「Sealing stones in possession: 4/7」

‘Indeed. The rest of the sealing stones weren’t supposed to be in our hands. We just need to wait and the quota will fill itself.’

It didn’t make sense for a single Knight Order to find all seven sealing stones in the first place. Three would be more than enough, and it would give them some time to recharge while the rest were gathered.

‘Of course, I will be put to work on the magic circle research as soon as I return to the Empire.’

He and Mamil would be working on the magic circle research in earnest, and the more they worked, the faster the main quest would progress.

So Cadel waited a week before the time came to get busy. He decided to find a clear goal for himself.

“Burning down the entire Demon Realm. What do you think, Kunra? Wouldn’t that be enough to convince the system that we can’t proceed with the next main quest?”

Cadel said, leaning forward to face Kunra, who was stretched out comfortably on the bed. Their purpose was to drive the system out of this world completely. To make the main quest impossible, to remove the system from the world entirely.

The question was what to do about it. They needed a plan that would completely shut down any and all possibilities of the system’s dominance.

Kunra met Cadel’s motivated gaze, then reached up to his face with a low sigh.

“Do you really think you can burn that much land to the ground? There will be countless demons trying to stop you. You have no chance of survival, and you should stop talking and start thinking. The thought of you talking nonstop while bleeding out is a nightmare.”

Kunra’s hand rubbed Cadel’s nose, soaked with blood, and a small flame sprang to life. The flame quickly erased the messy blood, stopping the nosebleed, and then died down.

“I said it because I thought it was a good idea, and this much is fine because the system has strong defenses when I try to get close to its essence. I just need to stop speculating about how the system works in my world, and I can talk about how to save this world.”

“That’s eight times I’ve stopped a nosebleed.”

“It’s probably because I keep referring to ‘the system,’ so let’s leave that word out of it. So, Kunra, what’s your option if I become King of the Demon Realm? Rule it myself, and make sure ‘that one’ doesn’t cross over into the human realm.”

“Do you think the demons would follow a human? And even if your plan succeeds, your soul will be returned to your original world the moment the system is removed. It’s no use if you can’t keep your throne.”

Cadel wanted to say something in response to Kunra’s words, but he couldn’t find anything to say, so he remained silent. A grim look of dissatisfaction crossed his face as his every plan was rejected.

“This one’s not good, that one’s not good, so why don’t you give your own opinion? I’ll only charge you if you wipe my nose.”

“I’m thinking about it. You never know when the system will go off on a tangent if this one is as rambunctious as you are.”

“I feel like time is running out just thinking about it. There isn’t much time left.”

“You know it well.”

Kunra had been nothing but calm and relaxed ever since they’d started talking, and while it annoyed Cadel, he knew Kunra was nothing if not impatient.

He remembered over 200 repetitions of the world. Out of the countless worldlines, only Kunra had hundreds of shared memories. Cadel couldn’t imagine what that must be like.

Eventually, Cadel gave up complaining and stretched out next to Kunra. After four hours of talking, his mouth felt dry.

‘How the hell is it going to move the story forward after killing Emilia? If I knew this was going to happen, I would have read some books. I should have taken a creative writing class.’

He often skipped game stories, and he didn’t even enjoy reading, let alone watching dramas or movies. This meant that he didn’t know what was going to happen in the next chapter.

‘If only I had seen the story properly, I could have found the clues that would lead me to the next story.’

He racked his brain as hard as he could, but couldn’t come up with anything brilliant. And so it was that Cadel was silently toiling away in Kunra’s silence.

“The demons are so arrogant. Without a ruler to overpower them, they’re no better than the vermin that spreads everywhere.”

A muffled voice rang in Cadel’s ears. Cadel pondered Kunra’s words for a moment, then looked up at him with a frown.

“You’re trying to get rid of Emilia to make them into vermin, but even if you get rid of her, the system will still start a war somehow, and you don’t know how…….”

“If there’s a war even if we get rid of Emilia, that means a new ruler will emerge.”

“……Will a hero of the demons appear?”

“The demons are obsessed with bloodlines. If you don’t have the blood of a king, they won’t recognize you.”

“But Emilia is the only heir with royal blood…….”

Cadel paused and sucked in a breath. Emilia Swell was the only Demon King’s blood relative to survive the Demon War. He’d always believed that.

‘But what if there are others who have survived? Others who are currently rendered inactive for some reason, so that on the surface, Emilia Swell is the only surviving Demon King’s bloodline?’

If this assumption was true, then even if this war ended and the Demon Realm Sealing was completed. The world could always be under the threat of war. The confrontation with the Demon Realm would never end.

“……To confirm that, we’ll have to find a place in the Demon Realm where Emilia might have hidden her kin.”

“It will be a dangerous and difficult task.”

As if winning the war wasn’t daunting enough, they had to find out if the Demon King’s child was alive and nip it in the bud before they could win the war.

‘If I win the war, the main quest will be over. There’s no telling what my soul will become afterward. 

The system might artificially prevent me from interfering in the Demon Realm after the war, so I have to kill them all while I still have the freedom to roam the Demon Realm.’

It was tricky enough to imagine. He could feel the difficulty rising exponentially. But Kunra’s first comment seemed more worthy of the challenge than the countless others he’d given so far.

“If I come up with a better idea later, I’ll let you know.”

“You’re leaving?”

“Yes. My job is to protect the mountain range from the aftermath of war. If I neglect this duty, the system might get out of hand.”

“……I see.”

“If you’re upset, just hang in there.”

