The name of Asteria, King of Hordia, was as infamous among foreign upper classes as that of a Demon, but she was quite popular domestically.
She annihilated corrupt nobles who extorted heavy taxes from the people and used their wealth to enrich the nation.
She employed capable and trustworthy civil officials, overlooked due to the nobility, granting them significant authority and commensurate salaries.
Following Misra’s example, a National Assembly was established to hear the voices of the people.
Slaves who were capable and trustworthy were freed and treated fairly.
Taxes were also reduced, pleasing honest merchants and citizens.
The civil officials were overworked, continuing days without returning home, but the nation’s strength, said to be on its deathbed, was rapidly recovering. Asteria began to be hailed as “the light of hope that pierced through Hordia’s darkness.”
Unfortunately, they had no capacity to even imagine the suffering inflicted upon the people of other nations by the Hordian army.
After all, until just recently, they were the ones being oppressed and suffering.
Amidst this, Isabella was serving tea to Asteria.
“A-chan. I made you some tea?”
“Ah. Thank you, Bella.”
When they were alone, they called each other by their childhood names.
Even the Maids such as Mireille, Vanessa, and Annette would have been astonished by the gentle expression Asteria showed Isabella.
She chose to shed the mask of a Queen only during this time.
“So, is this Marius person really that strong?”
“Ah. I can’t handle him. He might even be beyond the Demon Lord’s ability.”
Isabella was surprised by Asteria’s rare display of weakness. The dear friends she knew were always full of confidence, kind, and unwavering in their strong stance.
“If he’s that strong, then wasn’t everything we did in vain…?”
“It wasn’t in vain.”
Asteria immediately dispelled her friend’s doubts and anxieties.
“We can reduce further sacrifices. It has great meaning.”
Isabella pouted unhappily at her friend, who stated this with such confidence.
“A-chan. You understand things on your own and say all sorts of strange things. Everyone is quite unhappy, you know?”
“I know. But thanks to that, we weren’t met with much suspicion, were we?”
Asteria wore a mischievous smile. It was precisely because the nobles, thinking “The crazy Princess is spouting nonsense,” let down their guard that they were able to crush them so quickly.
“…Well, it’s the fault of the people who don’t believe what A-chan says, I guess.”
Isabella reluctantly conceded. There was a time when Asteria had confided everything to her without reservation. Few believed the possibility of humanity’s extinction when the Evil God Tindalos and the Demon Lord revived simultaneously. Asteria’s skill had the weakness of being unable to produce concrete evidence, which is when she became known by the nickname “Mad Princess.” Even Mireille, Vanessa, Ign, and Annette, whose relatives were killed by Demons, couldn’t fully believe it. At best, they could only say, “We can’t entirely deny the possibility.” Incidentally, trying to save humanity was Asteria’s genuine desire, but her true nature was such that she wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice her entire homeland for it. That’s why she only confided in Marius, who hadn’t established trust with those around him. If she had carelessly told anyone else, she would have already lost her head on the executioner’s block.
“It’s become completely unpredictable because of Marius… but please be prepared. Misra, Barshark, and Vester are planning to attack.”
“If it’s anything goes, it’s a piece of cake…”
“Unfortunately, it’s too early for that. Marius seems to be slower to act than I thought.”
Their conversation continued, incomprehensible to any third party. It was sufficient because they understood each other.
***
Upon returning to his room, Marius immediately summoned Zofi.
“You called, Master?”
Zofi responded with a voice and gestures that seemed to fawn over him. Considering that Succubi become obedient to those they lose to in bed, and that one must conquer the other’s heart to form a Familiar contract, it wasn’t particularly strange.
“This is sudden, but tell me everything you know about the Demons.”
“Understood.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Zofi began to reveal information about her former comrades. The leader of the Demons is Rubens. He is an ancient, martial-type upper-class Demon who has lived for over a thousand years, and it is through his strength and leadership that the Demons have managed to form an organization. Details are unknown, but he is a Dragon Demon. The second in command are Albert and Franklin. Like Rubens, they are ancient martial-type Demons and survivors of the battle between Demon King Zagan, Hero Bernhardt, and Mage Klaus. Albert is a Griffin Demon, and Franklin is a Sphinx Demon. Gastark and Mergen are brothers, Demons who originated from humanity and became Rubens’ subordinates. Gerik is the most famous among humans, a Mimic Demon. Pal is a Black Owl Demon, Rupert is a Cockatrice Demon, and Cedric is an Alraune Demon. Lastly, Rebera is a Goblin Demon. Among the skills they possess, Gerik’s “Transform” is famous, but Zofi doesn’t know much about the others.
“I heard Gastark and Mergen use human magic…”
Zofi trailed off, saying this. Even though they are an organization, they don’t always act together; they apparently act freely unless Rubens summons them or issues orders. It’s difficult to bind them so tightly unless one is a Demon Lord, and Rubens doesn’t seem to have that intention. That’s why Zofi doesn’t possess much detailed information about the other Demons.
“Well, that’s fine. So, what is the Demons’ objective?”
“It is the resurrection of the Demon King… the Demon King and the Evil God Tindalos.”
Although her words proved Asteria right, Marius did not immediately accept it.
“For that, aren’t they doing things in a roundabout way? They should just revive him quickly.”
Zofi nodded repeatedly to Marius’s question as if she had found her true meaning.
