Ch.284284. Aftermath

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…I almost died.

[“…You’re probably the first human in the world who subdued a demon in that ridiculous way and then nearly got killed by someone else.”]

‘…I agree.’

I have this conversation with Calivan while watching Sir Swordmaster in the distance, who’s barely calmed down and catching his breath.

At least he wasn’t completely irrational, and he seemed to have successfully convinced himself that I hadn’t actually done anything terrible.

“…”

Actually, thinking about it, I really did do it.

I should take that fact to my grave. Unless I want to be cut in half by Sir Swordmaster.

While I was inwardly ruminating on this with conviction, someone approached with heavy footsteps.

“…We’ll take His Majesty with us for now.”

Elia said this while tiredly pressing her fingertips against her eyes.

She was somehow managing to compose the sobbing Emperor and help him stand up.

“…Please do.”

“…”

“…”

An awkward silence hung between Elia and me.

No, well, um.

The atmosphere is so heavy that I wonder if things have ever been this awkward since meeting this person.

“…Teacher.”

“…Yes?”

“Since I already knew about it anyway, honestly, I’m not even disappointed at this point…”

“…About what?”

“That you slept with the Grey Demon before any of us.”

“…”

Hey.

What kind of vocabulary choice is that for a hero?

Come to think of it, Calivan is supposed to be a holy knight, yet he constantly spouts vulgar language. Maybe I caught it from him? A reasonable suspicion—

[She was always like that.]

“…”

[She grew up on a farm, remember? Even without my prompting, she’d research how to breed pigs and chickens—]

I don’t need to know that information.

While I was thinking that, Elia glanced behind her with a stiff smile.

“…But unlike me, those people might be quite—very—disappointed. It’s not showing much right now because of the situation, but still.”

On the surface, the Demonic Vessels look the same as always.

The problem is.

“…”

The air is trembling.

It’s the kind of expression you’d only see in comics, but when it’s created by people with demons inside them, it tends to have a physical effect too.

The surroundings are literally rumbling.

“I think you should prepare yourself once we return to Elphante Academy.”

“…”

“The truth is, until now, everyone’s been keeping some boundaries, right?”

As soon as I heard Elia’s words, all my experiences at Elphante flashed before my eyes.

I’ve been locked in rooms, deceived by people claiming to be my lovers while I had amnesia, and I’m pretty sure my private life has been thoroughly stalked without a single detail missed.

And that was them keeping boundaries…?

“Yes.”

“…That was…?”

“Still, they haven’t done anything you truly hated until now, right?”

She… has a point.

Even when I was trapped in a room with the Emperor and Faynol Leiphec, they all took a step back when I got angry.

Anyway, it felt like they knew what they were doing was wrong.

The reason I wasn’t completely squeezed dry during countless crises was ultimately because they respected my wishes to some extent.

“But now they know you gave yourself to someone else before them?”

“…”

“And His Majesty falls apart just from your touch.”

“…There were unavoidable circumstances there.”

Grey Demon, Brown Demon.

Though slightly different in nature, if I hadn’t done those things with both of them, there would definitely have been bloodshed.

“Do you think those people will consider such circumstances?”

“…”

“Well, I think it’s pretty much confirmed that none of them will show any restraint anymore and will take turns devouring you. Maybe you should hope they’ll do it less aggressively?”

“…”

“You’ve been walking the tightrope pretty well until now, but I think you should prepare yourself to be squeezed dry in rotation from now on.”

“…And what about you?”

“I need to have your child too, of course.”

“…”

Please.

I’m begging you.

Could you not say such things without batting an eye like it’s the most natural thing in the world??

“So, well, I thought I should warn you to prepare in advance.”

“…What kind of preparation could there possibly be for that?”

“Those people have been holding back since they met you. If they let loose once, do you think it’ll just be one happy night of fun and that’s it?”

“…”

“I’m telling you, you could literally die.”

Have you heard of karma repayment?

Leaving me with just those words, Elia shrugged and walked away, while I stood frozen in place.

After all, it was practically a declaration that the well-being of my lower body, which had endured until now, was completely doomed..!

