A Lie
Just before Stanashila Pitra's overflowing bloodlust could detonate, Tsarkhella threw herself between us and spoke up.
"Stop it, Mother. My falling for Kang Han-gil was fate. It isn't anyone's fault."
"...!"
At those words, Pitra displayed the textbook reaction of someone completely unraveling into panic.
Her eyes bulged, her trembling hands flew to clutch her head, her pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks, and her tongue locked rigid. Just watching her was enough to make my own chest tighten with unease.
"W-what...? Lindel. Stanasila Lindel...! What did you just say...?!"
"I am not Lindel. I discarded that name long ago! As I stand before you now, I am Tsarkhella!"
As Tsarkhella made her proud declaration, Pitra gazed blankly up at her from her knees, then shook her head with a violent shudder as if desperate to reject reality itself.
"No, no... You are, you are Lindel. Stanasila Lindel. The name I personally gave you..."
"I threw that name away! I am Tsar—"
"I gave you your name!! Who dares change a name bestowed by their own parents! Stanasila Lindeeel!!"
It was a shriek of pure anguish, so piercing that even the fearless Tsarkhella visibly shrank back.
"N-no. But still..."
"Lindeeel! Ever since you were a child, you never, ever listened to a single word! What on earth is wrong with you?! What was so lacking that you threw away your name, abandoned your family, turned into a barbarian, and now... what?! You want to marry Alzen?!"
"...N-not Alzen, but Kang Han-gil..."
Grrrit!
"Hic...!"
As Pitra ground her teeth with enough force to shatter them, Tsarkhella gasped in palpable terror. Seeing Tsarkhella react like that proved she was still human after all.
"Sob... hic...! Please, please... Don't take any more of my family away from me...!"
Yet in the very next breath, the fury shaking Pitra vanished, replaced in an instant by desperate, weeping supplication. The emotional whiplash was so severe she seemed genuinely deranged.
"Mother..."
A heavy shadow fell across Tsarkhella's face. Even she clearly hadn't anticipated such a wretched spectacle.
"I don't care if you live as a delinquent, I don't care if you live as a barbarian warrior... Just, just please... keep your name, and remain this mother's family... Is that really so much to ask...?"
"......"
Tsarkhella parted her lips to answer, then hesitated and shut them. Once, twice, her mouth opened and closed like a landed fish before she finally offered a slow, resolute shake of her head. Though she couldn't bring herself to voice it, the meaning behind the gesture was unmistakable.
Pitra clenched her fists hard enough to whiten her knuckles.
...Pitra was one thing, but Tsarkhella's stubbornness was truly something else.
"Ugh, sob...! Ah, aaaaah...!"
Realizing she had been rejected, Pitra wailed anew, then whipped her head around to glare straight at me.
"......"
Quite literally, her gaze was brimmed with a terrifying cocktail of boundless affection and murderous hatred, radiating a chill of raw malice that made the hair on my arms stand on end. I froze rigid, reduced to a fragile human cornered by something beyond comprehension.
"It's because of you... It's all because of you...!"
"...I won't deny it."
"Heh, hehehe... You won't deny it? Then you admit it? Berik's death, Alzen's change, Lindel's madness... you confess it's all your fault?!"
"Phew... Yes. Pretty much..."
"What?! Kang Han-gil! That's absurd! How on earth is all of this your fault?!"
Tsarkhella cut in, startled, but I simply shook my head. Not only was this hardly the moment for logical arguments, but deep down, if we traced the dominoes back to their source, I really had no defense. If I hadn't egged on Berik, if I hadn't possessed Alzen's body, if I hadn't fought Tsarkhella... none of this would have unfolded.
"If you feel responsible, if you truly want to atone...! Sob! Put everything back! Put it all back the way it was! Bring Berik back to life, get out of Alzen's body... even if it means wiping Lindel's memories...!"
"I am sorry, but none of those things are within my power."
"Hic, sob, heheheh, haha...!"
Watching her laugh and cry like a broken doll, I couldn't conceal the heavy knot in my chest and let out a long sigh. I had anticipated this before ever setting foot in the Duke's Castle, but facing it directly still shook me.
"Haaah..."
...It wasn't as though I had come completely empty-handed, however. In my own way, I had prepared a solution for this pitiful, tragic woman. Pulling it out now felt a bit premature, and her reaction was entirely unpredictable, making me hesitate—but I couldn't just stand by and watch her collapse. It was time to flip over my final card.
"Duchess. Allow me to be realistic. At this present moment, not a single one of your wishes can be granted."
"Heh, hehe...!"
Enduring her glare, which carried the dark, ominous spite of a vengeful specter, I pressed on evenly.
"However, if we step beyond mortal reality... if we reach into the realm of the gods and manifest a miracle, your desires might just be fulfilled."
"...What does that... mean...?"
So she still possessed enough sanity to hold a conversation. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, I did my best to maintain a composed demeanor.
"I have an objective... or rather, a mission. That damn Goddess looking down from above didn't shove me into this body for no reason."
"An objective...? If you accomplish it, my wishes can come true...?"
"Yes. The Goddess guaranteed it herself. She promised that if I fulfill my purpose, she will grant me a single wish."
"...!"
In her wide-open eyes, a spark ignited—a morning star, or perhaps something bordering on pure madness.
"I-is that the truth...?!"
"Yes. Saintess Cecilia and Wendy, the Knight of the Dawn who protects her, can personally vouch for it."
"A guarantee from the Saintess and a Knight of the Dawn... If that's the case...!"
Grab!
Her hands lunged forward, seizing the fabric of my trousers.
"Your mission...! What is your objective?!"
"To slay the Demon God."
"...!?"
Even with her sharp intellect, it seemed to take a moment for the words to register. Her face went blank with bewilderment.
