The Fake Saintess and the Elf Warrior

"this....."

She wanted to ask more, but after answering the previous question, Malya only shifted her eyes guiltily and didn't speak again. It was clear she was saying, "I've told you everything I know." Tatiya was unsure whether to press further...

Malya felt deeply guilty for lying to Taqia, who had been kind to her, and for deliberately concealing part of the truth.

However, this was also a request that Naka had specifically instructed her to make before she left... no, rather, a request.

"Don't let anyone else know I was here... especially not Tatia..."

...Because of this, Malyajie nodded in agreement. Even if it was forced upon her, she tried, for the first time in her life, to utter a false statement that she didn't intend to harm.

Yes, even if Naka herself didn't explain it, Malyajie could predict the reason.

Naka and Tatya have decided to spend their lives together, never to be separated. Tatya hates the Demon King, and Naka has realized her past mistakes and wants to use the rest of her life to make amends to Tatya and her daughter, and to save more people... Therefore, even if Naka didn't ask for that, Maya, who clearly understands this, would never reveal that Naka is the Demon King.

All this was so that before the inevitable "retribution" befell Naka, everyone could enjoy as much of the remaining happiness as possible...

Even if it is both brief and not entirely real.

"Hey! Are you guys alright?!"

By this time, the people from the previous rooms had also arrived. Lucia and Ruri, supporting the terrified Pais, gathered in the last room. Upon entering, Ruri exclaimed in surprise at the mostly destroyed room, "Wow! This is terrible!"

Like Tatia, Ruri and Pais were both amazed and incredibly relieved that Malya had managed to escape death from the Demon King. Although the journey had been long and arduous, the five of them had achieved their goal without a single loss of life.

Compared to something so delightful, other doubts seem less important.

Finally, Mayajie stroked Maya's face in her arms and bowed solemnly to the four people before her, expressing her gratitude for their righteous decision and actions.

"Miss Pais, Miss Tatia, Miss Ruri, and Miss Lucis... I will never forget your kindness in saving Xiao Ai this time!"

"...Haha, anyway, it's good that you're alright."

"Hahaha! Don't be so formal! My little princess! You managed to come back alive from in front of that demon king; you can brag about that for the rest of your life!"

Pais and Ruri each reluctantly accepted this somewhat strange ending in their own ways, but there was no better one.

Tatia reluctantly accepted this explanation. After all, during their last battle in the cave, the Demon King had unexpectedly spared Tatia and Meera. Tatia admitted she couldn't possibly fathom what that guy was thinking.

However, what Tatia gained more than this was finally understanding her own position and realizing that she was not a strong person who could take revenge on the Demon King or even the general who had been ordered to do so.

After defeating Diaz, Tatia thought she was strong enough. Dealing with ordinary monsters and adventurers was a given, and she even felt that with a little more effort, defeating the Demon King was only a matter of time... After that, she became somewhat arrogant and conceited.

But this operation taught Tatia a cruel lesson.

"Miracles" are simply not something to be relied upon. Even if a miracle were to occur again, she would still be a very, very long way from avenging her country and her compatriots... She had simply been spared by the Demon King once more. Perhaps in the Demon King's eyes, she was still just an insignificant being, not a threat to be eliminated, someone who didn't even consider her a threat...

"Gurgle..."

Amidst the cheerful atmosphere, she silently clenched her fists. Her fingernails dug slightly into the skin of her palms, sending a pang of pain through her.

That was both resentment and regret, and also a wake-up call that Taqia was sounding for herself.

"............"

Only Lucy remained silent throughout, watching the ending that had long been predetermined in her heart.

Even if she didn't come, she would have known long ago that Ma'eryajie wouldn't die...

However, Maya's rescue further confirmed Lucia's suspicions before she arrived here.

This also makes the words of "the person who leaked the classified documents to him" seem more credible and real...

But that wasn't a good thing for Lucy.

So, among everyone present, she was the only one standing at the very back, her brow furrowed in worry when no one was looking...

"His Majesty...."

After leaving the teleportation magic circle, Udoni and the other monsters returned to the central prison.

After dismissing his subordinates who had participated in the operation, Udoni returned to his office alone. Sure enough, as soon as he opened the door, he saw the figure of a human girl with short silver hair.

Udoni hurriedly knelt down to pay his respects to the figure and reported on the battle situation.

"As Your Majesty instructed, we successfully delayed their advance without harming any of them. Even after the elven girl displayed her strange powers, I still prevented her from approaching the door... Your Majesty, I humbly request your permission..."

