"...Oh? You knew about my relationship with Leon? Even within [Sorcerous Dynasty Sarion], that's treated as top-secret information."
Ermesia's green eyes flashed brightly, and the surrounding space rapidly swelled.
Wooooong...
In an instant, the atmosphere flipped, like a massive storm erupting out of nowhere.
With a cold, merciless expression, Ermesia had unleashed [Heroic Aura].
An overwhelming aura, powerful enough to seize control of the entire space in a heartbeat, as if she were interrogating me.
"Please calm down."
But to me, it only made the air feel a little heavier.
"I didn't ask you to introduce me to him without thinking it through."
Compared to the aura I had felt from Gran before, hers was still immature.
And besides, I was also a [Hero] who possessed [Heroic Aura].
"So hear me out to the end and judge for yourself. I have no intention of opposing you."
I calmly tried to persuade Ermesia.
Because I had a rough idea why she was coming at me this hard, and I understood that she had every reason to.
No, to be more precise, this was probably the only way she could respond.
'I'm a demon asking her to tell me about Leon. It would be stranger if she wasn't on guard.'
Before he was like family to her, Leon was one of humanity's most vital assets: a [Hero].
Hadn't Guy once said that even when he visited hell, it was Leon's sudden appearance and actions that barely kept the balance between humanity and monsters from collapsing?
So what if I found Leon and killed him?
The balance of the world would tip toward the monsters, and humanity would surely be forced to live with an incurable cancer for at least several decades.
There would be no need to even mention the Giants living in the barren lands, and those "clowns" would start moving in the shadows sooner than planned as well.
In other words, if they took advantage of that massive chaos, even more disasters than expected could unfold.
And [Sorcerous Dynasty Sarion] would naturally be among the places caught up in it.
...I didn't want that either. If pointless sprouts were left to grow, poisonous weeds would multiply and rot even the precious medicinal herbs.
"Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor. With your eyes, you should be able to tell easily whether what I'm saying is true or false. So tell me—do I really look like I'm lying to you right now?"
My blue eyes met her green ones in midair. Only for a very brief moment.
How much time passed like that?
"...Well, I suppose saying this now is a little pointless, isn't it?"
The first one to look away was Ermesia.
"...Yes. Everything you've said is definitely the truth. To the point that I feel embarrassed for doubting you."
"Then that's good. In that case, I'll explain now."
The reason I wanted to meet Leon Cromwell.
"...To put it bluntly, the reason is very simple. I have a lot of business in [Eldorado], so I need to meet the man who is, for all practical purposes, its ruler."
[Golden City Eldorado].
Just as the name suggested, it was a continent-sized great nation made up of beautiful golden cities.
It was also a territory where [Demonoids]—those born between humans and demons—lived together.
At the same time, it was the point where the Primordial Demon Jonne [yellow] descended into the Central World, and an unfortunate land that she constantly scorched with [Nuclear Magic].
"If you let me meet him, then in return, I'll restrain the Primordial Demon Jonne [yellow] in Eldorado to some extent."
Restrain a Primordial Demon.
The moment she heard that, Ermesia's eyes widened in shock.
"...So you already knew where Leon was."
Ermesia lowered her head slightly, as if regretting that she had done something unnecessary.
"Yes. That's why I told you from the beginning—I had no intention of doing anything that would bring harm to you."
"...Right. I suppose that's true. If your information network is that good, there would've been no reason to ask me in the first place."
As she said that, Ermesia thought to herself.
Looking at it calmly, this was a request with an extremely favorable return.
'If it's really possible to restrain a Primordial Demon, a calamity second only to the True Dragons—and among them, that especially violent Jonne [yellow]...'
It was an opportunity she absolutely could not let slip away.
If even a little restraint was possible, then until that war broke out, the Central World might not have to burn under [Nuclear Magic].
Until the [Great War] when those angels descended.
"...All right. I'll grant your request. I am curious what exactly you have so much business there for, but I was rude to you earlier, so I won't ask that much."
At last, Ermesia nodded and summoned an old cloak embroidered with red feathers.
'That cloak is...'
[Report. It is a cloak corresponding to a Unique-grade piece of equipment. Its durability is nearly exhausted, and restoration has been determined to be difficult.]
The cloak, marked by countless sword cuts and burn scars, still carried traces of its owner.
'...So he's fought so much that even his cloak ended up like that.'
As I stared at the cloak, Ermesia smiled faintly, as if recalling a cherished memory from the past, and spoke.
"This is the cloak Leon used when he first visited Sarion long ago. Back then, I replaced all the worn-out equipment he had, including this cloak, and he left this one with me."
Ermesia added that she couldn't throw it away because it was like a medal bearing the traces of a hero.
"If you show this to Leon, he'll realize I sent you."
Then she handed me the cloak filled with those old memories.
As if declaring that she would trust me.
No, half of that probably really did mean trust. Otherwise, her gaze wouldn't have grown that much gentler.
"Thank you, Your Majesty the Heavenly Emperor."
When I accepted the cloak with both hands, Ermesia smiled once more and gave a couple of small nods.
Fwish
I bowed my head in return, then spread my wings to leave.
But just before that—
Ermesia suddenly opened her mouth, as if something had just occurred to her.
"Ah, come to think of it, that thing you mentioned—the one made with magitech—was completed not long ago. Take it with the cloak."
Once again, she summoned "it" from empty space, then spoke again.
"But... who exactly are you planning to use this [Homunculus] on? It was made with nothing but toughness in mind, so it's not something that can be used for anything except spirit possession."
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