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It has been a while. I am glad to see you are doing well.” 

“Yeah, hello, Pope-sama.” 

We welcomed the reinforcements of Mejis in front of the gates of the Taizu Castle and my gaze understandably went straight to the top of the Yugura Church, Pope Euparo.

Why did you come? 

Lilisa-san and a captain of the Holy Knight Order, Yox.

Archbishop Ukka…doesn’t seem to be here.

“Are you searching for Ukka? I have left him to look after Mejis. He doesn’t really stand out in battles against devils to begin with.” (Euparo)

“Is that so. By the way, you being here must mean that it is almost time for you to take Rakura back, right?” 

“Hahahahaha, your jokes are good.” (Euparo)

This old man…

For now, I bring Pope Euparo, Lilisa-san, and Yox to the reception room where Marito is at. 

The ones currently in the room are only Marito, Mix, and Lord Ragudo.

Ekdoik is also added there as he is my bodyguard. 

“There’s two new faces. Is there a need for introductions?” (Euparo)

“No, I have heard everyone’s names already. My name is Mix Taizu. A relative of Taizu’s king.” (Mix)

“Mix… I have heard of an adventurer by that name.” 

The one who reacted to that name is Yox. Speaking of which, Mix is pretty famous as an adventurer. 

“I am currently learning a variety of things in my homeland.” (Mix)

“As for the man there—” (Euparo) 

“Ekdoik.” (Ekdoik)

“…That name…was within the underground people.” (Euparo)

“Yeah. I am one of the adventurer dredges that Raheight sent together with Pashuro. I am currently the bodyguard of my comrade.” (Ekdoik)

“That’s quite the praiseworthy relationship. If the Taizu King allows it, we have nothing to say regarding this.” (Euparo)

Yox raised his alert at this, but Pope Euparo calmed him down with a laugh. 

Speaking of which, Pashuro said he wanted Pope Euparo to be given to him in exchange for the hostage. 

Anyways, Marito proceeded with the explanation of the current situation. Euparo and the others were showing surprised expressions here and there, but were listening silently. 

“Those are the developments as of now. The biggest result would be that we have subjugated 2 Great Devils.” (Marito)

“You seem to have a constitution well liked by Demon Lords. You must have it rough.” (Euparo)

“No…” 

“—As far as we have heard, we should be aiming to resolve this as swiftly as possible. If we have ascertained the base of the Purple Demon Lord, we should attack them today or tomorrow.” (Yox)

“Calm down, Yox. This is a foreign country. There may be times when we would have to accept necessary sacrifices in our country but that’s not for us to decide here. Or are you telling me that you have a way to defeat the Demon Lord, her Great Devils, as well as her army of devils without bringing out a single casualty?” (Euparo)

“That’s…” (Yox)

“The only one who is allowed to decide the sacrifice of Taizu’s people is the Taizu King. Us coercing them to this would be the same as mass murdering their people.” (Euparo)

The opinion of Yox is also correct. If the Demon Lord is staying in the country carefreely, there’s no doubt it would be an opportunity to hit her. 

But Pope Euparo also holds the perspective of someone that rules a country. 

“This is a good opportunity to defeat the Great Devils with certainty while he is winning the competitions against the Purple Demon Lord. The total number of monsters in the Mejis Nether have decreased to a shocking degree. The Purple Demon Lord must have gathered them in this country. If they are giving us the opportunity to clean them, let’s just accept it bravely.” (Euparo)

“…Yes. My apologies.” (Yox)

“We of the Yugura Church will be assisting on the backlines. If there’s a Great Devil that you didn’t defeat in your one-on-ones, we will prepare to target those escapes.” (Euparo)

“It will be a great help.” (Marito)

The Great Devils that won the one-on-ones will be free. That can become a calamity that rains straight onto Taizu.

We have been dispatching the knights around every time the one-on-ones happen, but the elites of Mejis joining in on that is greatly appreciated. 

“Resident of Yugura’s planet, can you designate me for the next Great Devil’s one-on-one if possible?” (Yox)

Yox nominated himself. I have no qualms with his title, but I don’t know how strong he is. 

