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At that moment, news that the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus had collapsed quickly spread throughout the royal castle.

“What?! No, I must visit her! Clear the way!”

“You must maintain absolute stability. Please calm down.”

“Calm down?! Our hero of the Anari Principality has collapsed! Shouldn’t we prepare a potion or something? I know a good doctor; I’ll bring him!”

“But don’t you realize that the Saintess is here as well? Please calm down and return. There was an order from His Highness the Crown Prince and the Magic King that no visitors are to be accepted.”

“Ugh…! Then at least deliver this letter!”

The endless affections directed toward the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus.

Although she had already gained fame among the Normans, many were captivated when they witnessed her dazzling fire magic during the Dragon Tail recovery operation.

“Minister Borchu, what’s written in that letter?”

“It’s the same content. They’re asking if that blonde youth is truly a hero. If he has any memories of the holy sword, perhaps he knows how the Demon King was defeated 500 years ago. Or if this Lucius fellow might be the hero who defeated the Demon King back then. And… could you possibly bomb the area around the border territories with the empire to prevent the Demon King’s army from approaching their territory?”

“There’s certainly much curiosity.”

Minister Borchu boldly tore the letter to shreds.

“…The Demon King hasn’t even been defeated, yet here they are looking out for their own interests concerning a defeated individual.”

“Isn’t that just out of curiosity?”

“Curiosity must be restrained. We should first deal with the Demon King’s army right in front of us. If we keep discussing like this under the guise of visiting the sick, how much stress would the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus endure?”

“…Certainly, the Principality folks don’t seem to feel that way at the moment. However, Borchu, isn’t that the Holy Wind Sword? The sword of the hero who saved humanity. Aren’t you curious about it?”

“Of course I’m curious. But I must endure.”

“What if after defeating the Demon King’s army, they leave without any answers? This is a golden opportunity to solve humanity’s greatest crisis.”

“…How did Great Demon Lord Bel Phegor fall?”

500 years.

A truth that no one has been able to uncover for a staggering 500 years.

Countless historians have debated the results for hundreds of years, yet none have unveiled the specifics of ‘how the final battle unfolded.’

“Historians call it a ‘missing link.’ Someone even likened it to a novel. They say that just before humanity faced annihilation, the story of the hero defeating the Demon King disappeared, leaving only an epilogue.”

“If such a novel exists, all the readers would probably be infuriated.”

“Infuriated? They would probably twist the author’s neck and demand the final battle be written. Whether it be the entire content of that final battle or its plot, anything left behind with the Holy Wind Sword would be a clue.”

“…That may be true. Sigh. Still, if such a person exists, it would be quite fortunate….”

Click.

Minister Borchu pulled out a black magic pistol from his robe and aimed it upward.

Bang!

A sudden shot rang out.

The magic bullet shot straight up vertically and penetrated the ventilation grate, causing a red liquid to begin dripping from within.

“…There are those approaching from behind. Please take care of the bodies. Ensure that the hero and his party do not find out. The Magic King ordered this. Among those wanting to meet the hero party are…”

“Assassins.”

In the annex of the royal castle where the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus lay resting, there were indeed countless individuals lurking in wait for their chance.

To converse with the hero party or for other purposes.

“…By the way, that green cat-eared maid, the beast girl, has been coming and going freely since earlier. Is that alright?”

“Isn’t she the Magic King’s slave?… Cat-eared maid, huh.”

“…Hmm, decent enough.”

The green cat-eared maid beast girl, Feor.

Who am I?

I am none other than her.

Great Demon Lord Belphegor, currently residing in the body of a beast girl.

Soul transference.

As the Sorceress of Crimson Lotus finds herself in a situation that isn’t conducive to tackling the current crisis, I sent her to bed and swapped into a body that allows for free movement.

If you’re wondering why I suddenly possessed the green cat beast girl, I had asked Mammon for ‘another body to move freely,’ and this body was provided to me.

Damn it.

Yet I have a conscience, so I didn’t end up with anything too bizarre.

Having a woman’s body has long ceased to feel strange or awkward, and the beastgirl body I received isn’t particularly bad either.

Beastfolk.

They resemble humans but are a distinct sub-species; meaning they are just another race similar to humans.

Humans generally look down on beastfolk.

Because 90% of their body is identical to that of humans, and their animal traits only manifest as ‘extra ears’ or ‘a tail’ on their heads.

Someone once said this.

