123 - Facing One's Feelings
The problem of Crown Prince Neil had been resolved—though the King didn't actually understand how it had been resolved—but just as he thought that, a new problem began to plague the King's mind. Information regarding Fumiya's actions had finally arrived.
This matter was a major problem of a different quality than that of Crown Prince Neil. When the upper echelons of the kingdom learned of the contents, they initially thought the information had been conveyed incorrectly because it was so unbelievable.
"There are no errors in the information. Unfortunately, that has been confirmed."
The Prime Minister reported that the information conveyed was a fact.
"How were you able to confirm this in such a short period of time?"
Only one day had passed since the information arrived. It should have been impossible to confirm the situation on the ground in that time.
"The knight who delivered Lord Sieg's letter was among the first wave. That person says the information is a fact."
"...Did you not stop him?"
"Before stopping him, he says he was unaware of the Hero's movements."
"I see... And the war situation?"
The King asked about the status of Fumiya's invasion of the Kingdom of Lydia.
"It has been confirmed that he broke through the border fortress."
"So he's off to a good start."
"That is not the issue. Regarding the invasion of the Kingdom of Lydia, Your Majesty's sanction has not yet been granted."
The invasion of the Kingdom of Lydia had been carried out on Fumiya's own authority. The Prime Minister could not accept that this would not be questioned as a crime.
"What kind of crime would this be?"
"He moved the army of his own accord for personal gain. As an act of betrayal, I believe the death penalty is appropriate."
"Hey? Is that really appropriate? Besides, the expression 'personal gain' sounds malicious."
"Since it was not an order from the state, it is personal gain."
He moved the army for his own convenience. The Prime Minister called that personal gain. If it wasn't for the state, it was for himself. He wasn't wrong. And in reality, Fumiya had invaded for personal gain.
"The death penalty, huh..."
"It is a fitting punishment. Whether to commute it through Your Majesty's mercy is not for us to decide."
Ultimately, the King would use his discretion to keep him alive. The Prime Minister had phrased it this way so that it would happen.
"No matter how much we decide on the crime and punishment here, will the Hero obey?"
One of the meeting participants expressed their concern. Fumiya had ignored orders until now. It would be strange to think he would obey just this once. It was a natural concern.
"If he does not obey, his previous military achievements will be nullified. The Hero would be troubled by that as well."
"...Will he not just rebel?"
"That possibility exists."
"What will you do if that possibility becomes reality?"
"Do you not think that the current situation is the result of fearing exactly that?"
They had spoiled Fumiya too much. That was what the Prime Minister thought. It wasn't enough to simply make them surrender. Only by stabilizing the occupied territories could the next expedition be carried out with peace of mind. Fumiya had ignored that and invaded the Kingdom of Lydia.
As the Prime Minister, who had drafted the expedition plans and oversaw the administration of the occupied territories, he could not forgive Fumiya for nullifying those plans.
"So, the removal of the Hero is unavoidable, then..."
"That is not what I desire. However, I cannot allow any more selfishness. If he advances troops further into the neighboring countries, what do you think will happen?"
The supply lines would stretch further without stabilizing the occupied territories between the home country and the front lines. No matter how strong the Hero was, he could not fight without supplies. The Prime Minister believed that the invasion army would eventually suffer a crushing defeat.
"...In the unlikely event that the Hero does not obey the order, what will you do?"
The Prime Minister did not waver in his hardline stance toward the Hero. The King took this to mean that he had made a certain level of resolve.
"I will think about that when the time comes. First, we convey the order. That is where we start."
The Prime Minister had no intention of discussing what he would do in this place. It wasn't that he was thinking of things he couldn't say, but rather that he didn't want to narrow his options.
"Tell the Knight Commander to hurry the complete subjugation of the Kingdom of Aria. Also, have Sieg proceed with preparations for deployment. If there are occupied territories within the Kingdom of Lydia, we will secure them."
The King gave these instructions himself to bring the conversation to a close. These were instructions based on the premise of pulling Fumiya back from the front lines.
"Understood. I will send messengers immediately."
With that, the meeting was adjourned for now. From here on, it would be a secret meeting. The results of that would never be made public.
◇◇◇
Until Ray returned, Akemi remained shut in her room. King Dracul had guaranteed her safety, but Akemi could not trust King Dracul. She believed that he himself resented her. It was only natural to think so once she learned that King Dracul was the demon family that Ray had lived with. Since Ray resented Akemi and the others because that family had died.
