"Please wait a moment, as the Mages are gathered here."

As soon as they entered the castle, the two Young Lords headed to one side.

At the end was a place presumed to be a warehouse... and it was filled with Mages. Across from the Mages was an unidentified white hill, and the floor was engraved with countless unknown magic circles.

I couldn't figure out what the situation was.

"Attention for a moment. I have a favor to ask—"

"Huh? What, it's the Young Lord... Gasp! The Demon Knight!"

"What? The Demon Knight!?"

"The owner of the corpse?!"

But what was wrong with them? Were they starting up their passion to use me as a test subject?

"Wait, calm—!"

"Demon Kniiight!"

"Uwaaaah!"

I wondered why Young Lord Leon, who had a calm impression, was breaking character so much today. And why were the Mages acting like that? Amidst those contemplations, I lightly waved my hand.

CRASH!

Magic spears materialized in the air and slammed into the ground right in front of me like a fence. The Mages narrowly stopped in front of them.

"If you cross, I will kill you."

The Mages, who had skidded to a halt, lined up in perfect order at a proper distance. Their unity was truly like well-trained soldiers.

"Demon Knight!! Please share just a little bit of Biryuho's corpse!"

"No! I have no intention of shamelessly receiving it for free! I will pay a fair price, so please hand it over to me!"

"Demon Knight!!!"

"Sir Knight!!"

Of course, as soon as they opened up the distance, they began their collective monologue again. Though it was a little easier to understand their words now that there was a safe distance.

So I now understood that their interest was not in me. That was a relief. It was a relief, but.

Why were they looking for Biryuho's corpse from me?

I unconsciously looked at the two Young Lords.

"Ah, have you not been informed yet?"

Just then, the Young Lord of Ednium was being lifted—in a princess carry—by the Young Lord of Camberer, who had kicked and thrown the Mages.

"Um, there is nothing to be done about what was stolen by the demon, but the remaining corpse of Biryuho has fully been attributed to you, Demon Knight."

Although the Young Lord of Ednium's face had turned bright red, he gave a very diligent answer. Thanks to that, I could grasp the situation a bit. Even though the awkwardness hadn't completely disappeared.

Because speaking of Biryuho's corpse, wasn't it all stolen by the intruder?

And if it was left, why give it only to me? If we calculated the raid contribution, weren't there other people who should get a share?

"Everyone who participated in the subjugation declared themselves unqualified and gave up their rights. Therefore, everything has gone to you, Demon Knight, as your contribution was the greatest."

If there was a lucky thing for me, it was that the Young Lord of Camberer seemed to be a very perceptive person. If it wasn't for her, I would have only been guessing based on the mood.

"For reference, the corpse is over there, and thanks to the Archmage personally casting a magic spell on it, no one other than you, Demon Knight, can access the inside."

No wonder the warehouse that looked like nothing special was swarming with Mages. It was all because of Biryuho's corpse.

"Gasp, please just a single hair!"

"Kniiight!!"

Separately, the Archmage is a truly wise person.

A magic spell that prevents anyone but me from accessing it. If she hadn't cast that, Biryuho's corpse would have been stripped bare by now, with hairs being smuggled out one by one.

SSSSS!

Well, it wouldn't have meant much even if that happened.

"Y-Your hand!"

"Are you alright?"

I stared blankly at my half-palm glove crumpled by the heat, and the area of my palm that it couldn't cover.

Burn marks had been engraved without fail. It was also proof that I could absolutely never use this.

It seemed the Temple had completely purified it all once again... Of course, if I artificially corrupted it, I might be able to use it, but I didn't feel the need to go out of my way to do so.

Besides, most of it was flesh and organs, so what meaning would that hold? It wasn't like I was a chef who cooked monsters or an alchemist.

There were bones and skin too, but... I wasn't sure. If I was going to make a weapon out of bone, I'd have to carve it out of a solid piece of bone. But would a bone large enough to make a longsword really come from that thing?

In addition, what about the skin? The most that could be made out of leather was clothing.

