The Heavenly Demon Is Just Stuck In My Head

Chapter 351 : Valeria.

Clang! Clang!

Swords clashed.

While the apprentice knights were dumbfounded by the sudden situation.

The vice-commander of the Starvenger Knights, Walpole, appeared and commanded.

"Everyone, step back!"

At that, whoosh—the training ground was instantly cleared and naturally transformed into an arena.

Walpole said to the apprentice knights.

"Everyone, open your eyes wide and don't miss a single moment, engrave it in your eyes. When will you get another chance to see the sword of the world's strongest swordsman?"

"...!"

At that, the startled apprentice knights' eyes widened so as not to miss a single movement.

Clang! Clang!

Walpole let out a groan as he watched the red-eyed swordsman who was swinging his sword playfully.

"Ha... he's on a completely different level."

Even in simple movements, a profound principle that could not be explained in words was melted into them.

It wasn't a particularly fast or slow sword. But it seemed impossible to block.

Just how many times had he swung his sword, and how much had he contemplated?

How many times had he crossed the line between life and death?

It was impossible to guess.

It was to that extent even though he was going easy on him.

He thought he had grown a lot, but compared to him, it was the difference between heaven and earth.

Thwack!

Hugo, who was sent flying by Ashuban's kick, rolled on the training ground, then jumped up again and rushed at Ashuban.

"Uryaa!"

A fierce smile was on his lips.

Walpole muttered as he looked at Hugo.

"...That guy isn't ordinary either."

Shushuruta, who was watching from the side, muttered.

"Is that the kid who used to get beaten up by other kids? He's grown a lot. He's all grown up."

Walpole nodded his head.

"Yes. He passed his coming-of-age a long time ago. There was a huge change after Sir Ashuban briefly looked at his sword."

Linda asked, sucking her finger.

"A change? What change?"

"Learning the sword from Sir Ashuban became some kind of trigger, and he grew explosively. As a result, he shed his apprentice tag and became a full-fledged knight at the age of coming-of-age."

Walpole said as he looked at Hugo, who was recklessly charging at Ashuban.

"He was the first among his peers, and it was an overwhelmingly fast time compared to the other preceding classes. If you exclude me, he was probably the fastest. It's a record, if you will."

"Ohong..."

Shushuruta asked Linda, who was nodding her head eagerly with her finger in her mouth.

"Do you understand what he's saying?"

"No? I'm seeing him for the first time."

"...I thought so."

Walpole smiled and said.

"He's the one I've chosen as my successor. I'm taking him around and teaching him various things to raise him properly. Sometimes, he even acts as my assistant."

"Hmm."

"Originally, I was training the apprentice knights, but I heard that Sir Ashuban had come, so I passed it on to him and rushed over."

Thwack!

Hugo, who was hit in the chest by a kick again, flew into the air and rolled on the training ground.

"Hahaha!"

But instead of faltering, Hugo laughed and rushed in even more fiercely.

A hint of madness could be seen in his smile.

Seeing this, Shushuruta muttered.

"...He's learned strange things too."

"I know, right."

"Heehee. A little devil."

The sparring ended only after Hugo had rolled on the ground several more times.

***

I helped Hugo up and said.

"Kid, you've grown a lot."

Hugo grinned and took my hand to get up.

"Thanks to you."

Then, suddenly, I kicked his leg.

"Don't let your guard down!"

But, Hugo reflexively took a backstep and dodged the attack.

"Ooh. You've really grown a lot."

"Haha."

Hugo suddenly erased his smile, straightened his posture, and looked at me.

"?"

Hugo bowed deeply to me.

"It's all thanks to you, mister—no, Sir Ashuban. Thank you."

I smirked and replied.

"You're welcome."

It was a little disappointing that he had lost his cute side, but wasn't that all part of a boy's growth process?

"Everyone, applause!"

At Walpole's voice, the apprentice knights who were surrounding the training ground and watching clapped.

Their mouths were half-open, and they all looked somewhat dazed.

No, it wasn't just the apprentices.

Come to think of it, there were other knights of the Starvenger family who had come at some point.

