During the subjugation of the Demon King.
Lucius was not alone.
He had the Hero himself, along with the Saint Elia and a reliable mage protecting his back.
A total of three challenged the Demon King together.
The battle was fierce.
Until now, all the battles had been intense, but this one was especially brutal.
Compared to the demons Lily and Jackal had taken care of earlier, it was tough, but they had sustained little damage.
However, the Demon King was different.
With his shining long white hair and brilliant golden eyes, finding even one uninjured spot on himself, Elia, and the mage while facing the Demon King was a challenge.
“Gah… gah…”
Gasps of breath escaped Lucius as he approached to finish off the Demon King.
“…Why?”
Was the Demon King simply out of power to move now, staring at him with eyes devoid of sparkle?
“Why do you turn away from the truth….”
He still mumbled words that were hard to decipher, grasping a sword resembling his holy sword.
…Is he suggesting they continue?
Holding his own brilliantly shining holy sword, Lucius aimed it at him.
He had no intention of conversing with the Demon King.
His nameless companion, who he could rely on, had said not to listen to the Demon King’s words.
Thus, channeling the little divine power he had left, he charged at the Demon King.
Although he had lost his left arm during the fight and couldn’t grip his sword properly, it was enough to slice the dying Demon King.
-Slash!
Soon, the Demon King’s blood spilled onto the ground.
His brilliant, or rather, ominous golden eyes gradually lost their light.
“Ha…”
Lucius let out a relieved chuckle.
In the end, the Demon King was still a living being.
No matter how many times he cut, he still died.
A satisfied smile soon appeared.
Finally, it was over.
In the end, nobody died, and he had succeeded in slaying the Demon King.
He was.
“I did it.”
-Thud!
As tension released, Lucius knelt on the ground, dropping the sword he held.
The sticky magic emanating from the Demon King finally began to fade.
With his heartbeat steadily weakening, he felt he could finally relax.
Since the Demon King was a living creature, it wouldn’t take more than a minute before he would be deceased.
“It’s over….”
Then, with a relieved smile, Lucius stared blankly at the sky for a moment.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind him.
“…Over? You’re far too mistaken.”
An almost dead voice that was about to stop.
Lucius frowned and turned his head in the direction of the sound.
‘…What’s the trick here?’
With most of his demon comrades dead and himself near death, what more could he say?
Lucius closed his eyes and focused on his words.
Since the Demon King was about to lose his life, he figured he might as well lend an ear to his last words.
Even though he was an enemy.
Even though he was the worst adversary.
He still hoped for at least a little repentance and listened closely.
“Foolish. Utterly foolish….”
However, what reached his ears was neither forgiveness nor atonement.
“My past choices were utterly foolish.”
A rather significant phrase.
“For the sake of my own desire, I did not take in that monster.”
To put it bluntly, it was close to regret.
‘…Monster?’
Lucius began to feel his senses scream that he needed to listen to those words.
“Hero, even though I have failed, you—”
But he couldn’t catch what he was saying anymore.
“Cough!”
There were huge holes in both the Demon King’s chest and his own.
“…What?”
With a look of disbelief, Lucius turned away, finding his comrade.
No, someone who used to be his comrade was there.
“Filthy bugs.”
This was the last memory Lucius would ever have.
*
As Lucius shared his past with Camilla while moving.
“…Where are we?”
“Tsk. It seems the old witch has already passed by.”
The more they moved, the more the atmosphere around the Hero party changed, causing their conversation to dwindle.
To the left, the once great tree lay uprooted and in shambles.
To the right, it was hard to recognize someone’s dwelling; it had crumbled beyond recognition.
The place where the Hero party arrived was the North.
Their destination was Camilla’s abode in Ellen.
Thus, this area should have been a landscape akin to a white canvas.
Clearly, the land, which should have been covered in snow, looked desolate as the sky had vanished.
“…”
A place reminiscent of a calamity.
All of this was the devastation wrought solely by Cheon Ha-rang.
Camilla furrowed her brow and stomped her foot, beginning to stretch out her hand toward the large sword bound to her back in response to the immense magical energy she felt.
“Wow, old witch. It’s been a while.”
Indeed, it was a reunion after a long time.
*
“Wow, old witch. It’s been a while.”
“…Huh?”
“What’s with those horns? Did that Phedo disciple make them for you in a new play?”
As a familiar voice suddenly rang out, Camilla turned her head toward the few remaining.
“Is that you, Camilla?”
A girl, deserving to be called a true friend, began to show herself.
…She decided to ignore the snide comments.
Her relationship with the Nameless was currently strained, and she felt no obligation to entertain Camilla’s notoriously bad jokes.
