6
Chapter 6
Even in the Demon Tongue, there are tones and nuances, and the Saint did not miss the emotion Lilith briefly displayed.
"It seems you two have known each other for a long time."
"None of your business."
"I would appreciate it if you would answer my question."
"Do I have to?"
"It is my wish. Surely it is not too much to ask?"
"Ugh, you're such a pain."
The Saint kept digging persistently. She really is a woman of incredible obsession.
Now... did she ask if there was a conscience in Lilith's heart?
No, she asked if goodness could bloom even within a demon. In essence, she was asking for my agreement.
"Just as humans are all different, demons are all different too."
"Is that so?"
"There are bastards like the Eastern Grand Duke, and then there are ones who actually feel things like a conscience, like that dim-witted girl. It's demon by demon."
"So you're saying one should avoid hasty generalizations."
She's slow on the uptake, yet she understands this part well.
But is it really okay for me to talk so carelessly about the high-ranking officials of the Demon Realm? The Saint might figure out my identity.
...But what does it matter if I'm caught? I've only got about four days left until I head to the guillotine anyway.
"If you still want to be sure, ask her yourself. I wouldn't know."
"I shall do that."
Finishing her conversation with me, the Saint turned back toward Lilith.
The curve of the Saint's pale lips was soft as always. I honestly wonder if she was born with a naturally smiling face.
"W-What... I'm... dying...?"
Whether she knew the Saint was watching her or not, Lilith was clutching her head and muttering in confusion.
She was drowning in a surging river of panic. Why? Was it because she had owed her life to the Saint, only to realize she had pushed her toward death? Was that really it?
I can't empathize with it, but as I said, it's demon by demon, so I'll let it be. It's just a bit pathetic.
"Ugh...! W-Whether she dies or not, what does it have to do with me...!"
A moan escaped Lilith's red lips. It was a ragged, unrefined sound.
"It's not my fault! It's your fault for being stupid enough to let me go!"
Suddenly, Lilith screamed violently. A sinister aura of Demonic Energy surged menacingly behind her.
"Just get out of my head already! Why do you keep making me feel so uneasy! Why does my chest feel so tight!"
A desperate struggle—that's how it looked to me.
"I only did my duty! It's only natural for a Duke of the Demon Realm to attack the Saint! You're the weird one for letting me go!"
A struggle to hide her shame... though in my eyes, it wasn't even shameful, but she clearly thought it was.
However, it seems it looked different to the Saint's nonexistent eyes.
"You are suffering from worldly desires."
"...! W-What are you doing!"
"Please stay still."
"What on earth are you trying to...!"
The Saint reached out. Her hand brushed against Lilith's, who flinched in surprise.
"Holy Lord."
"...!"
"Please bestow a blessing of peace upon this poor lamb wandering through the deep darkness."
"S-Stop doing weird things...!"
"Indeed, love stems from a stable mind and body..."
A Light Aura emanated from the Saint's hand. I'm too tired to even comment on it now.
She's probably about to pull some nonsense again, shaving off her own lifespan. Even if the person is doomed anyway, I don't see what she gains from helping others.
Besides, isn't Lilith a demon who betrayed the Saint? Would she really want to help such a demon? Even if I were reborn, I could never understand her eccentricities.
Vrrrrm—
The brilliant light became a stream of water and seeped into Lilith. It penetrated through the folds of her clothes and struck her chest.
Lilith's expression went blank. Her breathing, which had been a mess until a moment ago, had finally calmed down.
At the same time, the Saint's complexion turned pale. Hmph, whatever, she chose this, so she can deal with it. I'm done with the struggle of helping her using my telekinesis.
Vrrrrm—.
Ssssh—.
The time of radiance did not last long. The intense light that had brightly illuminated Tartarus quickly vanished, signaling that the Saint's Holy Power had run dry.
"What did you do to me?"
Lilith asked, sensing the change within herself.
"I wonder... if you feel even a little bit more at peace now..."
"I asked what you did! Tell me! Why does my chest feel so clear now? What trick did you use!"
"As an Apostle of the Lord, I have simply fulfilled my duty..."
"You... you absolute idiot...!"
Even to Lilith, the Saint seemed like a fool. From my perspective, they were both morons.
"Hah... is it true that you're dying? An execution?"
"Yes, there are four days left."
"Where is it happening?"
"They said it will be at the Empire's Square. However, the Demon King has shown mercy and allowed me to be beheaded while facing the direction of the Lord."
