Translator: Manga0205
Fainell, who was carrying Ykslaas, and Sancreed walked through the partially destroyed Demon King Castle.
Even the places that they were currently advancing through when Fainell was avoiding the rubble were severely destroyed from the attack, and they were in a state where they were fully visible from the outside.
Ykslaas was silently watching the figures of the Magic Operated Armors that were busily running about here and there and cleaning up the rubble.
Magic Operated Armor.
Armor Mazoku that were empty on the inside.
Seeing Ykslaas gaze at them looking somewhat nostalgic, Fainell made a puzzled face.
「What"s wrong?」
「……It"s, nothing.」
Incidentally, there were no surviving Magic Operated Armors from the previous Demon King Gramfia"s era.
It was said that they were all killed by the Hero Ryuuya, and all of the Magic Operated Armors that were currently here were ones that Vermudol created.
And then, they didn"t exist in the Shutaia Continent, which was mankind"s territory, to begin with.
Magic Operated Armor was actually said to be a rare Mazoku. That is why Fainell interpreted Ykslaas"s gaze to be a manifestation of curiousness.
「Them huh. They"re called Magic Operated Armor. Just like how they look, they"re hard workers.」
「Magic Operated Armor……」
After softly repeating that in a mutter, Ykslaas displayed an expression of a bit of dejection and understanding.
「I see. I"ve got it.」
Was that face similar to one made after learning that things were different from what she expected?
However, neither Fainell nor Sancreed, who was talking behind them, knew the meaning behind Ykslaas making that sort of face.
「……The place has been quite, destroyed, hasn"t it.」
「Most of it was due to your Blue Knight though.」
That"s right, due to the Blue Knight──Brutus turning into a gigantic metal snake with Bale Killer, the Demon King Castle was destroyed.
The Demon King Castle had a special structure to it so that it could endure sudden attacks from the outside.
For example, even if it were to receive Fainell"s Voltenix magic, it had a design where it could endure it.
On the other hand, this was only obvious but, it was unable to endure the weight and impact of an enemy becoming gigantic inside of it.
The result was the current situation.
「……Sorry. I apologize on Brutus"s behalf.」
「It"s troubling if you apologize to me. Please say that sort of thing to Demon King-sama.」
While talking about that sort of thing, the three of them descended the stairway and arrived at the Demon King Castle"s first floor.
Close to the front entrance that even had its doors gone, the removed rubble was piled up, and to make sure that no one would carelessly approach it, Mazoku called Beastia and Magic Operated Armors were doing security.
The Demon King Castle was at the center of the capital city, Arkverm, and just the fact that it was destroyed all of a sudden was big news.
Furthermore, joining that news together with the news of the mysterious castle that appeared then vanished in various places of the Dark Continent, rumors that it was the Hero"s attack came out at the beginning.
Receiving the news of the attack, the citizens of Arkverm came in droves to the Demon King Castle with weapons in hand, and it could be surmised that the hardship of the Central Army that was somehow able to pacify them was quite considerable.
And then, right now, the mountain of rubble where there was no telling when it would tumble down, and the front of the Demon King Castle that had become very well ventilated now had more than sufficiently told the citizens of Arkverm of the size of the damages made.
The way the people of the castle were busily moving around in an easy to understand way like this was done in order to bring the situation under control for the time being, as well as make an appeal that the Demon King was in good health.
As a result, learning that the Demon King was in good health, this time, the citizens ended up flooding in wanting to partic.i.p.ate in tidying up the Demon King Castle as volunteers.
They were grateful for their feelings, but since a large number of people that they couldn"t lead had gathered, they were instead troubled on how to handle them. Due to that, they told the people that had gathered to wait until requests made through the Guild come out in the future.
「He is quite adored, isn"t he.」
Voices filled with energy could be heard from the castle town.
Listening carefully to that, Ykslaas muttered that, and Fainell boastfully smiled.
「Of course. He is our Demon King-sama after all.」
Demon King Vermudol had unified the chaos filled Dark Continent in the true meaning of the word, and developed it.
Fainell seriously thought that there was no way that he wouldn"t be adored.
Fainell herself could be said to be devoted to him.
It was quite different from the 「loyalty for now」 that she had towards the past Demon King, Gramfia.
She had the resolve to literally throw away her life if it was for Vermudol"s sake, and that went the same for the Mazoku that were currently gathered in front of the Demon King Castle"s main gate.
That"s right, anyone could understand it.
This was a proper reign, and he──Vermudol was their King.
Sensing the emotions of those citizens, Ykslaas made a complicated face.
The more she learned of the Dark Continent"s current state, their clownishness became all the more prominent.
After thinking about how they didn"t notice the truth up until now, she was so vexed that she couldn"t stand it.
And then, the three of them moved to the Demon King Castle"s rear garden.
Even in this place that had escaped the large-scale destruction, some of the rubble had poured into it.
Was the fact that Ichika"s potato field a small mercy?
Right now, within that garden, a single gigantic stone statue was enshrined.
It was made out of a material that had a black l.u.s.tre, and was a knight statue that wore full body armor and possessed wings.
It had a pose where it was down on one knee, and held both arms up towards the sky.
However, red magical power light was emitted from the eyes that were within the full-face helmet, and that made it clear at a glance that this was not a mere stone statue.
