An Archdemon's Dilemma: How to Love Your Elf Bride: Volume 13 E-Book

Fuminori Teshima

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: An Archdemon's DilemmaHow to Love Your Elf Bride
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 373

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

Nephteros has been possessed by Azazel, so Alshiera vows to kill her. Gremory has gone missing, and Kimaris has vanished in search of her. Bifrons’s plans are coming to fruition. All the while, an army of ten thousand resurrected heroes looms in the distance. After months of relative peace and quiet, it is time for the all-out battle between Zagan and Shere Khan to begin.

Everything is at stake as Zagan vows to protect his family and all of his subordinates, refusing to let a single one of them get hurt. What’s more, Nephy requests that everything is resolved in three days so that Zagan’s surprise birthday party can still be held.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Color Illustrations

Characters

Prologue

Chapter I: Nobody Wants to Fight a Losing Battle

Chapter II: The Opening Shot of a Battle Has to Be Flashy

Chapter III: Some Things Can’t Be Avoided by Putting on Airs

Chapter IV: Overcoming All Odds Is What a Hero Does

Epilogue

Afterword

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Prologue

“When it comes to battle, it seems the amount of preparation done beforehand decides the victor.”

Zagan muttered that to himself grimly as he sat in his throne room. He had countless wounds carved across his body, his black hair was disheveled and dirty, his robe—a sorcerer’s fortress—was torn and muddy, and there was clear exhaustion on his face. Only the strong glimmer in his silver eyes maintained the majesty of an Archdemon.

A few hours earlier, Zagan had fought the being known as Azazel. After stealing his sister-in-law Nephteros’s body, Azazel had handed him an ignominious defeat. The Angelic Knight who’d fallen in love with Nephteros, Richard, was still alive, but was in a comatose state. Zagan’s self-proclaimed older sister, Archdemon Andrealphus’s personal disciple and a wielder of a Sacred Sword, Stella, was severely wounded. The boy who’d been accompanying her, Head Archangel Ginias Galahad II, was also on the verge of death.

To make matters worse, the temporary alliance he’d had with the ultimate vampire Alshiera was now annulled by her declaration that she would kill the Azazel-possessed Nephteros. At least Shere Khan’s familiar, Dexia, and Zagan’s little sister from the streets, Lisette, hadn’t been taken. Still, this was Zagan’s first time being so powerless to do anything. What’s more, the situation was continuing to deteriorate.

“Raphael, have we still not received any word from Gremory?”

The one man Zagan put complete faith in, his butler Raphael, was also present in the room. Even after acquiring an artificial arm, the most dreadful Archangel hadn’t lost the tiniest bit of his true strength. Raphael nodded with a grave expression. This was grave from Zagan’s perspective, mind you, so any normal person would be liable to go into cardiac arrest if they saw the butler’s face.

“I believe she has likely been struck down or captured by Shere Khan. As such...”

This man always remained calm and composed when dealing with any matter unrelated to his daughter, yet here he was letting out a heavy sigh.

“As such...Kimaris has left in an attempt to track her down...” Raphael paused there, hesitating for an instant before mustering his resolve and continuing, “I find it hard to believe that a sorcerer of Gremory’s caliber could be captured, so I doubt she still lives.”

Gremory was a sorcerer whom Zagan trusted as his left hand. She was a former Archdemon candidate and could be considered the strongest sorcerer on the entire continent with the exception of the Archdemons. As such, not even an Archdemon could keep that granny from running away on a whim. Loss of contact with her couldn’t mean anything but death.

If she was defeated right after informing us of the situation, then I guess Andrealphus is the one who did it.

Even an Archdemon, as a rule, couldn’t capture Gremory if she focused on escaping. The only one capable of doing so was Archdemon Andrealphus, the man who could stop time with his sorcery. If he’d taken her by surprise, not even Gremory would have been able to escape. That was the biggest reason behind Zagan’s sighs.

He wouldn’t do any work when he was an ally, and now that he’s an enemy, he’s a thorn in my side.

In all likelihood, Bifrons’s or Shere Khan’s sorcery was manipulating him like a puppet. Furthermore, if an Archdemon had been reduced to a puppet like that, then he couldn’t possibly be alive. A fresh corpse was easier to manipulate, and a living target could resist the effects of the sorcery.

Gremory had last reported that she’d discovered Shere Khan’s supply route and was taking action to obstruct it. It was best to assume that this report was a trap. Knowing of Gremory’s disappearance, Kimaris, a sorcerer trusted as Zagan’s right hand, had immediately vanished. And that was why Zagan shook his head.

“No, Gremory isn’t necessarily dead.”

“Meaning...?” Raphael asked.

“If she is, I was the one who brought it about. Kimaris would slit my throat before heading off to kill Shere Khan.”

Kimaris was an extremely loyal retainer, but letting Gremory die would betray his trust entirely. In that case, Zagan would be the one who betrayed him, not the other way around.