[Come on, at this point just give it to them…]

“…”

[You transform into a lust demon without hesitation whenever you need to, so why are you acting like this now…]

She’s your sister, what nonsense are you spouting!!

[You’re also at fault for pushing them to the point where a woman has to speak this directly. You know that?]

‘…No, what does that even—’

[Well, you can’t stay in this state forever, right? They all have limits to their patience too.]

‘…’

[You said you’d take responsibility. That you’d take care of all of them. Aren’t you halfway there already?]

‘…’

I inwardly half-agree with those words.

The groundwork for what demons are exactly and what they can do has been more or less laid out.

There’s only one step left on the staircase toward the final stage of “perception improvement” for these beings to live peacefully in this world.

We need to let the world know that people can benefit “thanks to” demons.

“…”

It’s not such a distant story.

Calculating from the “main game” timeline, the final chapter is coming soon.

What I want will probably all come to fruition there.

As I was thinking about this, Calivan spoke up again beside me.

[How should I put this.]

His gruff voice continued.

[For someone who claims he’d do anything for his women if they needed it, you seem almost afraid of initiating affection yourself?]

“…”

[Do you have some kind of past trauma?]

“…”

If I do, I do.

With Calivan’s words, images automatically play in my mind.

Blood. Songs. Gunshots.

A heartbreak that happened in just three seconds.

“…Well, more than that right now.”

I deliberately change the subject and look at the brown sphere in my hand.

“I think I need to figure out how to handle this first.”

If you were to ask what this is—

< System Message >

[ You have completely subjugated ‘Brown Demon’. ]

[ You have acquired the target’s ‘Fragment’! ]

—it would be the Brown Demon’s fragment.

‘Is it supposed to drop like this…?’

I’ve never seen a demon fragment that doesn’t try to be “absorbed” into someone’s body and instead sits obediently in a person’s hand.

Rather, whenever I touch it, it emits a subtle brown light and rolls around in my palm on its own.

Like a pet showing affection.

“…”

Come to think of it, I remember seeing system messages before about receiving some kind of reward when interacting with demons in some way, so maybe this is how it drops.

‘…I’ll hold onto it for now.’

I still haven’t heard the exact reason why he harbored such blind hatred toward me.

I’ll need to have a very slow conversation with this one later.

“Oh.”

While I was thinking about that, a sudden bright light leaked from inside my clothes.

It’s the communication crystal. The one sending the signal from the other side must be Gideon Gaelstard La Tristan, whom I had stationed inside the imperial palace.

“…”

I can’t help but chuckle when I see it.

It means he successfully “infiltrated.”

[Infiltrated? Where?]

“Nothing.”

Come to think of it, I didn’t see that gentleman even once until we caught the Brown Demon— I calmly answer Calivan, who tilts his head in confusion.

“The Holy Empire people.”

[…What?]

Calivan’s response was basically asking why they would be coming from the imperial palace, but instead of answering further, I straighten up.

This story will all be revealed in the next chapter, “Sanctuary.” There’s no need to explain it now.

I’ll just give a simple explanation.

“They have a significant stake in your death, the Emperor’s illness, and the Tristan Dukedom’s suffering.”

[…]

I smirk at Calivan’s dumbfounded silence and stretch.

Well then.

So I survived again this time too.

No casualties, no major hardships in between.

The aftermath also seems to be proceeding smoothly—

“Hey, everyone, great work!”

—or it would have.

If not for this guy who suddenly appeared.

The movement of people busily clearing debris inside the destroyed imperial palace came to a complete halt. Everyone looked toward the voice with disbelieving expressions.

“…I must admit.”

Even Sir Swordmaster, who was directing the cleanup operation, spoke with a tone that went beyond anger to utter disbelief.

“This is the second time. That I’ve seen such a level of madman.”

“…”

I have a pretty good idea who the first one is, but I don’t particularly want to argue about it.

That’s because.

“I’ve come to be arrested!”

“…”

“You can torture me or kill me, but would you listen to one proposal first!”

When you see Bogart Marquis spouting such things with a smiling face.

Nothing else really matters anymore.

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