“Hmm.”
After the shocking realization in the garden, I entered the office with a slightly troubled expression and muttered in a low voice while looking into the mirror hanging on the wall.
“Do I really look that evil…?”
Honestly, aside from the slightly suspicious squinty eyes, there was not a single feature that would make anyone mistake me for a Demon King.
“Don’t I look rather decent, even?”
Of course, since evaluating my own face lacked objectivity, I tried asking a few servants before coming into the office.
But they all avoided my gaze or awkwardly gave me a thumbs-up, saying I looked harmless, so I gave up quickly.
“Sigh….”
At this point, should I ask Lady Meredia?
But if I hear something bad from her, I don’t think my mental state can handle it…
“H-Hey, human.”
“…?”
“I-I have a favor to ask.”
Anyway, I sat down gloomily at the desk with such complicated feelings, when I suddenly heard a low voice beside me.
“Take off this damn shackle for a moment.”
Since the incident in the garden, Riphael had become unusually quiet, but now she pointed to the shackle on her leg and shamelessly made that request.
“Did you really say that thinking I’d go along with it?”
“Well, you already know my true name, don’t you? That’s a much stronger shackle for me than this crappy restraint.”
“That might be true…”
I was about to dismiss her request with a chuckle, but strangely enough, Riphael seemed to be making a valid point, so I narrowed my eyes and pointed out the flaw.
“But that’s not really a reason for me to help you, is it?”
“I just want to check something real quick. I swear it’ll only take a moment!”
“…Hmm.”
“Don’t make that face! Have you been deceived your whole life? Huh?”
But as if frustrated, she patted her chest and started pleading with a desperate expression right next to me.
“What do you think I should do, Runiel?”
Feeling slightly curious by that point, I quietly turned my gaze toward the tightly closed door and spoke.
“…How did you know I was outside?”
Then, a moment later, Runiel peeked her head through the slightly open door with an embarrassed expression and asked,
“Um, I just had a feeling you’d be guarding me voluntarily after finishing work around this time…”
“As expected of you, Master. That’s another reason to admire you today.”
I felt a little sorry for her, but to be honest, I hadn’t guessed—I’d clearly sensed her presence.
‘Lately, I’ve been able to feel the presence of the executives nearby….’
For example, Runiel had just been standing outside the office keeping watch.
Parsha was still fast asleep on the bed in my room.
Sasha was scurrying through the first-floor hallway.
I couldn’t sense Bergen or Alfred who were outside the mansion, but I could still vaguely feel their presence somewhere.
‘Could it be the effect of that mark from last time…?’
If I were to analyze the cause-and-effect relationship, the most likely reason would be the marks engraved on the executives.
Still, I couldn’t shake this strange unease.
“So, what do you think about listening to this demon’s request?”
“If it’s just for a moment, I think it should be fine.”
Since keeping the annoying demon in check was the priority right now, I posed the question directly to Runiel, who had now silently appeared beside me with a cold glint in her eyes.
“No matter how great a demon she is, she’s lost most of her power. And with the First Hero’s Sword, we should be able to handle her.”
“Eek! Put that thing away!!!”
“No way, demon.”
As Runiel threateningly waved the First Hero’s Sword—the one I’d gifted her—Riphael shrieked and hid behind my back.
“Alright. I’ll unlock it just for a moment.”
“Yes!”
“…But if you show any signs of trying something funny, you better be ready.”
After seeing that, I finally felt reassured and began unlocking the seal on the shackle around her leg with white magic.
“Ugh… Do you really have to use white magic? Can’t you just take it off physically…?”
“…Don’t you dare complain about the grace of your master.”
“Tch, you sound just like my old comrades…”
Despite her grumbling, once the shackle clattered to the floor, she smiled brightly and stood up.
“Phew… That’s refreshing. That thing was more annoying than it looked.”
“Didn’t you just call it a crappy restraint a moment ago?”
As I made that snarky comment with a baffled expression, it happened.
-Whoooosh…
Suddenly, dark energy swirled from Riphael’s entire body, forming a faint arc in the air.
“Wait!”
Almost at the same time, Runiel drew her sword faster than the eye could follow and urgently stepped in front of me.
“Whoa, calm down. I said I’m fine.”
“What do you think you’re doing…!”
“Demons like me… We’re weak to promises, you know.”
Runiel began radiating killing intent, feeling threatened by how quickly Riphael was regaining her strength, but Riphael remained unfazed even with a sword at her throat and stared straight at me.
“Runiel, put the sword away.”
“But, Master…”
“…It’s fine. I need to take responsibility for my own words.”
Normally, I would have been terrified without even realizing it.
Even if I knew her true name, trying to control a demon like Riphael could result in devastating consequences.
‘So why don’t I feel afraid at all?’
But unlike usual, I had no negative thoughts or fear about something going wrong.
“Hmm… I still only feel that annoying holy power though…”
“Did I imagine it? But I’m sure I felt something back in the garden…”
Instead, the demon now fully regaining her aura and inspecting me like a specimen seemed almost laughable.
“…This is definitely strange.”
Not knowing how to explain this feeling, I stayed seated silently.
Then Riphael suddenly sniffed around my neck like a dog, lifted her head, and spoke.
“Hey, open your eyes.”
“…My eyes?”
“Yeah, yeah. I think that’s the only thing left.”
Only then did I come to my senses, frowning slightly as I opened my mouth.
“My eyes are already open though…”
From the past to the present, the one thing I hated hearing the most was “Open your eyes.” Was she saying it on purpose?
“No, not like that. Don’t squint. Open them wide with force, like this!”
