111. Blue and Clear Dream
“But your expression doesn’t look very good. Is it because of what I saw in the basement?”
“…That is true.”
Arsel thought for a moment and then answered.
To be exact, it took a lot of time and countless sacrifices to defeat the Demon King.
Despite this, the reason I did not give up and kept fighting was because I firmly believed that peace would come if the Demon King was defeated.
But even though he barely defeated the Demon King, reality did not change much.
Even Hermod Kingdom, which had the best circumstances, just cut out the rotten parts and pretended to be okay. If this is the case, you don’t have to check other places to know.
“Then should I get rid of the basement? “Without a trace.”
“Oh, no! “It’s not an unpleasant place to look at.”
Arsel waved his hand urgently and said.
I was worried that Alfred would go and destroy the basement at any moment.
“I’m just kidding, don’t take it too seriously.”
Alfred actually laughed, saying it was just a joke.
Still, it is clear that if Arcel wanted to do it, he would be more than willing to do it.
“Anyway, what you’re saying, I honestly don’t understand.”
“It may be difficult for you to understand. Human society is more complicated than we think. “Because a leader as strong and capable as the demons cannot solve everything.”
In particular, humans were divided into several societies under the name of nations.
Before, we had no choice but to hold hands due to a common enemy called the Demon King, but now that the Demon King is gone, we don’t know when we will shake off the hand we held.
Perhaps that is why the problems of refugees are not resolved.
More than anything, it would be a shame if it ended with just shaking off the hand, but if you go one step further and bring in a sword or a spear, the situation becomes even more dire.
“Are you sure you’re talking about Grandma Clen?”
“Including the one who was your king. Of course, it seems like he used force to control the demons. “Fear can be a very powerful means of control.”
But humans could not do that.
There were too many of them to suppress everything with fear, and even individual wills were so firm that there was a high risk that they would only scrape and crumble.
In the end, even when the Demon King appeared, humans did not give in and fought until the end.
Arsel’s existence proved the will of humans.
“Why not just destroy all humans? In the first place, it is right to deal with all uncontrollable beasts. “Even the monsters in my forest only have obedient children, right?”
“Are you saying you want to exterminate all humans now…?”
“There is such a method, but I really don’t understand. You and the Demon Lord are trying to somehow control something that would be enough to just eliminate all humans. “You can easily destroy it with your own hands.”
“Even if I say that, what do you mean the king of the demons said that?”
Alfred responded by asking why he bothered to ask that.
Because it was so simple that you didn’t even have to think about it.
“If the Demon King wanted to, he could have wiped out all living things in this world in less than a day, but he didn’t. “He only made his presence known and threatened, and ultimately did not choose to destroy humans.”
“…What on earth is that?”
“Think about it carefully, for example this Kingdom of Hermod? This is a kingdom that would have disappeared if you had come yourself and pressed down with your finger, without having to send any subordinates. But has the Demon King ever done that?”
Arsel was speechless for a moment after hearing Alfred’s words.
This is because he is so strange even if he thinks about it himself.
“No matter how stupid that demon lord is, the more you think about it, the weirder it gets. It is the most dangerous kingdom that even creates heroes to kill it, so why didn’t it come forward and deal with it directly? “He didn’t even give me any special orders.”
Let alone the Demon King, Alfred could have easily eliminated the Kingdom of Hermod just by himself.
As an example, Alfred simply dealt with the Pope who had a close relationship with the Kingdom of Hermod, and dealing with the leadership of the Kingdom of Hermod would not be much different.
It would have been easier.
At that time, not even Arcel could offer any resistance to Alfred.
“Furthermore, even though you knew that I was openly messing around with you, I didn’t take any action. I just limited myself to giving a verbal warning. Well, just one word from the Demon King would crush my body.”
And it was strange that Arcel himself was still alive.
The Demon King must have been able to notice the presence of the hero a long time ago.
Furthermore, if he had a holy sword, he would be well aware of how dangerous the hero holding that holy sword was to him.
But why?
Why did you keep yourself alive?
“…Alfred, what on earth are you trying to say?”
