Chapter 220: Hero (1)
“Just because you stick with someone else for the rest of your life, it really has nothing to do with me, you know?”
When I went to see Evie to discuss the story about marriage with Lily, the answer that came back immediately was this.
“Did I marry you or sleep with you? Just do whatever you want.”
“Evie…”
“Didn't I clearly say it back then? Don't be mistaken, you are just practice material to me anyway.”
“…….”
As I said before, I am somewhat an expert in ‘Evie-speak’.
So I also knew well that the indifferent words she was spitting out with her arms crossed right now were not sincere at all.
As expected.
“……Tsk.”
Evie, who suddenly lowered her head, clicked her tongue loudly.
“F*ck… There's no way it has nothing to do with me…”
As if telling herself, who had said such things, to listen rather than me.
“I hate it.”
“F*ck, then did you think I would welcome it? Being told to suddenly split what I had perfectly fine into two and share it?”
“You're right.”
It was an undeniable statement.
“I understand.”
Since I confirmed Evie's heart, I had an obligation to tie up loose ends properly.
“Hey, wait, where are you going, bastard.”
Then, on the contrary, Evie snatched and pulled my hand urgently first.
“Just, wait a bit first. What are you going to do.”
“Sorry, but I have to say that it seems like something I can't accept.”
“…But wasn't that method thought up because it was the best in many ways?”
“If one moves only for the reason that it's always the best, they would be a machine, not a human.”
“E-Even if you say f*cking correct words in this situation, the fact that you are trash won't change, you know…?!”
“That's true.”
“No but, still wait a bit, bastard!”
Like that, somehow, the situation became one where Evie was stopping me instead.
“…Don't tell me this is also a f*cking plan? Trying to make me look like a narrow-minded person so I feel guilty and accept it?”
“What?”
For a moment, I didn't understand what Evie was saying, then understood belatedly and explained urgently.
“No, no. Absolutely not. Even if I am trash, I'm not to that extent.”
“You don't deny being trash.”
“Can I?”
“Ha. At least you know.”
Evie, who scoffed, let go of my hand she had urgently snatched.
“…With what shame would I say don't try to protect anyone else but me because I'm jealous, to a guy who even became the King he hated to death saying he would protect everything?”
Then, as if she didn't know she would say such things herself, she muttered in a somewhat dumbfounded tone.
“If you weren't a guy who meddled like that, I would just still be robbing wallets in the back alleys even now. Then eventually got caught by that guy Paulo, or got stabbed in the back in a deserted place and died.”
“That's…”
The reason why the words that it wouldn't be like that didn't come out easily was because I had actually seen such ‘futures’.
Stories that happened in world lines where I didn't make Evie a companion, for instance.
“Or what, eventually taken by that fcking bastard Cain and wearing that damn dress spouting bullsht like ‘I am Evelyn Midrashid!’ or something.”
“…That probably wouldn't happen.”
“You think? If you, if you guys hadn't brought me to my senses, I would still be doing that even now.”
Evie, who first warned that she would genuinely kill me if I spread what she was about to say anywhere, soon continued speaking carefully.
“I cherish you guys in my own way. Of course, Lily too. …So, I knew a long time ago that she liked you inside.”
“…I thought you had absolutely no interest in that kind of thing.”
“Uh, right. I had none at all. But it happened because of some trash bastard.”
“…Haha.”
“What are you laughing at, it's your story. …So I also knew a long time ago that you also didn't have completely no feelings for her.”
“…I won't deny it.”
“Do it a little, you trash bastard.”
“Still, since I answered your feelings first, I know at least that I have to take responsibility.”
“Yeah, sure you do. …Since I knew you were that kind of guy, I couldn't wait any longer and cut in line. Because it was obvious it would be taken if I left it alone, you trash bastard.”
“…I didn't know you would speak this honestly to me.”
“So I'll kill you if you tell anyone, seriously.”
“I'll keep it in mind.”
I also know the value of my life.
At this point, even these words must be truly sincere.
“Haa…”
Perhaps because of that, Evie suddenly sighed in disbelief as if she didn't know she would speak to this extent either.
“Fck. I knew it would turn out like this anyway. Son of a btch, uselessly good-looking, so I thought you'd get hit on a lot here and there.”
Usually, I would have joked slyly, “I am quite handsome, aren't I?” but even I didn't have the courage to do that right now.
“So I thought about stabbing to death all the guys eyeing you by striking first before it was too late… F*ck, even so, I can't do that to Lily. …Lily is as precious to me as you are, no, much more precious than trash like you.”
It was then.
Evie, who clicked her tongue again saying 'Tch', suddenly jumped up and grabbed me by the collar abruptly.
Then, she spun me around just like that.
To bury her head in my back, just like she did sometime before.
In other words.
“……If you make me lonely, I'll stab you.”
