Episode 245
"Hmm..."
The Demon King's eyes, which had been glaring at Glare, curved thinly like a bow.
"Pfft."
Then, Ruby, looking at her, quietly covered her lips with her hand and burst into laughter.
"Ugh..."
That sight was so infuriating and at the same time so arrogant that Glare unconsciously clenched her hands tightly.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ruby, who had been watching Glare with a look that said she found her ridiculous, soon put on a bright expression and asked a question.
"Mmm."
Then, all eyes from the surroundings began to focus on Glare.
High-ranking officials from various realms and strata, people from the Imperial family, people from the Order, and even the gazes of the Princess and Duke's daughter Serena.
For her, who had lived a humble life in the back alleys, it was a situation she had never experienced even once.
- Thump, thump.
"Ugh..."
Glare's heart beat rapidly. An unknown fear was slowly creeping over her. For her who had only known indifference in life, a blade named 'attention' was piercing her.
"I, I mean exactly what I said!"
But she couldn't give up. Because she had vowed to become a great person to protect the Hero.
She had planned to start by helping first in order to become such a great person, but she couldn't just stand by without helping.
If she were to break here, the ring that the Hero, who shone receiving sunlight by day and starlight by night, had given her as a gift seemed like it would be tainted.
"What exactly do you mean by 'exactly as said'?"
"Ugh..."
But no matter how firmly she resolved, there were always forces beyond her control. For instance, the existence of the 'fake hero' Ruby, who was watching her with an expression that sent chills down her spine.
"What?"
She was clearly making an expression that made her spine tingle and her whole body go cold just by looking at it, but somehow the people around her seemed unaffected.
'As expected... she's not an ordinary person...'
Having hidden her own appearance and secretly investigated Ruby's true identity until now, Glare didn't know her true identity or abilities well.
Only that she was the Hero's enemy.
And that she occasionally detected her concealment technique, which no one, even her own master, had noticed, with transcendental senses. That was all.
"...Gulp."
But now, Ruby's abilities were being felt vividly. Even though she had only shown a fragment of her power.
The aura emanating solely targeting Glare alone was, originally, enough to make a girl her age faint.
"Frey... Mr. Frey is innocent!"
"........"
But Glare shouted with her eyes squeezed shut.
Though she was only slightly braver than girls her age with only 6 mental strength, as Frey had seen in the past.
Her desire to be helpful to the Hero, her wish to stop the Hero's enemy, was protecting her mind.
- Can you withstand this?
".....!"
But Ruby wasn't one to let her off easily.
- Before it becomes irreparable, withdraw now.
Ruby, by now, was transmitting her voice directly into Glare's mind, even twisting the laws of magic.
- Hurry...
"The bad one is actually you over there, Ruby!"
However, Glare shouted once more, gathering her courage.
"I clearly saw with my own eyes... Ruby attacking Mr. Frey!"
Then, a brief silence flowed around them.
"I, I'll guarantee it. Definitely that person..."
In the silence that had become quiet as if a mouse had died, Glare tried to continue speaking with her fists clenched.
"Puhahahahahaha!!!"
"Kheup! Khehehep..."
"Puhehehehe..."
As laughter burst out from all directions, she stopped speaking and wore a blank expression.
"That lewd scoundrel bastard... was almost violated, you say?"
"Little one, jokes should have their limits."
"Rather, I wish that had happened... I wonder how scary Lady Ruby must have been..."
People weren't believing her words at all.
"Oh my... how pitiful..."
Ruby, looking around at such people, turned her gaze to Glare.
"It seems... another poor child who fell for Mr. Frey has appeared..."
She murmured with a sad expression.
"I almost... could have been brainwashed like that too just now..."
Though it was a murmur, her voice pierced into people's ears all too well.
"B, but...!"
"Do you have any evidence?"
"........"
Thus, the way people looked at Glare had changed to cold or pitiful expressions.
"Drag her out."
Venel, the guard knight standing beside the Hero, pointed at Glare with a cold voice and called the knights.
"If anyone lays even a finger on my disciple, I'll consider it as making an enemy of the Magic Tower."
".....!"
At that moment, the Magic Tower Lord, who had been quietly watching the situation, rose from her seat.
"If you want to fight this senile old woman, why not try it."
"........."
Saying that, she looked frail enough to fall with just a touch.
But thanks to the transcendent battle she had shown just before with Demirkan who had lost an arm, no one dared to step forward.
"Hmm..."
As the situation calmed down, the Magic Tower Lord, who looked down at her disciple who was wiggling her fingers after causing the trouble.
"Though a bit late, let's proceed with the verification inquiry."
"M, Master..."