“But he vanished without so much as seeing me,” Zagan continued. “In other words, he has a reason to ignore thoughts related to vengeance and hurry onward.”

There was only one reason Zagan could think of.

“That Gremory has been spared and is in captivity?” Raphael asked.

“Yeah. Meaning Kimaris has been lured out. He has no way of refusing, after all.”

Shere Khan had likely informed Kimaris of Gremory’s survival somehow. Zagan had been completely outwitted. In the worst case, he had to consider Kimaris an enemy now. The situation was growing worse and worse by the second, but even so, Zagan wouldn’t abandon his subordinates. His course of action was obvious. If Gremory was alive, he’d save her. And he’d get Kimaris back too, obviously. But that was also why Zagan was incapable of hiding his exhaustion.

“In any case, I must now meet Shere Khan’s army of ten thousand when I’m short a left and right hand.”

Shere Khan’s army was already complete. Ten thousand made it the size of an entire army division. It was said that the Angelic Knights spread across the entire continent were made up of four divisions. In other words, Shere Khan had a force on par with a quarter of the entire church.

Zagan’s forces had suffered a crushing defeat due to “Nephteros’s” rampage, and now Shere Khan’s invasion of Kianoides was close at hand. Zagan had received reports of suspicious individuals in the vicinity of the town. They were probably scouts. Perhaps this incident with Azazel was also part of Shere Khan’s plans. Archdemon Bifrons had been directly responsible, but any Archdemon was capable of that level of manipulation. The truly terrifying thing here was the wit to read so far ahead.

Zagan had to save his sister-in-law. He had to protect his subordinates. And on top of all that, he had to meet an army of ten thousand—one likely made up entirely of heroes from the past—which was quite possibly the most elite force in history. Even a great Archdemon would show clear exhaustion in such a situation. As such, he returned to his first statement.

“If the amount of preparation decides the victor, then there’s no winning this battle.”

For the first time, Zagan, who’d forced every obstacle out of his way with his fist, spoke words of defeat.

Chapter I: Nobody Wants to Fight a Losing Battle

“Are you listening? This world was ruined by the War of Divinity two hundred years ago. Sorcerers have the duty of healing the world’s wounds and entrusting the future to the next generation. If we all snapped at anyone and everyone like you do, this feeble world we live in would perish in an instant.”

With one last “Understood?” the girl, who looked no older than fourteen, tapped my head with her kiseru pipe. She had long, wavy, faintly blonde hair. Her large forehead stood out prominently despite her small face, which was highlighted by her blue eyes. If not for her impudent smile, she would be very beautiful. Her appearance was enough to make anyone believe that she was the daughter of a well-off family.

However, she wore an oversized triangular hat, a magic stone decorated with a ribbon around her neck, and a pitch-black cloak over her shoulders. Her outfit was just like that of a witch straight out of a fairy tale, but due to her young looks, she felt more like a child playing dress-up.

“Sorcerers healed the people and the world, while Angelic Knights guided them. That is how the world finally got back on its feet. It’s gotten peaceful enough for us to forgive a rowdy brat like you for running wild doing whatever you liked.”

I felt unbearable humiliation at being lectured by a child like her. However, I was prostrate on the ground exactly because I hadn’t been able to endure such humiliation, had lunged at her, and had been struck down with ease. I ground my teeth and glared up at her. The girl let out an exasperated sigh. A bizarre sigil marked her right hand, unleashing an enormous quantity of mana.

“Good grief... Do you have no pride as the disciple of the second generation’s Head Archdemon, Lisette Dantalian? You know anyone out there would throw away everything they have just to be taught by me, right?”

Sorcerers who manipulated paranormal phenomena existed in this world...and this girl was one of the thirteen kings who governed them all. The majority of the first-generation Archdemons had died during the War of Divinity, so the current Archdemons were considered the second generation. Unbelievably, the head of this second generation was the little girl before me. Her power surpassed that of the other twelve, which was befitting of her title, and she was even loved because of her appearance and personality. She shone like the sun in the sky. That was why she disgusted me. I hadn’t asked to be her disciple. I roared back at her, and she dropped her kiseru pipe on my head with another clunk.

“Fool. If I hadn’t taken you in, you would’ve been executed, remember? Know your place.”

I’d attacked the villages in the region, committing every atrocity imaginable, and had been beaten black and blue by this little girl. Ever since then, she’d been calling me her disciple and forcing worthless chores on me. I’d rebelled again today but had suffered utter defeat once more. The girl rested her chin on her hand while maintaining her grip on her pipe and let out yet another tired sigh.

“Haaah... Why are you so defiant? Is this what they call the rebellious phase? Maybe I should ask Mast...I mean, Marchosias, about it next time. But he’s got a serious sister complex, so I feel like asking him about children would be a mistake. What to do...?”

