“Murmur-nim!! Please listen to my story!”
Citrine grabbed my right arm with both hands and cried out pitifully.
She’s been like this since yesterday.
“Murmur thinks that the story Citrine dislikes so much isn’t that bad.”
Citrine’s butler, Balkan, brought a deliciously grilled steak to me.
Normally, Citrine would be smiling brightly at this moment, saying she’d feed me, but today is different.
“Absolutely not! Absolutely not! I think we shouldn’t be involved in the slightest!”
“With Monica?”
“Of course, with Saintess Monica, but also with the people of the Holy Nation! We shouldn’t have any connection at all!”
I cut the steak neatly with a knife, stabbed it with a fork, and ate it with gusto.
Having played through Reoa several times, Citrine’s desperate resistance is just adorable to me.
After all, we end up becoming quite close later. She’ll probably be super embarrassed about how loudly she’s protesting now.
“Murmur thinks it’s fine.”
“Not at all! Not at all! Not at all! It’s not fine in the slightest!”
“Don’t you trust Murmur?”
“Uh, ah… N-no, that’s not it!”
Citrine was sweating profusely, fidgeting with her hands.
“I trust and like Murmur-nim so much, and I even plan to become your bride, which is why I’m saying this.”
“Mm, Murmur understands that feeling well. But there won’t be any problems.”
“Ugh…!!!”
Citrine quickly drank some cold water and looked up at Balkan.
“Murmur-nim, do you know much about the Holy Nation?”
“Mm, Murmur has read books in the library, so I know a lot.”
I answered while finishing the steak.
“The Grace Holy Nation is a country founded by people who believe in the Goddess religion.”
“Do you know that in such a Holy Nation, there’s a place called the Inquisition?”
I nodded.
Citrine gave me a look of even deeper despair and incomprehension.
“The, the inquisitors of the Inquisition really, really hate us. Even ordinary believers despise us a lot!”
“Murmur knows. The Grace Holy Nation is also a place where many refugees who have suffered at the hands of the Demon Race gather.”
“You know all that, and yet you still want to be friends with Saintess Monica?!”
I nodded while cutting the roasted potatoes Balkan brought.
It’s always nice to have a hearty meal from the morning.
“Mu, Murmur-nim…”
Citrine looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.
“Please think about your reputation, Murmur-nim!”
I turned my eyes away from the potatoes and briefly checked my status window.
【Cosmos Academy】 ─ 『Very Bad』
【Silver Dawn】 ─ 『Hatred』
【Seven Sisters of Paradise】 ─ 『Worshipping』
As expected, it doesn’t show the reputation of groups I haven’t met yet.
“Murmur is a demon, but not a bad one. The sisters of the Holy Nation wouldn’t do anything bad.”
“Th, those people! They’re the kind who would fabricate crimes just to exterminate us!”
“That’s Citrine’s misunderstanding. It’s the Silver Dawn that does such things.”
Citrine’s lips trembled.
“The Silver Dawn…! They’re no better than butchers! Perverts! Psychopaths!!”
Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen Citrine use such harsh words.
“Compared to those lunatics, of course! Of course! I know that the people of the Holy Nation are more humane.”
“But it’s scary, right? Citrine?”
I cut Citrine’s chicken breast with a knife, stabbed it with a fork, and brought it to her mouth.
Citrine looked at it with a troubled expression but eventually accepted it.
“There’s no need to be afraid. Murmur knows what Citrine is afraid of.
The teachings of the Goddess religion.
In themselves, they’re not terrifying at all.
In fact, they’re very warm and considerate.
“It’s the bad adults in the Inquisition that are scary, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Murmur knows there are many stories about them fabricating crimes to arrest people.”
In fact, among the people of the Holy Nation I’ll meet in the future, there are many fools who misinterpret the ‘Sacred Book.’
“Those people are really bad. Murmur won’t let such fools harm Citrine. Absolutely not.”
“Murmur-nim…”
“But, Citrine. Have you read the ‘Sacred Book’?”
Citrine looked at me quietly and then shook her head.
“The ‘Sacred Book’ says this: If there is a sick person, help them. If there is a poor person, share a piece of bread with them.”
“Murmur-nim, have you read it?”
“Mm, I’ve read it diligently. So I know well. If there are evil people, defeat them and protect the good.”
I gently held Citrine’s trembling hands and stroked them.
Hoping that my feelings would reach her even a little.
“…The great being is always watching over you, so do not be afraid. Always find joy in executing justice and doing good.”
“There must be words telling them to kill us.”
“There’s no such thing. There are only words saying not to harm others or be blinded by desire.”
“That can’t be!”
Citrine shivered.
“Mu, Murmur-nim… it’s only natural that you wouldn’t know!”
Citrine pushed my hand away and stood up.
“The inquisitors are all…! Bad people!! Because of them, I lost everything!”
So she finally said it.
“Murmur-nim, you can’t possibly know! You can’t possibly understand! You spent your childhood in Cosmos Academy, so it’s only natural!”
“Citrine…”
“Those people won’t listen to anything we say. They burned down our homes! Kicked us! Stabbed us with swords while laughing, lying about the atrocities they committed!”
Citrine cried, tears streaming down her face as she shook her head.
