Chapter 89: Red blood
The remaining month of Lily’s knighthood passed peacefully.
Ameline is still alive, and there is always a risk that the shadow’s secrets will come out from her mouth, so the shadow will still keep a close eye on her.
However, since Frontier has already issued an invisible warning about their assassination attempt, we will be watching the situation for the time being.
Above all, it will be difficult for Ambu to move while Frondier is the ‘Knight of Lili’.
Ameline will also pay attention to her every move from now on. she is not stupid
Even if there was no direct threat, during the trip, I heard many sounds around me that made me sense danger, and Frondier asked Ameline enough ‘meaningful questions’.
Even if you don’t know the exact story, you probably knew that your uncle was involved in this incident. So, I won’t do something dangerous like tell someone else about it.
So Frondier no longer has to worry about being caught up in a dangerous incident like the one with Ameline for the time being. He now received similar duties as other knights.
However, in the case of Frontier, these missions are more difficult.
“Wow, this is him, Frontier de Roach… … .”
“Oh my, now you are my ‘Sir Frontier’.”
“Oh, that’s right. “Excuse me, madam.”
A nobleman’s mansion.
When there is a social circle of high-ranking nobles, Frondier will almost certainly be called by one of the nobles. In this case, the caller does not discriminate between men and women.
Of course, in the case of men, it is not because they have homos*xual tendencies, but because it saves their face to have someone of the level of a frontier as a knight, even if it is only temporary.
This time the caller was a woman, but the purpose was similar. Frontier is good to have by your side as a knight, as an opponent, or as a decoration for your family.
Therefore, the woman who hired Frondier points out one by one when the other nobles who discovered Frondier insist on bringing up the name ‘Roach’, but there is no displeasure on her face. That’s because Roach’s self-control was made into a knight.
In other words, this conversation can be viewed as a set process for both the person making the point and the person receiving the point.
‘… … however.’
Sophie von Mayer, the woman who hired Frondier, glances at Frondier standing quietly next to her.
‘You look really handsome.’
Sophie admired Frondier’s face as he calmly maintained his position. In fact, it was closer to taking in the overall atmosphere rather than appreciating the face.
Sophie thought of the simple expression that she was handsome, but in fact, the luxurious feel of Frontier struck her more strongly than her appearance.
‘I can’t believe a child like this was once called a ‘human sloth’.’
The nickname ‘Human Sloth’ that Frontier had was a nickname within Constel. In Constel, there is no one who doesn’t know him, but outside of Constel, there are very few people who know the character Frontier in the first place.
Nevertheless, since the ‘human sloth’ is responsible for an entire period for Frontier, such images from the past are reexamined after the nickname is shed.
“Well, it would be better to smile a little instead of being so stiff.”
Sophie said. In fact, Frondier wasn’t stiff and was in a relaxed posture, but he didn’t have the courage to say anything, so he tried to say anything.
Of course, Frontier is now Sophie’s temporary knight.
──He learned to smile.
“Yes, it wouldn’t be good if the mood was depressed because of me.”
Frondier said and had a smile on his face,
“oh.”
The face created in this way alone draws admiration from Sophie and the nobles around her.
‘Rather than laughing, having to come up with lines every time is a pain.’
In the meantime, Frondier thought.
If you tell me to smile, I can smile, if I tell you to follow, I can follow, and if I tell you to stay in my place, I can stay in that spot.
There is no problem with receiving orders, but the eyes and subtle words that expect you to do something on your own embarrass Frondier.
Don’t be too hasty or late, don’t be too light or so heavy that the tone is dead, and your tone shouldn’t be too sly or stiff.
Obviously, it’s a little different from what a driver does.
‘But well, it’s about time.’
Frondier listens to the stories of Sophie and other nobles, sometimes responding appropriately, and briefly glances around the inside of the banquet hall.
Frondier has received these missions several times since becoming Lili’s knight, but this time his personality is a little different.
No, rather, similar missions in the past were set up like a smokescreen for this mission.
* * *
“Liri, how are you here?”
“huh?”
After a minor(?) conflict with Lili, in her room.
Frondier raised a question he had been asking for a long time.
“Belphegor and Satan used their own methods to come to this world. “Satan used humans’ contracts, and Belphegor possessed human bodies.”
Moreover, considering Belphegor’s situation at the time, it seems that the possession was not that free. He was possessed until the moment he was defeated in the war.
“Aha, that’s the story.”
“yes. In order for Lili to cross the world, I think we will need a method like that.”
“No, no, I am against it.”
Lily shook her head.
“the opposite?”
“I told you. I have no memories of when I was in the demon world. When I came to, I was here. So, I am in the opposite situation from those devils.”
“… … “Aha, you mean you can stay here, but you can’t go to the Demon World?”
“yes. “Unless you use the method you just mentioned.”
At those words, Frondier’s hand touched his mouth.
‘Then again, it doesn’t matter whether the demons are in the demon world or the human world, but it is also difficult to cross between worlds.’
Judging from cases like Lili, it doesn’t seem like problems arise just because demons stay in the human world for a long time.
In other words, demons do not necessarily have to be in the demon world. It’s just difficult to cross the world.
‘… … In other words, there is a low probability that humans will have problems if they stay in the demon world.’
I was vaguely worried that the demon world would contain air that humans should not breathe, or that it would be toxic, but that may not necessarily be the case.
“… … “This is speculation, but when I spoke to her, Riri said, ‘I have no intention of going back.’”
“Oh, you did?”
“In other words, Lili, you think that the place you should originally be is the ‘demon world’?”
The expression ‘return’ refers to the demon world where Lili originally came from. Although it is not in Lily’s memory.
