CHAPTER 173

Idria admitted in a bitter tone.

“If I had to put it into words, yes. The reason he has been helping me all this time was to raise me well so he could absorb my power.”

“……”

“Do you know how I felt when I realized that? I was like livestock who had trusted and followed its master for always giving it good feed, only to realize it was all to fatten me up for slaughter.”

Everyone swallowed hard.

But I refuted her words.

“It’s not like you ever really trusted and followed Velosian.”

“I was speaking figuratively. You’re pettier than I thought, talking about details like that.”

“Anyway, I get the gist.”

Idria’s reason for wanting to kill Velosian was valid.

If she didn’t kill him, she would be the one to die.

And my reason for killing Velosian was crystal clear as well.

Bringing countless demon kings into the world? That wasn’t just a disaster, it was something even a hero’s hero wouldn’t be able to stop.

Once it happened, there would be nothing left to do.

It had to be stopped beforehand. Meaning Velosian had to die.

I spoke.

“He is holed up in the special room. To bestow his power on Kaeld.”

“I know. Still, giving a human like Kaeld the power of a demon king… that must be a power that interferes with the very laws.”

“Yeah. But after he strengthens Kaeld, he will enter a period of rest. Even for Velosian, it’s not an easy task, apparently.”

“Who told you that?”

“……”

“Impelium, is it? What exactly is your connection with Impelium? Even Adin didn’t know that much.”

That’s actually what I wanted to ask her. Of course, even if I did know, I had no intention of kindly explaining it to Idria.

I changed the subject.

“Anyway, I understand what you’re saying. But it’s not enough.”

“Not enough? What isn’t?”

“If I defeat you, sure, my fame will rise. But will it rise enough to kill Velosian?”

“……?”

“Think about it. Heroes of the past have all slain Demon Kings.”

Grade defeated the Demon King of Destruction.

Lepia defeated the Demon King of Greed.

Leon defeated the Demon King of Corruption.

Sobius… is a special case.

Anyway, even if I killed Idria, it would just be repeating a feat already accomplished three times before.

Idria asked.

“But haven’t you already far surpassed the fame of the past heroes? Isn’t comparing yourself to them meaningless now?”

“Instead, the ‘enemy’ of this era is on another level entirely. My instincts say that fame earned just by defeating you won’t be enough to kill Velosian.”

“Then what exactly are you suggesting?”

“I have been thinking…”

I whispered softly.

The surroundings fell into silence. Even our party members didn’t dare make a sound.

After a while, Neril spoke.

“How can you even think of something like that…”

“What’s so surprising? I said I had to surpass the feats of past heroes. I must do something none of them ever attempted, walk a path none of them ever took.”

“No matter what, still… ha, unbelievable.”

She rubbed her forehead as if giving up on thinking.

Then Idria spoke.

“That method makes me seem far too miserable.”

“Don’t you have to kill Velosian? You’re in no position to fuss about pride.”

“……”

“If we use my method, you won’t have to worry about being devoured by Velosian. Of course, once everything is over, you will fall to my sword.”

She laughed out loud as if dumbfounded.

“Shouldn’t you at least say you will spare me, even if it’s a lie?”

“I have no desire to tell lies in front of the Demon Kings of Lies.”

“Then I have no reason to help you.”

“Then go ahead and obediently get eaten by Velosian.”

“If Velosian devours me, he will become a demon god. That won’t be good for you either.”

“In that case, I will just find another way. As I always have.”

Unexpectedly, Idria seemed convinced by my last words.

“Yes. If it’s you, you certainly would.”

“……”

“So, how exactly do you intend to do this? Will you start here and now?”

Her question was as good as accepting my proposal.

I restrained the corners of my mouth from curling up and answered.

“No. If we fight right here in secret, the rise in my fame will come too slowly. I realized that clearly in that mud pit brawl last time.”

“……”

“Broadcasting our fight live is the perfect way to harvest fame all at once. The sooner Velosian is dealt with, the better.”

