Chapter 179
“…What?”
Seere unconsciously asked back. However, no one pointed it out or thought it was strange. Ersha and Lin were feeling similar emotions as Seere.
“There’s something I need to tell you about the death of the former Demon King Seir von Debata, of the Debata clan.”
“Why are you suddenly bringing this up?”
Seere’s voice turned slightly cold. It was only natural. Her father, Seir’s death was too painful a wound for Seere.
Thanks to Nahun’s presence, she had managed to fill the void left from that childhood pain and had just begun to forget about it. But now, as Nahun suddenly brought up that story, her reaction was understandably frigid.
“I understand, Seere. I know what this means to you. That’s why I feel so sorry. But… there’s something we really need to discuss.”
“Is it important enough to determine my relationship with the teacher?”
“Yes, it is extremely important.”
At Nahun’s firm answer, Seere had no choice but to soften her expression. After confirming their feelings for each other on the moonlit beach, any emotion Nahun showed to Seere was genuine.
How could she not listen when Nahun was saying something so serious? Seere decided to endure even if it was hard to hear.
“Please speak.”
“Seir von Debata was officially known as a ‘warrior.’ His opponent was…”
“He challenged Lord Beelzebub on the First Floor and ended up that way.”
This was why Seere didn’t blame Beelzebub despite the pain of her father’s death. Seir was the one who declared war first, and Beelzebub merely accepted his challenge.
In that process, Seir was defeated, and most of his legion was annihilated. He had fought honorably and lost; there was no one to blame. Only the impact of his death remained as a painful scar for young Seere.
But…
“Was Seir truly killed in battle against Beelzebub?”
“…What?”
As Nahun posed the question, Seere and Lin looked at him as if to ask what he was talking about. Ersha, who was unfamiliar with the situation, also appeared puzzled.
It seemed as if he was suggesting that the widely accepted narrative was not true.
“There was a war! Am I not a witness?”
It was Lin. She had also participated in the war, and her legion survived only due to their lord’s consideration. To be precise, Seir had chosen the Fourth Legion as a force to protect his young daughter.
There was no other reason. It was simply that Lin, as the commander, was someone who took good care of Seere.
On that day, Lin wanted to fight and die alongside Seir. This was true for all the survivors of the Fourth Legion. However, she could not possibly refuse her lord’s last request.
As her past resentment bubbled to the surface, Lin’s voice inadvertently grew louder.
“Your Majesty Seir…! The former Demon King, even if he lost, fought courageously until his last breath! What are you talking about…!!”
“It’s true that Seir’s cause of death was labeled as a warrior, Commander Lin. I’m not saying what you saw was wrong.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Commander, think about it again.”
Nahun asked Lin.
“Was Seir von Debata’s strength vastly inferior to that of Beelzebub von Deus?”
“…What?”
“Was Beelzebub so overwhelming that the renowned legion boasting Seir’s capabilities, minus your legion, could all be annihilated?”
At Nahun’s question, Lin’s eyes widened.
“I… don’t think that was the case. Objectively speaking. However, the result was an overwhelming defeat for us. The strategy and tactics of the First Floor were exceptional, and the state of the forces at the time might have played a role….”
“No.”
“…What?”
“The reason you lost wasn’t that at all. Condition, strategy, tactics… all those can certainly influence the outcome of a war. But that’s not the issue here.”
Nahun said.
“The reason you lost was…”
His gaze passed over Lin and landed on Ersha for a moment. And then, it passed over her…
“External intervention.”
He turned towards Seere.
#
“Beelzebub.”
Centered around Beelzebub von Deus, the highest-ranking demon lords up to the fourth tier gathered in the Patricii faction. Beelzebub, the faction leader, appeared in their secret conference room.
Upon his arrival, Agreas, with an expression full of discontent, spoke up.
“Where the hell have you been until now?”
After stalling for time against Mikael during the Celestial War, Beelzebub had not shown his face for quite a long time.
Even at the moment when Seere von Debata ended the Celestial War and during the aftermath, he had not shown up. It wasn’t surprising that Agreas expressed discontent towards Beelzebub, who only revealed himself after everything had concluded.
“I had things to deal with.”
“Was it more urgent than this?”
“Yes.”
Agreas, along with Basago and Samygina who were also present, couldn’t comprehend it. What could possibly have been more urgent than the Celestial War? Eventually, unable to contain his frustration, Agreas snapped.
“Stop joking! You decided to split the army and now we’re in this situation, and you’re off worrying about something else?!”