But even though I don’t remember it, I still have instincts, so I end up using that expression?
But it is still speculation. Expressions like that can come up inadvertently while speaking. That’s why it’s best to ask Lili directly.
“… … oh.”
But when Lili heard those words, her eyes sparkled.
“Wow! I see! You might think so! Wow, of course it’s Frontier!”
He was excited and admiring the expression he showed in the workshop.
“… … “It wasn’t a question with any basis.”
“still! “It’s amazing that you come up with such an idea!”
Somehow, Lili’s threshold for admiration seems to have lowered. Frondier thought so with a subtle look in his eyes.
“So what do you think?”
“Hmm, what did you hear? To me, it is more natural to think of ‘going back’ to the demon world rather than ‘going’. “I think the original place was the demon world.”
“Do you feel like there is some credibility to that?”
“In terms of numbers, it’s about 60%.”
60% is a figure worth keeping in mind.
“If that is true, then in the demon world, there is a way to send completely intact demons to the human world, neither by ‘possession’ nor by ‘contract’.”
“… … ah! That’s right! Because I’m doing that!”
Satan opened the gate through a contract with humans, but he himself could not get through. Once one reached the position of the Seven Deadly Sins, the condition of ‘descending’ was required, just like the gods.
Although Belphegor came to this world, he actually only possessed a human body and did not come as his original body.
But what about Lili?
As for coming through the gate, Lili doesn’t remember making a ‘contract’ with anyone. Lili may not be one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but she is a powerful person in charge of the ‘Zodiac’ in this world. It would have taken a significant price to summon a human.
There must be a medium equivalent to Dragon Heart, and there is no guarantee that a gate will be created just by signing a contract.
Considering various factors, the probability that Lili crossed into the human world using a contract is slim.
That is, something else.
What I don’t know yet is how the devil crosses over into the human world.
‘I don’t know what the method was, but if I wanted to use it, I would have used it right away. Especially Belphegor, because he seemed to be very interested in humans and the human world. The conditions are difficult, dangerous, or… … .’
Even the devil doesn’t know exactly what this method is.
“But Frondier, that’s why I’m asking.”
“What is it?”
“When you said you would be my knight, did you suspect that I was the devil from the beginning and wanted to confirm?”
“of course.”
In the game ‘Etius’, the hypothesis that Lili was a ‘devil’ was very strong.
However, it is difficult to meet Lily in the body of the main character Aster, and since she found out about it at the very end of the game, there is no time to confirm it.
However, Lily gaped at Frondier’s immediate answer.
“You, that’s too much!”
“yes?”
“Then, from the beginning, you tried to use me, said you would be my knight, and doubted me… … !”
“It’s not good to hear that it’s being exploited. “It required cooperation and knowledge.”
“But when you said you wanted to be my knight, you had something else in mind! “It was a condition for participating in the war!”
“You’re doing your job properly, right?”
Lili’s eyes roll back and forth at Frondier’s fair answer, and eventually her lips pout.
“… … “I lost confidence in myself.”
“why? “It’s Zodiac.”
“Nothing like that, I thought Frontier really wanted to be my knight.”
… … aha. Only then did Frondier learn why Lili was upset.
Lili was hoping that Frontier would have a crush on her.
Lily muttered dejectedly.
“Charm doesn’t work.”
“We don’t know that yet.”
Lili suddenly looked up at those words and her face lit up.
“Really?”
“Do not rejoice. “Why are you so proud of using the power of the devil?”
“But you don’t even know if it works! “A talent that would be a waste to be called the best prospect in the current empire might become mine?”
“You speak so confidently in front of yourself.”
Frondier sighed.
“Again, we just don’t know yet.”
“… … Are you doing that on purpose to make me curious about whether I was charmed or not? “Are you trying to stimulate my curiosity and make me desire it?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re so confident!”
They were two people who had no qualms about going after each other.
“But why are you suddenly asking that? Frontier, do you want to go to the Demon World?”
“… … When I defeated Belphegor.”
When Frondeer opened his mouth, Lili tensed slightly. Frondeer defeated Belphegor. That stark fact once again reminded me of what kind of being Frontier is.
“It is said that he will come down from his place of sloth, fall into the depths of the devil, and be imprisoned.”
“Ah, I lost because I was possessed. “Why is that?”
Lili tilted her head.
“… … “But I was concerned about the corpse he had possessed, so I asked him to investigate.”
“huh.”
“We were unable to identify the body.”
“… … huh?”
“In other words, there was no way to know blood relations, family, or where one was born, and racial characteristics were minimal. This is a person who has not existed anywhere even in the long history of the empire. Well, the police are still investigating.”
Lily blinked briefly at those words.
However, it was literally only for a moment, and soon the eyes opened wide.
“… … No way, Frontier.”
“It looked like someone. A person who is not connected to anyone.”
Yes.
That body is similar to Lili.
In other words, Frondier guessed that the body possessed by Belphegor was a ‘demon’.
If so,
“Liri. “The devil bleeds red.”
“… … .”
“A devil is indistinguishable from a human being unless he spreads his wings. I knew this for sure when I met the devil in the imperial palace. “It was only after fighting my older brother Ajiedo Mizonas that I realized he was not human.”
The characteristics of a demon are wings and an innate aura. Both sides can hide as much as they want from the devil’s point of view.
“That’s why I’m asking, Leah Reese.”
“… … .”
“If there are demons in this land, like Belphegor and the possessed demon, that have already been hiding among humans a long time ago.”
Lili knew what would come next from Frondier’s mouth.
And after hearing the next words, Lily’s answer was decided.
“Liri, can you tell them apart?”
Lily’s answer was silence.