It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

41. The Undead Queen Silvy Empire

───Silvy’s beauty was stunning, but it gave me an unpleasant feeling.

Her black hair, which reached her waist, was unkempt and messy. If she took care of it, it would be incredibly beautiful.

Her straight, red eyes lacked luster, giving me a feeling similar to Noelle’s gaze. But Silvy’s eyes lacked any sign of life.

Her attire, which only covered her chest and waist with a white cloth, seemed to disregard the gaze of others.

Her exposed skin was deathly pale, with stitches all over her body, as if she had been sewn back together after being cut apart.

Overall, her appearance lacked any sense of life.

It was as if she was already dead, which made me realize the fear of death that I would eventually face.

It wasn’t just intimidation; it was something different. Just standing in front of Silvy made me feel a chill run down my spine.

My companions were the same. They were pale, but their gazes didn’t waver from Silvy.

It was terrifying. I felt like if I looked away, I would die.

Takeshi-san, did you really have a romantic relationship with this monster? Looking at her, I couldn’t fathom it. The demons and monsters we fought before seemed cute in comparison. It was only now that I realized the existence of an absolute powerhouse.

“You are the Brave Party, I presume?”

Her voice lacked inflection, making me think she wasn’t interested in us. However, her gaze, which seemed to be evaluating each of us, suggested that she had a reason for calling us here.

Her gaze stopped at me and Ekurea. Ekurea, as a hero, would understand, but why was I included?

She only looked at Ekurea for a few seconds before her gaze returned to me.

“I will tell you my demands. I want to talk to that man alone.”

The only man here is me. It seemed Silvy had business with me. Her gaze never left mine. What did she want from me? I had too many questions.

“Do you think I’d let you do that?”

“That’s right! I won’t let you put my precious person in danger!”

Noel and Darl refused her request. Their words were strong, but their faces remained unchanged, revealing their fear of the powerful enemy in front of them. Honestly, they couldn’t refuse. Silvy had the power to force them to obey, and she had the knight as a hostage.

“Alright, let’s talk just the two of us.”

“Kai!?”

Not only Noel and Darl, but also Tra and Sasha protested, calling out my name. But there was no other choice.

“But can I ask for one thing?”

“What is it?”

“I want you to promise not to harm my friends.”

“Hmm…”

This was my own wish. Being alone with Silvy was extremely dangerous. If she got angry, I would be killed.

“Alright, I promise.”

“What do you promise?”

We would normally promise to God, but for Silvy, a demon, God was an existence to be hated. Who would she promise not to harm?

“Then I’ll promise on my love for Takeru.”

It was troublesome to make such a promise, but Silvy’s eyes were serious. Only when she mentioned Takeru’s name did her voice have a hint of emotion. Takeru was a precious existence to her.

“Shall we talk just the two of us? Are we moving to a different location?”

“Yes, follow me.”

As Silvy turned around and headed into the Reg Legacy ruins, I followed her, and a voice called out my name, “Kai! Are you sane? You’re going to talk to one of the Four Heavenly Kings alone? You might die!”

“She promised not to harm me. So I’ll believe her and follow her.”

“It’s not a promise to God or anyone, just a promise to one person’s love! Can you believe that?”

Noel’s desperate voice revealed her feelings. She didn’t want me to go. She was afraid of the worst-case scenario and didn’t want me to die.

“Silvy promised on her love for the most precious person to her. I want to believe her. And if anything happens, she’ll help me, right?”

Instead of Noel, Darl and Tra gave strong answers, reassuring me. I looked straight at Noel, trying to convince her. At that moment, I didn’t forget to touch the scabbard of Durandal, which had a hidden eavesdropping device set up by her. If anything happened during my conversation with Silvy, Noel would notice and come to my rescue. That was if I survived until then.

“Alright, but don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m also worried, so don’t push yourself too hard when you’re alone, okay?”

“Thanks, Sasha.”

Both of them seemed reluctant, but they accepted. Silvy was standing still, looking at me.

“I’m sorry, I’ve kept you waiting. Let me guide you.”

“Yes, you have a good friend.”

I thought so, but her tone was too flat. It was as if she was talking in a sleepy tone, without any emotional ups and downs. The atmosphere wasn’t light enough for casual jokes. I followed Silvy, who led the way.

I had been to this ruin before. The path Silvy took was familiar. There was no conversation between us as we walked through the ruin. I remained silent, following her. Eventually, we arrived at the deepest part of the ruin, where I had first met Durandal. It was a space that felt somewhat divine, with sunlight entering despite being inside the ruin. What kind of mechanism was this?

Silvy turned around and faced me.

“Well, what shall we talk about?”

Silvy seemed to be thinking, as if she really wanted to talk to me alone. She didn’t seem to have any intention of harming me.

“That’s right, first, can you tell me your name?”

She asked, but her emotionless voice didn’t seem interested. Was she just asking for confirmation?

It’s different from Takeshi-san’s time, but my tone of voice hasn’t changed. To Silvy, I’m just an ordinary idol, no different from anyone else. That’s why I can sense the enormity of Takeshi-san’s existence.

“Are you a reincarnator?”

She asks, but her tone suggests she’s certain.

“Ah, that’s correct. How did you know?”

It’s a mystery. This is the first time I’ve met Silvy, and she’s just been staring at me. That’s all it took for her to judge me as a reincarnator. I wonder how she knew.

“Mm. You reincarnators have souls that are different from ordinary people.”

“Souls?”

“Everything that exists in this world has only one soul. But you reincarnators have a distorted form, as if two souls are mixed together.”

“Two souls…”

If I believe Silvy, it means my past life’s soul and this life’s soul are mixed together. Can she see people’s souls? That’s why she was staring at me and Eclair.

“The brave warrior’s daughter was also a reincarnator. But she had some sort of constraint on her soul. I thought I could have a conversation with her, but it didn’t happen.”

So she immediately looked away from Eclair and stared at me. Eclair is also a reincarnator like me, but there’s a constraint. The constraint on her soul must be the reason.

“The one who created me was also a reincarnator.”

“Created?”

“You already know. I’m not an ordinary demon.”

“Undead…”

“I was created from the body of a dead demon. To be precise, I was born when they tried to revive the owner of that body.”

If Silvy’s words are true, then I was born as an unintended result. For reincarnators, the most desirable outcome is for the original owner of the body to be revived.

“The one who created me is Kobayashi. Kobayashi Ryujirou, to be exact.”

“Kobayashi…”

“He’s someone humans would despise. He’s also known as the ‘Principal’ and is one of the four heavenly kings, the father of demons.”