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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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“P-please… spare me! I beg you… spare me!”
Cyclops, a leader of the Allied Races, trembled in fear, begging for his life.
He had been a renowned one-eyed general, but now he was pitifully pleading while a small girl sat on him.
Looking down at him was a demon girl with silver hair and red eyes.
She smiled chillingly and said,
“Begging for your life? That’s troublesome. How many of our kind have you killed? Just die quietly!”
“Kughhhhh”
With that, she plunged her dagger into his remaining eye as he screamed. Elisia, one of the Demon King’s elite four, felt exhilarated watching him die.
Watching her like this, Elisia’s mother, Elias, began to smile warmly, akin to a lioness observing her cub after a successful hunt.
‘Truly… my child has grown remarkably well. This must be the joy a parent feels’
Elisia, showing no mercy against humans, was already an adult by age and held an equal rank as a member of the Demon King’s elite guards.
Yet, seeing her in this light filled Elias with a sense of pride.
‘ With this, we can consider the war mostly over. There are still remnants to deal with, but they are merely stragglers now,’
Thanks to the successful operation, about 70% of the Demon Kingdom’s territory was reclaimed, though 30% remained, mostly coastal or isolated mountainous areas.
Given the current situation where their main forces were scattered, the enemy had little they could do and could not sustain themselves without food.
If they come back leading a large army, it might be concerning, but for now, that possibility seems slim.
Essentially, through this operation, the Demon Kingdom has turned the tide of war in its favor.
‘Of course, it will take more time to drive out the remaining ones, but there’s no need to worry about the blade under my neck anymore. If we take a little time to regroup our forces, it will just be a matter of time before we completely expel the Allied Races from this land.’
Elias felt joy at finally seeing an end to the seemingly endless war.
However, as her happiness grew, a subtle feeling began to take root in her heart regarding the “Hero,” who had achieved the greatest merit in this war and once again demonstrated abilities she could not deny.
‘Still, I was uncertain until we occupied Rob…’
Elias had acted based on a plan established with him but secretly wondered if the Hero had some ulterior motive until the very end.
However, Elias ultimately had to acknowledge the Hero’s actions, which had perfectly stabilized the situation.
The fact that the Hero, Elron, had genuinely chosen to walk the path of demons instead of remaining human was undeniable.
‘Since my daughter also recognizes this, it would be ridiculous for me to harbor more doubts… although I did almost die once in the past.’
If the target had been her beloved daughter, she wouldn’t have easily overlooked it.
Nevertheless, her personal discomfort regarding the Hero was solely her own issue.
As a result, Elias began to think that she needed to lessen her ill feelings toward the Hero while considering several possibilities related to this situation.
‘The Hero has become our ally… If so, we have nothing left to fear. Of course, we must first recuperate and heal the wounds of war for a while, but if we do well, we might aim for something even greater…’
Regarding the specifics of this matter, it was likely something she couldn’t handle on her own.
Elias needed to discuss matters with Belzebuth, the mastermind of the Demon Kingdom, who possessed even greater wisdom than her.
Regardless, for now, Elias allowed herself to bask in the joy of victory and the hope for the future.
With these emotions in her heart, she smiled brightly at her daughter, who was approaching her with the severed head of a Cyclops in hand.
No matter what happens, she vowed to protect that radiant smile of hers at all costs.
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Antioch had been completely reclaimed as demon territory after driving out the allied forces.
There, generals, including Samson, were enjoying a lively feast with perfectly timed food and drinks.
“Gulp! Gulp! Ah… this is the taste! Really, the sweetness of victory is unmatched!”
“Indeed, General! The drinks taste exceptional today!”
“All of this is thanks to Her Majesty the Demon King and our General Samson! Your bravery in this war was truly sky-piercing, General.”
“Haha! Thanks for saying that! Come, have a drink! On a day like this, let’s drink to our heart’s content!”
“I gladly accept, especially since it’s a drink poured by the General himself!”
Samson and his officers were having a lively time, downing drinks without hesitation and tearing into their food.