At Agreas’s scolding, Beelzebub turned to look at her. In that moment, Agreas was startled and had no choice but to close her mouth.
“I bought enough time against Mikael. I fulfilled my responsibility.”
“That’s not all….”
“I understand why you’re upset. Just know that I really had something to do.”
Beelzebub concluded his statement and took a seat. Agreas still looked dissatisfied, but it seemed she no longer had the energy to argue and remained silent.
“Seere von Debata ended the Celestial War.”
“…Indeed, Beelzebub.”
Instead of Agreas, Basago spoke up.
“To our astonishment, that young Demon King even repelled a powerful Archangel. What does she possess? Has Seir truly been reincarnated?”
Seir. Hearing that old name caused Agreas to tremble. Just at that moment, when Basago was slightly puzzled by her reaction, Beelzebub spoke.
“No.”
“Then how did she repel the Archangel?”
“Did you not see it?”
“I did not. No one anticipated her victory.”
“…I understand.”
As Beelzebub spoke, he added one more thing.
“You were curious about why Seere von Debata could repel the Archangel, right?”
“…Do you know?”
“Yes.”
Remembering the facts he heard while in Hell, Beelzebub spoke in a way that the intelligent Basago would discern.
“We need to be cautious about their forces. There’s a dangerous individual within the Debata faction.”
“…Dangerous? To us?”
“Not just us, but it could be a threat to the entire Demon World.”
“……!!”
Basago was taken aback. He understood now why Beelzebub had visited Hell right before the important battle of the Celestial War.
“I see… So that’s why her growth has been so rapid.”
Both Basago and Samygina, who had been listening, could roughly understand. The only one who did not understand was Agreas.
“How do you plan to respond, Beelzebub?”
“It depends on where her objectives lie. If those objectives threaten our positions…”
Beelzebub said.
“We have no choice but to stomp them out.”
#
External intervention. At those words, both Lin, who had been present on the battlefield at the time, and Seere wore serious expressions.
“Teacher… Can you take responsibility for that statement?”
“It’s all true.”
“Nahun, that can’t be right. I was there, and there were no additional forces interfering in our battle!”
“They didn’t interfere. They supported Beelzebub’s forces from the start, so there wouldn’t have been any odd movements in between.”
At Nahun’s words, Lin displayed not only surprise but also a hint of incredulity. At that moment, Ersha asked Nahun.
“So, are you saying that someone intervened in Seir’s death?”
Nahun looked at her, then turned his gaze back to Seere and revealed facts that no one had known until now.
“Hell.”
“…What?”
“The Great Demons of Hell did not want the first place in the Demon World to change hands. Whether it was because they didn’t want it or because Beelzebub persuaded them well… it’s certain that they did not want Seir von Debata to take that position.”
Nahun said.
“Perhaps it was because Seir’s character was different from Beelzebub’s. The Great Demons would prefer a Demon King who would better align with them in that top position. If Seir attained the first position, it would become more difficult for the Great Demons to manipulate the Demon World comfortably.”
Beelzebub was a Demon King very cooperative with Hell. It was only natural that he would not shy away from visiting Hell. He would follow anything said by the Great Demon, especially by Taumiel, the actual ruler of Hell.
In contrast, Seir was not like that. Though the Great Demons made attempts to draw Seir, who was a strong candidate as the next rank one Demon King, Seir’s strong-willed nature made him unsuitable to be a pawn of the Great Demons.
Rather than becoming a servant of the Great Demons, he had formed a bond with a powerful Great Demon who had no interest in such things and lived a solitary life.
“And being close to me was one of the biggest reasons.”
Nahun wore a bitter expression. Even though he did not know those feelings from that time, now discussing it made his heart ache. The very reason that he had been close to his friend had become the cause of her friend’s loss of life.
“From the Great Demons’ perspective, they wouldn’t want a Demon King who wouldn’t listen to them and was close to the most dangerous Great Demon to hold the top position. Therefore, they had to intervene.”
Nahun had inadvertently hinted at his own identity. However, since Ersha and Lin were already aware of that fact, they were not surprised. Only Seere was surprised.
Seere knew that Nahun was a Great Demon, but she was unaware that he was the most powerful Great Demon in Hell.
“So, the Great Demons intervened in the war between Seir von Debata and Beelzebub von Deus. As a result, Seir’s forces were annihilated, while Beelzebub emerged with barely any loss. And….”
Nahun looked at Seere.
“I also stood by and watched.”
