Chapter 77

Knock, knock, the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Gene, who was facing his desk, did not respond.

He had heard it, but research was more important to him.

Moreover, the explosions and screams he had been hearing from outside for the past few days were annoying, and he was irritated.

Even if the visitor wanted to talk to him, it would not be a proper conversation.

Knock, knock.

Whether the visitor knew or not, they continued to knock persistently.

Then, this time, they also called out.

"Gene, I know you're in there."

It was a woman's voice.

It seemed to be someone Gene could not ignore, as he clicked his tongue and stopped his work to stand up.

He then approached the entrance of the room with large strides and opened the door irritably.

"Anriette, I'm busy!"

Gene glared at her and spat out the words.

She had long green hair and narrow, red eyes.

Despite her feminine figure, her expression was full of confidence, even giving off a masculine vibe.

Anriette Bassenheim—wearing a shirt with an open neckline and dressed rather casually, she was the general who commanded the kingdom's army.

"You're as arrogant as ever, even though my position is higher than yours."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not bound by the military or the kingdom; that's the condition under which I'm here."

In response to Gene's arrogant attitude, Anriette did not lose her composure.

"It's fine that you're not bound, but aren't you curious about what's happening outside?"

"I know."

"Your comrades are working hard, don't you want to join them?"

"Hah, what good would that do?"

Anriette chuckled, "You're cold."

But Gene wasn't staying inside for that reason.

Of course, he didn't particularly feel a sense of camaraderie with those he had traveled with, so he didn't feel the need to go help them from the start—but that wasn't the reason.

He muttered, "You don't understand anything," turned his back to Anriette, and sat down in his chair again.

Then, he glared at the core given to him by Maria.

"It's all meaningless, everything."

"That's not like you."

"…Anriette, did you come here just to say that? I understand that you like to talk about 'comrades' and 'bonds'…"

"No, that's not it. I simply—"

Anriette was about to say her usual line, but Gene's voice interrupted her.

"—love humans, right?"

She nodded in satisfaction.

"Just get out quickly, you're hindering my research."

"I've heard that it's a failed core given to you by Maria Aphengens. What can you learn from something like that?"

"You can learn things you can't from a properly adopted core."

"Specifically?"

"That it's all a farce. Heroes, Satuki, Chimeras… even Origin does it well. But I hate those who act as if they've transcended others."

"Self-deprecating?"

"No, it's not. I, the only genius in this world, think I'm the one suited for that role."

After saying that, Gene fell silent.

No matter what Anriette asked, he wouldn't respond anymore.

She gave up and left the room, looking out the window in the hallway at the destroyed city outside.

"Taking back the era into human hands."

It was a scene where human lives were scattered.

Anriette placed her hand on the window and glared at it intently.

She could also see the heroes rescuing people.

"Even if I understand that it's necessary farce and sacrifice—this is unpleasant."

She said it emotionally and irritably.

Then, crack, a crack appeared in the window.

And in that crack, red blood flowed in instantly.

"…Damn."

She looked at her palm, which had a large, gaping wound, and her shoulders slumped.

"Otilie will be angry… sigh…"

She then trudged off to report to the vice-general that she had broken the window glass.

◇◇◇

Life is unpredictable.

The ten-year-old girl understood that much.

At the age of two, her hometown was destroyed, and she was taken in by a church. Then, at ten, she met Flamm and encountered Origin's monsters, and after a series of events, she was exiled from the capital and began to act with Negus.

With all this turmoil, she thought she wouldn't be surprised by anything anymore.

"Hey, you saved some, huh? Then I'll take it."

"Ah, big brother! I was planning to eat it later, that's why I saved it!"

"Just kidding, just kidding. Here, eat mine."

"It's a different shape and a bit smaller."

"Well, I don't like it anyway, so you can have it. I like it, though, so I'll eat it."

The girl, dressed in a pure white dress and with blue skin, took the meat and vegetables offered by the blue-skinned man with a raised collar on his jacket.

She stuffed a large piece of meat into her mouth and chewed, her cheeks puffing up.