“Demon King Zagan is a strict ruler, and if he is revived, he will seek revenge on humanity. Therefore, it seems they are being cautious.”
Marius surmised that human nations are considered to have value as sacrifices for Zagan. The Demons, including Rubens, have experienced Demon King Zagan’s defeat by the Hero and his subsequent sealing, but they do not know where he was sealed. Even if Demons are powerful, fighting the armies of all human nations with just a few of them would be exceedingly difficult. Thus, they waited for new Demons to be born, formed an organization, and then began their actions. It seems Rubens is a man who, despite being a Demon, has a cautious nature.
“If I defeat this Rubens fellow, their control will break, won’t it?”
“Yes. If Rubens disappears, the remaining ones will start rampaging uncontrollably. Therefore, I believe he should be defeated last.”
This shows how much the other Demons fear Rubens.
“Then, the one we must defeat first is Gerik, as expected…”
He is famous as the Demon who possesses the skill to transform into a human and created the opportunity for him to inflict great damage on Seraeno.
“I agree that Gerik must be defeated quickly, but I believe Rupert and Cedric should be the top priority now. They are expected to come to Filat for Zagan’s resurrection.”
“…You should have told me things like that sooner.”
“My apologies.”
Zofi bowed deeply.
“Where is Zagan’s sealing place?”
“Yes. It is a place that humans call the Lake of the Abyss.”
It was the place where Marius was reincarnated. Feeling an unnaturalness and creepiness in this strange coincidence, he decided to hurry.
“Alright, I’ll depart after giving His Majesty a word.”
As he started to walk, Marius asked something that suddenly came to his mind.
“Say, don’t the Demons have a base? If they do, I think we could attack it and finish them all at once.”
To this obvious question, Zofi replied with an apologetic face.
“Unfortunately, they do not have one. Rubens simply gathers them each time. Apparently, they were attacked at their base by the Hero in the past.”
Marius realized that the greatness of one’s predecessors could also become a source of resentment depending on the time and situation.
***
When Marius said, “I’m going to go defeat the Demon King for a bit,” Bernhard III looked displeased and demanded an explanation. After hearing it, he gave permission with a stiffened expression. If it were true, it was a crisis not just for Filat but for the entire continent. By some twist of fate, Barra happened to arrive, and upon hearing the situation, she offered to accompany him.
“If it concerns a Demon King, it is an enemy of all humanity. We should unite beyond nations and races to confront it.”
Her opinion was indeed plausible, but the issue was whether she would become a hindrance. Against Demons, she could be counted as a combatant, but… Prudently sensing Marius’s hesitation, Barra said,
“Please allow me to help conserve even a small amount of Marius-sama’s Magic Power. If the Demon King revives, I will flee with all my might.”
This reassured not only Marius but also the people of her homeland. With Zofi present as well, Marius thought perhaps the battles against the Demons might be a little easier. He honestly wanted to conserve his strength as much as possible since he couldn’t predict how much effort would be required for the battle against Zagan.
“Speaking of which, how strong are Rupert and Cedric?”
If they were formidable opponents, it would be problematic to have Barra fight them.
“In terms of raw combat power, they are stronger than me. For now, just think of them as considerably stronger than Samuel.”
Those who overheard the conversation between master and servant thought, “The most important point, and only now?” but no one voiced it. This was because the one asking the question was Marius.
“I’m sorry, I was being too forward. I think I should refrain after all.”
Barra, sensing Marius’s concern for her, apologetically offered to withdraw. She had calculated that by cooperating with Zofi and others, she could make things easier for Marius, and she did not intend to merely be a nuisance.
“No, it’s alright. Let’s go together.”
Marius’s offer to persuade her was because he was uneasy about the lack of a sense of crisis among the people of this world. He intended to have Barra accompany him to make them realize the possibility of the Demon King’s revival and then have her convey it to others. After all, she was a Princess of a nation and quite a powerful individual. Her words would carry much more weight than just Marius and Zofi speaking.
“Um, but won’t I be a bother…?”
Barra felt hesitant due to her affection for Marius. To the girl, Marius said reassuringly,
“I will definitely protect you.”
His manly words impressed those around them, and Barra struggled to suppress the maiden’s feelings from surfacing due to his reliability. Marius felt as though he might have set some kind of flag, but considering his companion was a Princess, he concluded, “She must be used to hearing things like this.” He had already noticed that Barra had feelings for him. Since he didn’t know how to react, he pretended not to understand. For now, he decided that they could handle the Demons with full equipment, and with Zofi out, it would be perfect. If Marius’s assessment was correct, Barra should have enough strength to protect herself even against a Demon. When fighting the Demon King, they could simply force-transfer him. Marius reached this conclusion, but there were those who could not simply let things be. These people argued, with perfectly sound reasoning, that they could not allow the Princess or the Ambassador of Goodwill to be put in danger. Regardless of Marius’s strength, the very act of Barra participating in battles against Demons or the Demon King was unacceptable. This argument was rejected by Barra herself.
“It was we who desired friendship with Filat. Yet, can we shamelessly stand by and watch the people of Filat be put in danger? I cannot.”
No one could refute her. It was obvious to everyone that Barra was the strongest among the Ranleo people within Filat. They could not say things that would cast doubt on her sincerity, such as there being no need for it to be Barra, or that it surely wouldn’t be dangerous for Marius. Thus, the “Demon and Zagan Extermination Squad” departed with a few more members added.
