Just as Serius was about to take the last step towards Merea, he stopped.
He felt like Merea had said what he least wanted to hear and touched what he least want touched,
The moment he tried to unravel the battle preparations, such words came up. It unexpectedly intruded into his heart smoothly.
More than anything――
Everything he said was verbatim what he had been told once in the past which caused Serius' heart to shake.
If it had been an existence inferior to himself spewing nonsense then he would be able to ignore it.
However, the man who had said those words to him in the past was a man who had managed to win against him.
――Why are you…
Even though it hasn't even been an hour since they met――
「Why are you able to say the same things as that man…!!」
The man who had similarly admonished him in the past. A man with beautiful aqua blue eyes who was the same age as him.
The man in front of him said exactly the same words as that man. The second man with red eyes that were completely opposite to the blue of the man in the past.
「Why are you looking at me with those eyes?!」
Serius Brad Mūzeg was aiming to become a hero as well.
Merea, Hasim and Serius.
The three of them were aiming for 『different』 kinds of heroes.
Be that as it may, the hero that Serius was aiming for――
Was the youngest of them all.
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Mainly because Serius himself was aware of this fact that he tried to hide it.
He was extremely scared of people touching on that topic.
As the prince of a large country, it was probably an unneeded dream.
「Are you perhaps aiming to become a hero like the ones in heroic tales?」
Merea continued speaking.
Seeing Serius' reaction, Merea felt a firm conviction that his previous thoughts were accurate.
The moment that happened, the countless words and thoughts that had been stopped by his suspicions, started flowing naturally.
「What are you――」
「One of my companions said this earlier. The heroes in the heroic tales are the most beautified heroes」
The heroes that come out in the heroic tales are, beautiful. They are pure.
「Although they face many distressing situations, in the end they always come out victorious and make a splendid triumphant return. They keep their heads raised as if to avoid looking at the blood drenched scene at their feet.
With their left hands hiding a dagger in their clothes, they fluently speak flowery words.
That's where most heroic tales come to an end. Ah――those stories are really nice, I won't deny it either. In fact, I, myself, love such stories」
However,
「How many such examples are there? Are they really stories that accurately depict heroes?
Is it accurate for it to be a 『heroic tale of this world』?」
Serius knew more than anyone else that, that was not true.
Of course it would be so.
It was his homeland that didn't let him do that.
「――!」
「Even so are you aiming for such a hero? ――I've somehow come to understand it. Why you couldn’t answer anything about your vision for after victory.
I said this earlier but you have no thoughts about the future. Your yearning and dreams 『end with victory』」
「Y, you're wrong――」
「However, you yourself, know that it won't be over once you win because you're a prince of Mūzeg.
Royalty needs to be able to look forward in order to guide the citizens. Simply because of this fact, a 『gap』 was formed even though you didn't mean for it to. You were…unable to fix that gap huh」
While being crucified in midair, Merea looked at Serius with a gaze filled with pity.
「What caused you to become like this?」
「…!!」
Serius clenched his fists.
「Everything went crazy after that time. If 『that man』 had not done something like that then――」
「Who did what?」
He spoke.
Heavy words that even struck Merea to his very soul.
◆◆◆
「〈Flander Crow Mūzeg〉! If he didn't betray our homeland!!」
◆◆◆
At that moment, Merea felt something moving even inside himself.
〈Flander Crow Mūzeg〉.
Flander Crow was…a member of Mūzeg's royalty.
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「What's with that face? …Don't tell me, even though you have those eyes, you still didn't know?」
「――」
「As I thought, is that so! ――Haha, this is a hilarious! Flander didn't tell you huh!
No, that would be so! If it was the ghost of Flander Crow on the mountain top of that sacred mountain then he definitely wouldn't say that name out loud!
He was a man who threw away the name of Mūzeg because of his grudge after all!!」
Thinking that he had found a gap in Merea's heart, Serius aggressively attacked.
It was a child like aggressiveness which he would never show his subordinates.
「Flander Crow used to be a prince of Mūzeg! Not to mention, a man who was known as the strongest prince of Mūzeg!
For Mūzeg that had been trying to achieve strength from ancient times, Flander was a long-awaited existence!
He had so much strength as a practitioner that he managed to easily leave his name in history, not to mention that he even manifested those magic eyes!」
Serius spread both his hands and spoke in a loud voice.
「However, after he destroyed the evil demon lord of that age, he seeked to live in seclusion. Even though wars between nations had already started to become mainstream, he still chose the option that would take him away from battle…!」
「…What is wrong with that?」
Merea finally spoke back to Serius.
His eyes were slowly opening and a simmering anger could be seen in the depths of his eyes.
