Tillis’s past wasn’t exactly a pleasant story.
Her entire race was massacred by the Empire, and she alone survived. Not out of mercy, but because the Black Knight saw no point in killing a lone elf who could no longer continue the bloodline.
It was a truly tragic story.
And it was precisely because of that tragedy that Tillis enjoys such a favorable public image.
After all, even if she had suddenly turned into a terrorist, people would still acknowledge her, but instead she became a so‑called “saintess” who does volunteer work and saves people. Naturally, she’s held in high regard.
In reality, there was no terrorist worse than her.
“…So that’s what happened.”
“She approached Mr. Raven? I doubt a mercenary like him has lived a peaceful life. It might be wise to watch him closely for now. Just in case he really does get chosen by a demon… Let’s keep him under close observation.”
“You’re just outright giving orders now, huh?”
“You sowed the seeds, didn’t you? You’re the one who brought Tillis into the Cradle, and you’re the one who gave her an opportunity to approach Mr. Raven. Isn’t all of this your responsibility?”
“Next thing I know, you’ll be blaming me for breathing.”
“Then will you stop breathing for me?”
“Get lost.”
“As you wish.”
With that, the Oracle left.
She actually left just because I told her to…
Anyway, does this mean I’m the one who has to keep an eye on Raven now?
If I ignore him, it’ll feel awkward, but if I do it myself, it just makes me bristle.
This was all the Oracle’s fault.
“Hmm…”
Still, if I put in the effort, it was obvious which side was the lesser hassle.
Keeping an eye on Raven and making sure he doesn’t fall into corruption… that’s something I can manage with just a bit of time and legwork.
Given my own prickly personality, I might even find it easier to get along with a rough mercenary like him.
We might even become friends.
Now, what about the opposite?
If I ignored Raven’s situation—
Well, if I were lucky, everything might work out smoothly without incident.
But if I were unlucky?
What if Raven fell for Tillis’s tricks, made a contract with a demon, and became a terrorist?
I would have become his target.
It was better to prevent the situation before it could happen, even if it was a hassle.
“Raven.”
“Yes?”
“Speak casually. We’re classmates, after all. And aren’t you actually older than me? Oh, should I call you big brother?”
“…That feels a bit too much.”
“Right, so let’s just talk comfortably. Have you had lunch yet?”
“Uh… I was just about to. Why?”
“Then let’s go eat together.”
“…Why?”
When I suddenly tried acting friendly, Raven immediately became suspicious.
But with mercenaries, this was the right approach.
“You remind me of a junior I used to be close with.”
“A junior?”
“Yeah. His name was Dietrich. He too never really adjusted well to the Cradle and would always hover awkwardly on the sidelines.”
“What happened to him?”
“Oh… I think he ended up on the wanted list.”
“……?”
It couldn’t be helped.
Now that Kult’s true nature had been exposed, his friend Dietrich naturally ended up as a suspect.
And then, he ran away with Helena.
Yeah… there was no defending that. Anyone would find it suspicious.
“Uh… can I ask what exactly he did to end up wanted?”
“He kidnapped a ten‑year‑old girl and went on the run.”
“Wait, are you seriously comparing me to some bastard like that?”
“When I say it out loud, it does sound a little strange, but that’s not it. It’s, uh… oh, right. He rescued a kid who was being abused at home.”
“Oh… well, if that’s the case. Ahem! I suppose I’m on the righteous side too.”
Since I couldn’t explain the whole story involving Kult, I adjusted the details just enough, and Raven’s mood improved.
This guy really did remind me of Dietrich in a strange way.
Specifically, in how stupid he could be.
“Anyway, since you haven’t been at the Cradle for long, you probably don’t know what’s good to eat around here.”
“That’s true… but I don’t have much money on me.”
“I’ll treat you today. Partly because I feel bad about what happened before… Even if it was just a misunderstanding, I admit my attitude left room for trouble.”
“More than just ‘room for trouble’, wasn’t it simply a problem?”
“Well, whatever. I was thinking of inviting that girl from last time to join us for a meal too. You don’t mind, right?”
“Ollie too?”
“Her name’s Ollie?”