I barked at her, asking what kind of arbitrary crap she was spouting and whether she thought she was my parent, when her kiseru pipe came back down...or so I thought, but she gently brushed my head.

“Hmm. That’s true. You don’t even know what a parent is, do you...? Very well, then. First, I’ll love you. I’ll provide you with what others take for granted.”

I yelled at her, saying it was none of her business and that a stupid brat like her should get off her high horse.

“Hee hee. First, you’ll have to learn to respect your elders. I may look like this, but I’m two hundred years old, you know? I’m a living witness of the War of Divinity, after all.”

No matter how loudly I roared, she faced me with a pleasant smile.

“There’s a country to the east called Liucaon. They have a saying that goes, ‘Like a dragon to a tiger.’ It means to be strong and equal rivals because a tiger is on the same level as a dragon. I’ll raise you into a tiger worthy of that proverb. Be grateful.”

Tiger—that was my nickname. Tigers were a race from legends that couldn’t be seen in the world anymore. The ones spoken of in stories were avatars of calamity. The tigryn people, whose name was based on those creatures, also possessed an irresistible impulse for destruction.

Faced with such a villainous beast, this girl offered her unconditional love. It didn’t take all that much time for yearning to sprout in my heart...and it remained there until the day I lost her...

◇

“Dantalian...”

Inside a gloomy underground room, the dying Tiger King muttered a cherished name as he stared at the Sigil of the Archdemon on his right hand, the one that had once belonged to her.

“I couldn’t...become the kind of tiger...you wished for.”

She surely wouldn’t have forgiven him for what he had become. He hadn’t managed to become strong like her. Mourning the one he loved, he couldn’t even accept the burden of her death. After all, a world without her held no meaning in his eyes.

The truly unfortunate part was that Shere Khan had discovered a means of recovering what had been lost. No matter how much blood and resentment he had to smear himself in, he would do anything to accomplish it.

Once she returned, she would never accept him like she once had. She was sure to disdain him. But that didn’t matter. The important thing was for her to live. To that end, he would sacrifice anything, even himself.

Still, although she had wished for him to become a tiger that protected the world, he’d spent eight hundred years squirming in this crevice between contradictory ideals and wishes. Archdemons had come and gone so many times over the centuries. Now that Marchosias was dead and Andrealphus had been defeated, Shere Khan was the only survivor left from those days. Even he didn’t know how this would end.

“But not a single thing...that has happened to date...has been outside my calculations.”

Andrealphus’s attack, Bifrons’s departure, and even Azazel’s resurrection had all gone to plan. Aside from Shere Khan and Zagan, who were about to clash directly, there were Bifrons and Orias. Depending on the circumstances, even Naberius and Furcas could get involved. Plus, even if he’d been reduced to a puppet, Andrealphus was there too.

How many people out there could read a battle that was to involve a good half of all the Archdemons? Those who could were the true threats.

I suppose there’s Bifrons...and probably Alshiera as well.

Orias was involved, but he wasn’t assertive. Naberius was likely to remain a spectator. Furcas was broken. As for the Angelic Knights... Well, Shere Khan couldn’t understand them.

No one else would even be standing on the stage of battle. The fact that they hadn’t been able to predict these events meant that their preparations were insufficient. They wouldn’t become a threat. Thus, from this point on, all those who were even one step behind were goners.

So, how far had Zagan managed to read ahead? That Archdemon boasted terrifying power that was growing at an unprecedented pace. None of the Archdemons could carelessly clash with him and win. But alas, Zagan was far too young.

This had been the main point of contention among the Archdemons when deciding on Marchosias’s successor. He’d ascended to the seat of an Archdemon precisely because of the power and talent that had allowed him to surpass such a flaw, though. Now then, could Zagan’s diligence and growth truly surpass Shere Khan’s eight hundred years of experience?

No, I cannot win unless I assume that is so.

That man had inherited the blood of the greatest hero to ever grace this world. And just like the heroes of the past, he had an intense craving for strength. But unlike them, he also handled his enemies mercilessly with a cool head. Honestly, Shere Khan feared making an enemy of him more than he had Marchosias.

Marchosias...

Recalling the name brought up melancholic emotions within the Tiger King. That had already ended. That repulsive old man had died by Shere Khan’s own hands, after all. Perhaps the rare species hunt had been nothing but a facet of revenge against Marchosias. Gathering the factors needed for Azazel hadn’t required wholesale slaughter, but he’d done it anyway. It must’ve been humiliating to watch the rare species that had been under his protection be massacred like that.

Shere Khan hadn’t gotten off lightly either, but that old man’s fate, forgotten by all and having his power chiseled away to the end, must’ve left him with a gaping hole in his heart. Shere Khan had truly beaten him down. The only question remaining was if what little life the Tiger King had left would hold out. His wheelchair creaked as he quietly closed his eyes...when he heard a sudden groan nearby.

“U-Ugh... Where...?”