But Riphael, with an unusually serious expression, even demonstrated by opening her own eyes wide and kept urging me.
“If I’m right, then your power is definitely…”
“…Like this?”
Scratching my head, I finally did as she showed—putting strength into my eyes and opening them wide.
“Yeah, just like—huh?”
“…!”
To be honest, even I didn’t understand what happened next.
“I did what you said. What now?”
“I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry….”
“…Huh?”
“I dared I dared I dared I dared…”
The moment I tried to speak again after a brief silence, Riphael suddenly went limp, collapsed in front of me, and started apologizing over and over.
“Hah, haa…”
“Runiel?”
What was even more surprising was that Runiel was sitting on the floor with a terrified expression, gasping for breath.
“Master, if I may say something… I think it would be best if you didn’t open your eyes from now on.”
“W-Why?”
With a confused expression on my face, I was struck once more by a wave of shock at Runiel’s next words, which sounded as if they had been weighing on her heart.
“…For the first time in my life, I almost fainted from fear.”
Wait, was my appearance really that terrifying?
***
In the dead of night, in one of the most peaceful spaces of the Lingard Count’s estate—Cecil Lingard’s room.
“Hey, Cecil.”
“…Yeah?”
“Do you have a moment?”
Cecil, who had just finished bathing and was getting ready for bed as usual, tilted her head at the voice coming from the door and turned her gaze toward it.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, nothing serious… I just wanted to ask you something.”
Her older brother, acting head of the family, and recently honored with the title of Hero—Whitney—was peeking in through the slightly open door, shyly asking his question.
“How do you feel when you look at me?”
“What kind of question is that, all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing big… it’s just that lately, I feel like people are looking at me strangely.”
Normally, she would’ve grimaced and thrown a pillow at him, but to Cecil, Whitney’s image was currently at its all-time best.
So, sitting on the bed with her hair down, Cecil took a moment to seriously reflect on his question.
“To be honest… you do feel a little scary.”
“Oh.”
Once she finished thinking and spoke plainly, Whitney’s mouth dropped open.
“When you smile for no reason, it gives me the chills a little…”
“……”
“And when you’re serious, it sends shivers down my spine, so I can’t help but avoid eye contact…”
If she had said that with the blunt cruelty of a rebellious teenage girl, he might’ve brushed it off, but now that Cecil had switched to his side, her honest assessment pierced his heart like a dagger.
“Still, I think you’re fine.”
Just as Whitney’s expression darkened, Cecil continued in a soft voice, wearing a gentle smile.
“In the end, what matters is your mindset, right? In that sense, you’re an incredible person, Brother.”
“…Haha.”
“I’ll vouch for you. So don’t worry too much about what people say.”
For a moment, Whitney looked dumbfounded, then began to murmur in a touched voice.
“Thank you… little sister.”
“Actually, I already took care of some strange rumors spreading among the servants.”
“Huh?”
At that, Whitney tilted his head slightly, puzzled by Cecil’s nonchalant statement.
“You know, even if they resist at first, they’ll eventually shut up if you keep disciplining them.”
“What do you mean…?”
“And the ones who kept talking behind your back—I investigated them separately and made a list. Oh, do you want me to share it with you while I’m at it?”
The way Cecil’s eyes sparkled as she said that made her seem just as chilling as Whitney normally did.
“Cecil… When did you do something so praiseworthy?”
The problem was, to Whitney, his sister simply looked like a diligent future head of the family.
“With the way you performed in the preliminary matches, you must be really busy lately…”
“No, it’s fine. You can leave these little household matters to me. I’ll make sure everything is handled without a single peep of complaint…”
With Cecil taking it a step further and actively taking the initiative, the corners of Whitney’s lips lifted slightly.
“…You’re the one who should be out saving the world, right?”
Her cold smile, contrasting with his warmth, shimmered under the moonlight by the window, creating an atmosphere that was hard to describe.
“Our little Cecil… You’ve grown up.”
“Hehe.”
Though they were often mistaken for anything but siblings due to their differing vibes, in this moment, they looked more alike than ever before.
***
Meanwhile, at the same time, in the deepest part of the Holy Nation—inside the sanctuary of the Saint.
“L-Lady Saint?”
“……”
“W-What did you just say…?”
Summoned in secret, a high-ranking priest stood before Hestia, who sat with her veil drawn, eyes wide in disbelief.
“I’ll say it one last time.”
“W-Wait, I didn’t mean for you to repeat it, I just…”
“…Sir Whitney is not the real Hero.”
At her resolute declaration, the priest fell silent and drew a sharp breath.
“The real Hero is his sister. I deliberately concealed this and presented Sir Whitney as the Hero.”
“W-Why would you do something like that…?”
“Well, you can just think of it as the natural order of things.”
To someone who had lived their whole life devoted purely to the teachings and faith of the Holy Nation, Hestia’s words sounded utterly bizarre.
“Sir Whitney possesses enough potential to be chosen by me.”
“I-I’m not sure I understand…”
“Sigh, then let me explain it so you do.”
As the priest, pale-faced, jumped to his feet and prepared to flee, Hestia suddenly changed her tone—and he froze in place.
“If you want to leave here in one piece, then receive the baptism.”
“…”
“If you become one of Sir Whitney’s apostles like me, I promise not to use force.”
Even if he hadn’t frozen, the Third Holy Order—reborn after receiving Hestia’s baptism—was already blocking the exits, so escape would have been meaningless anyway.
“So, what will you do, Brother? Fufu…”
Thanks to Hestia, now a fully devoted apostle and subordinate of Whitney, his power was spreading rapidly—without him even knowing.
Cliche Novel 