My mind is already complicated because of the events in the Kingdom of Hermod, but after listening to Alfred’s words, it’s not only complicated, but confusing.
“Both you and the Demon Lord are suffering because of it. No, everyone just chose the hard way. “It would have been very easy for the Demon King to kill you shortly after you left on your journey, if he had sent a suitable hunting dog instead of me.”
What is important is the reason.
Why did the Demon King keep Arcel alive?
Does that mean he has something else to gain by saving the hero who is trying to kill him?
Or, was there a reason why the Demon King had to keep the hero alive?
“No matter how stupid the Demon King was, it would be strange to explain that he was simply careless. “He had many subordinates besides me that he could control, right?”
Arsel could have been killed a long time ago if he wanted to.
†††
“Oh my God…”
Stella was standing in a forest, barely holding on to a tree, feeling nauseous.
“How on earth can you wear a human mask and do such a thing…?”
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At one time, this place was not a forest.
Just five years ago, this was the place where the allied forces gathered to fight against the Demon King. Although it is now neglected, old and abandoned, it was once a fortress where elite knights were located.
And this is also where the disaster occurred.
A place where a renegade warrior brutally murdered his former comrades.
Of course, their bodies were recovered and moved to another location, but the scene was still abandoned.
‘Why on earth?’
Stella covered her mouth and even shed tears.
This is because I could imagine what happened here.
A place where only silence reigns.
It seems like there was quite a big battle here.
In the pile of old boards, it was confirmed that the shield used by the knight was broken, and the wooden exterior wall was cut by the warrior’s sword.
In addition, there were traces of a wizard and a saint, and even rusty fragments of a dagger used by an assassination group were found on the floor.
Finally, even a broken drinking glass.
The elf’s keen eyes allowed him to discover it all.
“I’m sorry, I was the only one left alive… I abandoned you all…”
Stella cried and hit her head against the tree until blood flowed from her forehead.
Although not as good as Arcel, he has also built up precious memories with them that he can never forget.
The motivation for being together was the warrior Arcel, but Arcel was not the only one who passed through life and death together.
“…I will kill you.”
Is that why?
The emotion that arose now was very deep anger.
Through her conversation with Alfred, Stella learned several facts, and after combining them with the information she knew, she came to one conclusion.
“I told this story to Arcel too – no, that was…”
But I couldn’t bear to tell that to Arcel.
If Arcel found out about this, there was no way to know how things would change.
-Anyway, it’s probably already wrong, because our hero is in a very unstable state both physically and mentally. Even if you touch it just a little bit wrong, boom! Probably killing everything in sight. –
As Alfred said, Arcel was in a very anxious state.
But telling Arcel this fact was more dangerous than adding fuel to the fire.
‘I can’t do that.’
Moreover, it was even more impossible when I thought about Arcel.
If Arcel’s patience reaches its limit and she commits murder, it must be an act to forget the pain and sorrow she feels.
That was not only an act of aiming an arrow at a friend who was more precious than her life, but also of sticking it into her chest.
More than anything, Arcel was a warrior.
A light like a brilliant star that contains everyone’s wishes, and a being of hope that comes true with everyone’s wishes.
Arcel could not let the ugly blood that tarnishes the light get on his hands.
It was enough for me to get my hands dirty.
These two hands have already been stained with the bloody smell that cannot be erased even if they are washed with the blood of their compatriots.
“I don’t know why you did this…”
Stella’s eyes turned to the kingdom of Hermod.
“…No matter what the reason, you will never be forgiven.”
The owner to whom the voice was directed was there.
From afar, I just smiled as I looked at the clear blue sky.
†††
The sky at the festival was very clear.
The voices of the people laughing and having fun were heard in the city, and they no longer remembered the pain of the past and were living contentedly with the present.
The queen smiled and looked at the sky.
As the sun shone down, small birds and butterflies flew around the queen as if dancing.
And then, the bird catches the butterfly and swallows it.
Knock knock.
“Queen? Are you awake? “A guest has arrived.”
The maid asked if the queen was awake.
“Please come in. “What’s going on?”
Shortly after the knocking, a girl opens the door and enters the audience with her queen.