Cadel frowned at the sarcastic tone, but Kunra was gone before he could show his irritation. Cadel glared at the suddenly vacant seat and buried his face in his pillow with a sickening sound.

“I’m getting scared.”

If he couldn’t do it, the world would end, or he would be doomed to repeat the terrible suffering.

‘If I choose to remain in this world without destroying the system, will I have to live through the wars that follow?’

Then, would he get a second chance to drive out the system? He thought about it carefully, but it didn’t seem like it would be that easy. The system had made him forget some of the memories he had in the real world, even some of the memories he had, and it was preventing him from even trying to recall them. He would likely face a second war having forgotten much.

‘Or maybe it will cast out my soul and bring in another transmigrator.’

He couldn’t rebel against the banishment, so he was stuck.

‘……I can’t even think positively about this.’

After all, there was only one chance. In this war, there were two kinds of enemies to defeat: the Demon Realm and the system. A heavy sense of duty weighed on his shoulders, but Cadel pushed himself to his feet.

‘I will gather all the cards I can use.’

His eyes flashed with determination as he brushed off his rumpled clothes and left the room. His destination was the fairy’s side, probably enjoying a dessert leisurely somewhere right now.

* * *

The breeze was humid but cool, and the horizon loomed in the distance. The streets were less lively than before, but still bustling, and the taste of sweetness lingered in his mouth. The clock tower, real and not an illusion, was Lydon’s favorite place in the White Kingdom.

He had been staring blankly outside through the hole that looked like a window, then slightly widened his eyes and turned around.

“Darling?”

There was Cadel, who had just climbed to the top of the clock tower. Spotting Lydon, Cadel smirked.

“I knew you’d be here.”

“You’re looking for me?”

“Yep. I can’t believe you’re having so much time to yourself. Have you forgotten about me?”

“Of course not!”

Lydon beamed, happy that Cadel had found him, and pulled him into a hug. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Lydon lifted Cadel up and carried him back to where he had been, speaking softly.

“Do you remember this place, Cadel?”

“Of course. This is where you…….”

Cadel’s gaze trailed off as he spoke, his lips suddenly falling to Lydon’s, where for the first time in his life he’d taken candy from another’s mouth.

As he turned his gaze with a subtle smile, Lydon grabbed Cadel’s cheek and twisted his head to kiss him. He brushed Cadel’s lips affectionately against his own a few times, leaving a tickling sensation when he pulled away.

After kissing the being in front of him like he was going crazy with adoration, Lydon’s red eyes reflected a clear face.

“I ate all the candy today, I’m afraid.”

“I said it then, but I don’t have any interest in receiving food that was already being eaten.”

Cadel leaned against the wall of the tower, Lydon’s hair tousled. A cool breeze blew in from the window next to him. He loved Lydon’s blond hair, Lydon’s sweet scent, Lydon’s angelic smile. He liked it all.

Cadel stared at Lydon for a moment, then let out a short breath and shifted his gaze outside.

“We’re about to fight a dangerous battle. It’s always been a difficult battle, but this one is even more so. A lot of people are going to die, and some of us could be badly hurt.”

“But I won’t get hurt, because I’m strong!”

“……Yes.”

Fight for the independence of the world, not just to win a war. To win everything they wanted, they needed to be prepared to give everything they had.

“I need a favor, Lydon.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“I haven’t told you what the favor is yet.”

“I’ll do anything.”

He knew it was necessary, he knew it was inevitable, but the words wouldn’t come easily. After a long pause, Lydon, unable to contain his curiosity, put his hand on Cadel’s shoulder and turned to face him. His glowing eyes swept across Cadel’s hesitant face.

“I’d do anything for you, Cadel, because you’re the only thing I love more than freedom.”

The words were soft, but the sincerity in them was as heavy as ever. Cadel swallowed his hesitation and gathered his courage, knowing that Lydon’s affection was as deep as his own.

“If there ever comes a moment of real danger in the war, call upon your people. We need their strength.”

Lydon’s eyes fluttered slightly as if the words were completely unexpected. Cadel felt a pang of guilt at his honesty.

He had promised the Pinhai Tribe their freedom, and he had taken Lydon, their future, as collateral for that promise. Still, he was not satisfied and demanded the power of the Pinhai Tribe themselves.

‘Of course, this is related not only to humans and demons but also to the survival of the fairy race……. I can’t tell him that.’

He watched Lydon’s reaction with a mixture of worry and anxiety. He stood uncharacteristically stiff and rigid.

“I know it’s hard. It’s hard to convince them, and it’s hard to shake the idea of putting your own kind in harm’s way, but if the Pinhai Tribe joins us, the humans will win with far fewer sacrifices.”

To a Pinhai who has endured countless deaths at the hands of humans, his words must be an abomination. Still, the realization that he would have to continue to frustrate Lydon was painful.

“We need to take more allies against the demons, even if it’s just a few, so we can get closer to the victory we need. Lydon, I understand that you don’t want to sacrifice the Pinhai for the humans, but…….”

“……I’ll think about it.”

The hand on his shoulder dropped, and the smile faded from his face. Lydon seemed to take Cadel’s request seriously, his eyes reflecting a myriad of emotions that spoke to his confusion.

“Cadel asked me to, and I can’t say no.”

“Lydon.”

“So let me think about it a little longer.”

Lydon flashed an awkward smile and left the clock tower. He needed time. Cadel didn’t catch him.

At the top of the tower, alone, Cadel let out a low sigh and ran a hand down his face.