Chapter 45
I greeted Leticia briefly as she entered through the door.
“Are you here?”
“…Yes.”
“It ended quicker than I thought. I expected it to take longer.”
Just as Leticia, taken aback by Charlotte’s playful smirk that could annoy anyone watching, let out a faint chuckle, Leo, who was next to her, grumbled.
“I’m sorry it ended so quickly. I guess as your friend, I don’t count because your girlfriend is right in front of you?”
“You’ve got your wives right here. If you need comfort, ask them.”
“Is that all our friendship is worth? I’m really hurt, honestly.”
“What’s with the dramatics…?”
Seeing Leo blatantly show his hurt feelings, I took a step back with a sigh.
Even if his gender changed, Leo was still Leo. To be fair, I was the same, but a person’s personality doesn’t just change when their gender does. There’s no need to change one’s character just because their appearance has changed.
“Why be so difficult? And comfort from a wife and a friend is clearly different… Wait, why do you both look like that?”
Why indeed. It was because he showed me immediate attention while giving neither of them a shred of consideration.
I smirked at Irina and Chloe, who were giving Leo sour looks. I never thought I’d see the day when the two who were most madly in love with Leo would make those faces.
“They’ve changed, both of them.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“They say love and marriage are different; should I take that into account?”
“You don’t need to. It’s all Leo’s fault.”
“That’s right. It’s all Leo’s fault.”
Why is it my fault?!
With even his wives siding with me, Leo, who felt wronged, shouted in frustration, with no one on his side. The pout that came from his distress was quite entertaining.
Maybe it’s because he was originally a beautiful girl. Knowing that the person inside him is the hero Leo still surprises me sometimes.
I looked at Leo with a slightly perplexed expression and said,
“Don’t make that face.”
“What are you talking about?!”
“It’s quite a disconnect to see Leo Starfield making that face while knowing he’s a boy inside. It’s just strange, you know?”
In response to that, Leo gave a bewildered expression as if he had been slapped by someone.
Even when he was a guy, I didn’t know this, but he certainly had girls blushing and swooning around him. In the western kingdom, even a proud noble lady, known for her beauty, blushed at him and proposed to him first, so I guess he always had the looks.
That charm hasn’t faded now that he’s a girl due to a curse. Perhaps he’s better off for it.
As I gazed at Leo’s face intently, he blushed and stammered,
“W-what? Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?”
“Honestly, you should’ve been born a girl. Since your body changed and there’s nothing wrong with it, how about living as a woman for your whole life?”
“Don’t say ridiculous things!”
“What’s ridiculous about it?! I’m stuck in a guy’s body for life and you’re the only one who wants to live on as a girl?!”
“You weren’t cursed and you became a girl, so it’s all your fault! Who knows? Maybe Damian Redius has secretly always wanted to be a girl!”
“Shut up!”
I don’t have such a preference!
“Please, both of you stop.”
Chloe, unable to bear it anymore, pressed her forehead with a tired expression and quelled us both.
If someone were to say she looked like a mother scolding two five-year-old children, it wouldn’t be a lie. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I covered my slightly reddened cheeks with my palm while I glanced at Rumania, who appeared intrigued.
“Sorry. But it’s all Leo’s fault. His face and inside are completely different.”
“And you’re the same? Inside you’re a dark guy but you’re pretending to be a pretty girl… Wait. What’s with those expressions from both of you?”
Leo, who was refuting my words with a scoff, looked back at his wives with a horrified expression, but received no response.
I smiled playfully, raising my eyebrows.
“Oh, so you’re getting bold enough to flirt in front of your wives, Leo.”
“…Please don’t say disgusting things. Your face is my type, but that’s all it is. Ugh, I really don’t want you two to get involved with her! I just think she’s pretty, it doesn’t mean anything! You know that?”
“Yes, Leo. We believe in you, like we always have. Right, Irina?”
“Of course. If I don’t trust Leo, who will?”
Both of them really have no soul in their answers.
As Leo became flustered by their indifferent responses, the atmosphere lightened thanks to him, and everyone wore lighter smiles. Even Rumania, who had been wearing a heavy expression while considering what lay ahead, looked a bit lighter than before.
