As much as no one expected such words to come out, everyone looked at Julieta with their mouths open.
Perhaps a little shy of everyone’s attention, Julieta continued calmly with a slightly recalled face.
“If I become a hero of the seven and receive the position of Grand Duchess, I can establish a duchy. Then the oak tribe will have an autonomy that will never collapse.”
Robur, who came to her senses belatedly, jumped up and stopped Julieta.
“You don’t have to do that, Julieta. It’s enough for the Vice Commander to take care of me.”
“I know, but… I want to do that.”
Julieta also seemed to have spoken impulsively at first.
However, as she spoke, she gradually became determined, and her eyes alternating between me and Robur shone clearly with a firm belief.
“The Vice Commander found me a new life, and Robur trained me. If I have someone to repay, it’s two people.”
I was choked up over my neck.
I didn’t expect Julieta to think so. I shook my head and tried to speak calmly.
“All because you were so talented, Julieta. You’ve earned your life.”
“But it was a talent that would have been buried forever if the Vice Commander had not taken it out.”
Julieta giggled. Then she spoke lightly as if she were playing a joke on Robur.
“I’ll be loyal to the Vice Commander for the rest of my life, so Robur will be full of this.”
Robur must have been moved, so her eyes were filled. She turned away, raising her head obliquely to the sky, perhaps ashamed that she had shown tears.
“What’s this? I feel like I’ve become a devoted parent…”
“You’re actually going to be a mother, aren’t you? Congratulations, Robur.”
I clapped my hands and made fun of Robur. She stuck out her tongue and shook her head.
“I didn’t expect to have such a big daughter at this age… I thought I would be over forty if I had a child…”
Robur put her hand on her waist, breathed heavily, and exhaled.
Then, with her big hands, she clasped Julieta’s shoulders and shouted in a determined voice.
“I’ll take you seriously like my daughter, Julieta.”
“… Yes.”
Julieta’s eyes were filled with tears. Julieta bent her tearful eyes and smiled brightly.
Nova, who had witnessed all of this with us, also added, sniffling emotionally.
“I’ll treat the Vice Commander and Robur like my parents and be a good son forever!”
“…are you kidding me?”
“Pardon?”
Nova tilted his head in puzzlement. He’s serious, isn’t he? I shook my head, holding my forehead in my palm.
“Good son, good son…”
It became meaningless to tease Robur while congratulating her. Robur chuckled at the sight of my disgusted appearance.
Then she suddenly cleared her face, looked at Nova and Julieta with serious faces, and said,
“I think the decisive moment is more effective because the two of you breathe better together than I do. The Vice Commander isn’t choosing you guys just because I declined. It’s because your abilities are genuine. Do you understand?”
“… Yes!”
Nova and Julieta’s determined will was echoed. The initial awkwardness they showed when they first joined the Black Knights and were assigned to the special unit had vanished without a shadow, and now they stood tall and proud, shining with sincerity and firmness as experts.
Thus, including the three members of the special unit, the seven expedition members who would enter the Demon King’s Castle dungeon were decided.
The last seven.
With these seven I intend to defeat the Demon King and win a happy ending. I tightened my will firmly.
***
However, the final seven were not the end of the story.
The Demon King dungeon gate was divided into the main gate and an additional gate.
As soon as the expedition entered the main gate, the other gates were opened and the demons went out, but the damage caused by the first one was too great.
It would be a total attack of the demon world.
If it had not been Meyer, I would not have known either.
In the game, all I had to do was catch the Demon King, and I was the one who would enter the dungeon in the first round.
When I first heard about this, a shiver ran down my spine. Had Meyer not held my hand, I would have never known forever… Just thinking about it makes my hair stand on end.
After Meyer shared with me the exact location where the demons were extracted in the first round, I carefully adjusted the timing of the gate entry through constant meetings with Meyer to determine where to send the expedition first and which expedition to have on standby.
After the report meeting, I met with the expedition leaders to identify those who were holding hands with Countess Nerus, and the other expedition members accepted the situation relatively easily thanks to pre-medication.
Sometimes people doubted how I could know, but if the records from the time of the First Holy Demon War a thousand years ago were still in the Grand Duke’s possession, then all was well.
That was a lie, of course.
But it was not possible to send someone to Nokentoria now. Since there was no way to confirm it, I incited people with lies, not caring at all.
Finally, the day approached when we were to enter.