He is far above in terms of standing compared to Rakura and combat oriented though.

“Understood. But I am a novice here. I will have you resign the moment I judge it is even a tiny bit dangerous. Instead of a disadvantageous one-on-one, it would be better to let them free for now and deal with them with numbers after all.” 

“I don’t mind that arrangement. I just have to overwhelm them, right?” (Yox)

“Yes. Then, I will be counting on you in case I win the match on that day, Yox-san.” 

“You can just call me Yox. You can also speak more casually with me. I have heard about your age. It is a bit shocking that you are not that much different in age as me despite that appearance though.” (Yox)

“…I thought you were in your 30s though.” 

“I am a bit younger than that. I just look old.” (Yox)

Seriously? He is at an age that’s close to Rakura and Marito? 

But he is a captain of the Holy Knight Order despite that. I see. I suddenly feel the weight of his strength here.

And then there’s Rakura…

“I didn’t manage to say it last time, but you really helped us out in  the matter of Lilisa before. Allow me to extend my gratitude towards you.” (Yox)

“No, you have already thanked me for that, so it is okay.” 

“…No, as someone with a personal relationship with her, I thought I had to say it.” (Yox)

So they have that kind of relationship, huh. Now that I looked closely, Lilisa-san nodded with her cheeks flushed. 

Eh, are you using me as fodder for your flirting? I am kinda pissed here. 

What are you going to do about this atmosphere? 

“Guh, I feel a strange presence! Foolish Wise King, this one has come to hang out! Ready some tea already!” 

The one in second place for the people in Taizu that shouldn’t show up has appeared here. 

It is rare to see Marito seriously sighing here. 

“Oya, I knew it, ya were also here, Ser. Hm? There seems to be unfamiliar faces?” (Gold)

“…Taizu King, she seems to resemble the person that you reported about before.” (Euparo)

“Yeah, she is the Gold Demon Lord we spoke of.” (Marito)

Yox instantly drew his sword. 

Lilisa had a surprised face and Pope Euparo had a face as if saying ‘what to do here?’.

“What a dangerous-looking bunch. Judging from yer appearance, are ya a Holy Knight of Mejis by any chance?” (Gold)

“—A Holy Knight Captain of Mejis, Yox. What in the world is a Demon Lord doing here?” (Yox)

“I just came here to hang out though?” (Gold)

She jumped on top of my lap and waved her tail around, demanding me to pet her. 

Thinking about it calmly, there’s currently the tops of 3 nations here. That’s impressive.

“Aah, she is a harmless Demon Lord, so can you please sheath your sword?” 

“There’s no harmless or harmful when it comes to a Demon Lord! Demon Lords are enemies!” (Yox)

“…I didn’t want to say it like this because it is unfair, but…Demon Lords were created by Yugura Nariya. Isn’t it just laughable that you are blindly accepting the teachings Yugura Nariya set and bringing penance to Demon Lords as absolute evils?” 

“—!” (Yox)

“There’s no actual harm in what the Gold Demon Lord has done. On the contrary, she has greatly developed a whole nation. If you can state with conviction that this is absolute evil, then the foundation of justice would crumble.” 

“Yox, lower your sword.” (Euparo)

“But—” (Yox)

“There’s no need to accept what he says. But if you were to swing your sword here, I won’t be able to keep you by my side.” (Euparo)

“…” 

Yox obeyed the words of Pope Euparo and sheathed his sword.

“But Gold Demon Lord, showing up in front of the obstinate Yugura Church… I think there should be a limit to provocations.” (Euparo)

“I don’t give a damn about the teachings of Yugura. I have no intention to humor the people who still keep their preconceptions despite learning the truth.” (Gold)

“Regardless of the background, the scar in history left by the Demon Lords harming humans won’t change. Even if Yugura is a sinner, it is not like all of what he said is a lie, right?” (Euparo)

“Right. It hasn’t changed at all from the time when I was discriminated against and persecuted for just being a demi-human.” (Gold)

“It has somewhat changed. But humans are creatures that find it hard to accept big changes. I think it is pretty selfish of you to stir the pot without understanding this.” (Euparo)

“Yeah. What would you think if Yugura were to suddenly come here to have tea?” 