And clothing... Setting aside whether clothes made of white tiger leather would fit my 'concept', they get torn and frayed so often that it's meaningless.

Just looking at the experiences I've had so far proves it. I occasionally bought and wore clothes to escape being someone with only one outfit, but other than the pajamas, none of them lasted a week.

I didn't think this would be much different. I don't know about trash mobs, but bosses seemed like they would tear this easily.

Furthermore, I rarely got hit by anything other than bosses. My track record showed as much. The only times I'd sustained heavy injuries from anything other than bosses were exactly two times—the Tatara sewers and near the waterfall in the Great Forest.

It was somewhat unfair that no class gear dropped again compared to how much I'd suffered... but I also wondered what meaning there was at this point.

"Which parts are valuable?"

Because it was true, wasn't it? Changing my equipment wouldn't change anything meaningfully.

"Pardon?"

"First, the claws and the tail..."

So there was only one conclusion I could make.

I'll sell it. My wallet happened to be empty anyway, so I had to cover it with something like this.

SLASH!

Of course, starting with paying a fair price to the Young Lords.

"Gasp!"

"R-Ruining it."

I cut off a front paw with the sword I always carried around. I didn't know how much this would be worth, but I believed it would be at least a million gal.

"It's a payment."

"..."

My hand tossed the front paw toward the Young Lord of Camberer. It was an action that forgot the fact that she was holding the Young Lord of Ednium.

So the next moment I thought 'oops'...

THUMP!

"Urgh!"

"Uwaah!"

The Young Lord of Camberer unhesitatingly threw the Young Lord of Ednium to the Mages and caught the tiger's front paw.

As expected of a giant tiger's front paw, she was almost completely covered by it.

"... Is it really okay for me to accept this?"

"I do not owe debts. Fulfill your task."

Strictly speaking, the one connecting me with the Lord of Bergart was Ednium... but they were lovers anyway. They were in a relationship where one would go to save the other even knowing their life would be in danger, so surely this wouldn't ruin their relationship.

"I will never forget this grace."

"No need."

And... I didn't give it solely as a brokerage fee for the Lord in the first place. There would still be victims remaining, so it also meant to use it as a subsidy for them. Though it wouldn't be that huge of an amount.

... Still, I couldn't give it all. Because I had a use for it now too. Helping others should be done after taking care of my own business. Right?

"Ah, right. You people over there. I have a favor to ask."

Setting that aside, the Young Lord properly proceeded with the task that brought me here. It wasn't even very difficult.

The moment she waved the tiger's front paw and said, "Who will help me contact another city," volunteers lined up.

It was an aside that the Young Lord of Ednium, who had been abandoned by his lover, was on the verge of tears.

* * *

"Uh, Boss... Boss?"

Meanwhile, pulling the time back a little to the point when the Demon Knight was just moving to the castle's warehouse with the two Young Lords.

The Deathbringer visited the Demon Knight's exclusive room, hugging a longsword he had prepared as both an apology and a gift—since the Demon Knight had broken his sword again. It was a longsword that the Archmage had chipped in money for and the Inquisitor and Berserker had used their discerning eyes to pick out.

"Why is there no presence..."

But for some reason, he couldn't feel a presence from inside the room. It was quite a baffling matter.

"Uh, Boss, I'm coming in?"

All sorts of thoughts filled his head from the single fact that there was no presence. The Deathbringer urgently opened the door and went in.

"H-He's gone..."

The blanket was messed up near the pillow, and the clothes were missing from the hanger. A scene that looked to anyone as if the owner had left unfolded before his eyes.

"Archmage!"

He immediately headed to the dining hall. It was in case he was there.

"... Are you saying the Demon Knight has disappeared!?"

But he wasn't here. Following the Deathbringer, the Archmage's complexion also darkened. Anyone would be bound to react that way if someone who woke up after eleven days disappeared without a word.

Not to mention the Demon Knight had been... lately.

"Have you checked the bathroom? He... quite likes washing up, doesn't he."

"Ah, I haven't checked there yet. If it's there, certainly..."

