"Sniff."

"Sniff."

After crying and yelling for a long time, digging themselves into holes, and filling the graves they dug for each other with the dirt from their own useless efforts, did they finally break even?

They had a moment of profound realization of reality. The rushing sense of embarrassment and shame was a bonus.

"... Don't blame yourself too much, softie."

"... The same goes for you. You are an important person."

However, even amid the awkwardness, they were able to gain a slight sense of relief and catharsis.

They stood up, brushing off the emotions they had unexpectedly poured out.

"Proxy..."

"The bond with your comrade... is so beautiful."

"It's heartwarming..."

"Young people, honestly."

And with that, what awaited them now were the lukewarm gazes of the people.

Both of their faces turned bright red again.

"Waaaaaah!!"

The first to take action was the Deathbringer, who had unintentionally laid all his inner thoughts bare.

"I don't think you need me here, so I'm going to go check on the Young Lord!!"

"Y-You!!"

He immediately abandoned his initial goal of grasping the situation.

Of course, behind that choice was the fact that the cleanup had begun while they were raising their voices, and that the Demon Knight's complexion had improved as if the antidote was slowly taking effect.

In other words, considering all that, he realized at once that he wasn't needed and chose to flee.

It was an undeniably shrewd move.

"If y-you just run away by yourself!"

However, the Inquisitor could not do the same. She wasn't as nimble as that traitor, and crucially, she had a reason why she couldn't leave this place.

"The purification of the forest..."

"Perhaps we should give the Hero some time to rest..."

"I-I will do it. I can do it."

There remained a task that only she could do.

With a face as red as a tomato, the Inquisitor began to scatter radiant light.

"My, my. This was certainly unexpected... but it's a relief it burst out now."

Meanwhile, the Archmage, who had watched the entire spectacle, could not hide a pleased smile.

Indeed, the current situation had been one where she felt something was wrong but couldn't even lend a hand because she didn't know what it was. For it to resolve itself like this.

She could only call it a stroke of luck.

"Even as I age, I'm still so clumsy in the ways of the world..."

How wonderful it would be if one could naturally acquire wisdom as they grew older. However, worldly matters, especially matters between humans, were ever so difficult.

This was the case even though she thought her understanding of people had deepened a little right after that incident.

"If I knew this would happen, I should have wandered outside the Magic Tower during my youth."

Having lived among humans who were only enthusiastic about magic formulas, she sometimes couldn't follow the thinking of ordinary young people.

The Archmage felt regretful about that fact every time something like this happened.

If she had experienced more people and known more humans, she could have helped those young people wander less.

"If I had..."

Perhaps, just perhaps, she might have known how to set the person known as the Demon Knight straight.

She felt sorrowful as she recalled her last attempt, which had failed spectacularly. She had thought it was a fairly good method, but she never expected to suffer such a miserable defeat.

That was the first time she had felt the lack of child-rearing experience so painfully. Well, actually, she experienced it quite often.

It was a thought that would make anyone who heard it sigh and say, 'Isn't that because a desk-bound scholar tried to perform psychological therapy, which isn't even her specialty, that things turned out that way?'

"... No, what would really be helpful might be the other side."

However, her thoughts on that didn't last long. It was because the research she had burned with her own hands came to mind.

But that, more than anything, was the most meaningless action.

It had been too long to regret that matter.

"More importantly, you."

"..."

"Berserker?"

"... Hm? Did you call me?"

"Yes, I called you."

Clinging onto things that had already happened for a long time was a true waste of time.

The Archmage raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at the Berserker, whose reactions were slower than usual.

Just as she thought the issues with the two youngest ones were resolved, now this one was the problem.

It was an inescapable cycle of looking after them.

"Is there a problem?"

However, that was precisely why she was part of this journey. The Archmage probed the Berserker a little more.

"No."

"Then why don't you get some rest."

Through her experiences with the Demon Knight, she had somewhat learned the trick to figuring out the inner thoughts of people like that.

