Ch.14347. Between the Worst and the Best.

In any part of the city, it could be witnessed.

Some called it divine punishment, smiting a cursed nation.

Others pleaded that it was a miracle and salvation bestowed by God.

Some thought it was a massive magical phenomenon, while others predicted the appearance of a saint, holy father, or holy mother with immense divine power.

Moreover, it was visible even from far outside the city.

Despite the vast distance, it was a phenomenon captivating enough to seize the attention of those heading toward that place.

It would have been quite noticeable even in broad daylight, let alone during the predawn hours when daybreak was still far off.

“That, that?! What’s happening over there now?”

The silver-haired, green-eyed elf Geornia stopped her horse upon discovering it.

Judging by appearances alone, she might be considered early teens at most by human standards, or perhaps just entering her teens, but in reality, she was an elven arch-mage and grand sorcerer who had lived through several human generations.

And following her was her top disciple, Hameren, a mature-looking elf with blonde hair and green eyes.

When Geornia stopped ahead of her, Hameren reflexively halted her horse beside her and followed her gaze.

“Do you have any idea what it might be, Teacher?”

“How would I know what that is?”

Ruelda, who had also stopped beside them, gazed intently at the distant city-kingdom before dismounting.

“I’ll go ahead and check.”

“…Will you be alright?”

“I see no reason why I wouldn’t be.”

After saying this, Ruelda entrusted his horse to Hameren and shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, kicking off the ground.

Beyond merely crumbling the ground beneath his feet, a gale whipped up like an aftershock.

Despite being prepared for it, the two elves and three horses couldn’t help but make a commotion.

“That… that… he could have gone a little more gently!”

“Now that I’m here, I feel like… there’s something unsettling about the energy coming from that city.”

“Good instincts? It’s not even something you can detect through mana residue. Or what? Has moving all day without sleep sharpened your senses that much?”

“…There’s an unnatural disturbance rippling through the entire city of that size. It would be stranger not to notice it.”

“Is that so?”

The two ended their casual conversation without warning and guided their horses toward the city-kingdom once more.

Generally, having a conversation while riding would be meaningless unless one raised their voice considerably.

But that was by human standards.

“If we can hear the commotion from here, it must be no ordinary disturbance, right?”

“…Are you asking me that?”

Hameren felt slightly frustrated.

Was her teacher pretending not to know, or was she testing her?

“No. Perhaps if we intervene under the pretext of quelling this disturbance, we could gain cooperation that might make our task easier.”

“What if those we’re looking for caused this situation?”

Geornia gave a short, derisive laugh at that.

“…They’d be hiding if anything, not causing such a conspicuous incident. Come on, think before you speak. Besides, what would he gain from making such a scene?”

“Teacher, when has Kariel ever acted for personal gain? Ever?”

“What? Even so! There’s no way Kariel could have caused such a disaster alone. Or what? Are you suggesting that the Relief Knights or whatever became Kariel’s doormat? That they picked a fight with an entire country just because he said so?”

…I don’t understand why her metaphors are like that.

“What if he got caught up in it?”

“How would anyone get caught up in something to this extent? You know as well as I do what a mess that country is. Does it look like a place that would send word to anyone over a small spark?”

Though they were still far away, the faint sounds of commotion and unrest beating against their ears repeatedly reminded them that the scale of the situation was by no means small.

“Conversely, it would be good to consider the possibility that he avoided involvement entirely and left.”

“……”

Hameren offered no particular objection to that point.

In fact, after saying it, she thought this scenario seemed much more plausible.

====

Cain, positioned in one of the five watchtowers newly built atop the pentagon-shaped inner wall, trembled as he observed the scene unfolding below.

‘Beyond imagination.’

It had been Cain’s role to broker the demon for Venus.

Since Venus wanted it, and Cain himself saw no major issue with it, he readily granted Venus’s request.

The problem was that the intermediary subject was something completely beyond expectation.

