The End Of The Demon King, Mikoto, And Edgar

Mikoto’s castle in the Yamata Kingdom, shortly before Alec appeared.

In the workshop, the Demon King and Gobe were modifying the armor.

Mikoto was not there—she had said she would personally interrogate the captured thief.

The Demon King wore a vicious grin as he looked at the goblin, Gobe.

Gobe was wearing full-body armor again.

“How is it, Gobe? Move.”

“Y-yes, Demon King!”

Gobe moved awkwardly, the heavy clanking echoing.

But his elbow and knee joints bent, and compared to before, he could move far more easily.

The Demon King grinned, one hand to his chin.

“Heh-heh. Not bad at all! I layered two sheets of holy-beast and demonic-beast hide at the joints and carved curse sigils on the inside! Now mobility is doubled! Nothing is impossible for me—HAHAHA—Gweh!”

Suddenly, the Demon King rolled his eyes white and toppled over.

Gobe rushed to him in shock.

“D-Demon King!? What’s happened, Demon King!?”

“I-it’s Alec… This absurd, rule-breaking, insane feeling—it’s Alec!”

“W-what did you say!?”

Gobe clanked to the window.

Looking down into the courtyard, he saw an angel descending slowly.

In her arms was a black-haired man.

Under his helmet, Gobe’s face sharpened with resolve.

“Demon King, please wait a moment! I will drive him off, I swear!”

He threw a robe over the full armor to disguise himself and sprinted into the hallway at full speed.

“Th-this… is cheating… I’m counting on you, Gobe…”

The Demon King could only twitch and convulse.

In Mikoto’s castle courtyard.

I landed on the ground covered in white sand.

Nearby, Edgar sat bound on a reed mat.

As I picked up a sword, I shouted at the top of my lungs.

“I am Alec, former hero of the Fortis Kingdom! I ordered Ed—Azuma—to steal the treasure! If you have complaints, say them to me!”

When I raised the sword and roared, the people in the courtyard stirred.

“A-a hero!?”

“Why would he order theft!?”

“W-what is going on!?”

Then a small figure, about child-height, came rushing in, clanking in armor.

He slipped behind the bamboo blinds, spoke to a man lying there, then immediately returned and addressed me.

“Even if you are a former hero, you are still a hero! Leave this country!—That is what Lady Mikoto commands!”

“I’d love to, but I have responsibilities.”

“R-responsibilities!?”

“Yes. Lift Azuma’s bounty status, treat Princess Nobara—who has been resurrected—favorably, and hand over the Jewel of Light. Until those are accepted—”

Before I could finish, the small figure shouted.

“Accepted! Azuma’s crime is forgiven because he brought Princess Nobara home! Princess Nobara of the Mikawari Corps shall be honored as a holy maiden who achieved sacred revival and be favored as Lady Mikoto’s attendant! And since you are a hero, it is only natural you would seek the Jewel of Light to drive away darkness!—However, even if you are a former hero, you are still a hero! You are not permitted to enter our country! If you head at once to the port town of Kove, then everything I just promised will be recognized!”

“W-wait, that fast… Fine. Then I’m taking Azuma with me. That’s okay, right?”

“Yes! Now get out of this country already! If you don’t, it becomes an international diplomatic incident!”

“Got it.”

I cut the rope binding Edgar with my sword and turned to leave the courtyard.

As we headed out of the castle with Edgar, I said to Liricia.

“That was surprisingly easy. They accepted it right away.”

“Yes, I was surprised.”

“Maybe Mikoto really was the kind ruler people say he is. I thought they were going to take his head earlier, but maybe it was actually more like a knighthood tap on the shoulder. Maybe we panicked and misunderstood. …Maybe I didn’t even need to come.”

“No, but… precisely because you came, Master, they accepted a proper reason. Your authority truly is impressive.”

“You’re exaggerating. I barely did anything.”

I answered with a shrug.

Liricia looked at Edgar.

“Are you all right? —Full Heal.”

When Liricia touched Edgar, his wounds healed instantly.

Edgar bowed his head.

“Thanks.”