“Nuh, that’s…true. Let’s just say this one was the childish one on this occasion.” (Gold)

The Gold Demon Lord accepted her fault without any objections. Just how hated is Yugura?

“I can’t really say I admire the act of bringing out someone’s religion to shame them, but I thank you for remonstrating him.” (Euparo)

“Don’t mind it. But what does the Yugura Church plan on doing regarding the matter of Yugura?” 

“I have already explained the situation to the Archbishops. But the opinions were split. There’s even some who say it is all lies and are not listening.” (Euparo)

Well, it is like saying Jesus was created by the Devil to a christian after all. Even if it was just for a brief period of time, there’s no doubt it is a religion that has brought public peace.

“Despite that, you managed to dispatch troops once a Demon Lord appeared.” 

“The credibility of there being a Demon Lord has been questioned, but it has already been observed that many devils have moved. There’s a need to ascertain the reason for this.” (Euparo)

“Even if it is proved that the Demon Lords have resurrected, there will be people who won’t believe Yugura was involved in this. It must be rough.” 

“It would be a lot more comforting if you were to tell me the thing about the Demon Lords was a lie though.” (Euparo)

“I would rather stay silent than lie for something like that.” 

“Anyways, there’s no doubt the teachings are an important foundation that are grounded on humanity. There will most likely not be any big moves in the near future.” (Euparo)

“Aside from the fact that they see the Demon Lords as absolute evils, they are a mish-mash of respectable points after all.” 

The teachings Yugura left were extracted from christianity and buddhism, so they are easy to accept and very humane. 

And within those, there’s a dark history of big mess ups leaving a mark like a biography. 

Now that it has taken root, it is not possible to deny them completely.

“It is a current state where we have to accept that the Demon Lords have resurrected. As long as they pose a threat to humanity, it is of utmost priority to deal with them.” (Euparo)

“The ones planning on invading the humans are the Purple Demon Lord and the Scarlet Demon Lord. But it seems like the Purple Demon Lord doesn’t hold animosity.” 

“Even if she isn’t, as long as there’s casualties being born from her, we have no choice but to deal with her.” (Euparo)

“—That’s true. However, she is currently using Great Devils and many monsters to have a competition. Even from the perspective of humans, we would be able to get rid of many obstacles without any casualties.” 

“Umu, therefore, we plan on matching the movements of the Taizu King.” (Euparo)

“Even if we were to have a complete victory, what do you plan on doing after the devils the Purple Demon Lord has are gone?” 

“They resurrected even after Yugura defeated them. We would need to think of a way to seal them rather than kill them.” (Euparo)

“…Even if I were to negotiate with her and make it so she doesn’t bring harm?” 

“You are liked by the Demon Lord, so let’s say you manage to bring such a result from a fair negotiation. Even if you manage to make them harmless temporarily like the current Gold Demon Lord, for how long do you think that will last?” (Euparo)

“That’s…” 

“After you die, there’s no assurance that the Demon Lords won’t hold hatred and animosity towards the humans.” (Euparo)

“Hm, that can be said for humans too.” (Gold)

“That’s right. But there’s ways to punish humans. It is not like you Demon Lords would obey the laws of humans, right? Demon Lords are not man-made calamities, but natural disasters. That’s why there’s the need to do something about it before anything happens.” (Euparo)

The Gold Demon Lord fell silent too. It would be one thing with her, but getting rid of the other Demon Lords’ threat completely is close to impossible. 

Pope Euparo doesn’t hate Demon Lords. He simply calmly sees them as dangerous and has judged them as beings that must be dealt with. 

That said, it doesn’t feel too good as a related party. 

“Then, you don’t mind leaving it to me until then, right?” 