Well, to be fair, she had already sensed the familiar presence from far away.
“Indeed, it’s been quite a long time.”
Having been searching for them, there was no reason to stop their approach.
“…So, you’re not trying to control my mind or anything?”
Gazing with a blank stare, Camilla muttered something under her breath and continued.
“Old witch, can we talk for a bit?”
“Talking…”
Wondering if there was some hidden intention behind this, she squinted her eyes and looked at Camilla, but….
“Well, nothing’s stopping us.”
With a little shrug of her shoulders, she nodded.
She had no desire to fight Camilla, Lucius, or Elia.
Besides, what scheme could they possibly have?
Even if there was something, it wouldn’t pose a problem for her.
After all, those three wouldn’t be able to overpower her, and they all knew it.
Moreover, she was also fond of engaging in dialogue.
She had several questions about the gods for the Saint known as Elia.
“First, can I ask if everything the old witch is doing is based on your own judgment?”
“My own judgment?”
“Yeah, you’ve made things this way around here.”
Hmm, so she was asking.
“Are you asking if someone ordered me to do this?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha… Is it important?”
“Super important.”
“Hmm….”
Camilla’s question made her rest her chin on her hand as if deep in thought.
If she were to answer if someone had ordered her… Yes.
‘The demons.’
They had asked her to fulfill their wishes, which could count as a request.
But could she tell them that?
Of course, they could be seen as her companions, but similarly, those called demons were like family to her.
Hmm, this was troubling.
“Tsk.”
Noticing her troubled expression, Camilla clicked her tongue softly and added.
“No, it’s fine. You don’t have to say.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yep. That’s all the answer I need.”
Whatever that answer was, she didn’t understand, but…
Well, it was a tricky question.
‘Well, that’s a relief.’
Nodding slightly, she let go of the wooden sword she held and awaited the next words.
“Cheon Ha-rang.”
“Yeah, Lucius.”
Taking a step forward, Lucius spoke with a more serious expression than usual.
“Have you already slain the Demon King?”
The Demon King, huh….
Was he worried about the day the Demon King might return, even now in this situation?
“Yep, I killed him myself.”
With an answer that was truly heroic, she smiled and returned the favor.
He would probably be satisfied.
“…Is that so.”
However, contrary to her expectations, Lucius only frowned slightly.
Though she wondered about his response, she chose not to question it further.
There must be some kind of circumstances.
Perhaps he had wanted revenge for some reason. Something like that.
With a small shrug of her shoulders, she stepped closer to them and added.
“Then, may I ask you a question?”
“…Sure.”
Shifting her gaze from Camilla back to Elia, she asked.
“Elia.”
“Me…?”
Elia appeared flustered, stuttering in confusion.
To help ease her nervousness, she tried to create a comfortable atmosphere by smiling.
“Can you summon the god you serve here?”
But her kind consideration seemed to have no effect.
“God…?”
Instantly, the air around grew cold, and even Lucius and Camilla squinted their eyes, placing their hands over their weapons.
Hmm, was it an inappropriate request?
“How could it not be?”
But, for her, it was something crucial, and retreating was not an option.
“…If I may ask, why do you want to know that…?”
“Why do I want to know…”
It was too long a story to explain everything.
Yet, it wasn’t right to cut everything out without context.
After all, her intellect isn’t the sharpest, and her vocabulary was equally lacking compared to her age.
‘Where should I stop my explanation?’
Lost in her thoughts, a sudden idea flashed in her mind.
Was there any need to seek their permission?
She’d just confirm the existence of that god and ask a few questions.
Surely they’d understand.
If there was no god, she could just continue her tasks in that manner.
If there was a god, she could carefully unravel the incorrect links.
Well… though, the wishes of the demons and children of the Cheonma Church were still her personal affairs, no matter how it ended.
But the ways to achieve those wishes might vary slightly.
In the end, their request was for a setting where they could live, after all.
Wouldn’t it resolve peacefully if handled right?
Hmm, was she thinking too optimistically?
“…”
While she pondered in silence, she noticed Lucius, who was taking a deep breath and gripping his holy sword just like Camilla, who was preparing her weapon.
‘Oops, have I thought too long?’
With an embarrassed smile, she took out the wooden sword she had initially crafted in this world and aimed it towards the Saint above, toward the sky.
“Well, it’ll only take a moment.”
Soon, thick energy enveloped her wooden sword.
Divine Slaying Sword Technique
Around her seemed to twist as if it didn’t want to touch her wooden sword, creating a bizarre atmosphere.
First Technique
Appreciating the scene, she quickly swung her sword down.
Falling Sky
And soon, the sky began to fall.
“…What is that?”
At the same moment, one orb also began its descent to the ground.
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