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I frowned at Hermann’s preposterous remark.
“What are you trying to say?”
“The Grand Duke cherishes you. I saw his care for you in the temple.”
“You know that and yet you’re talking nonsense? Who will kill who?”
“No matter how much the Grand Duke cherishes you right now, he won’t be human for long, so what does it matter?”
“That’s not going to happen.”
Asmodeus, who had toyed with Lagrange had already disappeared and the curse had already lost its powers.
If Dietrich used his abilities too much, he could be eaten by the shadows, that’s why I doggedly searched for the holy relics.
“It’s all right if you deal with the shadows through the relics. It would be easier to solve if you agreed to a non-aggression treaty.”
How nice would it be if we could leave the ceasefire and end the war altogether? I was seduced by the benefits of ending the hostility and thought it was a good opportunity.
Hermann, who had been listening quietly to my opinion, pressed his fingertips against his wrinkled forehead.
“......You really don’t know anything, Princess. A contract with a demon isn’t something that can be broken by Eredia’s powers. Even if the evil god disappeared, the contract is left intact.”
Hermann hesitated as if feeling regretful for the hope that I had and continued.
“Once the soul has been tainted, there’s no turning back. Especially those who have contracts with various demons like the Grand Duke.”
I knew Hermann wasn’t lying, but I didn’t believe his words.
What did a Duke from the South know about the demons of the North?
“How do you know about that?”
“A long time ago, there were people who used shadow abilities even in the South.”
I bit my lips in astonishment at Hermann’s words.
“What did you just say?”
Weren’t children who could deal with demons only born in the North due to Asmodeus’ blood flowing in them?
“Have you ever wondered why a tragedy that can’t happen in the South only happened in the North?”
It was something that I had always wondered about.
However, I couldn’t believe that the question came from Hermann’s lips, so my jaw dropped.
“Humans didn’t want the empire to be infested with demons, and the demons only needed souls to fill their stomachs.”
".........."
“So they promised to hand over the North as the demon’s prey. It’s a part of history that exists as a record.”
I had made my guess, but when it became clear, I couldn’t breathe. I was shocked at Hermann’s neat face that I pushed him away with my two hands.
“You know that history, and yet you have the audacity to dismiss Lagrange as evil?”
He replied without any sign of resentment even though he had stumbled backward.
“It’s regrettable but I have no choice. Even if it’s an evil that was created, evil is still evil. It’s my calling to stop the demons from spilling out of the North with greater power in their hands.”
Hermann’s pretty face looked very sad. I was even more speechless because he truly felt that this situation was regrettable.
‘That’s why he just sealed him but didn’t kill him?’
Because he pitied Dietrich?
Even though he was a righteous protagonist, it was questionable why he didn’t completely punish the villain. So there was a reason like this?
After all, if Dietrich dies, a new contractor for the demon would have just appeared, so sealing him was for the best.
‘What does it mean to not remain as a human?’
Perhaps, he’s talking about how he’d end up like Derek?
I was terrified, but I silently gritted my teeth and clenched my fists.
“.......Even so, I will never go back to Euclid.”
“Do you believe my words when I say it’s dangerous?”
“I don’t care even if it’s dangerous. If Dietrich will really become a monster, then all the more that I can’t leave him alone.”
Hermann’s mouth dropped open at my answer. His eyes opened wide in disbelief and he grabbed Damon by his arm who was standing next to him.
If you're not reading this at blogspot, you're probably reading from an aggregator site. Read this translation at https://notmysisteryoufool.blogspot.com/.
“Please check again. Are you sure there isn’t some kind of magic on my sister?”
“There is none. The Grand Duke has no such ability.”
At Damon’s assertion, he frowned heavily.
“I didn’t know your heart feel for him this much. Have you become the Duke’s lover?”
“What do you mean lover! It’s not like that!”
I was already awkward with Dietrich as it was and now he’s even saying some weird things.
“.....I know someone who has terminated a contract with a demon. There’s only one person in history.”
“And who is that?”
He had concluded earlier that there was no way of turning back, but now he’s speaking in a different tone, yet I had no choice but to listen to his tempting words.
“If you care so much about the Grand Duke, then I’ll help you. But I have a condition.”
“What is it?”
“Come back to Euclid.”
