90 – Demon King Slayer
“Your Majesty.”
“Um.”
The Emperor sat down, stopping Teikan and Friedrich from trying to bow to him.
His expression was more solemn than ever, and his chin resting on his chin and his eyes shining was a force that was not lacking in the position of emperor, the pinnacle of the empire.
Looking at such an emperor, Friedrich slowly began to open his mouth.
“Not long.”
“… ….”
There was no subject.
However, I was able to understand.
The expressions of the emperor as well as all the head of households in the meeting room hardened.
“…… Hmm.”
The Marquis of Lyikanter, who knows the most, is also sulky.
Gulp.
At one point, the sound of swallowing dry saliva resonated throughout the meeting room.
I didn’t know who exactly owned it, but at least for now, no one cared about such trifles.
How can I not be nervous?
How can you easily control your wildly fluctuating emotions?
It wasn’t any other topic.
Because the topic is none other than demon lords.
Because it was the subject of the 12 demon kings who have ruled the continent as evil for hundreds and thousands of years.
No one could easily remove their lips.
I just kept silent, watching others, or waiting for Frederick or the Emperor to speak first.
…… And, that silence is soon broken by Friedrich’s words.
“The moment when the magic battle comes to an end and the winner is blessed.”
It was a tone and tone that could be called a declaration.
His eyes were shining seriously, and his momentum was no less than that even though he wasn’t scattering mana.
And then he ends his speech.
“…… We will announce all the truth and prepare for the war against the 12 Demon Kings.”
With a very cool voice, reminiscent of a cold north wind.
A heavy silence settled inside the meeting room.
It wasn’t just that the sound was cut off, it was the feeling that a shapeless pressure was pressing down on the surroundings.
However, the hardened expression of the heads of households probably wasn’t just because of the pressure.
Something, a very deep doubt came out from their faces.
They wanted to bring that question out of their mouths right away, but no one was able to open their mouths easily.
Though it was only the Marquess of Teikan and Lycanter that had a peaceful appearance.
“You must be curious.”
At that point, Friedrich started talking again.
The attention of the head of household is naturally focused on him.
Their gazes and eyes were saying the same thing.
Hurry up and open your mouth, tell me about the secret, the identity of the existence that has been hidden until now.
The size of each person’s emotions was slightly different, but it meant that everyone was feeling the same question.
Just one thing.
I only wish for one thing.
A secret that Friedrich had been hiding until now, about a certain person to be precise.
I didn’t open my mouth, but all the heads of households looked at Friedrich with the same gaze.
The momentum radiated by the heads of the seven families of the empire, their serious eyes.
It was the kind of thing that even a person with a fairly large fence couldn’t easily overlook.
Friedrich was just calm.
As if the realm of a great mage was not obtained for free, he slowly began to part his lips, exuding the momentum of his years of experience.
He was feeling it too.
─Now is the time to clarify.
“What you are curious about must be about the one who killed the three demon lords.”
“…… That’s right.”
It was none other than the Marquis of Vamfir who responded to Friedrich’s words as a representative.
Above his bloody eyes, there was a determined will.
The blazing, burning emotions like flames were also fully revealed, and the Marquis of Vampir spoke again.
“The story I was told was that three of the 12 demon kings had died. Plus the fact that one of them was the demon king wearing my son’s mask.”
That’s why I can’t help but question it all the more.
It was the Marquis of Vampir who showed an unusually passionate appearance, saying that he had to listen to the hidden truth right away.
At first glance, he seemed very disrespectful in front of the emperor and the great mage of the imperial family.
The Emperor and Friedrich didn’t seem to care.
No, rather, it just floats a bitter and nostalgic look over his eyes.
How could it be otherwise?
The one whose emotions are fluctuating more violently than anyone else in this place must have been none other than the Marquis of Vampir, who had lost his own son.
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Is that all, I just heard the news that even the son’s enemy was killed by someone before I knew it.
Feeling anger, feeling empty and futile.
It was a natural reaction if it was natural.
So, Friedrich apologized for that.
“…… I’m sorry for not telling you beforehand, Marquis. Because we needed to move carefully.”
“… ….”
“Perhaps the most curious thing right now is who the hell killed the demon king who was pretending to be Louis Vampir.”
Silent night, Marquis de Pir, but Friedrich nodded his head heavily as if he understood everything and continued his words.
“…… I will tell you about him now. Not only you right now, but everyone else will be curious about it.”
After exhaling, Friedrich took a breath.
As if organizing what to say, I spaced it out appropriately.
But before it’s too late, he opens his mouth again.
“──White Qliphoth.”
I open my mouth and spit out the name.
The son of Teikan, who sits quietly inside this meeting room, not anyone else.
The name of the platinum-haired boy who is the heir to the Clifford family.
The expressions of all the heads of households in the meeting room instantly changed to puzzled ones.
Why did the boy’s name come out of Friedrich’s mouth at this moment?
Some even sent curious eyes toward Teikan right away.
But Teikan was just unmoving.
As if just waiting for Friedrich to say something, Teikan kept his mouth shut.
