Free Web NovelVieya gripped Flaviel’s wrist tightly—so tightly that the Demon King glanced sideways, as if worried that if she didn’t hold on, the woman might silently vanish again.
“It’s fine now.”
Flaviel smiled reassuringly. She didn’t pull her hand away from the slime girl’s grasp, yet she didn’t give up on her earlier question either.
Her tone softened, unusually gentle as she looked around at everyone.
“Perhaps you won’t believe this, but there was once a time I wanted demons and humans to live in harmony. I wanted to change the structure of the entire world—end the trade of slaves between races, make hunger disappear among both humans and demons alike... hmm?”
She paused, glancing at them all, then smiled faintly. “You’re all thinking that’s naïve, aren’t you?”
Menesis and the others exchanged uncertain expressions—they clearly hadn’t expected a Demon King to say such things.
Talks of ideals and dreams were the kind of thing strangers might discuss over a drink, not mortal enemies around the same table.
“Your Excellency, to be honest, I’m inclined to believe you,” Luna said after a moment. “At least, back when you still ruled, monsters were far less chaotic... the death rate among adventurers was much lower than it is now.”
She sighed. “Though that’s also tied to us losing our Chief Hero. Still, that strange, ambiguous peace between humans and demons three years ago... compared to the madness now—it’s something those of us who deal with monsters daily can feel in our bones.”
The most direct proof was in the rising number of deaths among adventurers and Demon-Hunting Order knights.
“That couldn’t be helped...”
Vieya lay her head on her arms atop the table and murmured, “At least... I’m not happy seeing things come to this.”
Sigh... I’m supposed to be an experienced one by now.
But who could’ve guessed that the Demon King I’d been hunting all along was right beside me?
A hollow laugh escaped her thoughts.
She’d come this far, yet every time she looked back, she still saw a trail of regrets and missed chances behind her.
Luna hesitated, then looked at the ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ Demon King. “But with your power, avoiding a direct confrontation with the Chief Hero shouldn’t have been difficult back then, right?”
“Difficult? Oh, it was very difficult.”
Flaviel’s gaze drifted to Vieya’s face—half dazed, half lost in memory. “After all, behind me was the Demon King’s Castle...”
And—
That was the first time they had ever argued so fiercely. But it was inevitable.
When someone has been pushed up to such a high place, carrying the hopes and prayers of nearly all humankind upon their back, how could they suddenly turn and retreat from the front lines?
The only way to end a battle like that was through the battle itself—until one side truly won, and the other truly lost.
When it was all over, the victor could force the defeated to sign an unequal pact.
Flaviel’s eyes grew distant and deep. In truth, back then, whether she won or the Hero won, as long as one of them could have completely subdued the other, the ending would have been far better than now.
But fate—or someone—hadn’t wanted either side to win.
“......”
Luna fell silent. Only now, speaking with the Demon King, did she realize how deep her own prejudice had been—against demons, against the Demon Kings themselves.
She’d always assumed all demons were the same: cruel, anti-human monsters.
But after hearing Flaviel speak, she began to think that maybe demons were like humans—some good, some evil.
Flaviel seemed to sense her thoughts and chuckled softly. “I’m not telling you this to make you think demons and humans are the same.”
At that, Luna and the others blinked, confused, raising their heads to look at her.
“To most demons, I’m a strange aberration.”
Her tone was calm, neither sad nor proud. “Among demons, power is everything. It runs through all bonds—alliances, friendships, even blood ties. All of it—fragile as paper when faced with the temptation of strength.”
“So then, everyone—do you have any more questions?” Flaviel’s voice lowered, gentle but final. “If not, may I borrow your Miss Cleric for a little while?”
Vieya: “?”
“The main questions have been answered. The rest, we can discover on our own. We thank you again, Your Excellency...” Luna hesitated. “But may I ask—where exactly do you intend to take Miss Vieya?”
“Just to talk privately,” Flaviel said softly. “I won’t harm her, you can rest assured. I don’t have the spare power to punish a wielder of the Holy Sword anyway.”
Luna glanced at the clock and asked politely, “Then could Your Excellency return her before sunrise? We’ll need to leave together.”
Flaviel nodded, reaching out to pull up the dozing slime girl from the table.
“Ugh... can’t it wait until later?” Vieya asked helplessly.
