"Just out of curiosity, what kind of person is the Demon Lord?"
"What? All of a sudden?"
Holly floated beside me, looking puzzled.
"That's because I'm curious. The only ones who have seen the Demon Lord directly are the hero and you, right? So, you're the only one who knows what the Demon Lord looks like. I'd naturally want to ask."
"Well, I suppose... but the Demon Lord's appearance, huh?"
While watching Shion and Amaranth's practice, Holly narrowed her eyes.
"...Throughout my time serving many heroes and fighting the Demon Lord, I've never felt as calm as I do now."
"Huh?"
I was taken aback by her response, which seemed unrelated to my question, causing my voice to crack.
"Every time, there were countless casualties, and the hero's journey was always shrouded in a grim atmosphere. In a world on the brink of destruction, heroes and their companions, having lost family, friends, lovers, gathered many allies and sympathizers on their journey to find the Demon Lord's stronghold... It was a series of sorrows."
"Ah."
"Look, Crow. The strongest hero in history, and saintly sword wielders who can match the hero in strength. Plus, all saintly sword wielders, except for the Timeflow Sword, are gathered. It's the first time a hero's party has been this well-equipped. And yet, the Demon Lord hasn't even revived."
"Ah."
I gathered most of them, though.
Also, at one point, all of them tried to kill me.
Looking back, the fact that all the saintly sword wielders once fought me makes sense if you consider that I'm the Demon Lord. It feels like a strangely fitting coincidence.
"It's like we've gathered the entire party right at the start, and everyone's already at max level. It's almost like cheating. The game's set to easy mode."
"...I have no idea what you're talking about after a while..."
"Well, essentially, we were feeling invincible against any Demon Lord that might appear, and then you brought up the topic of the Demon Lord."
"Ah."
"The Demon Lord changes slightly in appearance and abilities with each revival, which is quite peculiar."
Not that they're reviving, but a different person becomes the Demon Lord each time, so of course, there would be variations in appearance and abilities.
"Well, if you're talking about the Demon Lord's characteristics, they usually have horns on their head, wings on their back, and their overall shape is somewhat human."
Uh-oh. Am I going to grow horns and wings?
That definitely won't suit me.
Though, I doubt horns and wings would look good on anyone.
"Also, they're covered in black mist, so it's hard to make out their face. You can see something like a silhouette of a doll."
That's a relief.
So, when Shion and Holly face the Demon Lord, they won't realize its true identity.
I'll just become a man who disappeared from the world after the Demon Lord is defeated.
And neither Shion nor Holly will realize they killed me.
Good, good.
"Ah, there you are. I've been looking for you, Crow."
While I was feeling relieved at Holly's explanation, someone called out from behind me.
Wearing a triangular hat and a cloak.
It was Cineraria, carrying a large scythe on her back.
I still can't get used to her just casually talking to me.
"Hey, Crow. I've got something I want to discuss with you?"
"What is it?"
"The monsters I had under my control as a horde, they've all been wiped out, right? I'm thinking of going out to look for a new horde soon."
"Ah..."
That's right, in the battle with Geranium, both the dragon and the minotaur zombie that Cineraria had made part of her horde were annihilated.
Being boss monsters from the deepest part of the dungeon, they were a significant force.
Moreover, unlike the saintly sword wielders, since they were originally corpses, they could be ruthlessly used in heinous strategies as disposable pawns or decoys.
Without those two, I wouldn't be alive.
"Indeed, it would be good to bolster Cineraria's horde."
"Right? Especially something that can fly and is large. It'd be convenient for moving around."
Cineraria's power with the Nether Sword allows her to turn defeated monsters into her horde. This ability, if maximized, might be the most potent and versatile among all the saintly swords.
Controlling a diverse and formidable horde of monsters at will is akin to being a Demon Lord.
However, without her horde, she becomes just another saintly sword wielder with enhanced physical abilities and a scythe, lacking any distinct features.
"So, you want to look for a dungeon?"
"That's the idea, but we've lost our means of flight. I wanted to borrow the Pegasus Sword, but Platanus says we'll need it soon, so it's a no-go."
Probably, Platanus has some chancellor duties that require traveling far, soon.
However, given the current situation with the Demon Lord's revival just ten days away, enhancing Cineraria's forces seems more critical.
Having a way to fly without relying solely on the Pegasus Sword is reassuring.
"Cineraria, shall we go dungeon hunting together?"
"Really? You sure?"
"Let's go look for strong monsters. Since I can no longer guide through the dungeons, we'll need to take Shion with us."
"Eh? Oh, right. The spirit that used to guide through the dungeons is now always with the hero, right?"
"That's right. But Shion doesn't seem to like the Pegasus Sword much, so I'll carry everyone. Let's fly together and search for dungeons."
As I spoke with Cineraria, Holly beside us looked utterly bored.
Since Holly is invisible to everyone but Shion and me, she has no choice but to stay silent while we talk to others.
"You're quick to decide. Then, shall we invite Jasmine as our healer?"
"Having Amaranth with us would be good too. She and Shion make the strongest duo."
For some reason, Cineraria frowned at that moment.
"Aren't you being a bit too careless?"
"Eh?"
"I mean, I don't intend to be hostile now, but taking just us three and the hero on a long trip? Haven't you thought about what we'd do if we were betrayed along the way?"
"I haven't thought about it, no."
"Why not? We were trying to kill each other just a short while ago."
"I trust you."
"Huh? Why would you..."
"There was no sign of betrayal when we were enemies."
"No, no! I distinctly remember betraying Geranium to join you guys!?"
"That was because Geranium wasn't really one of us, right? You three were always a team, always helping each other out. That's why you were so tough."
"A strong trio becoming allies makes me feel reassured. Is that strange?"
"Not really... Just don't casually say you trust women. You're such a naive kid."
"Ah."
"Well, as long as my horde gets replenished, I'm good. For now, you'll have to silence Platanus since he's going to make a fuss."
"Right. I'll explain the situation to the others who'll be joining us. I'll talk to Platanus."
Saying that, I got up from the bench to look for Platanus, and Holly looked at me with a puzzled expresshion.
"It's unusual for you to be so proactive, Crow."
It's not that unusual.
It's just that now is the only time I can do anything.
So, I relayed Cineraria's suggestion to Platanus, who was in his office,
"I cannot agree."
Platanus, signing a massive stack of documents at breakneck speed, said this without even looking at me.
"To allow the human race's treasures, Hero Shion and yourself, to act alongside such a trio is something I absolutely cannot approve of."
Platanus continued his paperwork without pausing our conversation, working through the documents at an intimidating pace.
And calling me a treasure of humanity, along with Shion...
"Crow, you really don't discriminate when it comes to women. Always ready to whisk them away in a carriage pulled by the Pegasus Sword."
The one making this utterly disrespectful remark was Saffron, lounging on a sofa in the office.
It seems Saffron had sneaked into the office not to assist with Platanus's work but to avoid her maid duties. She's slept in my room before, too, still as unguarded as ever.