You shouldn't ask these types directly. You have to ask them subtly.

"The Berserker is perfectly fine."

"But didn't you fight Biryuho?"

"Hah, that was a fight? A Norda warrior does not call such a thing a fight. That was a hunt."

Still, yes. Even if she had learned the trick, getting the answer wasn't easy.

"A failed hunt."

The Archmage's eyes grew obscure.

"Still, thanks to you blocking the intruder at the end, the damage was..."

"Mage, open your eyes properly. I didn't block them."

"... Just because you lost them doesn't mean what you did was meaningless."

"That is not what the Berserker means... Hah, forget it."

In the midst of this, the exact same thing happened as when the words, 'Do not be indignant, it is not your fault,' were exchanged. The Berserker, who had been about to say something, ultimately shut her mouth.

"If it's not that, then what is it?"

"The Mage does not need to know. It is the Berserker's problem."

Knowing that would make it easier to understand the Berserker. She had an intuition about it, but she wouldn't be hearing the answer.

The Berserker maintained her silence until the very end despite several questions. It was an effective way of evading conversation.

"I understand. But if it becomes a problem, tell me anytime."

Pressing further here would likely backfire. Making that judgment, the Archmage dropped the conversation.

"Archmage."

"... What is it?"

Then, another person approached this time.

It was the Mage who had taken over the Demon Knight's treatment, being more proficient in healing magic than her.

"The preparations to move the Demon Knight are complete."

"That's a relief. Is he alright?"

"Thanks to the antidote taking effect, it didn't reach a critical stage. He just needs to rest."

Fortunately, it seemed the Demon Knight's condition hadn't worsened.

She took her eyes off the barrier construction process she had been supervising—meant for Biryuho's corpse, which only had its torso left—and turned toward the Demon Knight.

She looked at the knight, who was lying quietly on the burnt ground where ash fluttered in the wind.

"Because of that, we would like to transport him to the Temple in Ednium for a safer environment..."

He was just being loaded onto a stretcher.

"Um, Archmage?"

"... Do that."

However, the sight of him being moved looked so much like a black-and-white painting.

While giving her answer to the person from the Temple, she found herself recalling old masterpieces in the back of her mind.

Was it really right to think of classics and ancient texts while looking at a perfectly living person? Was it right to compare things that looked ready to crumble from age at any moment to that young man? Such fleeting questions arose before quickly fading away.

It was because someone from the Temple's side approached this time.

"Have you come to report on the tracking situation?"

"Yes. However... it seems we will likely lose them. They say they will keep looking a bit more, but..."

"I never saw a high chance of success from the start, so tell them there is no need to blame themselves. Tell them not to push themselves too hard, either."

"They said they want to search just a little longer, so I will have them return after doing just that."

"Do so."

The opponent was an entity presumed to be a Great Demon. Even if they weren't, given the level of martial prowess and preparation they displayed, there was no way they would have carelessly left traces behind.

Therefore, rather than feeling disappointed over the tracking failure, the Archmage weighed the repercussions this would bring.

Would an incident where a Great Demon resurrects happen again like this time? Or would a stronger demon be born by absorbing that power, just like Biryuho did?

Either way, it wasn't exactly good news. Either way, the Demon Knight and the Hero would be able to handle it, but they too would have to bear the damage.

"... Is the evacuated Young Lord alright?"

"A mob presumed to be citizens of Ednium swarmed in and caused a disturbance, but before we could even step in, the Young Lord of Camberer stepped forward and subdued them all."

"... Are they really alright?"

"The Young Lord of Camberer is perfectly fine without any injuries. The Young Lord of Ednium has also been treated for demonic energy corruption and has declared that he will resolve this issue on his own, so there doesn't seem to be any room for it to develop into a major problem."

"If so, that's a relief."

The Archmage wondered who on earth the idiots that caused the disturbance were, but she didn't ask further.

If they resolved it themselves, then that was enough. There was no reason for them to interfere that far.

