Chapter 305
Chapter 305. The Queen and the Saint
After finishing her bath, Liliana changed into the long robe prepared by Morn and set out, suppressing her eager heart, toward the “Flower Room”—the highest part of the Holy Great Tree.
It was a hall that overlooked the elven forest, resembling an observatory. True to its name, “Flower Room,” there were numerous giant flowers of the holy great tree, blossoming like lotus flowers and enveloped in a rainbow-like glow.
And in the center of the hall, sitting on a throne made of petals, was the High Elf Queen.
—Ester El Del Milfluer.
People often said Liliana resembled her mother. Unlike Liliana, who had droopy eyes, her mother had a sharper gaze, exuding an aura of beauty and regal dignity befitting a queen.
However, at this moment, she lacked any trace of queenliness and wore the face of a mother eagerly awaiting her daughter’s reunion.
Behind the throne was a gathering of village elders. Familiar figures like the tutor, the old man who had looked after her since childhood, and the representatives of the Holy Great Tree Alliance—
“Everyone…”
As Liliana finally appeared in the hall, a commotion erupted.
“Your Highness!”
“Welcome back!”
“Oh, my God! Thank you…!”
While the surrounding crowd voiced their joy, only the queen, suddenly springing from her throne, covered her mouth with her hand, paling.
“Liliana…! Oh, what has happened…!”
Connected to the holy great tree, possessing a perspective beyond that of mortals, she sensed the countless scars etched into Liliana’s soul—the horrific past.
Although Liliana appeared to have returned safely at first glance, to the queen, she was nothing but a scarred, altered figure.
“Is it truly… you, Liliana…? Oh, what… what has happened…?”
With tears in her eyes, Mother Ester tightly embraced Liliana. Simultaneously, a torrent of the holy tree’s power flowed into her, as if trying to heal Liliana’s soul.
“Mother… I’m sorry, I…”
“It’s okay. It’s okay…! Just having you back is enough…!”
Really, I had caused so much worry—feeling apologetic at this moment.
I genuinely couldn’t believe that I was safe here now. While at the Demon Lord’s castle, I often dreamed of this—returning to the holy great tree and being warmly welcomed by everyone—
Yes, it was a “dream.” An unattainable dream.
But—now it had become a reality.
“I’m home…”
Liliana said, with all her emotions.
“Welcome back…!”
As she hugged Liliana while sobbing, Ester gently patted her head. The sensation of her mother’s fingers was something Liliana had long forgotten, and she clung to her like a child.
For a moment, they savored the joy of their reunion.
“…Mother, where are my sisters?”
“Right now, everyone is out. They’re checking on the forest and negotiating with the alliance—once they return, they’ll be so surprised.”
Ester smiled softly, but her expression turned serious.
“…So, what happened, Liliana?”
With a gentle flourish, flowers blossomed on the floor, transforming into softly glowing tables and chairs.
“It’s true you participated in the assault operation, isn’t it? You just left a note and ran off…”
“I’m sorry. I joined the assault operation and was captured at the Demon Lord’s castle. It’s a long story, but—”
Liliana began to recount everything that had happened. How she participated in the assault, descended upon the Demon Lord’s castle alongside the heroes, but, despite fighting bravely, was captured and tortured for days in the Night Elf Prison—
She spoke monotonously about how, for seven years, she had her skin peeled off daily and endured every imaginable humiliation, causing an old man, who had become furious, to shout, “You fiends of the night!” and faint, leading to a frantic rush to treat him.
“And how I managed to escape, well, I’m sorry everyone…”
Liliana looked around at the faces surrounding her with a troubled expression.
“From here on, there’s only something I can discuss with Mother.”
“What?!”
“What do you mean?”
The elves, seated on vine and flower chairs, exchanged bewildered glances.
“It’s the very reason I could return. I want to talk to Mother first and then decide who and how much information to disclose to others. Depending on the situation, it may change the war against the Demon Lord. It’s that significant of a secret.”
Liliana gazed at her mother with unprecedented seriousness.
“…Understood. If you say so, there must be substantial circumstances. I’m sorry to everyone, but I’ll be the first to hear.”
“Alright,” Ester confirmed, and there was no one who could oppose her.
Isolated by a soundproof barrier, only Liliana and Ester were separated. However, since their line of sight was still clear, Liliana began speaking while covering her mouth with her hand to prevent her words from being read from her lips.
“…There was a hero named Alexander.”
“Oh, I remember. That was the man you mentioned in your note, Alex.”
Ester frowned slightly, as if thinking of him as one of the causes of Liliana’s departure. And that wasn’t entirely wrong.
