It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

47: Seeds of Suspicion

───I returned to the inn. As usual, I ended up drinking with Sasha, but I managed to cut it short this time.

It’s good that I’m back, but it seems like my companions haven’t returned yet. I thought Cecil might have come back first, but it seems like he went to the church instead.

I could go look for Tora, but it’s more reliable to wait for him at the inn. I’ll ask the innkeeper and head back to my room.

This room is larger than the one I usually rent, probably because it’s a double room. Cecil and I are sharing a room, which is also cheaper. Cecil strongly requested it, so I agreed.

I should call him “she,” I suppose. Is it something like gender identity disorder from my past life? I don’t intend to make a big deal out of it, but if Cecil identifies as a woman, it might be better to get separate rooms.

Just in case something happens.

I placed Durandal on the desk and leaned back in the chair provided in the room. Suddenly, I felt extremely tired.

“Are you okay, Master?”

It’s Durandal’s worried voice. Lately, Cecil has been with me all the time, so I don’t have much time to talk to Durandal. We only chat briefly when I’m not busy.

“I’m fine, just a bit tired. I have some things to think about.”

“Is it about the letter from your previous master?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

When I’m alone, I start thinking about things. It’s about the letter Takeshi left behind.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

What did he mean by leaving this message for me, a reincarnator? Takeshi’s words must have some significance. If I take them at face value, it means I shouldn’t trust Mirabel.

Did something happen between Takeshi and Mirabel? No, it’s not just a problem between the two of them. Silvy’s words come to mind.

“Live without regrets. You reincarnators have all lived intense lives and died. If you defy your fate, you must change what you believe in.”

If Silvy’s words are true, then all reincarnators in this world have lived intense lives. I know of at least four people. From Silvy’s story, I can tell that there are many more reincarnators in this world. It’s hard to say that Mirabel isn’t involved.

Takeshi and the first demon king have a clear connection to Mirabel. That’s a fact. The ‘principal’ of the Four Heavenly Kings, Kobayashi, is also a reincarnator, according to Silvy. Is he involved too? Kobayashi was one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the first demon king. It’s unlikely he’s not connected.

However, the first demon king’s history is too old, and there’s almost no information left. As Durandal said, we might not know unless we go to Telma. But Takeshi and the 5th hero, Harold, are still relatively recent in history. I can gather information about them during my stay in Creutzer.

Hero Harold. He sealed the 5th demon king and died soon after. The cause of death wasn’t clearly stated, but there’s a high possibility it was poisoning.

All members of the 5th hero’s party, except Harold, died in the battle against the demon king. The 2nd prince of the Arcadia Kingdom was among them.

The report said that the king of Arcadia was furious with Harold, but thanks to the minister’s intervention, it didn’t escalate. However, it’s recorded that the king didn’t reward Harold, which shows the extent of his anger.

Harold died soon after having a child with his wife, who was his childhood friend. He was still young and healthy, and there were no visible external injuries. From this, I can infer that he was poisoned by the Arcadia Kingdom.

The bloodline of heroes must be preserved. Even so, the king’s anger didn’t subside. It’s hard to understand.

When I investigated Takeshi, I found out that he was a hero in Creutzer. There was more information about him than Harold.

The library’s director told me a lot about him. However, he didn’t want to talk about Takeshi’s death.

He handed me a book, saying, “You’ll understand if you read this.” It was a book about Takeshi’s life and achievements. The content wasn’t much different from what Durandal told me about Takeshi.

It even mentioned that Takeshi was a ladies’ man, which made me laugh. What caught my attention was Durandal’s story about Takeshi after he was pierced by the relic in the Legrand ruins.

Takeshi handed over Durandal to the mage of the hero’s party. That’s why I, and even Durandal, don’t know much about Takeshi’s life after that.

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He had caused trouble in his relationships with women. After letting go of Durandal, he couldn’t shine as brightly as he used to.

And at the end of the page, it was written that he was publicly executed.

The crime was injuring the royal family, and he was taken away without even being allowed to defend himself. After being imprisoned for several days, he was executed in front of the Elven crowd.

The atmosphere was eerie, and it was written that even though it was a public execution, the crowd didn’t dare to approach him. Even if they had been allowed to, no one would have done so, according to the author’s impression. Until Takeshi was executed, Meril, the first princess of Telma, was laughing. Her laughter was so loud that it sent chills down the spines of the crowd.

After the execution, Meril princess carefully carried Takeshi’s headless body back to the palace. The author concluded that this execution was a result of Meril’s heart being toyed with by Takeshi.

After that, a small skirmish broke out between Klematras and Telma upon hearing the news of Takeshi’s execution.

Thanks to the intervention of the Arcadia Kingdom, it didn’t escalate into a full-blown war, but it seemed to have been on the brink of it. It seemed that Klematras couldn’t forgive the heroes for what they had done.

Durandal was also shocked to hear about Takeshi’s death. The words that slipped out of her mouth were impressive.

───”I’ll definitely keep my promise. Rest in peace, Takeshi.”

It wasn’t her usual tone. She didn’t even call him her former master. Was this Durandal’s true tone?

After that, she went back to her usual self, as if she had seen something in a dream.

Only two people knew the truth, but it was clear that they wouldn’t live a peaceful life. Silvy’s credibility had increased. Perhaps other reincarnators had similar possibilities?

At that time, I couldn’t help but think about Mirabel. I didn’t know how many reincarnators she was involved with. If all the reincarnators were meeting a tragic end, there must be some reason behind it.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

Those were heavy words. Takeshi had left a letter with Silvy, entrusting him with this message.

Then, it was possible that the information Takeshi left behind might also mention Mirabel. I needed to know. I had to know.

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t know who to trust.

Mirabel’s face floated in my mind. She had always been there to advise me when I was troubled. She had taught me swordsmanship and magic control.

It was thanks to her advice that I was able to master the magic taught by Toru-san.

Who was it that had made me strong? It was all thanks to Mirabel.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

It was bitter. Did I still have the taste of liquor in my mouth?

My mouth felt extremely bitter. I hated to doubt people. Humans were living creatures that relied on each other. If I doubted, I would hesitate to support others.

There was a demon king among my friends. I couldn’t confide in anyone except Mirabel.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

My trust was wavering.

It was bitter. My heart felt like it was in a mess. If I looked at her with suspicious eyes, would something change? If I saw the information Takeshi left behind, could I clear up my doubts?

Mirabel’s smile floated in my mind. Whenever I was troubled, I would consult her. But I couldn’t consult her about this.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

Takeshi, your words have made me unsure of what to believe in this world.

Who should I entrust my heart to? My friends? Or the demon king, perhaps?

Or my partner, Durandal? I could trust her, but the demon king had the power of mind-reading. Would Durandal be affected by it? I didn’t know.

───”Don’t trust Mirabel.”

The repeated words in my head were frustrating. What was it that I had trusted without a doubt?

There was no one I could trust except Mirabel.

“Rizette-san…”

I involuntarily let out a voice, and my lips trembled. That’s right. She was already gone. The family I had trusted without a doubt was…

“Did you call, Kyle?”

The familiar voice from behind me made my body stiffen. My heart was racing. My memories denied it, but I had to confirm it.

When I turned around, she was there. Her appearance was unchanged from my past memories. It was something I had lost in this world.

“Looks like you’re doing well, Kyle.”

───My foster parent, Lissette-san, was standing there.