An enormous stone monument towered behind him. At its center was a half-petrified woman. She was the one who’d groaned, Enchantress Gremory. Archdemon Zagan’s left-hand woman and Archdemon Orias’s personal disciple. She was also Black Blade Kimaris’s mentor and likely had many other connections. She looked to be in her twenties now, but was actually more than 150 years old. Shere Khan unintentionally let out a sigh of admiration as he saw her wake from her slumber.

“To think...you would regain consciousness. I didn’t imagine...it possible.”

This woman possessed power that rivaled that of an Archdemon, but she also possessed the unusual power called Balor’s Evil Eye. As such, Shere Khan had restrained her with a mana absorption device that drained her to the very limits of maintaining her life. The wound she’d received from Andrealphus was fatal. It had been preposterous to even consider that she’d be able to wake up from her comatose state.

“That’s Enchantress Gremory...for you. I can see why...you’re favored...to be the next Archdemon.”

This woman was a former Archdemon candidate. She immediately understood the situation she was in and formed a provocative smile.

“So that would make you Archdemon Shere Khan. Kee hee hee. I am delighted to be honored with the praise of an Archdemon.”

After that, she turned her sad yet affectionate eyes toward him.

“The second generation’s Head Archdemon... Were those your memories?” she asked.

Shere Khan’s eyes shot open.

“Is the Sigil...slipping from my body? Or is that...the influence of a fomorian?”

His body was already at its limit. After getting cut down by Andrealphus, it wouldn’t be strange for him to perish at any moment. As such, it made sense for the Sigil of the Archdemon to look for its successor. There just happened to be an extremely talented sorcerer here, after all. Plus, fomorians were also said to be the ancestors of the succubi, so he couldn’t deny the possibility that they had the power to interfere with dreams or memories. In either case, she’d seen Shere Khan’s memories.

“How...interesting. How are you...maintaining consciousness...in that state? Moreover...how did you...glimpse into...my memories?”

Gremory smiled as if she understood everything just from these questions.

“What a strange thing for an Archdemon to ask. Just as you have caused such an incident by betting everything you have, I too have something more important than my life...” she paused there, then loudly made a proclamation as if unraveling her very reason for existing. “I, Enchantress Gremory, have not lived such a feeble life that I would quietly remain asleep with such love power thrust before me!”

“Huh...? Love...what?”

“Love power!”

Silence fell over the room. A painful stillness spread around them. This wasn’t because she’d angered Shere Khan, however.

What to do? Even though it’d be a checkmate if I misread a single move, there’s someone here I can’t read at all...

Honestly, this was perhaps the very first situation the Tiger King, who’d had everything go exactly as he’d planned, hadn’t been able to predict at all.

◇

“If the amount of preparation decides the victor, then there’s no winning this battle.”

Raphael nodded back to Zagan with a somewhat disappointed look on his face, then smiled slightly.

“My liege... Despite that, you seem to be enjoying yourself a fair bit.”

Having just declared defeat, Zagan had a smile on his face as if he found the situation ever so amusing.

“Hmph. That won’t do. It seems it’s gotten a little fun.”

He cleared his throat as if to admonish himself, then faced Raphael once more.

“I can’t slander Bifrons, I suppose,” he told his butler. “A game of wits among Archdemons is rather interesting. If my subordinates’ lives weren’t at stake, I might’ve gotten completely engrossed in it.”

Despite affirming that he had no means of winning, Zagan didn’t have the slightest thought of defeat in his mind.

Raphael gazed at his lord’s terrific mood and asked, “So do you have a way to overwhelm an army of ten thousand?”

Shere Khan’s army wasn’t made up of ten thousand regular soldiers. It was made of ten thousand heroes. The two who’d appeared during the battle against “Nephteros” had power on par with an Archangel. They’d called themselves Asura and Bato. Even if it had been done under Alshiera’s command, they’d been able to fight “Nephteros” on equal terms. If Zagan were to lowball his estimate, they at least had power on par with the Juutilainen brothers he’d fought in Raziel.

It was terrifying to consider that there were men like that all over the place one thousand years ago, but they’d died like weeds being plucked from the ground. It would be conceited to think that the current age could outdo them. According to the information he’d gotten from Dexia, they were Shere Khan’s specially made homunculi. He called them Nephilims, but they were basically attempts at replicating Azazel.

So long as they had Azazel partially planted within them, it’d be better to assume that they possessed more power than when they’d lived. Even if all ten thousand soldiers didn’t meet that standard, the Angelic Knights of Kianoides couldn’t compare to such numbers or individual quality. Maybe even all the forces of the church on the continent put together wouldn’t be able to. It was like facing off against ten thousand Archangels, after all.

“There will be no trouble facing an army of ten thousand,” Zagan answered, fully grasping all this information. “We can simply lure them out to an empty location and slaughter them.”

