episode_0023

Episode 23

Late at night, Queen Penelope of the Dweor Kingdom lay on her bed, quietly gazing at a letter.

Her intense gaze could make one think she was reading a love letter, but what she was reading resembled a formal report in a calm tone.

However, the content was far from simple. The letter contained various secrets that the Saint Beaufort Kingdom had hidden deep.

It wasn’t that Penelope was excited to learn another kingdom’s secrets. She was actually thrilled thinking about the man who was extracting vital information from the Beaufort Kingdom and delivering it to her.

“Incredible.”

It could only be described as beyond imagination because sending Edward to the Beaufort Kingdom was merely a ploy to appease the guilt of not assisting the Bell family, rather than creating a legitimate reason to pressure the Beaufort Kingdom.

She had expressed a desire to create a pretext for pressuring the Beaufort Kingdom, but she hadn’t placed high expectations on it.

She had only hoped to establish a reasonable justification within limits.

However, Edward surpassed her expectations by not causing trouble outright but by seducing and manipulating the saint to fulfill all of Penelope’s desires.

Unable to openly praise his actions, she secretly rewarded the Bell family generously.

“I might as well attempt some internal interference.”

Sensitive information was scattered throughout. If utilized, it could force the Beaufort Kingdom, which had been uncooperative due to pride or occasionally aggressive behavior, into submission.

“This is serious. Laila seems to be more envious than when viewed from the royal court.”

He was not only a man but also possessed unique charm that set him apart from others, along with competence.

He was truly a man suitable to be the queen’s companion. While acknowledging the impossibility of such a relationship, the sense of regret only grew stronger with contemplation.

As Penelope thought about Edward, her hand naturally moved towards her abdomen. While caressing her belly, she pondered, “If I could receive the seed of such a strong and capable male, I wouldn’t have to worry about successors. How can I obtain even just the seed?”

As she contemplated, the night gradually deepened.

—

Scarlet, a member of the Demon Army Intelligence Unit who had infiltrated to monitor the movements of the Beaufort Kingdom and extract information, sensed the impending end.

“I underestimated the saint.”

Throughout her infiltration, she had only shown a dim-witted side, even to her confidants among the priests. She had let her guard down.

“Could it all have been an act?”

Looking up at the knights and priests surrounding her, fallen, Scarlet let out a bitter smile.

Confident in her keen insight, Scarlet now realized that the saint had been deliberately acting all along.

Rumors circulated about her meeting a man and changing, but Scarlet was convinced otherwise. While women could change upon meeting a man, the saint’s transformation was too dramatic.

If the rumors were true, it meant she had been trained almost to the level of brainwashing in a short period. Even Scarlet, from the intelligence unit, was unaware of such methods.

“It would probably be quicker to break her mind with drugs.”

In essence, the saint had long been aware of Scarlet’s presence and was likely feigning compliance to be captured securely.

“I wish they would just kill her, but that’s unlikely. They’ll probably torture her for information. I would do the same.”

Upon being cornered, the knights and priests used a poison hidden in their molars for suicide but couldn’t bite down on it before being subdued using sacred techniques.

If you claim not to fear death, it’s a lie. But Scarlett found betraying her own kind scarier than death, as she seized the moment to bite into the poison.

A voice was heard.

“Please step aside, everyone.”

The knights and priests parted ways. Passing through them was none other than the saint. And a man she had never seen before, his head wrapped in cloth.

“A man here? Bringing a man here, is she out of her mind?”

Though not slender like most men, his dignified attire did not fit the bloody scene.

Thinking he might have been brought to mock her, Scarlett shifted her gaze towards the saint, who spoke again.

“Everyone, please wait outside. No one can enter until I permit.”

Following the saint’s instructions, the knights and priests hurriedly went outside. Once they were all gone, the saint, who had erected some kind of barrier, spoke to the man.

“I-Is this okay…?”

“Yes. Thank you, Maria.”

Scarlett sensed something strange. The saint, who moments ago seemed fearless, now blushed.

“Why is a saint acting so flustered in front of this man?”

Though she had no doubt in her mind, the man, as if ready to answer her unspoken question, raised his hand and unwrapped the cloth around his head.

Scarlett’s eyes widened.

“Horns?! Are you a demon!”

In that instant, the word “traitor” came to Scarlett’s mind, but the man calmly replied.

“A bit different. Haven’t you heard my story from Rumaniel?”

“You! How dare you mention the Demon King! …Story?”

The word “story” triggered a memory – the name of a man who supposedly stole something when the Demon King attacked Dewer at the risk of his life.

