* * *
“Duke! Are you alright?”
“Yes. As you can see, not even a single one of my hairs was harmed.”
“That’s… a relief.”
“With Giselle’s portrait here, I felt like I was able to display about 15% of my usual monstrous strength.” He spoke as if it were nothing, then glanced around to check on the soldiers in the barracks.
I also looked around, biting my lip. Unlike Duke Kalinos, some of the soldiers were in serious condition. The chaos had been more than enough to be called a rampage. As I watched the wounded being carried away on stretchers, I let out a deep sigh.
I knew Duke Reshaniel would go berserk after I triggered him. But I was genuinely curious how on earth he managed to create so many monsters, like a madman.
“Why did you come all the way to the North? It’s dangerous here.”
“It wasn’t dangerous. I’ll return your words to you. Not even a single one of my hairs was harmed.”
Even as I spoke, he didn’t stop carefully checking me over. Several minutes later, after confirming I was unharmed, Duke Kalinos quietly asked, “What do you mean that trash is going berserk?”
“I provoked Duke Reshaniel a little… and then he completely lost his mind. To the point that even His Majesty would have been furious.”
“Ah.”
“And then, well, he ran off.”
“I see. Reckless actions like that—”
“I won’t do it again, okay.”
According to what I’d heard from the emperor before coming here, Duke Reshaniel had already vanished, along with everyone who’d helped him commit his crimes. The only ones left now were those who merely looked ‘innocent.’
I reached out to take Duke Kalinos’s rough hand but hesitated. His palm radiated heat, covered in scratches. Only then did I notice what I’d missed before. The rims of his eyes were red, as if from exhaustion. Seeing how worn out he looked, I quietly took his hand in mine.
I almost wish I could take his pain for him. The moment that thought crossed my mind, my face flushed hot as I stared into the air. I think I know what this feeling is. No way, could it be that I…
“Giselle?”
Just before I could fully recognize my own feelings, Duke Kalinos whispered my name. Startled, I looked at him and said, “I-It’s nothing.”
“If there’s something you want to say, you can tell me.” He gazed at me, giving a gentle smile. Of course, with his cold features, he was probably smiling with the thought of trying to look as gentle as possible.
Wait, I can tell the difference now? Between his chilly smile and his gentle one. The way his muscles move is just a little different. How did I never notice that before? I felt a strange mix of pride and embarrassment at getting to know him better. What was this restless, subtle feeling?
My face burned even hotter. I hurriedly hid behind a more urgent topic. Because right now, my feelings weren’t what mattered.
“First of all, Duke. The monsters are going to come in swarms. Because I provoked Duke Reshaniel.”
“In that case…”
“Yes, we’ll have to fight as hard as we can. But that’s just a temporary fix…”
“We’ll have to find that b*stard.”
“Yep! Now we just have to track down that mosquito and get ready for the final battle.”
At least until the moment I tightly clasped his wounded hand, it felt as though everything would turn out rosy.
* * *
“The speed at which the <Demon Seed> is multiplying is far too fast.”
It was several days later. I hadn’t slept a wink, wandering the plains and dealing with monsters. Exhausted, I muttered to myself as I trudged into the tent. “We need to find the host, but it’s not easy.”
The scout standing guard outside the tent rubbed his face with a look of guilt. “My apologies, Madam, but it’s proving difficult to locate the host.”
Watching the soldier struggle to explain the situation, I gave a small nod. “Well, we’ll just have to keep at it.”
I looked beyond the camp, where Coocoo and Krrr were flying wildly over the plains, wings spread wide.
“Coo! (Die, monsters!)”
The sight of monsters burning fiercely in Coocoo’s flames was definitely satisfying. But the monsters truly kept appearing endlessly. I’d already used up almost all the divine power I’d stolen from Duke Reshaniel.
As I stood in front of the tent, quietly watching Coocoo’s rampage, Duke Kalinos, who had come up beside me before I noticed, grabbed my shoulder. “Giselle.”
“Yes?”
“Normally, for this many monsters to pour out, a sacrifice is required. A very powerful one.”
At that, I raised my eyebrows in disbelief. “Are you saying Duke Reshaniel sacrificed his own body to summon the monsters?”
“Most likely.”