“Absolutely…! Absolutely not!! I… still, sometimes… really…”
Citrine collapsed, holding her red hair with both hands.
“In my dreams… even now, that… image comes back.”
Citrine wouldn’t say it, but I know exactly what she’s talking about.
There are demons like Lady Jepar who live ordinary lives on the surface.
There are good demons who don’t join the Demon King’s army and live as ordinary citizens.
Citrine is one, Lady Jepar is another, and there are tens of thousands of demons I can’t even begin to describe here.
“Murmur-nim, you can’t possibly know…”
Such demons are prime targets.
For those who have lost everything to the Demon King’s army.
For those who simply want to hate.
For greedy nobles.
For priests and bishops who want to succeed.
These demons are the kind who, the more you beat them, the more you kill them, the more advantageous it becomes for you.
“Murmur knows.”
Little Citrine must have seen such a scene.
A greedy noble and inquisitors suddenly appeared in the village where she was born and raised.
I know exactly what kind of massacre they committed, what kind of atrocities they performed.
Of course, it would become a nightmare.
I even want to praise her for managing not to hate humans themselves.
“Citrine, you’ve endured well. You’re a good girl. Murmur will praise you.”
I hugged Citrine with both hands and gently embraced her.
“Murmur-nim… do you really know?”
“Mm, Murmur knows a lot. Murmur knows what kind of nightmares Citrine has.”
“That can’t be…”
Sniffling, Citrine rubbed her face against my chest.
That nightmare is too terrifying to describe in detail.
“Citrine.”
“Yes, Murmur-nim.”
“The thing that’s really bad and stupid about those fools in the Holy Nation is that they don’t listen to our stories at all.”
“…That’s right. To them, we’re just bad enemies. No different from monsters.”
I gently stroked Citrine’s red hair with my fingers.
“We shouldn’t become like that.”
“Mu, Murmur-nim?”
Citrine pushed me away by pressing on my lower abdomen.
“That… I can’t agree with.”
“Then, Citrine, won’t you listen to the possibility that the people of the Holy Nation could be good?”
“Th, that’s… how can you…”
“But Citrine doesn’t hate all humans, right? You didn’t curse Esme. You didn’t spit at Nicasia.”
Citrine turned her head.
“…I don’t want to act like those idiots who just hate and despise us.”
“Mm, so can’t we give the people of the Holy Nation just one chance?”
“… …Murmur-nim, why on earth do you want to be friends with Saintess Monica?”
Citrine came closer again and buried her face in my chest.
“Monica is just like Citrine.”
“Huh…?”
“She’s a very lonely, sad child. No matter how sincerely she tries to reach out to people, no one listens.”
Citrine looked at me with a blank expression.
“That can’t be. Even I know how much the Saintess is adored.”
“Murmur doesn’t lie.”
“… …Murmur-nim, you’re cruel. You say you understand my nightmares, yet you keep insisting on becoming friends with the Saintess.”
I smiled.
It’s a very selfish story, but becoming friends with the Saintess is important not just for me, but for Citrine too.
Because she’s the only friend who can truly free Citrine from her nightmares.
“No?”
“…Ugh.”
“Alright. If Citrine says no, I won’t push.”
It’ll take about three times as long to do it alone, but it’s not impossible.
“Mu, Murmur-nim…? Are you giving up?”
“Murmur is Citrine’s friend. It’s wrong to keep pushing if she doesn’t want to.”
“Even though you’ll become the one to rule over me someday, you say that?”
I told you, I have no intention of becoming the Demon King.
Citrine, who had been quietly looking at me, sniffled, took out a handkerchief, and carefully wiped her tears.
“Alright. I am the woman who will become Murmur-nim’s bride.”
“That’s a bit…”
“Especially since Murmur-nim is suggesting it with good intentions, I should do it even more!”
Even while trembling, she speaks well.
“Citrine made a promise with Murmur, right?”
“Ugh! Th, that’s too much for just a little mischief!”
I chuckled.
I might have pushed her a bit too hard, so I should give Citrine a little break.
After all, it’s not like we can meet right away starting tomorrow.
“Then, I’ll do one thing Citrine wants.”
“R, really?”
I nodded.
After all, spending summer vacation with Citrine is like hitting the jackpot.
No matter what kind of date we go on, I’m ready to enjoy it.
The reason I didn’t like it at first was because I thought I wouldn’t have any say in it.
“Th, then… could you spend the night with me at Celestial Tower?”
Huh? That’s really lucky.
“Celestial Tower is fine?”
“Yes! Our guild is repairing the tower!! It’s a tower with a twelve-sided structure, very beautiful, and you can see all of Cosmos Academy from there!”
She still doesn’t know the hidden secret.
But to suggest the first place I’d choose for a date…
“Alright, let’s spend the night together at Celestial Tower.”
“Huhuhu! Balkan! Did you hear? Hurry! Hurry! Check the tower’s condition and prepare!”
Just moments ago, she was crying and saying no, but now Citrine was smiling brightly and stroking me all over.
“It’s not good to cry and then laugh…”
“What are you talking about! Hohoho! The night view from Celestial Tower is incredibly beautiful, so look forward to it!”
Citrine smiled brightly at me.
I hope this cute child quickly becomes friends with Monica so that there’s no shadow behind her smile.
