People dream about the past. By dreaming again about the scenes we experienced as children and adolescents, we can reflect on how strongly the events of that time affected us. Memories of fun, memories of excitement, and memories of hatred.

"Serraes, excuse me.

　The sound of a knock on the door brought me back to consciousness. I reconfirmed that I had taken a nap on the chair and regulated my breathing. Shortly after, one of his students opens the door and appears.

You have a visitor?
Yes. He didn't give his name, but I thought Serraes would recognize him.
Show him to the drawing room. I'll deal with him myself.
Yes, sir.

　He watched his apprentice leave the room nonchalantly and then leaned back deeply in his chair. I don't need to remember the dreams I had during my nap, what they were like. My dreams of the past are always the same. But I need to remember what it means to dream. It is the reason why I am the Archbishop, my origin.
　I quickly finished my preparations and headed for the drawing room. The disciples have already left the drawing room. Many of the guests who come to me do not give their names. They know exactly what that means. There are people in this world that they should not be involved with, and they know who they should be in contact with.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Archbishop Serraes.

　A man with a strange face, but you can tell who he is by his tone.

"Do you show yourself proudly, Lahite?
"I'm not sure I'd call it grand, since I've changed my appearance to that of a different person.
You're a sinner and you're visiting a Yugoslavian institution. What else can I say?
That's true. "That's true, but wouldn't it be more dignified for you to be the Archbishop of Yugoslavia after you intentionally let me go?

　Rahite laughs. His appearance may have changed, but his gestures are no different from the ones I saw in Quama's prison. This man is dangerous, I fully understand that, but there was still a reason to release him. Rahite, the Raitis behind the scenes, knew truths about the world that even the Yuglas could not know. He made me use his weapon to end his life in exchange for that information. He wanted me to use a spell that would allow his soul to be transferred to a treated body after his physical death. Death by excessive torture, as it stands. It was a small price to pay, but it was well worth it.

Get to the point. I'm not going to have a long conversation with you.
Excuse me. The other day we captured a Yuggra starling. We'd like to negotiate with them for custody. Do you need proof?
I've already heard the story. What do you want?
I'm sure you understand...

　Lahayt tells you what he wants. I'm quite capable of getting them. But it will be a risk. As before, he weighs the scales and asks himself which he should prioritize.

"Fine. Give me three days, and I'll make the arrangements.
"That's faster than I expected. You mean you've been anticipating this for some time and have been laying the groundwork?
Don't ask any more questions than you have to.
That's right. Where do you want to make the deal?
Where I'm going the day after tomorrow. I'm sure you'll have no problem keeping an eye on me.
All right. Then so be it. How long do you plan to stay in the Yugra cult?

　The hero Yugra who defeated the Demon Lord preached the teachings to protect the order of the world. However, in reality, it was Yugra himself who created the Demon Lord, and Yugra never left behind a way for humans to truly defeat the Demon Lord. What this means is that the value of the Yugra religion itself in preparation for the coming resurrection of the Demon Lord has been lost. I am well aware of this. There is no longer any value in continuing to protect the teachings of Yugra.

"Whatever Yugra is, he has created order in this world. I need to use him to protect the order of the world.

　Even so, the influence of Yugraism is great. It has many connections around the world and has the power to interfere in any event. There is still no need for him to abandon his position as the Archbishop of Yugoslavia.

If you're in charge of the other side of the Yugra religion, I'm sure your influence won't change even if you leave the Yugra religion. Now if you'll excuse me.

　Rahite leaves the room. Considering the purpose of Leitis, I can guess the purpose of what he requested from me. And how the world will unfold once that purpose is achieved. Order will be overrun by a new order. Will the new order be acceptable to me, who lives to protect it? If not...



"I will have to become the ...... order.

　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

　Duvraeori reported that he had entered the cave that had been the Scarlet Witch King's stronghold and emerged outside. But there the scent was cut off, and at the same time three new scents were mixed in. Two of them matched those of the two who had been with him when he hunted down Morgana's guildmaster, Ritual-Zentry. This leads me to believe that he was abducted by Raitis.
　He was surprised that he had managed to kill the Scarlet Witch King, but he was still worried about his safety. Rahite, a member of Reithis, was trying to kill him. If he was captured by such people, he had little time to spare.

