The NTR Hero Knelt Before the Demon King – Chapter 181

Everyone dreams of finding their destined partner.

Whether male or female, human or demon.

They hold onto the thought that there exists someone somewhere in this world who would perfectly match them, and they strive to find that person.

And at this very moment,

She was sailing across the sea, searching for the person she believed to be her fated match.

“Is that it… that’s definitely…”

A massive island visible beyond the horizon.

Once a target of fear and hatred,

Now a nation that stands proudly as a dominant power on the continent.

The Demon Kingdom.

As she gazed at that place, she…

Helene, the strongest warrior of the Falcon Empire and currently a diplomatic envoy heading to the Demon Kingdom,

Began to feel a deep expectation for the fateful connection she would encounter there.

“Finally… I can see you again…”

Helene had been waiting for someone to defeat her and take her away with pride.

However, the number of individuals capable of defeating her, the strongest warrior of the Empire, could be counted on one hand within the continent, and simply meeting one of those was no easy task.

Then one day,

The very person she had long been awaiting appeared in her tiring life.

The one who first defeated her and captured her heart.

Eliza.

Though it troubled her a bit that her opponent was also a woman,

To the current Helene, that fact didn’t matter at all.

Whether her opponent was a human, demon, or monster, she had decided long ago not to concern herself with such trivial matters, making gender a non-issue.

“Just wait a little longer, Eliza. I’ll definitely make your heart mine!”

*

“Sigh…”

“What’s wrong? Why do you look like the world just crumbled down?”

My friend Cleopatra, who had a knack for making her discontent with reality noticeable.

Watching her, Achilles… no, Pyra, set down the teacup she was holding and asked with curiosity.

“Ugh… It’s just… life hasn’t been much fun lately.”

“It doesn’t seem like there’s any reason for it to be boring… Aren’t you pretty busy handling affairs of the Elf Church Country?”

“Sure, I’ve been busy with work… The problem is, I’ve just lost all joy in living lately.”

“Joy? Don’t tell me it’s about that?”

Suddenly, a well-known but hard-to-relate fact popped into my mind.

Unfortunately, Pyra’s expectation was precisely on point.

“Yeah, these days Eliza hasn’t called for me at all. Seriously… even if she’s married, how can she create a body that can no longer live without her and then act like this? What am I supposed to do if she takes away the joy of my life?”

“…Well… since she’s married now, isn’t it a way of saying she’s clearing out the women around her? I’ve heard that monogamy is strictly enforced among demons…”

“But… Eliza is a woman. Strictly speaking, she doesn’t have any spouses, so does this apply to her as well?”

“Hey, you should know that asking me about that won’t yield answers, right?”

“Ugh…”

Watching my friend ramble on and finding the situation increasingly difficult to empathize with, I felt a bit of discomfort.

“Honestly… we communicate well about other things, but whenever it comes to that female demon issue, she completely loses it… It wasn’t like this before.”

Though Pyra also had her gender changed, she was still coherent compared to Cleopatra.

Even though she lived a life that would have made the past her gasp in shock, apart from that issue, her personality hadn’t changed drastically like her friend.

“Well… should I consider this a love issue too?… But being obsessed over the same woman who’s already taken and has a child, I simply can’t empathize with that.”

With half-hearted resignation regarding her troublesome friend’s situation, Pyra sipped from her teacup once more.

At that moment…

“…Huh?”

“? What’s wrong, Pyra?”

“…Wait a moment… Is that person…?”

In the next moment, a figure began to catch Pyra’s eye.

Though she was slightly distant, her unmistakable appearance made Pyra’s expression stiffen.

“Helene?… Wait, why is she here?”

“What? Helene? No way… It’s real…”

As the strongest general of the Falcon Empire, she must have been extremely busy.

However, at that moment, Pyra and Cleopatra clearly saw her, as her beautifully striking face could not be concealed.

While both were pondering the mysterious appearance, they watched Helene with blank expressions.

“…Huh? Why is that woman coming this way?”

“Could Pyra be the one she recognizes?”

“Ah… no, that can’t be… Even though I’ve changed so completely…”

While thinking that certainly can’t be, Pyra stole a glance at Helene with a glimmer of hope.

At that moment…

“Excuse me…”

“N…Yes? Wh… what can I do for you?”

As Helene approached with a question,

Pyra struggled to contain a gasp as she watched Helene, enveloped in a thick tension.

‘C…Could it really be that I’ve been discovered? If that’s the case, I might have to go back to the Falcon Empire… No, I wouldn’t want that. Just when I was starting to get somewhat comfortable, going back and forcing myself to relive bad memories…’

Caught up in anxiety, Pyra kept an eye on Helene.

Meanwhile,

Helene continued cautiously questioning her.

“Excuse me, but are you human?”

“A… Yes, I am…”

There was a tone about her that suggested she didn’t recognize that Pyra was actually Achilles.

Pyra felt a mix of relief and lingering wariness as Helene continued speaking.

“Thank goodness, I’m so glad to meet a human here. Actually, I wanted to ask for directions, but it’s a bit awkward talking to demons…”

“Oh… I see. As for directions… where to?”

The more Helene shared, the more it seemed she wasn’t looking for Pyra.

But even so, Pyra kept her guard up as she proceeded to engage in conversation, and Helene smiled again before asking.

“I’m looking for someone, but I seem to have lost my way. Do you happen to know how to get there?”

With that, Helene pulled out a map, and both Pyra and Cleopatra began examining where it pointed.

However…

“Hmm?… Isn’t this the one place?”

“…It seems like it.”

Both Cleopatra and even Pyra couldn’t help but recognize the site at a glance.

At the same time, both felt…

Especially Cleopatra, felt an odd sense of unease grow within her as she turned to Helene and asked.

“Excuse me, but what are you going there for?”

“Hmm… I guess you could call it… seeking love?”

“…”

“Ugh…”

Helene’s declaration, so difficult to respond to, left both of them momentarily speechless.

*

“Now, Magdalena, say ahh.”

“Ma-mama… aaahh…”

Eliza gently fed the porridge to the baby nestled in her arms.

Watching this little life, who was now graduating from formula thanks to her emerging teeth, brought a cheerful smile to Eliza’s face.

“Aww, you’re eating so well, my baby. Eating like this without picky habits, how adorable you are.”

“Mama! Mummmaa!”

The baby, seeming to understand Eliza’s words, waved arms joyfully and let out cheerful sounds.

So simply, they looked like a perfect mother and child, making Nyadan, who was watching, start to smile wryly.

“Honestly… I feel this every time, but being a mom suits you. When I tried to feed her, she wouldn’t open her mouth, but she listens well when you do it.”

“Really?… I don’t think it’s that much of a difference. But still, she definitely likes to sleep in your arms more. Maybe it’s because you have more bits to play with than I do, though.”

“Hmm… hmm…”

Nyadan looked slightly awkward at Eliza’s comment.

Just then…

—Knock! Knock!

“Hmm, who could it be?”

“There shouldn’t be anyone visiting at this hour…”

The sudden knock startled them both.

With the baby still in their arms, they headed towards the door.

And just after that, what appeared before their eyes was…

“…Huh?”

“You’re definitely from that time…”

“!!”