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“That’s ridiculous….”

I desperately tried to deny reality, but even after closing my eyes and reopening them, the scene before me remained unchanged.

Over a decade. Including the life I’ve just begun anew, it had been several decades since I last saw her. Despite the long passage of time, my memories remained as vivid as if they were from yesterday.

When I was scolded by my parents and crying, she would carefully approach me and give me a warm hug.

On stormy nights, she would crawl into my bed, covering us both with blankets, calming my fears, only to startle at the lightning while pretending to be unafraid, giving me a comforting smile.

During our walks by the creek that I loved, whenever I felt happy, she would hum, “La la la,” sharing her sweet singing voice.

She was always by my side during my childhood, as important as my parents, and she was everything to me.

An unforgettable memory that I could never wish to forget.

A memory that was undeniably precious because I knew it would never return.

Even now, having resolved not to be shackled by the past, there were times when I deeply yearned for her, dreaming of having conversations with my sister, who existed in my mind. Then in the morning when I would wake, I would feel her absence and long for her.

But dreams are just dreams. I knew better than anyone that such a thing would never happen.

Yet, what was this scenery before my eyes?

The face of my imagined older sister, grown old from those reflections I looked for every day in the mirror, was staring back at me, strikingly similar to my current self.

“Sister….”

I unconsciously spoke the words out loud. At that, the woman in front of me, dressed in a gown yet armored, sword in hand, paused mid-step.

She stared at me without a change in expression and finally spoke.

“Hero, why do you seek your sister from the Demon King?”

Right. I knew it was impossible. No matter how much this woman looked like ‘me’ or like my sister, she could never be my sister.

She had already lost her life on the day the demonic tribes attacked our territory.

Ultimately, the woman before me was simply the Demon King, an adversary that I had to defeat. Gathering my composure from the temporary confusion, I tightened my grip on the Holy Sword and took my stance.

After five regressions, including Selian and myself, I finally stood before the Demon King. I couldn’t waste this hard-won opportunity.

However, comically, my resolve was as flimsy as a sandcastle.

“Now that I think about it, your appearance is quite similar to my vessel. But as far as I know, that vessel only had a younger brother, and no female siblings like you.”

“W-What…?”

The Demon King’s words shook me once more. What did she just say?

“What do you mean by vessel…? What’s this about a brother?”

I brandished my sword towards her, trying to intimidate her. But naturally, the Demon King showed no sign of fear, calmly answering in a soothing voice.

“Hmm… Meeting a hero like you is both the first and last moment we shall have. It has been hundreds of years since I faced a hero, so a brief conversation might be entertaining.”

At least it was fortunate that the Demon King didn’t immediately become hostile, seeming rather willing to engage in conversation.

But could this assumption—that a mere conversation was a good thing—really be considered fortunate? Was what I held not hope but despair?

Yet, despite that, I could not bring myself to strike at the Demon King.

“What is this vessel you speak of? It’s merely a literal meaning. Hundreds of years ago, I was the soul wandering aimlessly after being severed from my body by a hero before you. What else would you call such a being if not a vessel?”

This was a secret of the Demon King entirely unknown to the world. I had known about the prophecy regarding the Demon King’s resurrection, but how that resurrection occurred was nothing anyone had revealed.

Curiously enough, I leaned in even closer to listen to her answer.

“Right now, I may just be a vessel, but once, the vessel must have had a life of its own. Yes, because of the memories that were deeply etched in the vessel’s past, that echo remains vividly clear. Surely the name was… Zeno Frentz?”

Thump.

I heard a sound drop to the floor from somewhere. It felt as if my heart had sunk.

A name I never expected to hear from a source I never expected, at a moment I never anticipated.

Why did this woman before me know my real name?

Already deducing an absurd truth, I still clung to the denial of reality.

“Don’t be ridiculous… Clearly… I’m sure my sister was killed by the demon tribes that attacked her under the guise of the Demon King’s resurrection! You can’t be my sister…!”

“Hm….”

Before I could finish my words, the Demon King snorted and halted my shout, as if my words held no worth to hear.

“First, I must correct your misunderstanding. It is indeed true that my minions attacked the vessel’s residence, but you seem to have mixed up the order of events.”

The order of events…?

“Were they not attacking in hopes of my resurrection? No, they attacked to gain possession of the vessel that holds my soul.”

And thus, the truth of that day flowed from the Demon King’s lips.

*

Sixteen years ago, after being defeated by a hero, the demon tribes that had quietly existed for hundreds of years revealed themselves once more on the continent.

Of course, there were always a few demons venturing beyond their realm and occasionally getting hunted down, but an organized attack had not happened in hundreds of years.

One of the locations they attacked was the territory ruled by House Frentz.

They weren’t situated on the border of enemy territory, nor was there any kind of prohibition surrounding us like for House Klain. So while House Frentz, as a noble, had some personal guards, they were not particularly military strong in any special way.

Moreover, just prior to the assault, due to some incident, the soldiers and knights of Count Frentz’s house were scattered and not united.

In the end, House Frentz fell without even being able to launch an adequate counterattack against the attacking demons. The land burned, and only a few fortunate vassals barely managed to survive.

As the inland city that had suddenly become a blazing inferno due to the demons was not even adjacent to their territory, it was no surprise that chaos erupted in the Empire.

Nobles quickly increased their forces, fearing that their own territories would suffer a similar attack from the demon tribes, while desperately seeking to understand why the demons showed themselves after hundreds of years.

However, there was no need to dig too deeply. The reason soon became clear.

– The Demon King has been resurrected.

The very first prophecy delivered to a saint, who had just stepped into the church at a very young age.

There had been small wars between nations, but they were merely one of the human affairs. It was the moment when centuries of peace on the continent was shattered.

Furthermore, this period marked the rise of House Deretia, founded by the first hero, to heights that could not be matched by any other family on the continent.

The only known existence to defeat the Demon King.

With the understanding that it would surely be House Deretia that would produce the hero. In fact, there were rumors that the daughter of House Deretia, despite her young age and petite stature, wielded a sword with strength comparable to a full-grown man, leaving no room for doubt.

However, across the continent, various information and rumors circulated, yet no one could possibly know how the Demon King was resurrected or the motives behind the demons’ attacks.

Thus, the rumors became somewhat distorted throughout the continent.

It was not an invasion to resurrect the Demon King, but rather an incident where the demon tribes rejoiced over the resurrection.

Everyone on the continent believed that rumor, and Zeno Frentz was just one of them.

*

“Impossible….”

“If you wish to remain a fool, you may continue to believe so. But these eyes of yours have already recognized the truth.”

As the Demon King looked deeply into my eyes, I couldn’t deny it.

The vain hopes I desperately tried to reject and turn away from were unwinding like pieces of a puzzle, gradually revealing a single, despairing truth.

– Why was it that among so many cities, House Frentz’s territory was specifically targeted by the demons?

To seize the Demon King’s vessel.

– Why was it that an inconsequential third-rate assassin guild’s fabricated identity went undetected?

Because the corpse of ‘Elysia Frentz’ was officially classified as missing instead of deceased.

– Then why didn’t ‘Elysia Frentz’ leave behind even a corpse?

There was never a corpse to begin with. She was alive as the vessel of the Demon King.

– Then, allow me to ask you: who is the woman before my eyes? The Demon King? Or ‘Elysia Frentz’?

I could not bear to answer that question.