Flaviel shook her head, saying nothing.
Vieya blinked, then sighed. “I see...” After staring into the golden-haired girl’s eyes for a long moment, she turned to Luna and the others, raising a hand awkwardly.
“Then I’ll step out for a bit. Don’t worry—I’ll be back soon.”
“Sister Vieya...” Liufir bit her lip anxiously before blurting out, “If you’re in danger, please remember to call for us...” fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
“To call you over and feed the monsters?”
“Ugh...” Liufir fell silent.
That hurt—but she couldn’t deny the truth.
Vieya chuckled softly and turned away with Flaviel. As they left, she waved back.
“Get some rest, everyone.”
Outside, the campfire still burned quietly.
A few fox girls sat around the flames, grooming each other’s tails. Some huddled together for warmth; others, still full of energy, gathered sticks to keep the fire fed.
When they saw Vieya emerge, they all stood, tails wagging.
“Shh.”
Vieya motioned for silence so as not to wake the sleeping ones. “I’ll be out for a while. Remember to leave with them in the morning,” she said, nodding toward the lit cabin. Then she added gently,
“As for Xiao Qi—you should talk with her beforehand. Leaving a cult isn’t easy... but you could also go to the human city with those adventurers. There are many of you, so ask them for advice—they’ve got more experience in that than I do.”
The foxes blinked in surprise, then bowed deeply. “Thank you, Benefactor, for guiding us!”
“Shh!”
They quickly clapped their hands over their mouths, wagged their tails, and sat back down by the fire, watching Vieya and Flaviel disappear into the night.
The road through Mount Aisa was as silent as ever.
Vieya thought back to when they had first arrived—she’d believed the commission would be done in two or three days, and she’d be home with her daughter again.
“Tomorrow makes a full week... I wonder how she’s doing. Well, with that dumb cat around, it shouldn’t be too bad.”
The black cat was indeed stupid—but if it had managed to escort Jasmine safely from Demon King Castle all the way near her home, then it wasn’t completely useless.
“Oh, right. That black cat—do you know her? She’s really fat...” Vieya gestured a big circle with both hands.
“Helcat?”
“Yeah, that’s the one.”
“She used to serve under me as a maid for a time—but she was always sneaking off to nap, so I dismissed her. After I left the Demon King’s Hall and went undercover near you, I hadn’t seen her again.”
Flaviel smiled faintly at the memory. “Not until three years ago, when I returned to the Monster Forest. But don’t be fooled—lazy and gluttonous as she is, she takes any order you give her seriously.”
“Really?” Vieya sounded skeptical.
“Yes.” Flaviel nodded. “If you’re short on capable helpers now, you might consider using her again.”
The night deepened.
Vieya suddenly remembered and asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to talk to me privately? About what?”
“I did.”
Flaviel said, “I was planning to tell you after our walk, but since you’re asking, I’ll say it now.”
Her steps were slow, her eyes lifting to the round moon above as she spoke softly. “Xiao Ye, tomorrow I’ll be leaving.”
“...” Vieya rubbed her fingers nervously. “Already? Then when will we meet again? And what about this place—should I leave the Holy Sword here to stabilize the barrier?” Her words tumbled out all at once, full of worry.
Flaviel shook her head gently. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
“Take care of our daughter. Don’t let her eat too much junk food... And if possible, I’d like you to learn how to cook.”
“I—I’ll try.” Vieya nodded rapidly.
“And about this commission...” Flaviel continued, “Once you’re back, you’d better have those adventurers sign a contract—swearing not to reveal that you’ve obtained the Holy Sword.”
“Got it,” Vieya agreed without hesitation.
“Hmm... let me think if there’s anything else...” Flaviel paused in thought, then added, “And about your teacher—I hope you don’t go looking for her. At least not until our daughter grows up safely.”
“Alright, I won’t go to the Royal Capital.” Vieya promised.
Flaviel frowned. “Don’t just say it. Remember it.”
“I said I will...” Vieya answered carefully.
“......”
Flaviel faltered, exhaling sharply, clearly wanting to scold her but unwilling to waste their limited time on irritation.
After a long silence, she sighed. “The next time we meet may be far, far in the future... so...”
She looked up at the stars glittering across the night sky, her voice trembling between a wish and a prayer.
“...You must always remember me.”