At that moment, Samson’s gaze shifted across the table to another person quietly sipping her drink—Elias.
“Haha… Now that I think about it, I almost made a big mistake. The true hero of this war wasn’t just us, was it?”
“…Haa…”
Elias let out a deep sigh in response to Samson’s words.
Seeing her demeanor, Samson stood up with a pleasant smile and approached her.
“Well, Elias, you’ve worked hard. Come now, let me pour you a drink.”
“…Alright, go ahead.”
Though not entirely enthusiastic, Elias extended her cup.
As Samson poured the drink, he spoke cheerfully.
“I want to personally apologize for what happened in our last meeting; I had no idea you were planning something so grand. I regret not listening more calmly at the time.”
While he had felt bad then, he acknowledged that Elias’s plan had successfully allowed the Demon Kingdom to reclaim most of its lost territory.
Recognizing her abilities, Samson sincerely offered his apology without hesitation.
And then.
“Ah… no, it’s fine. Rather… hmm…”
Elias started to respond to Samson’s apology but chose to leave her words unfinished.
Samson, however, paid little mind to her hesitation. Raising his own glass, now filled to the brim, he looked at Elias and spoke.
“Then I’ll take that as acceptance of my apology. On that note, let’s make a toast—to the unity of our generals and the future of the Demon Kingdom.”
“…Yes,I suppose so.”
Elias replied with a faint smile on her lips, nodding in agreement.
And so, as the two generals, who had once clashed fiercely during difficult times, began to lay their grievances to rest, the officers watching them relaxed. Their faces softened with contented smiles, and they resumed enjoying the banquet with newfound ease.
“Hmm? Now that I think about it, it seems like one person is missing.”
“Ah… you mean the Hero? I believe he said he had something to attend to earlier.”
“Goodness… it’s a shame that today’s other main character has disappeared like that.”
“I’ll go look for him. It wouldn’t do for the commander to be absent at an event like this.”
With those words, Rebecca stood up without hesitation.
Unlike before, when she had openly displayed her wariness, she now naturally referred to the Hero as “commander,” causing several demon generals to smile slightly without realizing it.
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In a small garden located within the outer fortress of Antioch.
This place had not been significantly damaged during the battle. Here, I quietly began to approach her who was in front of me.
“Your Majesty.”
“You have arrived, Hero.”
Given the situation, the Demon King was wearing her violet armor but had removed her helmet.
Yet, despite this, I felt my heart race again as I gazed at her, unable to hide the beauty she radiated. Under the shimmering moonlight, her solitary figure stood out with an otherworldly beauty, as if a goddess had descended.
And so, I bowed my head respectfully and said to her,
“Thank you once again for taking the time to meet with me personally, Your Majesty.”
My words were not just a simple greeting; they were filled with sincerity.
In response, the Demon King answered with a calm yet beautifully enchanting smile on her lips.
“No… it is I who should be thanking you, Hero. If it weren’t for you, I would never have experienced the joy of today.”
“You flatter me, Your Majesty. I merely…”
I intended to continue my humble response to the Demon King’s words. However, in the next moment, she firmly grasped both of my hands, causing me to blush slightly and fall silent.
“Truly… I am truly grateful. As the ruler of this land, I sincerely express my thanks to you, Hero.”
“Your Majesty…”
“Well then, it’s now my turn to keep my promise. Speak of what you desire, Hero. Do you wish for me to embrace you once more as before? If not…”
With those words, the Demon King looked at me with an alluring gaze.
As I watched her, various thoughts began to swirl in my mind.
From holding hands and embracing each other to kissing… or perhaps asking for something even greater afterward.
Given the tremendous achievements I had made this time, I started to feel that aiming for such things was entirely within reach.
However…
“!…”
In the next moment,
I realized a single fact that I had failed to notice, overwhelmed as I was by the intense excitement coursing through me.
As I accidentally became aware of it,
I instinctively began to suppress the rising excitement within me.
And then, in a composed voice, I spoke to her standing before me.
“…Your Majesty. If so, I have a request.”
HANDHOLDING???
LEWD!!!!