Chapter 46 – Iris Arcadia (1)
Aaaaah——.
At the spot where Boial had disappeared, it seemed that his dying words were resounding.
“It is over.”
It was when I spoke to Iris in relief.
“Bloke.”
“… Ugh.”
“Chepesgong!”
Thud.
As if she had been beaten hard on the head, Iris was embarrassed and supported me as I sat down with my legs weak from the severe headache and dizziness.
I wanted to return her answer to Iris, who was looking at me with worried eyes.
「In my heart, I really want to punish you this time, but it’s not a proper advent, and I don’t have much time. It is deplorable.”
“Aww…”
Ugh.
I was able to infer the identity of the voice even as I swallowed saliva at the sound of my head breaking.
“… Devil.”
“It seems that the curse of the burden rooted in the body has been lifted. I don’t know what kind of strategy he used, but it can be said that he was a nemesis who inflicted a fatal wound on my jade body.”
72 Rank 1 in the Demon Order.
Of the four corps commanders, the 1st corps commander.
And the lord of all evil.
Devil.
──Baal.
When Baal’s voice resonated in my head, I made things like [Unmoving mind], [Self-defense], And [Protection] Dwell in my body with [Endow].
The pain didn’t go away, but when it got better, I caught my breath.
“Don’t bother and get out.”
“However, the lost memories could not be recovered.”
There was a smile in Baal’s voice.
“It’s unfortunate and sad. As the lord of the Pandemonium, I should be glad that a formidable foe like you has lost his memory and has become weak, but as the commander of the Pandemonium’s 1st Corps and the number one demon in the hierarchy, you, my true nemesis, cannot compete with me once again. It’s really sad that it happened.”
Even after saying that, there was no sign of regret. Fuck. Who are you kidding?
“Who gets weak, you bastard.”
Iris, who was supporting me at the blatant insults, trembled.
Iris didn’t seem to hear the demon king’s voice. Maybe when she saw it, I would suddenly sit down and spit out abusive words.
However, there was no time for me to care until there.
“Hmm. Apparently, his potential as a blood demon has steadily blossomed.”
However.
Having said that, the Demon King paused for a moment. It seemed like he was thinking about something.
“To Jim, you from half a year ago were much more fearful.”
I closed my mouth.
Because it was a memory I do not have.
“My hometown. As it is, I expect you to grow up smoothly and come to kill me once again, as a demon and a warrior, but…」
It was a pleasant voice.
“Before that, as a demon lord, I can’t wait to see you grow stronger.”
Fuck.
At the same time as I had a chilling feeling, I protected myself by using all the means I could use right away, including [Self-defense] And [Protection], As well as [Immunity] And [Reflex].
But.
“This is probably the last time I can interfere with you like this. … I will be waiting for you to overcome everything and come to slit my throat once again.”
That was it.
But with that welcome, as if his finger was pointing at me, that was the end.
I am.
Conscious.
It seemed to be far away——.
*
When I came to my senses, two days had passed.
Iris’s face, looking at me with concern, is still vivid.
My sister and Daisy had swollen eyes. According to Iris, she cried for a long time.
When I closed my eyes and opened them, two days had passed, so I felt sorry for not being able to see the two crying.
I didn’t say it out of my mouth without noticing.
“It’s okay, right?”
“Even if it’s okay.”
Sister and Daisy, who could not hide their worries, were sent back to their original nature.
Just because I fell down didn’t mean there was nothing left to do.
“Gong Chepesch.”
“Ah. Majesty.”
While preparing to take care of the forest cleanup work with Iris, a disturbed Iris came to visit.
“Are you really okay? Resting here…”
He collapsed right in front of his eyes, so is it worth worrying about?
I smiled as if I was fine.
“How can I send Her Highness alone?”
“However…”
Hesitantly.
I, the person in charge, insisted that it was okay, so Iris only pursed her lips, but did not force me to rest more.
“… Let’s finish it quickly.”
In the end, Iris gave up knowing that she couldn’t stop me. Rather than resignation, she seemed to have decided that it was better to end it quickly than to quarrel with her like this.
That’s how we explored all over the Great Forest.
There was nothing dangerous. The queen not only served as a guide but also provided ample escort troops.
The two of us explored the Great Forest following the path guided by our guide, escorted by them, and when we found an area contaminated by Magi, all we had to do was purify it.