The Archmage recalled the person who had become noticeably less talkative since the subjugation battle of the Great Demon Moby Dick.

He hadn't been someone who talked much originally, but there was still a certain feeling.

Just like how there is a difference between a simple long distance and having a massive valley between that long distance.

"Ah, Archmage. I was just looking for... Yes? If it's the Knight, he finished his bath and left a long while ago."

But finding the missing person right away took priority over focusing on that point. The Archmage and the Deathbringer dropped their heads at the words of the Priest who was cleaning the bathroom.

Their guess was correct, but they were too late.

"Right. Uh, Archmage."

"Um, I don't know if I should say this, but I figured it would be better to say it."

"What is it?"

"There was light blood on the towel the Demon Knight used. If by chance his wounds have reopened..."

"... Thank you for telling me."

Let alone figuring out his next whereabouts, their worries only piled up more. They trudged away from that hallway.

"... Does the Boss really find me uncomfortable?"

"What reason would he have to find you uncomfortable."

"Because I... contracted with a demon..."

"It was a provisional contract, and one you were forced into at that. Above all, hasn't that been completely broken now? The restrictions have been completely lifted as well."

"That's true, but... the Boss hasn't heard about that yet. Up until we hunted Biryuho, he avoided talking with me."

The Archmage paused her words for a moment at the Deathbringer's statement. It was true that the Demon Knight had noticeably avoided the Deathbringer during the six days they spent searching for Biryuho before its subjugation.

Was that all? Even when she retraced the number of times she and the Inquisitor had conversed with the Demon Knight, it could be counted on one hand.

This was truly strange. No matter how taciturn the Demon Knight was, he had always tended to listen attentively to the Archmage's words at least.

"... At that time, it was likely just because he was confused."

But she couldn't let that show. The Archmage lamented over why conflicts were piling up instead of bonds being built as time went on, and she feigned a benevolent expression.

"Isn't it rare for one's values to change easily."

"..."

"Rather, I think you should focus more on the fact that he kept you alive despite being so confused, instead of him avoiding conversations with you."

"..."

"You know it too. If he truly considered you worthless, he would have cut you down with a single strike."

"... That's, true. He always says he'll leave me behind if I get in the way, but in reality, not even once..."

"He is someone who doesn't understand emotions well, never had the opportunity to learn, and doesn't try to know them himself."

Fortunately, the misunderstanding the young man had fell into the category of things she could clear up. The Archmage softly explained what she had felt.

"Indeed, if his goal is to oppose demons alone until the moment he dies, what value would emotions have for him? He only needs to hone and sharpen his anger and hatred toward demons."

"That's... right."

"Because of that, he cannot be genuine. Perhaps he doesn't even know his own feelings himself. He wouldn't have experienced or learned about them."

"..."

"So don't take it to heart too much. Both hatred and reluctance are ultimately emotions that come out because he is conscious of you. What is truly terrifying is indifference."

"... Is that your personal experience, Mage Boss?"

"It's similar."

She saw the Priest, who had said he would come tell her if he found out the Demon Knight's whereabouts, running over.

"Though in my case, it was love."

* * *

"A reply came asking if, despite the rudeness, you could spare 30 minutes unless it is a conversation that must be had immediately."

"I will wait."

"Yes."

Judging from my experience so far, the possibility of departing today endlessly converged to zero. So it didn't really matter how long it took.

So I closed my eyes in front of the tight-lipped and skilled Mage. Was it because it had become a situation I could no longer avoid?

My complicated feelings had mostly faded, and the things I needed to ask calmly came to mind.

When was the first time they saw me; what did it mean that my untraceable whereabouts were full of questions and speculations; when was the moment they first recognized the existence of the Demon Knight.

What the Demon Knight they saw in the past was like.

Truly, I had a lot of questions to ask.

"You are connected!"

"Uh, I will talk first."

And finally, the communication was established. Since we had called in the name of the Young Lord, the one to step up first was the Young Lord of Ednium.

—My, Young Lord of Ednium. I heard the news that you were safely rescued. It is a great blessing for Ednium.

