Chapter 98
"D-Demon King-sama! You're awake!"
Just then, Menou returned from walking through the forest to gather firewood. She scattered the wood she'd collected across the ground as she cried out.
"Menou... I made you worry."
"Are you feeling all right? Are you thirsty? You must be tired. I'll prepare a meal right away... Wait, but we don't have any food! I'll go find something immediately!"
"Enough. You're as overprotective as ever. I've told you to stay calm, no matter what happens."
"I-I'm sorry."
The Demon King said with a smile, but Menou took his words to heart and looked dejected.
Watching them, Kagami thought he was probably the only person in the world who got to witness this kind of exchange, and burst out laughing.
"You really do wear your heart on your sleeve, Menou. When you're panicking, it's totally obvious. You were freaking out when we first met, too."
"Wha?! Anyone would panic if a human suddenly came flying down from the sky! Especially when none of my attacks had any effect!"
"Oh, those three explosion spells in a row? Those actually hurt quite a bit, you know. You even burned my clothes."
"Then you could've at least acted like you were in pain! If anything, Kagami-dono, you're far too unfazed!"
"Pfft! Hahahahaha!"
This time, the Demon King burst out laughing at the sight of their exchange. He'd never expected a subordinate who believed humans were enemies to be defeated to get along so well with one. For some reason, he found it so amusing he couldn't hold back.
"It seems I wasn't the only one who was special after all. Villager... You really do have something that draws people to you. Honestly... you're a strange one. I've never met anyone like you."
"That's not quite right."
"What do you mean?"
"I may be a little unusual, but there's nothing special about you, Menou, and me talking like this. This is normal. It should be normal, and anyone ought to be able to understand each other like this."
"In other words... what is it you find strange?"
"The way this world works... I guess. That's why there's something I want you to help me with. Like old times."
Saying that, Kagami held out his hand to the Demon King. The Demon King looked at the offered hand and gave a small snort.
"I have never helped you before. You challenged me of your own accord and grew stronger on your own. ...So this will be the first time I've helped you."
Then he added, "After all this, how could I refuse?" and took Kagami's hand.
"So? What are you planning to do?"
"Yeah... Well, to start with... Hm?"
Though the Demon King had asked him a question, Kagami noticed his gaze was fixed on somewhere other than himself or Menou. He trailed off and followed the Demon King's line of sight.
"K-Kagami-san? D-Da... Dad?"
There stood Alice, looking bewildered as if she couldn't make sense of the situation, yet with tears welling in her eyes from sheer joy.
Behind her stood Tina, similarly frozen with a confused expression, and Takako, one hand on a tree as she let out a long sigh, as if she'd been searching everywhere.
"Huh... Huh? Wh-what... huh? D-Dad?"
"...It feels like it's been a long time. Have you been well?"
"...Dad!"
Before she could even process what was happening, Alice ran toward the Demon King, who was lying down but had turned his gaze toward her. She threw herself at him and hugged him tightly, as if making sure he was real.
"...Have you grown a little taller?"
"Maybe... just a little."
The Demon King, too, must have been worried about Alice. He gently stroked her head as she clung to him, his expression softening with relief. Kagami watched the scene with satisfaction and quietly murmured, "Right," reaffirming that he hadn't been wrong.
"W-what, what is going on here? Why is the Demon King with you and Kagami-san? Huh? Did you collect 10,000 gold? No, no, no! That's impossible!"
Only after seeing the Demon King and Alice embracing did Tina finally approach Kagami with Takako, speaking nervously.
"There's no way we could've collected it in such a short time... Though we did come into quite a bit of money."
"Then why is the Demon King here? Do you not have to collect the 10,000 gold anymore?"
"I still have to collect it, but... shouldn't you explain yourselves first? Why are you here? What happened to running the casino?"
At Kagami's question, Tina's expression clouded. Then her eyes gradually began to fill with tears, making Kagami tense up a little.
"The Kingdom's people came... And right in front of them, Alice-chan's identity as a demon was completely exposed. She showed them her horns, right before their eyes."
"W-what? Lady Alice was exposed as a demon? Why? D-don't tell me... Lord David?!"
"No. David-san protected us, even though he knew Alice-chan was a demon. We only managed to escape this far thanks to him."
Hearing that, Menou murmured, "I see..." with deep feeling, and regretted having briefly thought David was a dangerous person.
"Then how did they find out? And if David was on your side, why did the Kingdom's people come?"
"Parna... It was that girl."
"Oh, I see... Come to think of it, she seemed pretty troubled."
Kagami said that and sighed lightly. His calm attitude, as if to say, 'It couldn't be helped,' or 'I knew this would happen,' made Takako and Tina tilt their heads in confusion.
"...What about Kururu and Rex?"
"The Kingdom's people captured them... We were too busy escaping to save them. Given their positions... I don't think they've been mistreated, but I'm worried."
"I see... So Rex and Kururu are at the castle now."
"I'm stumped this time, for sure. They found out we were living with demons, and Kururu-chan and Rex-chan are in the Kingdom, so there's no way we can go see them... Wait, where are you going, Kagami-chan?"
Takako muttered with an unusually gloomy expression, but Kagami picked up his things and started walking, as if none of that mattered.
"Huh? Well, I'm going to the capital now. Come on, let's get going. As for why the Demon King's here... I'll explain while we walk."
In response to Takako's call, Kagami turned around and said so matter-of-factly.
"W-wait, Kagami-san! Did you hear what Takako-san said?! This time, we're not dealing with monsters! Even if we go to the capital, we'll be treated as criminals who defected to the demons... Aaaah!"
"Oh! I didn't notice. There's a criminal's mark on my Status Window."
Reacting to Tina's words, Kagami opened his Status Window and saw a symbol indicating he was a criminal next to the section displaying his Role.
Tina apparently hadn't noticed either. She immediately opened her own Status Window, saw the same mark next to her Role, and let out an anguished scream.
"...What are you planning to do, Kagami-chan?"
Takako, concerned that Kagami—who had been so reluctant to be branded a criminal—had said that so casually, grabbed his shoulder and tried to ask what he meant.
"What do you mean, what am I going to do? I had business in the capital to begin with."
"What are you planning to do? Like Tina-chan said, your opponent isn't a monster."
"It doesn't matter who the opponent is."
Saying that, Kagami shook off Takako's hand and turned once more toward the capital.
"Last time, monsters stood in my way, so I fought them. This time, it's just the Kingdom standing in my way. I'm just acting to achieve my goal."
"I know, but this is too dangerous!"
"Let's keep it simple, Takako-chan. Don't you want to save Kururu and Rex?"
Hearing that, Takako fell silent. More than anything, she wanted to save them. But the reality that there was nothing she could do against the Kingdom held her back.
Kagami gave Takako a wry smile.
"I get it. Until just a little while ago, I felt the same way. But then I realized... that won't do. Just enduring without doing anything because 'that's the way this world works' won't get us anywhere."
Until now, Kagami had thought there was nothing to be done because that was simply how things were. He hadn't acted because he thought nobody would understand, and that it was probably impossible. But he realized he'd only been running away.
At the same time, Kagami remembered his own beliefs.
If it wasn't 100% impossible, he would fight instead of running away.
The possibility he'd assumed was impossible had never been zero.
"Let's go to the capital and tell them how we feel, plain and simple... so we can save Rex and Kururu!"
If you assume it's impossible and do nothing, nothing will ever begin.
Perhaps Kagami's resolve had somehow reached them. Takako and Tina's expressions shifted, and they nodded before following after him.