* * *

“Be honest with me, you just came here for the bread, didn’t you?”

“Human food isn’t all that appealing. Who do you think you are?”

“Then leave it alone! I brought it here to feed my subordinates. ”

Yozen hummed low, reading the movement of the bread as it shifted from place to place. As excited as he was to be spending time with Cadel, he had felt a less-than-pleasant energy as soon as they entered the room together. A presence whose power he could barely fathom. Kunra, the Scarlet Dragon.

Of course, the Scarlet Dragon that appeared in Cadel’s room was not as powerful as the one Yozen had felt in the mountains, but it was still unnerving. The fact that it didn’t do anything to protect humans despite its great power was one of the reasons he felt distant from Kunra.

“We can’t start working with that dark energy around, so we’ll have to wait until it leaves. You don’t expect this one to sit still like a doll in the meantime, do you?”

“Why do you call people names like that? It’s not dark energy, it’s Yozen, and if you don’t want to wait, you can come back later.”

“This one is not so leisurely to focus on you. You’ll have to catch up when you can.”

“You’re still busy? You worked so hard on strengthening the barrier, I guess it didn’t work out so well after all.”

“……Good. If that’s the way you halfling want it to be, I can’t help it. I’ll do as I please, whether that dark energy sees it or not.”

Kunra’s sensitivity to the dynamics of the Demon Realm had increased. Ordinarily, he would have assumed that he had done his duty in sharing his power, but he had made a special promise to Cadel. He had come to Cadel with a personal interest, but his demeanor was haughty.

Cadel jumped to his feet and pulled his chair back, flinching at the sight of Kunra coming toward him. Even if Yozen was blind, he didn’t want to be stuck with Kunra in front of Yozen, receiving energy from him.

“I, I got it! Yozen, I’m sorry…….”

“If that ‘work’ involves sitting and receiving energy infusions, I don’t care. Have at it.”

“……Huh?”

“I’ve often watched you through your shadow alter ego.

Cadel’s expression hardened at the unexpected answer. He’d always known that Yozen used his shadow alter ego to locate him, but Cadel hadn’t realized that he was also watching him in other ways.

“……Did, did you even see that?”

“Yes. The alter ego needs constant attention to stay alive. If nothing else, check in on it once or twice a week to replenish its energy. Sometimes I’ll leave it alone and do something else if I think it’s getting too personal.”

“Too personal? What’s that?”

“Like suddenly dancing, or taking a bath naked, or sticking your tongue out and kissing…….”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop! Stop talking!”

Cadel, appalled by the casualness of the conversation, covered Yozen’s mouth. He was about to blush when he heard Kunra giggle in amusement.

“From now on, just maintain it and don’t check what I’m doing! Just put it out and leave it. Okay?”

Cadel emphasized his command in a voice almost dying of shame, and Yozen, who hadn’t seemed to understand him at first, slowly nodded, though he hadn’t been able to understand why.

Kunra, meanwhile, watched Cadel’s humiliation with amusement. As soon as Yozen’s mouth was free, he managed to add a comment.

“You’re a more gentlemanly man than you look, and if I were you, I’d have done some stuff to the alter ego. Or have you already done it, and you’re keeping it a secret?”

“You are the craziest human being I’ve ever seen, halfling, and I give you special recognition.”

“Shut up!”

Cadel slammed the door with a loud bang and turned with a grunt to find Kunra sprawled across the bed, a hand wrapped around his slightly swollen right cheek. He lowered his hand to cover it as Cadel approached.

“How dare you touch this one’s face?”

“It’s not even your real body, why would I let it go when you can heal it?”

“Because I’m bewildered and horrified. In my long life, I’ve only seen a few humans in humanoid form, but I’ve never been struck by one, and you’re the first. You have great character.”

“Then why do you say all that crap, blah blah blah? Yozen is not a pervert like you.”

“You never know. Do you really think the grim human who watches over your every move hasn’t touched your alter ego?”

Cadel glared at Kunra, his fists reflexively trying to rise. He’d been distracted by Yozen’s comment, but now that Kunra was provoking him with his nonsense, his hand was out of control. Punching the Scarlet Dragon in the face was quite a bold move, even for him, but he would never harm a man who had shared his power with him during the height of the Demon War.

‘I kicked Yozen out for nothing because of that crazy dragon. I’ll have to appease him later.’

How hard he tried to narrow the distance between them. It was hard enough to find time to be with Yozen, but now that Cadel had kicked him out, he was worried that Yozen would be hurt and distance himself again.

“Forget it, give me some energy, let’s just get this over with.”

He pushed Kunra aside, still in shock from the beating, and strode over to the empty seat. Kunra clicked his tongue, not liking the way Cadel behaved, but he wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t have time to focus on Cadel. There would always be time for a spanking, but for now, he would have to do as the cocky human said.

“Sit back down properly.”

Cadel straightened up, lifting his robe to reveal his white back, and Kunra’s large hands ran over his lukewarm skin. He pressed lightly against the reddened fingertips, and a searing heat began to spread through his body.

“……You don’t seem to feel the change yet, do you?”

“What changes?”

“The separation of your soul is more than halfway complete. I thought you’d be able to detect subtle changes, but it seems you’re pretty insensitive. Either that, or you’re already so used to the other soul that you won’t realize it until you’re completely separated.”

“That’s probably a good thing, it wouldn’t do any good to be confused in the middle of a war.”

“I thought you wanted to be separated as soon as possible.”

“……I do.”

