“…….”
“…….”
In the end, the crow, unable to withstand my threat, barely managed to finish his words, and the two witches fell into silence.
However, that doesn’t mean both of their expressions were dark.
First, if we look at the Witch of Lust, she didn’t seem shocked at all. No, if anything, her expression was one of indifference, as if she was saying, ‘So what?’ She had merely turned to the side of the demons to indulge in her own desires, so the circumstances of the demons were likely of no concern to her. As long as she got what she wanted, that was all that mattered.
Above all, at this point, where she had already fallen, such discussions were probably irrelevant to her.
But how about the other side, the Witch of Resentment?
“……So.”
After keeping her mouth shut for a long time, she finally managed to speak up.
“Are you telling me that everything I’ve done up until now was actually planned by the demons from the very beginning?”
“No, to put it that way is not entirely correct.”
The crow quickly replied to the Witch of Resentment, who looked ready to explode.
“We simply wanted to consolidate our control by gathering our Holy Power in one place. Your siding with us was something we hadn’t considered—cough.”
But he couldn’t finish that sentence. While he was speaking, the witch had already grabbed the crow tightly. He seemed to be choking, unable to make a sound.
“So, what you’re saying is that everything I’ve become is all your fault? You created that ‘tree’ to lure the elves?”
With her eyes wide open, the Witch of Resentment spoke in a tone that suggested she could kill the crow at any moment. Honestly, it was a bit terrifying.
“Ah, no! We didn’t specifically target the elves!”
The crow shouted in a genuine protest, but honestly, it was too late for excuses. The situation had escalated, dragging not just the elves but even other worlds into it.
In fact, the Witch of Resentment sitting here was one of those causes.
“But it was the elves who got caught, and I was born among them.”
Her grip on the crow tightened more and more, and he started making choking sounds.
“Stop. If you squeeze any harder, he really will die. I need him for now, so I’d appreciate it if you let go.”
“……”
I was contemplating whether I’d have to put on a collar if she didn’t let go, but fortunately, the Witch of Resentment released him without further protest.
Her gaze, however, didn’t leave the crow.
As the crow broke free from her grasp, cawing in distress while trying to perch on my shoulder, I grimaced and swiftly brushed him off. The crow, after being swatted away, perched pathetically back on the desk.
Of course, no matter how pathetic he looked, he was a demon. I had no reason to feel sympathy for him. And the two witches sitting here were no different.
“Didn’t I tell the Demon God directly? That not all of you agreed with the actions taken? What exactly does that mean? Are you saying you didn’t agree to defy the gods?”
“That’s part of it, and we also opposed the idea of invading other worlds.”
The crow replied in a polite tone.
“Let’s start from the time you rebelled against the gods.”
At my request, the crow glanced at the witches around him, but ultimately, he had no choice but to start speaking.
“The demons were originally beings sent by the Demon God to make the world better. Of course, many wanted to escape that and become independent, but there were certainly those who refused to break away from being the creations of that god.”
Well, I suppose that would be the case. If they simply followed the will of the gods, they could live peacefully without significant issues.
“But the Demon God graciously allowed us to leave. In fact, he was pleased to grant that. Therefore, most of those who initially opposed it accepted it.”
The crow paused for a moment before continuing.
“Those who became independent from the Demon God soon sought to erase his traces. We, who had been granted the god’s power, were the most powerful beings in that world, and naturally, some appeared who wanted to become gods themselves. To those beings, the existence of the god who was originally worshiped couldn’t coexist.”
While Baal was the only being who directly created the demons, watching how priests were captured during the emergence of the Elf Empire suggests that there were definitely followers of both Baal and Ariel. It’s unclear if such a faith emerged after demons desired to become gods or if it existed beforehand.
“Initially, there were those who opposed this as well, but… those who held the minority opinion were gradually eliminated by the other demons. So, as the majority eliminated the minority, eventually those with dissenting opinions had no choice but to fall silent.”
“So, you survived with that minority opinion, huh?”
I squinted as I asked, and the crow nodded.
“That’s correct.”
“Nonsense.”
But the Witch of Resentment, who had been quietly listening, immediately interrupted the crow.
“That guy was at the forefront of the human slaughter during the initial invasion. His name is ‘Paloom,’ and after conquering this side, he was supposed to receive a portion of it as a duchy. He has significantly weakened over the last 500 years because the invasion hasn’t been progressing.”
“Well, that’s true?”
When I echoed the Witch of Resentment’s words, the crow shouted out.
“No! That witch didn’t even recognize me the first time she saw me! How could she possibly know my true identity!?”
“Well, of course, she couldn’t recognize a skinny little thing that suddenly appeared like a new hatchling. Hearing your voice, I realized. Now that I think about it, I understand why you’re called a crow. After coming here, your favorite animal has been crows, right? Did you hijack the body of a crow you were raising? Poor familiar.”
“…….”
I turned to look at the Witch of Lust. She seemed lost in thought, pondering ‘why I was here in the first place.’
“I, I haven’t really faced demons much. But I’ve heard of demons that herd crows.”
