The witches and mages of the Magic Tower were determined to frame Mari as the culprit.
And in the midst of their accusations, Mari found herself unable to say a word.
Even Poltuga, a demon general, had been silenced.
As a human, Mari held no authority here.
The only other person who might have had some influence—Teriya—remained frozen beside her.
Whether due to fear or lingering shock from the explosion, she simply clutched Mari’s hand tightly, trembling.
In this suffocating situation, the only person Mari could rely on was Kesar.
But even with him here, things were not unfolding in their favor.
Standing before Kesar with his head held high, showing not even a shred of deference, was Goebil, the Master of the Magic Tower.
From this alone, Mari could already piece together the bigger picture.
Goebil’s position was high-ranking, but for him to act this boldly in front of a Demon Lord meant one thing.
He had powerful backing.
And considering how neatly everything had fallen into place, it was clear.
This entire situation had been carefully orchestrated from the start.
A trap…
It was all an elaborate move to restrict Kesar’s influence.
And to Mari, nothing could have been more disgusting.
She was all too familiar with the filth of political schemes.
After all, she had been purged from the Empire for the same reason.
She knew exactly how dirty things could get when power struggles came into play.
And now, because of her, Kesar had been dragged into it.
The thought filled Mari with both rage toward the unseen forces behind this setup.
And guilt.
It’s my fault… This only happened because I was reckless…
Had she let her guard down too much after Kesar’s repeated reassurances?
Or had she simply been too consumed by her hunger for knowledge—the instinctual drive of a witch?
Whichever it was, the fact remained.
Because of her, the man she owed her life to… the man she had started to feel something for… was now suffering the consequences.
As guilt weighed down on her, she remained silent.
And then.
Goebil’s voice rang in her ears.
Formally demanding her arrest.
On the surface, they were merely calling for an investigation.
But Mari knew exactly what would happen if she allowed herself to be taken.
There was no chance this so-called “investigation” would be conducted peacefully.
She would undoubtedly face brutal torture—not for the sake of extracting information, but purely to pressure Kesar.
But rejecting the demand outright would be even riskier.
Regardless of the truth, refusing an investigation would be seen as an admission of guilt.
And the moment that happened.
Kesar would take a significant political hit.
That was exactly what the ones orchestrating this scheme wanted.
Trapped in this no-win situation, Mari quickly arrived at the only logical solution.
And she knew.
Kesar had already realized it too.
The simplest way out… would be for him to abandon me.
There were plenty of ways he could justify it.
He could claim this was all her doing.
That he had shown her mercy—only for her to betray him.
That, in the end, humans could never be trusted.
It didn’t matter if it was true.
By offering her up, Kesar could escape this political trap without consequence.
Of course, for Mari, that would be the end.
It would be the worst possible outcome for her.
But still.
She was prepared to accept it.
Kesar had already done more for her than she deserved.
If throwing her away would protect him, then at least she could atone for the trouble she had caused.
Yes, losing her chance at revenge was frustrating.
But at this moment, her guilt toward Kesar outweighed even her thirst for vengeance.
And so, as she awaited his decision, Mari let out a bitter smile.
Their time together had been brief compared to the long years of her life…
But he had been one of the few people she had ever truly treasured.
It was a shame… that their connection had to end so soon.
But then.
“No.”
…What?
“!?”
“L-Lord Kesar…?”
Mari stared in shock.
She had expected him to abandon her.
She had prepared for it.
But instead.
His answer had been absolute.
And the way he said it—so firm, so unshakable—only deepened her confusion.
“…What did you just say?”
“Are you deaf? I said no. Did you really think I would hand over my precious subordinate just to play along with your pathetic little scheme?”
There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in his voice.
And yet, rather than relief, Mari felt her chest grow tighter.
“…Are you saying you’re taking responsibility for this incident, Lord Kesar?”
“Oh, please. You had already decided to frame me from the beginning.”
“Very well. Then I shall submit my report as follows: ‘Demon Lord Kesar orchestrated a terrorist attack on the Magic Tower using a human agent—’ Guhk…! Ughh…!”
Before he could finish, Goebil’s eyes bulged as he suddenly clutched at his throat—
And collapsed.
Mari’s breath hitched.
She saw it.
Kesar’s mana.
It coiled around Goebil’s neck, suffused with an overwhelming, merciless killing intent.
