Chapter 119
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Liverte who disappeared from the audience hall, moved to a forest.
「I didn't think that man had this much power! At any rate, I must unseal my Lord before escaping!」
The place Liverte headed to was the place where the previous Demon Lord, in other words, Gai, was sealed at.
Liverte who arrived at the place held her hands over the magic circle engraved in a rock.
「Please wait for me, Lars-sama. I will definitely unseal you, even if it takes all of my magical power!」
「There's no need for that」
The moment she was about to pour her magical power inside, a familiar face entered the sight of the shocked Liverte.
「You are…… that time's hero!? Why is a human like you still alive!」
「There's no way a mere human would be able to live this long, no? Do you not recognize me?」
「Eh? …… No way…… surely not, Lars-sama?」
「Long time no see, Liverte. You are beautiful as ever」
「Lars-sama!」
Liverte embraced Gai and burst into tears.
「Lars-sama! I wanted to see you all this time! How did you remove the seal?」
「What, human seals are not ever-lasting. I found a seam and destroyed it. The body is that fellow's, but it there is no other way」
「As expected of Lars-sama. Let's return to our country at once! Let's regain the throne from that coward!」
「However, it has been a while since I was sealed. It would be difficult just for the two of us, no?」
「Certainly, there's only me after Zero got killed, but if we announce your revival, our allies will certainly increase! I can bind the souls of those who just died and make use of their corpses to increase our forces infinitely!」
「I see, so that was your doing after all, huh. Additionally, it's only you who is looking for me. I feel relieved hearing that」
「Eh? Lars-sama?」
Gai tore Liverte who was embracing off himself.
Liverte was bewildered by Gai's sudden action.
「Lars? Who is this Lars?」
「What are you saying, Lars-sama?」
「My name is Gai. Lars has died a long time ago」
「What are you-! What are you doing!?」
「The feelings of human beings are troublesome things. To Lars, everything but himself is an enemy. But, right now, there is a person…… people that I enjoy being with, people that I want to protect. Liverte, those people are more important to me than you. Therefore-」
「Lars-sama!」
「Therefore, I cannot forgive your deeds. I will have you disappear from here.『Extinction』!」
「Lars-sama――――!」
Receiving Gai's attack, Liverte disappeared, not leaving a single fragment behind.
After standing still for a while, Gai spoke up.
「So, what is going to happen to me now? Al, no…… Kokuryuu Fearfal」
「You knew of me?」
Al who emerged from behind Gai seemed to be in a good mood.
「Well, the Kokuryuu who brings destruction upon this world is quite famous」
「Hmph…… Demon Lord, I will revert that question back onto you. What do you want to do?」
「I……」
「Will you get destroyed by me, disappear from my sight, or perhaps――」
「I! …… I want to stay here. As Gai」
Looking at Gai who interrupted his sentence, Al questioned him again.
「Why? Aren't you finally free after the seal on your body has been removed? The contract with Felice too, someone like you can simply revoke it, no? There was no need to act as if you had a memory loss, was there?」
「I certainly used you in order to remove my seal at first. But, after living with you guys for a while, I came to think "it would be nice if I really had an amnesia". It's all that fellow's fault」
「That fellow?」
「Kou's. The owner of this body. The time we spent together, he was like a poison to me. I did not know emotions like these before. Loneliness, sadness, happiness…… even though I would be better of without knowing」
「Stop talking as if you dislike it. If you did dislike it, don't be making such a happy face. So, you are not lying by saying that you want to continue living here as Gai?」
「I am not!」
「Then, swear to me right here, right now. Will you not hurt Felice and others?」
「I won't!」
「Can you fight those who seek the revival of the Demon Lord Lars that are hostile against Felice?」
「I can!」
「When the time comes, can you become everyone's s.h.i.+eld without hesitation?」
「I wi-…… hey, what are you making me say! Stop using me as a s.h.i.+eld out of convenience already! I will though!」
「Is there a need to stop? Well, let's return first. If you break your promise, I will shred your soul into pieces…… Gai」
「Eh? Is that fine? This simply!? Is it all right to not use an oath magic or something?」
「Is it necessary?」
「…… Did anyone tell you before that your personality is bad?」
「Don't jest~ there isn't anyone who would say that this obedient, kindhearted, and cute me has a bad personality~」
Several grand sneezes were apparently heard in a certain place of a certain country the moment Al boasted about himself, but the person in question who had no way of knowing continued the useless war of words.
