The Crown Prince Aslan was lamenting to me about how he had ruined the painting he drew.
“The result was disastrous.”
‘What does he expect me to do? Seriously.’
“If you think about it, the matter with Lily has nothing to do with that.”
“That’s true. It’s not related. But when the noble students you expelled came to me for help, I couldn’t help but be concerned. I’m afraid this might escalate into more trouble.”
“If things are reorganized this time, the nobles won’t be able to act recklessly in Atlerina for a while, even if they don’t completely fall from grace.”
“No. I think it’s better to start over.”
“Start over, Your Highness?”
“The incompetence of the Crown Prince and his noble followers is now known to all the students of Atlerina.”
“Yes.”
“At least he’s aware of it.”
“If he knows that, then he can fix it in the future. Unlike the trash heroes who waste their time indulging, he at least knows how to repent.”
“Seeing Lily made me think about it. From now on, I’ll be the subject of ridicule. People will say there’s an incompetent Crown Prince at Atlerina. It’s better to step down before things get even more disgraceful.”
If he was determined to create public sympathy, the Crown Prince could keep his position.
But he seemed either exhausted or felt he had tarnished the royal name.
“More than anything, I betrayed you, someone I had long considered my partner, for a woman like her. Can I even remain as the Crown Prince after this?”
“Is that what you think?”
“Will you give me another chance? If I can prove my ability as the Crown Prince once again.”
“What nonsense.”
“No. I have too many things I want to do myself.”
‘That’s not something I need to hear.’
‘I don’t want to. Besides, Olivia can’t be the Crown Prince’s fiancée again.’
‘Regardless of the reason, Olivia probably doesn’t have any positive feelings toward the Crown Prince either. And I certainly don’t want to marry a man.’
‘If Aslan really wants to regain public favor, he’ll need to marry a commoner, not a fallen noble.’
“The Ashtar family has been loyal to the royal family since the time of the founders. If you show you are worthy, the Ashtar family will follow you. And, if you seek the favor of the common people, how about getting engaged to a commoner who genuinely loves the Crown Prince?”
“Is that so?”
The Crown Prince gave a bitter smile.
‘That’s probably the best alternative for now.’
“After night comes morning. If you overcome this trial, there will come a time when you can demonstrate your abilities again, Your Highness.”
“Indeed. Then, I shall take my leave.”
“Yes.”
The Crown Prince, who had stirred my emotions, finally left.
I watched him go and quietly muttered.
“After night comes morning, huh? That sounded cringe, even to me.”
‘I don’t think that will happen anyway.’
In the battle against the Demon King, he said, “Kuhaha! How foolish you are, Noah! Do you think peace will come to the world if I die? No! Humans are united as they are now only because of a common enemy—me and my demon forces! Once I’m gone, humans will fight among themselves for territory, and other races will rise up as well!”
Back then, I brushed off what the Demon King said, but he wasn’t wrong.
Before the concept of demons and the Demon King existed, humans and various races fought against each other.
Now that the Demon King is dead and the Four Heavenly Kings are only a shadow of their former selves, it’s only a matter of time before they are defeated.
When that happens, countless nations will once again fight and compete for territory.
The Demon King was a hundred times right.
In particular, the kingdom that has been supporting the war efforts and maintaining its wartime system, along with the empire that has directly fought the Demon King’s army, will become prime targets.
But so what? What does that have to do with me?
War will happen whether the Demon King exists or not.
In that case, the priority is to eliminate the immediate threat to humanity’s survival—the Demon King.
I’m surprisingly simple-minded.
Whatever happens afterward doesn’t concern me. I only care about the reality in front of me.
At that time, I responded calmly to the Demon King’s mocking words.
“If the Demon King is in the way, I’ll erase him. If humans are in the way, I’ll erase them too. You’re just one of many obstacles.”
That’s how the battle with the Demon King began.
Looking back, it was quite amusing.
‘I still remember the Demon King’s dumbfounded face when I told him I’d wipe out both him and humans if they got in my way.’
As the Demon King said, eventually, war between humans will break out.
‘How Aslan overcomes that will be crucial.’
But all of this hinges on whether or not that man truly decides to give up being Crown Prince.
Usually, people don’t relinquish such positions so easily.
***
The head of the Ashtar family received a report about the incident involving Lily through a magical communication device from the church.
It was news that would shake the entire family.
The fact that a member of the Ashtar bloodline had made a contract with a succubus—this didn’t just happen in their territory, but at Atlerina, the heart of the empire.
“Hmph. If it’s true that Lily made a contract with a succubus…”
“The family’s reputation will be in ruins.”
Rokton Rapha Ashtar, the eldest son and future heir to the duchy, sighed deeply.
Of all things, one of their family members had to be involved in a pact with a demon.
After all the trouble they went through with Olivia, who had been a troublemaker but later became a saint, now Lily had messed everything up.
“Indeed.”
“I can’t understand Olivia. It’s fine that she became a saint, but couldn’t she have quietly informed the family and dealt with it?”
‘That would’ve been the proper way to handle things.’
Normally, family scandals are kept within the family and dealt with internally.
That’s how they protect the family’s honor. But this time, it’s different.
The daughter of a duchy had caused such a scandal in Atlerina, the empire’s heart.
Ashtar will not escape the finger-pointing that’s sure to follow.
‘Indeed, Olivia went too far this time.’
‘Maybe we gave her too much freedom. Is she going to bring the family to ruin?’
That thought crossed his mind.
But Olivia is now a saint.
Even if there are complaints, there’s nothing they can say.
Besides, there’s a saying that crisis equals opportunity.
It’s not just Ashtar that will be affected this time.
