Chapter 72 - Unfortunately
Demonic Sword.
In contrast to a Holy Sword, it was not born from ordinary matter but appeared in this world like a mutation.
Naturally, it was an existence where it was nearly impossible to add new functions or refine it through other forging methods, except by utilizing its inherent properties.
Even so, if he could meet a blacksmith from a mythical age…
"Is everything ready?"
In front of the bedroom. At Clay's words, Siltnaro ran out in a hurry.
"Yes, I've packed everything."
She was carrying a bag full of things.
"What's all that?"
"I packed some things for you to eat on the way, My Demon King. Mostly dry foods like jerky and some potions."
"You were keeping things like that in my room?"
Siltnaro maintained her sword form only when sleeping in Clay's bedroom or during battle, and she usually lived in her human form.
Although there didn't seem to be anything to store, she had somehow been steadily putting things into the drawer that was prepared for her in case she had anything to put in it.
Now that he saw that it was all for this, Clay let out a hollow laugh.
"You can leave the potion storage to Lin. After all, he's the one who makes them."
"But you never know what kind of situation might arise…"
Siltnaro's voice trailed off in embarrassment.
"Well, it's fine. Your words have merit."
Since he didn't know what kind of danger would befall Barugenia, it wasn't a bad thing for her to make these preparations by his side.
"Siltnaro, you go wait in front of Barugenia. I'll stop by another room for a moment and then leave."
"My, My Demon King."
Siltnaro said hesitantly.
"Are we going to be joined by anyone else besides the two of us?"
"No, not really. Is something bothering you?"
"Oh, no."
"You can be honest."
Due to her unique characteristic as the Demon King's personal weapon, she was always close by, so it was necessary to carefully listen to her opinion if she had any. It could be an important matter.
"Well, it's not anything else… but I also need to spend time with you, My Demon King, and it seems like too many things are getting in the way."
"Too many things?"
Clay, with a question mark on his face, fell silent as he recalled the recently increased members of Barugenia.
"Are they being wary of you?"
"Huh? Oh, that too. Since I'm always so close to you, My Demon King."
"Then…"
"But more than that, it's because it's good for me to spend a lot of time with you, My Demon King."
When Clay stood still for a moment at her words, Siltnaro waved her hands.
"A-as your weapon, I mean. I thought we might need a lot of time for us to train alone…"
"I see."
Clay nodded.
"You're right. I shouldn't be lax with our training, but I was being complacent."
"Th-that's not what I meant."
"It's alright, Siltnaro. If I can't even listen to a piece of advice like this, my qualifications as a Demon King might be doubted."
He made a declaration right there.
"Don't worry. Once this is over, I will make sure we have some time to train alone."
"Yes? Yes!"
Siltnaro's face brightened as she replied.
"Hmm?"
Clay turned his head at the gazes he suddenly felt.
At the end of the corridor. From the strong entanglement of cold, heat, and demonic energy, he could tell which individuals were there, but Clay deliberately pretended not to know.
'A monarch really is an existence who receives excessive attention.'
Clay, who had noticed that even Beatrice was mixed in with them, interpreted the situation he hadn't experienced even in his hero days as he pleased and moved on.
After sending Siltnaro away, Clay, who had arrived alone in front of a certain room, went inside and encountered a young man.
"Neville."
The kidnapped Crown Prince of Holy Krata.
"My Lord Clay."
He approached him with a bright expression for a hostage.
"I heard you were leaving again. Are you not tired?"
"I'm fine."
To Neville, who maintained the same attitude even after hearing about the invasion of Yafenon, Clay revealed his burden.
"I was worried that the things I am doing might be beyond what you can handle."
"No."
Neville showed a bitter smile.
"Didn't you promise me, after all? I, too, am willing to endure any pain to save humanity."
"Is that so."
Clay's lips parted slightly for a moment. No matter how much they tried to understand each other's positions, the two of them could no longer go back to how they were.
Clay, who let out a small breath at the expression 'pain' coming from Neville's mouth, opened his mouth again to do what he had to do.
"Neville, you should leave Barugenia now."
"Yes? What do you mean by that…?"
"As the Crown Prince of Krata, you must now take hold of the power."
As if to put a proper crown on him, Clay pointed at Neville's head.
Part 2
"Your Majesty."
Izer.
The Izer allied forces, which had successfully completed their expedition, were still stationed in Izer's capital.
"A letter has arrived."
In the midst of that, Lilien brought a letter that had flown to the royal castle and handed it to Tia.
"It's from Lutan."
The seal stamped on the envelope was clearly from Krata.
RIIIP.
Tia roughly tore the envelope open, then took out the letter inside and skimmed through it with her eyes.
"Hmm."
Tia, who had read the contents with a neutral expression, tore the letter to pieces.
"Yo-Your Majesty."
"It's just as I expected."
Tia spoke calmly.
"He expresses regret for the harm done to the Saint and hopes for future cooperation."
"Cooperation, you mean…"
"He means the extermination of the former hero who has appeared as the new Demon King."
The former hero, the new Demon King.