“…Thanks, both of you.”
Seeing Leo’s face, which didn’t genuinely express gratitude, brought a strange smile to both of them. In that vibe, Leticia, who had been silently observing, clapped her hands to get our attention.
“Let’s wrap up the fun and get to the main topic… Tepes. Is that alright?”
“The curse that Ah Hero is under is quite interesting, but it’s fine. We can look into that later. After all, that was the purpose of our visit.”
At Leticia’s inquiry, Rumania shrugged, indicating we could speak anytime. Leticia glanced at me briefly and then turned her attention back to the demon captured in the office chair, relaying the information extracted from it.
One by one, as the truths flowed from Leticia’s mouth, our expressions changed moment by moment. Only Leo, who had heard the information first, listened to Leticia’s story with a blank expression.
It wasn’t particularly shocking news. Everyone present had expected such a result, so while their faces bore a complex array of emotions, they didn’t express anything out loud.
After hearing the entire story, Irina sighed and spoke up.
“In summary, our objective is neither the collapse of the Academy nor taking down the imperial capital, but simply a declaration of war.”
“That’s right. It’s just a captive’s story, so we can’t trust it completely, but most of it should be correct.”
“We have a teleportation spell that allows us to invade the Academy’s airspace in an instant, which means we can breach the imperial capital anytime. Am I right? It’s honestly ridiculous.”
Are those guys really thinking of starting the Second Human-Mazoku War? I sat down on the sofa with a perplexed expression and sighed.
“Moreover, if they draw not just humans but other races into the conflict this time, it might really be a war that decides the fate of the world.”
If they get things wrong, they’re hoping for a war that could lead to the world’s destruction. Those who view Mazoku as the highest beings and humans as inferior races are seriously thinking of dragging other races into the war.
“That’s troubling.”
During the last war between humans and Mazoku, the other races that were dragged in against their will ended up despising both sides.
Just as we humans scorned the Mazoku, to them, we were just a virus disrupting the world.
When you think about it, elves are also another race. Yet they remain unusually quiet. They are inherently a reclusive race that lives hidden in the forests, and having formed an alliance with humans, they might not appreciate seeing other races like beastmen or spirits wanting to exterminate humans and Mazoku.
After all, the elven princess from the party that killed the Demon King married the hero, so wouldn’t she hold any hostile feelings toward humans…?
Suddenly, I glanced at Irina. Noticing my gaze, she wore a look of disbelief.
“The elves won’t participate in such a foolish war. What on earth do they think is a war that decides the fate of the world? It’s absurd. Would they really want such a war that can destroy the world?”
No one hastily answered Irina’s question about wanting a war despite being aware of its horrors. Even Rumania, who had been vague about the deaths of others, maintained her silence.
She too wasn’t too different, having lost something precious in that war.
I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again and looked at Rumania.
“Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, what’s important now is that we’ll do our utmost to track down Ryuren and the organization he belongs to.”
“Thanks.”
They say an enemy’s enemy is a friend. I never thought I would ally with the Mazoku.
Especially to capture Mazoku.
I had promised to never ally with them under any circumstances, yet here we are.
I extended my hand to Rumania, chuckling lightly.
“Alright, that’s enough.”
Leticia, with a displeased look, dropped the hand held by Rumania and glared at him. Leo could only click his tongue at Leticia’s behavior of pulling it into her embrace as if it were a snack she had licked, while Rumania merely smiled.
“Isn’t a handshake acceptable?”
“If Charlotte knew from the beginning that it was Damian, what nerve to act so shamelessly, you scheming vixen.”
“Excuse me. I’m purely interested in that fellow named Charlotte.”
“Pure? That’s a zero percent chance of purity. Your eyes are impure. So, take that gaze away.”
Is she aware that Leo’s group is also here? Even though I keep signaling to notice the odd looks from the three of them, the duo continues to behave defensively without meaning.
Just as I was about to intervene again, the door burst open, and someone gasped, a frantic male voice rang out.
“Big trouble, Sage! A dungeon has appeared in the allied kingdoms, including the Empire!”
“What…?”
A dungeon that had vanished after the defeat of the former Demon King had reappeared.