If you receive Citrine’s coin pouch, the Demon King route will eventually begin.
This is something players naturally find out, but how about looking at it narratively?
By receiving the coin pouch, you join the same group as Citrine, defeat the executioner Rowan, and the Demon King route begins. Honestly, this is purely from the player’s perspective.
The Hero route and the Demon King route.
The fundamental divergence between the two routes lies elsewhere. And unfortunately, that divergence is about to happen right before my eyes.
『Stress has increased by 10!』
“I didn’t expect Citrine to come out to greet me like this.”
Nicasia Holimpia, who had been happily playing card games in the afternoon, stood before us in a completely different atmosphere.
Behind her stood three maids quietly, and her loosely flowing hair was neatly braided.
The strange charisma she exuded made it strongly felt that, despite being a 5th grader in the elementary section, she was handling something ‘important.’
“Since it’s a matter concerning the Crimson Nexus Trading Company, I need to hear the details clearly and make a judgment.”
“Don’t be too tense. It’s nothing major. There’s just been some bad rumors circulating, so we’re here to confirm the truth.”
“If it were really just that, you could have told me earlier today.”
Nicasia slightly raised the corner of her mouth.
“Those spreading bad rumors don’t want the Crimson Nexus Trading Company to confirm the truth; they want a ‘princess’ they can trust to speak the truth.”
“Are you implying that if I confirm it, it won’t be believable?”
“Unfortunately, that’s how they see it.”
I guess we couldn’t become friends after all?
I already know that in this event, Nicasia and Citrine can never reach a harmonious conclusion.
So, while I hoped they’d get along, I didn’t expect a good outcome from this event.
Anyway, it’s obvious what’s going to happen next.
Nicasia is forced to act to confirm the truth behind the ‘rumors’ of prohibited items circulating within the academy.
Citrine, for her part, is displeased that the rumors are targeting them.
“Are these all the items entering the academy this month? Or are there other means?”
Nicasia turned her head to where over 20 carts were parked.
From the ingredients used in the academy’s dining hall to the magical materials for Professor Aiaie Hekati’s magic class, they were all packed in there.
“That is… as you see, Princess Nicasia.”
“We have long delivered goods to the academy via land routes.”
The answer came not from Citrine but from the people of the Crimson Nexus Trading Company.
There was one person who looked like a coachman and another who managed the ledger.
Aside from them, there were dozens of workers who suddenly found themselves idle.
And finally, there was one academy staff member present.
“It matches the information I have.”
“If you’ve heard the answer you wanted, please quickly inspect the goods.”
Citrine looked up at Nicasia with a face full of dissatisfaction.
The story has progressed as I know it, so the next part should be the same.
Nicasia inspects a few items on the carts and finds something that shouldn’t be there. At that moment, a changeling observing the situation reveals itself and attacks Nicasia.
After that, in a tense atmosphere, when the player receives Citrine’s coin pouch, they defend her. From here, a small but significant change occurs, diverging the Hero route and the Demon King route.
“Ugh…”
The changeling’s attack doesn’t matter.
No one will get hurt. The problem is what comes next.
“I’ll check the items over here. Could you open the box for me?”
“Of course. Of course.”
A man dressed in expensive clothes awkwardly smiled and opened the boxes one by one as Nicasia pointed.
Under the moonlight, Nicasia continued to inspect the items.
“The items match the documents we have… exactly.”
“I’ll check a bit more.”
Sylvia, who was holding a book in her right hand, spoke to Nicasia. That elf was the secretary of the Cosmos Academy Headmaster, right?
Given the situation of resolving rumors about suspicious items being brought into the academy, Nicasia was here to discern the truth, Sylvia to defend the academy’s position, and Citrine to defend the Crimson Nexus Trading Company’s position.
“The food supplies are fine… These are practice equipment. And these are materials for Professor Aiaie Hekati’s magic class… What’s this?”
“These are items for art class. Haha, you know, the expensive paints?”
Nicasia nodded and reached for the box.
“Nicasia, surely you’re not planning to open each paint to inspect them?”
“Don’t worry, Citrine. I’m not that ignorant.”
Citrine clenched her fist as Nicasia lifted a jar of paint from the box.
Given how expensive the paint is, it’s understandable that she’d react this way if Nicasia were to break or ruin it.
“… As expected.”
Nicasia, despite the sharp looks, held the glass jar of paint up to the moonlight and muttered.
“The rumors─”
Before she could finish, Nicasia quickly moved her left arm while holding the paint in her right hand.
“Gah…!”
What Nicasia grabbed with her left hand was a ‘worker’ emitting purple smoke from his entire body.
Nicasia effortlessly lifted the adult, who was two heads taller than her, and without a second thought, slammed him to the ground.
─Crunch!
Having etched a new pattern into the academy’s pavement, Nicasia set down the glass jar and sighed.
“Queen of the bugs! You shall die here!”
“We are the first of this world!”
One, two, three.
Three changelings disguised as workers revealed their true forms and slowly approached Nicasia.
They didn’t even glance at Citrine, Sylvia, and the other trading company members, who were trembling with pale faces.
“How amusing.”
Nicasia moved as she spoke. Even without a weapon in hand, the princess had no trouble.
I didn’t say, ‘There’s a changeling among those workers!’ for nothing, right?
The changelings, wielding magic swords, charged at Nicasia but, predictably, couldn’t even scratch her.
Rather, it was more like…
“Gah…!”
Dodging the changeling’s magic sword and casually folding its arm in half.
“You dare!”
Throwing down a changeling trying to grab her from behind with a judo throw.
“This… this is… Ugh!”