He felt that he and his men had done their jobs as best they could, following orders and suppressing their urges to attack and retaliate. This was truly remarkable for a monster that mostly acted on its killing instincts.

That's why Udoni couldn't understand the words the Demon King used when he ordered them to retreat.

"...Why did you say 'it failed'...?"

If there was anyone he had overlooked, it was only a human girl who possessed absolutely no combat ability. The Demon King had specifically instructed him not to pay attention to the two people besides Tatya, regardless of their intentions. Even if she escaped to the last room, it was guarded by the Demon King—the absolute and infallible final line of defense. The possibility of that human girl defeating the Demon King was undoubtedly 0%.

But the Demon King said that she had failed.

Udoni was filled with confusion and bewilderment at this.

But the Demon King showed no intention of answering the question. She simply changed the subject.

"This has nothing to do with you, you bear no responsibility...it's my own problem."

"...This humble servant does not understand your meaning."

"You don't need to understand."

"....."

"In short, you performed exceptionally well in this operation. Not only did you hold off Tatia, but you also made her realize that she is not yet at the point where she should be complacent... You did an outstanding job."

"Thank you, Your Majesty..."

"Tell me what reward you desire, Udoni."

Rewarding meritorious subordinates is one of the responsibilities of a monarch. Udoni indeed acted according to his orders in this operation and completed the task perfectly.

Udoni himself also thought so.

Therefore, it proposed the reward that had already been decided during the battle against Tatia:

"I do not want any money or material rewards..."

"Um?"

"...What I want Your Majesty to grant me is the opportunity to fight that elven girl with all my might."

"..."

"Through the battle just now, I've realized the real reason for General Diaz's defeat. Even if I can hold her back, it won't be easy to decisively defeat her in her current state. As General Diaz said, if this girl is left unchecked, she will inevitably become a huge threat to our army in the future... Therefore, I believe it's best to eliminate her as soon as possible. If I fight her with my true strength and ability while she hasn't fully matured... I'm sure I can kill her!"

"..."

"...May I ask, Your Majesty?"

After a long silence, the Demon King finally spoke to her meritorious subject. Her answer was negative.

"...Besides this..."

"Then I have nothing more to desire, Your Majesty."

The Demon King's attitude dispelled his subordinates' doubts. This in itself was already a "gain" for Udoni. Therefore, he no longer needed anything.

"If you can't think of anything now, then keep it to yourself for now. We'll reward you when you have an idea later. Until then, you'll continue to serve as the warden of this prison, and I'll order you to perform other meritorious deeds when the time is right."

"Yes, sir."

Since his subordinates had denied it, the Demon King said no more. After giving a few brief instructions on the follow-up matters, the Demon King's figure vanished from the central prison with a "whoosh."

Udoni remained kneeling for several minutes after the Demon King disappeared. Exactly ten minutes later, he slowly stood up.

The first thing he did after getting up was to return to his desk, take out paper, pen, ink, and inkstone, and write a letter to a colleague who was also a "Five Generals".

"What Diaz said is indeed true. The survivors left behind by that fellow Kemre have indeed become a deadly threat. But what's even more deadly is Your Majesty's indecisiveness. At the time, I thought it would be fine to let them fend for themselves, but now it seems the situation is much worse than I anticipated. That girl, and the humans surrounding her, have seriously affected Your Majesty's mind and judgment. If that elven girl and those humans continue to stay with Your Majesty, they will eventually harm you. This is definitely not a good sign. Perhaps Kemre's suggestion is correct. Even if we make decisions behind Your Majesty's back, I think we should take action... for our kingdom, and for our great goal."

A few days later, Udoni received a reply letter.

The letter simply stated this.

"Don't be afraid, I was actually prepared, you know~ Those guys will soon disappear without a trace from Karenla's side~"

"Ugh... What... what happened to me...?"

After an unknown amount of time, Mayra finally emerged from the darkness once more. She slowly opened her eyes again.

"You're finally awake, Xiao Ai~"

This time, however, she wasn't greeted by her mother's hellish barrier or her mother's hideous armor. At first, she only saw a fleshy mass, but the sounds that came with her awakening made Mayera quickly raise her head.

"Xiao...Xiaoya!?"

Now, Mayera is lying in a warm bed, and in front of her is the girl she cherishes most: Mayajie.

They are now lying naked on a bed, huddled under a blanket.

"Why...why am I in a place like this!? My mother..."

"Don't be afraid, it's all alright now, Ai. This is home, our home in the capital."

