"I understand the feeling of fearing death the most. I don't want to die either. But we're not here to threaten you just because we're stronger. So I won't tell you to just trust us blindly. Being deceived because of blind trust is foolish! But not trusting at all is also foolish! You should doubt. It's okay not to trust. But you should at least try to understand. You should check whether cooperating with us is beneficial or harmful. Don't just think about whether it's advantageous or disadvantageous for you! Without knowledge, you can neither cooperate nor oppose. My proposal is to show you a way of life other than being an assassin, something your daughter is already practicing."
With that outburst, I managed to silence him, though I was really just desperate.
If Marlis's information about me instantly becoming the Demon Lord upon dying was true, my reckless behavior would have been nothing but a nuisance. But for me, the fear of becoming the Demon Lord in less than ten days was far more terrifying than the fear of death.
I wanted to be freed from that terror.
When the man who was the head of the assassin guild fully accepted Saffron's proposal and decided to become a member of the intelligence agency established and led by Platanus, my role was completely over.
The effort to gather monsters for Cineraria also went very smoothly, with dungeon exploration centered around Shion and Amaranth being extremely successful.
With Prince Heath's ascenshion, the creation of Platanus as the chancellor and Cattleya as the marshal, and the other saintly sword wielders fulfilling their roles, the foundation for world domination centered around Shion was solidly in place.
Well, there's probably an unimaginable amount of work left to do from there, but I know they'll handle it effortlessly.
The only thing left was to see if I would truly become the Demon Lord after the days mentioned by Marlis passed.
The best-case scenario would be if everything she said was nonsense.
While I was fretting over this, my behavior apparently seemed odd even to Amaranth and Jasmine, who hadn't known me for long.
Suddenly entering my room, they said,
"On the day you persuaded the head of the assassin guild, your actions were unlike you, though the words themselves were impressive."
"It was against assassins. After Amaranth exterminated them, I could have just revived them with my healing sword."
Concerned for me, yet suggesting something so terrifying.
"The Heroine trusts you from the bottom of her heart, despite her recent dedication to sword practice with you. It's best not to worry her. Leave the dangerous tasks to us from now on. Fortunately, as long as I'm supplied with magical power from the Heroine, I can always fight at full strength. My hands are ready to be dirtied."
"I don't think there'll be a need for that. I just want you to protect Shion."
"Understood. But, Crow..."
Amaranth leaned in, still seated, gazing curiously at me.
"What?"
"When you were a child, have you ever met me?"
"Huh?"
As I froze, Jasmine, next to Amaranth, covered her mouth, exclaiming, "Oh my."
"Remember when our master, Zeranium, kidnapped many men and women, forcing them to have children in an attempt to artificially create offspring with a high compatibility rate with the divine swords?"
"...Yeah, I remember. It was disgusting."
"That's how I, who can wield both the Demon God Sword and the Rakshasa Sword, was born. Ever since learning that dreadful truth, I've started to recall my early childhood."
"Okay..."
"Crow, weren't you also an experimental subject born and raised in the same facility as me?"
"What?"
What's with that shocking backstory?
I couldn't possibly have such a dramatic past... wait, hold on.
After all, I am the Demon Lord.
It wouldn't be strange for me to have any kind of past.
However, I have absolutely no memory of my childhood.
As I tilted my head in confushion,
"Well, well, well...! Then, are you two childhood friends? What are your ages?"
"I'm eighteen."
"Me too."
"Oh my! A reunion of childhood friends of the same age? How fateful!"
"Hold on. The world can't be that small, can it? I don't remember anything like that?"
As Jasmine excitedly speculated, I tried to dampen her enthusiasm.
However, Amaranth continued to gaze at me,
"I'm certain of it. When I was young, I met and played with a boy who looked very much like you, with black eyes and black hair."
"There are plenty of kids with black eyes and black hair. Besides, if it was a facility where they gathered men and women with high compatibility with the divine swords to have children, why would I, who can't use any saintly sword, be born there?"
"That black-eyed, black-haired boy was said to be the worst student the facility had ever seen, complained about by all the adults around."
"Uh..."
Suddenly, the boy they were talking about felt eerily similar to me.
Well, there's no way to confirm it.
"It's a coincidence. Just someone who looks similar, right?"
"No... Lately, your facial expresshion has come to closely resemble that of the boy from back then."
"So you're saying it's a coincidence that someone looks similar..."
"The darkness emanating from behind... The bottomless darkness visible in the depths of the eyes... Back then, even as a young child, I could feel an indescribable pressure emanating from the boy as he sat silently. The atmosphere around you now reminds me of that boy."
"...And how did you part ways with him?"
"Hmm. Perhaps because he was too inferior, he was decided to be killed off and disappeared from the facility one day. Well, it was commonplace for people to disappear from that facility."
"Then it's definitely a different person! Besides, how could you forget being in such a place?"
As I reflexively retorted in my usual manner, Jasmine, who had been looking on as if watching something heartwarming, suddenly grabbed me by the collar to stand me up and whispered,
"It's quite normal to erase too painful memories from the past... Amaranth had abnormally poor memory, but that might have been due to past trauma, causing a loss of the ability to remember anything... Such critical remarks should be refrained from."
With that, she whispered something entirely reasonable into my ear.
Indeed, that's true.
Perhaps I lacked consideration a bit.
Well, I don't have any peace of mind right now, anyway.
"No, it's nobody's fault that I'm forgetful. Don't worry about it."
Perhaps sensing our thoughts, Amaranth spoke with nonchalance.
I had thought he wasn't originally a bad person, but Amaranth, having left Zeranium's service, seems significantly less malicious.
Although there are times when he, along with Sinelaria and Jasmine, exudes the intimidating presence he had when we were enemies, that kind of oppressive atmosphere seems to have completely vanished.
"So, how did you figure that child who was supposed to be killed off was me?"
"Hmm. That child wasn't killed. Instead, one of the facility's staff took him away, so I thought he was still alive. I never imagined we would meet again."
"That staff member who took him was named Hawk. I remembered his name because he was very caring."
"…!"
"Do you recall that name, Hawk?"
"No…"
I denied it impulsively.
Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to affirm.
"Hmm. It's a childhood story, after all. It could very well be my misunderstanding."
"It's not likely a misunderstanding. Such a story is more romantic, isn't it? I love such tales."
"I don't see what's so pleasing to Jasmine, but if you like it, then that's fine."
"Ah… If only a love story could start from this, it would be ideal… but Crow already has a partner in the hero, so it seems to end in disappointment. Well, it's said that first loves between childhood friends never come to fruition, doesn't it?"
"First love? What on earth is Jasmine talking about?"
While Amaranth and Jasmine were getting excited, my world had turned completely dark.
Do I recognize the name Hawk?