“…I am Morian.”
The person who came to meet the queen was none other than Morian.
“Ah, welcome, warrior. Did you enjoy the festival?”
“The festival was fun. “There was a lot of delicious food and there were a lot of people, so it was really amazing.”
After Morian made sure that there were no maids or other people near her, she fell into her queen’s arms as if she was used to it.
The Queen also hugs Morrían warmly, stroking her head as if caring for her child.
“But why doesn’t the hero’s expression look good? “Did you not like my festival?”
“Oh, no! The festival was fun! “It was fun…”
“It’s okay to tell the truth. “Tell me where.”
“…That.”
Morrían told what she had seen in her basement not only to Lord Karkal, but also to her queen.
Of course, she wasn’t talking about Arcel.
She explained that just like she did when Lord Karkal, she happened to be chasing a child who was stealing and she came across it.
“Wow, I could never have imagined that there would be a place like that in my kingdom of Hermod.”
“Yes, I think that’s why the Queen couldn’t care less… That was really unfortunate to see.”
The Knights said they would provide relief as much as possible, but this was still a problem to be resolved at the kingdom level.
“I see. “If it looked good, there was nothing we could do about it.”
“Could it be that the queen can help me…?”
“Of course. Even if it is not the warrior’s request, they are also Hermod’s people, so we should help them.”
The queen said with her benevolent smile.
When Morian saw that, she felt relieved.
Fortunately, her queen was right, she loved her people like she knew she would and she had a merciful heart.
Of course, considering the situation, the relationship between Arcel and the queen did not seem to be very good, but I thought there must be some misunderstanding in this as well.
If possible, I hoped that the queen and Arcel could resolve the misunderstanding through dialogue and move forward together for Hermod’s future.
Still, it’s still too early to talk about it.
“Thank you! “I think it was a good idea to talk to the queen!”
Morian smiled brightly and said, leaving her regret behind.
I thought that if the problem with the underground people was resolved, Arcel would definitely be able to enjoy the festival again.
Although the festival is almost over now, there are plenty of opportunities next year and beyond.
At that time, I hoped that I would be able to enjoy the festival to my heart’s content without any worries.
…If possible, smile together and hold hands.
“So, did you enjoy meeting your predecessor?”
“…!”
At that moment, Morrían’s body trembled.
It was because of the word ‘ancestors’ that suddenly sounded.
“Yes? “Seon, Seondae?”
“I’m talking about the warrior before you. “I hope you enjoyed the festival together.”
How on earth does the Queen know that she met Arcel?
Morian tried to hide it as much as possible, but behind her benevolent eyes, there were also eyes that were certain that she had already met Arcel.
“Hero, there is no need to hide it.”
Of course, she made sure there was no prying eyes.
Moreover, she not only confirmed it herself, but she made sure that not only Arcel but also her companions were fully prepared so that her identity would not be discovered.
But why did I get caught?
“And there is no need to be too scared. I also want the previous warriors to enjoy this festival with me. Of course, I can’t officially welcome her because I see her as the leader of her country.”
“I’m sorry… For hiding it…”
Morrian’s heart was pounding violently, but the queen hugged him tightly and calmed him down.
“It’s okay. “I fully understand the warrior’s feelings.”
Fortunately, the queen did not seem to be very hostile to Arcel.
At least Morian was able to save some time.
“It’s natural for children to miss their parents, right?”
“Am I really the child of my ancestor? “He didn’t recognize me at all…”
“You don’t have to worry. “There is no doubt that you are the only bloodline of the previous warrior.”
The queen said with a smile.
“…I understand, Queen. Thank you so much.”
Morrían blushed and nodded her head shyly.
Although she didn’t seem to recognize herself, she was a Morrían who was determined to tell her truth someday.
“Oh, and warrior. “I’m sorry, but I have a favor to ask you. Is that okay?”
“Of course! “Please tell me anything!”
Morrían answered with a strong voice, as if her queen’s words were comforting.
“It’s not a very difficult request. “It’s just a simple errand.”
As always, the Queen smiled benevolently and whispered something in Morrían’s ear.