episode_0165

“Chairman! Step back!”

“Lucella! Evacuate with the chairman, now!”

“Damn it, why is this happening already…?!”

“Huh? Umm…?”

Yep. Not a single detail strayed from my expectations.

Chris and Lucella, already poised for battle upon seeing Elle in her demon king form. Cecilia, coolly analyzing the situation and prioritizing the escape of the two who must not be lost. And the chairman, standing frozen with a bewildered expression, utterly clueless.

Just the thought of calming them all down and resolving this mess was already making my head throb.

First, I needed to figure out Elle’s intentions, so I spoke to her.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Isn’t this how it’s done?’

‘What?’

‘I’m Eric’s master. The master of humans. I learned from all the books Eric brought me. Every single one. This is how it’s always been.’

‘That’s…’

Ah, the filthy history of humanity has corrupted an innocent child. Still, at least I understood why Elle had acted this way.

Before things escalated further, I quickly stepped between the student council and Elle.

“Sorry. She misunderstood something she read. Must’ve been too many novels lately. But she’s not a bad kid, so don’t worry. Come on, Elle. Let’s go.”

I gently patted Elle’s head. Gradually, her body shrank until she returned to the form I always saw in the mansion.

“Sorry, Eric.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize.”

“Brother, that thing is dangerous. Get away now!”

Chris stomped over and forcibly pulled me away from Elle.

“Isn’t this how it’s done?”

“No, it’s not. Don’t worry, Elle. I’ll explain everything to them.”

I shook off Chris’s arm and approached Elle again. Seeing me act so tenderly toward her—in stark contrast to how I treated them—left the student council utterly dumbfounded.

Of course, they wouldn’t believe me if I suddenly claimed she was the Demon King. And even if they did, I couldn’t just tell them the truth.

Until Elle herself openly revealed her identity, I couldn’t let them separate her from me.

“……”

Though, of course, that depended on Elia—who had been silently observing—playing along.

Unlike the other three, who knew nothing, Elia had been there that day. If she spoke the truth, I’d undoubtedly be accused of brainwashing and subjected to investigation.

Worst-case scenario, I might spend the rest of my life locked away somewhere.

But contrary to my fears, Elia remained quiet.

Was she agreeing with me? I glanced at her sidelong and began my explanation.

A short while later, Cecilia muttered under her breath.

“An unbelievable story. But… if it were true…”

I stuck close to the facts. Lying outright would only make them suspicious, and I wasn’t quick-witted enough to spin a flawless tale on the spot.

So, I told them the truth—or at least, most of it.

About how I’d heard rumors of demons in the back alleys and gone to investigate with Elia, where I met Elle. How she possessed terrifying power but knew little about humans. And how, after barely surviving, I convinced her to form a contract with me.

“What kind of contract?”

“I told you, Chris. In exchange for teaching her about humans and helping her blend in, she agreed not to harm anyone.”

“But—”

Before Chris could argue further, I swiftly added:

“Oh, right. Just so you know—our mana is linked. If she dies, I die too.”

“What?”

“Exactly as I said. Protecting her means protecting—Whoa?!”

Before I could finish, Lucella grabbed me and yanked me away from Elle.

“Stop talking nonsense, brother. Why should we protect her? You know exactly what she is! She’s the Demon King! How could you just make a contract with something like that?!”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Eric. I know your personality well. But for you, who swore to trust us in defeating the Demon King, to make a contract with that very being… it’s hard to understand.”

“Don’t worry. Even with this contract, the Holy Sword’s power remains intact.”

“That’s not what I’m asking! If the Demon King dies, you—”

“No. Wrong.”

Elia, who had been silently watching until now, finally spoke.

“Eric… You don’t intend to kill the Demon King at all, do you?”

I gave a small nod.

“Brother, have you lost your mind?! You know exactly what the Demon King is!”

“But she isn’t the Demon King yet! The one I saw in the prophecy was older, more mature, and overwhelmingly stronger. Think about it—if I’d really met the Demon King, the tyrant who would burn the continent, do you think Elia and I would’ve returned unharmed?”

“……”

As Chris fell silent, Cecilia cut in sharply.

“What difference does that make? What you’re doing now is like clinging to an unexploded bomb.”

“Except we can cut the fuse.”

“Elia?”

“As Eric said, his life and that demon’s—no, that demon girl’s—are linked. Conversely, if Eric dies, so does she. As an enemy, she’d be a nuisance… but as a shield, nothing could be safer.”

Elia looked at me as she spoke.

Of course, I was fully prepared to accept whatever she said here, so I just smiled faintly.

“……”

Huh. Guess that wasn’t it.

“You’d entrust Eric’s safety to a demon whose intentions we can’t even discern? I’m starting to suspect you’ve been brainwashed.”

“You’ve already finished the inspection, haven’t you? Don’t play dumb. And Eric isn’t foolish enough to act recklessly.”

Elia turned her gaze slightly toward Elle.

“Whoa?! D-Don’t just gobble those up! Those are student council property!”

Elle had climbed onto Chairman Lin’s desk and was now raiding the basket of candies placed there.

“Mmm… nom…”

“Just as we changed… perhaps the Demon King can change too. In a way that helps Eric.”

“I suppose…”

“If that were truly possible, it would be ideal. Though it seems unlikely.”

“If everyone says so, I’ll follow along. Just a powerless human without a Holy Sword.”

“I’m sorry, but I have no idea what any of you are talking about! A detailed explanation, please!”

The chairman was locked in a desperate struggle to separate Elle from the candy basket.

“I’ll explain everything to you separately, Chairman.”

—

Soon, the student council returned to business as usual.

Elia and Chris effortlessly processed mountains of paperwork, assisted by Cecilia and Lucella. And in the middle of it all, the chairman—handling more work and receiving more scoldings than anyone else.

Elle and I stood side by side, watching the scene.

‘Now you know who to be careful around, right?’

‘Mhm. That blonde girl. The scariest one.’

As I explained the future Hero Party members and their threats one by one, Lucella approached me, seemingly free for the moment.

“So, what’s the verdict?”

“After hearing Elia’s additional explanation, we reached an agreement. For now, we’ll follow your lead.”

“That’s a relief.”

“But we can’t leave you alone with Elle. From now on, at least one—or preferably two—of us will guard you.”

“Are you insane? Do you realize your standing in this academy? Rotating student council members as bodyguards? I’d get beaten to death before any demon could even try.”

I shuddered at the terrifying future.

“That’s…”

“If you’re really worried about me, focus on getting stronger. Unlike the others, you’re still not combat-ready.”

In pure swordsmanship, few could match her. But her opponents weren’t humans. Without the Holy Sword, which granted absolute dominance over demons, Lucella was, bluntly, just a human swinging a stick.

“Become the Hero. Crush the Demon King’s army and bring peace back to the continent. Make that your goal.”

Once she was chosen by the Holy Sword, Lucella would become our strongest asset. A half-hearted invasion would be wiped out with a single swing.

“Huh? But the Demon King is right beside you.”

“Have you ever seen a kingdom collapse just because its king died?”