"You'll stay at the Imperial Palace for a while. At the same time, investigate the Hero's qualifications and the truth of this incident. Now, let's end this discussion."
Moving her steps quietly and saying so, she murmured in a low voice.
"Haa... why are my disciples always like this..."
"U, um..."
"...Remember this well."
Then, when Glare was about to open her mouth again, she looked back and spoke in an unusually serious voice.
"An impression once formed doesn't change easily without a decisive opportunity."
"......."
"The concept of magic is like that, and so is the human heart."
No one paid attention to Glare, who quietly closed her mouth after hearing those words.
They just thought it was a short happening caused by a child infatuated with Frey's beauty.
Rather, everyone's interest was focused on the Magic Tower Lord who had stepped forward to prevent the situation from escalating.
"Still..."
Looking down at Glare who had become disheartened thanks to that, the Magic Tower Lord.
"...Don't create things you'll regret."
With a considerably soft expression and voice for her, she whispered quietly in Glare's ear.
"I did, after all."
Leaving those words behind, the Magic Tower Lord walked forward, leaving behind her second disciple who was looking at her with round eyes.
And after that, silence flowed for a while.
"Then... since things seem to have settled, I should bring up the matter of the mastermind behind the incident."
It wasn't until Klana, who had been watching all those situations with sharp eyes, opened her mouth again.
"I designate... the Order as the mastermind behind this incident."
"".......!""
The curtain rose on the all-out war between Klana's faction, which had effectively taken control of the Imperial family, and the Order.
.
"........."
The war of words between Klana and the bishops, the dire situations that almost led to military conflict, and the ensuing lull ended, and silence arrived.
"...Hoo."
Now, beside the ruins of the secret building where only a very few remained, Glare, sitting with her arms propped on her chin and legs crossed, let out a short sigh.
"Suddenly... telling me to join the Hero Party?"
She, who was about to return to the Magic Tower which was her residence, had received contact from a high-ranking official and was quietly waiting in a temporary tent.
"What need do I have to go to a Hero Party without the Hero..."
Of course, Glare, who knew that Ruby was not the real Hero, thought it was nothing but a waste of time, and therefore she intended to refuse to join the moment the official entered.
- Swish...
"I'm not doing that party. First of all, the Hero is..."
As the entrance of the tent opened and someone entered, Glare opened her mouth with her arms crossed.
"Hello?"
"Hup!"
What entered the tent was not an official, but Ruby.
"Seen up close... you're an even cuter little one than I thought."
Glare, who had been blankly staring at Ruby who was looking down at her with eyes that found her ridiculous, hurriedly rose from her seat.
- Shatter!!
"Why don't you sit."
Ruby moved her fingers, blocking the entrance with an unknown power, and Glare frowned.
"I'll speak directly."
To Glare who had quietly sat back down, the Demon King spoke in a low voice.
"Become my ally."
"I refuse."
"Hmm."
But as Glare's immediate answer followed, Ruby began to show an annoyed expression.
"I have no interest in women... but it can't be helped."
Soon, she twisted her hand making cracking sounds.
- Shaah...
"This isn't a request, little one."
"......!"
In an instant, she revealed her appearance as the Demon King to her.
"As expected... you were the first to figure out my true identity...?"
"Ugh..."
"Sometimes you glared at me at the orphanage so I was suspicious... but to think such a cute little child would have figured out my true identity..."
Ruby's tail softly grazed Glare's cheek.
"You, you are..."
"Asking who I am?"
Soon, the Demon King, who wrapped around the waist of the frightened-looking girl.
"I am..."
Was about to whisper in her ear with a chilling low voice.
"Hero-nim."
".....!"
When Venel's voice was heard from the entrance of the tent, she stopped speaking for a moment.
"If my predictions are correct... Frey is alive."
"...Is that so."
Soon, answering Venel's words with the voice she used in human form.
"Pursuit teams have been dispatched throughout the Empire. If he's alive, it's only a matter of time before he's caught."
"I see. Good work."
"Yes, Hero-nim. Have a good night."
Thus, she, who had finished speaking calmly while in her Demon King form.
"...I am the Hero's archenemy."
Turning her gaze back to Glare, she whispered in a terrible voice.
"A mere brat like you is not someone who can oppose me."
"Ugh..."
That overwhelming aura was not something Glare, who was still a child, could withstand.
"Come under me, or else shut your mouth and live quietly."
".........."
As Glare fell into silence thanks to that, Ruby, who brought her face right up to her nose.
"But it's strange... why isn't the special system applied to you...?"
"Ugh..."
Soon, she tilted her head and began to mutter.
"Normally, if you figure out my true identity, you shouldn't be able to speak of it carelessly..."
"Grr!!"
At that moment, Glare, who had freed herself from the tail, glared at her and swung her arm.