This wasn’t easy for an Archdemon to do, but it wasn’t impossible either. Pretty much the only ones who could clash with an army and mow them down directly were Zagan and Andrealphus, but it was nonsense for sorcerers to accept a challenge head-on like some kind of duel.

For example, if Orias were to seriously challenge an army, they would never come within her reach. Her second name was Calamity. With her powerful sorcery and celestial mysticism, not to mention her demon summoning, it was like fighting the land and nature itself.

So I guess I have to borrow Orias’s strength in the fight to come...

Zagan found it disgraceful that he had to beg the mother of his beloved bride to fight. But Shere Khan’s schemes were far too intricate and merciless to take any risks. In all likelihood, the Tiger King had prepared for this under the assumption that he would take on all the remaining Archdemons. Zagan had to put everything he had to use to strike him down. It was worth disgracing himself to protect his bride, daughter, and subordinates.

Still, slaughtering all of them doesn’t really sit well with me.

Zagan believed that any villain deserved at least one chance to repent. Even if his opponents were artificially created Nephilims, that didn’t change. This was war, but ruthlessly slaughtering ten thousand people still went against his core beliefs. It didn’t sit well with him, but he likely had no other choice. The biggest problem was that this army wouldn’t be attacking Zagan himself, but Kianoides and all of his subordinates. Keeping them in check would be an extraordinary feat.

“Hmm. So this is all within your expectations, my liege?” Raphael asked, wide-eyed at the news.

“If it was, it would’ve been more appropriate to crush them before they could do anything. Having to act on the back foot means it’s already beyond my expectations. Well, I still figured it would end up like this, so it’s no big deal.”

Even if Shere Khan didn’t possess the strength he once had, he was still an Archdemon, so Zagan hadn’t been the least bit careless. What was possible for an Archdemon? How far would one go? Over the past three months, Zagan had spent every waking hour considering such things.

It’s one of the most terrible situations among what I anticipated, but not the worst.

The worst would have been losing Nephy or Foll. He’d lost Gremory and Kimaris, but it was still possible to reclaim them. Gremory was alive, so the prospect of getting Kimaris back remained. Richard still lived too, and Zagan would prove that he could save Nephteros. Nothing that had happened couldn’t be undone.

Going back to the start of this conversation, when it came to battle, the amount of preparation decided the victor. Zagan himself was tremendously powerful, but there was little that he could do when faced with an entire army. That was why he needed to prepare better.

“If a battle’s preparation were measured by the sheer number of soldiers, then I’d have no shot at winning. I can only ready a measly forty sorcerers to face off against ten thousand heroes, after all.”

“Hmm, then have your preparations gone beyond that?”

Instead of answering right away, Zagan crossed his legs the other way. His face had already regained its vitality, and his silver eyes focused on the state of the war. Zagan hadn’t been sitting on his throne to whinge over his current situation. This throne was the nucleus of the castle. And as its lord, Zagan could recover from most wounds in no time at all just by sitting on it.

“There’s apparently a game called chess,” Zagan stated out of the blue. “In it, you advance pieces with predetermined roles on a board in order to take your opponent’s king.”

Raphael’s brow pricked up as if he found this unexpected before he gave Zagan a wry smile.

“So you have no experience with chess, my liege?”

“Unfortunately not. I’m not skilled enough to amuse myself with such things on my own, you see.”

The game required an opponent. And for many years, the only person Zagan even had to talk to was Barbatos, and that undesirable friend of his wasn’t the type to take interest in any games. Zagan understood the rules from reading about it, but he’d never actually played. He was no longer alone after meeting Nephy, of course, but he couldn’t bring himself to have that lovely girl participate in a game of conflict.

Raphael smiled in amusement. If someone who didn’t know him were to witness this, they’d see this as a bloody smile right before he was about to decapitate someone.

“Then one day, I’ll serve as your opponent,” he said.

“Hmm. I look forward to it.”

“It’s only a hobby to me. It’s a little troubling if you expect too much of me.”

Zagan had qualms about using a game he’d never played to move the conversation forward, but kept going anyway.

“Let’s get back on track. A battle is much like chess. Even if the board is covered in pieces, you can only move one at a time. You still lose if your king gets taken. As such, the preparation for battle is not simply about gathering more soldiers, but also reading the board state best.”

On Alshiere Imera, when Shere Khan unleashed a massive number of poorly made undead, Zagan had predicted the scale of battle that would come one day. That was why he’d started collecting books related to military strategy.

According to the legends, there were tales of a single hero or strategist reversing the entire tide of war. However, this was not done through the miracles or powers of individuals. They’d read the entire board with a calm and merciless mind. If one could calculate how all the chips would fall, no matter how many there were, any game could be won. Victory in battle was grasped by arranging such matters and hastening them to fruition.

I have a piece strong enough to take the king. The main problem is getting it over there, but that’s already been resolved.

