Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Saint's Inner Thoughts
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While Astal was telling Victoria his last words, two beings were making their way towards the castle where the Demon King Ergothom resided.
A slime that lives by consuming the memories of other creatures, and a wolf with the ability to bite through time.
Memoria and Romulus couldn't understand why the Demon King Ergothom they served continued to remain silent.
"Romulus… Even if we go and speak to him… I doubt the Demon King will change his mind…."
The massive green slime undulated as Memoria slowly mimicked human speech, producing a voice.
Memoria possessed the ability to suck out and consume the memories of other creatures, making them her own and using them, so mimicking human speech like this was simple.
"Who says? I'm not happy about doing all this just to save some little girl either. But why should we just sit here and wait to die?"
And Romulus was the same.
Unlike a normal wolf, being closer to a mythical being, he could express his thoughts in words this way.
"The Demon King… surely has his own thoughts…. If not for him… how many beings do you think would have survived in this barren land…?"
"I also know that the Demon King gathered the monsters and demons who were each living separately here, united them, named this place the Demon Realm, and killed or drove out all the humans who originally lived here…!"
As their conversation implied, this continent now called the Demon Realm was originally a place ruled by humans.
In ancient times, long before the concept of a 'Hero' existed, monsters and demons lived like livestock or slaves to humans.
"That's why it makes even less sense! How can a god-like being who saved us all just leave some lunatic mage who killed two of our Four Heavenly Kings alive?"
Romulus bared his fangs and growled.
This was precisely why countless monsters and demons still followed Ergothom, calling him the Demon King.
Because he gathered the demons and monsters who had each accepted their given fates, united them, overthrew the humans, and conquered this land.
"The Demon King must also be saddened…. He was the one who saved you when you were a pup and almost died at human hands…."
"You're no different, Memoria. Who but the Demon King would be crazy enough to make a brain-sucking slime a Heavenly King? Ugh, gives me the creeps."
Romulus spat out the words while looking at Memoria, who continued to undulate and mimic human mouth structure.
As they said, in this Demon Realm, Demon King Ergothom was a hero, a parent, or even an ancestor to the point that it would be faster to count those who didn't owe him their lives.
In complete contrast to how the members of the Hero's party were regarded as saviors by the humans across the continent.
Here, the Demon King was justice, and the Hero was evil.
"Precisely, I only eat memories…. The more precious or happy the memory is to the creature, the better it tastes…. I don't eat brains…! I'm a gourmet…."
Memoria bristled her body like a spiky hedgehog at Romulus's joke.
She was an imperfect monster who couldn't continue to exist unless she sucked out others' memories.
Unlike ordinary slimes, who could survive just by melting and consuming corpses or absorbing nearby grass and tree roots.
"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Don't you crave the memories the Hero's party has? If you steal all the knowledge of magic that lunatic mage possesses, we can eliminate our most dangerous factor in one go."
"Ooh… I hadn't thought of that…."
On the contrary, because of that, Memoria could utilize memories obtained from other life forms and even transform into their appearance to mimic them perfectly.
"If you just eat the memories of that person Astal Kaisaros, we can turn the magic he possesses right back on the Hero's party!"
Romulus laughed with his mouth wide open, imagining what was to come. They probably wouldn't even think that the magic used to defeat Dullahan and Bellamora could be used against them.
Two of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings had already fallen.
The situation had proven he was a skilled individual that couldn't be explained away by luck or mere chance.
"The ones who have come here now are different from previous Hero parties. It might be, as the prophecy said… that the one who will kill the Demon King has truly appeared."
Romulus recalled words he had heard in the past, regretting again that Dullahan had deliberately spared Astal.
What if the Demon King had sent him instead of Dullahan back then? Then two Heavenly Kings wouldn't have died at the hands of this mage Astal now.
There were many things that bothered him.
Even after hearing that Dullahan had filed such a false report and later that Astal had survived and joined the Hero's party, Demon King Ergothom had said nothing special.
"Then… is he deliberately waiting for his own death…? Why on earth…?"
"I don't know either. I know the Demon King's wish is to resurrect a dead girl he can't forget…."
Listening to Romulus, Memoria spoke as if something had clicked into place.
The Demon King who leads multiple parallel worlds to destruction—his true goal was the revival of a person who died long ago.
"Anyway, I'm going to formally tell the Demon King that Astal Kaisaros must be killed. No matter what the Demon King is aiming for, this is wrong."
Saying that, Romulus leaped over the high castle wall of the Demon King's castle and gestured to Memoria to come up quickly.
"Right… we serve the Demon King… We can't forever believe the words of some god from another world…."
Thus, the two opened the tightly shut gates of the Demon King's castle and encountered Ergothom inside.
"…What is it? I'm sure I gave advance notice that no one was to enter here."
