178
I Killed the Demon King. It was a mistake.
Chapter 178
The next morning dawned.
True to the rainy season, the rain continued to fall, and Raven's research continued throughout the night.
'What will happen when Raven develops magic that can distinguish doppelgangers?'
There's a big difference between what only demons can recognize and what can be definitively distinguished by magic.
If magic could objectively reveal that Caesar and Elijah are doppelgangers, it would be impossible for them to continue living while pretending to be human.
Caesar found it impossible to gauge the trials that would befall him because of this.
Raven's wand stopped.
"......"
Barre silently waited for Raven to speak.
Though he could read thoughts through psychometry, he wanted to hear the story directly from Raven's mouth.
"...It's impossible."
"...Hm?"
"Creating magic to detect doppelgangers is impossible."
Barre knew that the word 'impossible' didn't come easily from Raven's mouth.
Especially when it came to matters related to magic.
After all, this was someone who developed magic to prevent lightning strikes in just a few minutes.
If someone like this said something was impossible despite working until morning, it must truly be in the realm of impossibility.
"Is it because of the anti-wizard?"
"No, it has nothing to do with that."
Raven looked at Barre with sunken eyes.
"Can you still sense that this one is a doppelganger?"
"Of course."
"What does it feel like?"
Barre stroked his chin while looking at the doppelganger.
"...A sense of kinship? Something similar to that."
"I investigated all kinds of magical wavelengths, light wavelengths, heat wavelengths, and everything else to figure out where and how that sense of kinship is felt. But all energy responses coming from this one are completely identical to humans."
Raven put her wand inside her clothes.
"Then this is a law of nature that cannot be revealed through magical phenomena."
"Law of nature?"
"It's like how apples fall downward and hot air rises upward. It's a natural law that constitutes this world."
"So you're saying that my feeling of kinship with this one is connected to natural law?"
"It is natural law itself. However, when you transformed into Caesar or Barre, there was clearly a magic wave. I thought that was a magical phenomenon."
Raven sat down tiredly and drank some water.
"But that wasn't caused by magical phenomena, it's similar to how magic fluctuates when a typhoon blows. The magic was affected and moved by natural phenomena. In other words, it's impossible to magically prove that you are doppelgangers."
"This is the first time I've seen something magic can't do."
"There are several such things in the world. One of them isn't even far away."
"Where?"
"The unopened library in the basement of the Demon King's castle." [tl/n: a different one from Elijah’s]
It seemed Raven had visited the unopened library in the Demon King's castle basement.
"Did you investigate it?"
"Of course I did. But it wouldn't open by any method. Even trying to break nearby walls, they absolutely wouldn't break, and when trying to dig the ground, it couldn't be dug. Just like it's a natural law of this world."
Raven and Barre looked at each other without saying anything.
Even without reading thoughts through psychometry, they knew.
It was time to determine the relationship between Raven and Barre.
Barre wanted to remain on good terms with Raven, both before and now.
However, redefining their relationship was entirely up to Raven.
"What's your exact reason for trying to stop Geotech?"
Raven is rational rather than emotional.
She only becomes a bit softer in front of Barre, but she's a magician who considers it virtuous to make correct judgments with cold reason.
Raven decided to first carefully assess what she could gain and what she would lose if she accepted Barre, while excluding emotions as much as possible.
Knowing Raven's sincerity, Barre decided to tell all the truth.
"There are two reasons. One is to help Agatha safely establish herself in the demon realm."
"And the second?"
"I made a deal with Arch Duke. I agreed to help operate the magic stone mines stably."
Raven's eyebrows furrowed.
"What connection do you have with the magic stone mines that made you make such a deal with Arch Duke?"
"In return, they decided to officially recognize Agatha and establish trade relations with the empire."
"...You're talking as if Arch Duke knew you were a doppelganger?"
"That's right. Arch Duke knows I'm a doppelganger."
Raven sighed deeply.
"I don't know how many more times I need to be surprised. Does His Majesty the Emperor know?"
"No, he doesn't. It's a deal with Arch Duke."
"So Arch Duke gave you command of the magicians knowing you were a doppelganger... Why did he make such a decision?"
"Arch Duke was almost certain the demon realm front would collapse. Actually, everyone knew this fact. They just weren't trying to accept it."
With insufficient troops and supplies, and even internal rebellion occurring, maintaining the wide front was nearly impossible.
Unless they completely conquered the demon realm and killed all demons, maintaining the front in a stalemate situation was close to impossible.
"So what conditions did Arch Duke set for you?"
"He demanded development rights for magic stone mines in Agatha's autonomous territory and trading rights. Of course, this included the point that all dealings with Agatha must go through me."
Raven laughed dejectedly.
"So in the end, you set up this whole game? And I was just a chess piece in that game. No, everyone here was your chess piece. Yan and Mitchell too!"
"Don't say that. Not once did I think of you as chess pieces."
"Then what am I to you?"
"A friend."
"...What?"
"You're a friend I could trust with my life."
Raven blankly read the magic waves flowing from Barre's body.
It was calm and peaceful like a lake.
Barre's words were true.
"Whose side are you on? The humans' side? Or the demons' side? Why do you make things so confusing?"