Lilien swallowed hard.
"Will you cooperate?"
"Would I?"
Tia let out a hollow laugh.
"They condoned Yafenon, which drove our Izer to the brink of destruction. Krata is our enemy now, too."
"Then…"
"Yes, we will have to create a way to survive, somehow, in line with the Demon King's movements."
At those words, Lilien showed a troubled expression.
"Your Majesty, are you really thinking of joining hands with the Demon King?"
"That expression isn't accurate. Lilien, you know who the Demon King is, don't you?"
The former hero.
The relationship with Tia was already like a broken vessel.
"Your Majesty."
Lilien spoke with a hardened expression.
"It's hard to believe, but as you said, the current Demon King is the former hero, Clay. Even if you say you won't join hands with him, there is a possibility that your heart will be shaken."
"You're worried that I'll waver for Clay."
"I…"
"You're right, Lilien."
Tia did not try to deny her own feelings.
"I am not a person strong enough to be unaffected by seeing Clay return alive."
"Your Majesty."
"But I'm not so weak that I can't tell right from wrong."
Clay no longer saw Izer, or her, as an ally. To be precise, they could be considered his enemies.
However, the probability of Clay targeting them first was low.
"Lilien, the one who poses the greatest threat to Clay is not us."
Holy Krata.
Apart from the betrayal he felt from his old comrades, there was no way Clay himself wouldn't know the mastermind behind all this.
"Clay will try to eliminate the mastermind first. The one who moves this world."
"Are you saying he will attack Krata before us?"
"Yes."
Tia stared intently at Lilien.
"And Krata is our enemy as well. If we want to survive, they must be eliminated."
"But Your Majesty, if the Demon King destroys Krata, he will target us next."
"Then we shouldn't just stand still either."
Lutan and the Demon King.
There was only one way to survive between the two.
"Even if we don't cooperate, we will pretend to cooperate."
They would pretend to lend power to Lutan while also helping the Demon King advance into the continent.
They had to maintain a balance and drive both Krata and the Demon King's army into a state of mutual destruction.
"My plan is to side with both of them and not side with both of them at the same time. What do you think, Lilien?"
Lilien couldn't answer Tia's question easily.
'Is she really trying to walk that tightrope?'
Apart from the fact that walking a tightrope itself was dangerous, Lilien couldn't read Tia's heart accurately.
'Wouldn't it be better to genuinely cooperate with Krata?'
Now that the Demon King had even flown to Yafenon, it seemed unlikely that Lutan would be hostile to the Saint. From Lutan's perspective, it would be better to blame everything on Yafenon, cooperate with Tia to drive out the Demon King, and then re-establish a balance of power.
Trying to bring the Demon King, who was trying to destroy everything, onto the scales to get the best result was, no matter how you looked at it, a reckless act.
"Lilien?"
Perhaps her thoughts were showing on her face, for Tia asked.
"Is there something you don't like?"
"Ah, no."
Even if there was something that bothered her, she was the leader of the Izer Imperial Knights. She had to remain loyal to her to the end.
"I will follow Your Majesty's choice."
In the end, Lilien bowed her head, and after finishing her conversation with Tia, she walked out.
Only Tia was left in the office.
'She doesn't seem to be suspicious.'
Tia cast her gaze in the direction Lilien had left.
'She seems to have her doubts, though.'
Tia tapped her fingers on the desk and recalled the image of Clay, who had died and come back to life.
She had tried to protect the peace of Izer somehow, but in the end, she pushed him to that position, and she herself fell into the abyss of war.
'If it was going to end up like this anyway…'
It would have been much better to have made a different choice from the beginning.
But time had already passed. Tia had no way to fix the broken vessel.
Still,
'Clay, you can't completely separate yourself from your life before death, can you?'
She had definitely seen it.
That Clay wasn't someone who was completely part of that world.
He also had a flicker of uncertainty. It must be a memory of the past, holding onto his will.
'I won't ask for forgiveness.'
But if there was a way for them to be together in this world,
'I have to try something.'
CRASH!
It was then. A sudden sound of an explosion.
Tia, who had gotten up from her seat, quickly ran out. And she found soldiers covered in dust.
"!"
As Tia was about to check what had happened, a familiar object entered her sight.
『Tia de Mezelia.』
Appearing from within the slowly settling dust was the Holy Sword, Excalbren, lodged in the ground.
『I heard you became the Saint.』
"E-everyone, snap out of it!" "It's an attack!"
The fallen soldiers got up and shouted, raising their swords and spears again. Nevertheless, Excalbren paid them no mind and spoke.
『You have a duty to bear.』
"A duty?"
『Clay has fallen into evil and is now corrupted.』
Excalbren trembled, as if it couldn't bear its sorrow.
『You must stop him. So that he won't have to suffer any longer. And I must lend my strength to that.』
It was a declaration that it would become Tia's weapon.
"Ah."
Tia understood the situation and replied, hiding her smile.
"Thank you. For offering to lend me your strength."
However, Excalbren would not be used to stop him.
Unfortunately.