Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 64

King Fanato of Meldor Kingdom

What in the world is going on…?

Lax and the forces of Riofendarl Viscounty had finally made it possible to lure the demon into the open.

That was why I had supported them—as discreetly as possible—with the hope that this time, the demon would finally be destroyed.

Yet, in the end, we failed to deliver the final blow.

Even so, we had managed to corner Duke Horneld, a man suspected of aiding the demon.

In the process, we forced Viscount Riofendarl to abandon his own daughter.

From what I had heard, the girl wasn’t just a pawn controlled by the demon—she had committed atrocious acts out of greed and self-preservation.

Still, it was undeniable that she had been sacrificed for the greater cause.

After all that, I had arranged for the Crown Prince of our allied nation to visit, hosting a ceremony to solidify our commitment to the war against demons.

The people of our kingdom were now fully aware of the demon’s atrocities.

With public sentiment on our side, allocating funds and military power to combat demons would not face opposition.

The destruction that had taken place in the duchy had been undeniable.

Countless lives were lost.

Yet, despite all of this, when I addressed the Crown Prince, his response had been unsettlingly indifferent.

“To us, the ‘demons’ pose no real threat. They only hide in fear because they know they cannot stand against our might.”

His words troubled me.

“To us, they pose no real threat”—that was fine.

It was a statement meant to boost morale.

But “they only hide in fear”…?

That was a problem.

The truth is, these creatures are a grave danger.

We must communicate the seriousness of the situation to rally our forces.

Encouraging complacency is dangerous.

Was this merely an attempt to avoid directly speaking of demons, in case any were listening in?

Or was there another reason behind his words?

Our kingdom had already been discovered by the demon.

We had no choice but to press forward and fight head-on.

But perhaps the Magic Kingdom had other concerns?

Or maybe they were hiding something?

As an ally, I could not force them to reveal everything.

Still, this unease continued to weigh on me.

If possible, I would have preferred to have a direct discussion with the Crown Prince.

Yet, for some reason, he had been avoiding me.

In the end, I forced him to attend a meeting at the royal palace.

The official reason was to express gratitude for his visit and to further strengthen diplomatic relations.

This should not be something that draws the demon’s attention.

There was no logical reason for him to refuse.

“What business do you have with me?”

Even now, his tone was distant, his expression dull.

“You have honored us with your visit. Surely, we should take this opportunity to strengthen the bond between our nations?”

I carefully chose my words, gauging his reaction.

The demon’s eyes may be watching.

“Our nation values its friendship with yours. Both in terms of security… and economic prosperity…”

His response was generic—almost rehearsed.

Wait.

There was something off.

“We look forward to continued cooperation.”

His expression remained unchanged…

But something about the way he had spoken felt unnatural.

Why had his words faltered earlier?

“Surely, as the leaders of our nations, our friendship is paramount. It will extend to all aspects of our alliance, but first, we must look to…”

The first letters of his hesitations stood out—

“We” (我),
“Friendship” (友),
“Thoughts” (想),
“Yearn” (う).

Was this a message?

**”This has been a most splendid reception. I was even able to visit the places I wished to see.

“Though not all of my searches bore fruit, I still made the most of this opportunity.”**

Again—he subtly paused on the first letters of key words.

Was he trying to communicate something without speaking directly?

“Dreamseer… Find them.”

So that was the message.

But why now?

Shouldn’t they be searching for the “Wayward Warrior” instead?

Could it be that the Ravencrafts, the descendants of the Sage, have lost track of the Dreamseer Mage?

“Let us not lose sight of our dreams.”

“…Yes.”

Lienfeld hesitated ever so slightly at my words.

So it was true.

For some reason, they had lost track of the Dreamseer Mage—but they believed he was somewhere in this kingdom.

That was why they were being so cautious.

But how had they lost him?

Clearly, the power of the Sage had been passed down to Lax.

However, without both the Warrior and the Mage, defeating the demon would be impossible.

At the very least, they should still have the Guardian, correct?

That much had been entrusted to Riofendarl.

“Next, we must visit your lands… It is time… But who shall be sent?”

“……”

No answer.

Why?

Could they have lost even the Guardian?

What have the Ravencrafts been doing all this time?

Had everything collapsed after Lax saved the Magic Kingdom’s King?

Was the Magic Kingdom now relying entirely on us?

That was not what an alliance was supposed to be.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

“Very well.”

I could not allow myself to show anger.

The demon’s eyes could be anywhere.

At the very least, my subordinates were watching—I could not afford to show weakness.

We still needed to eliminate the Duke and corner the demon.

Shortly after, Prince Lienfeld hurriedly departed, as if fleeing.

According to reports, he had been seen investigating the execution site, the prison, and even deliberately passing by the cemetery.

If this continues, will he go to Riofendarl Viscounty next?

If he is searching for the Guardian of his own accord, then that is acceptable.

However…

Something still feels wrong.

To be safe, I recorded these findings in a letter and sent copies to both the Magic Kingdom and Lax.