- Slap!!!
A crisp sound rang out in the tent.
"Hmm..."
The Demon King, who quietly looked at Glare who had slapped her cheek with all her might while trembling with fear.
- Crash!
"...Kuh!"
In an instant, she slammed her to the ground and began to strangle her neck.
"You 'attacked' me.....?"
"Ughhhh....."
"You've been aiming for that since earlier... you foolish child."
The Demon King, looking down at Glare who had begun to show a painful expression thanks to that, formed a chilling smile and began to put strength in her hand.
"And if you won't even become my subordinate..."
"Ugh..."
"You can only die."
She murmured in a joyful voice while looking at her whose eyes were gradually clouding over.
- Snap!
At that moment, the sound of a finger snapping rang low.
"What did you do?"
But the Demon King just tilted her head and watched Glare struggle.
"Did you use magic or something?"
"........."
"Do you think magic from a kid like you... would work on me?"
Though it wasn't magic, it was true that the 'ability' Glare possessed didn't work on the Demon King.
She could shatter everything to pieces.
But she couldn't do that to living, breathing creatures.
However.
"Hmm?"
Her magic, after all, simply didn't work on the Demon King.
"You... die too..."
One of the horns protruding from her head was shattered to pieces.
"Kyaaaaaaaah!!!"
The Demon King screamed from the terrible pain she felt for the first time in her life, which belatedly traveled down her head and through her whole body.
"You, you pest...!"
"Kehuck..."
But even so, she was the Demon King.
"How dare... how dare...!"
Ruby, clutching her right horn which was already slowly growing back, with blood streaming down, one eye closed, summoned a hideous spear in the air.
"Dieeeee!!!!"
She tried to thrust the spear with all her might at Glare who was almost losing consciousness.
- Crash...!
At that moment, a transparent wall formed between her and the Demon King.
[Helper System - Automatic Defense System Activated]
At the same time, a translucent system window floated before Glare's eyes.
※Warning※
[As the Demon King, you cannot attack the operator of the Helper System under any circumstances.]
That applied to the Demon King as well, who had been pushed back by the transparent wall.
""........."
A chilly silence flowed between the two, separated by the wall.
".......!"
In that silence, Ruby was the first to react.
"Damn it."
- Crash...
She suddenly ground her teeth and struck the barrier hard with her spear.
"You'll come to regret what happened today..."
She whispered, looking down at Glare who was wearing a tense expression with an arrogant expression.
"...You brat."
After that, clutching her right horn which was gradually growing back, she vanished in an instant.
"I... will never regret..."
Glare, who gritted her teeth while recalling the words her master had left behind in that confusing situation.
- Crash...!
She quickly turned her gaze as someone led soldiers and rushed into the tent.
"I, it's a demon!"
"It's an attack!! An attack!!"
"Requesting support!!"
The soldiers, who had briefly witnessed Ruby's appearance just before she completely disappeared, thought it was a demon attack and began shouting at the top of their lungs.
"........."
However, Klana's reaction was a bit different.
"Excuse me."
"Y, Your Highness...!"
She moved her steps toward Glare, who had been lying face down on the ground, leaving behind her soldiers who had begun to take combat positions in perfect order.
"T, that just now... it was Ruby. Ruby is actually...!"
"I know."
"What?"
Klana, showing a gentle smile to Glare, who had urgently shouted while grabbing her hem, forgetting even the status of the person before her eyes.
"Shall we... become close?"
".......!"
Only after hearing those words did Glare, who realized who was in front of her, freeze with her thinking stopped.
"I'm really... grateful for what you said today."
"What?"
"That person... is someone who proposed to me."
Klana, trying to relieve her tension by talking to her, blushed.
"Any, anyway, I want to repay you... do you have any wish?"
She asked such a question to become close with the small child who might become a hidden card.
".......A, the Academy."
"What?"
Glare, who had been staring at Klana with her mouth agape for a while because her thinking had stopped.
"A, I can't give you the Academy..."
"Please let me enroll in the Academy."
".....?"
"M, my Master and the Headmaster don't get along... so they said I can't enroll because of my age."
Soon, in a daze, she spoke the wish she had dreamed of even in her dreams.
"So, please enroll me as a next year's new student."
"Hmm... if it's that..."
Klana, who heard those words, began to calculate quietly in her head.
"...I have to help the Hero-nim."
But hearing Glare's continued words, she momentarily wore a blank expression and asked.
"T, the Hero... you're going to help the Hero?"
Glare's eyes, looking at her, were filled with determination.
"Because there's still a debt I haven't repaid."
What came at the end of the Hero appointment ceremony was not the Hero's appearance, but the birth of a helper who would overturn the board.