acted as promised. After all, ‘he’ is a strict adherent to principles.”
“…”
“So, both of you survived. Who cares about saving a child sold to pay debts for his parents?”
Angrily, Minette retorted,
“So now, is he bragging about how merciful and generous he’s been?”
“That’s not my concern. I’m giving an objective evaluation. He acknowledges necessary evils but tries not to let them go too far.”
“…”
It sounds absurd, but…
On the other hand, it was strange.
Thinking rationally, among the children forced through trials and tribulations—including herself—none had actually died.
We can’t know what horrors occurred where we couldn’t see.
“After you inherited the legacy, ensuring the rest of the children settled down was part of his role.”
“So now what? Are you asking me to forgive him? Or because I supposedly possess great power, I should control it because of that…”
“That’s not entirely wrong. But that’s my opinion. He didn’t say that much.”
Who wants the legacy of the Great Demon King anyway?
Why specifically me, and why…
“Revenge or not, it’s your choice. As you know, you’re free now.”
“Why am I free? Truly free? How?”
Why did Carriel do this?
Knowing full well his own strength, why did he irresponsibly set me free?
And why does he have the right? Why?
“Go ask him yourself if you’re so curious.”
“How does he even know about me? I barely revealed anything about myself to him. Why does he know these things?”
Maybe you guys…
Used my contract conditions as leverage, forcing him to associate with me out of obligation, imposing some condition on him in return?
“I don’t know that far. All I know is he transferred your contract control to him, and he nullified it. That’s the end of it.”
“I don’t understand. Not at all.”
Pathetic. Just accept it; what’s the harm?
Luslan exhaled sharply and said,
“Here’s some advice: try being shameless. How about it?”
“What?”
“Just thank me for the favor and accept it. You’re free now. Focus on that alone. Can’t you immediately rush to see your younger brother without anyone stopping you?”
“…”
It’s true.
It’s the correct thing, but…
“Ah, there was one request.”
“Did he anticipate I’d come here?”
“He probably figured you’d come here. Even if you hadn’t, if you went directly to him, you’d likely hear the same thing.”
Then Luslan added,
“Somerne, right? You froze the people there but didn’t kill them completely, right?”
“…”
This shocked Minette greatly.
“If your control over powers is immature and you can’t restore them, make it possible.”
“Why does he… know about this?”
Something he didn’t openly disclose to ‘him.’
How does Carriel know this? How?
“He asked me to ensure that. This concludes everything I need to relay. Anything else you want to say?”
“Our children?”
“Give them jobs and education so they can become independent. Those who can’t will continue working here or elsewhere. Don’t worry about that. Also, wasn’t this part of your visit? Now you haven’t even said proper goodbyes. What kind of example is that for the kids?”
“…”
Unsure.
Is this fortune? A miracle?
Suddenly, unimaginable grace poured down like a rainstorm.
It was indescribable.
“If you’re done speaking, could you leave now? I have mountains of work to do. With the village chaos, I have to clean up the mess…”
“Where is he heading?”
“Why didn’t you ask sooner?”
Luslan smirked and spoke,
And Minette, listening intently,
“…”
Bowed deeply,
And silently disappeared.
“Remarkable.”
Luslan chuckled, pulled out a parchment, finished writing its contents, sealed it with a stamp.
Then pulled out another parchment, wrote again,
Sealed it,
Stamped it again.
…Whenever incidents occur, work piles up.
That’s why peace and tranquility are the best. While satisfying desires moderately…
She found this life not bad at all.
Promotion is nice, but living an ageless life compared to humans, she envied this worldly existence in a way.
Compared to the Demon Realm, it’s absurdly peaceful.
Learning languages, scripts, becoming a member of society, joining organizations, taking responsibilities…
It’s an interesting life overall.
And moments like this,
Playing a minor role in dramatic stories.
====
The village was unbelievably calm.
Just hours ago, it was utter chaos.
The group gathered around a round table for a meal and rest.
With Luciri and Dake momentarily absent, lacking food and drink, the mood grew gloomy.
Perhaps because of that,
Rue expressed her troubled heart sincerely to Leo.
“If only big brother were here, maybe it wouldn’t have been like this.”
Ultimately, Rue felt betrayed, abandoned.
…Possibly because she cared for him so deeply.
Capable, kind,
Kind but appropriately cunning.
Such people are rare.
Wide-reaching influence, but this isn’t superficial satisfaction or self-righteous pity.
Neither does he meddle unnecessarily.