「People with such character wouldn't speak like that about themselves! I know, you know! That Felice at times call you an S!」
「Haah? What is with that "I know Felice better than you" smug face of yours?」
「Is this the time to talk about that!? In the first place, when did I make such a face? Are you fine with being an S! An S, you know!?」
「That's just Felice's way of hiding embarra.s.sment!」
「Is there a way to hide embarra.s.sment like that!? I know that you love seeing Felice when she's trembling from trying to endure bursting into tears!」
「I mean, it's adorable!」
「You are not denying!?」
「To begin with, you are a blockhead, aren't you~」
「What about me is!」
「Feli's『s.p.a.ce-time Barrier』won't be dispelled unless she removes it herself」
「…… Was that so?」
「Besides, what did you say before coming here?」
「…… I said that I was going to the restroom」
「You…… can't do the business, no? See, you BLOCK~ HEAD~」
「Nugugugu……」
Al and Gai were quarreling while heading towards the Capital, but they become too absorbed and didn't pay any
――Click
「「N?」」
They noticed a sound, and the moment they become wary, a large hole opened under their feet, and the two dropped down.
「As soon as I said! You blockehead―――!」
「You have no right to talk since you are falling with me, you―――!」
— Chapter 107.5 starts here —
In the end, when the two returned to the Capital via a transfer, it was already evening.
A crowd of people who were worried about Al who was not returning for a while and Gai who went to the restroom even if he doesn't need to, surrounded the mud covered two and immediately washed them with『Clean』magic.
After the two were cleaned up, they decided to gather in a lounge to hear the story.
Everyone took a seat where they pleased, but Felice who returned to her child form was hugged by Albert and was not able to stir about.
Lewis inquired without minding it.
「Well then, I would like to heart he explanation. Let's start with you, Albert」(Lewis)
「Yes~ The conclusion is: That Demoness was erased without leaving even a single fragment behind」(Albert)
「Is that so? Were you able to get some information out of her?」(Lewis)
「If I recall correctly…… only those two knew that the previous Demon Lord was sealed here, and she didn't seem to have any other companions」(Albert)
「That is a good news」(Lewis)
「However, it will be necessary to watch the movements of the Demons」(Claude)
「The previous Demon Lord, she meant Gai, right? Has she not noticed that the seal was broken a long time ago?」(Meison)
「Who knows? The Demon called Zero has already died, so she might have not gone to that place because she was busy」(Albert)
「The one who manipulated the dead was that woman then?」(Blake)
「That was troublesome to deal with. They would rise no matter how much you cut them, creepy」(Austin)
「However, to annihilate a Demon n.o.ble~ As expected of you, Albert」(Evan)
「I am glad you think that, but that wasn't my doing」(Albert)
「Haah?」(Evan)
「I'm saying that I wasn't the one who dealt with that woman」(Albert)
「Then, who……」(Evan)
「Gai」
「What!?」(Evan)
It wasn't only Evan who questioned Albert's remark, so the entire room turned towards Gai in a surprise.
Albert urged Gai who found the situation awkward to talk.
「Just tell them what you did. If you keep silent, you will be misunderstood or doubted when it counts」
「But……」
「Al? Gai?」
Felice looked at Albert and Gai with an uneasy face.
Making up his mind, Gai started talking while looking at Felice.
「I have lied to you guys」
「Lied? You mean about going to the restroom?」
「Eh!? …… Ahh, that too, but………… I did not lose my memories. I have the memories of the Demon Lord and I am also genuinely not bad at magic. In order to not get exposed, I put Felice and Grace to sleep when they were attacked. Liverte too, I have noticed her back at the school, but I didn't do anything about her since I thought she had nothing to do with me. Knowing that this matter was my fault, I killed Liverte」
「…… Gai」
Gai hung his head so that he wouldn't see anyone's face, but when he reacted after hearing the tiny voice that called his name, he saw the teary-eyed Felice.
「…… Felice……」
(She would be naturally scared now that she knows I still have the Demon Lord's memories)
「Gai…… sniff…… are you going to return?」
「Eh? Return…… what do you mean?」
「I mean…… now that you have your memories…… y, your family…… or friends… sniff…….」
「Return, you say. Do you mean back to the country? You are crying because of that!?」
「But…… ugh~……」
Gai panicked at Felice's tears that began overflowing.