“Yeah. He fought the Demon Lord and died.”
“Hmm-hmm.”
“He was reborn as the Demon Lord’s Prince No. 7, Zilbagias.”
“…………”
Queen Ester blinked in surprise, her eyes wide open.
“What?”
“Hero Alexander was reborn as Demon Lord’s Prince No. 7, Zilbagias.”
“…I can understand the words, but I don’t quite get the meaning.”
“Two years after the assault operation—that is, two years after Alex’s death. Suddenly, I found myself alive as Zilbagias. It’s a lot to explain, but according to the forbidden Demon God’s assessment, my soul was devoured by the Demon Lord through the power of the Demon God of Consumption, but due to my strong will, it was not absorbed, and instead my soul was passed on as a child…”
“The assessment of the forbidden Demon God…???”
That was a lot of information.
Liliana also struggled to explain. Not only was it easy to doubt, but the nearly two years after being rescued by Alex had been nothing short of miraculous and tumultuous.
She began detailing her story in order: the day when Zilbagias visited the prison, revealing his sacred attributes and confessing his true identity; how she was bound as a pet through the sealing of her consciousness by demon magic—that part seemed to make Ester dizzy—and after the magic was broken, she lived in fear of regaining her consciousness, believing herself to be a dog.
“Wh-what a nightmare…!”
Ester covered her face with both hands, lamenting.
“――――？”
“――――!”
The surrounding crowd, observing with bated breath beyond the soundproof barrier, murmured in agitation.
“Don’t worry, Mother. Thanks to Alex, I was able to live happily.”
“…………”
Ester’s long, pointed ears, symbols of her High Elf lineage, drooped powerlessly.
Ignoring it, Liliana pressed on with her story: the Evaroti Offensive, her appointment as the district representative, her clash with Demon Lord’s Prince No. 4, Emelgias, and how it led to the awakening of Liliana’s own self.
“And then, they used the opportunity while the fortress was in ruin and helped me make myself disappear…”
Initially taken by flying dragon partway, she escaped the Demon Lord’s kingdom on foot.
Finally, she had returned to Sancta Shiro—
“Liliana…”
With her eyes brimming with tears, Ester stood again and embraced Liliana tightly.
“You did so well… such a brave child you are… always so troublesome…”
Words failed her.
“…Alex plans to continue as Zilbagias and defeat the Demon Lord. He made a contract with the forbidden Demon God, and the more he kills his kin, the more power he gains.”
While being patted on the head by her mother, Liliana continued her words.
“At this point, he’s already at the Grand Duke level. …He’s only six years and some as a Demon Race? He dramatically grew after taking down enemies in the Evaroti Offensive. In another ten or twenty years, he will possess incredible strength. After fifty years, he may even rival the Demon Lord.”
“…………”
“So I wanted to tell the Forest Elves not to give up. I needed to share that.”
Gently—Ester released her embrace.
Liliana was startled.
Mother wore a stern expression befitting a severe queen.
“Now I understand why you and he wanted to limit the disclosure to just me. …Just to be clear, [this is true, isn’t it?] Liliana.”
“[It’s true.]”
Here, in the innards of the holy great tree, lies a truth that cannot be denied before a queen who can read souls.
“…Recently, we have begun receiving surrender proposals from the Demon Lord’s army to the Holy Great Tree Alliance. They said that if we assist the Demon Lord’s army with agriculture and livestock, the Holy Great Tree will not be burned and will generously allow for partial autonomy in some areas.”
Ester laughed with a hint of irony and a touch of cruelty.
“Seriously, for the Forest Elves to do agriculture and livestock—do they even know what they’re saying?”
Nature-based and herbivorous, Forest Elves are, of course, negative about agriculture and livestock. (They can live without it, though they turn a blind eye to the fact that other races may not be able to.)
“Whether they are serious or just trying to stir things up, I thought it was uncharacteristic of demons. You linked it all together. Goldgias must be wanting the power of the High Elves.”
Seeing Zilbagias gaining from Liliana’s blessings, knowing that even dark fellows might find him useful, “It would be a waste to simply destroy him,” is what they might think—
“And the information you provided… would it not be a very strong bargaining chip against the Demon Lord’s army?”
“!?”
With unexpected words, Liliana felt her face go pale.
“No, Mother!? What are you saying…!?”
If his true identity were revealed, it would mean his doom! After all, he trusted her and let her escape, fully aware of the risks—how could they—
“…No, that won’t do.”
Ester, lost in thought for a moment, shook her head and relaxed her shoulders.
“Even if we make a deal, it’s not guaranteed that the Demon Lord’s kingdom will reciprocate. It could end like losing our collaborators in the Demon Lord’s country for nothing.”
