I'm sure you've noticed. I think you've noticed," Erdis said before speaking, choosing his words carefully.

"You said her name was Leu. What does Lugis want with her, Fialaat?

　Hiding in the eaves of the alleyway, Elddis said quietly. A lightly raised voice struck Fialaat's ear.

　I'm not sure if you've ever heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it. His dark eyes tilted slightly.

'There's nothing we can do but protect them. At least that's what Lugis would say, wouldn't he?

　Pulling back her chin and brushing back her dark hair, Fialaat moved her lips. There was a hint of melancholy in her voice. There was a hint of melancholy in his voice, unmistakable melancholy for Lugis.

　At first, Fialaat had no intention of easily abandoning the girl who called herself Leu. Fialaert has not abandoned his sense of decency to the point of turning a blind eye and throwing away a girl who miraculously survived in this royal city where demons reign.

　But that is only within the bounds of decency. But it is only within the bounds of decency.

　For example, if you ask him if he would give up everything to save her alone, he would hesitate. He'd probably clam up.

　But he, Lugis, would be different. Lugis pretends to be cool-headed, saying that it is natural for people to abandon others. But when the time comes, he cannot do it.

　He is morbidly afraid of losing something, of overlooking something. Even if it is a stranger. Even if it is a stranger, he would not be able to bear the thought of them being lost before his eyes.

　Such thoughts were swirling in Fialaat's chest with a certain concern. A breath leaked out. His dark hair fluttered in the air.

　Elddis nodded, as if she could see right through Fialaert's heart. Then, almost without pause, she said. In a voice that only Fialaat could possibly hear. But in a voice that only Fialaat could possibly hear.

"Fialaat, that girl is clearly crazy. She's a thorn in the side of the flower. It could hurt him--so we should break it off before it gets too deep, don't you think?

　Her voice was so cold that the air itself seemed to turn to ice. A voice so cold that the air itself turned to ice. It was a voice that showed that this was the kind of voice that the elves had for humans.

　The tone of his voice spoke eloquently of his feeling that human life was of no more value than trash. Unbeknownst to Fialaat, he felt his heart grow hard and heavy.

　I don't know if he actually thinks that way, but I'm sure it's at the foundation of Elddis' thoughts.

　That's what elves are all about. For the first time in a long time, Fyarad felt that Elddis was a different race. She was like a different person than she had been in front of Lugis.

　Fialaat choked for a moment before responding.

Yes, you're right, Lugis would understand. But why are you telling me that you want to break it?

　There is no doubt in Elddis' mind. Leu. There's a lot of suspicious things about the girl who called herself that. I've seen a lot of that in my time protecting her.

　How could she be alone in an alley full of dead monsters and people? How did she manage to get into the capital in the first place? And how did he not have a single wound on his body, despite the fact that he was covered in blood?

　Of course, you could say that all of this is the result of a series of coincidences. You can swallow this as overthinking.

　But there was one thing that could not be swallowed under the thin silk of coincidence.

　There is an enormous amount of magic power lying within that girl Leu.

　The mere touch of her skin is enough to make your whole body hair stand on end. While Fialaert was caring for her, he felt as if a ferocious beast was asleep and breathing inside her.

　Perhaps that's what Erdis is talking about. Unusual evil. It would be a miracle if he had swallowed such a thing since birth and had been able to live honestly until now.

　If it were a normal situation, the magic power would definitely burst out and the body would be shattered. The vast amount of magic power cannot be bound without the right formula. As far as Leung's body was concerned, there was not a trace of such a thing. And yet, he acted as if there was no problem at all.

　It was an unspeakable discomfort for the sorcerer Fialat and Elddis.

　Choose your words and tell Lugis directly, Fialaert continued. In response, Elddis widened her blue eyes.

...... I don't want to bother him with trivial matters, but... You know what I mean. I'm sure telling him about this will only end up annoying him.

　That's true, I suppose. Fialaat could clearly imagine that.

　If I tell him this, Lugis will have an annoyed look on his face, but he will still try his best to solve everything by himself. Forget about how many bones you've shattered in the process. No, maybe he's doing it because he remembers.

　Foolish, I suppose I should say. It feels right.