It had been a while since he had accepted Cadel Lytos’s will. Maybe Kunra was right, maybe he had already gotten used to living with him.

He had gotten so much more out of life by not using it to figure out what he was feeling. He fully enjoyed his time with his subordinates and became more combative in his fights.

Of course, he still feared what ‘Shin Yeohwan’ would feel with Cadel Lytos gone. It was a fear that had come up from time to time, but the presence of his subordinates had always soothed him. The only dreams he had in this world. When he thought of their happiness, his own bleak future became unimportant.

“I’ll tell you if I sense any unusual changes, but so far it’s the same as usual……. Kunra?”

The gentle flow of energy was interrupted. Sensing an anomaly, Cadel called out to Kunra, and after a moment of silence, a muffled voice came from behind him.

“……Never mind.”

“What, suddenly.”

Kunra turned his head to reveal a scowling face. The flow of energy resumed, but with that look on his face, it was hard not to care. When Cadel continued to interrupt his work with questions, an impatient Kunra spoke up.

“Lately, I’ve been getting a headache whenever I channel my energy into you. I think it’s a side effect of that system rebelling against the interference of this one.”

“……Are you okay?”

“Just a mild headache.”

With that, Kunra forcibly corrected Cadel’s posture and returned to his task. He didn’t respond to any further questions, so Cadel had no choice but to wait patiently.

‘If Kunra’s getting a headache, it’s serious.’

Even Kunra hadn’t realized the cost of bucking the system, and it was quickly becoming uncomfortable. It was okay to share power, but separating the soul was Kunra’s consideration for himself alone.

But he couldn’t ask Kunra to stop. All Cadel could do was meekly accept Kunra’s energy with less rebellion.

“……Done. I’m off.”

“What? Already?”

“Don’t act like you’re disappointed, halfling.”

He wasn’t disappointed, but it was unusual for Kunra to return in such a hurry. Perhaps the side effects had gotten too bad and he needed to be treated, or perhaps……. He looked at Kunra with a slightly uneasy glance, and Kunra, who was about to walk away, hesitated and stopped.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Are you sure you’re okay? Tell me if you’re overdoing it, because it’s…… hard to stop, but you can take it slow.”

“……That’s funny.”

It was a genuine concern, but Kunra only smirked. Bending down in front of Cadel, who was still seated, Kunra pressed his forehead against Cadel’s, then looked into Cadel’s eyes, which were tilted under his weight, and said.

“Don’t include me in your many worries. I’m not weak enough to be worried by a small human.”

“Even though I know that.”

“Good to know.”

He replied dryly, then lifted his forehead and playfully swiped at Cadel’s face. Cadel’s eyes closed reflexively at the suddenness of the action, and he flailed his arms in irritation but made no contact.

“……What the hell, at best, people were worried about him.”

Cadel looked at the empty spot where Kunra had once been and frowned. A part of Kunra was still attached to him, but he hadn’t spoken to him much lately, and Cadel wondered if it was because of his deteriorating health. He ran a hand through his hair, once again doubting Kunra’s health.

Kunra was right. There was no need to add the Scarlet Dragon’s well-being to the pile of worries. He was stronger than anyone else in this world.

* * *

The blissful rest granted to the Scarlet Scales Knight Order did not last long. Morning of the fourth day. Cadel received a letter from an imperial scout who had visited the inn. It read that the summit was over and the commanders of the Empire’s Knight Orders were to return to the castle as soon as possible.

“It doesn’t seem like we’ve been resting for long.”

Folding the letter tightly, Cadel glanced at the system window in the corner of his vision.

「Demon Realm Summoning Progress: 00%」

「Human Realm Invasion Progress: 02%」

‘I guess the next quest won’t start until after I’ve gotten the transcript of the summit.’

Contrary to his fears, the progress of the invasion slowed down easily. The Scarlet Scales Knight Order didn’t even have to go out of their way to do so. It seemed that once they reached the castle and realized the next objective of the war, it would naturally tie in with the quest.

As this main quest was the prequel to the Demon War, next up was the sequel. The final quest.

‘There were more enemies than I’ve ever seen before, but no one was seriously injured, so it’s safe to say that we’ve made it through without incident.’

He felt proud that his training had paid off. But he was still on edge. The end of the story was near, which meant that the fall of the Demon Realm was at hand. No race would stand idly by and watch their own kind, their home, crumble. The demons would make their last stand, and countless unforeseen events would occur.

‘……The first issue to be addressed is the magic circle that Sellev left behind.’

A trap they could only walk into. The first thing they needed to do was figure out what it was and prepare for the danger. He wished he could enlist Kunra’s help, but he didn’t know if he could afford it.

It was time for the magicians who had requested assistance to move, and they would need to join forces with them as soon as possible.

‘Let’s not be rash. Let’s wait until I hear the results of the summit and get a clearer picture of the main quest before I tackle it.’

A diligently dressed Cadel opened the door with a big sigh. As he glanced over, he saw Ector with his fist raised as if to knock.

Cadel reflexively backed away at the sight of the imposing man raising his fist unprepared, and Ector chuckled and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Have you received His Majesty’s letter?”

“Yes. I just checked, but why is Sir Ector here…….”

“To get a ride on a traveling magic circle. I assume you’ve been resting, and have some mana left over?”

“Of course, it’s not a difficult task.”

“Kahaha! A person must be able to manipulate mana after all. If only I had the talent.”

Ector insisted that since he didn’t have the talent and was desperate to recruit magicians, and then sneakily offered to trade Lydon for one of his own. Cadel responded with a neat dismissal.