Grabbing the jaw of a changeling trying to cast a spell, shutting its mouth, and slamming it to the ground.
“Ye… as expected! The princess.”
“Stupid changelings! You should’ve stayed hidden!”
“Damn it… we’re done for! Our trading company is ruined!”
The changelings’ sudden attack ended in vain, but the situation didn’t.
The rumors about suspicious items being brought in turned out to be true. The presence of ‘changelings’ behind it was also proven before Sylvia and Nicasia.
“Riola.”
Nicasia lightly adjusted her disheveled bangs and spoke.
At that moment, I unconsciously stepped forward and grabbed Nicasia’s skirt.
“Nicasia, don’t.”
I said it. I was just going to stay quiet.
“… Huh? What do you mean?”
“Don’t kill them.”
The subtle difference between the Hero route and the Demon King route.
It’s Nicasia’s personality.
Once the Demon King route starts, Nicasia makes a rather cruel yet efficient decision here.
With the changelings, who can transform into anyone, subdued, there’s no reason to keep them alive. It’s confirmed when Nicasia calls for her head maid, Riola.
She’ll ask for a weapon, and Nicasia, only a 5th grader, will wield it.
Surprisingly, people expect that from her.
Because she’s the princess.
Because she’s royalty.
They want to see her protect the people from evil demons.
Like wanting a zoo escapee to be shot, they want to see her kill changelings.
May the day end peacefully with their blood.
“Murmur, you sometimes say strange things.”
“Uh, huh?”
“Riola, make sure to properly restrain the changelings here. They’ve committed crimes, so prepare to be punished forever in ‘Tartarus.'”
Huh?
That line is from the Hero route, isn’t it?
“Citrine, contrary to your wishes, items that shouldn’t have been brought in have been confirmed. Since it’s confirmed, we’ll need to inspect the remaining carts.”
“… Understood. Since you can no longer trust our trading company’s people, I’ll recommend new ones.”
Citrine’s expression was dark. This is微妙.
In the Demon King route, Citrine, with me, Murmur, as a reliable ally, would shout in a venomous tone.
Thinking money can solve anything, it’s natural for her to react sharply when facing the possibility of all the trading company’s goods being confiscated.
“No need. Where would we find people at this hour? Let’s search together. I have no intention of confiscating anything, so don’t worry.”
Citrine looked at me and Nicasia with a bewildered expression. Honestly, I’m bewildered too. Isn’t it time to fight?
“Ah, and…”
Nicasia looked at me and gave a faint smile.
“Please inform the Duchess that I don’t believe the Crimson Nexus Trading Company plotted this.”
“Yes, yes…?”
“The changelings disguised as workers to transport goods. It’s hard to verify their identities when they can transform. Blaming the trading company’s system is just nitpicking.”
“Why are you treating us like this…?”
“There might not be a witch. Ahem… And remember, other trading companies didn’t even cooperate.”
『Nicasia Holimpia’s wisdom has increased by 1!!!』
Thankfully, it was meaningful.
Citrine looked at Nicasia with a startled expression, fidgeting with her fingers.
“… Embarrassingly, speaking like this makes it seem like our Cosmos Academy has issues too. We receive help from the Holy Nation every six months for inspections, yet this keeps happening.”
Sylvia’s words weren’t wrong.
The one hiding has the advantage over the one seeking.
It’s harder than finding a needle in a haystack to catch a changeling that can transform into anyone.
Blaming the Crimson Nexus Trading Company for changelings disguising as workers is like burning down a forest to catch a bedbug.
“Thank… you.”
“No need to thank me, Citrine. From now on, you and I need to check if there are any more issues with the items brought in by the trading company.”
Nicasia suddenly patted my head.
“And Murmur, you know you have to work too, right?”
“Mu, Murmur?”
“Yes, Citrine is Murmur’s friend. You wouldn’t neglect a friend’s problem, would you?”
A微妙ly different line.
In the Demon King route, she’d say something hostile, but here it’s oddly softened.
『Murmur is Citrine’s friend. Don’t interfere in this matter. Especially since you’re a demon.』
That sharp line has turned so cute.
“… Murmur will help too.”
“Oh~hohoho! As expected of Murmur!”
Citrine, who had been tense, brightly smiled and clung to me, while Nicasia watched and suddenly lifted me up and dropped me onto Citrine.
“Chi, friends, right? Clinging like that is a bit…”
“Princess Nicasia, are you jealous?”
“Wh, who’s jealous? No, you’re mistaken.”
* * *
Under the shining moon, we spent about two hours inspecting all the items on the carts.
Fortunately, contrary to Nicasia’s worries, the prohibited items were cleverly mixed among the art and magic class materials.
So it’s come to this. It started a bit earlier than I thought, but what can you do?
“There’s… quite a lot. And to think they hid it so cleverly.”
“It seems Esme summoning the nightmare wasn’t a coincidence.”
“Ugh, if this is the case, we’ll have to inspect items from other trading companies too.”
Looking at the gathered items, Nicasia and Citrine sighed and spoke.
“So this is ‘Lunarin.'”
I held up a jar of paint towards the moon and spoke.
The golden shimmer amidst the black paint was clear evidence that ‘Lunarin’ was contained within.
“Murmur, you know about ‘Lunarin,’ don’t you?”
“Yeah, Murmur is a demon.”
‘Lunarin’
The name of a mineral that greatly amplifies the magic power of demons.
At the same time, the name of an important item for the upcoming ‘super event.’
Nicasia understood Citrine’s situation, and Citrine accepted Nicasia’s goodwill purely.
So I have to say the promised line here.
“Nicasia, Citrine. Help Murmur.”
Help me prevent the coming tragedy.