The fact that he was not killed on the spot suggests that Leitis had a reason to keep his friend alive. But as long as we don't know what he's up to, we can't let up on the search.
"I see. The Purple continues to infiltrate and search for demons in various countries. Blue demons have few ways to hide. We are mainly searching in the mountains and forests, avoiding populated countries.

　His Majesty is making plans to search for him with the Golden Demon King. The knights you sent to the demon world have been forced to retreat. They'll be returning to Taze soon.

What about the gold fox?
"It's a scent-following creature. It's hard to follow them when they've been moved by shapeshifting magic. I've had it transported around the world with the Purple Demon to look for it, but it's ...... only as good as Duvraeus' nose.
That's good enough for me. I've sent orders to the dark side at Tarz. I've already arranged for Mejis and Kuama to be involved.
But the dark cells in Tarz are already tracking Rhaetys, aren't they? But the Tarzan's inner circle is already on the trail of Rhaetys, and if they have no leads at that stage, it will be difficult.
"If they're going to use our friend to do something, they're likely to make a move. For now, it is important that we remain alert to any signs.

　Your Majesty and the Mad King are working to find him. And yet there's nothing I can do. What can I do if I can't even help in battle?

"Lord Ratzel, we will now return to the Taze. You may finish your preparations.
"...... Yes.
You have a role to play. You're to act as my friend in dealing with the Mad King. You have more contacts with the other lords than I do.
"His ...... replacement.
I'll be acting as King Garne. I'm sure you've got a lot of contacts with other Demon Lords.

　I would serve as his ...... replacement ...... if I could. But what has he actually done? It reminds me of what he has done to the Demon Lords. If it were only about physical ability, no move would be impossible, but even I know that's not the case.

"......
You look quite distressed.
I said I would replace him, but I don't have to move like him. If there was someone who could do that, he would have already been replaced. All you need to do is maintain the current relationship until he returns.
I understand.
"Lord Ratzel, this is not the same as before. You fought to protect your friend first. The Scarlet Witch King's defeat was due to a pure difference in strength. The fact that my friend escaped is because he chose to do so. I have nothing to blame you for.
It was King Tarz who failed to see the change in him and left him alone in the first place.
"...... That's it. What we need to do now is to rescue him and prevent the same thing from happening in the future.

　I can't feel the usual high spirits from you. If only I had been able to stop him, if only I had defeated the Scarlet Witch King, we would all be aware of our own inadequacies as well.
　I went back to my room and started to organize my belongings. He has brought very few personal items with him. If anything, he is mainly packing up the things he brought. He was not trying to stick to a single plan for this war, but was making various preparations considering all possibilities. I can't grasp all the uses, but I'm sure some of them are based on the premise that we were useless, as we were this time.

"It's funny. I kept telling you that I would protect you because you were weak, but I could do nothing. And yet, you defeated the Demon Lord all by yourself. ......

　I trained myself to keep up with his progress. I thought I had caught up with him by becoming stronger. But in reality, there was an unbridgeable gap between me and him. I couldn't even feel regret, but only a sense of emptiness. As I was gathering my belongings, Wolfe came into the room. The expression on Wolfe's face was somewhat shadowy, as if he was not here at all.

What is the whereabouts of the Iliad ...... Shishou?
"For now, it remains unknown. His Majesty and the Demon Lords are searching for him. We'll have to return to Taze and wait for them.
Can't we go to ...... to find him?
...... We don't have that ability. All we can do is to be ready to move quickly if we need our forces. All we can do is be ready to move quickly if we need our forces, and protect the place he's coming back to.


...... Yeah.

　Wolfe's growth had been dizzying. He had won many victories against the Purple Demon Lord's men and continued to serve him with overwhelming power. However, the easy defeat of the Scarlet Demon King must have shattered all the confidence he had built up over the years. Even though the effects of the power of the Struggle have worn off, it will take some time for the shattered beliefs to be restored.

"Don't worry. I'm worried about him, too. I'm worried about him, too, because even if he can handle things better than we can, that danger is the only thing we can't change.
"Shishou will come back to ......, won't he?
...... At least he himself is going to come back. At least he's going to come back, even if he has to rely on us.
That's right. Even if we're far away, he's the kind of man who calculates our movements. Then we should move as usual.

