Chapter 100 – A Monster That Eats Away at Fragile Hopes
To get out of the royal capital, one must pass through the gate and be checked by the gatekeeper.
“–Okay, next…”
The guard exclaimed after letting through an elderly couple on their way to a neighboring town.
A luxurious carriage reminiscent of a siege weapon with a castle-breaking hammer on it arrived to the front, with several carriages trailing behind it.
“My dear, will you please let me through quickly?”
“Well, Madame….”
A huge woman looked down directly from the high window.
“….let me examine the cargo and the passengers inside…”
“You. Did you not hear the earth shaking like a natural disaster just now? Are you sure you can still be leisurely enough to do something like that?”
Indeed, just a few moments ago, a tremendous roar, the likes of which has never been heard before, shook the capital.
“Sidge, show it.”
“As you wish.”
The butler showed the guard knight the letter of permission given from the royal castle that allowed Madame to go on her journey.
“I’ve been cleared from all charges and I have permission, you know? Yet there’s still all this fuss and delay. If something happens to my magic tool or my carriage… What will you do? Especially since you don’t even know what might be going on in the royal capital?”
“Huh?”
The guard couldn’t even imagine how much money they would demand.
The famously merciless Madame would never show any mercy.
And if she targeted someone personally, there would be nothing a common knight like him could do about it.
“……”
“Even though I don’t think it’s possible… If that sound was artificially made, then there’s a….. ridiculous monster behind us. I hope you can let me get out of here soon.”
Madame takes off one of her large jeweled rings and tossed it to the knight.
“Ah….. I see……. Please pass through….”
“Thank you. Please be careful so that you don’t get eaten by the monster.”
♢♢♢♢
Chrono, holding Erika on his side, looked at the crumbling defense wall along with Mob, standing on the roof a short distance away. A warm breeze blowed on them.
“….Mob, let me check again, okay?”
“Yes….”
Chrono, who was wearing demon king like glasses, asked Mob, who was still trembling due to the demon king’s power. The demon king’s display of power was still showing consequences in the background.
Mob knew that the back of the demon king’s tailcoat was the same as usual, but it looked tremendously large, wide, and terrifying to him at the moment.
“You told me earlier when we were pulling the stalls together that the wall is going to be torn down, and it’s going to be a long, slow process, right? We were having a good time chatting and were laughing, ‘ahahauhuh’ continuously.”
“Yes. I did say that…..”
“…… but there are two walls over there, aren’t there?”
“Yes…… When the city expanded outward, they decided to make a stronger wall with new construction methods rather than improve the old one….”
From a short distance away on the roof, a wall that had collapsed spectacularly into parts could be seen.
“I see. So there’s the old one that… was going to be torn down, and the new one that’s still standing. So…… which is the one I tore down?”
Gasping for breath, Mob replied to the demon king with a trembling voice.
“….Ah, it’s the newly built, more solid outer wall.”
“……”
The Demon King muttered in a hushed voice.
“….Hohoho…..”
His voice sounded so weak that it sounded like he was about to faint.
Mob could only assume that he was disappointed by the disappointingly poor walls of the kingdom.
Mob wondered if it was even possible to nullify a blow of that magnitude.
“……”
The demon king began to tremble slightly.
Was it due to anger or sadness….?
A small being like himself could not possibly understand the feelings of the demon king, who had such god-like strength.
However, perhaps the demon king is suffering from the depression and boredom of not being able to wield his power to its fullest, or perhaps he was troubled because he felt solitary, with no beings on the same plane of existence as him.
“Chrono-sama.”
“….Celestia?”
A woman in divine, light like armor leapt onto the roof.
It was Celestia Light, princess of the Kingdom of Light, who chose to become a servant of the Demon King despite her reputation as the goddess of beauty.
“……”
“……”
Chrono turned around, and when their eyes met, Celestia protested with her…. cheeks puffed out and widened, upturned eyes.
“Hm….. that, Celestia is cute after all.”
“Huh! Ugh… I won’t be fooled even if you say something like that!”
Celestia’s heart dropped due to his sudden blow, but her jealousy of Erika being held by Chrono brought her back to focus.
She immediately snatched Erika and held her in her arms.
“Calm down. I’ll calm down too… and we’ll talk calmly.”
“……”
She glanced at the demon king as if she was about to ask him a question, but then turned away quickly with a bright red face.
“I see, I see, I understand how you feel. Don’t lose sight of what I said. I’m not going to have you cut off your cover. I’m going to make sure you’re compensated. After all, I was the cause for this.”
“……”
“But not now. It’s a matter of time and money, isn’t it?”
“….Yes.”
It didn’t seem like she needed any money, but Celestia nodded reluctantly, not letting her joyful heart show.
“Mm…… hmmm… good grief…..”
The demon king wiped the sweat from his forehead. Driven by the desire to wipe him herself, Celestia decides to leave Erika in Marie’s care for the time being.