Olivia must know this as well.
“She’s a saint now. She just fulfilled her duty.”
“Still, I don’t quite understand. A demon, a succubus at that, made a contract with the Duke’s daughter. Won’t the reputation of the Ashtar family, which has been built up until now, fall to the ground overnight?”
‘Well, it seems that way at first glance.’
“But how could you be fit to be the head of Ashtar if you only look at things from one angle?”
“There’s something you still don’t know.”
“Pardon?”
“Lily, who brought shame to the family, will be cast out, and Olivia has solidified her position as a saint. The world will praise her. Even though she’s her sister, casting out someone who consorted with demons makes her a true saint. And on top of that, that saint belongs to the Ashtar family. It’s a case of losing one and gaining another. More importantly, what do you think the other central nobles will do?”
“Oh.”
“Come to think of it, the other noble families won’t escape unscathed either.”
“Even if they fall, they’ll fall together. At least we have Olivia. The ones who were enchanted by Lily are all heirs from prominent families, aren’t they?”
The noblewomen are primarily used for strategic marriages for the sake of the family, but the noblemen are supposed to inherit their families.
Yet, many of those men were charmed by Lily, so their families will surely be shaken.
With what we’ve built up so far and with the saint on our side, Ashtar won’t face too big of a crisis.
Though, the dynamics in Atlerina will change.
“I see.”
“Exactly. So don’t worry. As the next head of the Ashtar family, negotiate with the church about the appropriate punishment for Lily.”
“Before Olivia takes full control of the church, that is.”
“Now that the matter with Lily has blown up, we’ll need to offer appropriate support and persuade the High Priest.”
“Then, what will actually happen to Lily? Given how things are, won’t a decisive action be needed to protect the family’s honor?”
The people of the Ashtar family never really looked kindly upon Lily.
And that was only natural, considering she wasn’t originally one of us.
Even Rokton, the next head of the family, never liked how Lily kept trying to attach herself unnecessarily.
She seemed to be aiming for something, but I never imagined she’d make a pact with a succubus.
“Lily ruined everything herself. She’s gone too far to be saved, so she’ll be sent to a convent. And if she refuses…”
The head of the Ashtar family carefully added the final words.
“Then, drown her in the river.”
***
“Brother, can you save this woman?”
“In her current state? Sigh. She’s practically dead already.”
“Oh, so even you can’t do it, huh?”
The mocking laughter of my younger sister, who used to toy with me, still rings vividly in my ears.
I was about to retort when suddenly, I opened my eyes, realizing I had dozed off in the prayer room provided by the Church of the Goddess.
“Did I fall asleep? I had a dream about that obnoxious sister of mine.”
This happened long before I joined the hero’s party, back when my rebellious sister ran away from home during her turbulent teenage years.
A girl who had been cursed by black magic had drifted into the land of destruction.
By then, her soul was already fractured, and she was on the verge of either dying or becoming a demon.
Her face and body had turned a pale lavender color, making her unrecognizable.
To save her, I would have needed to take a piece of an intact soul and patch up the cracks in hers.
“Strange, I don’t remember much about that incident.”
‘I guess as long as she’s doing well now, that’s fine.’
I raised my head at the sound of footsteps, and Claire approached, bringing Nora with her.
“Young Master, I’ve brought Nora.”
“Hmm. You’ve come?”
“Y-You’re not planning to kill me now, are you?”
Nora trembled in fear.
“I keep my promises.”
“No matter what, I always keep my word.”
“One thing I’ve learned from being with that idiot Eugene and his hero party is this: even if the person is scum, if I promise to save them, I save them.”
“The question is how.”
“A normal saintess would kill demons, wouldn’t she?”
“A normal saintess would try to purify them, yes. But in my case, I prefer to send them off in agony. Do you wish to die?”
“N-No! I don’t want to die!”
“Good. That’s the easy way out.”
“While killing her would solidify my position as the empire’s saintess…”
“Well, if I had to explain it, I’d say it’s on a whim. As a saintess, I don’t see demons as enemies. If they or humans get in my way, I deal with them accordingly.”
“I’ve dealt with humans and demons alike—whether they sinned or not. If they got in my way, I took care of them.”
“I’ve always done things this way.”
“Even banishing that fake saintess was for the same reason.”
“I couldn’t kill her, though, as she was part of that beloved hero party.”
“In short…”
“In short, I kill indiscriminately in the name of the Goddess. But before that, you have your own sins to answer for, don’t you?”
“Ugh…”
‘What’s with the tension?’
‘I plan to let her live, anyway.’
“I’m just kidding. You were exploited by Lily, a demon. While you may not be a victim, your life will be spared.”
“Then, what about my energy?”
“Your energy? Oh, right.”
“Now that you mention it, I didn’t even think about it outside of male prostitutes.”
“Claire, by any chance—”
“Suddenly?”
“There’s been strict management recently in the capital, so it’s hard to find male prostitutes.”
“Even though the slum informants recently mentioned male prostitutes, now they’re all gone?”
***
Snore~ Phew~
“The nobles have been hit hard because of you, Young Master. So, the noble ladies are also under scrutiny. We’ve confirmed that some of them have been frequenting host clubs, and that’s why they’ve been put under watch.”
“Hmph. I see. But if we don’t resolve this properly, it’ll cause more trouble.”
Snore~ Phew~
‘That’s incredibly noisy.’
“What’s with the snoring from earlier?”
“It’s the High Priest.”
“Wow, it’s chaos outside, but the High Priest is living comfortably.”
“Ah, I just had a great idea. There’s no need to look for male prostitutes, is there?”
“After all, we have a pig sleeping over there.”