“Until we judge it is no longer the best option. If our trust in you is gone, we will even ignore the current competition and move.” (Euparo)

“I will be handling it with care. I don’t want to bring about casualties either after all.” 

“Yeah, I know.” (Euparo)

I most likely won’t have a chance for victory in a war of words. There’s no point in further talk here. 

Or more like, this most likely includes the refutal of the words I said to Yox. 

The standing of the other side would worsen if they were to get beaten down by words the whole time. I should just obediently look like I have been defeated by their words instead of struggling in an unsightly manner. 

“Let’s wrap the musty talk here. If you came here to hang out, there’s also things I would like to ask you.” (Euparo)

“I am impressed ya can say that after talking a whole ton about wanting to get rid of this one and the others.” (Gold)

“I simply brought out the opinion of humans. I will interact with you in a friendly manner while you are friendly. I did say we are going to seal you eventually, but if we were to seal you at once, Gahne would fall into chaos, right? We can’t move from our humble position while you have so many hostages. It is only until things get out of hand…I guess.” (Euparo)

“Nfufufufufufu, don’t think this one’s ruling will crumble that easily. I will crush you to death in a cultural sense first.” (Gold)

“Please don’t go too hard on me. And so, for what I want to ask, it really has to be about Yugura. The stories of the Hero are pretty much the epitome of idle gossip in the perspective of the Demon Lords, right?” (Euparo)

“It is not idle though. Right, first of all, he was a guy that barely bathed. He always had ruffled hair and bags under his eyes.” (Gold)

The Gold Demon Lord was speaking ill of the hero as if nostalgic. Yox and Lilisa were making complicated expressions, but Pope Euparo was listening while laughing. 

I really don’t want to make the top of Mejis my enemy. 

 

On the day of the match, I woke up before the sun rose, finished preparing myself, and departed. 

When I opened the door, the one in front of my eyes was Ekdoik. This guy should be living in a cave outside the capital, but I am curious about what kind of daily life he is having. 

“Are the others still sleeping?” 

“The sun has not even risen after all.” (Ekdoik)

Ilias and Wolfe must have their respective exhaustion from their training. Rakura would sleep till before noon on the days she is not given work. 

The Gold Demon Lord walks at her own tune. 

I head to the plaza that will serve as the starting point of the match. 

The first hint is apparently placed here. 

Dyuvuleori is already on standby there, and it seems like he was waiting for my arrival. 

“It will soon be sunrise. Need to confirm the rules?” (Dyuvuleori)

“Find the Purple Demon Lord before sunset, and I will be able to find her if I solve the riddles set in the city, right?” 

“Yes, the riddles that My Lord has thought of. Please do give them a thorough look… It is time.” (Dyuvuleori)

Because of the ramparts, it will take a bit of time before the morning sun peeks out in Taizu, but the sky has become brighter. 

You probably would be able to see the morning sun if you are on top of the ramparts. 

With those walls present, it will be hard to tell accurately when the sun is setting. I should be careful. 

“Now then, here’s the first riddle.” (Dyuvuleori)

Dyuvuleori gave me a single parchment and disappeared. 

I opened it at once. 

{Devils hate silence and hate balance even more. 

Devils hold gems that are worth 10 gold coins. 

But the lives of the devils are only worth 1 gold coin.

The scales that measure worth have an apple on the west and a sword on the east. 

The apple has a worth of 1 gold coin and the sword is worth 10 gold coins.

The dying devils that have offered their everything have entrusted their fate to the scales.}

“I see, so it means to walk here, huh.” 

“What, you got it already?” (Ekdoik)

“It would be weirder to not get it. Even if there’s a difference in speed, it is a problem that can be solved if you can read.” 

I advanced through the direction where the answer is. Ekdoik was following after me while facing the riddle. 

My worry was whether I could find the next hint on my way, but there was no need to worry about that. 

While I was advancing through the path for a while, there was a really easy to tell mark. 

“—This…can be cleaned up later, right?” 

“I don’t know.” (Ekdoik)

There was a statue of a devil carrying a stone monument and standing brazenly in the middle of the road.  

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