Oh, I'm also heading to the guillotine at the Empire's Square. I don't know if the timing will be the same, but it seems the Saint and I are destined to die on the same day, in the same place.
"Urgh."
Lilith bit her lower lip. The Saint must have used her own lifespan to heal the wandering heart, and it seemed Lilith was troubled once again by the fact that the Saint was going to die.
"Forget it."
But this time, it was different. Lilith didn't scream or fly into a rage.
Instead, she shut her mouth and turned away.
"Whether you die or not has nothing to do with me."
Leaving those words behind, Lilith tried to walk away without looking back.
She seemed to be suppressing words she still wanted to say.
Step, step—.
What stopped Lilith in her tracks was the faded voice of the Saint.
"I forgive you."
Lilith narrowed her eyes and asked bluntly.
"What?"
"I said that I forgive you."
"Crazy... you're about to die, so what are you talking about? Forgive what?"
"I forgive everything—the guilt, the karma, the sins that torment you."
"...!"
"So, please, be at peace now."
The Saint smiled. A smile that was fundamentally different from the Clown's grin that had been my trademark traced her lips.
"No creature is born evil. The conscience residing in your heart proves that."
"Nonsense."
"Be at ease. And please, continue the path I have walked."
"Bullshit. Even an orc would make more sense than you."
"The world that the Demon Army will rule over will be very dark. Because it is such a world, even the smallest light can brighten the surroundings."
"What are you asking me, a demon, to do?"
"Start with small acts of kindness. Kindness is like cotton candy; once you start, it snowballs."
Those words... she had said the same to me. Though back then, the subject was 'love.'
"You crazy bitch. Get lost."
Upon hearing the Saint's persuasion, Lilith whipped her head around and marched out of Tartarus with heavy steps.
The Saint was left behind, looking as pitiful as an abandoned puppy.
I spoke up with a sneer.
"What a shame. It doesn't look like your persuasion worked at all."
"Haha."
"I saw her feeling guilty, so it's a bit surprising... but Lilith is a demon. There's no way she'd do something like an act of kindness."
"We shall see."
The Saint countered with a gentle smile.
"Is there even anything to wait and see? It's obvious."
"Mr. Demon, may I tell you something I heard from the outside?"
"Why? Is it something special? Did the Demon King kick the bucket?"
"Not exactly... it's about how the Four Great Dukes of the Demon Realm treat their prisoners."
"Prisoners? Sounds interesting. Go on."
With my permission, the Saint spoke as if she had been waiting for it. I realize today that having to give permission for such things—and her excessive politeness—is truly irritating.
"Setting aside the Northern Grand Duke, who went missing three months ago, I'll explain. I've heard the Eastern Duke of the Demon Realm turns all prisoners into slaves. He makes them do grueling or filthy work. For example, as relief for the urges of magical beasts."
"Ugh, how disgusting. He really embodies the virtues of a demon."
"The Southern Duke of the Demon Realm supposedly uses prisoners as tools for art. I've heard he even melts people down to use them as paint."
"Now that's a real demon. I like him; he and I are on the same wavelength. Although my art is explosions."
At the word 'explosion,' the Saint let out a soft giggle before continuing. It was an infinitely pure sound of laughter.
"As for the Western Duke of the Demon Realm, I've heard she doesn't lay a finger on any prisoner who doesn't resist."
"...Really? That bitch Lilith?"
"Why would I lie? She apparently gave strict orders to the Demon Army not to touch them at all."
"That's absurd."
"Because of this, some refugees are reportedly moving toward the west of the Continent. This started the day after I let Lilith go."
I think I understand the point she wants to make.
Though it's something I cannot help but doubt.
Lilith is a vicious demon. One of the worst in the Demon Realm.
And that Lilith doesn't touch the prisoners she captured? She even forbade the Demon Army from doing so?
It's a hard piece of information to swallow, but after seeing Lilith's state just now, I can't completely dismiss it.
Because in those final curses Lilith spat out, I felt an uncontrollable tremor and confusion.
I enjoy chaos, but this was a spiritual chaos of a completely different root.
Suddenly, a flash of delusion flickered in my head.
It was a ridiculous delusion. Yet, for some reason, my logic leaned toward it.
I asked the Saint, who had stepped closer to me.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"Please, go ahead."
"When you went through the trouble of catching Lilith and then let her go long ago... were you seeing all the way to this point?"
"...."
I know. I know this suspicion is baseless.
Seeing the present from that distant past? It's a thoughtless delusion. After all, the Saint is stupid, stubborn, and dull.