Everyone killed a single sound as we neared death and destruction.
In such a quiet silence we could hear the gradual opening of the gates.
I backed away in horror as I listened to the world expand and the sound of magi leaking out.
The expedition members, however, held their ground without the slightest retreat.
Meanwhile, the Imperial Guard was evacuating people in and around the capital.
Haste and haste they did, but there were still those who remained.
“We’ll fight, too!”
“My limbs are strong, so anything goes!”
While villagers near the capital were on their way to refuge, those who could bear any weapons remained to help the expedition members.
“They’re not just any demons, but demons from the Demon King’s castle! The public cannot deal with them, so please leave as you are!”
“I’ll at least carry supplies. This is the home of our lives. Perhaps we know shortcuts better here.”
They didn’t back down by saying it over and over again, so the expedition member had no choice but to nod to do so.
I stared and moistened my dry lips with my tongue.
The anxiety and nervousness that what I prepared might go wrong, and the expectation that all of this will end…
I glanced at the special unit standing there with nervous faces.
A guardian’s heart wanted to increase the chance of survival as much as possible, and the special unit especially wanted to raise the level a little more to deal with the Demon King…
But even if I had tried to regret it, it was too late. I had no choice but to do what I could now.
I repeatedly told the special forces.
“You’ve leveled enough, but it’s still the Demon King. Don’t let your guard down.”
“I know, I know. Don’t worry too much.”
Sevi raised his chin pretending to be fine.
But he could not hide his trembling lips.
At that time, Robur, who arrived late, raised her hand and waved to greet us.
“Oh, fortunately, it’s not too late.”
“Is sister still late in this situation?”
Axion grumbled. He was used to Robur’s tardiness, and Meyer, Tragula, and August all looked as if they would be too.
Robur laughed without saying a word, and at once asked the trio to hold out their hands.
“Hand?”
She put one bracelet after another on the arms of the trio. They were crude and poorly made, but they were pulled on with such firmness that they didn’t seem to untie easily.
Robur smiled contentedly and held her head back.
“Our Oak tribe tie bracelets as a way to ward off bad luck for apprentices and children who are about to go to war. It’s been so long since I’ve learned it that I’m a little lost.”
“Hold on, sister. But we don’t have anything? We have the sentiments of the elite unit.”
Exclaimed Axion. Robur snorted and scolded Axion.
“You didn’t listen to me? It’s for apprentices or children. If you want to be my child, I’ll go ahead and make you one now.”
“Oh, that’s enough. With the bracelets that Robur wove, everything that tries to come in for warding will run away.”
“What a bad mouth that only lives to talk.”
Robur clicked her tongue at the appearance of Axion, who smiled and shook her hand.
“Be careful, Jun.”
Anasta, who came out to see me off, held my hand and said,
Jeanne, who had taken a step behind Anasta, murmured softly to her usual close friend Sevi.
“…come back alive.”
“Trust me! If I defeat the Demon King, everyone will call me the Gale Destroyer, not the Spirit of the Wind.”
No. I don’t think that’s possible…
However, I chose to quietly turn away because I couldn’t break the rising spirit by trying to bluff, and it was the same for both the Black Knights except Sevi and Jeanne. Jeanne and Anasta decided to join the Red Wolf Unit. I was able to relax, as it was still safer to stay with them, who I trusted than to volunteer here and there.
“Have a safe trip. I’ll do my best to stop the demons.”
Tragula bowed his head politely. I looked around at the people who came to meet me and told them firmly.
“This is our last battle… Take care of yourself, everyone.”
At my words, Robur smiled and added, as if to believe only in her.
“For the peace of mankind.”
“For the peace of mankind!”
Following Robur’s lead, everyone loudly advocated the slogan. Then, making eye contact, everyone smiled.
We didn’t show any of our fear and anxiety but held it in a light smile.
“Then let’s go to war.”
Meyer, who had just finished talking to the emperor and getting ready, approached us.
We decided to keep the departure ceremony short and abbreviated. There was no room for such a ceremony, and the emperor’s intention was that it would be meaningless since a new era would soon open anyway.
As we were about to leave the imperial palace, suddenly a commotion began to rustle in the distance.
Before Sevi understood what was going on, an expedition member was running urgently toward us.
Meyer also rushed to him and asked,
“What’s the fuss about?”
“The demons…! Demons are popping out!”
