Chapter 5: She Doesn't Make Bets She'll Lose

“Ah, let me correct myself. To be precise, I mean that I have no need for a power that makes me stronger simply by receiving it.”

-…….

Is this because he’s the child of a Hero, after all?

The Golden Woman curled the corners of her lips in satisfaction.

He is quick-witted and exceptionally intelligent.

He is bold and not swayed by desire.

He possesses self-control and strong patience.

And yet.

Why.

…Is this boy so ostracized here?

‘But he is immature. Still in an unfinished stage. Naive and innocent.’

Furthermore, since childhood, he has been subjected to all sorts of pressure and coercion, as if brainwashed.

Demands that did not suit his aptitude, inefficient efforts.

If he was used merely as a tool for emotional exhaustion, injected with meaningless patience that continued without rest.

If that was repeated for years, crushing all his self-esteem and dignity.

…It would be no great feat for a person to break and rot away.

She had encountered many of that sort in the past.

And they always ended up twisted.

Among them.

There were some deeply warped individuals who actually contributed to the collapse of their own countries.

‘How very interesting.’

The child of a Hero, who deserved to be more blessed than anyone, was fallen alone into a pit of misery.

Without a single understanding soul.

‘Someone dug a very deep trap.’

She wasn’t certain, but she could smell it.

And.

Whenever she internally judged a development to be so, she was almost always correct.

Without fail.

====

The next day.

Contrary to expectations, the topic of conversation was the news of the engagement between Elhermina and Kariel himself.

As for the intrusion into the Treasure Vault, it felt natural that rumors didn’t spread once heads had cooled.

‘It would be a disgrace to the Royal Court.’

Additionally, it wouldn’t be particularly good for the reputation of the Brandiar family, to which he belonged.

Since bad rumors spread every time he did anything, and he had been slandered as if it were a given, he accepted that this would be the same.

-That’s called learned helplessness. For starters, from what I can see, you’re showing symptoms of late-stage depression. It’s all because your brain isn’t working. It might also be because your glucose absorption is inefficient.

The Demon King spoke, reciting unknown physiological knowledge.

And right now, Kariel had visited the library within the academy for the first time in a while, seeking to grasp the true identity of that very Golden Demon King.

‘Here it is.’

He picked up a thick volume and opened it while still standing.

He didn’t bother bringing the related book to a desk to examine it thoroughly.

…Reading a book about the Demon King immediately after causing an incident yesterday?

If there were someone monitoring him, this could arouse further suspicion.

Therefore, he pretended to browse through other books, glancing at this one in passing.

-Are you even worrying about surveillance?

Even though he didn’t say it, the Demon King seemed to grasp his intention immediately.

-Your intention is clear, yet your actions are completely different; by inferring that, the reason becomes obvious.

“…….”

A being who was called not just the King of Demons, but the King of Wisdom.

The Golden Demon King was said to have contributed somewhat to the development of human civilization and technology.

And yet, the reason everyone referred to her—or perhaps without even knowing she was a woman—as the Golden Beast was…

“…….”

In the book, there were some descriptions, though not precise, of an illustration inferred to be the Golden Beast.

It looked like a giant fox.

Or perhaps a wolf.

A wolf or fox standing on two legs.

A long tail and a sleek body.

Though the illustration was only in black and white, it surely would have emitted an intense golden radiance, enough to pierce through the very darkness of the world.

Indeed, such metaphors and descriptions were used.

Furthermore.

In some of the memories she had given him through their contract.

She had been looking down arrogantly upon the Nine Heroes, who were in tatters.

“Kariel. Were you here?”

A girl approached, making her presence clearly known without any intention of hiding.

As he closed the book and turned his head.

“…What is it?”

Seras Esdina.

Her face was hateful, but at the very least, she herself was not hated.

To be precise.

It was her twin sister… who was hateful.

Dark blue hair and matching blue eyes.

Because her forehead was clearly exposed, her features were distinct.

One couldn’t say she was poised and beautiful simply because she was born into a noble house.

It felt very much as if she had studied after the fact what style she should adopt to project an appropriate and fitting impression to others.

Overall, she paired quite well with the white academy uniform.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

“…From me?”

“Who else would it be but you?”

Furthermore, the girl before him was currently a Great Noble, one of only two direct descendants and granddaughters of a prestigious Noble House.

Perhaps because her family, the Esdinas, rivaled the fame of the heroes—since they might have been called the Ten Heroes had they survived the war instead of just the Nine.

Currently, they were also the practical core of the power-holding ministers.

If you think about it.

She and he were in positions that were politically destined to be at odds.

…His memories were faint, but it seemed Kariel himself had often hung out with her in childhood, under the guise of being descendants of heroes.

“The engagement with the Princess—or perhaps the Crown Princess—how do you feel about it?”

“…What do you intend to do by asking me that?”

“Are you planning to accept it obediently? Really? When it’s obvious what will happen to you?”

“…….”

Is she worried?

Or….

“You know well that this isn’t simply a matter of uniting Heroic Lineages, don’t you?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Choice or not, wasn’t this your life?”

Her tone was very sharp.

Whenever things didn’t go as intended, she was always like that.

She too.

…Was a kind of failure, pushed and kicked to the outskirts by talent, much like Kariel himself.

Despite that.

