(Am I really the only one who might defeat Solomon?)
Ritsuka felt Naoki might be joking.
"Department Head, you must be kidding, right? How could I possibly defeat an enemy as strong as… that…? Shouldn't you, the Department Head, be the most likely one to defeat him?"
Earlier, Rei had mentioned that ten years ago, Naoki had defeated Solomon once. If so, defeating him again should be no problem, right?
Naoki shook his head. "If it were just King Solomon, yes, no problem. But this person isn't the real King Solomon."
"Not the real one?"
"I met King Solomon ten years ago. He was a fool who would never do something like destroying the world. On the contrary, he was a fool who would sacrifice everything to protect it. He could never destroy the world." Naoki said, tapping Solomon's image. "So I'm certain this person isn't the true King Solomon."
"If not him… then who is he?" Ritsuka asked.
If the one trying to destroy the world wasn't Solomon, then who was the Solomon who appeared before them?
Naoki replied, "Of course, it's someone connected to King Solomon. After all, he's indeed using the body… or rather, the remnants of King Solomon's body. Of course, his identity is also easy to guess. Since he's producing things like Demon God Pillars, it's practically introducing himself."
"The collection of the seventy-two Demon God Pillars that King Solomon possessed in life—or rather, their king—Goetia."
"This is his true form."
Goetia.
The King of Demons.
Listening to Naoki's explanation, Ritsuka felt this was a being she should fear. But as a complete novice who still didn't understand magecraft, she didn't fully grasp the impact.
"But… what does this have to do with me?" Ritsuka asked. "Why do you say only I can defeat him?"
"Because of his nature."
"Hmm, explaining it in detail would take a long time and involve several related terms. So here, I'll use an example from a light novel or game you'd understand. Which one do you prefer?"
(Why did he suddenly become so relaxed again?)
(Aren't they discussing something extremely important? Why can the Department Head continue explaining as if it's no big deal?)
"Just use a game."
"Okay~ So imagine Goetia as a massive final boss placed at the end of an RPG story. He's the ultimate enemy the hero party must face. But to defeat this enemy, regardless of earlier progress, the final blow must be delivered directly by the 'main character,' or using a specific weapon. Otherwise, the enemy will never die."
"Do you get it now? What's needed to defeat Goetia isn't just combat power strong enough to beat him. Though that's important, even more crucial is the 'weapon' capable of delivering the final blow."
By now, Ritsuka understood. "So… that's me?"
"Yes. Besides being the Demon King, Goetia is also a great calamity that all of human history must face. By nature, he's a monster born from human hatred, growing alongside human history. Humanity's stain, the mud within human history."
"Therefore, only a human can destroy him. That is, only the one who caused the problem can solve it. Now you understand, right? Why you're the most important."
Ritsuka nodded seriously.
Since Goetia was evil that only a human could defeat, in Chaldea right now, the only one capable of defeating him truly was herself.
"But…"
Seeing the serious expression on Ritsuka's face, Naoki suddenly slapped her back hard. "Even though I said I'm leaving it to you, it doesn't mean I'm leaving everything to you. Though I can't destroy him completely, I can make him 'half-dead.'"
"Eh? So you mean…"
"Yes. When we meet again, I'll use all my strength to make him 'half-dead.' I'll break all his arms and legs and nail them to the ground. You just need to come and deliver the final blow."
Naoki said, giving her a thumbs-up.
"…"
The tension vanished instantly. In fact, due to the extreme contrast, Ritsuka suddenly felt empty and deflated. But she understood why Naoki said this.
(He doesn't want me to be too stressed…)
Don't carry all the pressure alone—pressure no one could bear solo. If alone, she truly couldn't do anything. But now, in Chaldea, there were many people who could share that pressure with Ritsuka. She wouldn't truly face Goetia alone.
"Thank you, Department Head."
"I haven't done anything worth thanking me for." Naoki smiled and patted her head. "I'm your Department Head, your senior. It's only natural for a senior to prepare the path for their junior. Even if it's a crisis on the scale of world destruction, I'll definitely resolve it for you."
He would save the world.
Words coming from Naoki's mouth—if anyone else said them, Ritsuka wouldn't have believed them. But for some reason, she felt her Department Head truly could do it. If it was the starlight she saw at the end of Fuyuki City earlier, he surely could, right?
"Then, since everything's explained, it's time I take you to the next place, right? They've probably been waiting long enough there."
"Eh? To another place?"
Seeing Naoki stand up, Ritsuka was slightly confused.
"I originally sent Mash to find you because I wanted to explain some things and take you to several places. During your earlier tour of Chaldea, time was short, so there were several places you didn't visit. Those places are Chaldea's core."
"Besides, I think they'll be places you'll visit often later. Though I'll protect you, I won't help you with everything. You also need to work hard, train, and become a great warrior."
"Ugh… I-I understand!"
Ritsuka understood Naoki's intention. If she kept being protected, even if she eventually reached Goetia, she might not be able to deliver that fatal blow.
She couldn't always be protected; she also had to grow strong.
"Then, Department Head, where are we going now? The training room?"
"That's also a place we'll visit, but for now, let's go somewhere else first—simply put, let's buy some nice clothes you'll wear in the future!"
"Eh?"
They were… going shopping for clothes?