"The barrier is complete!"

"It seems the work on this side is finished too. Now we just have to wait for the forest to be purified."

"I'm worried that we are placing too much of a burden on the Proxy."

"It can't be helped. It would be a disaster if the toxic energy rode the wind to the towns, wouldn't it."

If not for that, they would have prioritized purifying Biryuho's corpse. To prevent it from being stolen by a demon like just now.

"It would take too long with the Priests' divine power."

"I am deeply ashamed."

"It is not your fault. I, too, am part of this journey, yet haven't I failed to accomplish anything?"

Of course, even right now, not only the Inquisitor but also many Priests who had rushed here were working.

However, as just mentioned, the difference in ability was too severe. To the point where it would be faster for the Inquisitor to purify the entire forest and return here than for dozens of Priests to purify Biryuho's corpse.

"Irreplaceable abilities are so exhausting."

In the end, the Archmage could not help but sigh at that point.

Why didn't God make everyone save the world together?

Why did he make only a small number of people bear everyone's burdens?

"There are so many hands capable of bearing the weight."

If that power had been given to everyone, they alone wouldn't have had to push themselves so hard.

Such were her laments.

* * *

Fortunately, the rest of Biryuho's corpse was not stolen.

It was thanks to the lack of additional attacks until the Inquisitor had purified half of the Great Demon's corruption.

Thus, the Inquisitor comfortably burned away the demonic energy, and now all that remained was the massive tiger's corpse.

"Gasp!"

"What is the matter?"

"What's the problem now, softie?"

At that point, the Inquisitor realized one problem.

"I-If it's like this, won't the Demon Knight be unable to use this...?"

"... Oh."

"Damn."

Since the Demon Knight could craft equipment with this, she should have left a little bit of demonic energy behind.

Realizing her mistake, the Inquisitor fell into a sense of self-reproach once again.

"I-I've been a burden again..."

"No, this is something no one knew, so..."

"... But can you even make anything with this in the first place?"

"S-Shoes, bags, gloves... You can make all sorts of leather products, can't you."

"T-That's true, but isn't the Boss always blowing up his clothes while fighting? I don't think he'd use them because they'd be inconvenient unless there's an automatic repair magic cast on them."

Desperate comfort and excuses followed so that her barely bolstered self-esteem wouldn't drop.

"By the way, won't there be an issue with distribution if it's like this?"

"Is there anything to distribute when the Demon Knight practically hunted it by himself?"

"No, the Temple went through a lot of trouble to pinpoint Biryuho's location, and there are people who suffered damage too. Though compensating for the damage isn't our responsibility."

However, the issue that was barely put to rest led to another problem. Who gets the remaining corpse? It was a rather important matter.

"Taking down Biryuho was entirely the merit of the Proxy and your comrades, so our city will not dare covet it."

However, unlike the time in the west, the distribution went smoothly.

Back then, there was providing a ship, providing soldiers, and all sorts of things, but now there was no room for them to butt in like that.

In fact, if they were to look into the details, there were many areas where they would have to pay instead. Therefore, Ednium and Camberer never claimed any stake for themselves.

It was the moment Biryuho's corpse became entirely the property of the Hero's party. Even then, the Demon Knight's share was well over half.

"The Berserker will refuse. I have no right to receive it."

"I'm also..."

"I, too... have the responsibility of failing to protect the other half."

"I am not so shameless as to demand a share either, but... Inquisitor, didn't we agree that thought process was wrong."

Going beyond just taking half the share, it ultimately became the Demon Knight's monopoly. It was what happened because everyone gave up their rights.

"Though he won't be able to use it because of the purification effect."

"... A-As expected, I."

"Ah, damn it, don't get teary-eyed! You're not that kind of character!"

"I did it again..."

"Because I'm at fault!!"

Of course, whether this would mean anything to the Demon Knight was still unknown.

If he couldn't even hold it, it would ultimately be nothing more than trash to him.