TWDR - Chapter 120

Gremory didn't even listen to Halpas's words. Just scratch her philtrum with her middle finger.

Halpas's face flushed with fatigue, as if he was looking at a disobedient child.

"Why is that reaction?"

"There's no way there is such a gap in the demon world."

"Why?"

"If there was such a thing, the demons would have entered and exited through that passage right away. You don't have to spend all day waiting to be summoned."

"The passage was secretly and thoroughly managed. As you said, the demons come and go every fictitious day. Besides, it's been around for less than a year."

"Is it managed? Who manages it?"

"Me."

This time, Gremory scratched her ear with her middle finger.

"That's funny. You want to use me to take Kona's place, but I'm not stupid enough to play with the devil."

"Hah. Really. The passage is in My Kingdom. Therefore, it has never been known to other demons, and it has been thoroughly managed by my own hands."

"Uh, yes."

"Why don't you trust me so much?"

"All the demons I've seen have been eaten."

The demon knights of Halpas, who were roasting marshmallows over a bonfire, jeered.

"Oh, it's embarrassing to say that. Have you forgotten that we helped you for nothing?"

"I understand that demons are strange, but please don't curse us."

Gremory smoked and scratched the top of her head. The monstrous knights complained with very sad faces.

"Please trust me and cooperate. Aren't we on the same boat anyway? We must have faith among ourselves."

"That's right! You are just demons who are really desperate. You just want to see the blue sky of the demon world again."

Gremory laughed.

"The sky in the demon world is blue? It's funny."

"It's not funny. You may not believe it, but the sky in the demon world was originally blue. It's not this dull dark red."

"You're a newborn kid, so I don't know. 300 years ago, before Kona came to power, the sky of the demon world was no different from the human world."

Gremory stared at the knights' faces. All of them didn't seem serious, like old demons trying to trick a young witch into eating them.

"Has the sky become like this since Kona came to power?"

"Yes, the atmosphere of the demon world changes according to the tendency of the ruler, who is the strongest demon and the master of the demon world. The demons who breathe that air are also greatly affected. That's why things these days are evil and hopeless."

"If something greedy and evil like Kona dominates the upper part, the lower ones become stupid and evil. It's even more so because it's hard to make a living."

Gremory squinted his eyes to read the darkness of the knights. It was to check whether it was a lie or not. The knights who noticed this welcomed it with open arms.

"Oh dear, read as much as you want!"

"If you find out for yourself that it's not a lie, we'll be fine!"

"..."

In the darkness of the knights, not a single lie was seen. There was only hatred for Kona. It was also true that there was a gap in the kingdom of Halpas to the human world.

"Let me ask you something. Serietti's alter ego once came to the human world. Have you ever given your passage to that alter ego?"

Halpas nodded.

"Yes. I have to leave at least one piece of evidence like this so that you can believe it."

"You say it as if you knew this was going to happen."

"I knew it. It was able to see the near future."

If there is Iberia in the human world, then there is Halpas in the demon world. Gremory let her guard down a little and looked at Halpas.

"By the way, what do you mean by asking me to help you kill Kona? It doesn't matter if I kill her or not?"

"It's because I care about you."

"What kind of consideration?"

"According to the rules of the demon world, the one who kills the ruler will be the next ruler. When you become a ruler, you must keep the throne obligatory. It's not that you can't go to the human world forever, but it will be difficult to see your love rotten."

"!"

"You look like you didn't know anything."

Halpas kindly closed Gremory's mouth and continued.

"So help me kill Kona. If I kill Kona, your rank will remain the same as it is, and only mine will be promoted to ruler."

"...That's right."

"Leave the demon world to me. I will definitely return to the peaceful demon world of the past."

Gremory's worries were not long-lasting. Because she has no choice. If she kills Kona alone, she will unwillingly become the ruler and be bound to the demon world. She had no choice but to borrow Halpas's hand and kill Kona.

