Chapter 839 - Chapter 5: Infiltration (7)
"Can you... survive here?"
As I stood there dazed, the Priestess asked in my stead.
"Yes, if I hunt magic beasts, I will not lack for food. Unfortunately, I cannot make alcohol, but I can produce water with magic. Also, you have already noticed, have you not? That we of the Demon Race can manage as long as we have Magic Stones."
"But if you hunt all the magic beasts, they'll be gone, right?"
"I simply must not hunt them to extinction."
"But magic beasts die off too. They'll eat each other, right?"
"Likely so. However, if I regulate them, they should last to some extent."
"Regulate?"
"Yes. I simply need to cull them so they do not increase too much."
Culling...
"Were you culling humans as well?"
Combining the Demon Lord's words from last night with what Henry-sama always said, that's what it sounded like.
"I was."
"What..."
The Priestess was speechless, but it was as I thought.
"I-Is that... the Demon Lord's role?"
"It was."
It was? He used the past tense. Is it over now?
"I have been sealed by you. As such, that role is also at an end."
His expression was strangely calm. Was it as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders after fulfilling his duty?
"W-Why... such a role... W-Were you ordered by someone?"
The beating of my heart echoed in my head. My pulse was clearly quickening.
Previously, the pagan Will had said: the Demon Lord must have a role. If that were the case, the only one who could command someone as powerful as the Demon Lord would be...
"Ho ho. Are you saying there is someone who ordered me to cull humans and reduce their numbers?"
"I-I don't think it would be strange if there were."
I couldn't believe the Demon Lord killed humans as a hobby. If he were a brute like an Ogre, he would have thoroughly tormented weaklings like us.
"Hypothetically, if there were someone who ordered me to do such a thing, what would you do with that knowledge?"
This was, in effect, a confirmation. I heard the sound of the Priestess swallowing hard.
"If possible, I would like to meet that person and have them tell me."
"What do you intend to ask?"
"The method to send you back to the other world. I firmly believed it was possible to send you back. I can't accept that someone I've shared a banquet with has to live out their life in a place like this."
"Do you intend to break the seal?"
"Only to send you back. I don't mind at all if you participate in our banquets, but please refrain from resurrecting to kill humans."
"Do you think such a thing is possible?"
"If it's someone with enough power to command the Demon Lord, they might be able to do it."
He looked at me as if he were seeing a strange creature.
"I want to aim for a world where various races can coexist and prosper. But I don't think that can be achieved simply by sealing the Demon Lord. In fact, many Demon Lords have been sealed until now, yet it hasn't been realized. I want you to tell me how it might be possible."
The Demon Lord fell silent, whether he was thinking or just ignoring me. The Priestess and I remained silent as well. Only a quiet time flowed by.
It was Fiona who broke the silence. She had woken up. She must have recovered somewhat.
"Are you okay? Are you two hungover as well?"
Seeing the Priestess and me being quiet, Fiona spoke to us. She must have been worried despite her own discomfort. She's a kind girl.
"Hmm? No, that's not it."
"That's right. We, you see, are different. Especially me, I've lost my purpose in life, so to speak."
I wonder what a ghost's purpose in life is. Does it really exist?
"I see, maybe me too. I've already achieved it."
Even Fiona started saying it. I thought this girl had a bit more common sense.
"Were you able to achieve it?"
Surprisingly, the Demon Lord asked. He might have wanted to change the subject.
"Yes. Thanks to you. I defeated the Demon Lord together with Jeanne. To be precise, I guess I should say we won rather than defeated him."
I think she's a good girl. I think she's a good girl, but... something is off.
"I see. That is good."
"Thank you very much!"
Isn't it strange that this conversation is even happening?
"Priestess, what have you lost?"
"Me? I, well, I intended to charge into that world with the Henry Party and fight the Demon Lord and win."
That's what you meant? Weren't you worried about the Demon Lord's future?
"Did you not win here? Are you dissatisfied?"
"But you can't use your full power here, right, Demon Lord?"
"Well, that is true. If we had a drinking contest in the other world, I likely would have won against Jeanne."
No, let's just accept the loss and end it there. I won't be going to that world for a rematch, okay?
"Hey, can't you do something about what Jeanne said earlier?"
The fact that he remained silent meant he wasn't denying it. The Priestess began to press for information.
The Demon Lord's reaction to the Priestess's words came after I finished explaining to Fiona what kind of conversation had taken place while she was sleeping.
"Regarding Jeanne's story from earlier..."
He was looking at the Priestess. He wasn't expressionless. I felt a sense of hesitation in his speech.
