Episode 138
"What, what was that just now?"
"Was she attacked? But for something like that, there are no wounds?"
When the helmet of the 'self-proclaimed hero' who had been pressing the Demon King's army executive with overwhelming power shattered into pieces, people began to murmur.
"...Huh? Something's strange."
"I can't see well... it's blurry."
But that was only for a moment, and soon people were filled with questions.
Because the hero's face that had been hidden beneath the helmet appeared blurry to their eyes for some reason.
"...Damn."
Just as the surrounding atmosphere was falling into chaos, Ruby suddenly covered her face with her hands and started running somewhere.
"H-hero? Where are you going... Kyah!?"
"W-wait a moment! That monster is..."
Despite the shouts of confused people, Ruby reached the slave market's exit at high speed.
- CRASH!!
Amidst the chaos, she smashed the pillars blocking the exit in a single exchange and quickly escaped outside.
".........."
"Grrr..."
Thus, for a while, only the sound of Miho's cries, who had become beastified, quietly echoed through the market.
"Uhaha, uhahaha! Uhahahahahaha!!"
That was until Demilcan, who had been gasping while missing his right arm, suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"As expected, as expected it's you... I never imagined you would have prepared such a scheme..."
Because of that, all eyes focused on him, but Demilcan began to mutter with an unconcerned expression.
"I never imagined you would identify the hero's true identity in this way. Truly amazing."
"D-Demilcan-nim. We need to get out of here quickly..."
"Lemeruno, by now you must admit it too."
Lemeruno, who was trying to stop him and help him up, frowned at Demilcan's words as he smiled as if having his arm cut off was nothing.
"Just as that person said, the hero really was a woman, wasn't she."
"...Y-you saw? Her face?"
"Only for a split second, but since I was concentrating, I saw roughly... It was definitely a woman."
"No, wait a moment. Even if that's true, just being a woman..."
When Lemeruno tried to object, Demilcan soon burst into a hearty laugh and continued.
"Of course that's not all. She overwhelmed me to this extent, and she even possesses the hero's sacred equipment, doesn't she? So, that one is definitely the hero."
"T-then..."
"Yes, from now on we need to search for an orphan girl with ruby-colored eyes. I can roughly guess her build, and I've seen her face shape, so perhaps we'll be able to find her quickly."
When Demilcan spoke with an excited voice, Lemeruno sighed.
"I'm sorry to ruin your good mood... but something is still strange."
"Yes?"
"No, if this was a plan from the beginning, it's strange that he didn't tell us... And the hero's sacred equipment suddenly breaking is also strange, and..."
"D-don't move!!"
As Lemeruno was observing Demilcan's distorted expression and forcing out her opinion, a shout suddenly came from in front of her, and she quietly sighed.
"Let's get out of here first and then talk."
"...Understood. All forces, retreat."
Demilcan, who nodded at those words, gave the retreat order to the Demon King's army.
"W-we will attack if you don't surrend... Wah!!"
And together with Lemeruno, he instantly vanished into thin air.
"...What, what was that?"
"My, experiencing all sorts of things."
"At least they ran away. I was worried they might attack."
Because of that, the imperial knights who had been approaching the two with great tension let out sighs.
"Don't let your guard down yet. The enemy is still here."
Clana, who had been glaring at Miho until then, spoke to them in a sharp voice.
"Yes, yes!"
"...Sigh."
Only then, Clana, who briefly glared at the imperial knights who had picked up their weapons again, looked at Irina who had come to her side at some point.
"Have all the slaves evacuated?"
"Yeah, all the young slaves that the combat executives left behind when they retreated have all entered the cabinets in each zone."
"Hoo... We've passed the crisis for now. Though the problem is what comes next."
"Yeah, what to do with the slaves who escaped to the escape point and..."
Irina, who was answering Clana, let her words trail off as she looked at Miho who had been drooling until then.
"...And what to do with that one."
After those words ended, silence briefly flowed between the two.