Then, she seemed to notice the gaze directed at her and stopped chewing.

She smiled and tilted her head, looking at Sera.

Sera averted her gaze, feeling awkward.

Despite her cold reaction, Sietum didn't make a sour face but instead covered her mouth and chuckled, her shoulders shaking slightly.

"What's wrong, Sera? You stopped eating."

"Is the demon's cooking not to your liking?"

"N-no, not at all! It's really delicious!"

Sera hurriedly shoveled the buffalo stew into her mouth.

The taste was undoubtedly better than anything served in the capital's high-end restaurants.

Moreover, it seemed to be made from the meat of the Hellheim Buffalo, a rare and powerful monster that only lived in the cold regions of the northern continent.

Its strength was such that it was almost at the S-rank level.

After being cooked for a long time, the meat was so tender that it could be crushed between the tongue and the palate.

The fat that had seeped out had melted, adding even more depth and sweetness to the already rich sauce.

It was exquisite.

Undoubtedly, it was a top-notch dish, but—given the extreme situation, Sera couldn't focus on the taste.

She asked herself.

Why was she having dinner with the three Demon Generals and the Demon King?

Indeed, Negus had said he would take her to the demon territory.

So, she had expected to meet them, but… it was different from what she had imagined.

Sietum was more girlish than she had expected, Tsaiyon was a playful but kind older brother, and Diza was an ideal butler.

It was similar to how she felt when she first met Negus.

"Things are different from what I thought."

No, the original image was wrong.

The kingdom had been working to make the people have a bad impression of demons.

"…Still, it's too warm, isn't it?"

Sera muttered.

Indeed, it was too warm.

Despite being enemies, she was not only not treated coldly but was treated with considerable hospitality.

It was so polite that she suspected it might be a trap.

However, even if Sera were trapped, it wouldn't mean anything, and she trusted Negus enough to know that wouldn't happen.

That's why she felt even more uneasy.

"Hehe, I understand how you feel. Demons were believed to be savage creatures that would eat you if they saw you."

Negus said, reading Sera's thoughts.

"Humans tell quite tasteless lies, don't they?"

"But when it's a kingdom-wide effort, people tend to believe it, and it's cruel to blame humans."

"They're still a passionate bunch. You'd understand if you met them in person."

"But not many humans would listen to what demons have to say. They do engage in destructive activities, after all."

Tsaiyon was dissatisfied with Negus's point, "We do it reluctantly, you know."

"If there were more humans like Sera, who can calmly listen, it would be better."

"There are many such people besides me. But… for the important people, it's easier if demons are the enemy."

Even without the brainwashing by Origin, the existence of a common enemy unites people.

It's a fact that, whether true or false, preparing an evil to face makes it easier to control.

"They don't consider the inconvenience of the ones who are targeted with hostility."

If people didn't provoke, coexistence would be possible.

Because demons would never initiate conflict.

"Well, let's put the serious talk aside for now. Let's enjoy Diza's cooking. I've been looking forward to it for a long time."

Negus said, resetting the heavy atmosphere.

Humans and demons both want to enjoy their meals.

Sera stopped thinking and started eating.

◇◇◇

After dinner, Sera was led to a guest room by Negus.

She had imagined a typical evil organization's hideout, but in reality, it was even more lived-in than she had expected.

It was understandable that it was more lived-in, as Negus had not informed them in advance that he was bringing Sera back.

"I didn't want to see laundry hanging in the Demon King's castle."

"It's our home, so of course. We do laundry and cleaning just like humans. Well, Diza does most of it, but—"

Diza, the demon butler, seemed to be more than just a butler.

He could cook, clean, and do laundry.

Moreover, he was also responsible for the education of Sietum, Negus, and Tsaiyon.

"Actually, Diza seems more like the Demon King."

"Hehe, he does have a certain dignity. For us, Sietum is more like a younger sister."

"I see, that's why you treat her that way. You and Tsaiyon seem to get along really well."

