Chapter 8

“Gyaaa… Ngh…….”

“……?”

A moan-like scream suddenly burst from the Demon Beast’s mouth. Wondering what was happening, Lil slowly turned around, her expression trembling.

“…Huh?”

Her eyes widened as she took in the scene.

‘W-What is that?’

Something was biting the Demon Beast’s neck.

“…A puppy?”

No, it wasn’t. It was a pure-white wolf cub. There was no doubt about it—the creature clamped tightly around the Demon Beast’s throat was a wolf cub.

‘How……?’

It was such a tiny creature that a single swipe of the Demon Beast’s hand should have been enough to tear it apart. And yet……

“Gyaaaaaaaaaa!”

It was the enormous Demon Beast that was writhing in agony.

Crunch!

In the end, the Demon Beast’s neck was torn away by those tiny wolf teeth.

Thud—

Had it bitten straight through its vital point? The Demon Beast could no longer make a sound as it collapsed helplessly onto its side.

Lil stood there with her mouth hanging open. Even after seeing it with her own eyes, she couldn’t believe it. Had that tiny wolf cub really killed such a massive Demon Beast?

“M-Mom?”

The child, who had been nestled in their mother’s arms, slowly raised their head. Apparently curious about what was happening, the child peeked over their mother’s shoulder.

And just as they were about to see the sight of the Demon Beast’s neck torn away, blood pooling everywhere—

“Ah!”

“Yan!”

A small creature suddenly blocked the child’s view. It was a black creature fluttering its adorable little wings while frantically waving its hands.

[Ppu, ppuu!]

“…You’re telling me not to look?”

[Ppu!]

At first, the child and their mother had been terrified, thinking it was another Demon Beast. But they soon lowered their guard when they realized the little creature was desperately moving about, trying to cover the child’s eyes so they wouldn’t see the dead Demon Beast.

Whoosh!

Pop-pop-pop!

“……!”

But a moment later, Lil, the child’s mother, widened her eyes once again.

Countless flowers had suddenly bloomed all over the body of the Demon Beast that had died with its neck severed.

[Ppii!]

A single pure-white baby rabbit was hopping merrily across the flower garden covering the Demon Beast’s corpse.

[Ppuu.

Only then did the black creature, which had been so diligently covering the child’s eyes, step back and nod its head in satisfaction.

“Are you all right?”

“Ah……!”

What in the world was going on?

The child and their mother remained dazed for quite some time before finally hearing a human voice for the first time.

“Support supplies will be arriving from the Imperial Family soon. Please wait just a little longer.”

A young man with a beautiful, delicate face like a woman’s. He quickly checked the condition of the mother and child before letting out a relieved sigh.

“It seems there are no more Demon Beasts in this village.”

Then they heard the voice of a young boy as well. Unlike the man, whose expression changed from moment to moment, the boy’s face revealed no emotion that could easily be read.

“Really? Then shall we go check somewhere else?”

“Yes.”

[Ppuu!]

[Ppii!]

[…….]

Once everything was over, they left the place in an instant, just as quickly as they had appeared.

“Mom, who were those people?”

“…The expedition team.”

The child’s mother murmured blankly.

“The Rabbit Expedition Team…….”

As she recalled a rumor she had heard recently.

Are you happy now?

“Kh… Ugh.”

“Alex!”

“Cough! Ugh……! Cough!”

Seeing his son doubled over in pain as he coughed violently, Kallios, the Former Emperor of Devrika, darkened his expression.

Quite some time had passed since he had entered this quiet village, his private estate, together with his son Alex, who had lost his memory. Yet his son’s condition was only growing worse.

He was complaining of pain more frequently, and lately, even his coughing sounded ominous. The intense heat that covered his entire body was severe as well.

Just then, a man approached and handed Alex a bluish liquid.

“Kh… Ngh…….”

Unable to answer properly, Alex hurriedly accepted the cup from the man.

“…….”

Jutel, the man watching him, wore an equally grave expression.

It had not been long since Jutel had come here in search of Prince Alex. As a member of the Demon Race, it had not been particularly difficult for him to remain by Prince Alex’s side once again.

