Midnight in Valentine (13)

“…”

“My, my, you’re so stiff you can’t say a word.”

Aslaksha murmured.

“Am I that pretty?”

Aslaksha asked glibly, but Oscar didn’t answer.

No, he couldn’t answer.

‘…A monster.’

Being born with a constitution more sensitive to mana than others, he could tell.

The mana emanating from her was not at all the level that could be felt from a human.

‘No, was she ever human to begin with?’

Perhaps she merely appeared human on the outside, but was ultimately a core member of the Demon King’s Army.

She might have transcended humanity long ago using lost dark arts and transformed into a monster like a lich.

Even the senior members of the Magic Tower would undoubtedly have to yield to her.

Suddenly, an odd question inappropriate for the situation crossed his mind. Just how old might she be?

The senior members of the Magic Tower, thanks to the mana circulating actively within their bodies and slowing aging, often live well over 100 years.

Then, could the woman before him be around 200 years old? Or 300?

Perhaps her current beautiful human appearance was merely a disguise to hide her ugly true form, and to lower Cardinando’s guard to achieve her goal…

“Come to think of it, what did you say earlier?”

Suddenly, Aslaksha tilted her head.

“Did you say the Demon King’s Army’s goal was the extermination of humanity?”

Oscar swallowed. It was because she was looking directly at him as she spoke.

He couldn’t move an inch, like a deer before a lion.

They say predators intimidate their prey with growls mixed with infrasound, and right now, that was exactly his situation.

“But unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Aslaksha shook her head and chuckled.

“…What do you mean?”

Oscar managed to open his mouth and ask.

“Shall I tell you? The Demon King’s Army’s goal.”

“…You’re saying there is such a thing?”

Oscar asked, dumbfounded.

“The World Tree.”

Aslaksha said quietly.

“The last legacy left in this world by the Long-Eared Tribe, who are said to have gone extinct in the distant past, somewhere on this continent.”

“…World Tree?”

“Finding it is the goal of our Demon King’s Army.”

Oscar couldn’t answer and just stared at her.

World Tree? What on earth was this nonsense suddenly?

He had never heard even the first letter of “World Tree” since being born and growing up.

“…What is that?”

“This is the problem.”

Aslaksha clicked her tongue and said.

“No matter which human I ask, they all feign ignorance about the World Tree like this.”

“…I truly know nothing about it. Not even whether this World Tree actually exists or not.”

“No.”

Aslaksha shook her head.

“The World Tree exists.”

“…How can you be so certain?”

“Because the Demon King said so. That he confirmed the existence of the World Tree on this continent.”

“The Demon King…?”

Oscar contorted his face strangely. He couldn’t properly judge what expression to make.

“Just because the Demon King says so… does that make it truth?”

Oscar stammered. The Aslaksha who had appeared like a predator until just now, now seemed like a cultist whose mind had snapped.

“Does the, Demon King’s, words… have any, basis…?”

“Hmm, as for basis….”

For her, Oscar’s expressions that belittled the Demon King, her lord, might have seemed somewhat rude, but surprisingly, instead of getting angry, she tilted her head and chose her words carefully.

Like a sage bestowing divine teachings to a pitiful creature, guiding them to God’s side.

“The Demon King is from this continent, you see?”

But at Aslaksha’s subsequent words, Oscar was completely dumbfounded.

“Could it be you didn’t know?”

Aslaksha said to Oscar, who was staring at her blankly. Then she turned to Cardinando and asked again.

“Did Lord Cardinando not know either?”

“Wh-what are you talking about…?”

Cardinando asked back in confusion.

“Ah… I see. That makes sense.”

Aslaksha nodded, as if understanding on her own.

Toward the two princes looking at her with bewildered expressions, Aslaksha said.

“The Demon King was originally human.”

“…What did you say?”

Oscar and Cardinando murmured simultaneously.

-Kwaaaaaaang!!!!!

At the same time, the basement ceiling collapsed with a thunderous sound.

Dirt, dust, rocks, and gravel came rumbling down, and Aslaksha extended a thick mana barrier with a single gesture to block the dust.

Through the hole punched in the ceiling, the soft white moonlight of midnight shone in, reflecting through the thick dust that had risen.

“That story just now.”

From within the brilliantly shining dust, a woman’s voice mixed with a sharp metallic sound flowed out.

A familiar voice that Oscar, Cardinando, and even Aslaksha clearly remembered hearing before.

-Huuk…!

The figure standing in the middle of the dust swung a giant sword in her right hand like a fan.

“I’d like to hear more about it.”

“My goodness.”

Aslaksha murmured, her face hardening.

The thick dust scattered to the sides in an instant, and through it, platinum hair, white with age, was revealed.

“It’s been a while, Aslaksha.”

“…Yes, it has been a while.”

Aslaksha responded in a subdued voice. One emotion that wasn’t there until just now raised its head from deep within her heart, like a fish rising to take bait floating on the water’s surface.

Anger.

Aslaksha felt a calm but deep and thick anger toward Evangeline.