"...That's a spirit beast, right?"
"Yeah, and not just that, it's in a berserk and beastified state. Plus, according to what Frey said, it has the ability to absorb people's life force... If we're careless, everyone here could be in danger."
Hearing those words, Clana tightly clenched both hands and tried to say something.
"You, whose mana hasn't recovered yet, wait here. I'll handle..."
- Don't worry, girls.
".......!!!"
When Frey's voice echoed in their heads, their eyes went round and they started shouting internally.
'Frey! We were worried!'
'Where are you right now? Why haven't you been answering until now?'
Soon, when Irina also joined in, before long, Frey's answer came back.
- I'll explain that later. First, I need you two to fight the child in front of you.
'What?'
'What did you say?'
Confused by Frey's sudden statement, the two tilted their heads and asked.
- Look up at the second floor.
Again, a sound echoed in their heads.
"...Ah."
The two, who simultaneously raised their heads at those words, finally started to make expressions of understanding when Frey waved something in his hand.
- I don't know why, but that one is currently in a beastified state. So I can control it with this.
What Frey was waving was none other than the 'Stone of Domination.'
It was the moment when the stone he once risked his life to obtain was finally showing its true value.
- That uninvited guest earlier ruined your impact, right? So now it's time to make yourselves memorable to the people.
As Frey said that and stroked the stone, Miho slowly raised its head and started gazing at the two.
- Mix in some flashy techniques appropriately, show some action, then subdue it. And, don't hand it over to anyone, you two transport it.
'Understood.'
'...I'll do my best.'
The two, who nodded at Frey's continued words, quietly began gathering magical power in their bodies.
"...Kania."
"Yes, young master."
Frey, who had been quietly watching them, started speaking to Kania with a calm expression.
"Did you see too?"
"The ruby-colored eyes, you mean?"
"Yes, ruby-colored eyes."
When Frey nodded, Kania spoke with a dark expression.
"Seeing that she's wearing the same hero's sacred equipment as back then... She's the same person who fought against the secret family head, right?"
"Yes."
"I'll try making some inquiries. With a similar build and ruby-colored eyes, perhaps surprisingly quickly..."
"It's the Demon King."
"What?"
Kania, who had been speaking with a worried expression while supporting the limply exhausted Frey, widened her eyes at Frey's words spoken through gritted teeth.
"What do you mean by that?"
"The Demon King... is pretending to be the hero."
".....!"
When Frey confirmed again, Kania started to show a bewildered expression.
"How did you..."
"I saw it in the second trial, the Demon King's ruby-colored eyes."
"I-is that so...? But that alone..."
"And she overwhelmingly beat down Demilcan. Seeing that, it's certain. I don't know what she's thinking, but the Demon King is impersonating the hero."
Hearing those words, Kania tightly bit her lip and fell into thought.
"...By the way, we'll need to visit the orphanage we established soon."
"The orphanage?"
"Yes."
Frey, who had been watching her quietly, spoke in a low voice, then raised the corner of his mouth and muttered.
"Because there's one very, very suspicious person."
- KABOOM!!
And at that moment, a roar came from below.
"Kwaaaaohhh!!!"
"Everyone stand back! We'll handle this!"
"If you don't want to die, stand back! Hurry!"
Thus began the confrontation between Miho, controlled by Frey, and the two girls.
- Shining...
- Boom boom boom!!!
Brilliant golden mana, and though the amount was far less than in its prime, still fiercely burning fireballs dazzling to behold.
Two attacks embroidering flames were signaling the end of the third main quest.
"Ah right, thank you Kania."
Thanks to that, Frey, who had been feeling overwhelmed, suddenly smiled and thanked Kania.
"Yes?"
"You're the one who came up with the idea of controlling Miho with the Stone of Domination. And you're also the one who put back the life force Miho absorbed from me."
As Frey smiled while saying that, Kania started to show a troubled expression.
"N-no."
"What?"