Idria said, “That’s not wrong.”

“I only ever say what’s right.”

“…Fine. I will take part in your plan.”

“Good. Then you can come out now.”

I expanded the rift in space wide enough for Idria to pass through.

Moments later, she stepped out and set foot on the ground.

The others instinctively reached for their weapons, but Idria paid them no mind.

She gazed up at the sky and spoke.

“The time and place?”

“Neither’s decided. Though as for time, it will have to be within the next three months while Velosian is shut in that room.”

“Call me when you’re ready.”

“Will do. Neril, do you have a spare communication orb?”

With a sigh, Neril reached into her clothes. Then she tossed a communication orb toward Idria.

Idria asked, “How do I use this?”

“What? You don’t even know that?”

“Why would I have needed to?”

“Ha. Never thought the day would come when I would have to teach a demon king how to use a communication orb.”

Neril quickly explained how it worked.

Idria picked it up in no time and tucked it into her robes.

I spoke.

“Are you going to stay here until I contact you again?”

“No. Thanks to you, my cave is gone. I rather liked that place.”

“Not the least bit sorry about that.”

“I will sort out my lodgings on my own, so just get lost already.”

“Why don’t you call in all your underlings? At least let us say our goodbyes.”

I added with a touch of sarcasm.

“Thanks to your gracious ‘kindness,’ every one of the Fingers of Lies is connected to someone in our party. Since we have come all this way, might as well say hello.”

“Hmph.”

“Come to think of it, the only one whose identity we don’t know is the Third Finger. Which one of us is he tied to?”

“……Heh.”

Idria suddenly laughed low.

“That child has nothing to do with any of you.”

“Really? Hard to trust the Demon King of Lies on that.”

“Then why don’t you check for yourself? With your Eye of Omniscience.”

“Ah, right. I had forgotten. Thanks for the reminder.”

Her mouth twisted into a crooked smile.

“Mide Mohan. Unlike Bion, you are truly unpleasant.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

“…My children will come only after you’re gone. Now leave.”

“Well, I suppose it’s only natural to be cautious.”

If it were me, I would do the same.

I signaled to Xenia.

Soon after, she summoned Agril.

Before flying into the sky, I spoke to Idria.

“Nothing you want me to tell Bion?”

“I doubt he would want to hear it.”

“Then don’t.”

“Tell him this instead: ‘Our fight is finally nearing its end. I look forward to seeing it through together, until the very last.’”

“I said don’t.”

I spoke to Trail.

‘You don’t have anything you want to say?’

[If I did, I would say it myself. You have seen plenty of times that I can talk with Idria even as a soul.]

‘Hmm.’

And so we left the Sacred Forest… or rather, what used to be the forest.

I glanced back at Idria, now nothing more than a dot in the distance, before turning away.

Trail spoke.

[By the way, you going to watch it? Idria and Batore’s secret.]

‘Yeah. It should make for decent entertainment on the way back.’

[Mn.]

Tak.

A screen flickered to life.

You have used the Eye of Omniscience.

The current level of the Eye of Omniscience is 5. The maximum viewable secret rank is S-grade.

The chosen condition is: ‘The secret between Idria and Batore.’

The secrets grade is D. Accessing.

Huh? D-grade?

The image showed Idria.

Behind her stood Sobius and Pirensha.

Surprisingly, the three of them were leisurely strolling through a quiet village.

As if they were just ordinary humans.

Sobius spoke.

“Lady Idria. Is it truly all right for us to be wandering around like this?”

“Because of your face?”

“N-no. I have hidden it under this helmet… besides, this face of mine no longer resembles Padania in the slightest.”

“Then what worries you?”

Sobius answered in an awkward tone.

“It’s not exactly worry, but… is this really fine? For us to be walking around in the heart of human lands.”

“I have interfered in humans affairs more times than I can count. I was the one who handed the gem to the Martial King, after all.”

“Well, that’s true, but still….”

Pirensha cut in.