"Do I have to be on someone's side?"
"What?"
"Although I was part of the Demon King's army, I didn't join by choice. I was swept into the battlefield regardless of my will."
Raven was taken aback by Barre's unfamiliar appearance.
Of all the times she had seen Barre, he looked the weakest now.
"I never coveted the magic stones like the Emperor or Arch Duke, nor did I desire honor and military achievements like the Alliance generals. I'm not seeking revenge for family killed by demons, nor am I a demon seeking revenge for family killed by humans. I simply opened my eyes one day as a doppelganger and became a spy on the Demon King's orders."
"I'm not asking for much. I just wanted to live. If I were to be a bit more greedy, I wanted to protect the lives of all those who showed me kindness. That feeling has never changed, not during the demon realm war and not now. That's why I cared for you, and that's why I threw the axe at the Demon King to save you. I...!"
Raven's eyes widened.
Tears rolled down Barre's cheeks.
"I'm not on anyone's side. I just want this damned war to end."
Raven seemed to understand the real reason why she had overlooked Barre's lies until now.
Barre had always been sincere with Raven.
He sincerely wished for Raven not to die, sincerely wished for Raven not to get hurt, and sincerely worried.
That's why even when rumors spread that Barre might be a doppelganger, Raven deliberately ignored them and instead defended Barre.
Raven decided to hear Barre's true feelings once more.
"What do you really want in this land?"
"I want to settle Agatha safely in the demon realm and send my people safely to the continent."
"Who exactly are your people? Who's included in that?"
"All my unit members, including you."
So that's why Caesar cared so much for humans like Gloria and Messio.
Was every appearance he showed them completely sincere without a single lie?
"...This is really annoying."
Raven wished Barre had been a bad person instead.
She wished he had been an evil demon who had backstabbed her.
If that were the case, she could have at least vented this boiling sense of betrayal somehow...
But Barre wouldn't even allow Raven to vent her anger.
"I want to hit you right now."
"...Go ahead."
Raven kicked Barre's shin in anger.
"Ow!"
But Raven's foot hurt more.
"Are you alright?"
"Aaaargh! This is really so annoying!"
Raven messed up her hair furiously and glared at Barre.
Barre couldn't meet her eyes because her gaze was too fierce.
"I'll forgive you, Barre."
"...Really?"
"Yes. Because you didn't betray me with bad intentions, nor did you truly deceive me. If you had really been a bad person, I probably wouldn't even be alive in the first place."
Raven took a deep breath.
"So apologize. With sincerity."
How could he show his sincerity?
Barre decided to move as his heart guided him.
Barre knelt on one knee to meet Raven's eyes.
"I'm sorry for deceiving you until now. From now on, I won't tell you any lies."
Raven savored the sincerity flowing from Barre's lips.
Though he had lived as Caesar for a year and a half, his sincerity was always rough and unrefined.
The sound of rain quietly filled the silence.
"I accept."
***
Raven waved her wand to bury the unconscious doppelganger in the ground and cast a concealment spell nearby.
"So what do you want to do now? Will you return to Elijah now? Or will you kill Geotech?"
Caesar said as he finished cleaning up the surroundings.
"In my heart, I desperately want to return to the main unit right now. I want to protect my people, including Gloria. But that would be impossible."
It would take days to run non-stop from the Red Mountains to Eagle Valley.
Even if they returned right now, Elijah would have had plenty of time to wreak havoc.
"So I'll kill Geotech. That's the best way to get back at Elijah."
Raven felt like she would suffocate from the calm and refined anger flowing from Barre's lips.
His heart must be that urgent.
"I've been thinking, and there might be a way to leave a message."
"What do you mean?"
"You have a communication crystal, right?"
"I have one connected to Communications Officer Charlie. But wouldn't the distance be too far for communication?"
"Nothing is impossible when it comes to magic in front of me."
Raven found and took out the crystal from Caesar's bag.
Raven began adjusting the crystal's communication magic with her wand.
"The crystal's durability isn't great, so continuous communication won't be possible. But we should be able to leave a warning message about Elijah."
Magic users are indeed the best.
No, is Raven the best?
Anyway, thanks to her, a major concern was resolved.
Raven placed the crystal on the ground to adjust its position.
"All preparations are done. We can send a message for about 30 seconds only. Have you thought about what to say?"
Caesar thought for a moment before speaking.
"Simply saying Elijah is a doppelganger would be meaningless. It would only cause confusion within the Alliance."
"It would be hard to prove, and we might end up being suspected instead. Honestly, I wouldn't even believe such a message if I received it."
Raven began pondering deeply.
"How can we warn them about Elijah?"
"Do we need to warn them?"
"What do you mean?"
"There's only one reason why we're warning about Elijah. It's to protect our unit members, right?"
"That's right?"
"Then we don't need a long message. We just need to transfer my command to someone who will definitely protect my unit members."
"Who could that be? Wait, don't tell me..."
"It irritates me to think he'll like this, but this is the only way."
Caesar touched the crystal.
Green light showered over Raven and Caesar.
"I, Caesar El Lindger, temporarily transfer all my command authority to Mitchell Redfield."