Whether his subordinates entered or not, Ergothom continued to pray toward a mural depicting a girl, shedding bloody tears.
Arian.
That was definitely the name of the girl written small on that mural.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "—Anima and Taryon said they'd hold a wedding ceremony once the Demon King is defeated. If you need it then, open the vault under my name at the Blue Magic Tower. There should be a few splendid magic scrolls."
Thus, the last words magic, Last Word, was gradually coming to an end.
Since the last words left for Taryon and Anima, not just Kyle, had all been replayed, there was no more room to delay the answer to the confession.
Should I just run away from this spot?
The wicked thought occurred to me that since I'd said what I needed to say to Victoria in the last words magic, maybe I didn't have to say it out loud.
"—Are you guys watching this crying? Honestly, I'd prefer if you didn't grieve so much. After all, we probably caught and killed the Demon King, right?"
"…You're saying bad things again. As punishment, you'll have to give me two hundred kisses later."
"This was recorded before we sealed Dullahan. Considering we both almost died catching Bellamora, it's only natural!"
"…You're not refusing. You really are a pervert. Surely you're not planning to leave a mark declaring ownership not just on my cheek but thickly on my neck as well?"
Victoria chuckled as she said that, deliberately lifting her platinum blonde hair slightly to reveal the nape of her neck.
I gulped.
It wasn't excessive exposure, but as the slender, pale curve of her nape was revealed, my heart kept pounding.
Was it because of the answer to the confession that was about to come?
The thought that after today, she and I wouldn't be in a contract relationship but become real lovers kept shaking my rationality.
"—Why did Lord God choose such a complicated and troublesome method?"
Soon, the part of the last words where I wrote about recalling the problematic Idea was being replayed from the blue sphere.
"So that's how you thought of the Idea. Truly amazing. As expected, you're a world-class genius mage…."
Victoria let out a small gasp while watching the Idea my past self had created.
Actually, it wasn't possible because of Lord God, but because you, Victoria, were there.
What am I doing now?
Even after flatly rejecting the feelings of someone I liked once, I felt pathetic, unchanged.
Why couldn't I just say 'I like you' directly, taking such a long, roundabout path?
"…Victoria. No matter how much I think about it, I feel I should say this directly. The Idea I used to seal Dullahan was also possible because of you."
—Pop.
I turned off the last words magic myself, just before the answer to Victoria's confession would have played.
"These are the words for the Saint I love, Victoria Everhart…. Honestly, more than anything, I was afraid you would die. Because you're the person I like most."
No matter how much I thought about it, this was something I should say directly.
With my eyes wide open, looking straight at Victoria, I was pouring out my feelings.
Victoria must have also felt this embarrassed, must have been so nervous she stumbled over every word.
To repay those feelings, this awkward, immature answer was more fitting than prepared words.
"When I started liking you… it might have been quite a while ago. I probably fell for you the first time we met."
"…I think I felt the same. Unlike people who always looked at me with disgust or with eyes full of awe, you were the one who held my hand."
Victoria stared intently at my face for a moment, then nodded with a happier face than anyone's, speaking in response to my confession.
"Actually, the reason I didn't immediately reject your contract relationship proposal was probably that too. Because I liked you."
"The reason I proposed a contract relationship to you was precisely that. Because I secretly liked you."
Victoria and I stared at each other's faces for a moment, then burst into laughter almost simultaneously.
"This must be the feeling called love."
"That's right. It's the feeling that warms a person's heart more than anything and makes the world look endlessly beautiful."
The feeling Victoria taught me, and I gave to her.
Difficult to put into words, impossible to describe through actions—the name of that happiness was precisely that.
"I… think I like you much more than I thought."
"You only realize that now? I knew you had a bit of a dull side, but I didn't expect it to extend to this part."
I was conveying my true feelings to Victoria without a shred of falsehood, and she responded by leaving a short kiss on my neck.
"Is it too foolish an answer? Sorry, honestly, I still don't really understand the feeling called love. It's my first time liking someone…."
"You are my first love too. If there are things we don't know in the future, can't we just figure them out together?"
"That's true too. Did I say something unnecessary?"
Even our kisses were clumsy and unskilled, but that part felt ticklish and cute instead.
This feeling pounding in my heart right now was love.
This feeling had grown to the point where I had to tell Victoria directly.
"…Sorry for rejecting your confession last time. And… I love you."
I uttered an answer that would embarrass anyone, trying hard to ignore the sensation of my face flushing hotly.
"I hope the answer to my confession isn't too late…."
"Of course it's not too late. Astal."
The moment she heard my confession's answer, Victoria immediately rushed into my arms and covered my face with a kiss,
and she was smiling with tears in her eyes, seemingly so happy.