Well, this guy had focused more on abducting humans to create fakes of high-ranking demons than on creating actual high-ranking demons with the demons.
“That’s what they say?”
I asked, glancing back at the crow. He avoided my gaze.
Well, there are testimonies, but no evidence. Still, considering he never revealed his name from the start, was reluctant to face other witches, and acted as if he could not speak upon arriving here, he does seem credible.
He couldn’t refute it straight away either.
So… this guy is basically a general who committed war crimes, and when the war they instigated seems like it might lose, he disguises himself as a civilian to surrender to the enemy army.
What’s going on? Is dying just not enough?
“B-but even so!”
The crow shouted, sensing something unsettling about my expression.
“It’s true that I opposed the invasion at the beginning! I was part of the minority!”
“When it came to opening the 2nd and 3rd dimensional portals, who said it was necessary to open it right above the most important city of the most significant nation to neutralize as many troops as possible?”
The Witch of Resentment, who had been quietly listening, spoke, and I looked at the Witch of Lust, who remained silent.
“I-I wasn’t even born back then! During the beginning of the invasion, there was only one witch!”
Well, that’s true.
Anyway, it seems America couldn’t survive. No matter how powerful an army you have, if the most important part of your nation disappears entirely, it’s a huge problem.
Still, considering that the only surviving nation has a political structure similar to the United States, and many American names remain, it seems many must have escaped from the American continent.
“We had no choice but to seize control! If we didn’t move here, we’d all be killed! Those bastards! After splitting their territory among themselves, they expected us to find and take what we lacked!”
The crow yelled out, and when our eyes met, he snapped his beak shut. Hmm, I was contemplating if I should tie him up in a holy missile if he said even one more word, but his timing was impeccable.
“Well, I think I have a rough idea of what happened… next question.”
I decided to postpone any decisions about the crow for a moment and brought up another question that came to mind.
“Then, the matter of killing each other to absorb power, is that about the demons who have come over here? You don’t know what’s happening in your original world?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The crow answered quickly, looking relieved that the topic of conversation had shifted.
“So, you don’t plan to take revenge on other demons? You say you were beaten by the majority. If you conquer this place, they’ll acknowledge that. But if you’re killing each other to become stronger, one might think you’d want to return to your original world for revenge.”
“……Even so, it’s certain that I would return. After all, that one remaining existence would also be a demon, and since they’ve absorbed the power of others, they will surely be a greedy existence. There are some demons who came here ‘to expand their territory’ besides those who came here having been forced out like me. And it’s those demons who started moving first.”
And if such demons survived, they would likely use that power purely to satisfy their own interests without any desire for revenge.
…This situation seems more serious than I thought.
As I pressed my finger against the bridge of my nose, someone knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
I didn’t need to raise my voice, but it seemed the person understood perfectly. When the door opened, a knight stood there.
“What is it?”
Hearing my question, the knight saluted sharply.
“Yes, Saintess. There’s a message for you.”
As he said this, the knight respectfully presented an old-fashioned scroll made of luxurious fabric.
“……”
I couldn’t help but wonder what kind of strange taste dictated the delivery of a message in such an odd way. I opened it to reveal a rather headache-inducing message.
[Alfriome declares surrender to Saint Clara Anderson.]
“Who on earth is this Alfriome?”
Before the knight could answer, the crow exclaimed first.
“He was a demon attacking the 1st District! We must not accept it!”
“……”
I stared at the crow with narrowed eyes before asking the knight again.
“Where did this document come from?”
“It came from Camp Shastang. It departed three hours ago and has just arrived.”
Camp Shastang is the military base nearest the wall, where I had faced off against the Witch of Lust in the 1st District.
“……And who brought this?”
“They’re still waiting beyond the wall… but it’s not a human. I’ve heard it’s a talking serpent…”
Yet, perhaps not fully confident in his words, the knight trailed off.
“It is true that Alfriome’s insignia shows a serpent swallowing a skull.”
The Witch of Resentment interjected as she listened to the conversation. When I looked at the Witch of Lust, she nodded as well. The fact that she wasn’t particularly startled suggests they were sure of it.
Now that I thought about it, the gigantic beast that the Witch of Lust had hidden underground could also be seen as a serpent. It had been in a long passage after all. Although the branching out in the middle was problematic.
“Saintess, may I offer a piece of advice?”
“……Go ahead.”
When I replied to the Witch of Resentment’s statement, she gazed firmly at the crow as she said,
“If what he said is true, this sort of thing will happen frequently. The ones pushed aside in the competition will constantly rush in, shouting about surrender and peace. If you intend to deal with each one individually, time will surely be lacking.”
“……”
That’s definitely true.
I don’t know how many demons are out there, but even if I assume there are dozens, considering both the demons from the other world and this one, many might come running away like this, even with some of them dying.
“That certainly is the case. Just handling the current demon is more than enough for us.”
But leaving them be could also provide those tiny scraps of power to the demons, potentially making them stronger.
“I’ll take him in for interrogation, extract information, and then formally bring him to trial. I’ll share the restraints with you, so please make use of them.”