But.
“Please rest.”
“The one I help…”
“Rest.”
“… Yes.”
Iris didn’t give me a chance to step out.
Of course, even though her divine power is the natural enemy of demons, it was much easier and faster to “Separate” The demons and the forest with my power in order to burn the demons that had already polluted the forest.
You wouldn’t know that it was Iris.
That’s how I stayed in my seat like a sack of barley that I had borrowed, and most of the time I just watched Iris go out alone.
“Majesty.”
“Tell me, Chepesch.”
The third day after starting the cleanup.
The cleanup of the forest was also nearing completion. Perhaps by tomorrow, it will all be over.
Iris and I returned to the palace and were recovering from fatigue.
It was the third day of the forced march. Even the hero, Iris, looked tired.
Me too…
What.
Than that
“Are you feeling guilty?”
“…”
Iris’s mouth fell shut.
Long silver hair, blue eyes. She contrasts with her older sister in many ways, and the sight of her, who has a beauty comparable to that of her older sister, tightly shuts her mouth and stares at me with pensive eyes.
She had no feelings for her.
It’s just that I, too, closed my mouth for a moment at that beauty.
Iris’s mouth opened.
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
“… The warrior is me. Wasn’t Chepeshu attacked by the Demon King because of me? Because I think so…”
After regaining my senses, I confided the truth to my sister, Daisy, and Iris in moderation.
I was attacked by the demon king.
Sister and Daisy, who had not yet heard from me in detail about the difference between demons and devils, and what a demon king was, stopped worrying about me by focusing on the fact that I was attacked by surprise…
Iris seemed to feel guilty about the fact that I, who was helping her, was attacked by her demon lord, not her heroine herself.
She hasn’t told her yet that I lost her memory while fighting the Demon King the other day.
Perhaps, it would be right to tell her.
“Majesty.”
“… Yes.”
“It’s not because of Your Highness.”
“… Why is that? I am the hero who drew the holy sword. The opponent the demon king should aim for should be me, not Chepeshu…”
I reached out. I placed my palm on the back of Iris’ hand, which was trembling with anger.
Startle. Her body trembled She lifted her bowed head and stared blankly at me.
“I have no memory.”
“… !”
“I think it’s been about three months. I, who lost my memory, woke up in the mansion.”
“That…”
“I don’t know what I was doing before I lost my memory. I’m sorry to Your Highness, but I feel very unfamiliar with the me that Your Highness remembers.”
Iris’ hand trembled. Her face was pale.
Ugh. The goddess pattern engraved on her wrist shone. What are you talking about?
I continued talking ignoring it.
“The demon king said. That she inflicted fatal wounds on her own body.”
“No way… !”
“Yes. Perhaps the reason I lost my memory was because of that.”
I know the outline of It was a situation where I learned most of the information to grasp the situation through the status window.
But I couldn’t tell you all of them here.
In Iris’s eyes, worries about me, guilt, and such emotions were mottled.
However.
“Such, such…”
I could also see
A weak inferiority complex nestled in her eyes.
She was a girl who was excited about her responsibility as a hero. That’s why he admired me.
Even before she was a warrior who received her holy sword from the goddess, she seemed to regard her as a senior who sacrificed herself for the continent like a hero.
However, even though she became her hero, the Demon King, who should have been her hero’s nemesis, pointed at me, not her.
She seemed to think that it was her own fault for not being able to protect her comrades as a hero, and that it was the wiles of the despicable demon king attacking her comrades first.
In reality, she said with my mouth that it was because the demon king put me in more danger than her.
The hero is the devil’s nemesis.
Iris’s values were shaken.
Watching her shaking eyes, I muttered to myself at the status window.
+++++
“The Trial of Balance (SS)”
▶ Make a balance contract with each person standing on the opposite side of “Blood Scale”, “Soul Balance”, And “Fate Scale”.
▶ Remaining deadline: 90 days.
▶ Current level of achievement: 0
+++++
I smiled faintly as I saw the new curse that appeared next to 「Amnesia」 Floating in the status window, probably cast by the demon king.
The dog’s bizarre real.
With that in mind, I grabbed Iris’s hand tightly.
“Yes.”
“Majesty.”
“…”
Iris shut her mouth.
I lowered my upper body.
“… !”
The warrior’s lips smelled like apples.