He gives generously, respects, supports, cherishes…
To complete strangers, how is that possible?
You can be kind to neighbors and guests, but only for a short while.
Having such a good person in your life long-term is priceless.
Watching Rue feeling lonely, Leo offered a calm suggestion and explanation.
“For now, he asked us to take care of you. Worried you might be hurt.”
“…Knowing that, how could he just disappear alone?”
“…”
Leo had nothing to say on that.
After all, how much could he understand about it?
Just,
– Someone who can glimpse parts of others’ pasts. Maybe he judged the situation without needing an explanation.
The sacred sword began communicating subtly.
Though it required concentration.
When the sword trembled, holding and focusing allowed communication.
“Does the sword talk to you?”
“…, yeah.”
To outsiders, he must seem quite peculiar.
Suddenly,
A white girl appeared, looking down at him.
Sitting low gave her a height advantage, but the question remained:
Why did she appear so suddenly?
“Sorry.”
Instinctively reaching for his sword, Leo froze at her apology.
“I’ll do what I can. I’ll try my best to restore the villagers’ safety.”
“Why did you do it? Can you explain that now?”
“…”
The girl with sky-blue hair,
Minette, briefly explained her reasons.
They wanted to kill you.
As a result, the village suffered calamity.
But I couldn’t bring myself to do it, feeling conflicted and making grave mistakes.
Back then, I might’ve had to kill everyone otherwise.
Honestly,
She still wasn’t sure.
Are they truly alive?
Are they safe?
But thanks to Carriel affirming it,
She could finally believe.
If there’s any penance or responsibility now,
It’s only this.
“You were destined to be a warrior, and someone didn’t want that.”
“…”
Leo held up the sacred sword resting casually against his chair.
The sword scabbard given by Venus,
Irrelevant since it wasn’t Elbat.
“And now, I no longer have a reason to target you. I wanted to inform you of that fact.”
“I was definitely just an ordinary son of a forest keeper.”
Being a warrior?
I never even dreamed of such a thing.
Warriors are distant legends, unrelated to me forever…
“They said your companions’ injuries weren’t as severe as they seemed.”
Judging by appearances, they were all critically wounded…
So, it was deliberate leniency.
Even Leo, who genuinely intended to kill,
Was clumsy in execution.
Maybe…
“…”
Could she have wanted to die?
If not, she could’ve easily eliminated him through ambush or other means.
Yet, she openly declared her intentions and purposes.
Even if she could’ve succeeded otherwise…
Isn’t that a bit strange?
“What will you do now?”
“I plan to follow him. Having received such grace, I can’t be as shameless as some people suggest… I don’t understand why he extended this favor to me.”
“That’s your teacher’s story, right?”
Rue interjected.
“Don’t think too much about it. That person just helps because he wants to help.”
“Is that so?”
“When you can’t rise on your own and desperately need help, and no one offers it, doesn’t that feel heartbreaking? If I felt that way, others would too. So, he helps.”
“That’s…”
“No matter how you look at it, it’s strange, right? But there’s an answer in that statement.”
My teacher…
“It might be the regret left from when no one helped during desperate times. And the wounds from that regret still linger.”
Ah.
Now I think about it,
That’s why I became so fixated on my teacher.
…He seems pitiable, doesn’t he?
We should just leave him be.
Yet, ironically, it was Rue herself who was being taken care of.
Not always, but sometimes.
I was a competent guide.
“Damn… I should’ve followed him forcefully.”
Regret welled up belatedly.
Why didn’t I act childish?
Why didn’t I insist?
After all, I’m still a kid, right?
It would’ve been fine to act that way.
Instead, I pretended to be mature, considering things too carefully, and missed my chance.
“Do you know where the teacher is going?”
“…”
Minette nodded slightly.
“…”
“Would it be alright not to follow?”
To Leo’s question, Rue weakly rubbed her mouth.
Trying to smile, but it wasn’t easy.
I’m not even sure what expression I’m making right now.
“Thinking about it, there’s nothing I could do by following.”
Besides, I have to earn my meals.
“I need to cover living expenses.”
Still, Rue remains a realist.
An unavoidable realist.
But realism doesn’t mean giving up.
I…
“Always worked hard, but now I need to work even harder.”
So, if by chance,
Later on,
When he has no one to lean on,
I hope I can firmly extend my hand then.
For that reason alone,
I may need to grow more.
If I dare to dream a little bigger,
Much bigger.
Because I want to grow.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