Yet, my heart keeps pointing in that direction. It's even more so because the Saint just smiles without answering.
"Once the Hero surrendered, it was a war with a predictable outcome anyway."
"...."
"Even if Lilith were annihilated, a new Western Grand Duke would simply be appointed."
"...."
"That's why you showed Lilith mercy—to trigger her guilt and give hope to the Continental People who would eventually become prisoners. Right?"
As I continued, the Saint gave a gentle smile. I know well that this was a silent affirmation.
"Strange woman."
"Is that how I seem to you?"
"Normally you're as dumb as a rock, but you're surprisingly sharp when it comes to the weirdest things."
"I simply focus on the act of kindness before me. Where is there room for calculation in kindness?"
"Well, I suppose that's possible."
It's not entirely wrong. As she said, at the time, she might have had only the single-minded intention to let Lilith go.
The Saint's claim that the ripple effect was like the flap of a butterfly's wing, leading to the current situation, doesn't defy reason either.
However.
"Kelth was rambling about how the Saint has the wisest pair of white eyes on the Continent."
For that to be true, the rumors about the Saint are far too famous. Was she called the most brilliant woman on the Continent alongside the Great Sage Merlin?
"You flatter me."
"Saint, that's just deception, not humility. How are us morons supposed to survive?"
"...."
The Saint did not argue against my words. Instead, she quietly leaned in and rested the back of my head on her lap.
Our faces became so close they almost touched. As usual, she tucked my head into her embrace.
In an environment already stifling due to the heat of Tartarus, we were now hugging.
"Is it uncomfortable?"
"You clearly know it is. This is incredibly uncomfortable."
"Shall I stop?"
"...Just forget it. You shouldn't have held me in the first place."
Having spent only a few days together, had I already grown accustomed to the Saint?
It was truly a mystery.
"Please eat."
The Saint handed me the piece of bread she had been saving.
"Ah—."
"Hearing you enjoy it makes me feel full."
"Full my foot. You should eat some too."
I nudged my head and tapped the Saint's stomach a few times. It was a skeletal belly with hardly any flesh on it.
Throb—.
Ah, damn it. It felt as if every bone in my body was shattering. I shouldn't have done that.
"One piece is enough for me."
"And yet you feed me three?"
Each person is rationed two pieces of bread. However, the quality of the bread for the Saint and me was different.
It was because Kelth always swapped the Saint's bread. Hers was always soft and sweet.
The Saint always gave all of those to me. Even when I said it wasn't necessary, she forced me to eat them.
"You are a demon, after all. I heard demons have appetites three times that of humans."
"...That's true. But."
"But what?"
I twitched my lips with a slight smirk. A mischievous urge to tease her pure nature had taken hold.
"Do you also know that demons have a sexual drive seven times higher than humans?"
"...?"
"Instead of just satisfying my hunger, why don't you satisfy that too, since you're being so helpful."
Of course, given my current physical state, it was impossible. This was purely a joke to tease her.
"...Sexual drive?"
The Saint responded after glancing shyly toward my lower body through her bandaged eyes. Since she had so little energy, there wasn't exactly anything bulging down there.
"I am sorry, but..."
"Kik!"
"I was taught that a priest serving God must remain chaste. I hope you understand."
The Saint's face flushed crimson. She bowed her head slightly. I could feel her intentionally avoiding my gaze.
She was a Saint who always smiled with elegance. To think she would react this way to a single dirty joke.
When someone is like this, it makes me want to tease them even more; I just can't leave her alone.
"I thought you were smart, but as expected, the Saint is quite dull."
"Maintaining chastity is a duty I must fulfill as an Apostle of God."
"What? Wisdom? Puhaha! You're trembling just at the mention of bedroom talk, and you're talking about—!"
"I am not trembling... I would appreciate it if you did not view me as such a vacant woman."
Engaging in this back-and-forth, seeing the Saint occasionally stumble over her words, the day passed quickly. At least by my standards. since no light or wind enters Tartarus, there was no way to verify.
Then came the next day. Just like yesterday and the day before, a visitor arrived.
However, the identity of this visitor was somewhat unique.
The girl who was once the hope and despair of the Continent.
The girl born to oppose the Demon King, but who ended up surrendering to him.
The girl who was revered as the Unyielding Hero during the era of the cold war, but had now become the Cowardly Hero.
The Hero, Frey de Siegfried.
She was the fourth visitor, one of the most famous figures on the Continent alongside the Demon King.