“It seems there’s no time to welcome our reunion after two years… I’ll ask directly.”

“…”

“The Demon King being human, what exactly does that mean?”

Aslaksha narrowed her eyes and replied.

“I don’t think I’m obligated to answer that.”

“Ha, discrimination right off the bat? Just like the Demon King’s Army.”

Evangeline sneered, criticizing her.

“Evangeline…?”

“Wait a moment.”

Evangeline briefly spoke to Oscar.

“I’ll rescue you soon.”

“Rescue me?”

That’s when Cardinando spoke up.

“I don’t know what means you used to get here, but that’s not going to happen.”

-Wajangchang!!

Cardinando, with a hardened face, smashed the crystal ball he was holding on the ground.

“…What are you doing?”

“This crystal ball is also a transmitter.”

Cardinando answered.

“In the next 30 minutes. All available forces within the Empire will converge here.”

“I see.”

“It doesn’t matter if all the forces outside have been subdued. Numbers can always be replenished.”

Cardinando snickered as if it were nothing.

“And, if I remember correctly, it hasn’t even been a week since another hole was added to your belly.”

Cardinando pointed at Evangeline accusingly. Evangeline silently hardened her expression, and seeing this, he became even more triumphant and raised his voice.

“What can you properly do in that condition? Hm?!”

“…”

“This is rather fortunate. Lady Aslaksha!”

“Yes?”

Aslaksha turned her head with a gentle smile.

“The Princess Knight must be a troublesome opponent even for your Demon King’s Army. Am I right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Then now is the perfect opportunity. Her current physical condition is beyond the worst.”

“Ah, I see.”

Aslaksha nodded.

“I understand what you mean.”

Aslaksha murmured and slowly stepped forward.

Evangeline, who had been quietly observing their conversation, smiled wearily and murmured.

“That’s strange. Isn’t it the norm here to say something like ‘Why should I move according to your demands?'”

“Do you take me for a fool?”

Aslaksha laughed softly.

“Your shallow attempt to hurt my pride is useless. The relationship between me and Prince Cardinando is clearly one of horizontal alliance. Besides, is there a predator who would turn its gaze elsewhere when there’s immobilized prey right in front of it?”

“…That’s true.”

Evangeline nodded.

“But you know, Cardinando?”

“…?”

Cardinando frowned at Evangeline’s voice suddenly calling him.

“There’s one thing I haven’t told you.”

“…Whatever nonsense you spout is useless.”

“The problem is, it’s not nonsense.”

Evangeline shrugged, speaking as if it were really nothing.

“Lord Scabbard is on his way here.”

“…!!”

At Evangeline’s words, Aslaksha and Cardinando reacted simultaneously.

Aslaksha, who had been slowly stepping forward, stopped in her tracks and silently opened her eyes wide.

“…Ha, nonsense.”

Cardinando scoffed in response.

“How could Scabbard come here? That man is currently at the Kingdom’s western front…”

“We made contact. He left the western defense line to the 3rd and 4th seats.”

Evangeline provoked Cardinando with a smirk.

“That old man needs a vacation too. He’s human after all.”

“…Indeed, you’re lying.”

Cardinando murmured in a trembling voice.

“To think you’d try to intimidate me with such bluff…”

“It doesn’t seem to be a lie, though?”

Aslaksha muttered at that moment. With a hardened expression, far from her previously smooth and gentle tone.

“There’s just one, but I sense a massive presence approaching the Empire at high speed. This level of mana… it could only be ‘him.'”

“…Are you trying to deceive me too?”

“What would I gain by deceiving you?”

Aslaksha answered curtly. Cardinando, who had been denying reality, soon shook his head and murmured.

“How did you make contact?”

“What do you mean how?”

“All lines from inside the Empire to the outside should be under my control right now. How did you bypass my ears…”

“No, that’s not true.”

Evangeline immediately shook her head.

“Of course, most lines are under your mana control… but not all of them.”

“That’s impossible…”

“I hear the Empire’s history began with the mafia.”

Evangeline murmured in a clear voice for all to hear.

“Did you think they wouldn’t have one or two independent lines to deceive the imperial family’s eyes?”

“…I dispatched surveillance officers to manage their lines without exception.”

Cardinando rebutted. Evangeline silently grinned, then raised her hand to her waist and made an OK sign.

With the back of her hand facing the floor.

“I bribed them a little.”

“Those damn bastards…!!”

“Your Highness.”

Aslaksha spoke up at that moment.

“The speed of the presence presumed to be Scabbard is quite fast. It seems he will arrive at the Empire within 2 hours.”

“2 hours?!”

Cardinando let out a groan full of astonishment.

“Damn it, is he a locomotive?!”

“He’s the world’s strongest knight. That’s what he does.”

Evangeline shrugged.

“They say there’s a ‘world’s strongest mage’ in the Empire who rivals that old man… but that old lady is at odds with you right now.”

Looking at Cardinando, who was silently biting his lip, Evangeline grinned and said.

“Game over?”