Having accomplished their original goal, Adelio, Ria, and Chronoa prepared to leave [Ruberios].
Their first priority had always been keeping Adelio's promise to Chronoa, and with a few unexpected people getting involved, they had ended up gaining some things and losing some others along the way. All in all, Adelio felt this was enough.
Luminous and Sylvia, on the other hand, did not seem very pleased that they were leaving already.
"Chronoa, are you leaving already? I think it would be fine for you to stay in [Ruberios] a little longer."
Luminous in particular seemed especially reluctant to let her go, perhaps because her first true friend had come to visit after such a long time.
Of course, Chronoa understood exactly how Luminous felt. But she had her reasons for not being able to stay.
"Sorry, Luminous. There are still a lot of things I need to take care of... If I get the chance, I'll come visit again."
As a [Regressor] who knew the future, she had to eliminate dangerous enemies without causing too much of a butterfly effect.
And she also had to protect the otherworlder who was both her master and the disciple she would one day teach: Izawa Shizue.
"I see... Then I suppose it can't be helped..."
Luminous did not know all the details behind that, but she did know Chronoa was a [Regressor], so she could not easily try to stop her.
After all, there was no telling how even a single step Chronoa took might change the future.
"Hmm~ If Luminous had pushed harder, I was going to ask you to stay a little longer too... but it seems there's a reason you really have to leave now, isn't there?"
Sitting right beside Luminous, Sylvia spoke with a faint smile on her lips.
She idly twisted a strand of her silver hair tinged with green around her finger as she sipped her tea, looking completely unbothered by the idea of leaving.
"I finally found out who the [Hero] was that attended Walpurgis, so it's a shame to part ways just like this, you know~?"
Setting down her teacup, Sylvia approached Adelio.
She gestured lightly to Ria, who was glaring at her from Adelio's side as if telling her to calm down, then slowly opened her mouth.
"You're one of Guy Crimson's subordinates, so you know very well about his attacks on the [Western Nations], don't you?"
"...That's..."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm not trying to use that against you. If anything, I'd like to work with you."
The demonic armies that invaded the [Western Nations].
For thousands of years, Guy had continuously sent those armies to keep humanity in check. Since [Ruberios] rarely took the field outside its own borders, most of the burden fell on [Sarion], making those invasions one of the greatest sources of damage for Sylvia and Ermesia.
Rain and Misery had gone to command those forces this time as well, so Adelio could easily guess the damage would be considerable.
"...What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Simple. If someone like you, a servant of Guy, helps me, there's a way for your reputation as a [Hero], [Sarion]'s military strength, the demonic armies, and even the [Western Nations] to all come out ahead. Well? Want to work with me just once~?"
As Sylvia answered Adelio, she narrowed her eyes in the same way Ermesia had when she proposed a [Contract].
And Adelio could more or less guess what kind of offer she was about to make.
After all, there was only one proposal that would let three different factions, along with himself, all profit at once.
"......You mean... I protect the [Western Nations]."
"My, so you already knew?"
"I had considered it myself. But for that to work—"
"—you need a witness."
Sylvia's proposal required exactly two things.
One was a powerful fighter who could persuade Guy and also play the role of a [Hero]. The other was a witness with authority, like Sylvia herself.
"Since you're on the same side as the demonic armies, you can stage a battle, pretend to fight them, and then drive them off. Then I, as your witness, can inform the leading figures of the [Western Nations] that you were the one who defeated that army, and your reputation will spread easily. That way, you gain fame, the [Western Nations] gain peace, and [Sarion] and the demonic army lose no troops. Everyone benefits... right?"
"......"
Sylvia's suggestion was the most profitable method Adelio had considered for building his reputation, and the one he had thought would be the most effective.
In other words, it was an offer he could not help finding tempting.
"......"
But Adelio suddenly fell silent and gave no answer.
It was not because Sylvia's proposal failed to tempt him.
It was simply that—
Fwoooosh...!!
—something even more urgent had come up.
**
"Hehe~ At this point, Hairo and [Blanc] should have noticed, right?"
At a lakeside some distance away from [Ruberios].
Standing alone at the center of that lakeshore without any subordinates, [Viole] was scattering such faint traces of demonic residue that even Luminous would not notice them.
So that [Blanc], a fellow [Primordial Demons], and Hairo, who was familiar with the remnants of demons, would sense her presence and come here alone.
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