“Go ahead. Try it.”
“Ghh… Gghk—!”
“But if you do—”
Kesar’s voice remained eerily calm as Goebil thrashed on the ground, foaming at the mouth.
“You will be held personally accountable… for everything that happens afterward.”
Goebil tried to retaliate, desperately forcing his mana outward in an attempt to break free.
But Kesar’s power crushed his resistance with ease.
“Hrk…! Guh…!”
“G-Goebil, sir…!”
The moment he lost consciousness, his disciples rushed to his side in a panic.
And yet.
None of them dared to lay a finger on Kesar.
Because they had just witnessed it.
A Grand Mage, a Master of the Magic Tower, brought to his knees in an instant.
Overwhelmed.
By Demon Lord Kesar.
Faced with Kesar’s overwhelming presence, none of the witches or mages dared to protest further.
Instead, they silently supported the unconscious Goebil and hurriedly left.
At a glance, it might have been a satisfying scene.
But in that moment.
Mari…
No.
Everyone present understood exactly what Kesar’s actions meant.
And what consequences would inevitably follow.
A heavy, suffocating silence filled the air as Kesar and his group left the Magic Tower.
No one spoke.
Then.
“…Will you be alright?”
The first to break the silence was the only outsider among them—
Teriya.
“This incident… it won’t simply be overlooked. I don’t know the full details, but it seems that one of the Four Great Demon Lords is involved. If that’s the case, Lord Kesar… you stand to suffer major losses.”
Kesar.
A war hero whose name carried weight throughout the Demon Realm.
The city of Pandemonica had even prepared a grand banquet to honor his victories.
But now.
If rumors spread that he had used his power to terrorize the Magic Tower for the sake of a human witch…
His reputation would be stained.
His achievements would be undermined.
And the empire he had built for himself, brick by brick, could all come crumbling down.
Yet.
“That much is no loss to me.”
“…What?”
Kesar’s response was calm.
Unshaken.
Then, his gaze shifted.
Not to Teriya, but to the woman standing beside her.
To Mari.
And in a voice steady with conviction, he spoke.
“The greatest loss… would be losing someone precious to me. If sacrificing my reputation is the price to protect them… then I will pay it— As many times as it takes.”
“…Is that so?”
Kesar’s voice wasn’t forceful.
There was no strong emotion behind it.
No grand display of sentiment.
Just a simple, matter-of-fact statement.
And yet.
That was exactly why Teriya felt it.
Just as breathing required no conscious thought, no deliberation.
It was a natural, undeniable act of life.
Kesar’s words, spoken with neither hesitation nor embellishment, carried the same certainty.
More than any passionate speech, more than any carefully crafted declaration.
It was clear.
He meant every word.
There wasn’t a single lie in it.
“…I see.”
Teriya gave a slight nod.
“Well then, we’ll take our leave. Whether I choose to cooperate with their plans or not… it won’t concern you, will it?”
“…No. It won’t.”
As someone who had been in close proximity to Mari, Teriya would likely be pressured for a statement.
Whether she testified for or against them, Kesar would not interfere.
That small, silent consideration marked the end of their conversation.
And with that.
Kesar and his subordinates left the Magic Tower district completely.
As she watched them disappear, Teriya murmured to herself.
“…He’s a better man than I expected. Far more than I imagined.”
“What did you say?! Lord Kesar?”
“Yeah. They’re saying he used the human witch to attack the Magic Tower.”
The incident at Olymph spread like wildfire.
The rumors spread too quickly—clear evidence that someone had deliberately fanned the flames.
And mixed within those rumors were malicious fabrications.
“I heard he’s involved with that human witch.”
“No way. A Demon Lord, stooping to a human?”
“They say he’s gotten arrogant after all his recent victories—pushing his limits to see how far he can go.”
“Tsk… I thought he was different. So much for being a so-called hero.”
“Power corrupts, doesn’t it? He’s just like the rest.”
No solid evidence. No confirmed facts.
But that didn’t matter.
Once a lie spread far enough, people accepted it as truth.
And eventually.
Rumors became a blade aimed straight at their target.
And now.
At the exact hour when a celebratory banquet should have been held in his honor.
Demon Lord Kesar stepped into the throne hall of the Demon King’s Castle.
Not as a war hero.
But as a criminal, accused of attacking the Magic Tower.