“Yes!”
The knight replied briskly, taking the message from my hands before hurrying outside.
“Cold-hearted, aren’t you? Are you planning to bring me to trial as well since I’ve become useless?”
The Witch of Resentment said with a hint of amusement.
“No, it’s only natural to bring to court those who’ve committed wrongdoings, after all. There are principles in play, you know?”
“Well, there’s really no way to resist here, is there?”
The Witch of Resentment shrugged, looking rather nonchalant, as if accepting her own death.
“Wait a second, does that mean I—”
“Well, it’s only natural that you’ll also be brought to court. Do you think you could just waltz away after the crimes you’ve committed?”
The Witch of Lust seemed taken aback as I said this, prompting her to burst out in anger.
“What? I cooperated! I spilled all that I knew!”
“Just because you shared it doesn’t mean your sins will be forgiven. Most of your victims are already dead.”
The only ones who survived were those who I had managed to rescue at the end. And I heard that even they had yet to fully recover mentally. While Holy Power can heal physical wounds, it can’t change or erase memories.
“I told you back then, didn’t I? That I’d defer your death. Just saying I’d defer the death penalty doesn’t mean I’d let you get off scot-free. I’ve granted you the longest life I could, haven’t I? Right?”
As I said that, the Witch of Lust could only sputter, unable to voice a retort, her mouth flapping open and closed.
“Hey, you’re in the same position! Say something!”
Her gaze quickly shifted to the Witch of Resentment.
“Well, perhaps…”
The Witch of Resentment merely smiled at me, clearly enjoying herself.
“I have something promised in the afterlife.”
“What?”
The Witch of Lust’s eyes widened.
“Oh, you’re completely clueless, aren’t you? Did you see how this saint always uses honorifics when speaking about the gods? I had a suspicion from the moment you suggested such a thing, but now I’m certain. You’re not just the deputy of the gods, are you? Am I wrong?”
“…….”
The Witch of Resentment looked at me, and I simply kept my mouth shut.
“You either have the power to make proposals directly to the gods— or, no, you could command them. That means you could barter with someone like me, who’s committed such sins.”
Hearing this made the Witch of Lust quickly turn her attention to me. Her eyes were wide, nearly bulging out in shock, which was frankly rather unsettling.
“What? Is that what it was?”
The Witch of Lust grinned upon hearing this, as if she had come up with a brilliant idea.
“Then let’s make a deal. Dying here doesn’t matter to me. If I can have peace in the afterlife, I don’t care. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it! I’d appreciate it if you’d make the same deal as you did with her! Okay? I can even lead the charge on the battlefield!”
I casually glanced at the Witch of Resentment. She had a composed expression.
Right, ‘being hardened’ was an expression for a reason. It’s not that I was deceived; it was just that the 500-year-old witch’s quick thinking was not to be underestimated.
“Well, that’s fine. Let’s do that. I’ll promise you something in the afterlife just like I promised to the Witch of Resentment. But you’ll have to die leading the charge on the battlefield. Are you fine with that?”
“Ah, of course.”
The Witch of Resentment seemed accepting of her death as if she thought she would be granted a peaceful later life after that.
In reality, it wouldn’t be like that at all.
“As long as you can be comfortable in the afterlife, who cares?”
“Comfortable?!”
I exaggeratedly feigned surprise at the Witch of Lust’s words.
“What?”
“No, I mean, are you saying you think it’d be comfortable to go to each of the souls of those who suffered from your heinous deeds, ask for forgiveness, and sincerely apologize? Ah, I guess that’s what they mean when they say a portion of goodness remains in a person’s heart.”
“……What? Wait a second.”
“Of course, those who were harmed by you experienced horrific things. They may never forgive you, or perhaps never even want to meet you. Nonetheless, you think you can endure all that adversity, perhaps for eternity? That’s something I might actually acknowledge.”
“No, what are you talking about?”
I blinked at the Witch of Lust.
“You said it yourself. ‘I want to make a deal with the same conditions as the Witch of Resentment.’ This is the deal. Additionally, it entails that you’ll confront those whom you’ve done terrible things to and talk sincerely or confront them about your actions.”
Only then did the Witch of Lust’s face turn pale upon hearing my words.
Why? Because there wouldn’t be anyone left for her to talk to. In fact, she had always stood on the side of the perpetrator.
In truth, according to what Baal mentioned, you’re supposed to do that after death, but there’s no reason for me to point that out here.
“What…?”
The Witch of Lust blinked in confusion before suddenly exclaiming,
“No, wait a minute—”
And then, with a grunt, she tumbled to the ground, rolling around in shock. After struggling on the floor for some time, the Witch of Lust eventually fainted and lay limp.
And the crow was staring at the scene with his beak wide open.
“Well, she fainted all of a sudden, so the discussion ends here.”
Saying that, I looked quietly at the crow and said,
“So, do you think it was a good idea to surrender now?”
The crow was just repeating the motion of opening and closing his beak like a broken record.
Seriously, it’s strange.
I have no idea who spread the word that I’m merciful.
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