CH 206

We were having breakfast in the dining room of the royal palace.

Kaede seemed unusually restless and uncomfortable.

I guess that’s common. We were in a room that could easily fit a hundred people. Four servants were lined up against the wall.

Bread that had been freshly baked and surely tasted fabulous. We were left indifferent because of the stares that rested on us.

The moment we looked back, all the maids quickly averted their gaze.

Their vigilance towards us was obvious. After a while, they all moved hurriedly and began to remove the empty plates.

—Ever since we got here, they keep watching us. Are we really that weird?

—Maybe it’s the fact that we are Soarer’s friends.

The fact that we know the Saint and the General of the army of this country is more than enough to attract attention.

After all, they are both stars of this country.

—It is because of you, my Lord.

Frau said with a pleased look on her face.

—Because of me? What do you mean?

—You are the great hero who took back the country of BixGear from a fearsome Demon King, you are the one who took on the former Demon King Roswell, and you even fought and came out victorious against Ios. You are a very famous man who has been given a special title that will be recognized in the rest of the continent.

—…Isn’t anyone but us supposed to be the ones who know about the defeat of Ios?

After that, Frau gets nervous and they start sweating suddenly while averting their eyes elsewhere.

Don’t tell me they’ve told Soarer about it…

I guess telling her about the title is fine, but I only had a polite conversation with Roswell, and I was only able to defeat Ios because of Grandma Tamamo’s help.

So, am I attracting all the attention because Soarer and Frau spread a story where they make me look like a hero all over the palace?

I need a break from all this.

I didn’t want to have to draw attention to myself, let alone brag, so I opted to keep quiet.

—Is there anything I can do, my lord?

—There is nothing we can do now that these rumors about me have spread… Now I’m just thinking about how to deal with Sain, he’s my priority right now. Since I can’t go out to look for him, I must be patient and wait for him to come to me.

—I guess we have no choice.

—Yes, you must be tired, my Lord. Would you like Frau to massage your shoulders?

Frau is very obliging. I suppose she wants to be spared a lecture from me.

I have just woken up and I am not tired at all. But I can’t say no to a massage from my wonderful slave.

—Now that I think about it, Pione-san was going to talk to you about the monster, right?

—The place is in the cathedral, right? It means Soarer will be there too.

***************

—We will finish off the evil monster called Sain!

Soarer shouted while raising her fists.

Inside the cathedral, the people were in high spirits. Tens of thousands of people and soldiers responded to these words of hope.

The stifling heat and the cheering of the people wanting to see Sain’s blood spilled, made the whole building have a gloomy air.

I slammed the cathedral door shut and refrained from entering.

I think we came at a bad time.

—Toru-sama, you are welcome! Please come in.

—Ugh.

Isabella jumped out of nowhere and grabbed my arm, forcing me into the cathedral.

As soon as people see us, they put their arms together and start praying. 

I was not fascinated by the idea of people praying on my behalf. Soarer is the saint here, she is the one they should pray to.

—Commander ~, we will just watch from afar ~.

—Yes yes, it will be a historic moment that I will recount in the future.

Damn, even my escorts deserted me.

Soarer, who was on top of the stage, as soon as she saw me, extended both arms.

—Here is the Manyu Brigade, the group of warriors that saved this city.

After that, all the people in the place turned to look at us at the same time. All the while Isabella urged me to come up to the stage.

The scene was like something out of a fairy tale. Soarer was dressed in white with a loose-fitting outfit, Isabella was dressed as a knight of the Royal Guard, and next to her, there was Pione, who is the General of the army. All this under a crimson carpet.

This is the first time in my life that I am exposed in front of so many people. I feel like I’m going to lose the strength in my legs at any moment.

—Silence. You are in the presence of Her Majesty the queen and Soarer-sama.

Isabella exclaimed, causing all the people present to stop praying and talking to each other.

After a brief pause in which she had been being watched from head to toe. Soarer took the floor.

—As you all know, the other day this city—… No, the Holy City. It was attacked by a monster called Sain. This is the test God has given us. Now is the time to answer her call.

Loud cheers echoed throughout the room.

—But there is no need to fear. For God has sent us her strongest warriors in the whole country to exterminate this monster of evil. And those are the Manyu Brigade.

The cheers cracked the building again.

Unable to adjust to the atmosphere of the place, I shivered inside. Kaede and Frau just watched, also looking very nervous.

Suddenly, the room fell silent as Pione raised her hand.

She seemed to have something to say.

—Staking advantage of the occasion, there is an important announcement I would like to make… After having discussed this seriously with Her Majesty…. We have come to the decision that Toru Eiban will receive the title of Demon King.

The hall fills with thunderous applause.

Both Kaaede and Frau smiled and began to applaud.

—The master has become a ruler of a country on this continent. I couldn’t be happier.

—And he’s getting the same reception as the former Demon King!

Idiots!

Don’t be happy about something like this!

Having the title of Demon King is a very serious thing!

Once I’m recognized as the ruler of a country, it will already be hard to back out.

Damn it, Soarer set me up.

—Thanks to the help of the new Demon King, we will build a strike force against Sain supported by the Manyu Brigade! This will be the heavenly punishment for those who defy God!

******************

—How dare you cheat me like that?!

—I would not say it was a deception. It is a very necessary measure. Bertina-sama is defenseless and still unable to move, and the enemy is not only Sain. The balance of power on the continent has been lost after the defeat of Ios. It was very necessary to have a new Demon King as a defense against the attack from other countries.

We were still in the cathedral, but now it was empty except for Soarer who was sitting in a large armchair, and next to her were Isabella and Pione.

Rather than being a saint, she looked like a queen.

It is an undeniable fact that we defeated Ios, and we know that this continent is kept in balance by the demon kings.

—But still. Her Majesty was skeptical that Ios was really dead. It is possible that he faked his death.

—Ios is still alive?!

—It’s just a possibility.

Kaede, Frau and I exchanged glances upon hearing that.

How could he have survived something like that?

There was certainly no evidence about his lifeless body. Maybe I’m overthinking it.

However, if he really did survive it? It will be a headache for us in the future.

You should also inform Grandma Tamamo about this.

—It’s about time, Isabella.

—Okay.

Isabella proceeded to put on a veiled robe, and left the cathedral accompanied by two priests.

Apparently, she will participate in the procession posing as Soarer.

If that’s how they act… I wonder if it was really Soarer whom I saw that time when we arrived in this city.

—Is it really okay for her to impersonate you?

—It’s not necessary that I have to expose myself every day. The Saint is just a figurehead to give people hope when they need it.

You are nothing but a fraud, Soarer.

God, please send divine punishment for this girl.