I opened my mouth to refute Hermann’s words, but he continued faster than I did.
“I’m not asking you to stay forever. Just enough to be able to confirm that you haven’t been deceived by the Grand Duke for you to have such a heart.”
".............."
“I may be someone who has no qualifications to be your brother, but my heart is sincere in wishing you happiness.”
Hermann’s aura didn’t waver.
It meant that as always, there was no lie mixed in his words.
“The truce will be over soon. When the war starts, I’ll send someone to take advantage of the opportunity.”
"........."
“Make up your decision by then.”
────── 〔✿〕──────
“Please call Baal.”
If someone, who had been avoiding my face suddenly came to ask me to summon the demon, I would have asked for the reason, but Dietrich called Baal without saying anything.
I grabbed the demon’s collar, who was wriggling out of his shadow.
“It’s been a long time, Princess.”
“Follow me.”
“Are you welcoming me so vehemently because it’s been so long?”
I dragged Baal out of the office because I couldn’t ask him in front of Dietrich.
“......What on earth is this situation?”
I opened my mouth only after tightly tying up the pitiful demon, who had trotted along while complaining, with the roots of the purification tree.
“Baal. You said that demons can’t die outside of the demon realm, is that right?”
“Why are you asking that again?”
“Answer me. It’s an important question.”
“Yes. It will take a long time to come back after losing power, but a demon’s demise is different from a human’s death.”
“I see. That’s good.”
I held my hands together in relief.
“Dipacio!”
“Aaak!”
‘Turn white, turn white!’
I harbored a strong will to gather the malice and purify Baal’s dark aura.
“Puripio!”
“Aaak!!!!”
The roots flashed as if they were struck by lightning and Baal’s body began to smell like grilled meat.
“Ah, save the demon! Save me!”
‘Does this spell also work?’
I mumbled the purification spell I had memorized and tightened the grip around Baal.
“Hiiik! Hiiik! It hurts! It hurts, Princess!!!”
Perhaps because Baal had stayed in the demon realm for a long time, his human form had disappeared and he had no eyes. Tears were flowing from the corners of his eyes even though he had none.
“I mean, ugh! Derek Lagrange didn’t even do this kind of cruel torture!”
I briefly stopped my ability at Baal’s sorrowful cry.
‘No matter how much it hurts, did he have to compare it to Derek?’
“Ugh, heuk. You’re not even a Lagrange, Princess! Oh my goodness, the demon is dying! Hic, hic!”
“.......Sorry.”
“Why are you suddenly like this?!”
It hurt my heart to watch Baal, who took care of me like a nanny, suffer. But I bit my lips and used my ability again.
“I’m sorry, but please die, Baal.”
“Aak! Why? Why on earth are you being like this?!”
Baal began to cry as if he was experiencing injustice.
“It hurts? Then go back to the demon realm and never come back for the rest of your life and I will stop.”
I lowered my hand, my heart weakening. Even though his namesake was the demon king, Baal was gasping for breath.
“What do you mean go back? What are you saying?”
“You said that demons only go back to the demon realm when they’re destroyed and only lose their power. Then, can’t you just go back?”
“That’s not possible. Who would eat His Majesty’s soul then? Amon and Zagan will probably take it?”
I squeezed my clenched fist at Baal’s impudent answer.
“What do you mean eat?! Why would you eat that?!”
No matter how close we were, as expected, a demon was a demon. After all, he’s only helping Dietrich because he coveted his soul.
I grabbed Baal’s collar in a fit of rage.
“I know that you look at me and smack your lips as if you’d like to eat me whenever you had free time! Because of you, Dietrich is going to become a monster!”
“Hic. How did you know that?”
Baal could not have known that Dietrich would lose his humanity because of him. I rushed again at Baal, who was trembling in surprise.
“How I knew that?! Dipacio!”
‘You hid it on purpose, you demon bastard!’
“Aaak! Ack! W-wait!”
Baal reached out to me as his aura was burning brightly.
But when I didn’t stop, the demon started screaming with veins popping out of his neck.
“If I disappear now, His Majesty will also die!”
“What? Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s true. His Majesty is my contractor after all. The moment the contract with the demon end is when the human dies. If they forcefully terminate the contract by their disappearance, then the human will die too!”
“......Then, doesn’t that mean there really is no way?”