The Unfortunate Girl Wants an Easy Mode in Her Second Life – Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Information from Lewis
ㅤAlmi and I jumped to the transfer ruins on the Kielhen Islands, and from there we went to Celesta by sea.
ㅤWe will meet up with Lewis, who is still staying there.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Long time no see, Lewis. Thanks for letting me know this time.”
ㅤ
ㅤLewis stared at my face intently before saying,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hmm. I wondered what you’d be like now that you’re a Demon King, but you don’t seem to have changed much.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Even if I try to act dignified, it just looks ridiculous.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”You got that right. But can’t you, like, exert some kind of pressure? You’re a top-class magician and swordsman.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I can intimidate people by unleashing my magic power, but…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Isn’t that necessary? To keep the demons in check?”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi, Lewis, and I met at the seaside restaurant we’ve been to before.
ㅤLast time, Harriet-san eavesdropped on us, but this time we’re using sound-blocking magic as a countermeasure.
ㅤ…Why are we using this restaurant again, you ask?
ㅤOf course, it’s because the food is delicious.
ㅤ
ㅤThe pretty boy magic user with his bobbed black hair was still going strong.
ㅤThese days, with hardly anyone daring to lecture the Demon King, this was actually quite refreshing.
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, you’re saying it’s definitely true?”
ㅤ
ㅤI pressed Lewis for confirmation.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Of course. I was surprised myself. I always thought General Hamilton, who was given full authority over the Demon Kingdom, was a straightforward, loyal, and upright military man. In fact, he and my sister seemed to get along quite well.”
ㅤ
ㅤSherry-san is a woman of chivalry, so she would certainly get along with Hamilton.
ㅤ
ㅤ”And then, suddenly, he rebels. He gathered demons from somewhere and barricaded himself in the Mist Forest Dungeon Ruins. No matter how much we called out to him, all he would repeat was 『to build a nation that truly benefits fellow demons.』”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Why would Hamilton-san do such a thing…?”
ㅤ
ㅤAlmi’s face clouded over.
ㅤ
ㅤLewis said to Almi,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Due to my involvement with Imusoda, I know a little about the ecology of demons.
ㅤFor demons who have lived as spiritual beings in the Netherworld, their emotions are an unshakeable second reality. No, since they didn’t have physical bodies on the surface, perhaps their emotions were their reality. In short, if they’re consumed by resentment, it’s not easy to unravel it.
ㅤWell, I think you guys should know that better than anyone, though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yeah, you’re right. But Hamilton was a moderate among them. He was the point of contact for the disgruntled demons in various regions and took the brunt of the criticism directed at us.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I guess it’s a case of the doctor catching the disease.
ㅤHonestly, I was a little disappointed. I thought he was a remarkable individual, but that would mean it was all an act.
ㅤIf that’s the case, he’s just a small fry. It’s quite pathetic for both the Tree Country and the Demon Kingdom to be manipulated by such a small fry.”
ㅤ
ㅤLewis said frankly.
ㅤ
ㅤ”…I can’t deny that. I’m sorry, maybe because of my connection to him, the Tree Country found it hard to suspect Hamilton.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, that’s not it. The Tree Country isn’t that naive. In the first place, even though you’re the Patrol Knights Commander, you don’t have much influence on national politics. I think you’ve earned a certain degree of trust from Her Majesty, though.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”So, the Tree Country did do some kind of, what do you call it, background check on Hamilton?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Of course. The conclusion was that he was a true and honest warrior who couldn’t lie. At first, because of the Imusoda incident, we were quite wary, but recently we were leaning towards the idea that we might be able to trust the warriors.
ㅤHowever, this incident completely ruined that. The warriors, whose pride has been wounded, are becoming the strongest hardliners against the Demon Kingdom.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I can understand why…”
ㅤ
ㅤIf they were betrayed just when they were starting to think they could trust him, they would naturally react that way.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Normally, the Tree Country’s Knights would mobilize and quickly suppress Hamilton and his group. However, since Hamilton is advocating for independence from the Demon Kingdom, there’s a possibility that he’s not connected to the main Demon Kingdom. That’s why the matter was brought to you.