The only thing she could do in the room was clean. In this world, there was no television, no internet, and no games. There was the option of sleeping all day, but Akemi did not choose that. It wasn't because she couldn't sleep all day. Rather, a reason had arisen.
Almost every night, Hinata was being tormented by Cecil. On nights when Ray was away, Cecil had nothing else to do.
When Akemi first saw it, she was shocked. The way Hinata was tormented far exceeded her imagination.
Hinata was made to stand naked in the middle of the room. She wasn't just standing. Her hands were tied behind her back, and one of her legs was suspended by a rope extending from the ceiling, leaving her in a one-legged standing position. Hinata's legs were spread wide. The slit of her crotch was clearly visible even to Akemi, who was sitting a short distance away.
Conscious of Akemi's presence, Hinata turned her face away. Even so, she seemed concerned, and Akemi noticed that she occasionally cast glancing looks.
Just seeing her in such a state was shocking, but when Cecil's torment began, the surprise became even more intense.
"Hinata-sama, shall we stop for tonight?"
"............"
Hinata did not say to stop. Even though Akemi was watching.
"After all, it's already like this. It seems I am not necessary tonight."
Cecil said this while stroking Hinata's lower body. Akemi understood what it meant. Hinata's body was reacting just by being watched.
Akemi had never seen anything like an adult video, but she thought this was a level of lewdness that would outdo them.
"What will you do, Hinata-sama?"
"...C-continue..."
Hinata's gaze turned toward Akemi again. She didn't want to utter embarrassing lines in front of Akemi. But that very thought made Hinata writhe.
"I cannot hear you. Could you command me a bit more clearly?"
"...C-continue."
"Understood, Hinata-sama. However, I will not let you go all the way to the end."
"Eh..."
"Because Hinata-sama does not keep your promise."
To make Ray happy. Cecil still demanded that of Hinata. Even though she knew Ray did not desire it.
Cecil's current goal was to bring Hinata down to the point of total fall. She wasn't continuing this to make Hinata happy.
"...That's because Tsukitani-kun refuses."
"Hinata-sama. Have you forgotten again? Did I not tell you that Lord Ray discarded that surname?"
"...Because Ray-kun won't accept me."
"That is because you do not seek him with all your heart, Hinata-sama. There is no man who could reject a woman as charming as you."
Yet Ray rejected that Hinata. Hinata was not hurt when she was being humiliated, but when her value was denied. Cecil had noticed that.
In the original world, Hinata had been the embodiment of beauty and brains. But in this world, there were no exams. Her appearance, which had been praised in the original world, could not be called outstanding compared to the demon women in the garrison. She also had no opportunity to use the magical power she had acquired in this world.
There was no opportunity for Hinata to be recognized in this place. Other than being accepted by Ray. And even that was not going well.
"P-please. T-today..."
Even while exposing such a shameful state, Hinata did not forget her modesty. Since that feeling of modesty ultimately led to her own pleasure, she had a well-made personality.
"What shall we do?"
"Ah... m-more..."
Hinata reacted to Cecil's light stroke and sought more. Akemi didn't know that she was falling faster than usual. Nor did she realize that her own presence was causing it.
At first, Akemi found Hinata's shameful state amusing. But gradually, she began to avert her gaze, eventually looking down and covering her ears.
(...No... I'm different...)
Akemi continued to mutter this in her heart. She had realized that she was becoming excited watching Hinata's shameful state.
It wasn't that she wanted to be treated like Hinata. Though that might be fine too, she simply realized that her body was craving it.
(...No... I can't do that again... No way.)
The days she had been used as a toy by Crown Prince Neil's pages. They were memories she should never want to recall, yet her body became hot when she thought about it.
(I'm different... I'm not lewd... I'm not...)
They should have been painful days. She should have suffered terrible treatment. And yet, her body craved it. Akemi did not want to admit that part of herself. She didn't know that this was because of the collar of subordination.
During the acts, Akemi's heart had been dominated by the collar of subordination the entire time. The emotion of rejection had never been born. The disgust she felt at first disappeared once her heart became numb. The "painful days" were a conclusion she reached after escaping the domination. At the time, all that was in Akemi's heart was pleasure. That was what was tormenting Akemi now.
From that night on, the night became a time of agony for Akemi—.
"...So, what do you want me to do?"
Ray was told this by Akemi shortly after he returned to the conversation.
"Don't make me say it when you already know. You pervert."
"Pervert... I'm asking because I don't know."
Ray truly had no idea why Akemi was telling him such a thing.
"...I'm telling you to calm the heat in my body."
Akemi said this with her face flushed bright red, having no other choice.