「Wha!? Sorry, sorry! You don't have to cry! I have no family or friends! While at it, I also don't have anyone I like, alright!」
「What a lonesome fellow」
「Shuddup, Albert! You are the same as me, aren't you! Anyhow, I have no intentions of returning back to the country. Be it when I got sealed into Kou's body or the first time we fought, I was influenced before I noticed. I thought that I will die too after his death, but the moment my consciousness returned, I have already taken on his appearances. When I realized that only I returned and that his soul vanished…… I shed tears for the first time」
「Gai…… huh? But, he said the Demon Lord's consciousness disappeared……」
「It was Kou's lie. If you knew that I was the Demon Lord, you would attack without hearing me out. Well, I don't know whether he was trying to protect me or my opponent though」
「…… Did anyone besides us come over there?」
「No, you guys were the first. At any rate, that place was full of devices Kou and I set up, even I couldn't understand them all. The people who came before either died or turned back before arriving to that room. There was only one trap at the place you guys fell into」
「Hmmm~…… you acted even though the ones who appeared there were children」
「Naturally. One of the children who appeared was a Kokuryuu after all」
「…… So you thought about it properly even though you are a blockhead」
「That's not something you can afford to say to others, yeah?」
Felice nervously watched Albert and Gai who started showing signs of quarreling, but that was really just a beginning.
「You are a blockhead for getting caught in your own trap!」
「The person who overestimated his abilities and fell into a swamp is a bigger blockhead! Moreover, a stinky swamp at that!」
「Isn't that because you pushed me in there to begin with! In the first place, why did you set it up so magic couldn't be used inside! How much time do you think it took us to get out because of that!」
「That's because it was a trap~! You are complaining, but it took only that much time because you purposely activated it!」
Their surroundings stared blankly at the two who started quarreling abruptly.
Everyone was surprised by the att.i.tude of Gai who returned to being a Demon Lord too, but they have never seen Albert act like that.
Of course, Felice was surprised too, but she was more happy that surprised.
「Fufu…… you seem to be having fun」
「「We are not!」」
「You are perfectly in a sync, you know?」
「「Gu……」」
When the two looked unpleasantly at each other, Lewis who was silent up until now spoke up.
「I understand the story. So? You said that you won't be returning to your country, but what do you plan on doing next then?」
「If you can forgive me then I…… I think I want to live as Gai. I want to be together with Felice…… and Albert」
「Is that so? What do you think? Your Majesty」
「…… That's you, Evan」
「Me!? You always neglect me, so I was completely off guard!」
「YOUR MAJESTY, let us hear your opinion please」
「I'm sorry, alright! Let's see~…… I have some questions for Albert and Gai」
Albert and Gai nodded at Evan who looked at them seriously.
「If, by any chance, this country gets attacked, what will you do?」
「「Exterminate the enemy」」
「What will you do if someone in here gets a.s.saulted?」
「「Make the culprit regret」」
「What will you do if…… Felice gets harmed?」
「「Make the living regret, seize the souls of the dead, and make them suffer eternally in a world where death doesn't exist」」
「…… I got it. As the King of this country, Gai…… I welcome you」
「…… Is that…… fine?」
「I'm saying it is. What we seek from you is to not betray our trust」
「…… Thank you…… I…… I definitely won't betray you…… really, thank you……」
Everyone had a gentle smile as they looked at Gai was moved to tears by Evan's words, but their innermost thoughts were different.
(Felice is in a sense pitiable. Every man who gets too close to her will get driven away)(Evan)
(Why is everyone that falls for Felice like that, I wonder?)(Lewis)
(Fufu, Feli is so popular~ it will be much more fun in the future~)(Samantha)
(Does Gai like Felice? Albert has a rival then)(Angela)
(Kokuryuu and Demon Lord…… strong opponents! But, as a Queen, I can't!)(Andria)
(Experiment, experiment, magic, experiment…… let me research more)(Katie)
(He can use purification magic, right? Maybe he could teach me?)(Sh.e.l.ly)
(Shall I have Gai be Albert's sparing opponent from now on? ……… No, I have a bad feeling about that)(Claude)
(I should thoroughly examine his body once more time)(Meison)
(I really want to hit him once…… let's..h.i.t him)(Miguel)
(Would his skull…… break this time?)(Nathan)
(Let's have him teach me about traps and use it to catch Miguel the next time I skip work)(Adam)
(Let's learn about traps from him so that fool can't escape anymore. Everything is for Elder brother's sake)(Dylan)
(I'm happy it turned out this way, but please don't hand me over to Katie)(Gai)
(I'm glad. Al seems happy too)(Felice)
(Feli looks happy. With this, protecting Feli from insects will be easier…… I won't hand her over though)(Albert)