Marjane simply hugged Mayera gently and stroked her back.

This single action gave Mayera a great sense of security.

"Xiao Ai, you don't need to be afraid anymore... The problems that used to bother you will no longer exist... Don't worry, I will always protect you..."

"Xiao, Xiaoya..."

Body temperature was transferred to Mayera through skin-to-skin contact. Although countless questions remained unanswered, she simply shed tears, condensing her myriad doubts into a single question.

"I...am I dreaming...?"

"This is reality, Xiao Ai."

"...That's enough..."

Mayera wept, burying herself even deeper into Maya's arms.

"As long as this isn't a dream, or my imagination... I have no other desires... Xiaoya..."

While people usually rely on the pain of pinching the skin to confirm whether they are dreaming, this is not necessary for Maya.

Because of Mayajie's warm body heat, her fervent breath, her steady heartbeat, and the words that pierced through her eardrums and imprinted on Maya's heart... all of this was enough to prove that she was indeed living in reality, living in a blissful world she could never have imagined.

"Xiao Ai, I think you still have many questions you want to ask, and I will answer them for you slowly later, but before that..."

Mayajie wrapped her arms around Mayila's back and waist, holding her even tighter in her embrace.

"...Let's enjoy this night together, just the two of us..."

".......Um...."

Mayera responded to Maya's gesture, pulling her into her arms as well...

"Chirp..."

Two girls with similar fates ultimately found the same happiness. That happiness began the moment their lips met...

A cemetery at night is naturally a "ghost place" where no one can be seen. And in front of a certain person's grave, it appears even more desolate.

That is the tombstone of Martis, who was originally a great philanthropist in the eyes of the people, but was later condemned by the kingdom as a villain who murdered for money.

And that is indeed the case. Malthus killed many lives and destroyed many lives. The kingdom's words are not false. Therefore, his tombstone is in such a gruesome state:

The entire tombstone was covered in saliva and urine stains, adorned with countless eggshells and rotten vegetable leaves, and the inscription was long since illegible. The coffin behind it had been smashed, and the ashes inside had long been taken by the vengeful crowd and scattered into the sky. Then, they were swept away by the daily garbage collectors of the capital. Now, only an empty shell remains, sitting bare in a corner of the capital's public cemetery.

No one kept vigil for him, and no one took responsibility for cleaning up the mess. The people, having vented their anger, seemed to have long forgotten him. It had been a very, very long time since anyone had approached this area.

But today, things seem a little different.

"Hey, long time no see, Malthus. Though you probably don't really want to see me."

A young girl's voice echoed from somewhere in the cemetery. Then, the girl with short silver hair slowly approached Malthus's tombstone.

She glanced at the mangled state of the tombstone and said mockingly.

"You're still as despised as ever. To be honest, I didn't really want to come here either... haha, but I have no right to say that about you. After I die, my tombstone will probably be even uglier than yours... no, no one will even bother to put up a proper tombstone. After all, when it comes to evil deeds, you're nothing compared to me..."

The mocking words gradually turned into self-deprecation.

That night, the girl sat cross-legged in front of the tombstone, talking to herself as she gazed at the almost completely destroyed structure.

"Martius, you truly are a complete bastard. And a very remarkable one at that... Lutis and Maya... your two daughters are troublesome girls that even I, the Demon King, can't handle. They actually took away people important to me right in front of me, leaving me, the Demon King, speechless and only able to watch helplessly as they married the children I considered my daughters... In terms of persistence and unwavering belief, they really are very much like you... Your genes are truly powerful... When you drank that obviously problematic potion to take Lutis away, was it this same persistence and unwavering belief that drove you to do it... If your persistence and unwavering belief had been used on the right path, wouldn't you have avoided this fate? Fate is truly ironic, Martius."

As she spoke, the silver-haired girl took out a large wine bottle from beside her with her right hand. She stood up, removed the cork, and slowly poured the wine from the bottle onto the tombstone, washing away the stains and debris.

That was the first time the tombstone had been "cleaned" since the day it was placed there.

"Regardless, your two daughters and my two daughters have decided to get married. Even if I don't want it, and you don't want it either, you've already become my de facto father-in-law... You can be proud even in Hell, after all, you're a human who's related to the strongest demon king in history. This is the finest wine I brought from my country: the Demon Kingdom. I bet even if you're rich and have tasted all sorts of delicacies, you've never seen anything like this... Enjoy it. Consider this a 'dowry' I'm offering to my children..."