"You might think you're saying that indirectly, but it's actually more obscene."
"You're the one who made me say it, right!? You pervert!"
"Called a pervert again... even though you're the one saying weird things. In the first place, why does the conversation even go in this direction? I can't understand it at all."
Ray didn't understand why Akemi had started approaching him as well. In Akemi's story, there was no mention of Cecil doing anything.
"I told you the circumstances, didn't I?"
"I watched Katsura-san's obscene figure, my body started heating up, and I became anxious that I might be lewd. So hold me... No, 'hold' isn't enough. I'm lewd."
"Don't treat me like a lewd woman! You pervert!"
"Who's the pervert here!? This is what you're saying, isn't it!?"
"That's not it!"
"Then what is it? Explain it more clearly."
"...Understood."
Akemi's attitude suddenly changed to one of obedience at Ray's command.
"Ah. That wasn't a command. Or does 'speak normally' also count as a command?"
"...A command is fine. It's easier this way."
Whether it had become a command or not, it achieved the result Ray wanted.
"And?"
"...Simply put, I want you to overwrite my memories."
She wanted to overwrite the physical memories with the pages by having acts with Ray. That was what Akemi was thinking.
"...In other words, is it this? You want to taste my transcendental technique and be so head-over-heels that you'll say you can't be satisfied by any man other than me."
"...Pervert."
"...I'll admit that one. But it's basically the same thing, right?"
"Basically... well, that's it."
Regardless of the expression, the desired result was that. Akemi admitted it honestly.
"I refuse."
But Ray rejected it flatly.
"Why!?"
"Why? Because I don't want to hold you."
"No, no, don't act all serious. If you were invited like this in the original world, you'd happily hold me, even if it wasn't me, right?"
"'Even if it wasn't me.' That way of speaking, subtly placing yourself above me. You haven't changed."
He said she hadn't changed, but he hadn't thought of her this way in the original world. It was just that Akemi's appearance in his eyes was different now compared to then.
"That's not it. I meant even if some unknown woman invited you."
In reality, Akemi wasn't consciously—nor unconsciously—trying to place herself above him.
"In the original world, I wasn't treated properly by women."
"Right?"
"I always thought there was a catch, so I ran away."
One of the few women who had treated him was Akemi. And that Akemi had a catch.
"...I said 'not me'."
Akemi took Ray's words as a sarcastic remark toward her.
"It's the same with an unknown woman. That would be even more suspicious, wouldn't it?"
"That was a bad example... I'm a woman inviting you. You can be happy about it, can't you?"
"I hate it when people act like they're doing me a favor."
"I'm not doing you a favor! I'm telling you to do whatever you want with me! Make me your sex slave or whatever!"
"...Pervert."
"You're the one making me say it!"
Akemi intended to have a serious conversation. But Ray wouldn't accept it that way. She began to feel irritated.
"If you're going to go that far, you should just go to Takeuchi's place. He'd happily make you a sex slave."
"...I don't want Fumiya."
"Why? Even though you liked him."
"He sees women as objects. Once I realized that, I didn't even want to speak to him."
Even if she went to Fumiya, she would only suffer the same fate. That was how Akemi felt.
"Are you in a position to say what you like or dislike?"
"I want to say it. I want to rewrite my bad memories, okay?"
"Do you think the memories with me will become good ones?"
"...Honestly, I do. It's true that I approached you to get close to Fumiya, but it's not like I didn't enjoy the time I spent with you."
"............"
Ray stared intently at Akemi.
"What?"
"...Scary woman. It's fine, with that technique, you can seduce other men. Let those people work hard for you."
Ray took Akemi's words as lies to deceive him. He was also impressed that Akemi could do that given their current relationship.
"Where are there other men?"
"What do you mean 'where'? There are several right here."
"...There's no way they'd be interested in me, right?"
The men here other than Ray were demons. Akemi thought there was no way they would be interested in her.
"I could introduce you to Kai-kun."
"There's no way he'd like me, right?"
"Of course not. But you can make him like you. Put up with that."
"...That doesn't solve anything. It'll probably just make my days more frustrating."
If she found a man she liked, she would want him to hold her even in her current state. The situation would worsen, not improve.
"I guess that's true. No good, your thinking always heads toward the things that torment you."
"Isn't that cruel?"
"Why should I have to think for your sake?"
"Ah, you said that in the original world too."
This was after it was discovered that she had approached him to get close to Fumiya. Even after being found out, Akemi had tried to get Ray to cooperate.
"Yeah. You had nerves of steel."
