The Deceived, the Deceiver, and the Oblivious 11
The Grey Saint Freeder appeared before our eyes.
We had considered making contact, but seeing her arrive directly in front of us at such an utterly unexpected moment, both I and the demons instinctively sharpened our wariness.
“Crassus, what is the meaning of this?”
“Forgive me… She pleaded so desperately to see my lord that she even fell to her knees…”
“What?”
“Ah… No, wait. What did you just say? That saint? She knelt?”
Hela and Fenrir wore expressions of pure disbelief at Crassus’s answer. The same disbelief gripped me.
Though we had formed something of a cordial relationship while discussing peace, the other party was still a saint.
Together with the pope of the Elf Holy Kingdom, she was one who could directly speak for the will of the gods, and a former member of the hero party—the sworn enemies of the Demon King.
The fact that such a person had come alone to the very heart of enemy territory… and had even knelt to do so, filled me with considerable bewilderment and suspicion about her true intentions.
“It seems you have something to say. Speak.”
“…”
Freeder simply stared at us with a dazed expression. At that, Hela and Fenrir automatically rested their hands on their weapon hilts, making it clear they would tolerate no clumsy ambush. I, too, cloaked my body in magical power and watched her every movement in case of any sudden action.
Then—
Thud.
“…Huh?”
“Eh?”
The scene that greeted our eyes the next instant was Freeder dropping straight to her knees on the bare floor.
We had heard she had knelt to gain entry, but we had only half believed it. Seeing it happen right before us, I and my executives could only fall silent.
While we stood there, stunned and speechless, the Grey Saint Freeder spoke through her tears.
“I am sorry… I am truly… truly sorry… Demon King… and all the demons present here…”
“!…”
Freeder’s apology was completely unexpected. She had been favorable toward us until the very end, so it was possible she carried some guilt. Yet the sight of a saint who served the gods—one who had only ever knelt before the divine until the moment of her gruesome death in the bad ending—now bowing her head to us carried enormous weight for someone who knew the original story.
“…It doesn’t seem like something you need to apologize for. I know you weren’t present when the rest of the hero party attacked me. And I also know you never appeared during the later demon hunts.”
“No… Everything is my fault… As one who carries out the will of the gods, as one who should have pursued peace more than anyone, I ultimately failed to stop their betrayal and allowed everything to be ruined. Demon King… I beg you… Please punish this wretched one!”
Freeder pressed her forehead to the floor, tears streaming down her face. Strictly speaking, she did not bear that much responsibility for what had happened. As I had said, her greatest sin was merely standing by. From the look of things now, she had even tried to prevent it and simply failed.
Nevertheless, she had come to apologize. She felt genuine guilt over the hero party’s atrocities and the crimes of the free races. Watching her, I realized once again that the woman before me had not become a saint for nothing.
Most people, when they commit a wrong, rush to hide it or shift the blame. But she was different. Instead of pushing the sin away, she embraced it, suffered beneath its weight, and had come alone to this dangerous place that might as well have been enemy lines just to offer her apology.
It was something worthy of admiration, regardless of race. As I watched her sincerely beg for forgiveness, I spoke in a quiet voice.
“If I say I forgive you, will that be enough?”
“! Ah…”
“Honestly, I do not consider this your fault. As I said, those who truly deserve punishment are the hero party that orchestrated this and the monarchs of the free races who supported them.”
“…”
“But if it will ease your heart… I will forgive you. I forgive the sins you committed against our demon race.”
“D-Demon King…!”
The moment the words left my mouth, Freeder threw herself into my arms. I felt a flicker of surprise, but when she began sobbing like a child, I could only hold her silently and comfort her.
Grind.
Crunch.
At that moment, sharp sounds came from behind us—the sound of something hard being ground to pieces. A strange chill ran down my spine. In the midst of that awkward atmosphere, I could only hope this situation would resolve itself as quickly as possible.
“Mmm…”
“Tsk…”
The saint, Freeder, had finally stopped crying and regained her composure. Yet the expressions on Hela’s and Fenrir’s faces as they looked at her were anything but pleasant.
They could understand a saint coming in person to apologize and respected the sincerity behind it. Since she bore no direct fault, both were willing to accept her apology. However, that understanding had nothing to do with the current scene.
They could not help but frown at the sight of the saint pressed tightly against the Demon King’s side.
‘That wench… Don’t tell me the apology was just an excuse and she’s actually here to wag her tail at the Demon King?’
‘That… that thieving cat. Now I see—she’s not a saint, she’s a whore. Where does she get off putting those filthy hands on the Demon King’s shoulder…’
Any pretense of “protecting their master” had long since vanished. As women who held feelings for their lord, they felt clear wariness toward Freeder, who showed no sign of leaving the Demon King’s side.
Even so, they could not stop her or drag her away. The reason was simple.
At that very moment, she was spreading out a map and listing every weakness of Sagunto castle and the surrounding region in precise detail.
“Archers patrol this area, but most of the posts are currently empty. However, this beacon tower is always manned, even in emergencies. If we can seize it through a surprise attack, it will greatly delay any news from getting out.”
“I see. Even I wasn’t aware of such fine details. This will be quite useful.”
Freeder was calmly teaching us the most effective ways to drive those who had been allies only hours ago into a deadly trap. Yet this was not born solely from guilt toward the Demon King.
The Demon King had resolved to destroy the world. Freeder did not oppose it. It was an unexpected stance for a saint, but she explained herself clearly.
“God has already abandoned those who made the wrong choice. Their sins have reached the heavens. All that remains is to return the blood they spilled back upon their own heads.”
Her words were terrifying in their own right. Yet the Demon King accepted her without much reaction, and so the saint decided to lend her strength to his cause from now on.
However, she attached one condition.
She accepted the world’s destruction and the inevitable bloodshed it would bring. But she asked that, even amid that calamity, the lives of the innocent—the weak, sinless children—be spared.
His revenge was justified, she said, but making children pay for the sins of wicked adults was simply too cruel. The Demon King accepted her condition, on the understanding that those children would be educated strictly as citizens of the Demon Kingdom, not as humans or members of the free races.
“This should be sufficient. Thanks to you, things will proceed far more smoothly.”
“I am glad I could be of help. I will devote myself fully to serving the Demon King from now on, so please keep the promise you made to me.”
“Of course. As long as you do not betray me, I will uphold it.”
“I swear it. From this moment on, I will never… abandon the Demon King. No—I will remain at your side always. Therefore, if I should ever commit a sin, please cut my throat immediately according to our contract.”
“Understood. I will do so.”
Freeder spoke with firm resolve. Yet regardless of the talk of contracts and oaths, the two women behind us saw only one thing.
“…Tsk.”
“That bitch is at it again…”
To them, Freeder’s behavior looked like nothing more than the schemes of a thieving cat trying to stay glued to the Demon King’s side for even one second longer. Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to press herself so closely against him while explaining the map.
And at that exact moment, as if she had noticed their glares, a faint smile curved Freeder’s lips.
It was a gentle, sticky smile laced with a subtle sense of victory…