"Yeah, as a big sister, it's a bit lonely… but I think you can see that they're obviously in love, right?"

"Absolutely."

"Exactly. I always think they should just confess already, but Tsaiyon is quite shy despite his cool demeanor."

"That's not passionate."

"Hehe… it's funny, but if you say that to him, he'll get really angry, so it's better not to."

While chatting, the two reached the room.

Negus opened the door with the key he was holding and said, "Please come in," letting Sera enter.

The room was spacious, about eight meters long and wide.

It was too big for one person to feel comfortable, but there was only one king-sized bed with a canopy.

Sera didn't want to share a bed with Negus, so she would be using it alone.

"I've never stayed in such a luxurious room."

There were paintings on the walls, a vase on a shelf, and a fluffy carpet.

Sera was reminded of the Reach's mansion.

"Actually, this is more luxurious than my room…"

"Why don't you use it normally?"

"It's a guest room. Diza does a thorough job of cleaning it, but I don't think anyone has stayed here for the past few decades."

"What a waste."

Saying this, Sera approached the bed and jumped onto it from a distance.

Naturally, she sank into it with a soft thud.

For some reason, Negus also approached the bed and jumped in similarly.

"…Why are you copying me?"

"Because it looked fun."

The two of them talking while buried in the bed was a rather strange sight.

"By the way, Negus, what are you going to do next? You didn't come back just to visit, right?"

"Regarding the discussion, we plan to proceed with the four of us later. You must be tired from the unfamiliar travel, so take your time and rest, Sera."

"Do I not have to participate?"

"It's a meeting to decide the policy as demons, so we can't involve you that much."

However, Sera had become too involved with the demons to be considered uninvolved.

Being treated as an outsider at a crucial moment after being dragged around this far was a bit hurtful.

Her displeasure was evident on her face, and Negus could only chuckle.

He placed his hand on her head and gently stroked her golden hair, trying to console her.

"Just this time, okay? It doesn't mean you'll always be left out."

"I know…"

Her dissatisfaction didn't go away.

But Sera was a well-behaved child.

She didn't throw a tantrum and instead got out of bed, seeing Negus off as he left the room to go to the discussion.

◇◇◇

When Negus returned to the dining room, the gazes of Sietum, Tsaiyon, and Diza focused on her.

"You're late."

"I was admiring Sera, so it took some time."

"Getting attached to humans is fine, but—"

"I understand, and that's not the case with her."

Tsaiyon was saying, "Don't get her close to Origin."

Indeed, Sera was a nun of the Origin Church, but the Origin she believed in and the real Origin were different.

"Diza, did you prepare the map?"

"I thought it might be necessary."

Negus leaned over the table and looked at the map that had been spread out.

"Negus, if you gathered us like this, does it mean you've found the source of the Origin power that humans handle?"

She hadn't yet told them why she had returned to the Demon King's castle.

Well, it was her home, so she didn't need a reason to return, but this time she had been away for a long time and had brought a human with her.

It wasn't just a casual visit, and the other two had also noticed.

"I haven't figured that out yet, but I found something incredible."

Saying this, Negus pointed to the border area between the kingdom's eastern region and the demon territory.

There, the name "Irieis" was marked.

"There used to be a town here, but it had been completely converted into a research facility by the church or the kingdom."

"Didn't we already know that humans had research facilities related to Origin?"

In response to Diza's point, Negus shook her head.

"The scale is different from the others. It's a facility for creating biological weapons using monsters they call 'Chimeras'—when I and Sera saw it, over a thousand Chimeras had already been manufactured."

"I still don't get it. How strong are these Chimeras?"

"There are three types of Chimeras. Small Chimeras under two meters, medium Chimeras around three meters, and large Chimeras over ten meters."

The size of the Chimeras varies depending on the combination of monsters.

In other words, the ones chasing the Children in the capital would be classified as "small Chimeras."

However, this categorization was done by Negus on her own.

After a moment, she said with a serious expression.

"Even the small ones have all stats over 6000. The large ones have all stats over 10000 except