"...That was fun in its own way, wasn't it?"
"For you. For me, it was the worst."
"Come on. We used to talk for hours, forgetting the time, didn't we?"
It was so for Akemi. Because she had been thinking only about how to attract Fumiya's attention.
"That's why I won't fall for that trick. You're really something. To justify what you've done like that."
"I don't think of it that way. I was just talking about the old days."
Regardless of how Ray felt, Akemi wasn't conscious of it. Setting aside whether this time was different, that lack of consciousness was the worst part of Akemi's nature.
"Right. The old days. Different from now. I have no obligation to do anything for you. I'll say it as many times as it takes, I will not forgive what you did."
"...Then let me say this."
"I refuse."
"Let me say it! Since we're at it, I'll do plenty of that 'self-justification' you're talking about."
"...There's no way you can."
"Then I'll ask. If you had transferred with us, and you were told that demons are evil and must be defeated, what do you think would have happened?"
They had been taught that demons were evil and believed their actions were justice. If they were to resent anyone, it should be the Laurel Kingdom that deceived them. That was what Akemi wanted to say.
"...It wouldn't change anything."
"That can't be true. You would have killed demons along with us."
"That wouldn't happen. Because I didn't have the power to fight demons."
"Lying?"
"Truth. When I transferred to this world, the only thing that changed was my age. Other than that, I was an ordinary human."
Just like in the original world, he had simply become younger. There was no way the Laurel Kingdom would recognize such a Ray as the Hero. Even if they did, it would be a problem. If he went into battle, he would just die immediately.
"...You're the Demon King, right?"
"Huh? Did I mention that?"
Ray didn't remember mentioning it. He had been careful not to let Akemi, who didn't know when she would return to the Laurel Kingdom, find out.
"I heard it from Hinata."
"...Well, fine. You'd find out eventually. What about it?"
"You're strong, aren't you?"
"Because I worked hard."
"Don't be smug. How did you get that power?"
"Because I worked hard. I'm not lying."
It was a fact that he worked hard. In terms of training, Ray believed his efforts were not inferior to others. The only ones he thought were superior were Geel and Sieg. Since they had been training for many more years, that was only natural.
"...Fine. But, I..."
"You remembered. The events in the 'Forest of Bewilderment'—it doesn't change the fact that I won't forgive them, but I can understand it intellectually. But what you did in Nordende can absolutely never be justified."
"...Yes. That's true."
Akemi had enjoyed killing. She had killed in intentionally cruel ways. Even if she made the excuse that her mind had broken due to the war, there was no way that would be accepted.
"You're trying to face the events at the castle. And yet, you turn your eyes away from your own evil deeds. Do you think I would help someone like you?"
"That... might be true, but..."
Still, Ray was the only person she had to rely on. It would be a problem if she were rejected.
"Since we're at it, I'll say this too. The number of people dissatisfied with the fact that I've left your punishment ambiguous is increasing. Especially during such a critical time."
"............"
"As it stands, I'll have to choose between kicking you out or killing you soon."
"...Please. Help me. I have nowhere to go even if I'm kicked out."
She didn't want to die. Being kicked out from here was the same as dying. For someone like her, who had no means of surviving alone, she believed death would only be postponed slightly.
"Those around us won't allow it. If you want forgiveness, don't ask me, but ask the others who resent you. Oh, this isn't a command."
"...There's no way I'll be forgiven."
It wasn't a crime that could be forgiven with an apology. Akemi knew that too. But Ray wasn't talking about that.
"And yet, you haven't apologized to anyone. Just shutting yourself in your room and staying by my side—there's no way your sins will be forgiven like that."
"............"
He was questioning Akemi's attitude. Even though she believed she had committed crimes, she made no effort to make amends. He was questioning that attitude of Akemi's.
Being pointed out by Ray, Akemi realized it too.
"This is not a command. I'm just showing you your options. Either leave this place, or be killed quietly. If you hate both, beg for forgiveness."
"...Understood. Ah, these are my own words. Honestly, I don't know if I can do it. Please give me a little time to think."
"There isn't much time, but fine."
Apologizing was the obvious thing to do. Akemi understood this. But the other party might not even forgive that apology. The moment she stood before them, she might be killed. That was what Akemi feared.
Those days of fear were also Akemi's atonement. That was what Ray thought. He didn't think she would be forgiven, but it was better than doing nothing. For Akemi as well.
Even if she chose to leave this place, Akemi would die. There was no reason for the people who held grudges against her to show her any mercy once she was away from Ray. And Ray had no reason to stop their actions.