The Sword Saint was far exceeding escape velocity, and without a special catalyst, he would not be able to return to the ground. I had removed the Empire's strongest military force from this planet.
There wasn't really a problem. The Sword Saint was the one who attacked first, so it was his own fault. Who invades all alone? If one person could do it all, why would armies be necessary, and why would strategies exist? I didn't eliminate the Sword Saint. I sent away a madman trying to destroy common sense.
Now. The next problem was the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord, whose upper and lower body had experienced a dramatic parting, remained in a bizarre state.
His body was clearly severed, yet no blood flowed, nor did he show any signs of dying. Judging by his behavior and speech, he seemed perfectly fine.
However, if asked whether he was alive, that too was questionable. Could someone whose body was cut in half and stopped right before falling apart truly be considered alive?
The Demon Lord, in a state neither dead nor alive, spoke as if troubled.
"Qi... What a troublesome power. It defies all logic. It's been a while since I've had to use my head."
"Master! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine for now."
The Green Tower Lord, who was about to approach the Demon Lord, hesitated at the sudden sense of alienation. The closer she got, the less her body moved. Her body remained the same, but only her speed slowed down, causing her fingers to end up feeling stubby and compressed.
The Demon Lord waved his hand and said.
"It's best you don't come closer. Having sustained fatal injuries, I can no longer undo the time delay."
"We can call a priest...! Just hold on until then!"
"There's no need to call one."
"No! Divine power is great at healing external wounds, so it should be able to heal your wounds too, Master!"
"What I mean is, there's no need for that. A magic is cast upon my body. A magic I named the Twin Paradox."
The reason he always kept space wrapped around him. It wasn't to ward off surprise attacks. That could be one of the reasons, but the main purpose was to escape the flow of time.
"A time delay magic limited to the flesh, combining my unique demonic path and magic. I've delayed aging until now with the Twin Paradox. The moment it's released, I will rapidly age."
"Then...! Does that mean your remaining time becomes even shorter?"
"Why the surprise? People die eventually. That goes for me as well, even though I can interfere with time. It was merely a delayed death that would come eventually. I've just arrived at it a little earlier."
The Demon Lord was so detached that he treated even his own death as someone else's business. He clumsily reattached his severed body and spoke.
"However, because my body was split in two, my flesh has nearly stopped. The time I can remain active is running short."
"Master..."
Before her dying master, the Green Tower Lord reached out her hand, but it never reached the Demon Lord. Nor should it ever reach him. If her hand touched him, the Demon Lord's time would flow once again.
"Still, the professor's teachings remain on this land. That is enough. The world is still worth watching over as it grows. It's just a pity that my opportunity to do so is running out."
Muttering with a hint of regret, the Demon Lord looked at the Blue Tower Lord and said.
"There won't be any leeway to create a new Floating Castle. Blue Tower Lord. I leave the Floating Castle in your hands."
"...I'll try."
"I thought you might try to hide the professor's teachings, but... you won't do that anymore. Do as you see fit."
Then he looked at the Green Tower Lord with slightly worried eyes. Seeing his disciple crying beside him, he urged her.
"Green Tower Lord. Treat your arm quickly. Your brain and mind are essential to humanity. Take care of your health."
"What about you, Master? What's going to happen to you?"
"The Twin Paradox is still active. I won't die immediately. However, my active time will inevitably become much shorter. Because I must keep my time nearly stopped until then."
Answering briefly, the Demon Lord soon turned his gaze to the Black Tower Lord. Tears welled up in the Black Tower Lord's large eyes.
"Black Tower Lord. You have a different potential from the Green Tower Lord. Though the direction is different, the vanishing point that traps light can replicate a phenomenon similar to the Demon God. See your end through."
"...Y-yes."
"As for the Red Tower Lord... leaving her to the Blue Tower Lord should suffice. The Red Tower Lord should have studied more. The Demon God's wisdom was the way to fulfill her wishes."
His voice gradually slowed down. It wasn't that his words were slowing down because of his severe wounds; it was as if his voice was playing back in slow motion. His drawn-out voice became difficult to understand.
"White Tower Lord... you were right. My time... is diminish...ing. The next time I must... ap...pear... will be the end."
"Master..."
"I will... rest for a while."
And the Demon Lord's figure disappeared. Only a hollow wind lingered where he had been. The Green Tower Lord looked at the space where her master had vanished and wept sorrowfully.
I thought it was teleportation, but it was closer to a self-sealing that utilized his unique demonic path to the extreme. He probably wouldn't be able to appear as frequently as he did now. Nor would he be able to spend enough time to teach anyone.
But he wasn't dead either. I decided to comfort the grieving Tower Lords.
"It's okay. The Demon Lord isn't dead. He just can't appear often because he has to delay his time. Just think of it as him getting busy. I mean, it's common to not see each other because you're busy living well, right?"
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Huh. For some reason, their gazes are stinging. Is this not comforting?
Whatever. They might not find it comforting, but I do.
I sent the Sword Saint away, and the Demon Lord left too. The immediate crisis was overcome, the Demon God was discovered, and the Floating Castle was dropped once. Now the Floating Castle will fear crashing as well. Fear will manifest as respect.
Great. Very well. Just as I was feeling somewhat satisfied.
"The Master can no longer look after the Demonic Federation. The Floating Castle has fallen to the ground, and we must stay in the lower realm until it stabilizes."
The Blue Tower Lord, who had been quietly staring at the place where the Demon Lord left, murmured. They succeeded in blocking the meteorite as desired, but the Demonic Federation had sacrificed too much for it. Moreover, the sacrifice was not over yet.
The Sword Saint's arrival meant the Empire could come too. They had excluded the Sword Saint from the ground with the Demon God's power, but he might still be alive. If so, what should they do next time, when the Demon Lord isn't here?