However, unlike chess, Zagan couldn’t treat his pieces—his subordinates—as disposable. And what’s more, Zagan’s opponent was the oldest living Archdemon. Shere Khan had overlooked Bifrons’s estrangement and rampage, knowing it would happen, and made use of it. That was what had created this situation with “Nephteros” that weighed heavily on Zagan’s mind. And by doing so, he’d also restricted Alshiera’s movements.

Considering how Shere Khan had premeditated all of this, the Tiger King, who was said to surpass Andrealphus in his prime, was still in good shape. At this stage, he was definitely the one manipulating the entire situation to the greatest effect.

In this field, I can’t possibly surpass Shere Khan’s experience.

Zagan couldn’t match him in terms of military strength or strategy. All he could do to turn the tide was pray for a miracle of some kind.

I only have one hand to play to overturn this situation.

Yes. He would overturn it. He’d prepared enough to do so.

“Now then, Raphael. What do you think I should do in this hopeless situation?”

This man who’d just challenged his lord to a game faced Zagan’s test with a ferocious smile.

“Let’s see... Calmness within a house of great sympathy and passion is your virtue, my liege. As such, even before an army of ten thousand, you wouldn’t treat your subordinates as disposable.”

Zagan nodded as Raphael pointed to a map and continued.

“You would focus your defenses around Kianoides to lure in the army, and as our strongest fighter, you’d go and take Shere Khan’s head. His location is known to us, after all.”

It was a painfully correct answer. So long as they took Shere Khan’s head, the battle would end. There was no need to defeat the army. If Zagan’s subordinates simply waited out the siege in Kianoides, they could survive several days. And those few days would be the last chance Zagan had.

“That about sums it up. There’s nothing else I can do.”

If Zagan could bring Shere Khan into a direct confrontation, he could take the Tiger King’s head. Thus, Shere Khan would’ve predicted this. How many obstacles had he prepared to obstruct Zagan’s path? Or perhaps it was better to assume that it would be impossible to reach him at all. Nevertheless, Zagan had to give it a go.

“The practical issue is that we have no other choice. The bigger problem is that Azazel, Bifrons, and even Alshiera will stand in our way. We have to fight all of them before reaching Shere Khan.”

It was pretty much guaranteed.

Not that I really care, but I have to put on somewhat of a show that I’m struggling.

He had to put on a visible display that he was interested in the contest prepared for him.

“Okay... Call Nephy, Orias, Shax, and Dexia here.”

“As you wish.”

Zagan’s faithful butler was just about to leave the throne room when Zagan called him to a stop.

“Oh, Foll too.”

“Are you sure?”

Calling her here would mean sending his beloved daughter into battle. Zagan let out a grievous sigh, clearly unhappy about the decision, but after a short pause, he returned a resolute nod.

“Yeah. She’s needed.”

Several minutes later, everyone gathered in the throne room.

◇

“That’s the gist of it. Nephteros had her body stolen and Shere Khan’s army is closing in on us.”

Upon gathering everyone in the throne room, Zagan gave them a brief explanation of the current situation. They were all left speechless for a moment, faced with this hopeless crisis.

“No way... Nephteros...” Nephy muttered in a trembling voice. “I haven’t even invited her to go shopping for presents yet...”

“Nephy.”

The one who called out her name in an unexpectedly strong tone with a grip on her cuff was her beloved daughter.

“Thank you, Foll.”

Brought back to her senses, Nephy wiped her tears and raised her head.

I want to run over and embrace her...

What kind of man was he to not comfort his beloved bride? Zagan endured such urges and depressing thoughts as he moved things along.

“Calm down, Nephy. Nephteros can still be saved. It isn’t too late.”

Perhaps feeling no persuasiveness behind his words, Orias, who’d had her arms wrapped around Nephy’s shoulders, stepped forth.

“Then may I assume you have some way of saving her?” she asked.

“I do. But before that...” Zagan replied, shifting his focus over. “Shax. How are the wounded?”

“R-Right... I’m done treating Stella and Ginias, although they were wounded pretty badly. I don’t know when they’ll wake up... As for Richard, his treatment finished before we came back.”

During the battle with “Nephteros,” Zagan had turned his back to the enemy and focused on Richard’s treatment. Zagan had recreated a heart from scratch. This was an unprecedented method, so even though Shax had helped, they were all in the dark as to what side effects it could have.

“I don’t care so long as they can be moved,” Zagan said.

“Moved...? You wanna carry them somewhere?”

Zagan nodded gravely.

“We’re abandoning the castle.”

They were to evacuate the castle full of memories of Nephy and Foll, all while in the midst of battle. Raphael and Shax were probably the only ones who understood the true weight of his decision. The two of them looked shocked. Orias likely understood, but her focus was elsewhere entirely, so she didn’t show much emotion.

“Raphael. Is abandoning this place that much of a problem?” Foll asked curiously.

“It is. If we vacate the castle, given the current situation, we won’t be able to prevent Shere Khan’s soldiers from trespassing. In other words, an Archdemon’s archives will be laid bare.”