"Hypothetically, if there were a way, what would you do? Are you saying you would challenge it?"
So it really is like that. The Demon Lord... and the Demon Race were not the enemies of the Goddess.
"But are you serious? This is no mere jest. You will be fighting powerful opponents. Those who are living must be prepared to lose their lives, and ghosts must be prepared to be destroyed."
"Y-Yeah."
Sensing the extraordinary atmosphere, the Priestess's expression also tightened.
"What do you think? Jeanne, Fiona. If there's a way, I want to challenge it. I've trained for that purpose. But setting aside me, who's been a ghost for a thousand years, you two..."
"I'll go. I'm the one who suggested it. I have no choice but to go."
"If Jeanne is going, then I am too. We're the strongest trio, right?"
For some reason, the corners of the Demon Lord's mouth softened slightly upon hearing our words.
"There is a way, if it must be said."
"W-What kind of way?"
"Once you hear it, you must proceed to the end. Are you prepared? If you withdraw now, you can return safely and gain the title of heroes who sealed the Demon Lord."
"I don't need a title. I want the actual feeling of having accomplished something myself, rather than praise from others. As I am now, it's too half-baked; I wouldn't even be able to ascend to heaven."
"However, if you accept, you must proceed further with your exploration."
"From here?"
"You could say it is a restart from here. You will begin anew from this place."
"A restart?"
"Yes. If you are serious, go outside once and bring reinforcements. I will show you a new path."
Reinforcements!
The three of us looked at each other. We were suddenly full of motivation. I'll ask the Grand Archbishop to organize a monster subjugation team... No, let's have the Wetlands Knight Order come too!
"I should tell you, there are conditions for the reinforcements."
"Conditions? Heroes and former heroes are no good, right? But anything else was perfectly okay..."
"That was only until you reached this point. To proceed further from here, more conditions will be added."
"Whaaa! It's getting even stricter?"
The three of us booed loudly, but he didn't change his expression one bit.
"What kind of conditions? A limit on the number of people?"
"Naturally. If you were to deploy an entire unit, they would be unable to move in the narrow passages and would be annihilated by divided attacks from front and rear. You must challenge it with a small, elite group."
He glanced at me. He saw right through me!
"About how many people?"
"If starting from the beginning, twenty people."
Twenty people! That's quite a lot! Since there are three of us now, we can add seventeen more. I wonder about Edward-sama? Gwyn-sama and Eowyn-sama are also reliable. If I cast Almighty Guard on those three and have them charge in, wouldn't they be invincible?
"What do you mean, 'from the beginning'?"
"You have already defeated four of my subordinates and even won against me. That portion must be deducted."
What is that? What kind of rule is that! I'm going to protest loudly!
"Then, how many from here?"
Huh? Surprisingly, the Priestess was calm. She was accepting it.
"Eleven people."
That's almost half! What kind of calculation is that?
"The portion you have fought and won so far is deducted. You defeated four of my subordinates, did you not? That counts for four people. And you won against me. I apologize, but I count for two."
To think a Demon Race executive is equivalent to only one human's worth of combat power is quite an underestimation. And the Demon Lord is worth two. Even if it's twice as much as other Demon Race, isn't it still too much of an underestimation?
"That makes six people in total, right?"
"Diana granted each of you magic, did she not? And quite powerful magic at that. I will count that as three people."
Not only does he know I can use Almighty Guard, he knows that much? And the opponent was Diana-sama—in other words, the Goddess! He's counting that.
Eh? He's counting the Goddess... That means...
"That has nothing to do with it!"
The Priestess snapped. Fiona nodded vigorously.
"If it were a mere passage, perhaps. But you were granted magic that you were not originally supposed to receive. That portion must be deducted."
"But Diana-sama is, so to speak, the Goddess! She's separate from the Demon Lord!"
"No."
In the end, he pushed through with 'no means no.' He said that as long as we were proceeding further from here, we had to follow his policy.
"Surely you're not going to say there are other conditions?"
The Priestess, now in a bad mood, was tapping her finger on the table. Your opponent is the Demon Lord, you know.
"There is one more."
"Whaaa! Still more? Surely you're not going to say ghosts are no good?"
"No, as long as they are not spirits, the race does not matter. Even Demon Race is fine."
"Spirits are no good?"
"Correct. Spirits are neutral. I cannot involve them."
"I see. But we ghosts can go, right?"
"Yes, there is no problem on that point."
Fiona looked at me and took my hand, so I squeezed it back.
"Jeanne! Let's go together."
The Priestess jumped at me. Her body was half-merged with mine.
Seeing that, Fiona joined in as well.