"Thank you, Lord of Bergart."

—However, what is the reason for this sudden contact...? Do you perhaps need some help?

"Rather than help... I have a rather ambiguous favor to ask."

He logically explained that I had asked him to arrange a meeting.

Whether it was because I was a comrade of the Hero, or because of what I had accomplished, or perhaps because of the Demon Knight's past actions.

The Lord of Bergart readily accepted the conversation.

"Then I will take my leave."

Anticipating that a heavy conversation would come out, the Young Lord hurriedly left the seat.

—We officially meet. I am Julian, the Lord of Bergart. Honestly, I had hoped for a chance to have a proper conversation, but to think you would request it first. It is an honor.

Setting that aside, the Lord of Bergart did not stand much on formality, as if it were his natural personality.

It was actually better. This way, it would be easier for me to get what I wanted.

—So... what is the reason you requested a conversation with me?

"I have something to ask."

I whispered, chewing on every single syllable as if letting out a sigh or screaming.

"What you said at the meeting, I want to hear the story of that time in more detail."

—Uh... that was just all of it? You know it yourself.

"I have no memory of that time."

—Oh...

I had considered asking in a roundabout way while pretending to remember, but the information I could get from that was limited. Therefore, I decided to slightly change my direction.

The information I would gain from this was more valuable to me than the danger of having my 'concept' broken by this.

—The reason is...

"I don't think it's a question where I need to talk about my personal matters to get an answer."

—I suppose so, right?

The Lord of Bergart, Julian, laughed awkwardly.

—But it really isn't much. A demon appeared at the site where we had gone for combat practice, and just when the apprentice knights and instructors were dying off to that demon, you appeared and decapitated the demon, and that's it.

"What did I look like back then?"

—Uh, what you looked like?

Because it was a structure that only transmitted voices, I couldn't see the other party's appearance, but I could feel that Julian was a little flustered.

—Well, it isn't something to say in front of the person in question but... to be honest, it was a bit like that, you know?

"Exactly."

—Yes, you looked a bit like a crazy person. Your long hair was disheveled, your face couldn't really be seen because it was covered by your clothes and hair, and your whole body was soaked in blood and dirtily stained, and crucially, pitch-black magic power was rippling all over your body and blazing like a flame...

"What about my clothes, my attire?"

—Your clothes...? I can't remember well... For reference, it's not because I'm stupid, but because you were covering most of your body with a dirty and frayed cloak. The distance was also too far.

"Did you not see the inside at all?"

—... Hmm. Ah, it seemed like... an outfit of leather armor commonly worn by adventurers, now that I think about it.

At the same time, I was also bewildered.

The Demon Knight's past appearance described by Julian was remarkably similar to the official appearance of the Demon Knight.

In other words, it was not the appearance I had customized, but the default appearance given by the official game. An untrimmed long mane of hair, a shabby cloak, leather armor, and so on.

"... Did you see the hair color?"

—Hair color? Well? As I said before, the distance was too far... Wouldn't it have been the same as now? Unless you used dye.

"What about a conversation."

—Naturally, we couldn't have one. Because after decapitating the demon with a single strike, you completely ignored all of our shouts and went on your way. You didn't even show your face at the honorary investiture ceremony. Do you not remember this either?

I had just been curious if I had been wearing the same equipment back then as I was now. That was why I asked the question, but to think such an answer would return.

"... When was that?"

—Yep. I won't ask. More importantly, did you ask when it was?

But aside from my complicated feelings, a question still remained.

I asked when that incident had occurred.

Given that the Demon Knight's notorious name had spread even before I started my activities, I had kept in mind that the Demon Knight existed even before I started the game... but how many years it had been was quite important information.

Of course, because only then could I be certain of the time period I lost my memory, and also know the scope of what I needed to investigate.

—My father passed away that year... so it was two years ago. Yes, two years ago.

However, it wasn't as long ago as I thought. To think it was a mere two years ago.

... The Demon Knight in the official setting should have been active under the name of Demon Knight for at least over five years, though?

My mind became complicated.