A man who recently ventured into the demon realm to rescue Erremus’ nightmare and her daughter.

“…Edward Bell?”

“What, you knew well.”

The man, transformed into a demon after consuming a demon flower, stood before her. As Edward released the saint’s suppressed power, Scarlett stood up from her seat, muttering in confusion.

“How are you in the Kingdom of Law? No, why are you here?”

Except for humans, all races have overwhelmingly fewer males, and demons are no exception.

Even if he was marked by the Demon King, with horns attached, Scarlett had to be polite as it was her duty.

Edward noticed her change and his eyes narrowed.

“Of course, for Rumaniel.”

“F-For the Demon King?!”

“Yes. First, tell me what you were doing here. Oh, don’t worry about the saint here; she’s on my side.”

If Edward had been human, Scarlett wouldn’t have spoken. But now he was a demon.

Edward himself thought it was just a matter of perception, but being treated as the Demon King Rumaniel’s husband inadvertently gave him authority, making it difficult for most demons to resist.

This wasn’t a rebellious impulse but a natural instinct of demons to follow a strong member of their kind.

Therefore, Scarlett ended up explaining everything about why she had come to the Kingdom of Law.

“Oh. You were planning to block support through power in preparation for the upcoming war with Dewer.”

“Yes. However, since it’s impossible to exterminate the saint of the Kingdom of Law along with the priests and knights with small-scale activities like mine, I only planned to destroy the magic workshops.”

Upon hearing that Rumaniel judged it feasible to face Dewer one-on-one without magical tools, Edward smirked.

“If that’s the case, we should postpone the war for a while. The Law Kingdom has already sent many priests and magicians to Diwer. It’s too dangerous to fight now.”

“What?! Is that really…!?”

Even if there are magicians and magical tools containing the power of the priests of the Law Kingdom, Scarlet didn’t think that the Demon King’s army would lose to Diwer.

However, even if they win, the damage would be severe. It was clear that the Demon King’s forces, exhausted from winning against the human nations like the Law Kingdom, the Magical Kingdom, and Amazones, wouldn’t be able to survive.

“I’m sorry. It was my mistake. I went too far through the Holy Maiden to avoid suspicion from the Queen of Diwer. I thought the magic would deplete over time and we could call the priests later, but I didn’t expect Rumaniel to act so quickly.”

Saying this, as Edward bowed his head, Scarlet, forgetting her shock, quickly clapped her hands.

“Oh, no! Please raise your head! If you think about it, it was my fault not knowing that Edward was here…”

“No, that’s not it. When the priest who was in contact with us came to confess, I had to find you immediately.”

“Confess…? Did she betray me?”

“Oh, I see, you didn’t know.”

It was natural not to know since there had been no such occasion. However, Scarlet would never realize that fact.

The dead tell no tales.

“For now, I hope you return to the demon realm. And it would be good if you could pass this on to Rumaniel. Even if you don’t believe me, I can’t help it, but ask you to confirm it once.”

Edward reached out his hand to lift Scarlet up. It was when Scarlet, who was being lifted by a man for the first time, turned to follow his instructions with a bewildered face.

As Edward spoke with a somewhat sad voice towards her back:

“And… This is purely personal, but in the conversation we had at the Demon Castle, there were no lies, and I also hope for coexistence… Can you convey that?”

At that moment, what came to Scarlet’s mind was the image of lovers who loved each other but had to part ways due to their positions and races.

With all her might trying to swallow the boiling feeling in her chest, she replied in a trembling voice:

“I will definitely… convey it…!”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Leaving behind Edward, who smiled sadly, Scarlet rushed out, sincerely hoping that the two people bound by tragic fate could meet again someday.

—

Ah, thankfully. That went well.

Confirming that the figure of the female demon running into the distance had completely disappeared, I stretched.

Although the female demon had been deceived safely, I did not know how Rumaniel, who heard the story, would react.

Whether Diwer received priests and magicians from the Law Kingdom or not, they might ignore it and start a war.

No, the likelihood of that happening was extremely high.

In the midst of centuries-old hatred between races and nations, this was all I could do.

What cannot be stopped is normal, and if it can be stopped, it’s a miracle. It was meaningless for me, an individual, to think further.

“Um, Sir Edward.”

“Yes, Maria.”

“Um… Does Sir Edward wish for humans and demons to coexist?”

It was just a way of saying I don’t want to fight, but…

But yes.

If possible…

“I do hope for coexistence.”

“I see.”

It’s impossible, though.