"Because we're the strongest trio."
Just like that, we became a three-headed being.
We continued the conversation while still three-headed.
The final condition was that everyone must be female. Apparently, we wouldn't be allowed to proceed further otherwise. I've heard a story like this somewhere before.
"Can I ask the reason?"
"The reason? Try to infer it."
"Impossible."
The Priestess gave up easily.
"Does Jeanne know?"
Whether I know or not... if what I'm thinking is right, it's a bit scary...
"Is it because those who can converse with the person we will meet at our destination are limited to females?"
My heart started pounding. This was the second time. This topic is not good for the heart.
"Why do you think so?"
"B-Because only females can become Oracles. Both in the past and now, females... Priestesses have been in charge."
If what Will didn't say until the end back then was true...
"Jeanne? That means..."
What that meant. I could only think of one person who was higher in rank than Diana-sama or the Demon Lord.
"I see. If you think so, then that is fine. You should understand once you actually meet."
"Y-Yes."
The Demon Lord spoke as if to follow up on the faltering Priestess, and that conversation ended.
"Also, there's one thing I want to say."
"What is it, Jeanne?"
"We won against you."
It was a drinking contest, but a win is a win.
"Indeed."
"Then, please listen to what the winners say. Because we won."
It was like that with the Sub-Demon Lord. I failed that time, but it won't be like that this time.
"That's right! Jeanne won, so you have to listen to what Jeanne says!"
"That's right. The one who won was Jeanne!"
Listen, I didn't win alone; the three of us won. Though, well, I was the only one who stayed conscious until the end.
"What is it you want me to do?"
"As we proceed further from here, please act as our guide."
The Demon Lord is, of course, male. However, if it's just as a guide, it shouldn't be a problem. I think.
"I am one from the other side, you know."
"Yes. But you lost to us. The battle here should be over for now. If that's the case, since you lost, you must surrender and cooperate with our side."
Eleanor-sama said it before. A defeated general should surrender. If they can't do that, they're just a common bandit. Whether he has to cooperate is a bit questionable, though.
"Heh heh heh, Wuhahahaha!"
He started laughing loudly. That was the second time.
In the end, the Demon Lord accepted my argument. However, he said it would be limited strictly to guiding us on the way, and if a battle occurred, he would maintain neutrality due to his position. In exchange, he wouldn't have to be counted in the number of people. Also, he said that if the eight people we were to gather from now on did not accept him as a companion, he would withdraw. Both the Priestess and I agreed that those terms were unavoidable. I believe the person we will eventually meet is not someone to be settled with through battle, and the Priestess likely feels the same. Fiona agreed, saying if it was okay with the two of us, it was okay with her.
At any rate, we found a guide. Now we just have to find eight more reinforcements.
"Return once and gather people. I will wait until five days before the summer solstice. If you do not come by then, the promise will be void. Human society on the White Island will truly not be left in peace."
He threatened us quite severely. Well, apparently there's no problem if we lose and withdraw halfway, so we just have to not be late.
The summer solstice is in late June. There's enough time even after the restoration of the Northeastern Forest is finished. However, there isn't much time to gather allies. The strongest women of each country are like secret weapons. I wonder if they'll let them go?
Following the Demon Lord's instructions, we entered the mist outside the temple, and as soon as we did, we emerged into a cave where the ceiling glowed brightly. It was the Cave of Testament. The light from the ceiling descended, and Germana came out to meet us.
"Thank goodness. All three of you are safe."
Since we returned in our three-headed state, the four of us hugged just like that.
"How was it?"
"Um, well. For now, we managed to seal the Demon Lord."
"Really! That's amazing. To have accomplished it with just the three of you, it's a record."
"Ah, but, there's a continuation to the story, so to speak..."
"A continuation?"
I explained this and that.
"Can I go too?"
"Spirits are no good. You're neutral, right?"
"I see. That's a shame."
If spirits were okay, we'd have Dune and Mel too. How reassuring it would be to have three of the five great spirits.
"What about the Grand Archbishop and the others?"
"Um, the Grand Archbishop went back yesterday. But Price-sama is upstairs with the local church head. Erikson-sama too. The Henry Party should be there as well."
Apparently, after Testament was activated and we disappeared, mist began to rise from the magic circle. And the mist was just mist. So, Germana took over the monitoring, and the Henry Party was dismissed to wait at the church.
"What about King Seldic?"
"King Seldic went back. He said he'd come immediately if there was any change."
"I see. Then I'll talk to Price-sama."
"Understood. Then let's go up."
"Yeah."
Eight people, huh. It's better to consult with Price-sama before looking for them.