I couldn’t help but feel oddly touched that I’d learned her name like this.
No one around me ever seemed willing to tell me their names.
“That… that actually sounds fine. Ahem! If you’re inviting her because of what happened, then it’s only right for Ollie to come along too.”
“……”
Raven’s reaction was painfully obvious.
So that’s what this was about?
I thought maybe it was just out of a sense of justice… but no, it wasn’t.
How enviable. My youth was a thriller.
Why was it that everyone around me was always more than I could handle?
“Well, let’s do that, then.”
Whatever the case, for now it was best to keep the two of them within my sight.
At least until Tillis disappeared from the Cradle.
***
Ollie. The first‑year student originally from Class 1‑A who had been utterly crushed by Yuna.
Until now, she had never truly understood the real power of the second years.
To be honest, even though the second- and third-year students were said to be strong, Ollie thought the gap couldn’t be that great.
After all, she had done reasonably well during the class placement test.
Now that she had even advanced a grade early, she believed she stood a real chance.
So, she deliberately provoked them, hoping to lure them into a duel.
However, instead of the duel challenge she wanted, all she got was a strangely passive attitude and an awkward atmosphere, leaving her feeling as though she was being ignored.
No matter what she said or what opinions she expressed, they treated her like a child.
That was the one thing she couldn’t tolerate.
She had her pride.
And for them to treat her like a helpless child set loose near water….she couldn’t forgive it.
Then, she got into a quarrel with Johan Damus, the noble who had blatantly skipped out from the very first day.
It eventually led to a duel.
This was what she had been hoping for.
At last, she thought, a chance to prove herself had come.
When she had watched Johan fight, she thought that rotten or not, he was still a noble.
To be able to unleash a complete sword aura….yes, he was definitely from a count’s family.
Still, she felt he was within her reach.
But when she fought Yuna—
Ollie could barely keep her senses under the overwhelming onslaught of violence.
And when she was broken and brought to her knees, only to be lectured on top of it…
Ollie felt two different kinds of fear toward the pair.
From one, the clear and undeniable fear of violence;
From the other, an incomprehensible fear born from the unknown.
And at last, she realized—
She still thought of herself as a genius brimming with talent, but…
“Hey, let’s go eat. I owe you an apology, so I’ll buy you lunch.”
—She now understood she could never win against a madman.
She thought this as she watched Johan, who had left her with injuries warranting a two-week recovery, invite her out for a meal.
Even to the point of casually seating the perpetrator in front of the victim.
It was as if the perpetrator had been hiding in some corner of the hospital all this time. Ollie hadn’t even realized they were there.
She began trembling uncontrollably.
You should never provoke lunatics.
“L-Let’s… go.”
Ollie nodded like a condemned prisoner being dragged to the execution grounds.
***
It had been… a productive time.
After finishing our meal in a surprisingly friendly atmosphere, Yuna, Raven, and I headed back to the classroom while Ollie returned to her hospital room.
Good. Let’s just keep it like this.
If I keep a close eye on Tillis while also looking after Ollie and Raven, nothing bad should happen.
Hopefully, the day will end as boring and peaceful as this…
“Did you know?”
“…What?”
The problem was that no one could predict Tillis’s movements.
After school, I stopped by the library as usual and Tillis approached me.
So she comes to the library too?
Ah… I see. You’ve been struggling to fix that empty head of yours. I might really have to keep Yuna on her for surveillance.
“Clouds are made of water.”
“…Right.”
“Fufu!”
Tillis smiled proudly.
But does she even realize?
“Saintess, did you know this?”
“What is it?”
“In the library, you’re supposed to be quiet.”
“Ah.”
With an awkward smile, Tillis scratched her cheek, then sat down across from me.
Ah… that’s Ariel’s usual seat.
Now Ariel won’t be able to “coincidentally” sit there like always.
After all, our arrangement was to pretend we ran into each other and study together.
“Today, I thought I’d tell you a fun little story.”
“Out of nowhere?”
“Because lately, you’ve been getting in my way.”
“…If I just leave you to do whatever it is you’re planning, I’ll be the one in danger. If you do it somewhere I’m not around, I won’t interfere. You know my temperament, don’t you?”