Crazy b*stard.
As I bit back a curse in my head, Duke Kalinos calmly whispered, “That’s why we have to deal with him if we want to put an end to all this.”
“We’ll have to find him as soon as possible…”
Just then, Duke Kalinos murmured quietly, “It shouldn’t be hard to find him. He’ll probably show himself to find you. He’s been obsessed with you all along.”
Duke Kalinos and I kept moving without rest. I took care of monsters in the rear, while Duke Kalinos cut down monsters at the front, focusing on tracking down Duke Reshaniel, the host. It’s tough work, but there are moments that make it worthwhile. Every time we evacuated residents from places where monsters might appear, people would squeeze my hand and thank me. Today was no different.
“We need to evacuate. Please gather your things.”
Inside a small house where I’d come to ask them to evacuate, a woman who looked to be around thirty, her hair neatly tied back, looked at me and asked softly, “You’re the duchess, aren’t you?”
“…That’s right.”
“Thank you. I never imagined you’d come fight on the front lines yourself… People like us, you could have just ignored us…”
“…”
She gripped my hand tightly. Seeing her mother clutch my hand, a shy girl of about ten, who’d been hiding behind her, peeked out.
“Um…”
“Huh?”
Her face was smudged with soot, so I couldn’t see her clearly.
“Thank you for saving us…”
“…”
As I accepted the flower the girl held out to me, I felt a bit dazed. This all started because of my personal revenge. If these events had never happened, I probably never would have had the chance to save them or even meet them. Still… I feel a little proud. The fact that I could save people, that I was protecting their future. At the same time, it made me feel strange.
There was no denying that killing endless waves of monsters was exhausting and grueling. But strangely enough, through all of this, I felt like I was slowly, little by little, growing as a person.
Leaving the house, I made my way back to the camp. There’s something I absolutely have to do. Even if I used up all my divine power, even if I was tired, even if it was hard. This was something I absolutely had to do.
* * *
“…Giselle.” It was on the way back after clearing out all the monsters on the Elle Plains. Vientin entered the tent where Giselle was staying and spoke. “No matter how I look at it, I think the research results are wrong.” There was no reply, but he quietly continued. “With Giselle’s portrait, it seems I can display about 20% of my usual monstrous strength. It appears the research results need to be revised…” He trailed off, staring at Giselle, who was slumped over the desk.
With a tired expression, she had fallen asleep on the desk with her eyes closed. Vientin pulled out the book she had been resting on, titled [Reflection Magic], before gently lifting only her upper body.
After laying her down on the bed, he murmured softly. There was something he absolutely needed to tell her right now, but… “Still, please rest for a little while.”
Before long, the lantern flame flickered softly. Surely, it was only a fleeting moment of peace. He watched for a long time as Giselle blinked blankly with a drowsy expression. And then… after dozing off for a bit, Giselle suddenly stretched out her hand and sat up abruptly.
“Huh?”
“Giselle.”
“Yes, ah, you’re here. I must have dozed off.”
“…Duke Reshaniel has appeared.”
At those words, Giselle shot upright and looked at him. “Where?”
Vientin hesitated for a moment, his lips parting slightly. His face clouded over for an instant as he quietly replied. “In the ice cave where a gigantic monster once lived.”
But Giselle didn’t seem to notice his unease. She just beamed and nodded brightly. “Then let’s go have our final battle together!”
* * *
Naturally, I had no intention of facing Duke Reshaniel alone. I had already stationed numerous soldiers on standby and even summoned mages. However…
“There’s a barrier that only allows two people to enter.”
“Yes. And once inside, you won’t be able to use mana.”
Voices behind us continued warning that entering the barrier would be dangerous. But we had no choice except to take the risk. Because only then can we deal with Duke Reshaniel.
Right before heading into enemy territory, I grabbed Duke Kalinos’s hand tightly. “It’s a little dark. Shall we go in?”
As we approached the place where Duke Reshaniel was hiding, I thought it strange how Duke Kalinos’s complexion was growing darker by the moment. But I had no time to think deeply about it. Because he nodded.
“…Yes, let’s go.” Holding my hands, he strode through the barrier.
Before my eyes appeared the entrance to a pitch-black cave.
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