　Before I knew it, Ecdysius was standing there leaning against the door. Normally, I would not have failed to notice his approach, but he seemed to be somewhat distracted.

"Mr. Ekduik, ......
"We can't move forward simply by lamenting our lack of strength. It is in times like these that we must save our strength for the next time.
Yes, sir. ......
"Word from Gradna. I'll resume my training at Tarz, and when I'm ready, I'll visit Van's trading post.
Gladna-sensei is at ......?
Yes. Wolfe, you've been blessed with a mentor. It's up to you how you grow from there.
What are you going to do now, Ecdysius?
I'm going with Ao and Lakra to Mejlis. I have some business to attend to. I'll join you as soon as I locate my people. See you.

　With that, Ecdysius left the room. He didn't show any signs of being upset, even though Eckdruk must be worried about him. Perhaps Eckdœk is not that concerned about his disappearance? Just as I was thinking that, the Blue Demon King appeared as if by mistake.

"Hey, have you seen Exduk?
He showed his face in this room just now and then left.
Oh my God! We're about to leave and you're going all over the place!
You're going to Mejlis. Mejlis is a holy place of Yugoslavia. Don't cause any trouble and don't bother Ekduik.
I know what I'm doing. I'm more worried about Ecdysium.
Exoik? What do you mean?
Didn't you notice? He's more disturbed than ever. Oh, I see. As a Demon Lord, I can feel the pulse of his magic, but you guys don't usually have the skill to detect such things.
It didn't look like that to me. ......
"Ms. Natola, it seems that there was more to this than just your mother. And then the man disappeared, didn't he? I'm sure you'll be able to understand how I feel.

　...... Am I an idiot or . I'm not sure if I'm an idiot or not, but he saved my life more than I did. I'm not sure what to make of this. Even after he became the Blue Demon King's demon tribe, Eckdruk still prioritized helping by his side. He must be bigger than me to Ecdysius. It must have been his concern that he was acting calmly in front of us.

"Tell Erdõik. We'll take care of Taze.
Yeah, take care of it. You're the only ones who can watch the purple. I'll take care of the siblings.
You're good with them.
You'd be crazy to leave them alone!

　This is no time for weakness. What I need to do now is to do what I can, and make it my priority to protect his place. And maybe I should reaffirm my reason for picking up the sword again.

　◇.

　So, what do we do now? Well, I'd say there's nothing we can do about it. Lahite and his men took me away and I found myself tied to a chair in a kind of underground prison. Naturally, there is no way to escape. The smell of blood in my nose suggests that this is not just a prison, but a place used for something else.

Judging by the degree of hunger, you've been asleep for at least three days. ......

　I spit out the cotton that had been shoved into my mouth. It seems that he had been soaking up some bad soup, and was trying to eat and rehydrate at the very least. He was tied up with a string to prevent him from choking, but I wish they would treat him more like a prisoner of war. Thanks to this, my health is terrible. The pain in my body is getting a little better, but my body is still very weak.

"Oh, oh, oh, you're awake, aren't you?

　An unfamiliar man's voice came from behind me. The sound of footsteps slowly approaching behind me, and just as I think I'm right behind him, a face rushes up to me from the side. An ugly face full of scars, not just cuts and bruises. It's not just cuts and bruises, it's burns and what looks like chemicals that have melted into it. He's definitely not fit to walk in the sun.



"Oh, nice to meet you. Are you a torturer or something?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I'm Zucho. I'm good at this, this job.

　Definitely not the kind of guy you want to convince. But a torturer, what more information do you want to get out of him?

"So, Zuccio, what's the job you've been assigned? "So, Zuccio, what's your job?" "If you're trying to get information out of me by torturing me, I'm sorry. My mouth is much lighter than you think. I'm pretty sure I'd throw up at the first sight of an instrument.
It's okay, it's okay. I'm here to train you a little bit.
I don't have that kind of taste, though.

　I turn my gaze elsewhere. It's similar in structure to the interrogation room in Quama. A peephole near the ceiling, perhaps that person is looking down on me.

