Chapter 50

†† (Beio the Werewolf and Kushana the Manticore's Perspective) ††

After the rescue mission in Arsenam, Beio the werewolf remained silent on the way back.

It was unusual for the usually talkative Beio.

Kushana the manticore thought this but did not bring it up.

She thought his pride must have been shattered by Ike's brilliant tactics.

Comforting words would probably backfire here.

She remained silent, but surprisingly, Beio spoke his thoughts frankly.

"...Ike is amazing."

"Hmm..."

She couldn't help but say it.

This might be the first time she had seen Beio praise someone else.

He was that much of a sore loser.

"With just 500 soldiers, he pinned down the enemy and split their formation in two. I could never do something like that."

"Neither could I."

No, even Sefiro, the commander of the 7th Legion, might not have been able to do it.

That's why they entrusted the strategy to Ike.

Sefiro, who recognized Ike's potential and entrusted him with the strategy, was bold, but the young man, Ike, who fully met those expectations, was also remarkable.

No, such words wouldn't do justice.

It might be better to describe him as terrifying.

Kushana had never feared an enemy, but for the first time, she felt fear for someone else.

She was truly grateful that this young man was born among the demons.

"If Ike had been born on the human side, we would probably have been driven back to Dovolberg by now."

That was her honest opinion.

"......"

It seemed Beio shared the same sentiment.

He answered with silence.

Kushana chuckled and continued.

"However, fortunately, Ike was born among the demons and became the deputy commander of our 7th Legion. There's no need to worry."

"......Yeah. But, well, it's also because I'm helping him. He wouldn't have achieved this in any other legion."

"Finally, I hear a line that sounds like you."

Kushana chuckled but noticed something.

Beio's words, though unintentional, seemed to hit a truth.

If Ike had been assigned to another legion, their fates would have been vastly different.

They wouldn't have captured Arsenam or gone on a rescue mission.

The occupation of human cities wouldn't have gone as planned, and the Demon King's army might have retreated from the human lands long ago.

One reason for the 7th Legion's rapid advance is their leniency towards humans.

By treating humans as residents rather than slaves, they have minimized resistance.

This was not only the Demon King's order but also something Ike implemented first, showing its effectiveness to others.

If Ike had been assigned to another legion, the Demon King's army might still be using old-fashioned occupation policies.

Thinking about it, fate is indeed mysterious.

Raised as the grandson of the immortal king known as the Guardian of the Abyss, and assigned to Sefiro's legion, his friend, leading to their current rapid advance.

What kind of future will this grandson of Rambalck show us next?

Kushana was genuinely intrigued.

If her speculation is correct, the young man named Ike will not end his life as just another demon.

He will be a man recorded in both human and demon history.

—In short, he will be remembered as the first man to establish coexistence between humans and demons.

The young man named Ike had something that hinted at such a future.

To confirm if this was just her own fantasy, Kushana asked her colleague, Beio.

"Beio, do you think it's possible to create a world where humans and demons coexist?"

Beio replied.

"I don't know. That's a tough question for me."

Indeed, that was typical of him, but Beio continued.

"But recently, by imitating Ike and talking to humans, I've started to think that humans aren't all that bad."

"I see, I have a similar feeling."

"......"

Beio didn't say anything more, but perhaps that was his answer.

In any case, history will soon move dramatically.

By the strongest magician, known as the Demon King's right-hand man—