“Oh, are you crying? Why?”
I was so startled that, without hesitation, I quickly stood up, unable to even touch Arthur, and beads of cold sweat formed on me.
To see this right after getting up. It’s quite awkward.
“Hmph! Who said I was crying? I didn’t cry!”
Arthur shouted while wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.
No, I just saw tears flowing a moment ago, though.
Feeling embarrassed, I looked at Martin next to me. Martin’s expression was somewhat peculiar, not his usual stern look, more like…
“… He’s smiling, isn’t he?”
Faint, but he was indeed smiling.
Why is everyone acting like this?
I guess they’re sick somewhere.
“Am I the one who should be lying down, not you guys? What happen, seriously?”
“Hmph!”
It seems Arthur sensed my bewilderment, coughed lightly, and regained composure.
“Lady Shekina.”
Then, he took hold of my hand.
“I was worried.”
In that moment, I could feel a warm sensation spreading from his fingertips.
There was no need to look at Arthur’s face or try to understand his sincerity.
His genuinely concerned feelings were palpable enough.
How long has it been…?
No, can it even be expressed as ‘how long’?
Have I ever experienced such pure emotions, the feeling of fully understanding someone with my heart?
Before immersing myself in the game, I had never received an ounce of love. Even then, my family didn’t consider me family, and there was no one I could call a friend.
Therefore, this warmth I feel now…
‘This is thee first time…’
It was the first time.
Strangely, I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I lowered my head deeply.
“By the way, I really didn’t cry. Demons don’t cry. Tears and such things like that don’t exist for us.”
“Lies. I saw you. Crying.”
“I didn’t cry!”
In response to Martin’s teasing, Arthur shouted back, then regained composure and tightened his grip on the hand that had caught mine.
“Still, you woke up earlier than I expected. Fortunately. Is there anywhere you feel uncomfortable?”
“Baby, should I call a doctor? Or perhaps have you examined?”
Smiling faintly at the worried words again, I shook my head.
“No, I’m fine. Not a single ache.”
Is my mind finally at ease now?
Arthur’s face brightened.
“Lady Shekina, you’re truly amazing. Meeting the Demon Lord face-to-face and still being so well.”
“Baby, you’re the best.”
Well, that’s true.
No matter how much the Demon Lord’s power is sealed, he was still the Demon Lord. It’s quite a feat for a three-year-old who isn’t even a full demon to face the Demon Lord’s magic and come out unharmed.
‘I was in danger too.’
If Lyat hadn’t come at that moment, I don’t know what would have happened.
The Demon Lord had targeted me, ready to unleash his magic.
Come to think of it, I should thank Lyat… I glanced at Arthur and Martin, gauging their reactions.
“What about Lyat? Is Lyat not angry?”
“Uh, well…”
“……..”
“You’ll find out when you meet him later, won’t you? Haha. You don’t need to think about that side of things right now!”
“Indeed. Painful matters can be postponed.”
Answering each other while exchanging peculiar glances, their awkward expressions revealed the situation without needing to ask.
‘He must be really annoyed.’
How much trouble will there be… I’m already scared.
I rubbed my forehead.
“How’s about Merdes? He didn’t die, right?”
“He didn’t die. He’s alive. Not in perfect condition, though.”
“Perhaps our lady Shekina’s heart is as warm as this. Worried about another homunculus, huh?”
“Well… It’s fortunate he’s not dead. And it’s not like I care about him.”
“Really?”
“He disobeyed my order not to come out and made a mess of things.”
“Ah, I see. You’ll personally handle it then.”
“Of course.”
“Cheering you on!”
Setting aside Arthur’s sunny and clear words, I shifted my gaze beyond the window.
The time when the sun is at its zenith.
How much time has passed since I collapsed? I turned to Arthur.
“How long have I been out?”
“Just three days.”
“… Three days?”
I expected it to be two days, but it’s been three?
It was surprising. Not only had I been unconscious longer than I thought, but also the day for the priest’s visit had already passed!
“Uh, the priest? How is them? Did they come and go well?”
“Ah… About the priest.”
At my urgent question, Arthur’s face darkened.
“Those damned bastards are still in the territory.”
Did I hear it wrong?
“Those sons of bitches. They come here thinking they’re something, swearing and causing trouble. Huh. Lady Shekina, I swear on your behalf. The moment the Demon Lord’s power is restored, I’ll kill every single one of those bastards.”
I didn’t hear it wrong.