"Yes, let's sign a contract."

Halpas smiled faintly.

"Thank you. Contract signed."

And a translucent black restraint was stuffed into Gremory's left wrist. The same was true for Halpas' wrist.

Gremory waved her left hand around and looked at the restraint.

"This is the first time I've seen a restraint like this. Isn't it stuffed around the neck in the first place?"

"This was the restraint before Kona came to power. When a fair contract is made on an equal footing, this kind of restraint is used. Stuffing around the neck is only used for unfair contracts."

Remembering that she had put a restraint on Chession's neck, Gremory hesitated. If she had known that there was such a good restraint, she wouldn't have stuffed it around his neck.

Anyway, the contract was signed, and there was a sure way to return to the human world.

A sure way.

...Is it really sure?

The feathery doubt that still remained tickled Gremory's mind uncomfortably. There was no way to do it, so she signed the contract, but is Halpas's purpose really only peace in the demon world?

"I didn't expect to sign a contract with an evil demon in my life."

"The evil thing is that humans are worse than demons. Kona was originally human."

"Really?"

"I know that she did a lot of evil things even when she was a human. What she did... You ask? It was something that even a demon would find difficult to describe."

Tears welled up in the corners of Halpas' eyes. Gremory looked at him with a serious suspicion

"Hey, are you crying?"

"Oh, I tend to cry a lot. However, it is not just emotional. I'm serious when it comes to passing down stories, so don't worry."

Halpas, who wiped away his tears with his sleeve, quickly returned to his serious face. Gremory shook her head.

Gremory, who was somehow more tired, yawned and stretched.

"When we're done, I'll sleep a little. I worked hard all day yesterday, and I'm tired."

"Yes, get some rest. If something happens, I'll wake you up right away."

Gremory went into the barracks and lay down on a cot. As she was covering herself with a thin, cheap blanket, her lips popped out.

"I miss Grand Duke's Ethel's bed."

Spacious, fluffy beds, soft and thick duvets, and comfortable air...  Just imagining it made her whole body feel melting away.

As she missed the attachment quilt, she fell asleep quickly. But sadly, her good sleep didn't last long.

An hour later, the guards rushed in and reported to Halpas.

"Halpas! It's a big deal! Kona is taking out a black scythe and rushing towards us!"

"What? Damn!"

Halpas, who rushed into the barracks, shook the stunned Gremory to wake her up.

"Get up, Gremory. Kona pulled out a black scythe."

"Huh? What is that?"

Gremory gathered her mind and stood up.

"This is the weapon that Kona used when she occupied the Demon Realm. The power is so lethal that if you use it, Kona herself will be in danger, so I've been sealing it for a long time."

"How deadly is the power?"

"With that sickle, this area will fly away in an instant."

"Is there a strategy?"

"I don't know. The only person who knows about the sickle is Kona. We have no choice but to face it blindly."

Gremory, who suddenly got up in a more serious situation than expected, walked out of the barracks with Halpas.

As soon as she came outside, she saw the real scene. In the distance, something dark was advancing, sweeping away Halpas's army.

Upon closer inspection, Kona was charging at her, wielding a scythe the size of her. Leading a large number of minions.

Halpas calmly commanded.

"Gremory, you take the lead with me and take on Kona. And Alice, I hand over command to you. Lead my army against Kona's minions."

"Oh, hoho, please leave it to me!"

Alice ran out with a flash of red eyes. Gremory sensed that the end was finally coming and took the lead with Halpas.

The day when she will return home is not far off.

***

It was an unusually cold autumn night.

Chession cleared the grotesque prayer room.

The family members of Grand Duke Ethel's residence huddled together in a large room with a cozy carpet. The sound of the fireplace burning was heard peacefully.

The reason they gathered today was to use the abilities of the new family. Isolene, who was blowing hot chocolate and drinking it, asked Cheasion.

"So, Bailey can amplify human hope?"

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