"Pushing open the door and using the Stone of Domination to return the life force was indeed me... But I wasn't the one who used it first."
Frey's expression froze as he tilted his head at those words.
"Then, the one who first subdued Miho was... No wait. Why was Miho 'beastified' in the first place?"
"...Come to think of it, I think I faintly heard an arrogant voice when I lost consciousness."
"When you lost consciousness...?"
Frey, who had been muttering quietly after hearing Kania's words.
"That's right..."
He recalled Perloche whom he had seen just before losing consciousness, and turning pale, muttered.
"...We need to find Perloche."
.
"...Heh."
Thus, around the time the third main quest was being resolved.
"Hehe, hehehe..."
"Heuheuheuheuheuheu..."
Perloche Astellayde was.
"Uheuheuheuheuheuheu..."
Sitting alone in the dark basement of the slave market, letting out a spine-chilling laugh.
"Success? Is it a success? Did it finally succeed?"
It was a laugh so spine-chilling that any ordinary person would break out in cold sweat just hearing it.
"Finally, finally I can save him...?"
But thanks to the tears flowing from her eyes that showed she wasn't smiling at all, the laugh went beyond spine-chilling to looking grotesque.
"Who is he? Who am I supposed to protect? Why can't I remember? Am I supposed to remember? Was that what I was supposed to do?"
Perloche, who had been tearing at her head for a while, repeating laughter and tears.
- Creak...
"Hello! Frey!!"
When the sound of the basement door opening was heard, she shouted with a bright smile.
"...It's me, Serena."
"Yes?"
But the one who entered the basement was, for some reason, not Frey as she had expected, but Serena.
"I arrived at maximum speed and briefly surveyed the situation, but everything was already over. So I came to where you might be..."
"Who are you?"
Serena, who had been speaking with a calm expression, froze when Perloche spoke with a bewildered expression.
"...Serena. Serena Luna Moonlight."
"Aah~!"
When Serena, who had been standing still in that spot for a while, spoke in a low voice, Perloche clapped her hands and said.
"I'm sorry! I forgot!"
It was a foolish tone as usual, but Serena couldn't smile at all.
"You..."
"Yes?"
"...What number is this?"
Soon, incomprehensible words came out of Serena's mouth, and Perloche started tilting her head.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just how many times have you repeated this to create this situation?"
Saying that, Serena sequentially unfolded the last three pages of the diary she had been holding.
- Flip.
○○ year July 12th
Whether my legs hurt or my arms hurt, it doesn't matter.
I will definitely treat all the sick people lying in the streets someday! Absolutely! To create a world where everyone is happy, I will always do my best!
- Flip.
○○ year July 13th
I had a meeting!
With Clana-ssi, about how to punish Frey! But it's strange! Clana-ssi's attitude doesn't have the venom like in the old days! This is... a big problem!
Ah right, today I declared to Frey that I became his partner!
To think this day would come.
I'm truly overwhelmed with emotion!
- Flip.
○○ year July 14th
I'll think about it gradually.
What I'm going to write next is.
Because...
- Snap!
"With these conditions, I've never made it this far."
Serena, who read the last part of the diary and folded it, spoke in a low voice to Perloche, who had at some point regained her decadent look.
"Whether my legs hurt or my arms hurt, it doesn't matter, I had a meeting, I'll think about it gradually."
"...Ha."
"Multiple times."
"Hahahahaha, hahahahahahahaha."
When Perloche suddenly burst into laughter at those words, Serena asked with a trembling voice.
"...So, what number is this?"
"I forgot."
To her, Perloche answered with an empty laugh.
"How do I remember all of that?"
"......."
"So, I'm going to start counting again from now."
".....!"
"I forgot to bring the diary, so it can't be helped."
Looking at Serena, whose eyes had gone wide and was trying to say something, Perloche muttered in a low voice.
"...Retry."
And the world turned upside down.
"Will I be able to atone to you in this playthrough?"
With her real voice filled with sorrow and regret, not her usual foolish tone.