Not far away, a young girl arrived late, jogging along the way.
The slaves on the path quickly made way for her, occasionally showing respect.
It was clear that Emilia had gained considerable prestige among the slaves.
Most likely, this was because the majority were imperial slaves, and her actions had won their hearts.
Sieg, with a stern expression reflected in his blood-red eyes, was lecturing the neatly lined-up slaves one by one, aiming to leave a lasting impression.
“Very spirited, good job. Next, speak!”
“Understood, we’ll never call anyone a freeloader again, Lord Sieg.”
“Next…”
But his words were interrupted by a familiar voice.
That voice—Emilia’s—was one Sieg would likely never forget.
Annoyed, he scratched the back of his head and glanced at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
“Emilia, what are you doing here? Your work isn’t finished yet, is it?”
“I was just a bit worried about the situation here. I kept hearing strange noises, so I came to check things out, to make sure nothing goes wrong and to catch any issues early. Besides, this is something you entrusted to me, so of course I’ll take it seriously and complete it.”
As she spoke, she slowly approached, closing the distance between them.
Her intentions were barely concealed—likely emboldened by Sieg’s recent leniency, which gave her the illusion she could get closer.
But reality hit her hard with a metaphorical slap.
“Stop, Emilia. You’re acting like we’re close or something. Keep your distance, keep your distance.”
“Alright, I understand. Is there anything else you need me to do, Sieg?”
She could sense his unchanged, distant attitude.
The leniency from before seemed like a fleeting memory.
Sieg clearly harbored resentment, and unless he got answers or an explanation, that resentment would linger forever.
Perhaps she knew deep down that, because of her betrayal, their relationship could only remain cooperative at best.
Anything more was nearly impossible.
Their rapport seemed stuck—any progress was quickly undone.
But due to the system’s constraints, she couldn’t express the bitterness in her heart.
Yet, the situation wasn’t entirely the system’s fault.
She was partly to blame.
If she had chosen Sieg back then, none of this would’ve happened.
At the time, she had grown attached to the people and things here and was deeply reluctant to destroy the world.
Plus, maxing out Gerald’s affection would let her take her brothers home, so she naturally chose the easier path.
Who could’ve predicted fate’s cruel twist?
She had brought this upon herself.
A bitter smile crept onto her lips, tinged with sorrow.
Back then, she thought she could make it up to him after completing the mission…
Now, she approached atonement as a prerequisite, hoping to return home while balancing both.
If she could achieve both, that would be ideal.
If faced with the same choice again, Emilia would unhesitatingly stand by Sieg’s side, choosing him without any reason, even if it meant she couldn’t go home.
She didn’t want to regret again.
Truly, he was her only home.
Seeing Sieg remain silent, merely grinning and scratching himself awkwardly, as if sparks might fly from the friction, she spoke up.
“If you’re free, how about keeping me company? I could use your help with something.”
She took the initiative to start a conversation, her tone humble, almost pleading.
“Alright, tell me about it, Emilia.”
If it was business, he wouldn’t refuse.
Personal matters, however, were another story.
She quickly gave him a reason he couldn’t turn down.
“The ruins of the Demon King’s castle haven’t been fully explored yet. Didn’t you say we’d go together? If you don’t want to, I can go alone, it’s fine.”
Her tone carried no hint of coercion; she was simply reiterating a prior promise.
On the surface, it was about the Demon King’s castle, and that was indeed true, but she also harbored a small hope to spend more time with Sieg.
They needed to talk about personal matters soon.
Their current dynamic was problematic and needed to be addressed quickly.
Even if they couldn’t resolve it, at least they could clarify the issue.
She had initially planned to atone slowly, showing her sincerity and regret bit by bit, but the results were lackluster.
Sometimes, a direct conversation might work wonders.
It wasn’t that she was impatient.
Their situation had dragged on for over a year.
But ever since she started wanting to become his wife, her thoughts had subtly shifted, leading to the current state.
Even knowing that earning Sieg’s forgiveness and acceptance would be a long road, she believed that with determination, no challenge was insurmountable.
“Alright, since you put it that way, I can’t say no. Let’s go, make it quick. I still have fishing to do… and those mages to discipline.”
He nodded, having no objections since it was a prior agreement and official business.
Stretching lazily, he gestured for the surrounding slaves to disperse, warning them not to repeat their mistakes or face consequences.
With that, he walked ahead without looking back, leading the way.
The slaves and their settlement were on the outskirts of the Demon King’s castle.
Now, they were heading inside to investigate, assess the situation, eliminate dangers, and prevent unnecessary losses—both to avoid rebellion among the slaves due to fear and to protect Sieg’s assets.
“How nostalgic,” Sieg remarked as they entered the collapsed main castle.
The ruins, marked by charred remnants, came into view.
The place hadn’t been destroyed by war but was deliberately razed by humans before they left.
Sieg knelt, touching the ground with a hint of nostalgia and resentment.
He recalled fighting desperately alongside the remaining demons and loyalists, their revival totems destroyed dozens of times by the Hero.
The battle grew increasingly grueling, fought until the world seemed to fade.
In the end, he was the last demon standing.
Even defeating the Hero was futile—he’d revive at full strength, growing stronger each time, backed by the gods’ gaze.
The human soldiers were relentless, charging at him like mad, draining his stamina and magic.
The revival totems were only for survival, nothing more.
Without a miracle, he, the “Hakimi Demon King,” would’ve died there.
The miracle came.
Exhausted, he unleashed a massive area attack, clearing the field and sending the Hero into revival cooldown.
Sitting there, awaiting death, he met Emilia.
Unable to move a finger, he found her presence ironic.
He accepted his fate—no hope of returning home, just an end.
Yet, she captured and imprisoned him.
Even now, he couldn’t fathom what she was thinking back then…
Snapping back to reality, he gazed at the shattered demon bones on the ground, the words from that time still vivid.
“You are the prophesied child of the demons, destined to lead us to revival.”
“Though you’re the strongest Demon King in history, no Demon King has ever defeated a Hero, not once since ancient times. With each failure, our living space shrank. I watched the demons fall from world rulers to this. One more loss, and we might face extinction. But that’s no reason to retreat. Our blood feud with humans can only end with one race’s annihilation. It’s laughable—however strong a Demon King we produce, the Hero grows even stronger… But you’re different. You might bring a miracle.”
“Flee, Sieg. The war is over. There’s no point in dying with us old-timers. Don’t blame yourself—you’ve done enough.”
Clenching his fists, he recalled those words. He once refused to believe a Demon King was doomed to lose to a Hero.
Now, he believed it but refused to accept it.
Destroying the world wasn’t just for going home—it was also…
Ugh, thinking of these things again.
What an embarrassing memory.