“Beastfolk are merely humans who have fallen to the status of beasts. They are merely beasts mimicking humans. They can never be human.”

Non-human existence.

Thus, the Demon King’s army was able to embrace beastfolk.

Feeding off my anger towards humanity, I integrated beastfolk into the Demon King’s army, and I annihilated the kingdom that persecuted them most and turned that place into a beastfolk nation.

Thus, currently.

“Beastfolk are merely remnants of the Demon King’s army.”

“The beastkingdom must be destroyed.”

The nation established by beastfolk is an enemy of humanity.

Had it not been for a barrier that humanity cannot easily penetrate, sending troops into the beast kingdom would be no simple task.

Yet why is there a beastfolk here?

The reason is simple: beastfolk are extremely rare and scarce, while girls with such a face that is half-elf, like this one, are quite expensive.

Be it as slaves or pets.

The original owner of this body was merely a slave, yet being treated as a high-class product, it offered me no particular inconvenience.

The low mana was something I had accounted for from the beginning, and aside from one lacking aspect, there was no significant issue.

Ugh.

“…Ugh, I still can’t taste anything.”

No matter how much I chewed the meat, there was no flavor.

However, being a beastfolk, I could sense my body yearning for meat.

Or perhaps the body before death craved meat intensely.

“It’s quite amusing that a ghost clings to a dead body to fulfill their last wish.”

“And what meaning is there in building this body with meat for a body I’ll only use temporarily?”

“A healthy body houses a healthy mind. Even if a healthy mind resides in a damaged body, the mind will also become corrupt. I’m simply creating a body to maintain myself wholly.”

“And just who are you planning to boast to? Your disciple?”

“What? Me? Are you crazy? …But I guess I wouldn’t mind if my master is a remarkably beautiful woman with a great figure.”

Men are all like that.

“A male is one who thinks of reproduction even during war. Even amidst blood-soaked battles, history is made at night. Did you know? Although the human population drastically declined 500 years ago, it shockingly surged within just 30 years after?”

“And you’re planning to craft this body beautifully to contribute to that population growth?”

“Nonsense. Life cannot dwell in a dead body. If that were the case, I should have initially crafted a homunculus from the start. For now, I’m simply trying to make this body more presentable. Look at this. An emaciated body. It’s far thinner than the body I used to have. Just a little muscle gain and—”

Huh?

“Ah.”

It dawned on me.

The worst trap that Satan cannot survive without bursting out.

“Hey, Mammon! I’ve thought of a brilliant idea!”

If this operation isn’t executed immediately, everything will become a mess.

“All I need is one thing! A sound amplifier!”

Just a speaker capable of spreading throughout the lands occupied by the Demon King’s army is sufficient.

“What, are you going to curse or something?”

“I’m going to provoke in a way that no Demon King could possibly bear.”

Whispering.

I unveiled my plan candidly, and Mammon’s eyes began to glimmer with excitement.

“…So you’re saying that will definitely bait Satan?”

“Bait. 140%. If Satan isn’t hooked, then he’s not Satan.”

“…It might be possible, but the effectiveness….”

“I promise in the name of Great Demon Lord Belphegor. If it doesn’t work, I’ll remain here until I can catch Satan.”

“What about your disciples?”

“I can send them off separately to the Sky Island. If you just support one ship, they’ll make their way there on their own.”

“Hmm….”

Mammon seemed to be a bit concerned.

“That hero named Lucius, if you don’t go, he probably won’t want to go….”

“Don’t worry about that. Though he isn’t here, I have an Ether homunculus that can communicate my thoughts.”

“…Ether homunculus?”

“Yes. A homunculus crafted from magic rather than a physical body. I’ll teach you later.”

“…Oh.”

Mammon’s mouth watered.

His rolling eyes gave off a vibe that he was calculating profits and losses, and I was confident that this proposal would be no loss to Mammon.

“……That’s quite appealing. However… even if the operation goes awry, you’re sure that the hero Lucius doesn’t have to follow your true form? This is solid, right?”

“Yeah. If he insists on not going, I’ll wrangle him into compliance with every ounce of magic and connections at my disposal, so you can安心, and focus on preparations.”

“If you say that much, then understood. What should I tell the Crown Prince?”

“Simple.”

All that’s needed is one thing.

“Gather all the muscular men in the kingdom and bring them to me.”

Ideally, those with a slight tan skin tone, dark-skinned ones.

 

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