It meant that even if something like the previous night had happened, she would convey her sincerity from now on, which she couldn't bring herself to say face-to-face due to her personality, and which I definitely wouldn't be able to hear easily in the future if not now.
“…Okay.”
“Even so, if you make Lily lonely with the excuse that you don't want to die by my hands, I'll stab you then too.”
“…I'll keep that in mind too.”
“Even so, if you act lovey-dovey right in front of my eyes as if to show off, I'll stab you.”
“……Got it.”
“But if you act lovey-dovey just the two of you without me knowing again, I'll stab you then too.”
“Is it just my imagination that it sounds like you'll stab me no matter what I do?”
“Think so, bastard? Did you think I wouldn't stab you when you dare to eye both of us without knowing your place?”
“…….”
“I knew from the start you were a damn philandering trash bastard, and I can forgive you only because it's them, you know?”
“……Yeah.”
“And──”
──Thump.
Evie slightly lifted her head she had been burying all along, and lightly headbutted me just like that.
“Here is my spot.”
My back, which I promised to always leave empty for her.
“Even if it's Lily or Rine, if you dare hand it over… I'll stab you twice as much on their behalf too.”
“At that time, I'll stab myself too.”
“Ha. Anyway, you're always good with words.”
I placed one hand gently on the back of Evie's hand to prove it wasn't just words, but it seemed that alone wasn't enough.
“T-Then prove it.”
“Prove?”
“H-How do I know if a Bard bastard isn't trying to escape the crisis only with words as usual?”
“…You know well that's not it.”
“I don't know, bastard.”
Quite contrary to cutting off my words firmly, Evie continued speaking while hesitating again.
“S-So prove it. H-How much… y-you l-like me.”
It was a straightforward expression, enough to make even me, who usually forgot even shame and acted slyly when dealing with Evie, lose my mind and freeze just like that.
“…….”
I mean, I was also very embarrassed.
But how must Evie have felt?
However, neither I, nor even she herself, could only infer what kind of expression she was making right now.
Because she was holding me tight, completely burying her face in my back so that I could never turn my head or body to see directly.
She herself must know better than anyone.
That clearly right now, she must be making an expression she could absolutely never show to others given her usual personality.
“……Don't provoke me.”
So this was a final warning for me as well.
“To be honest, after becoming a body… like this now, my blood always boils, so… maintaining self-control like before is a bit difficult.”
If you don't stop here, I will try to see that expression no matter what.
“I might not be able to endure… No, I definitely won't be able to endure.”
“…….”
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
“…W-Who told you to endure?”
Until a mutter, in a voice so small that even I, who was right in front, could barely hear, but which nevertheless tickled my ears, broke that silence.
“──Ah.”
If it were like before, perhaps I wouldn't have been able to undo these two arms hugging me tightly as if to constrict me due to the difference in ‘Strength’.
But not now.
Eventually, I grabbed both of Evie's wrists, spread her two arms far too easily, and turned around.
And I realized.
“…!”
In fact, even if she had used the same ‘Strength’ as before, the result would have been the same.
Seeing the face she had been trying to hide by keeping it buried in my back like this, I could tell.
“You provoked me first.”
I clearly warned you.
And Evie, who ignored my warning, left numerous marks as if this was her own spot in the place I promised to always leave empty for her.
Just as I gave my sincerity to her, she also gave her sincerity, so those marks surely won't heal easily.
***
Although I didn't officially hold a ‘Grand Assembly’ and announce it to all demons, I succeeded in being recognized as the new Demon King in front of the warriors gathered in front of the wall for now.
It meant that from now on, I had to fulfill my duties as the Demon King.
Accordingly, I headed to the wall to fulfill the promise that I would throw open the gates.
Beside me, as always, were the companions who had journeyed together until now.
The soldiers standing guard on the wall were extremely alert seeing us approaching closer and prepared to shoot arrows immediately, but.
“T-Those people are…! Stop! Everyone stop!”
One soldier among them, who seemed to recognize us, panicked greatly and stopped the others, then ran somewhere urgently and brought someone.
And that someone was.
“M-Miki! Everyone!”
“Brother Gabe!”
It was Gabriel Irons.
He immediately gave instructions to the soldiers to open the gates of the wall, and as soon as the gates opened, he ran out to welcome us.
“You were safe, Miki!”
“I'm back, Brother Gabe!”
Gabriel, who showed a passionate welcome with his usual calm appearance nowhere to be found as soon as he saw Miki returning safely from the devil's den beyond the wall, and even from that Demon King's Castle, then greeted us.
“I'm glad you returned safely, everyone.”
Then, seeing me who entered last, he flinched in surprise for a moment.
“You have… changed a little from before, Lord Bin…?”
Aside from the noticeable change like my reddened hair color, he seemed to have immediately noticed the atmosphere that had clearly changed from before.
Anyway, since I returned with other companions, especially Miki, it didn't lead to wariness, though.
“Could we share the detailed story separately in a quiet place?”