　But the way he reaches out for her is also the way I was burned and longed for. I really can't help myself.



　Fialat's dark eyes narrowed involuntarily.

"--okay. All right, all right. I'll help you for Lugis. You and I are both really, really screwed up.

　Fialat nodded and said with a sigh. I wonder if I was ever like this. I can't remember now, but I think I'm getting deeper and deeper into it.

　It seemed to have gotten even worse since the day they had shared the mead.

　Erdis opened his mouth with a hint of self-mockery in his cheeks, but also with some satisfaction.

"Oh, no. It's disgusting. I know, I know.

　The way he shrugged his shoulders, Fialaert thought, seemed to mimic his habit. His blue eyes slackened for a moment, then regained their sharpness. Without looking back, Erdis said.

Let's make it work, then. We'll do better than the magicians of the city.

　Fialaert nodded, his eyes darting momentarily to the back of the alleyway. I thought I caught a glimpse of white hair at the end of it.

　It was the color of the hair that should have been lying in their hiding place. It soon dissolved into the dimness.

"--Yes. Yes. So much so that no one would notice.

　Because if they did, Lugis might get a heart attack. I'm not sure what to say.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　The demon Drigman had a demon name, the Controller. He was not a king, but a commander.

　I'm not sure what to make of it. The way he stomped on humanity, using his soldiers as hands and feet, showing no compassion or pity as a matter of course.

　That's what he used to be. Even though he was a demon, a powerful species that was allowed to exist alone, he preferred the power of the military as if he didn't believe in it. I think he's rarely worked alone.

　That's why I don't know much about his origins. At best, he uses his arms in some way.

　And even if I didn't know, there used to be people who could kill him. All we needed was to know how to kill him.

　But that's not going to happen this time.

　I'm not a good enough person to act like I used to, and a demon is not cheap enough to be killed by me.

　Demons are undoubtedly the natural enemies of mankind.

　That's why I have to learn at least one of their tricks in order to win. It would be easiest if you could just kill me in my sleep.

...... I wonder if the demon is really coming. If they are coming, I hope it's sooner rather than later.

　I'd like it to be sooner rather than later. A strange sweet smell caressed my nose.

　She looks like she's tired, but it's not like she's done anything wrong. He's just waiting. Given Kalia's nature, waiting might be the most painful thing of all.

　After pressing his blade against the necks of the demons a few times, he said that Drigman seems to be a commander and occasionally shows himself to the soldiers.

　That's very noble. I'd say he's the epitome of a commander.

　That's why we're hiding ourselves in the eaves of the barracks where the hexenbiests are camped to see where he's going. Erdis's spirit magic is very useful in this kind of hiding.

　I don't know if we'll get anything out of it, of course, but if Drigman shows even a glimpse of himself, it's a clear opportunity.

　--Maybe we'll get a glimpse of his source material. Of course, there will be a heavy price to pay.

　At the same time, a number of emotions breathed out in my chest. If someone is to be sacrificed, who should it be? There was the thought that I could not die, and the thought that if necessary, I must die myself.

　My breath is hot. The incompatible emotions seemed to be raging in his chest, meshing with each other.

　He snapped his fingers lightly and put them in his pocket. Then my fingers searched for a chewing tobacco. His brow creases reflexively.

　No, no. The chewing tobacco stinks to my nose. It's not uncommon for the smell to find you, even when you're doing a good job of hiding. You can't be that stupid.

　I bite my teeth to suppress a slight irritation and kill my breath. In the meantime, a conflict of useless thoughts roamed around my brain.

　Oh, the sooner the moment arrives, the better. Anguish is a luxury that only those with time can afford. When the time and place are right, whatever form your anguish takes, it will disappear.

　Just then, I heard the hexenbiests shouting lightly. It wasn't an alarming sound. It was slightly strained.

　My throat rumbled. Anticipation hits my chest hard. After a moment, my ears picked up the word Majin. I crawl my gaze toward the voice, only briefly.



　Then my eyes caught it. The only familiar aspect of the demonic pack.

　It was unmistakable. The demon that the hero once killed. And now that the hero is dead, the one I have to kill...

　Drigman the Controller was right in front of me. Just the thought of it sent a huge chill down my spine. My teeth chattered softly.