I'd like to see someone who knows what they're talking about, too. You can hear me, can't you? Archbishop Serraes.
"I was told that Raheit has not spoken of me.
Rahite said you'd be good for business. There are only a few people who would want me. Even more so if it's someone who can make a deal with Leitis.

　If this was against a colorless demon king, there would be no point in deploying a man like Zuccio. In the first place, this place is obviously an old interrogation room. It's an unnecessary facility for the Colorless Demon Lord, who only needs to dispose of those who have committed abominations. Raheit, who had disappeared from Taze, was working with Quama, so it was unlikely that he had made any new contacts. So, by a process of elimination, it is very likely that Archbishop Serraes is the one who can provide the things that Rhaetys would want and who has the means to get Rahite out of there.

You seem to have your wits about you.
What did you give Rhaetys for my person?
I don't have to answer that.
Most likely the book Ygras left behind, sealed in Mejlis. Oh, and the body Raheit used while hiding in Mejlis.
"......

　The purpose of Leitis is to find Yugra's bastard. It is very possible that he is researching the bastard, even if the true purpose beyond that is a matter of speculation. The biggest clue to this is the book left by Shigeya Yukura himself.

He said, "You have crossed a very dangerous bridge. If the book and the disappearance of Rahite's body were to come to light, it would be immediately obvious that it was you who did it.
"I did it because it was worth it. And what's about to happen.
"Worth it for what this torture-loving man does. That doesn't sound like my kind of thing.
I'm not interested in your values. You're going to be a tool for me to destroy the Demon Lord.
I see. It's not a good fit.

　Archbishop Serraes' goal is not to get information from me. It's to instill fear of torture and control in me. The purpose is to get rid of the three Demon Lords on our side. He's going to make me decipher the names of the Demon Lords that only I can read.

"I will continue to torture you until the day you no longer wish to defy me, and I will train you to act with your body, not your mind.
"That's horrible. What will you do if he accidentally dies?
The man is an expert in torture. He's an expert in torture. He can keep you alive even if you're no better than a child.
Z, Zcho, I know the human body. I can torture you so you don't die. I can torture you so you don't die.

　I'm sure he's telling the truth. This room has been used for such purposes for a long time. I'm sure he's a professional torturer.

"Torture and training in the basement. That doesn't sound like something an orderly archbishop would do. No, I think you're assuming it's the only way to maintain order.
It's not an assumption. I've eliminated many disruptive people in my life.
"Disruptors to you, right? When you say the word "order," I sense a strong will. I wonder if you've been comforted by the outlaws who have been impoverished by demons. Not only myself, but also those I care about.
I'm not going to talk to you now. Zuccio, you're in good hands.

　Through the looking glass, I hear the door close. What do we do now? I can tolerate a little violence, but in the face of full-blown torture, there is no chance that I, even in my position as 'I', can endure it. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I'm going to get ready for it then.

　Zuccio seems to be setting up a variety of equipment behind him. It is impossible to persuade this man. Negotiation only makes sense when you are on equal footing. It is possible that Duvraeoli and the others who are searching for me will come to my aid, but I don't think I can count on that, given my daily routine.

What do you want to do? (No, I don't think I need to ask.)

　In the face of repeated opposition from this side, the current position is completely in favor of "me". In other words, this is a decision that needs to be made at my own discretion. From my point of view, my own life is more important than the Demon Lord's. Depending on the work of the Iliad and the others, there is a possibility that something can be done. In other words, the easiest option is to just let things happen and lose your mind for once.



(But that's not the point of my existence. (But that's not the point of my existence.) "Yes, the point of my existence is to fulfill the meaning of my position, and that's what I should do. I'm sorry, but I'll let you do what you want.

　If I make a move here, I'm sure I won't be able to return to the Iliad and the others. But right now, I'm in control of this body. So there's no need to hesitate at all.

I'm ready, I'm ready. I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready.
You sound like you're having fun, Zucho.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I really, really like this kind of thing.
Okay. Then I have a gift for you. I'll give you something even more cathartic.

　He turns his head and looks into Zuccio's eyes. Archbishop Serraes, you lost because you didn't put a third party here like I told you to. You're going to regret that very much. The reflection of "I" in Zuccio's eyes was so murky that even he was aware of it.