With that, Foll finally understood.

“Zagan. Are you...destroying the castle?” she asked with a gulp.

Nephy’s eyes widened at Foll’s interpretation. Zagan believed that knowledge and techniques were meant to be stolen, but it was a different matter if his enemies were trying to steal from him. To protect his knowledge, his only choice would be to destroy the entire castle.

“Don’t make that face,” he said to his sad daughter with a forced smile. “I don’t plan to blow up the castle or anything.”

“Really...?”

“We’ll hide the entire castle in subspace. Having said that, I’m not as skilled as Barbatos at this, so I’ll need everyone out of here. That’s all.”

This was sorcery Barbatos specialized in. Zagan had observed that man’s sorcery closer than any other could. He couldn’t wield it as freely, but he could at least make use of it, though it would take him everything he had just to transfer inanimate objects. And if some kind of accident caused the subspace coordinates to slip, he wouldn’t be able to bring everything back. As such, in the worst case, if anybody got sent with the castle, there was no guarantee they’d be able to return alive. There was a slight possibility he could lose everything, so he didn’t really want to risk it, but he realized it was still far better than letting Shere Khan’s soldiers run amok.

“Meaning you’re gonna set up your stronghold at Archdemon Palace?” Shax asked with a nod of understanding.

“Yeah. Get it ready quickly.”

“You don’t mean that, do you?” Shax asked with a grim expression. “I don’t doubt your power at this point or anything, but ordinary sorcerers like us aren’t anywhere near as skilled or strong as you.”

Zagan had predicted he would complain, so he answered as if it was no big deal.

“That’s right. It’ll be a burden for you lot, but that’s where you need to show your backbone as my subordinates.”

“No matter how much backbone we’ve got, there are things we can and can’t do, ya know? You really planning on using that?”

Normally, Shax would’ve done his job with a frown if Zagan ordered him to do something unpleasant, so this might’ve been the first time he’d displayed his disapproval so fervently. That was reasonable, however, since he had a grasp of the full picture. Faced with his flustered subordinate, Zagan leaned back into his throne with a sigh.

“I would much prefer to leave it unused, but it will probably have to come into play. I’ll buy you some time, so get it ready somehow or other.”

“Buy time? You’re gonna stall Shere Khan’s army?”

“Well, even if I’m not around, I’ll make sure they’re at least hindered.”

“Even if you’re not around... Don’t tell me... You’re not gonna head off on your own to take down Shere Khan, are you?”

This man truly was talented when it came to anything other than Kuroka. It made things easier for Zagan that he’d managed to reach that conclusion without the need for explanation.

“I know his location. Do you truly think I’d let this opportunity slip?” Zagan asked.

If he took the time to face an army of ten thousand, Shere Khan could run away again and Zagan would be stuck chasing him for another few months. This crisis could be viewed as the best chance to take Shere Khan’s head.

“That’s how it’ll go,” Zagan said, shifting his focus again. “Dexia, your role is to guide me to Shere Khan. I assume that won’t be a problem?”

In a sense, this was the fulcrum of the entire battle. Burdened with that unexpectedly heavy duty, Dexia gulped, but still returned a resolute nod.

“If that’s what it’ll take to get you to save Aristella, then I’ll do it.”

“If she’s alive, I will do everything in my power to rescue her.”

In all actuality, it was extremely unlikely that Aristella was alive. Even Alshiera had said it was too late and tried to finish her off. Her decision meant that Aristella was beyond saving. Nevertheless, Dexia’s only option now was to cling to Zagan.

Seeing her driven into such a corner, Raphael plopped his hand onto her head and said, “My liege has stated that he will save her, so there is no need for concern.”

“Huh? Th-Thank you...”

Dexia was bewildered by the kindness behind this man’s frightening face.

Oh yeah, these two have met before.

Dexia had yet to realize it, but when Raphael had snuck into Raziel’s treasury, he’d disguised himself as Valefor and went in with Dexia. Contrary to his gruff looks, Raphael was indulgent of children. Zagan forced a strained smile onto his face upon remembering that.

Alshiera had judged that Aristella couldn’t be saved, but that was just her opinion. No matter what state she was in, so long as she was still alive, there were ways of working things out. Zagan desperately sought power for the sake of survival...and his acquired skills could obviously be applied to others. However, that also meant that he had to ignore an army of ten thousand and distance himself from Kianoides, which was exactly why he needed someone to protect his subordinates.

“Raphael. I’m entrusting command of Kianoides to you. The Angelic Knights will probably be the ones to take the front. You’re the only one who can get that lot to work with our sorcerers. Show me the reputation of this Unification Faction of yours..”

“All is as you will, my liege,” Raphael answered with a reverent bow.

“Shax. You are to work under Raphael’s command and treat the wounded. I’m sure there will be mountains of casualties to handle. Feel free to order around whatever personnel you need at your own discretion. Keep as many people from dying as you can.”