"What... Is that some sort of metaphor...?"
"No. I mean it quite literally. My goal is to kill the alien divinity lurking in the Demon Realm—the Demon God."
"...Ha, haha!"
She burst into a short, incredulous laugh, before an animalistic fury flared across her features once more.
"Do you honestly believe that is possible? Kang Han-gil, if you are trying to deceive and mock me...!"
"I have spoken only the truth, Duchess."
"......"
"Besides, it isn't an impossible feat. You know as well as anyone that I possess a great deal of knowledge."
"...!!"
She vaulted to her feet and grabbed me by the collar.
"Are you telling me that your power... even reveals things concerning the Demon God?!"
"That is correct. I already know. I know how to reach the Demon God, and I know how to kill it."
"......"
Silence hung between us. Her swollen, tear-stained face lingered mere inches from mine before she pressed closer.
"Is it truly... truly possible?"
"Yes."
"...And once you achieve your goal, will you use that wish for me?"
"I will."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"I have nothing to offer you except my word."
"...How long will it take?"
"Five years... or perhaps seven to be safe."
Assuming the Hero grew properly, graduated from the Academy, and set out on the grand expedition to bring down the Demon God, that was roughly how long the timeline would stretch.
"Seven years. If I wait just seven years, will I truly get my family back, whole and intact?"
"Assuming the Goddess has the power to fulfill her word, then yes. It will be so."
"......"
She peered intently into my eyes, as if measuring the weight of my soul.
"Heh, hehehe. Ahaha... It sounds utterly absurd."
"I suppose it does."
"...Very well. I will believe you. Because I have no other choice... and because you have already proven yourself by saving the Duke's Castle and battling a Demon King..."
"I appreciate it."
"...Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Hmm. Help, you say... For now, maintaining my current identity would be ideal. The position of third son of the ducal family is useful in more ways than one."
"Your position..."
After a moment of thought, she nodded solemnly.
"Fine. That won't be difficult. Is there anything else you require?"
"Not at present."
"Is that so?"
Once more, her piercing gaze swept over my features.
"If you ever need anything, tell me. If it is within my power, I will give you whatever assistance you need."
"...Hah."
A small, involuntary exclamation slipped from my mouth.
"It feels strange for me to ask this, but... are you truly going to take the subjugation of the Demon God seriously?"
"There is no other way, is there? Then that is what must be done."
"......"
This went beyond being realistic or resilient. It felt bordering on deranged.
"...Understood. We'll do that, then."
"Good. Ah, and that face."
"Pardon?"
Her hands suddenly reached up, gently cradling my cheeks.
"Now that I am looking at you properly... about half of Alzen's face still remains."
"...Yes."
"...Just in case, it might be wise to secure an heir in advance, even if it only carries half his blood..."
"Excuse me?"
"No, pay it no mind."
With a gentle smile, she wiped her tear-streaked eyes and turned around.
Wait, how am I supposed to just ignore that?!
"Phew... Lindel."
"H-huh? Y-yes?"
Hearing her name called so abruptly, Tsarkhella jumped.
"Follow me for a moment."
"...Why?"
"I said follow me, so follow. Why must you argue every single time I tell you to do something?"
"...Understood."
With her shoulders slumped in defeat, Tsarkhella trudged out the door behind Pitra.
"......"
Was it really over? Just like that?
To be frank, I felt completely bewildered. Given her personality and the gravity of the situation, she wasn't the type to back down so easily... Did she have some other scheme brewing?
"Hmm..."
...Then again, someone as sharp as her had probably figured out I wasn't the real Alzen long ago. Perhaps she had already braced herself for this outcome from the start. If that were the case, her rapid emotional turnaround made some sense... but was that truly all there was to it?
Could it be that the fuse had already been lit, and an irreversible catastrophe was silently creeping toward us while I remained blissfully unaware?
"Haaaaah..."
I had no idea. Regardless, the immediate crisis had passed, so I let my body sink back into the couch.
"You worked hard, Master."
Before I knew it, Muriel had stepped up behind me, her nimble fingers kneading my tense shoulders.
"...Muriel. Get me a drink."
"Right away."
While she retrieved liquor and snacks from the Subspace Pouch to set the table, Cacciola, Rebecca, Latipi, and Pashtra hurried over, crowding close beside me on the couch.
"Phew... My heart was in my throat! I thought we were all going to die."
"Truly... That was more terrifying than being surrounded by a monster wave."
"A human mother's devotion is truly a formidable thing..."
"Uuugh... I didn't even get to properly greet Han-gil's mother... Wait, is she his mother or not...?"
Listening to their chatter as I took a slow sip of alcohol, the door swung open with a bang, and Weller barged into the room.
"Hey! Kang Han-gil! I heard Mother came here! Where is she?!"
"...You sure took your sweet time."
When I leveled a deadpan glare at her for showing up long after the dust had settled, she merely tilted her head in utter confusion.
Late that night, a telepathic message reached me from Rubias.
"Kang Han-gil. Death and Life have begun to move."
"...Can't you people just give me a moment to rest?"
The mere thought of two Demon Kings running rampant across Terabaon gave me a thumping headache. And along with that headache came a quiet, simmering resentment.
"Han-gil, what's the matter?"
"Haa, haa...! Lord Han-gil... please, hurry...!"
"I-I am in your care, Lord Han-gil...!"
"Master-ya. Why are you just spacing out?"
"Han-gil~ Hurry and hold me tight~"
Muriel, Rebecca, Latipi, Cacciola, Pashtra... Five breathtaking women were waiting for me, wearing practically nothing at all, yet that damn Demon King's message had completely snuffed out my erection.
Given how much I had been looking forward to tonight, it was, without question, the absolute worst timing imaginable.