Revenge (3)

Freugne gently put down the hat she had picked up.

With a proud look, Sif opened his mouth.

“Aren’t you a bit lonely going alone?”

“……”

“Come, I’ll accompany you, so don’t worry too much.”

At most, she had expected to see Sif downstairs, enjoying the chase between herself and Edan.

‘Why am I seeing Sif looking for me?’

And when she heard him muttering things like “the Demon Sovereign” and “ambush” in between, the scenario became clear.

This had gone far beyond the issue of her taking a detour and returning home late.

Was there a chance she had seen incorrectly…? No, she had heard it clearly.

But perhaps there were some circumstances that caused a misunderstanding. Just as in books, sometimes when a single situation was taken out of context, it became incomprehensible.

Freugne did not release Sif’s wrist. She changed the time frame slightly and checked again, but the result was the same.

Briefly regarding Sif’s tightly gripped wrist with puzzlement, Freugne asked in a whisper:

“Don’t misunderstand, just listen.”

“Yes.”

“What would you think if I said the Demon Sovereign was waiting outside right now?”

“……?”

Ah, I see. This is a gesture asking me to come along because she’s too embarrassed to directly invite me after refusing.

“You don’t have to do that, it’s fine if I join you……”

“I’m serious. Not in some other sense, but what if the Demon Sovereign is literally lurking nearby right now?”

“Ahahaha, the Demon Sovereign may be missing, but surely he’s not here?”

“……”

“But if it’s true, there’s nothing to it. At the point where he’s come this close without being detected, the only choice left is to fight. Still, this joke was, uh, refreshing!”

Even praise for his boss at the end. Having awarded himself full marks for social skills, Sif waited for a response.

“…It’s a joke, right?”

“……”

“Miss Freugne?”

It was starting to get a bit scary. Of course, the idea of the Demon Sovereign wandering around Londinium was unrealistic. He was no legendary hero to pull off such a meta stunt.

But for a while, Freugne did not say that it was a joke she would later use on Edan, or some cheap conspiracy theory people had been gossiping about on the streets.

She merely looked outside with an uneasy gaze, as if someone might suddenly emerge from there.

By this point, Sif had also discreetly put on an outfit with a bulletproof vest underneath.

“…Could the Demon Sovereign have gone mad from losing the war?”

“I suppose so.”

He spoke calmly, but sweat trickled down his back.

In truth, looking at it objectively.

Even if she knew the future, her life was still in danger.

What if the Demon Sovereign went berserk right now and started killing everyone around him?

Or what if he slipped away somewhere, only to launch a surprise attack when they least expected it? What could she do then?

He had already taken the audacious step of coming to Londinium alone. It would not be strange for him to cause further mayhem. And it was precisely because of that rash action that they had been unable to predict this.

It was a moment where she could understand why the Demon Sovereign had been so helpless when the lone hero had charged in during the previous war.

“Do you know what the Demon Sovereign looks like?”

“…No. And since he can tamper with minds and make himself unrecognizable if he wishes, it may not matter much.”

And the future she had seen was from Sif’s first-person perspective.

Naturally, there was no appearance of the Demon Sovereign in the world she had witnessed through Sif’s eyes, whether he had been kidnapped or used as an example and killed.

“What about trying to fight and deal with the Demon Sovereign directly?”

“It’s too dangerous to confront him head-on when we don’t even know his appearance. After all, he is the Demon Sovereign.”

He was still the Demon Sovereign. His stealthy entry into Londinium alone was proof of that.

Urle had also mentioned that he had mind-controlled the Demons and made them go berserk. Just making eye contact could result in her being mind-controlled as well.

The best course was to avoid encountering him altogether.

But since they had already crossed paths, it was better not to provoke him until they could find someone to help.

At least he did not seem inclined to launch an immediate attack the moment she stepped outside.

“I’ll stay here alone.”

“But-“

“Sif, please go and get help.”