‘A king, of all things.’

Cain never wanted to experience again that terrible sensation of his soul being scraped away just by acknowledging it.

In some ways, being a demon sorcerer carried more burdens than a necromancer.

The upside was that understanding of necromancy, dark mana, or magical aptitude wasn’t particularly necessary.

But everything else was inappropriate to the same degree.

Perhaps that was only natural.

In this world, there was no power gained without a price.

Just as a swordsman possesses a strong body to wield a sword and hones it further.

But for someone like him, how well one understood demons and could accommodate their demands—

That was all that mattered.

And the reason Cain could do so was, when it came down to it, because he had reliable backing.

“Cain.”

“…! You’re alive?”

Cain immediately responded to the slight presence and the direct call from a young girl.

“I was lucky.”

Light yellowish-brown hair and a pair of crimson orbs like twilight between the strands.

No doubt about it.

“Delica…”

“Why has the world suddenly come to this state?”

Unlike Cain himself, was Delica merely a case of memories revived in her past body?

Faced with her clearly different, awkward presence compared to before, Cain wanted to pour out his complaints.

But he deliberately suppressed that impulse and calmly contained his swelling emotions.

“A miracle has occurred.”

“…Did our lord do this?”

“I’m not sure. But… something clearly happened when contact was made with the demon world tree.”

“What about the others besides us?”

“I don’t know yet.”

Delica took a moment to organize her thoughts.

The demon world tree…

“Do you think this is the past we knew?”

“…What’s the intention behind that question?”

The momentary bewilderment at their slight difference of opinion was short-lived.

Pure white frost flowed in like dust on the wind.

The temperature in the area dropped instantly.

Then, like gently falling snow, a snow-white woman, Mines, descended and calmly asked the two.

“Del. Why are you here?”

“……”

The girl, Delica, closed her eyes briefly and let out a muted sigh.

“You must be confused, but I’ve already explained the situation to Kariel.”

“…To him?”

Mines widened her eyes in surprise.

Watching this, Cain gave a small laugh.

“I wondered why she let me go so easily, so this was her plan.”

When Mines had separated from Venus and Cain, saying she would help the people, Cain hadn’t been particularly suspicious.

But when Venus let him go too easily, he had been somewhat puzzled, and sure enough—

As Cain furrowed his brow, Delica laughed.

“Seeing how easily you let your guard down, you must have grown quite lax.”

“Captain. I served our lord for years after your death. Please don’t equate the me you knew then with who I am now.”

“Look at that? Should I pat your head for growing up? You’re being quite impudent after not seeing me for so long.”

“……”

Cain maintained a strange demeanor in response to Delica’s attitude, which was like watching the antics of a pet dog.

“What is this about?”

Mines was becoming increasingly confused by the situation.

Her appearance at this point was partly the result of an agreement with Venus.

Even if they couldn’t catch the body, they might be able to catch the tail, he had said.

Or they could just deal with it if necessary, but you never know.

“So what happened? What was that light that appeared earlier?”

“…Who should explain?”

Delica tilted her head, either asking or suggesting that Cain should speak.

“To explain it simply…”

And Cain immediately remembered that such matters had always been his responsibility.

“A man named Venus made a pact with a demon, confronted someone called Kariel, and… the confrontation was just settled.”

“……”

It was certainly a simple and immediately comprehensible explanation.

At that moment.

“…?”

Mines cast her gaze far away, in the opposite direction of the royal palace.

For some unknown reason, she had the strange intuition that something massive had just entered the city.

It was indescribable.

Though she couldn’t see or hear anything, a sense of crisis surged within her, making her feel like she needed to leave this place immediately.

“Oh my. He… has come.”

Cain also staggered as if experiencing dizziness while explaining.

“He? Who?”

In response to Delica’s question, Cain muttered as if ruminating.

“In this era, Elimion is still just a child, isn’t he? Then… who else could it be?”

“The Knight of Radiance.”

