His sudden bombshell of a declaration.
Its effect was enormous.
"...What?!"
"Oh? It seems you've got more brains than I expected."
Their reactions split sharply in two.
"Why on earth...?!"
One wore an expression close to grief,
"I like it. In a world where the strong prey on the weak, it is only natural to side with the strong."
while the other smiled with something close to delight.
"...On one condition."
However, their opposing reactions did not last long.
"...A condition? Let's hear it."
As though curious about what I had to say, Guy readily accepted.
"..."
Blanc said nothing, but she too seemed to be telling me to go on.
"...The conditions I propose are simple. First, I will not follow just one of you, but both Lady Blanc and Lord Rouge. Second, if you harm Lady Blanc, I will not follow you—those are my two conditions."
"..."
The demon's expression as he spoke was so utterly confident that Guy was instead flustered, muttering in disbelief.
"...Hah. Since Milim, you're the first one not only to lay down conditions before me, but to give me two of them."
Still, Guy did not find the demon's attitude unpleasant.
In a world where the strong preyed on the weak, there were exceedingly few monsters capable of such loyalty to their master, and equally few who could voice their opinions without fearing the strong.
He did not seem to genuinely revere Blanc... Has he taken pity on her? ...Or did he realize that what Blanc said earlier was sincere? Well, either way, now I know he is not the sort who would betray us, so it makes no difference.
Guy's assumption was half correct.
One reason he had demanded that Guy not harm Blanc was because he knew that she genuinely treasured her retainers.
Of course, he also wanted to keep this world from straying beyond the framework of the original story.
After all, she was destined to become one of the greatest powers protecting this world.
..........
But the greater reason was...
...Ria.
For just a brief moment, Blanc's smiling face had looked like Ria.
...Though it is more likely that she isn't...
There was no evidence, nor any circumstance to suggest it, yet he had found himself thinking of her as Ria.
It might have been nothing more than a misunderstanding.
Some might think it foolish to go this far over something like that, but he did not care.
Even if it is a misunderstanding, I can't simply ignore it.
Setting aside what had happened with Ria, he had little complaint about having Blanc as his master.
At some point, he had begun to always sense her sincerity.
So if this was something he could do to repay that debt to her, it was worth doing at least once.
He had already sworn as much.
............
"...Well, not bad. I'll accept those conditions."
Guy appeared to deliberate, but in the end, he accepted the conditions.
"Wait...! I haven't given my permission yet—"
Blanc had not yet abandoned her resolve, but...
"Lady Blanc."
"..."
"Please permit it."
"..."
"...Do you not trust me?"
"..."
**
...She had no choice but to permit it.
When he had last met Blanc in the days when she had been Ria, he had let her go while hiding his desire to hold onto her. He had suppressed his true feelings.
So now, it was her turn to let him go.
Just as he had. Just as he had done for her.
"...I trust you..."
"Then..."
...She trusted him, yet she still wanted to say that she did not want this.
But the words of refusal did not leave her lips. No, they could not.
"...But in return—"
For the grieving woman was nowhere to be found now.
Before him stood the most cold-hearted empress of demons.
"—Promise me just one thing. That someday, you will certainly return here."
In that moment, she was a steadfast, decisive queen who cherished her retainer.
"...Yes. I understand."
Answering her choice, the retainer whom she had always cherished knelt on one knee, then replied to the stern queen with a faint, grateful smile.
That he would certainly—
—return.
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