The knights I had met before, who had come to watch at some point, were smiling brightly and pouring out applause.

"...Well, well."

I looked around at them, waved, and greeted them, then found a welcome face.

"You're the same as ever, Devil."

The model of a knight, as if he had jumped out of a fairy tale.

A knightly knight who looked like he would get on a white horse at any moment.

The knight commander of the Starvenger Knights.

The handsome middle-aged knight, Sir Curtis.

"...Sir Curtis!"

I immediately rushed to him and shook his hand.

"Have you been well?"

Curtis smiled.

"Of course. I was a little late because I was rushing to finish my work."

"Really? Then..."

Ting!

I flipped him a coin with the crest of the Starvenger family and said.

"Bring out a lot of expensive liquor!"

A burst of laughter erupted.

***

I had a pleasant time at the Starvenger family.

I sparred with Walpole,

listened to Hugo's growth story,

and since Curtis stubbornly refused to point his sword at his benefactor, even in a spar, I hit him a few times and then we just drank together.

I listened to his grievances as a knight commander,

drank with other knights, laughed, sparred, gave advice, and talked about various things.

I thought something would have changed since it became a ducal family.

But I couldn't find much change in the people inside.

It felt like I had come home.

I stayed at the Starvenger family for a while, playing and eating, then secretly slipped out at night.

Because my journey was not over yet.

After clashing swords and talking for a long time.

Hugo was not Tina.

It was as I had guessed.

No matter how much Tina had changed after being reborn, there was no way that kind kid would rush in recklessly like a wild boar.

I immediately headed to Valeria, the capital of the Blake Kingdom.

***

A somewhat solemn and reverent atmosphere hung over the capital, Valeria.

A huge procession of hundreds of people, led by royal knights dressed in shiny new armor, was passing through the main street of Valeria.

I watched the scene from the roof.

"...What's going on?"

Shushuruta, who was watching next to me, answered.

"It seems to be a funeral."

"A funeral? Who died?"

"Judging by the grand procession, it seems the king has passed away."

"...The Black Crown Prince is already dead? That bastard, he must have died from overwork. I knew it when he was working without sleeping."

"I don't think so. Isn't the one at the very front of the procession the Black Crown Prince?"

"Ah, right. Then who is it? Was there another king I didn't know about?"

"Perhaps, it is the funeral of the former king."

"...The former king?"

I remembered the senile old king who had told me the prophecy of Volund, the god of fire and blacksmiths.

"Ah."

Come to think of it, I remembered that the Knight of Frost, Sir Serkov, had come to help me in the Maia Kingdom under his orders.

And, that he had returned as soon as the war with the Evil God was over.

"...So, that's why he returned so quickly."

At that time, he had said that he had been waiting for a long time to deliver Volund's prophecy to me.

It seemed as if he had been preserving his life force to tell that story.

Did he think that was his role?

Then, sending the Knight of Frost must have been his role as well.

And when he had fulfilled that role, he passed away peacefully.

"Hyaaam... Shushu, do you have any dried fruit? I'm hungry."

"Shh. I'll give you some, so be quiet."

With a slightly bitter heart, I looked down at the funeral procession from the roof.

From above, I could see Count—no, Duke Herman Starvenger also standing by the Black Crown Prince's side.

He had said he was away on business, but I didn't know it would be for the former king's funeral.

Besides them, I saw other familiar faces.

Royal knights such as Lutie, Ashley, Vandyke, Victor, and Aaron.

And the Black Tiger Knights, including Smith and Wolfgang.

Suddenly, I couldn't see the Knight of Eternal Winter, Sir Serkov, so I looked around.

He was at the very front, carrying the coffin in which the former king was sleeping.

Then...

"Hmm?"

I tilted my head because I couldn't see Fluffy.

The owner of Ophosis's last ninth sword, the red sword, Vlad, and the noble wandering knight I had met on the road.

The guy who always stuck to the Black Crown Prince like glue with Smith was nowhere to be seen for some reason.

"...Did something happen?"