She did not specify from whom, for in such a situation, there was only one person they could turn to.

Urle was far beyond the border. While there were some organization members nearby, their combat capabilities were not particularly reassuring.

Whether three or thirty passing citizens aided them against the Demon Sovereign would not make much difference.

“You know the way to Matap, right?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Just in case, let me note down a few places where Uncle might be. And if possible, go by car or horseback, understood?”

So the only option was Edan, an elite few who, upon hearing the explanation “the Demon Sovereign is in Londinium,” would not waste time disbelieving it.

“He probably hasn’t gone too far yet, so if you hurry, you should be able to catch up quickly.”

“I, I’ll leave it to you……”

“Okay.”

After sending Sif out the back door, Freugne took a deep breath and grasped the door handle.

She tried her best not to turn her head, but everyone around seemed suspicious. It felt as if the air had momentarily vanished, making it difficult to breathe.

“Phew.”

Alright, let’s go.

If she did nothing, she would only face death.

Freugne took her first step outside. At least, she believed he would not act in a crowded area teeming with people.

---

Until now, the Demon Sovereign had wielded control and oppression as tools.

That was the easiest way for him to predict and prepare for the future, since he could not clearly foresee it like others.

Instead of looking directly into the future, he had chosen to create boundaries and herd anything troublesome within them for management.

However, such methods would not work against Freugne.

He had to induce complacency and act unpredictably.

Casting a spell over the city to sow confusion among the citizens could complicate her mind, but the Demon Sovereign did not wish to resort to such methods.

“Mommy, look at that beggar over there.”

“Oh my, what are you saying! You shouldn’t say such things. Especially on such a joyous day, we should show kindness?”

“Yes. Grandpa, Mommy is giving you this bread.”

“……”

Of course, it was not out of some realization of human compassion, akin to a villainous character in a folktale repenting after living among humans for days.

‘I must handle this quietly to avoid complications.’

He had to consider what would come after taking his revenge.

Before leaving the Demon Capital, the last subordinate he saw had asked him:

‘Your Majesty, is there anything you believe in? If so, please allow me to diligently assist by informing me.’

He had not answered at the time, but there was indeed something he believed in.

Of course, it was not an answer that subordinate would have appreciated.

The Demons only knew him as a powerful mage, but in truth, at a certain level, it became possible to not only control minds but also infiltrate them.

Beyond merely reading memories or temporarily possessing bodies, it became possible to permanently take over and live as another person.

In normal times, there would be no need for the Demon Sovereign to reject his position and hit the reset button.

But as it happened, he had lost both power and honor, and even the title of Demon Sovereign had essentially been cast aside for anyone to claim. All that he had built over decades had become a bubble, but it was a calculated loss.

After observing Freugne for days, the Demon Sovereign reached a conclusion:

‘She is suitable for a new body.’

He intended to use Freugne as his next vessel.

It was not the first or second time he had done so. Of course, it was the first time he had chosen a human as the target, but the magic he would use was largely the same.

Originally, he would have groomed a suitable successor and established a foothold that way.

Even if the situation in the capital had not been in such disarray, that was how he would have proceeded according to plan. With his former subordinates vying for power from all sides, his past connections and secrets only he knew would have been quite useful.

And since he had to start over anyway, he had chosen Freugne, combining it with revenge.

No, come to think of it, it was not a complete restart either.

-Creak-

“Sif, is there anything you’d like for dinner today? Ah, yes. Then let’s go with that.”

Freugne emerged holding a basket, as if going out to buy groceries.

Alone, no less. She was utterly defenseless. It could be interpreted as her complacency reaching its peak.

“Hmm.”

The Demon Sovereign rose with difficulty.

While he did not wish to cause a commotion, he would strike the moment she ventured to a secluded area.

‘That will be the time.’

He could even seize the organization she had so painstakingly nurtured.

If she had taken everything from him, it seemed only fair in his calculations to strip everything from her as well.