ㅤBut, frankly, there are some in the Tree Country who suspect that this is a conspiracy by the Demon Kingdom.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I see. So you’re saying that Hamilton’s claims are false, and the Demon Kingdom is trying to do something using that as an excuse?”
ㅤ
ㅤIt might be more natural to think that than to think that Hamilton, who was supposed to be trusted, suddenly went crazy and declared independence from the main country.
ㅤI don’t know if it’s an accurate analogy, but when pre-war Japan created Manchukuo, they also claimed it was an independent nation.
ㅤUnlike Manchukuo, Hamilton’s “Demon Co-Prosperity Sphere” is picking a fight with the main Demon Kingdom, but Lewis and the others can’t tell if it’s real or a facade.
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s why the Tree Country would be troubled if the Demon Kingdom sent troops. The best outcome would be for you to somehow persuade Hamilton to surrender and execute him.
ㅤIf that’s not possible, the Tree Country will have no choice but to mobilize the Knights and eliminate Hamilton and his group.
ㅤHowever, the enemy is demons. Moreover, they are led by a man who was one of the Four Heavenly Demon Generals. There will be considerable casualties among the Knights.
ㅤBut, for the Tree Country, in order to protect our sovereignty, we need to show a firm stance, even if it means making sacrifices. If we show weakness here, we’ll be taken advantage of by Zamzaria in the north.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”I understand the Tree Country’s position. This time, only Almi, I, and a small number of attendants will be coming from the Demon Kingdom.”
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ㅤIn the first place, our population is small, and even if we wanted to, we can’t have a grand procession, but I’ll keep that to myself.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Minato and Almirash-san? That means the top two of the Demon Kingdom are coming together?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Yes. Since Hamilton, to whom we entrusted full authority, has caused this trouble, it’s only natural for those above him to come.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Logically, that’s true, but… are you sure it’s okay?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”Okay? What do you mean?”
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ㅤ”Morally speaking, this incident could put the Demon Kingdom in a disadvantageous position with the Tree Country. Wouldn’t it damage the Demon Kingdom’s prestige for both Demon Kings to go together?”
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ㅤAlmi answered Lewis’s question.
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ㅤ”Our prestige has already been damaged. It would be insincere to stubbornly refuse to acknowledge our fault here.”
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ㅤ”This is the result of worrying about our prestige and leaving everything to Hamilton… Both Almi and I have become a little distrustful of humans.”
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ㅤThough they’re not humans, but demons.
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ㅤ”I see. You’re still the same Minato after all.”
ㅤ
ㅤLewis said with a wry smile.
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ㅤ”But, don’t you find it strange? If they’re that suspicious, wouldn’t it be faster for the Tree Country to handle the matter themselves instead of telling the Demon Kingdom to take care of it?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s… you’re right.”
ㅤ
ㅤSince it happened within their own country, they should be able to take care of it themselves without contacting the Demon Kingdom.
ㅤThat would also be a way for the Tree Country to show its power to the surrounding nations.
ㅤ
ㅤ”The reason for that is… because we’ve made a little blunder on our side as well.”
ㅤ
ㅤ”A blunder? Why? This incident was caused by Hamilton, right?”
ㅤ
ㅤ”It’s not directly related to this incident. However, since the timing coincides, some people are saying that there might be something behind it. After all, he was acting as a pawn of the demons in the previous incident.”
ㅤ
ㅤLewis spoke in a roundabout way.
ㅤI thought for a moment and finally understood what he was trying to say.
ㅤ
ㅤ”He… you don’t mean…”
ㅤ
ㅤ”That’s right. That knight – the 『Dark Knight,』 as Minato calls him. He… Cretias, the former knight of Zamzaria, has disappeared.”
ㅤ
ㅤAt Lewis’s words, I involuntarily gasped.