Chapter 8 - The Traitor Is Not You
The Demon King's Castle.
There were supposedly a total of three such castles, but in reality, there was one more.
The Fourth Castle, Barungenia.
Unlike the other castles, it was specialized for concealment, impossible to find unless one entered deep into a steep gorge.
Whoosh!
After passing through what seemed like a wide, winding tunnel and reaching a colossal space, the full view of the Demon King's Castle finally began to appear.
"Here is..."
Three spires with the eyes of guardians glowing at their peaks, and outer walls painted in a pitch-black color, exuded a solemn atmosphere.
Before Clay could even gasp at the overwhelming sight of the castle, he flinched.
"Is this the Demon King's Castle?"
『Yes.』
Beatrice said softly.
『It was built as a refuge.』
She flapped her wings a few times and slowly descended to the ground.
Grrr.
Then, numerous gargoyles, suspended from the cavern ceiling, shed their stone forms and descended before Beatrice.
『We demand identification.』
Among them, a red-winged gargoyle opened its mouth and spoke.
『Beatrice, one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings. The supreme guardian untouched by light.』
Beatrice recited a clearly coded phrase.
『The Fourth Castle, Barungenia, welcomes you. However, we cannot offer a grand welcome, for you know the reason.』
Blood-like tears flowed from the gargoyles' eyes.
『The Pitch-Black One, who refused to hide, has ascended to the heavens.』
『I know.』
Beatrice looked back at the gargoyles.
『According to strict regulations, I, the next in line, shall act as the Pitch-Black's proxy. Do you agree?』
The gargoyles looked at their red-winged leader.
Then, the leader bowed and said, 『We cannot deny the strict regulations. We will obey.』
『Good. Do not attack the one who descends from my back.』
Beatrice turned her head slightly back.
『Clay. You may come down now.』
At her words, Clay carefully descended and stepped onto the ground.
The ground was hard.
Like the frozen plains of the frigid north.
Grrr!
As expected, a cold reception followed.
The gargoyles bared their teeth, glaring at Clay.
『That one is an enemy!』
『The Pitch-Black ascended because of that one! We know!』
『He deserves to die!』
The gargoyles approached Clay. Beatrice spread her wings, blocking their path.
『I, the proxy of the Pitch-Black, will not permit your actions.』
『Proxy, we sense the residual essence of the Pitch-Black from that one. He must have fought fiercely until the very end. Why do you forbid vengeance and protect him?』
『This one did not kill the Pitch-Black.』
At those words, Clay's eyes widened.
"Beatrice?"
Clay had clearly slain the Pitch-Black, the Demon King, whom they spoke of.
After all, he was the one who had plunged the sword into his heart at the very end.
『I cannot explain in detail here. However, you may conduct a verification. One who has truly severed the Pitch-Black's breath would know that more than just residual essence remains as a reaction.』
Beatrice pointed to the black eyes on the Demon King's Castle spires.
『I permit the verification.』
Then, all the eyes turned their gaze towards Clay.
『Will you observe?』
『If the discerning eyes created by the Pitch-Black will reveal the truth, we gladly accept.』
『Good.』
Beatrice commanded the eyes.
『Proceed.』
She spoke to Clay, who stood there with a bewildered expression.
『Clay, bear with it for a moment. It's an essential procedure. I'll explain later.』
"What explanation... Ugh?!"
Clay, feeling a sudden immense pressure, contorted his face and knelt on one knee.
"Ughhhhh!"
It stung. It was a searing pain, as if his cells were being burned one by one, like skin peeled off and exposed to the scorching sun.
"Aaaaaagh!"
With a scream, Clay completely collapsed as the Demon King's Castle's eyes swiftly scanned him.
During this process, the sealing circles inscribed on Clay's body by the priests glowed and appeared even through his clothes.
『These are mere personal sealing circles.』
『The one who harmed the Demon King would not receive such within their domain.』
And then, above them, the demon brand, the impure Stigma, was revealed.
The gargoyles roared, as if surprised by this alone.
『He is protecting himself with our stigma.』
『Such confusion is not familiar to us.』
The Demon King's Castle's eyes, after Clay's final, tearing scream, averted their gaze and withdrew their ominous light.
"Gasp, gasp, gasp."
It was then that Clay, who had barely survived, gasped for breath.