Even she was within the top 5 in the entire school in terms of grades.

Grades aren’t everything, but if someone in the top 5 is treated as a failure by themselves and those around them.

Just how incredible must the people above her be?

“This is a ploy to strengthen Elhermina’s foundation. And you will be used as a tool for that. Someone of your caliber should have figured that out long ago, shouldn’t you?”

“…….”

Was that so?

Because he was preoccupied with other things, he hadn’t calculated it.

No, that’s not it.

He had simply given up on thinking about it.

If the matter is this grave, it is beyond my will.

Besides.

…I plan to disappear once my younger brother is born anyway, so what meaning is there in worrying about a distant future?

Even this reality, which I endure with my eyes open, is overwhelming.

Just breathing is exhausting.

…Rather, the investigation into the Demon King was so attractively distracting that I had been inwardly immersed in it.

It makes me remember unnecessary things again.

“Or what? Shall I paint the future for you? At the point when the generation of your parents, the Grand Heroes, exits the stage, Elhermina will become the mainstream. And you, as the consort of the Empress, will be thoroughly pushed to the background. Only your influence will be thoroughly exploited.”

“…….”

“You don’t want to be a bird trapped in a cage, do you? Am I wrong?”

“So, you’re telling me to refuse the engagement? Did you come all this way just to say something similar to what the Prince said?”

“…….”

Seras paused for a moment.

“It’s not as if there’s only one way.”

“What?”

Kariel flinched.

Surely, it couldn’t be, but did she guess his intention?

Accept the situation.

If not.

Reject or refuse the situation.

In the end, there are only two issues.

No, that’s not all.

Don’t panic. There’s no reason to be shaken.

The opponent in front of him is quick-witted.

If he reveals even a fragment of emotion clumsily, there is a risk that whatever it is will be seen through.

Because.

The options are, after all, limited.

“You and I can get engaged.”

However.

He had not predicted this answer at all.

So much so that.

-Wow….

Even the Demon King, who had been lying on top of his head with her chin resting on her hand out of boredom.

Had her mouth wide open, as if she had been hit by a surprise attack.

I wonder.

…What kind of expression was I making?

====

-You were a bad boy after all, weren’t you? I suspected it might be the case since you’re decent-looking~ look at this!

“Stop talking… nonsense.”

This is a purely political decision.

A Hero and the Chief of Nine Heroes.

However, as a newly formed family, while their position is currently overwhelming, it is obvious that it will fall by the time it reaches Kariel’s generation.

No, I don’t know if that would change if my brother is more outstanding than my father.

But if such a family mixes blood with the Imperial Family, they will immediately be incorporated into the Golden Bloodline, moving beyond the Blue Bloodline.

My parents and the Emperor likely calculated this.

Ensuring my future while considering their own present and after-death….

Also, for the Princess—or perhaps Elhermina, who might become the official successor based on this and be entrusted with the imperial throne of the empire….

“Sigh.”

I hate complicated things.

Moreover, political issues are always just disgusting.

Probably.

If I were to disappear without permission, the aftermath would be considerable.

‘But there’s no reason for me to care about that, is there?’

I’m sick of it.

I want to die just breathing, without thinking about anything.

Without pain, anguish, or worry.

Without anxiety, sadness, irritation, or absurdity.

“…….”

But is that even possible?

Life is nothing but pain.

…I feel like I heard those words from someone before, but I can’t remember.

-The proposal itself sounds rational. On the other hand, it’ll be a proposal your parents will find hard to welcome.

Because they are nominally opposing camps.

My father is in the Emperor Faction, and the Esdinas are the heads of the so-called Noble Faction.

…If I lean toward that side, wouldn’t the dynamic become quite interesting?

At the same time.

-Since she said she’d even hand over the position of Head of Household of Esdina, this sounds like a significant move.

“…….”

I don’t want to think.

Whether the proposal is appropriate, fits the mold, or whatever.

It’s all just tedious.

Royal blood, nobles.

Heroes and the Hero.

Whether they are children or whatever.

-And that girl. She probably has feelings for you.

“…For me?”

-Politically they are at odds, and while she hangs out with the Prince Faction under the guise of being a descendant of a hero, she probably didn’t join because she wanted to.

“…….”

Coincidentally, the Demon King was right.

She had simply occupied the positions fitting her status so that nothing unfavorable or unreasonable would happen to her.

That’s why, even when other descendants of heroes clung to the Prince.

Even while they bullied and ostracized Kariel himself, she was the one who mediated and stopped them whenever they truly tried to cross the line.

-Why? Do you think she joined that group to protect you?

“No. That’s not it. There’s no reason for her to go that far.”

Whether it was affection or goodwill.

For a very brief moment, I had such a futile thought.

As if.

Why would she volunteer for such trouble just for me?

…Wait?

“Then, does that mean the engagement she proposed could be sincere in its own way?”

-Yes. That’s what I wanted to say. With looks that are decent and a brilliant mind… if she has feelings for you and likes you? I think she could become your loyal ally. What do you think?

“…….”

I calmly cool down the heart that had begun to stir slightly.

Do not expect.

Do not trust.

Do not dream.

I repeat these three things to myself.

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Because such a convenient story.

Could never be given to me.

Absolutely.

From now on.

I have resolved to believe in nothing.

Never.

I will not repeat the same mistake as before.