Anyway, I put aside the thought of Fluffy for a moment and watched the funeral.

The procession reached the outskirts of the capital, Valeria, in front of the temple dedicated to Volund, the god of fire and blacksmiths.

While the royal knights of the Blake Kingdom stood in two lines on either side.

In a solemn atmosphere, the Black Crown Prince stepped forward with his sword.

Then, he knocked on the closed temple door with the scabbard.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A voice was heard from inside.

—Who seeks to enter?

The Black Crown Prince answered.

"The former king, Eskel Millinore Blake. The leader who led the Blake Kingdom from the front, the ruler who looked down from the highest place, the protector of Blake who protected the people from other countries like hyenas, and the benevolent king who ruled over all people."

—We do not know such a person!

The Black Crown Prince knocked on the door three times again with his scabbard.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

—Who seeks to enter?

"General Eskel Millinore. As the highest military decision-maker of the Blake Kingdom, he personally led the troops and protected the people from the northern barbarians, raised excellent royal knights with his outstanding insight, and is the owner of numerous honorable medals obtained through countless achievements in defeating the enemies who threatened the people."

—We do not know such a person!

The Black Crown Prince knocked on the door three times for the last time.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

—Who seeks to enter?

"Eskel, a mere sinful human."

—Then enter.

The door opened, and the coffin entered the temple.

Linda pulled on my sleeve and shook it.

"Devil. How long do we have to stay here? I'm hungry."

"Didn't I give you dried fruit? Eat that."

"I ate it all."

"...You ate it all already?"

"Yeah!"

"...I have no choice. This is my emergency food..."

I watched the funeral to the end, listening to Shushuruta taking out her cherished emergency food and Linda's whining.

***

Night came.

The Black Crown Prince, who had held the former king's funeral, returned to his office immediately.

Because there was work left to be done.

The Black Crown Prince plopped down in his office chair.

He said, rubbing his eyes out of habit.

"...Leave me for a while. I want to be alone."

"Yes."

Smith quietly left the room.

"Hoo..."

The Black Crown Prince sighed with his eyes closed.

His mind was complicated.

The father he remembered from his childhood was definitely a wise king.

He had personally led the troops and fought bravely against the enemies, maintained various laws and systems, and ruled with benevolence.

He was respected by all people.

But, from a certain point.

He changed.

He became indifferent to ruling, and did not lead the troops himself.

He did not attend meetings with the ministers, and allowed the nobles to become corrupt.

The kind father who always smiled benevolently disappeared, and it became difficult to see his face.

The result was that mess.

A kingdom that was as corrupt as it could be, as rotten as it could be, on the verge of bursting from being festered.

Drastic measures were needed.

As soon as the Black Crown Prince ascended to the throne, he boldly cut off the sprouts and pulled out the roots and burned them.

Many things had changed, but it was still a long way to go.

'Why.'

The former king—no, why did his father suddenly change?

Why did he hide away from a certain day?

No matter how much he thought about it, the Black Crown Prince could not understand the reason.

"Tsk."

The Black Crown Prince clicked his tongue softly.

'...I've become a little sentimental.'

As the Black Crown Prince washed his face and opened his eyes, a black shadow was standing in front of him.

For a moment, his hair stood on end, and goosebumps rose all over his body.

'There was no presence at all.'

The royal knights should be guarding thoroughly, but to enter so easily?

'An incredibly strong person that even the royal knights can't handle, or an assassin whose stealth skills have reached the pinnacle. Maybe both.'

The Black Crown Prince quickly rotated his head and calmly assessed the situation.

'But if he had intended to kill me, he would have already done so when my eyes were closed.'

The Black Crown Prince glared at the shadow and said in a calm voice.

"Who are you?"

The shadow answered.

"Hello? I'm a benevolent thief."

"...What?"

Then, the shadow slowly scattered, and blood-red eyes flashed in the darkness.

"Hey, Your Majesty. Have you been well? How long has it been?"

"Ha."

A hollow smile formed on the Black Crown Prince's lips.

"It's been a while, country bumpkin."

(End of Chapter)