Above all, the fact that two men that seemed like knights were caught and tightly gripped in those hands stood out.
「……Mu, so it"s you, Fainell-dono.」
The stone statue said that, and its head faintly moved.
「I heard that those guys had awakened, see.」
「Yeah. However, since they struggled to get out, I unconsciously strengthened my grip on them……sorry, but please wait a bit more. I think they will wake up again.」
Being told that, Fainell examined the inside of the stone statue"s hands, and the two knights were certainly limp.
「……Is this really alright?」
「It is not a problem.」
「I see……」
While being carried within Fainell"s arms, Ykslaas gazed with a surprised look at the gigantic stone statue that was conversing right in front of her.
「No way……Could this be, a Master Golem……? But, there"s no way there would be any survivors……Was it revived?」
「What are you talking about?」
When Fainell looked down at Ykslaas who was within her arms, Ykslaas averted her eyes as if she had suddenly became aware of something.
「……It"s nothing.」
「Is that so. And so, well……This is the Central General, Gordy. I think you"ve already met each other though.」
Being told that, Ykslaas stared closely at the stone statue form Gordy.
When she did, Gordy also turned her gaze towards Ykslaas.
「I suppose this is your first time seeing this figure of mine. However, Fainell-dono, why did you bring her here?」
Saying that, Gordy looked at Fainell as if to reproach her.
And that was natural.
Although it was the Demon King Army"s victory, that was not synonymous to Ykslaas becoming an ally.
Thinking of the possibility that she would bare her fangs at them again, bringing her to the same place as her subordinates was something that normally shouldn"t be done.
Receiving Gordy"s gaze that had that sort of meaning loaded into it, Fainell answered with a cool face.
「No need to worry. It seems that she no longer has any intention of fighting.」
「Even if you say that she only "seems" like it……」
「Even if the time calls for it, both you and I are here, and that thing is here too. It"s not a problem, right?」
Being called "that thing", Sancreed made a wry smile behind her, and opened his mouth.
「The two of you shouldn"t worry like that. More importantly, the problem here is the two fainted knights. Has the king done his dealing with them or whatever it was?」
「……If you had apprehensions of that, I would have liked it if you did not come here bringing her along. If they were to turn into those forms here, the Demon King Castle would be completely destroyed this time.」
While listening to Gordy"s words that had a sigh mixed in, Sancreed nodded with a "fumu".
「But, I didn"t think that you would be in the rear garden if that danger were left as is. I thought that stepped out here since it was probably dealt with. Was I wrong?」
The dealing with the situation mentioned here was the interfering with their Life Seeds.
The Life Seeds were the root of life, the thing that was the information such as personality and memories that was attached to this was said to be the soul.
The fact that mind manipulation called Thought Control that was placed on Ykslaas was already known to them through Ichika.
Something similar to that Thought Control that was placed on Ykslaas seemed to have been placed on these two as well but……With Thought Control not being magic but being cast on the depth of being on the level of the soul, only Vermudol was able to directly interfere with their Life Seeds and souls.
「……Speaking from the conclusion, it is not a problem. Demon King-sama came earlier and dealt with them.」
「I see. Where is the king right now?」
「In the south. It seems that a red knight who appears to be these guys" companion was captured.」
Red knight……Being asked about that by Sancreed with his gaze, Ykslaas showed a nod.
「That is probably, one of my knights……I think it is Olred.」
「And that"s what she says.」
「Is that so. Now then, it is about time that you tell me what you came here for.」
Gordy brought the conversation back on track.
Certainly, if they were taken care of and had their Mind Control removed, they could be thought of as already losing their riskiness. Even so, if they consider the worst case scenario, they shouldn"t let Ykslaas and them meet.
After all, the one that was manipulating Ykslaas"s group was most likely the G.o.d of Life Philia.
The G.o.d of Life Philia is a G.o.ddess worshipped by Humans, and handles Life Seeds.
She had lent her power to summon Hero Ryuuya in the past and gave him the Holy Sword, and she also imparted an oracle in order to defeat the Demon King.
There was nothing better than being precautious of the chance that something still might happen.
「What, it"s simple. The fighting has already finished. If they were to be told that by their master, those two will also become obedient, right?」
That"s right, Fainell knew.
The reason why the two awakened knights had struggled was because the safety of their master was unknown.
No matter what would happen, the safety of the master they served took maximum priority.
It seemed that true knights were that sort of creature……that is what she had once heard from Luuty at some point.
The hero of the Jiol Forest Kingdom, Luuty Ligas, who had defeated the previous Demon King Gramfia together with Hero Ryuuya in the past. Fainell became acquainted with her ever since the time she entered the Dark Continent together with Ryuuya, and they were now good friends.
If it was exactly as Luuty said, she thought that the if Ykslaas were to be brought in front of the two knights, they probably wouldn"t riot even if they were to awaken.
「Well, that does make sense.」
Seeing Sancreed nod in agreement, Gordy made a dubious face.
「……Will it really go that well?」
「If it doesn"t, we just have to think of another method, don"t we. Isn"t that right?」
「And who do you think will have to take responsibility for that……」
Although she was muttering that, Gordy started to slightly shake both of her hands to wake up the two knights.