Using memory-manipulation magic to make people recognize him as the attendant who had originally cared for Alex was extremely simple.

The problem was……

Even to Jutel, it seemed that Alex didn’t have much longer to live. His condition was so dire that there would be nothing strange about him dying tomorrow.

‘The herbal water is almost gone, too…….’

The herbal water that Ceres had made for Alex before was now almost gone. It was the only thing that had barely kept him going until now.

‘Should I go find her again?’

It seemed he would have to seek out Ceres again to obtain more herbs. But if he did, he would also have to reveal that Prince Alex was still alive.

“I think it would be best if we went inside now.”

“Already?”

“Just a little longer. I’m fine now because I ate this. My coughing stopped, too. Let’s take a walk just a little longer. Dad, okay?”

“Will you really be all right?”

“Yes!”

“…All right.”

In the end, Kallios couldn’t bring himself to refuse Alex’s request and resumed walking.

Alex smiled brightly.

A silent sigh escaped Jutel’s lips as he quietly watched the two of them.

His thoughts grew heavier and heavier, torn between the fact that he needed to bring the herbs as soon as possible and his desire not to shatter that peaceful comfort.

There was one more person whose expression hardened as he watched Prince Alex suffer.

Cheian was watching Prince Alex and the others as they took a walk from afar.

Seeing his younger brother clutching his heart and complaining of pain, Cheian lowered his head helplessly.

He wanted nothing more than to approach Alex right away, ask if he was all right, and comfort him. But he couldn’t.

Because he was his younger brother… and because he desperately wanted him to live……

At the same time, countless thoughts came flooding into his mind.

What about those who had died because of what Alex had done? The deep guilt that arose every time he felt joy over Alex being alive was something he couldn’t escape.

Even after helping so many people, that heavy feeling in his heart refused to disappear easily. And so, once again today, Cheian could do nothing but watch Alex from afar.

Wham!

At that moment, Cheian, who was standing at the edge of a steep hill, was startled by someone’s kick.

He had nearly tumbled headfirst down the slope.

“I-I almost died!”

Having barely managed to keep himself from falling forward, Cheian clutched his pounding heart and shouted toward the person behind him.

“Sorry. My foot slipped.”

…Why was that line being said here?

The voice was so familiar that Cheian’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

The person standing there was none other than Kainel—the man who claimed to be sorry despite not looking the least bit remorseful.

“Why are you here?”

“Why? Did I come somewhere I’m not allowed to?”

“That’s not what I meant……!”

Cheian hurriedly turned around.

Prince Alex was still within his field of vision.

Which meant that this man could see him too……?!

“And you. If you came to see that bastard, you could just go to him. Why are you standing here, making a pathetic spectacle of yourself and irritating me?”

“…….”

Cheian quickly turned his gaze back to Kainel, and his expression went blank once again.

“…You knew?”

Kainel was staring directly at Prince Alex, who was slowly walking farther away together with the Former Emperor of Devrika.

Yet his expression remained as calm as ever.

As though he had already known everything.

“You already knew Alex was alive?”

“There is no information under the heavens that I cannot obtain if I desire it.”

No wonder the information organization was called Sky.

“…Whoa.”

What was with that infuriating line?

Cheian stared at Kainel with a thoroughly fed-up expression.

How could someone say something like that without even batting an eye? And to make matters worse, those cheesy, haughty words suited him far too perfectly, making him even more irritating.

“Yet you used to give Alti such a hard time for saying the name and meaning were tacky.”

“……!”

At that moment, yet another familiar voice rang out.

Cheian hurriedly turned his head and saw Ceres lightly shaking her head at Kainel.

“…You knew too?”

With Ceres’s appearance, Cheian’s expression grew even heavier.

He had deceived her all this time.

About the fact that Alex was alive……

In the end, Ceres had discovered that he had known everything and had deliberately kept silent.

Tap.

“Take this to him.”

“…Huh?”

Ceres lightly patted Cheian’s shoulder, which had gradually begun to droop, and handed him a small pouch.

“This is…….”