“Roger that, Boss.”

Shax was a man too. He knew it would be unsightly of him to continue grumbling, so he gave in.

“And one more thing—”

Zagan’s next words made Shax’s face contort. This wasn’t limited to him either. Both Raphael and Orias clearly reacted. It was the most troublesome problem at hand, after all.

If Zagan were Shere Khan, he’d send that “piece” to Kianoides in Zagan’s absence. If used in tandem with the army, he could trample the town to his heart’s content. The only ones who could deal with it were Shax and Kuroka. Those two were prized pieces on Zagan’s board, much like the aces Shere Khan had prepared for the battle to come.

“Boss...” Shax said with a shake of the head. “You know I can’t possibly allow that.”

“Regardless of what you want, it’ll appear before you. And you don’t need me to tell you what Kuroka will do when it does, right?”

“B-But...you’ve gotta have other ways of dealing with it.”

Shax begged for mercy, but Zagan thrust his decision before him.

“I’ve granted you power...and now I’m telling you to do this because I believe you can handle it.”

If not, he would order Shax to shut himself in Archdemon Palace and not take a single step out.

I don’t know how Shere Khan values his disciple, but Shax has built enough strength to rival an Archdemon.

That was Zagan’s belief, and Naberius had acknowledged it as well. Thus, he needed Shax to do work proportionate to that assessment. Raphael had quite the severe look on his face at the mention of Kuroka, but he still kept his emotions under check before joining in.

“My liege has acknowledged you. Prove to me that he isn’t making too much of you.”

Just what kind of emotions were behind his words? Over the last few months, Raphael had tried to kill this shameless man on innumerable occasions for walking around with his daughter’s underwear.

After a little while, Shax nodded and said, “Got it, Boss.”

He was making the face of a man who’d gathered his resolve.

“Then go. And make haste with the withdrawal. Leave everything you don’t need behind.”

“As you will.”

“Roger that.”

The two of them nodded and started to leave, but Shax suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“Boss. I get our roles in this, but what do you plan to do about Kimaris?”

That was an obvious question. Zagan hadn’t informed him of anything beyond the fact that Kimaris had likely been lured out by Shere Khan. Still, he shook his head like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Don’t worry about him. I can picture the script Shere Khan has written already.”

Shere Khan’s threats to Kimaris and how he would act in response were well within Zagan’s expectation.

“But...” Shax muttered, still looking somewhat depressed at the thought.

“I’m telling you not to worry. I even give villains I don’t know a second chance, so do you truly believe I won’t show my subordinates the same courtesy?”

With that, Shax finally looked relieved.

“I’m really glad you’re my boss.”

And so, Shax and Raphael left the throne room to get the evacuation of the castle underway.

◇

With Shax and Raphael gone, Zagan finally turned to face Orias.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Orias.”

“Mmm... Let’s hear it.”

Zagan took in a deep breath, then said, “Allow me to start from my conclusion. I have no way to save Nephteros.”

A crack rang through the air. Once she’d claimed so, Nephteros was without a doubt Orias’s daughter. And, obviously, there were no parents out there who could remain calm after being told their daughter’s life couldn’t be saved. Zagan accepted her wrath as he continued.

“I have no means of saving her myself, but I have an idea how it can be done.”

“That is to say...?”

Orias at least showed the patience to hear him out.

“Well, I never expected things to go this far, but I knew about the imminent danger to her body already. We’ve been acting to save her ever since.”

“We...? Meaning there are others, then?”

“Yes. One of them can’t really be counted on, but I believe the other is trustworthy enough.”

Honestly, it was hard for Zagan to accept, but he had no choice but to admit it. He couldn’t hold back a sigh as he brought up her name.

“Alshiera... She can save Nephteros.”

“Did she not leave after declaring she would kill Nephteros?” Orias stated, pointing out the obvious.

Zagan nodded, then replied, “She has already fought with the Azazel-possessed ‘Nephteros.’ The monster wields terrifying power, but Alshiera overwhelmed it with even greater force. If Alshiera hadn’t had her old wound exposed, she would’ve killed Nephteros on the spot.”

“Then...”

“So it appeared, but it seems she lacks the talent for acting.”

“Hm...?”

Alshiera was a true master of battle. She’d rendered her opponent helpless in an instant as if teaching Zagan how to fight, then shamelessly put on a show of hurrying to bring things to a conclusion before letting her opponent slip away. Even an idiot could tell what really happened there.

Back during the incident with Aristella, Alshiera had shown no opening whatsoever when bringing things to an end. Having said that, her acting had Zagan’s blood running cold during the incident with Nephteros, almost tricking him in the moment. Rather than mock her talent, it would’ve been more appropriate to say that her script had simply been bad.

“She still hasn’t given up on saving Nephteros,” Zagan declared confidently.