『Did you see?』
Beatrice announced to the gargoyles.
『The Demon King's Castle's eyes did not seek to harm him.』
The verification was complete.
『...Indeed.』
The gargoyle leader, witnessing the evidence, finally conceded.
『The Pitch-Black was not defeated by him.』
Yet, he still expressed a lingering doubt.
『But why do you bring him in?』
『This one was betrayed. In a very cruel manner.』
Beatrice turned her head slightly.
『Is that not enough?』
Many in the actual Demon King's army were united by their hatred for humans.
Recognizing that she was referring to this fact, the leader bowed once more.
『I understand. I will not object further.』
『A wise decision.』
Beatrice stretched out her two wings.
She soon returned to her original form and pulled Clay, who was sitting on the ground, by the hand.
"Let's go, Clay."
It was time to enter the Demon King's Castle.
***
The interior of the Demon King's Castle was quite different from what was seen outside.
"It's more... unrefined than I expected."
Spaces devoid of an imposing atmosphere or elaborate decorations, merely constructed for their intended purpose.
Guided by Beatrice, Clay entered the Demon King's office.
Inside was an old desk and chair.
Around it were bookshelves covered in cobwebs.
It was clear they hadn't been used in a long time.
"Beatrice."
Clay, who had just wiped off the Demon King's desk, asked her, "You said I didn't kill the Demon King. What do you mean?"
Did the sword he had plunged into the heart somehow miss?
"Clay, you believed the Demon King would die if his heart was pierced by the holy sword, didn't you?"
"That's right."
"The Demon King doesn't die even if his heart is pierced like that."
At those words, Clay's eyes widened.
"What?!"
"Of course, having his heart pierced is a fatal wound."
She explained that he would be unable to move properly while his body recovered.
"Clay, did you make sure to completely dispose of the Demon King's corpse at the very end?"
At that question, Clay opened and closed his mouth again.
'Did I really confirm it to the very end?'
No.
Due to the aftermath of his battle with the Demon King, the surrounding space was collapsing.
He himself was injured, so he had no choice but to escape quickly.
"Come to think of it, I think I just left him there."
He thought he was dead anyway.
Indeed, the Demon King had bled profusely and turned pale white. To anyone, he looked dead.
"The Demon King dies only if his heart is taken out and completely burned."
Beatrice revealed the truth to Clay.
"So the Demon King didn't die then."
"Then, who...?"
"That, I don't know."
Beatrice approached Clay and said, "He might have been tired of his life and burned his own heart, or..."
"Or?"
"Someone else might have taken it out and burned it."
Clay stared at Beatrice with a hardened expression.
"Did your party members come out with you then?"
At her question, Clay shook his head.
"We each got out on our own. Back then, I was bleeding so much from my head that my vision was limited. I wasn't in a state to properly confirm anything. My party members probably were too."
"Is that way of speaking a habit of yours?"
Beatrice let out a hollow laugh.
"No one looked after you, did they?"
"...Everyone was critically injured."
"I wouldn't have been like that."
She placed a hand on Clay's shoulder.
"Of course, that's not important now, is it?"
"Then..."
"Yes."
Beatrice pulled out the blind spot hidden in her own story.
"Here, there's something that needs to be examined before the question of who killed the Demon King. That is..."
She exhaled as if in a sigh.
"If you didn't kill the Demon King, then the one who did kill the Demon King could have 'testified' that you didn't intentionally kill the Demon King."
"!"
"Of course, preliminary work to make that testimony believable would have been essential."
At those words, Clay lowered his gaze.
The demonic energy in his body, which could only be acquired through interaction with the Demon King, and the symbol of the corrupted one engraved on the holy sword that only he could summon.
"Those things could only have been implanted by someone close to you when you were defenseless."
However, the captured Demon King's Special Forces members, the Apostles of the Moon, all pointed to Clay as the traitor during interrogation and died after receiving punishment.
The demonic familiars found in his hometown were too large in scope for a single individual to have orchestrated.
"I... I don't know."
"You are not the traitor, Clay."
Beatrice gently squeezed the hand she had placed on his shoulder.
"Keep that in mind. You are no longer the Hero, nor their companion."
She pulled him and sat him down at the office desk.
Silence settled in the dust-filled room.
"Clay."
Then, Beatrice whispered to him, "How about this seat?"
She asked.