Always seeing Arthur’s gentle face, I forget that his mouth is more profane than a foul-mouthed grandma.
“The priests will join us for dinner. Baby, you can come if you want.”
It’s a welcome piece of news amid my thoughts. I blinked, then quickly recalled the names of the visitors and clicked my tongue.
“No, I don’t want to go. Just want to rest.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yeah. If anything happens, Lyat will let me know.”
Although I wanted to keep an eye on the priests while having a meal together, it wasn’t possible. Why?
‘Because there’s a hero.’
Dehan. He’ll be mixed in there.
‘He’s probably still a novice, so why did he come all the way here?’
Well, he seems like an unhelpful guy.
I sighed.
“So, what are they doing? After inspecting the territory, there should be plenty of time left.”
“Um…”
In response to my question, Arthur seemed to contemplate the answer, sighed as if searching for words, then spoke decisively.
“They’re fighting.”
Fighting? What for?
***
“Your Excellency! Are you here?”
Priest, Anna, grabbing the sleeve of the barely found Yuriel’s priestly robe, spoke.
“Where on earth were you since morning? And why are you here of all places?”
Indeed, Yuriel was hiding in one of the narrow alleys within the commercial district of Daimon Margrave. If Anna hadn’t meticulously searched this alley, she wouldn’t have found Yuriel.
“Uh… There’s something I needed to investigate.”
Yuriel answered, sweeping aside the long platinum blonde hair.
“Investigate? What is it? What’s here?”
“No… There isn’t anything… I just had some suspicions.”
“Suspicions? What? What is it?”
Anna asked, her eyes sparkling.
She had been a priestess in the temple for less than two years. Yet, with her unique friendliness and sunny disposition, she had become close to many people in the temple, including the high-ranking priest Yuriel.
Yuriel, introverted and frail, had struggled to befriend other priests. However, he was drawn by Anna’s warmth, breaking through his reserve as if breaking through solid ground.
The same held true now.
“It’s nothing… Just wanted to investigate…”
“Is there a problem? Should I inform the other priests?”
“No, no! It’s probably not that serious…”
Yuriel hesitated, looking at the floor, then lifted his head and answered.
“I’ll look into it and let you know… There’s not much to say yet…”
“Hmm, okay.”
Anna, with her fists clenched, responded skeptically.
In reality, it was problematic for a priest like Anna to seek help so familiarly from a high-ranking priest like Yuriel. However, Yuriel accepted it, and since he wasn’t the type to assert himself anywhere, it was somewhat tolerable.
‘He’s not the type to get upset with me.’
Anna, who belittled Yuriel in her mind, smirked.
‘I haven’t seen him use divine power much. It must have been overestimated.’
A high-ranking priest is just a position that the perennial second-best could barely occupy.
Anna, who boasted that she could easily surpass Yuriel if she became a priest, smiled even more at the thought.
“Then I’ll go first.”
“Uh… I’ll go outside until dinner.”
“Well, fine. But don’t say you were alone to the Vice-Commander! He ordered you to stay close to the senior!”
“Uh, understood…”
“Actually, there’s no need for me to be so careful around here. The territory is quite pleasant, contrary to my suspicions. I feel almost sorry for doubting it.”
At Anna’s words, Yuriel lightly bit his lower lip.
“Still, be careful. Got it?”
“I got it…”
“Well then, I’ll go first! Come soon!”
Anna left the alley, and Yuriel finally relaxed, leaning against the wall.
Then, he glanced down, precisely at the ‘magic’ traces left on the ground.
– Demons? Are you believing in such groundless words?
– It’s been two hundred years since demons were last discovered. By now, you could consider them extinct.
– Don’t create unnecessary trouble. Daimon Margrave is a place trusted by the royal family.
Yuriel sighed deeply, furrowing his eyebrows.
Despite encountering countless magical creatures in the Northern Holy Temple, the priests there denied the existence of demons. Only the Pope, the Cardinal, and a few high-ranking priests in the Central Holy Temple affirmed the existence of demons.
– Yuriel, you need to find out.
It’s an excessively heavy task.
It’s a heavy burden.
Yuriel clenched his teeth for a moment but soon resigned, slowly bending his knees and sitting on the ground.
“Doubt… if you doubt…”
Yuriel mumbled unconsciously.
“If you doubt, you can eliminate demon. Fight. Then, chaos will gradually recede, and order will take its place in the world.”
Huh?
Yuriel lifted his head abruptly. Immediately, a bright smile filled his face.
“Dehan!”
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