Chapter 47

"By reading the history of the demon race, you should understand how important the holy sword is to the demons!"

"Y-Yes...!"

"If the evil holy sword Dreichschwarz falls into Astares' hands, her lineage will rise to a position where they can once again aim for the throne of the Demon King! The Senate will have no choice but to make the decision to recall her, unable to ignore her!"

Ah.

So the Demon King's ultimate goal is...!

"There is no other way to save Astares. All other political means have been preemptively sealed off! ...Please!"

The Demon King bowed so deeply that I could see the back of his head.

The Demon King, who stands at the pinnacle of the demon race.

"Lord Zedan...! To go this far for me...!"

Astares was sobbing with tears of emotion at the sight.

...

These two are definitely...!

As I was figuring things out, I was tugged on the hem of my clothes, so I turned to see what was happening. It was Bati and Berena.

Oh, what is it? Advice?

I have no idea what to do, so give me all the advice you can.

"Lord Demon King and Lady Astares are deeply in love with each other."

It's obvious just by looking.

"Moreover, they are childhood friends."

So cliché.

Are you aiming for a full house?

"Both were born into prestigious families, so they had interactions from a young age. They fell in love with each other immediately and made a promise for the future."

I want to explode.

"But Lord Zedan is of the Demon King's lineage. Moreover, he was known to be a prodigy from a young age, and it was certain that he would succeed as the Demon King, surpassing his siblings."

"Because of this, the other Four Heavenly Kings tried to form alliances with Lord Zedan by sending eligible young women. However, Lord Zedan's heart could not be swayed by anyone other than Lady Astares..."

"Furthermore, Lady Astares, in order to become a suitable wife for the Demon King, went to the battlefield and accumulated achievements, and before she knew it, she was officially adopted as one of the Four Heavenly Kings..."

"If she were to be married to the Demon King, Lady Astares' power and influence would reach unprecedented levels. The other Four Heavenly Kings, fearing this..."

Would try to eliminate her before that happened...

Astares was given a mission that would cause problems whether she succeeded or failed, and she was made to take the blame and fall from power.

That was the incident from before.

"Do you mean we were used as pawns in the demon race's political struggles?"

"Should we destroy the demon race?"

Plati and Veil were angry, but I need to keep them in check here.

"I should have realized this sooner. However, recently the human army's offensive has been intense...! A powerful hero has appeared, and I was pinned down on the front lines dealing with it... No, that's just an excuse."

The Demon King self-deprecates.

"The purpose of challenging the Holy One earlier was not the Holy One himself, but the holy sword. I intended to win the battle and seize the evil holy sword..."

"Lord Zedan, that's reckless!!"

Astares shouted at him, as if scolding him.

"How could someone of your stature not gauge the Holy One's strength? Even you, the strongest of the demons, would be killed instantly if the Holy One were to get serious!"

Eh? No, that's not true.

I'm just a regular person who can become an instant expert thanks to the 'Bearer of the Supreme' effect.

I don't think I'm at a level where I can match the Demon King, right? I don't think so?

"You must not risk your life. The demon race exists because of Lord Zedan!"

"But Astares, if I were to lose you, there would be no point in living. If I cannot obtain the evil holy sword, I would rather die at the hands of the strongest..."

It's good that they are getting along, but I won't kill anyone.

I don't want to get involved in something that could leave a lingering problem.

"If there are such circumstances, I could give you the holy sword...!"

"Really!?"

I didn't get it because I wanted it.

But it's probably impossible.

When I tried to hand it over to the Demon King, the evil holy sword stuck to my hand, and I made a sound like "ngggggg...!"

"What is this!? It won't let go!?"

"It's impossible to let go, even if you try."

What should I do?

Now that I understand the true intentions of this intruding couple, I have mixed feelings. Half of me wants to make them explode, and the other half wants to help their love bloom.

In my field of vision, the broken holy sword appeared.

The one Astares was holding.

It was broken by the Demon King of that era several hundred years ago. Since then, Astares' lineage has accepted a lower position as a close aide to the Demon King, using the broken sword as a symbol of their defeat.

In the Demon King's plan, if a proper holy sword, not the broken one, were to be placed in Astares' hands, her status would rise, and she would become indispensable to the demon race.

This would be the reason to restore Astares' fallen position.

It seems like a rather rough plan, but it can only be executed because he has absolute confidence that Astares will never betray him.

I picked up the broken holy sword.

...What was the inscription again?

The Insane Holy Sword Zexvaiz.

"Sir? What are you doing?"

Ignoring Plati for now, I focused my mind on the hand holding the hilt of the Insane Holy Sword.

I felt nothing.

It was a completely different sensation from when I held the evil holy sword. This sword must have died when it was broken.

"...Orcbo"

I ordered one of the nearby orcs.

"Bring as much mana metal as you can carry from the storage to the forge. And light the furnace."

"Master? What do you intend to do?"

In short, as long as a holy sword is placed in Astares' hands, it doesn't matter what kind of holy sword it is.

"I will revive this Insane Holy Sword. With my own hands."