「If he really had been thinking about his country then he would have devoted himself to battle」
「That is just something that the country's side――」
「That's right, it's just an excuse. However, Flander Crow was a 『prince』. In other words, he himself was the future of the country」
「So there's no consideration for basic human rights in that statement?」
「No, there isn't. It was his fate for having been born as a prince」
「Is that true for you as well?」
「I personally like this fate. I aim for victory for the sake of Mūzeg. Aim for it as greedily as possible」
「Is a prince simply an existence that exists simply to fight for their country?」
「There are different ways to fight. However, Flander had overwhelming power. Power to kill people easily」
「Is that why you tried to ignore the will of the person in question and tried to have him kill people? ――That's just wrong」
「It's not wrong. The era demands power」
「An era is created by people. Don't speak as if it was something that was decided by god…!」
「Even so, people cannot go oppose the era」
「Did you even try to oppose it?!」
Merea bellowed.
That voiced passed through the vocal cords of the Pleasure King (Yurun Yura) and resounded in the surroundings.
To the cavalry of Mūzeg, to the cavalry of Lemuse and even to the demon lords.
Merea's roar alone could be clearly heard.
「Don't scream. ――Oppose it? There's no need. This is era is perfect for Mūzeg」
「Your words seem to unnecessarily have the words of others mixed in…, is it possible that you were raised with such thoughts?」
「My father has nothing to do with this」
Although Serius thought that he had said that with indifference but, Merea noticed that there was a slight amount of unrest mixed in as well.
「Where exactly are you…Serius?」
「I'm wherever there is fighting」
「You're crazy. You're completely crazy, Serius. You're nothing but a battle maniac」
「Shut up, Merea」
They both called each other's names.
Their gaze intersected.
「If Flander Crow Mūzeg had not been seduced by that witch of Lemuse then everything would have turned out well. Mūzeg would have been able to subjugate the entire world」
「Are you talking about Leilas?」
「That's right. Leilas Lif Lemuse. That witch alone was a genuine demon lord as far as Mūzeg was concerned」
「Flander was in love with Leilas you know?」
「He was seduced」
「Why are you so certain of that fact…? Even though you've never met those two…」
The difference of the era.
If he had met and had a conversation with Flander and Leilas then he might have had different thoughts on the matter.
However, that could never happen.
Their eras are too far apart.
「Why are you…」
Even so, he probably investigated about Flander's life from history books left behind in Mūzeg or other books available to the public.
Serius had a look like he was obsessed with Flander.
Merea made a guess as soon as he saw that.
It's possible that Serius――
◆◆◆
Admired Flander.
◆◆◆
「Flander Crow Mūzeg was the type of hero that I wanted to aim for. ――Until that point at least」
「Is that…so」
「Flander never had a child so I'm not a direct descendent of his but, since his blood is mixed in somewhat, I can consider us to be of the same family. I was proud to have the Flander from those stories as one of my ancestors」
There was an innocent light in Serius' eyes.
In that moment, Merea found the answer to everything.
Merea no longer had anything else to ask.
He no longer wanted to ask anything.
If he did continue asking any more, the anger that he had been keeping in check with his rationality might just burst forth and rampage.
「However, Flander failed. He wasn't a real hero. After that, I couldn't help but feel this ancestry to be depressing」
「You're wrong, Flander was a hero」
「He abandoned Mūzeg」
「He subjugated the evil demon lord for the sake of Mūzeg right? Have you even forgotten that fact?」
「I haven't forgotten it. Flander was a hero till that point. However, he wasn't a hero till the end. In other words, Flander was a 『failed hero』」
「You're not that one who gets to decide that」
「You're not the one either. There will be no answer to this subject」
An intellectual light crept back into Serius' eyes.
「For you, Flander was a hero as well as…a demon lord huh」
Merea on the other hand, pitied Serius.
Even if Serius seemed like he was always in a daze, he might just be more sentimental than other people.
That cool expression might just be a facade to hide that fact.
SInce he was in the position of a prince, he probably needed that facade to maintain his dignity.
When Merea thought about Serius, he resented this era and he even resented Mūzeg as well.
Even so, Merea,
「But, even if I am like this, there are some things that I can't let slide. I――」
Raised his head and spoke to Serius.
For the first time ever, his face…had the expression of a demon.
He decided to let the anger and rage, that he had kept in check with his exceptional rationality, explode.
He was at his limit.
「You people who didn't let Flander pass on as a hero――」
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I'll never forgive you.
◆◆◆
The conversation was over.
There was nothing else to ask.
The system in Mūzeg, the personality of the king of Mūzeg as well as the real face of the man who might become the future of Mūzeg――he found out about them all.
「Whether you forgive us or not, you will die here. ――That determination of yours has absolutely no meaning!」
Serius used the demonic spear in his hand and almost instinctively thrust it towards the crucified Merea's chest.
The blade of the demonic spear raised an eerie shriek as it pierced through Merea's chest, went through his flesh and finally passed through his body.
「――I win」
Serius spoke briefly.
What exactly he won against is something that was rather vague even inside Serius himself.
The fact that he might not be able to get his hands on the powers of the demon lord if he were to kill him was something that had been completely forgotten by him.