Baldan snapped at the conversation between me and Shia, pulled a crossbow out from somewhere, and fired at us.
「Here you go.」
「Nnaa!?」
I caught the arrow right in front of my face. Baldan stood there stunned.
「That was close…」
「Wha!?」
「If it’s Master, it wouldn’t pierce anyway, right?」
「Wha!?」
「No no, it would still hurt a lot though.」
「What the hell are you!!」
Veins bulging on his forehead, he slammed the desk over and over.
「Ehh? The next Demon King?」
Shia answered with a smug look.
「Ha?」
See, now he’s frozen solid…
「Shia…」
「Isn’t it fine? You were planning to reveal it eventually anyway, weren’t you?」
「Well, yeah… but I wanted to do it in a cooler way if possible…」
I activated Blood Frenzy Magic and shifted into the Demon King form I had shown before.
「Y-You are!!」
Baldan trembled violently and pointed at me.
「Well, it’s a hassle, so I’ll just tell you. After thousands of years, I, who was sealed within the Holy Sword, have now been released and revived.」
「The Holy Sword, you say!?」
「Yeah. The reason I was able to return to this world is that the one who held the right to inherit the Holy Sword has been killed.」
「Nnaa!?」
His reactions are so big, it’s actually getting fun over here.
「That’s right. I learned it from this person, but the kings of this country have inherited the Holy Sword from generation to generation.」
「Damn it! How do you know that!!」
「It’s obvious, isn’t it… since I was sealed inside the Holy Sword.」
I made a red LED light glow around my right eye. Baldan broke into a heavy sweat and stumbled backward.
At that moment the door burst open and armed soldiers poured into the room.
「Protect the King!!」
「Perfect timing! Kill that bastard!!」
「「「「「Ooooooh!!」」」」」
「Tch. Bad odds. We’re pulling out, Shia!」
「Yes, Demon King-sama.」
I pulled Shia close and leaped out through the window we had entered from. Using wind magic, we soared into the sky and escaped above the castle.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
◇Croco side◇
「Haa… haa… You guys really saved me there.」
I had been hiding near the man called Baldan.
「To think the Demon King, who was supposed to be nothing more than a product of old tales, actually existed…」
「……」
「The Holy Sword, huh…」
The old man fiddled with the bookshelf behind him, and a door slid open.
(I’ll follow him just like this.)
I slipped from shadow to shadow after him. Then I saw one sword thrust deep into stone.
(So beautiful…)
Lit by the flame’s glow, the sword had a little rust on it, but the color was still lovely.
「Damn it. That bastard said the Holy Sword’s successor would become king when…」
He suddenly reached for the hilt and tried to pull it out.
「Fnuu! Gnnnnn!!」
(He’s trying to pull it? So that’s the Holy Sword?)
He struggled for a while, but it wouldn’t budge. In the end he gave up and left the room.
「Damn it. No choice then. I’ll have a sword made…」
(I have to tell onii-san!)
The old man was grumbling to himself, but I followed the shadows and slipped outside.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
Back at the inn in the castle town, I was preparing a simple late-night snack and waiting when Croco appeared from near my feet.
「You’re back early, Croco.」
「Welcome back～ Want some soup?」
「Yes, thank you very much!」
Shia handed Croco the warm soup. Croco blew on it gently, fuu-fuu, then drank it looking very happy.
「Is it good? Master made it, you know～」
「It’s delicious!」
「Good, I’m glad. There’s plenty more, so eat as much as you want.」
After eating a lot, Croco told us what she had seen in Baldan’s room.
「So there was a hidden room after all.」
「But Master, didn’t you feel any magic power?」
「I did, actually. I sensed two or three sources of magic, so I thought they were just the accessories we sold in Milrose the other day.」
「So that means it’s seriously weakened?」
「Hmm… I’m not sure. But it has been two thousand years…」
While we were thinking it over, a sudden weight pressed against me.
「……Suu… suu…」
Full from the meal, Croco had fallen asleep and slumped right into me.
「Ara～ She fell asleep.」
「Yeah. She worked hard on the scouting… there we go.」
I gently lifted Croco and laid her down on the bed. Thanks to her, we’d found the location of the Holy Sword, our original goal. Couldn’t ask for better.
「Alright then… guess I’ll sleep too.」
「Ehh～ Master, no night visit?」
「No・way! Come on, use the other bed.」
I took out my sleeping bag and lay down on the floor. Shia grumbled for a bit, but eventually climbed into the bed and soon started breathing softly in sleep.
「Right… setting up defensive magic. Good night.」
The only reply was her quiet breathing, but I drifted off right after.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
When I woke up, I had called Marian and was talking with her.
「So, we found the Holy Sword thanks to Croco, that’s great, but…」
「Is there a problem?」
「I can’t find the Evil God’s core anywhere…」
「You mean it’s gone?」
「I doubt it’s been completely destroyed.」
I told her that the sensation of the Evil God I felt back in the royal capital was the same as the one from the drug Graywolf gave me.
「I see… so it still exists in this world after all…」
「Exactly. Marian, can you look into the movements of the Holy Sword over the last ten years?」
「Understood～! …Huh!?」
「What? Too hard?」
「No, it’s doable… but it’ll take about a month?」
「Seriously…? Well, fine. Please do it. Also, what about the heroes?」
Come to think of it, what happened to those three?
「Um… right now they’re training on the 220th floor. They’re close to surpassing the Evil God’s level, so it depends on that.」
「Got it. And is there anything like a divine artifact?」
In the end, it turned out that weapons I create can only manage to seal it at best…
「It’s not impossible… but we’ll need your power, Yuuki-san.」
「Mine?」
「Yes. My divine power alone isn’t enough, so if Yuuki-san forges the weapon and I infuse a jewel with my divine energy, we should be able to create a weapon capable of completely defeating the Evil God.」
「I see. Then a month sounds just right.」
「Yes! Please leave it to me!」
With that, our discussion ended and Marian returned.
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