Perhaps they figured out that he had no intention of opening his mouth, and soon those who cast their gazes at him also looked at Friedrich.
And at that point, Marquis Vampir asked in a very questionable voice.
“…… Isn’t he the son of His Excellency the Duke of Clifford?”
In my mind, I remember the person who came to the Vampir family’s mansion that exists inside the imperial palace one day.
On that day, he remembers the boy holding Orca’s wrist and giving him a mysterious look.
The expression of the Marquis Vampir hardened.
“Now, why is that boy’s name mentioned?”
Suddenly, his voice starts to tremble slightly.
A family that is very painful has passed through my mind.
…… White Qliphoth, Orca.
Remember the time when those two boys and girls escaped the imperial palace to avoid their eyes.
I thought it was simply going out to play in the system.
I thought it was normal to just enjoy my youth.
‘…… Certainly, that was about when I was informed that another demon king had died.’
White Qliphoth, Orca.
Orca, Louis Vampir.
…… Louis Vampir, the Demon King.
“… ….”
From this possibility, another possibility is derived.
Guesses bite after tail, and gradually a picture begins to be drawn.
…… A picture infinitely close to the truth, such speculation.
“…… No way.”
At the end of the hypothesis that was completed, Marquis Vampir spat out a violently shaking voice.
At some point, the trembling eyes were away from Friedrich.
…… And.
Toward him, Friedrich slowly begins to open his mouth.
Rarely, he shows a bitter expression towards the Marquis of Vampir.
“…… It’s true that I heard it belatedly, but I heard that White accompanied your daughter when he went to subdue the demon lord wearing the mask of Louis Vampir.”
“… ….”
Kung.
The Marquis of Vampir must have felt his heart sink.
It was inevitable, and it was such a shocking truth.
At least for this moment, I can’t afford to worry about everything else.
Whether it’s that the man who killed three demon kings is actually a young boy who is the heir to the Clifford family, or whether Friedrich hid the fact, or whether the heads of the other seven families look shocked at the truth.
I don’t care, no, I can’t.
The Marquis of Vampir began to lash out.
“…… Ah.”
I squeeze my lips and a dry voice leaks out.
Looking genuinely shocked, Marquis Vampir hardened his expression.
Depth begins to fall over his face.
…… How can you be so stupid
How can you be this stupid?
‘…… Orca.’
Muttering the name of his own daughter to himself, the Marquis of Bampir stood up with his body shaking.
…… Somehow, a few days ago, I wanted to put on a gloomy expression from time to time.
Simplely, as age is age, I thought that it seems that there are frequent changes in emotions in many ways.
In fact, Orca quickly erased that expression and regained her usual cheerful appearance.
…… However, it was not.
That wasn’t it.
It was not a matter to simply think about.
I wanted to find out a little more detail, and I should have asked a little more detail.
“… ….”
…… Heck, when she’s just passing the day not knowing anything about herself.
What was Orca and her daughter doing?
-I heard that White brought your daughter along to subdue the demon lord wearing the mask of Louis Vampir.
…… The Marquis of Vamfir recalled what Friedrich had just said.
The light was slowly fading from his pupils.
When I went to subdue the demon lord, Orca was with me.
In other words, to kill the demon lord.
…… On the way to find the enemy who killed Louis Vampir, Orca’s brother and also his own son.
“… ….”
Marquis Vampir’s expression began to contort in an instant.
How should we define the complex emotions that arise?
Sadness, despair, guilt, or debt.
…… To children, to daughters.
Maybe Orca has a scar that will never be erased.
Since he was a child who followed his older brother well, I wonder if he is seriously worried and locked in despair.
An ominous imagination or speculation continues and creates new anxiety.
‘Oh, Ruka.’
…… Just like that, at that time when the Marquis of Vampir pressed his forehead and pursed his lips.
That was the moment.
Knock!
[Friedrich, are you there?]
The door to the meeting room was opened roughly, and a skeleton wearing a black robe entered.
Surely and unconsciously, Marquis Vampir’s red pupils turned to the skeleton.
However, I couldn’t bear to notice those eyes and the strange atmosphere that settled inside the meeting room.
The skeleton, Lucifer, just calmly continues his conversation.
[I heard that White participated in this magic battle. It seemed to be a rather interesting spectacle. How about it, why don’t we go see it together?]
“… ….”
…… Those words that made Marquis Vampir’s trembling body stop in an instant.
A void of light rose above the bloody eyes of the Marquis of Vampir.
And what happened next was just an instant.
“…… Wait, Marquis. Calm down, let’s talk for a while-“
Hook!
Ignoring Friedrich’s attempt to speak, the Marquis of Bampir turned his own body into a handful of blood and threw it out of his window.
At least for that moment, no words came to my ears.
Just worried about her daughter and Orca.
With anger toward a certain boy, who may have hurt Orca.
The Marquis of Vampir started flying toward the center of the system, the arena where the magic battle was in full swing.
[…] ….]
And inside the conference room, where only such a chilling silence remained.
Lucifer scratched her skull sullenly,
[Did I say something wrong?]
“…… Can’t you please just shut up? Lucifer.”
Friedrich pressed his temples.