The Banished Swordsman and the Easy-going Demon King ~Free people change the world~ - Chapter 8

“So, I want you to tell me properly.”

It seems that Gandalke , who had apparently regained his composure, asked Amirias .

“Can your power release me from this state?”

“Impossible.”

“An immediate answer, huh.”

“Because the truth is the truth.”

“I see… So it’s impossible to return to the appearance of an old demon or something?”

“No.”

To Luct’s question from the side, Amirias turned to answer.

“The body of the former Lord Gandalke has already completely disappeared. In this case, ‘release’ means that the soul leaves the body and truly dies.”

“Eh? …Do you want to die?”

“Well, of course. Or rather, I’m already dead.”

“To be honest, I don’t see you that way.”

“With all due respect, I must agree with you on that.”

“Oh, I see!”

Gandalke , who responded half-heartedly, scratched his head somewhat roughly.

“Well, it’s not like I’m depressed enough to want to die right this moment. I just wanted to make sure of that with you. After all, you bear half the responsibility for how things have turned out.”

“Is it absolutely impossible?”

“The spell of reincarnation from a hundred years ago was so complex and precise that it can never be recreated. After confirming its activation, I completely dismantled it, so it cannot be reproduced.”

“You’re not lying, right?”

“I, Amirias , do not lie to you. I swear by this life.”

Saying that, Amirias bowed deeply to Gandalke again.

—

After a brief silence,

“…I see. Well, there’s no helping it.”

“Wait, can you just believe it that easily? …After making us wait for a hundred years?”

Luct, who had been watching the exchange, asked if he couldn’t accept it.

In response, Gandalke shrugged dramatically.

“The fact is, he swears he’s not lying, and I don’t want to doubt Amirias in that sense, at least. I’ve got the answers I wanted to hear.”

“You’re strangely easygoing.”

“I don’t like wasting time arguing endlessly. That’s all there is to it.”

Saying that, Gandalke sat down on one of the stone chairs lining the wall. He rested his chin on his hand and stared intently at the sooty pattern on the floor.

“Sigh… I’ll be stuck in this body for a while longer, huh… So be it…”

…

The silence lasted for several minutes. Neither Luct nor Amirias said anything to her.

And then…

“Hey, Luct.”

“What is it?”

“Do you want to team up with me?”

“What?”

Luct, who was looking for a chair to sit down as well, made a puzzled expression.

“You and me?”

“That’s right.”

“Are you suggesting we form a party?”

“I don’t care about the formalities.”

“What are we going to do if we team up?”

“I don’t know right now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Luct raised his voice in frustration.

“Someone who’s aiming to defeat the Demon Lord without any plan is asking the Demon Lord to team up! Are you serious?”

“Very reasonable, Luct-sama. By the way…”

Amirias , who had interrupted, continued while looking intently at Luct.

“If I recall correctly, you were expelled from the Hero Melphis’s party, weren’t you?”

“…How do you know that?”

“I am a demon like that, after all.”

As she spoke, Amirias pointed to her lower body, which had merged with the ground.

“As you can see, I cannot leave this cave. However, if it’s not too far away, I can sense the earth by ‘tracing’ it. For example…”

As Amirias spoke, the sand in front of her eyes quietly swirled up, creating a large square space, and eventually, it displayed a finely detailed familiar scene within. Luct’s widened eyes gazed at the scene he recognized.

“This is…”

“You should recognize it.”

“Ah, this is definitely the interior of the shop at that time. Impressive.”

Luct stood up from his chair and stepped into the sand space without hesitation, voicing his amazement.

“I was there, right? I was sitting at the window seat over there, I think…”

“After the Demon Lord left.”

“…Really?”

In front of Luct, who was standing still, the sandy Melphis opened her mouth. At the same time, Luct could faintly hear a soft voice.

“…If he charges into the Demon Lord’s castle alone, he’ll probably get some results. Well, he’s definitely going to be killed by a demon sooner or later. Either way, it’s no loss for us.”

“What an evil hero. Doesn’t he feel even a little remorse?”

“A little.”

The overlapping laughter of everyone turned into noise and then disappeared.

…

Luct didn’t say anything. He just stared at the sandy Melphis intently. There was no trace of anger in his eyes.

“Oh, I’m just like you, huh? My thoughts are completely transparent to you.”

“It seems so.”

“And so, why are you telling me this? Do you want to make fun of me?”

“Of course not.”

In response to Gandalke ‘s unexpectedly strong words, Luct turned his gaze towards him.

“Fine, erase it, Amirias .”

“Yes.”

The sand that had painstakingly depicted the interior of the shop scattered noiselessly and fell to the ground. In the midst of the wide hall, Luct and Gandalke faced each other.

“Hey, Luct.”

“…What?”

“It’s a shame, but this is what the present reality is. You’re too straightforward, and your choices and actions are too predictable. Not just that unsightly hero, but even I can see where things are heading with you. Frankly, it’s not a good thing.”

“So, what do you want me to do?”

Gandalke ‘s tone was surprisingly light.

“That’s why I’m telling you to team up with me.”

“…Why?”

Luct, whose venom had been drained, asked in a genuine tone of curiosity.

Gandalke smiled as if he had agreed.

“You’re here right now because I called out to you, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t imagine defeating stone golems, meeting an old demon like this, or having a conversation like this yesterday, did you?”

“True.”

“Am I really that much of a recluse?”

“That’s the same for me, too.”

As he spoke, Gandalke tapped his chest.

“You came all the way here because you trusted me, defeated the stone golem, and because of that, I was able to meet this reclusive person again after a hundred years. And I was able to confirm my current self.”

“You’re not a recluse, you know?”

“A person without any power, just wandering around the world, but because of you calling out to me, I ended up in today’s situation. That’s right, in a future even Melphis couldn’t have expected, right? Isn’t that the case, Luct?”

“…Now that you mention it, that’s true.”

“What happened to you is what I wanted to see with you. It becomes unknown when you confront it together. I definitely think that way.”

“It’s

not a bad thing, right?”

“Of course not.”

With a stronger tone, Gandalke approached Luct.

“I gave up being the Demon Lord a long time ago. I don’t want to go back now, and I don’t want to make the world worse. I just want to do something meaningful. That’s it, with this powerless body!”

—

“I understand.”

Luct nodded slightly, and there was no hesitation in his voice.

“But there’s a condition.”

“What?”

“If there’s ever a time when I absolutely can’t accept it, I’ll stop you, even if it means killing you in the end. Is that okay?”

“Of course.”

“Alright, then it’s settled.”

With that said, Luct extended his right fist. Almost at the same time, Gandalke also extended his fist, as if they had coordinated it.

“Ho ho ho, you’re dependable.”

Happily, Amirias said and waved her hand. At the same time, the heavy door at the entrance opened.

“This is a new beginning, my Demon Lord.”

“I’m starting from a miserable place, though.”

“Well, don’t worry about it.”

Saying so, the three of them laughed lightly. It was as if they were old acquaintances.

Beyond the open door, the room was filled with brighter light than when they arrived.