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Epilogue
Blood was spread out.
The corpse of a knight was laid out.
There was a crest engraved on the armor, and it denoted that the owner of that armor was attached to the Local Knights stationed in Faltra.
Within the forest──
It was a place hidden within the many trees and was hard to see from the surrounding areas.
Alicia swept her sword.
The clinging blood and fat scattered.
The corpse of the knight was at her feet.
Alicia muttered as if spitting out at the laid out corpse.
「Unsightly……I wonder why are people of the Races so unsightly whether they are alive or dead……?」
Before Alicia’s eyes, there was a single girl.
Her silver hair had grown out down to her waist.
Her skin was brown.
Her large, young-looking eyes were gold and, just like those of reptiles, had vertically slit pupils.
Human, Pantherian, Elf, Dwarf, Grasswalker, Demon──The girl’s race was none of these.
A Demonic Being.
Edelgart, was this girl’s name.
She muttered.
「Think, it’s odd. Isn’t……Alicia also……of the Races?」
It was a tone that sounded somewhat sulky.
Alicia smiled as if it were out of self derision.
「I also consider myself to be unsightly, Edelgart-sama. I am not beautiful like you.」
Edelgart tilted her head.
「Butー, Demonic Beings, weak?」
「You must certainly be joking! To say that you all, who far superior than the Races and are far more beautiful, are weak!」
「Still, not enough. Becauseー, 《Demon King of the Brain Enkvalos》-sama was defeated……Demonic Beings too? Demonic Beasts too. Totally, weak. Not give birth, at all. Decreasing, terribly.」
「Yes, I know……《Demon King of the Brain Enkvalos》-sama……I had heard that great person possessed the power to reflect magic……I, have a clue on a person that is similar.」
The one that crossed Alicia’s mind was Diablo.
He naturally claimed himself to be a Demon King.
According to the stories, he could reflect all magic. Although Alicia did not have the chance to witness it in action, there was no room for doubt of that true strength of his.
Going by hearsay, he was considerably close to being a “Demon King”.
Edelgart tilted her head.
「Bu, t~……Feels like, allied with, Races?」
──Come to think of it, Edelgart-sama and Diablo-sama had met once before.
She nodded.
「……Yes, unfortunately. I had even caught sight of signs of him avoiding to kill people of the Races.」
「That’s, whyー……Demon King-sama, is in, different place, maybe?」
Just as she said, Diablo was not the Demon King, and Alicia also thought of the possibility that the genuine Demon King was elsewhere.
Since it seemed that the Demonic Beings could feel the Demon King’s existence with their skin, if Diablo were the real one, they might be able to tell the difference by directly touching him.
That was something impossible for Alicia.
This made her think that the Races really are inferior and unsightly.
She decided to go onto the main topic.
「Now then, although I wasn’t able to investigate Diablo-sama himself as he didn’t have any openings, I did try investigating the Pantherian called Rem that was beside him──And I myself was deeply touched by the beautifulness of the soul that was within her.」
「……Demon King-sama?」
Her eyes became sharp.
Alicia tilted her head looking troubled.
「To what degree of accuracy does the 《Identification Magic》 that you taught me go up to?」
「……To degree of ”good luck charm”? If the knack is knownー, you know. If don’t, vague?」
「Then unfortunately, I cannot say it for certain. However, for me, I feel that the Demon King-sama’s soul just might be within the girl called Rem.」
Edelgart tilted her head as if mimicking Alicia.
「What are plans? Kill?」
「Will Demon King-sama be revived if she is killed?」
「Nnー……Don’t know. Have to try.」
「Wouldn’t the problem in that be that it could be lost……? Moreover, Diablo-sama is at Rem’s side. How should I proceed with this?」
「Leave to you.」
「Fufu……I shall respond to your faith in me. Once I return to Faltra City, at that time……Because right now, I need to report that there is “nothing strange” so that the royal capital’s State Knights and army don’t get in the way.」
「Carry you, to royal capital?」
Edelgart looked deep into the forest.
Her favorite mount──a type of Demonic Beast known as a 《Ground Dragon》, was in waiting.
Alicia shook her head.
「No. If I were to move too quickly, it would become suspicious.」
「Nnー……Then, ahー, Edelgart will, go to Demonic Beings’ priest, and try asking if there is other methods of revival.」
「……Diablo-sama is much too strong……Please be careful not to be sensed.」
「Edelgart knows.」
It was a dissatisfied sounding voice.
Because the conversation had ended with that, Edelgart departed.
Alicia was spellbound and gazed at her retreating figure.
Beautiful.
A very beautiful existence.
If only a world where beings such as her rule, if only a world of beautiful Demonic Beings would come.
The unsightly Races should just disappear.
That was the only thing that Alicia desired.
To be continued