“Mhmm, that’s true. You’ve never told anyone about my identity so far, after all. I’ll give you credit for that. You’ve saved quite a few lives, Johan.”
“Saved lives?”
“If you’d gone around running your mouth, I would’ve had to kill everyone who knew my identity.”
“……”
Good thing I kept quiet.
“You don’t get in my way, Johan, and more importantly, you’re loved by the spirits. I have no desire to kill you.”
“That’s a relief. But don’t you think harming Raven and Ollie is the same as making me your enemy?”
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll be inspired by that and bloom into a splendid flower.”
I see.
So Tillis had thought this through.
She might enjoy corrupting Raven and Ollie, but the blade she forges from them… she intends to point it at me.
And why not? I’m already closer to being a demon’s contractor than anyone else.
True demon contractors outside of librarians were rare.
“Anyway, I have something to tell you today, Johan.”
“Can I skip hearing it?”
“I wouldn’t recommend that.”
“……”
Fine. Better to listen.
It’s not as if I have any intention of being swayed by Tillis’s honeyed words.
But at the same time, she holds answers that only she can provide.
“Since you’ve been chosen by the Book of Lemegeton, your end can only be destruction.”
The demon Mephistopheles clinging to me was dangerous.
He might be quiet for now, but like before, he would scheme in secret and strike at an unexpected moment to shake me.
Yet I can neither throw away the Book of Lemegeton nor escape his gaze. I was caught in a trap where I knew I would be struck down, yet I could do nothing to stop it.
If there were people who could resolve my current state, there were only two.
The Prophet Helena Hereticus and the Judge Ostillis Liberatio.
The problem with Helena was that I didn’t even know where she was right now, and since she had only recently become a Prophet, I couldn’t be sure she could resolve this.
But the person in front of me was different. She knows the way.
After all, she had already stolen the demon from Coran Lekias.
“The whispers of a demon are sweet. It’s hard to ignore them forever.”
“……”
“If you handed the Book of Lemegeton over to me, wouldn’t that be in your best interest too, Johan?”
“I suppose so.”
Of course, there was a condition.
I would have to be under contract with Mephistopheles.
Which explained why Tillis couldn’t kill me outright and instead was trying to tempt me like this.
Even if she were to steal the demon immediately after the contract was formed, there was still a problem.
The moment I sign a contract with a demon, my soul becomes irreversibly tainted.
It will bear a brand, and as long as that brand remains, my future will be far from bright.
Given that I’ve already died once and been reborn, the thought was all the more terrifying.
“If I could keep my soul from falling into corruption, then I’d consider it.”
“You’re greedy, you know that?”
“No, I simply can’t afford to take a one-sided loss.”
“Mmm, fair enough.”
So… does that mean she has something else in mind?
“Then how about this? If you cooperate with me, I’ll use my power to save your soul.”
“…Huh?”
“Do you know what my ultimate goal is, Johan?”
“To use evil to devour evil and achieve world peace, isn’t it?”
Her ideal was perfectly clear. Perfectly clear… and perfectly twisted.
Honestly, maybe she really could save the world with it.
“That’s only the process.”
“…Huh?”
“I’m going to become the Demon King.”
“Ah… right… of course you are.”
In the scenario where Tillis becomes the final boss, the objective was to stop her from ascending to Demon King.
Once she becomes the Demon King, it’s game over.
If you manage to stop her before that happens, you clear the game.
“Do you know what a Demon King is?”
“I’m not really sure. Unless it has some special meaning, isn’t it just the king of demons?”
“It is the one who defined what a demon is.”
“That’s…”
It was then that I began to sense a strange dissonance in her words.
Up until now, her goal had sounded absurd and detached from reality.
Become the Demon King.
I never thought much of it before, but hearing it like this… something felt off.
Her words sounded almost as if…
“I’m going to raise the Black Sun just like he did, and bury every last thing in this world in shadow. Once that happens, all pain and sadness in the world will disappear into the darkness.”
It felt as though she wasn’t talking about a title but about an actual, living person.
If that’s the case… who was the real Demon King?
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