'The Master is no longer here. The Floating Castle has fallen. We blocked the meteorite, but... What do I do now?'
Exhausted, the Blue Tower Lord slowly looked around. It was chaotic, but it had only been chaotic so far. To prevent this from turning into a tragedy, and to restore a minimum of normalcy, a tremendous amount of effort would be needed.
'It's daunting.'
What to do. Where to even begin. The Blue Tower Lord had no idea.
There is no clear answer to everything in the world. Blocking the meteorite was the right answer, and saving people was the right answer. They were so obvious that there was no need to doubt them.
But, what about after this? Now that the right answer has disappeared, how should she act? Unable to get a grip, the Blue Tower Lord's gaze wandered.
The Blue Tower Lord murmured softly, then looked at me.
"Hughes."
"Yes?"
The Blue Tower Lord stared at me and said.
"Will you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Demon Lord."
"What?"
What is she suddenly talking about?
"The Demon Lord isn't dead yet. Don't just arbitrarily appoint a successor."
"The Demonic Federation must have the smartest and most outstanding person at the top. But I am lacking for that."
"You know it well."
Lankart interjected without reading the room. The Blue Tower Lord agreed with his words and said.
"I know it too. I might have some degree of ability. But I don't have the confidence to take responsibility for the people of the Demonic Federation. Probably... no one would have that confidence."
"Anyone who says they have the confidence to take responsibility is abnormal. Who takes responsibility for whom? You can't even take responsibility for your own future."
"But you can do it. You're the King of Humanity."
Who in the world came up with the term King of Humanity? That's why everyone thinks I'm a real king. I'm not.
"In the distant past, the King of Humanity brought an era of peace to the continent. The five Lords took his power and built their own kingdoms, but now, except for the Empire, they have all perished."
"Well, at least you saved one."
"But the Empire also only revived by riding on the Saintess's halo. There have been many crises until now, but the Empire relied on the Saintess for all of them. It seems they're recently trying to break away from the Saintess's halo, but the situation isn't that good."
I heard the story indirectly.
A story that there was a slight noise in the Empire. A story that the vassal states were scheming to escape the Empire's shadow.
The Lilac Vassal State actually reached out to Ende. To create a bridgehead beyond the Enger Plains. And beyond the Enger Plains is exactly the opposite of the Empire.
Their movements were heading toward the opposite side of the Empire.
"The Empire won't be incompetent. The Master would scoff at the idea, but considering the Empire's population and national power, they are insanely competent. Just looking at the Sword Saint shows their power is beyond measure. However, competence doesn't necessarily make a stable nation."
"Incompetence even less so."
"Exactly. I think you will be needed in this Demonic Federation. It has nothing to do with incompetence or competence. It will need resolve and conviction. And insight. Like yours."
The Blue Tower Lord grabbed my hand. It wasn't a romantic gesture. She gripped it tightly, as if to keep me from running away.
Wait, don't tell me.
"You're going to make me work?"
"I won't just make you work. I promise compensation commensurate with it."
"What compensation?"
"The Tower of Babel is the Master's tower, but it's also the culmination of research on space magic. Among the mages of the five towers, it contains the research of those who caught the Master's eye."
Space magic?
Even without the Demon God, magic is a skill. If applied well, it would be helpful. It might become one of my cards.
However, it's too much to accept just for that.
"...Elisha. The Master wouldn't have left the Floating Castle to you for that. You're opening that place, where the truths of the Demonic Federation are gathered, to an outsider."
"The most useful book is the one that is currently open and being read. An unused truth is no different from a jewel buried in the soil. And though he is an outsider, he is also a more outstanding mage than anyone."
"The Master is still here. As long as I remain the Green Tower Lord. He won't be able to treat the Demonic Federation as his own."
That's right. This is the correct reaction. I applauded the Green Tower Lord's spirit.
"See? She said no. I'm a wanderer, suspicious, and a guy with no power but a sinister mind. Who would entrust power to someone like me? The only one recognized by everyone is you, Blue Tower Lord."
The Demonic Federation? It's a good nation. But I've sucked dry everything I could suck dry here. I don't want to stay and deal with the aftermath.
Let's slowly leave the country. Just as I was making that resolution.
Suddenly, a cold chill rose around my body. I felt a shiver. They say frost falls even in the middle of summer if one holds a grudge. It's not ice, but an ice crystal is settling on my body.
"W-wait a minute. What is this."
"Hughes. You have to take responsibility."
"Responsibility? What responsibility do I have?"
"I ended up like this because of you. I overturned, compromised, and endured the countless decisions I made. And what's left is a destroyed Floating Castle and a half-baked peace. The Sword Saint came and suddenly disappeared, so the Empire will come next."
We blocked 'Arrogance'. But the Sword Saint personally mobilized, and after fighting with the Demon Lord, the result was a mutual destruction. How will the Empire react in the future? For starters, they won't be friendly.
Even though there is a Demon God, the Empire is a powerful opponent. In a normal fight of state versus state, the Empire would unconditionally win. The Demonic Federation's future is dark too.
"That's... regrettable?"
"I won't say all of this is because of you. It was my choice, and it produced the result I wanted. But if you feel even a little bit of responsibility toward me."
Ice covers my vision. She's ready to freeze my entire body if anything goes wrong. It's not cold yet, but if the Blue Tower Lord loses focus for even a moment, I will freeze down to the cellular level.
The Blue Tower Lord has no hostility toward me. Rather, she only has the desire to rely on me. I don't know if this is a threat or a request.
The Blue Tower Lord embraced my half-frozen body with both arms. Leaning her body against me, she whispered weakly.
"Tell me the right answer."