“Yes! And that’s not allowed! He’s my benefactor!”
“I know that, Liliana.”
Ester smiled faintly.
“On a personal level, I can never thank him enough. To sell out the one who saved my daughter is an utterly unforgivable act. But, Liliana, as queen, I must consider all possibilities.”
Liliana wasn’t the only one struggling between ideals and reality.
She understood that. It was clear, but—
“Don’t worry, it was just a thought. I won’t use him as leverage.”
—The tone of suggesting that it wouldn’t matter much after consideration was something she could barely swallow.
She understood that her mother was not being malicious in saying this.
And at the moment she voiced such a thought, something was naturally revealed—
“Are you really that shaken? The Forest Elves?”
“…I thought it was a ploy by the Night Elves to drive a wedge into the unity of the Forest Elves.”
If they were to distance themselves from the alliance and ally with the Demon Lord’s army, they could avoid fighting. It wouldn’t be unusual for someone to think that working with agriculture and livestock was better than burning down their forests.
“The Demon Lord’s army, which accepts the Night Elves, has no guarantee of keeping their promises. Currently, we’re managing to contain the secessionists, but when the threat of the ‘Volcanic Eruption’ draws near—who knows how things might change?”
“…………”
Demon Lord’s Prince No. 2, “Volcanic Eruption” Rubyphia. She is the very nightmare of the Forest Elves.
Her volcanic heat is so intense that it could evaporate even a small lake, leaving the Forest Elves utterly powerless.
“If it becomes known that Zilbagias is actually an ally, morale will undoubtedly surge. However, that would also put him in danger. The supreme advantage of being disguised would be lost. It’s a headache…”
Elbow on the flower table, Ester rubbed her temples. Even the High Elf Queen, boasting the strongest healing power among the Forest Elves, was not immune to headaches…
“Liliana.”
“…Yes.”
“I want to thank you once again. The information you brought has a value surpassing even the fruits of the holy great tree. For now, I’ll limit the disclosure to just a few individuals. You, Grandfather, my children, and perhaps the senior representatives of the council. At the very least, they must be able to use a magic of oath.”
“I think that’s best…”
With a feeling of disappointment washing over her, Liliana nodded.
If possible, she wanted to discuss some plans to actively support Alex with her mother.
But there were more pressing matters.
That her mother was considering selling Alex even for a moment showed how shaken the unity of the Holy Great Tree Alliance truly was…
“…………”
Tears began to brim in her eyes.
From now on—Alex would have to fight alone in the Demon Lord’s kingdom.
She wanted to do something for him. She wanted to be a strength for him. Yet…
If that were the case, it might be better to never have left him…
“I’m sorry.”
Understanding the turmoil in her heart, Ester uttered apologetically.
“…So, Liliana. We’ve kept everyone waiting. Let’s end this conversation for today.”
—Difficult matters that couldn’t be helped.
With that, Ester offered an encouraging smile and lifted the soundproof barrier.
“Your Majesty… was the conversation over?”
“Yes, it’s done. Indeed, just as Liliana said, the information requires delicate handling. Orderju.”
“What is it, Your Majesty?”
The old elf called Orderju stepped forward.
“Including you, senior representatives will join the conference room. There are discussions to be had. Eluda, Geilt, please come along too. The rest…”
The sound of her mother’s voice issuing orders felt distant…
—Before she knew it, Liliana was back in her room.
In the sanctuary, her own room. How many years had it been since she returned here?
Lying powerlessly on the fluffy bed lined with straw.
Without doing anything, she simply stared blankly at the ceiling.
Despite having returned home after overcoming the pains of death…
Rather than bringing hope to the alliance, the unity of the Forest Elves was in jeopardy.
Moreover, there was hardly anything else she could do.
“…………Alex.”
It was uncertain if she would ever see him alive again.
An overwhelming sense of loss spread within her—
“…………”
Suddenly, she reached for her head.
Pat, pat.
Remembering the sensation of his hand, she stroked her head.
“…………”
—No.
This wasn’t it.
With a scrunched-up expression, Liliana began to cast a soundproof barrier.
“Uuu…”
Then she buried her face in the pillow—
“Uuuhh wwwon wwwon! Wauuu wwwonnn wwwonn! Waffun, kuu-kuu, kyun…!”
I want to see you, I want to see you, I want to see you!!
The howling voice transformed into a pained cry.
“Saint” Liliana El Del Milfluer.
The harsh days in the Demon Lord’s castle had left scars too deep on her.
There was almost no prospect of recovering—none at all.
