NOVEL NEXT Chapter 442
“So, isn’t it about time to let it slip?”
“I didn’t do anything special…! All I did was hug her arm and doze off a bit?”
“…That’s quite an overreaction for just that, isn’t it?”
“…Shut up.”
Even though I did mention that I wasn’t just holding hands but had my arm around her, I felt like it was a bit lacking to create such a commotion about it.
If I asked more, it seemed like I wouldn’t get any answers anyway, so I decided to move on from the topic.
Still, Ainel hadn’t looked at me like a complete thief. Moreover, she didn’t act that awkwardly either. It probably meant nothing serious had happened.
After chatting pleasantly about our health and well-being, and when the atmosphere had relaxed somewhat, I finally started to ask the questions that had been nagging at me.
“Could I ask about the situation outside?”
“I was wondering when you’d ask that. I think it’s fine to hear about the heavy stuff later, but… not knowing would keep you up at night, right?”
“That’s a given. I’ve been waiting since Ainel told me to ask Shione what was going on.”
I had managed to kill the demon, but all I really knew was that the victory parade hadn’t been declared yet.
“I’m curious about the level of damage the Baron family’s army suffered. I’d like to hear at least a rough idea.”
“…You can’t say the damage was low. Your troops helped to block and chase the demons. Especially the reserve mages and ordinary infantry shed a lot of blood.”
So the damage to my soldiers seemed to be more significant than I had expected.
The reserve mages and knights established the frontline to block the demons.
It appeared that quite a few of the mages who couldn’t withstand the clash had been devoured by the Gluttony Demon.
“Especially when you were being evacuated to Arael Fortress, enemies swarmed in.”
To kill me in my near-death state.
Those who had been protected by my spirits were now wielding swords and shields to send me off alive.
“The situation in the Count’s House isn’t good either. Many who followed my mother couldn’t hold against the dragon.”
“What about the Special Mission Team?”
“Our Knights’ Order is doing comparatively better. The mages integrated into the order gave it their all. Thanks to that, they’ve been actively engaged in the elimination missions.”
Somehow, recognizing there was a reason why people were betting on when I would wake up, the damage was significant, but their situation didn’t look as bad as I had imagined. Losing competent knights who had matched their hands and feet in the Demonic Realm would be a huge loss.
After hearing the general state of the troops, I asked the question I was most eager to know.
“I heard we defeated the demons. Yet I haven’t heard the victory proclamation. Is there still work left?”
And it seemed I hit the nail on the head.
Shione took a moment of silence, organizing her thoughts before answering.
“The demon is dead, but the remnants that worshipped it remain. And… during the course of eliminating them, we got quite a bit of information.”
Shione sat down in the chair next to the bed with familiar movements.
“Do you remember those moving corpses we encountered in the Great Forest?”
One of the three demons that have yet to be killed.
Among them, the one that had aided the toxic demon during the war in the Great Forest was the demon that controlled a legion of corpses.
“…You don’t mean that demon is involved, do you?”
I couldn’t help but scowl at the thought of its appearance.
As the war escalated, it caused more chaos, paving a treacherous path. Its presence could drive anyone mad unless it was completely obliterated to dust.
“A demon akin to the Demon of Deception is annoyingly tricky.”
Though it had the weakest power among the five demons, defeating it inevitably required a long period of preparation, so like Shione, I had to pay attention to what she said.
“Right. To be precise, it was the riffraff from the group that worshipped it that came to the north.”
“But there were no corpses visible, so what do you mean—”
“What you think is likely correct. When the demon arrived at the fortress, Your Highness, the Princess’s army faced the dead.”
“…So that’s how it was.”
“Maybe that’s why, even though the demon is dead, it didn’t immediately lose its power and collapse. So they were conducting the last northern elimination operation. Your Highness has also been focused on that since returning to the Central Fortress. Soon, it’ll all be over.”
At Shione’s continued words, I let out a sigh of relief.
It wasn’t that the demon had invaded the kingdom, but rather that the only threats were the cultists who had gained a bit of its power.
Even though it raised numerous questions about how they had prepared so many corpses all this time and the extent of the imperial evil’s roots reaching the kingdom, one undeniable fact was that the war would soon end, and we would be able to return from the cold north.
‘There are three demons left.’
Having succeeded in killing the Toxic and Gluttony Demons, the weight of the threat had lessened enough for me to catch my breath, which was comforting.
Now that the initial fatigue which clung to my body had faded, it was not too late to check things out myself.
Instead of discussing circumstances, I brought up relatively hopeful news.
“Shione.”
“And speaking of which, Ray.”
And just then, coincidentally, we both burst out laughing over something trivial.
With my concession, Shione spoke first.
“You must have already spoken with my mother, so you probably know to some extent. There is one method that might improve her condition—”
“Are you talking about the elixir the elves in the Great Forest might possess?”
“…How did you know that?”
“That’s exactly what I was going to say.”
Since the elves’ habitat and the World Tree’s location were always filled with vibrant life and mysterious spirits.
Their earthly paradise was always brimming with life force, and the elves I knew were generally in the habit of refining that life force into an elixir and storing it carefully over long periods.
If Shione was aware of this, then surely even the elves in this world were no different.
“Then it seems Shione wants to find the answer in the Great Forest.”
“…Exactly. Since waking up, my mother has been smiling all the time, but she tires so easily. Though she habitually carries a sword, she hasn’t drawn it like she used to. Even if it’s just about the legend Lady Diolia shared, I want to cling to even a sliver of hope.”
“The elixir must exist.”
“Is that your experience speaking?”
As I nodded to Shione’s words, a rich vibrancy glimmered in her eyes.
She gripped my hand tightly, like a small animal perked up with ears ready, sending a silent pressure that prompted me to talk more.
I smiled for a moment at how her cute demeanor shone through when nobody was watching before I replied.
“But from what I know, it’s not something that can be discussed outside of the Great Forest, you know.”
“Then… would it be better to go there and speak directly rather than sending someone?”
“I think so.”
I knew the elixir had enough power to resurrect the dead. If the Grand Elder of the Great Forest, who had fought demons alongside the ancestors of the Count’s House, were to take the elixir, he would quickly regain his youth. If used diplomatically, even a single drop of the elixir could be a powerful wildcard.
Moreover, I knew that producing such elixirs required skilled artisans over centuries.
“Isn’t it much more effective for the hero who saved the Great Forest to directly seek out the higher-ups for what they need?”
While I wasn’t sure how much authority their envoy would carry, such heavy requests would inevitably be flatly refused by a diplomatic delegation, so it would be much better to appeal to Friel and the Grand Elder, with whom we had helped each other before.
“Besides, the Cult that has taken root in the Empire has also infiltrated the kingdom. They have a history of posing a threat to the Great Forest. It wouldn’t hurt to create an opportunity to demand cooperation beyond just the elixir.”
And without just barging in demanding treasures.
Since there was a clear reason to arrange a meeting with the elves.
“The relationship between the Empire and the Great Forest isn’t good. There’s a saying that the elves can implant their ears in any forest on the continent if they want to. They would have deep information about the legions of corpses that disturbed them.”
Now that all the demons in the kingdom were dead.
From now on, as we faced the demonic forces beyond the doomed Empire—
“We’ve helped the Great Forest, and the demons we will face overlap. No matter how reclusive the Great Forest may be, they’ll have no choice but to respond.”
Finally, it was time to repay the debt we had placed on those crafty little elves.