“So what is it, Edgar? Wasn’t Mikoto a kind ruler?”

“Yeah, well… I can’t beat you, Alec-san. That’s fine.”

For some reason, Edgar smiled with an exasperated tone, even shrugging his shoulders.

Tilting my head, I replied.

“I don’t really get it, but okay. Let’s go home.”

When we reached the edge of the courtyard, I glanced back.

That small figure was speaking to the woman lying down.

—So the one lounging at ease beyond those blinds was the Lady Mikoto they called a wise ruler.

I didn’t get to greet her. That was a miss.

Next time we meet, I’ll go up close and greet her properly, I decided.

The enormous crisis named Alec had passed, but—

Gobe slipped behind the blinds and tended to Mikoto.

Mikoto’s kimono had fallen open, exposing an alluring collarbone and chest.

“Are you all right!? Lady Mikoto!”

“Ahh… one toll slip, two, three, four, five… one coin short…”

Mikoto’s beauty was breathtaking, but her hair was in disarray across her white cheeks and thin shoulders, her eyes rolled back as he fainted.

Gobe shook her slender body, calling desperately.

“That’s the river you must not cross, Lady Mikoto! Please come back without boarding the boat! Please, Lady Mikoto!”

No matter how desperately Gobe called, Mikoto did not return to the living world.

The Demon King, too, remained unconscious in the workshop, arms raised as he spasmed in jerky convulsions.

Kove Harbor at dusk.

On the pier, Liricia, Edgar, and I were about to board the afternoon ship.

The east–west mountain range glowed red in the setting sun.

That was when a cute voice rang out across the harbor.

“Azuma! Azumaa!”

When we turned to the voice, it was Princess Nobara.

With black bobbed hair and the hem of her red kimono fluttering, she ran toward us.

Behind her, the elderly man in red garb accompanied her.

The moment Princess Nobara reached the pier, she panted and looked at Edgar.

“Wait, Azuma. Come here.”

“Yes, Princess.”

Edgar stepped back from the pier to the dock.

Liricia and I boarded the ship and looked down at the dock from the rail.

Princess Nobara looked up at us.

“Mm. Alec and Liricia, you also worked well. I praise you.”

“Yeah. I’m glad everyone’s safe.” “Thank you, Princess Nobara.”

As we spoke, Edgar returned to the dock, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

Princess Nobara puffed out her flat chest proudly, not caring that her black hair was messy.

“Now then, Azuma. You also worked well. —A reward.”

She looked around, then noticed a single flower blooming by the dock.

She hurried over and gently plucked it with a supple hand.

Then, clasping the nameless flower carefully in her small hands, she returned to Edgar and held it out.

Edgar bowed respectfully and accepted the flower.

“Ha… I am deeply honored—”

Looking down at him, Princess Nobara’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded.

“Mm! Then, be well. —Edoga.”

She did not call him Azuma.

Edgar understood her consideration, his body trembling as he bowed even lower.

When he forced out his voice, it had turned into a tearful one.

“Yes… thank you, Princess… Please, live long and well.”

“Mm! You need not worry about me anymore. —Then, farewell.”

A single tear ran down Princess Nobara’s plump cheek.

It glittered in the sunset.

Edgar stood, bowed once more, and returned to the ship.

A crewman moved, and the mooring ropes were released.

The ship pulled away from the pier and began moving slowly.

Princess Nobara waved both hands, crying as she shouted.

“Come show your face sometimes, a—Edoga!”

“Yes! Thank you! Someday again—certainly!”

Tears spilled from Edgar’s eyes beneath his hair as he shouted back.

—On the surface, it looked like an ordinary farewell, but in truth they were two people of different stations.

It was probably a farewell for this lifetime.

Beside me, Liricia gently wiped the corner of her violet, tear-wet eyes with a slender finger.

I might have had wet eyes too.

The harbor, lit by the sunset, blurred as it receded into the distance.

The princess in red kept waving until she could no longer be seen.

Edgar also continued waving back.

Even after she vanished from sight, he kept waving.

—And so, Edgar’s long journey, spanning eight years, came to its end.