Delica spat with hatred.

“But… isn’t Kariel also of the Radiant bloodline?”

When Delica asked Mines, Cain looked at Delica questioningly, as if wondering what she meant.

“That’s a thing. There’s no time to explain right now…”

Mines disappeared.

More precisely, she glided through the air and launched herself down from the inner wall.

She immediately flew toward the place where this Kariel was, the source of the problem.

“By the way, where is our lord?”

“…I remember he disappeared after vowing to deal with the Radiance.”

“But why did the Knight of Radiance come here? Does he know about our existence? Did you cause some trouble I don’t know about? Or have you become some big shot? No, maybe I just realized my memories too late?”

“Unfortunately, our realization that we’ve returned to the past probably happened just now.”

“…Then it’s probably around the same time I recalled my memories.”

While she was pondering with her chin in her hand.

Thud!

…An unknown presence landed right behind them.

“You two…”

Their gazes met.

Silver hair that almost covered his ears.

A straight nose and honest eyes, with gold within them.

A man whose appearance was as beautiful as it was dignified, no less than any transcendently beautiful woman, boy, or young man.

But for Cain and Delica, it was an appearance that immediately reminded them of someone.

“Elimion…!”

“…?”

When the girl suddenly called out his son’s name, the man couldn’t hide his momentary bewilderment.

“Child, have we met somewhere before?”

“……”

It was far too late to pass it off as a mistake.

Moreover…

…Cain’s appearance and physical characteristics were elements that could only arouse suspicion.

Marble-like skin and abnormal eyes.

Not just his attire… but most seriously, the thick demonic residue emanating from his entire body.

“……”

In fact, just facing this being was causing sweat to pour down Cain’s entire body.

“I don’t believe in coincidences. So there must be a valid reason why you mentioned my son’s name.”

The man said this and then asked, alternately examining Cain and Delica.

“Would it be fair to assume that your presence here means you witnessed that phenomenon up close?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

The situation was not good.

It couldn’t get any worse than this.

Both immediately recognized who this man was.

Suddenly, Delica cast her gaze in the direction from which he had likely come.

From the watchtower down to the city center outside the inner wall.

This city center, normally shrouded in darkness, would clearly have been a cauldron of chaos with layers of commotion unlike usual.

Yet somehow, only the direction from which the man had come was eerily quiet.

…Yes. Just like the usual dark cityscape.

As if everyone had gone to bed, or was moving quietly with closed mouths and hushed footsteps.

“Could I ask for a brief explanation?”

Though he asked in a docile, kind tone.

…It couldn’t have been more terrifying.

“A battle occurred within the palace grounds.”

Cain continued his explanation while regulating his breathing.

However, he deliberately avoided mentioning who was who.

He needed to decide whether to pretend to know or not know, depending on the situation.

Right now, the two of them were knowingly or unknowingly driven into a death trap.

Perhaps the blade of execution was already at their necks.

The man before them was certainly the one who had saved the continent from the golden beast, but.

That fact brought no comfort to Cain and Delica.

Because he was…

“I can clearly see traces of battle.”

The silver-haired man muttered as he surveyed the royal palace and its grounds.

‘Why…’

Why can’t I sense any trace or presence?

As if…

…everything had been erased.

The hero, Ruelda, pondered deeply.

He couldn’t be certain, but he had a distinct feeling that he had missed something significant right before his eyes.

The woman he had met before coming here was also suspicious.

Something.

Some kind of will was clearly blocking his intentions.

If not that…

“But on my way here, I thought I overheard you two saying something about your lord going to stop me.”

At those words, Cain and Delica’s hearts sank.

Though he still showed no particular expression.

A pair of indifferent golden eyes was now watching the two of them.

“Could you explain this as well?”

He never rushed them, not even for a moment.

…There was no reason or cause for him to do so.

“I also vaguely heard something about the past. If I didn’t mishear… hmm.”

The nail was driven in.