“Lord Sobius, you’re always fussing over something. I notice it every time I see you.”

“Ahem. Don’t act so familiar when we have barely known each other.”

“You’re fun to tease, too.”

“……”

“To think that Lady Padania, whom I so admired when I was human, turns out to be such a timid person. That’s something I would never have known if not for meeting Lady Idria.”

The fact that she didn’t yet call Idria ‘Mother’ shows that this truly was from long ago.

But Pirensha’s personality seemed much the same as ever.

Idria spoke.

“We came out to celebrate the completion of the first stage of Pirensha’s adjustment. Sometimes a day like this is necessary.”

“Th-thank you. …Wait, first stage?”

“To handle the authority I granted you properly, you will need to undergo several more adjustments. The time for your true work is drawing near.”

“Ugh. That really hurt, though.”

Sobius spoke.

“As your senior by about 200 years, allow me to offer some humble comfort. Once you have gone through it, it all just becomes a memory.”

“You will have to undergo another adjustment as well, Sobius.”

“…What?”

“My wish is close to being fulfilled. I would like to be thorough in my preparations.”

Even though his face was hidden by his helmet, I’d bet everything I own that it twisted at that moment.

Seeing Pirensha smirk, Sobius quickly turned his head away.

Idria continued in a casual tone.

“Besides, a demon king walking openly among humans counts as a kind of deception too. It’s a small thing, but it still strengthens me.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Then next we should head over that way… hm?”

It was then.

A commotion suddenly broke out at a nearby bakery.

“You bastard! Again with this crap? Get the hell out of here!”

Inside, a young man was cramming bread from the display into his mouth.

Judging from the owner’s reaction, it wasn’t the first time. The man immediately grabbed a club.

Without hesitation, he struck the young man’s shoulder.

Thwack.

“Chomp, chomp. Gulp.”

“Damn it, get lost already! Don’t you feel pain?!”

“S-so tasty. Hehe. So tasty.”

“Of course he doesn’t. He’s a useless wretch who can’t do anything but stuff food into his stomach.”

“More bread…”

“You lot, just going to stand there? Help me kick this bastard out!”

At the owner’s call, nearby shopkeepers rushed over.

They must have suffered plenty from him as well, because they joined forces to drag the youth out.

But somehow, he clung to the display shelves and kept shoveling bread into his mouth.

“God damn it! Like I needed more stress these days!”

The owner raised his club high.

Then he slammed it down on the youth’s head.

Thwack.

“…Huh?”

He probably hadn’t meant to kill him.

But the youth collapsed forward with a thud.

Blood streamed from his head.

“H.. hey, wake up!”

“Shit. Did we just kill him?”

“I-it was an accident! Just an accident!”

“Call a healer, no, report it first!”

“No, don’t report it. Just cover it up. You know how much we all lost because of this bastard! He doesn’t even have family or friends anyway, right?”

Idria watched the whole scene intently.

Pirensha asked.

“Lady Idria, what’s wrong?”

“Strange.”

“Strange?”

“For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about it.”

As if she found her own reaction odd, Idria crossed her arms and tilted her head again and again.

After a moment, she spoke.

“Just this once, I suppose an impulsive decision will be fine.”

“…Huh?”

Instead of answering, Idria snapped her fingers.

Everyone gathered around the dead youth collapsed in an instant.

Crackle.

She opened a rift in space with practiced ease and said,

“That’s enough of a walk. I will be taking this one with me.”

“Ah, yes.”

Sobius and Pirensha clearly had a mountain of questions, but they held their tongues.

Knowing them now, they would have pressed her about it. But back then, it seemed they weren’t that close yet.

Together with the youth’s body, they vanished beyond the rift.

Thup.

The screen went dark.

Trail spoke in a flat tone.

[What the hell. That really was nothing special. Well, it was only a D-grade secret after all.]

“……”

[Why so quiet?]

“Mm. Nothing.”

Trail was right, it wasn’t much of a secret.

So why?

Why did the back of my neck keep tingling like this?

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