The Evil Noble Desires A Beautiful Demise - Could It Be That You're Stuck In A Loop? - Episode 41

I was drifting in the darkness.

My consciousness is unclear, and I’m feeling dazed.

I… yes, it was Salifa, wasn’t it?

Where am I?

Images I don’t remember keep flowing one after another.

Is that… Tiarola when she was little?

Why are you giving flowers in a cave?

This is… Endens?

I think we fought the ogre outside the forest…

There were nothing but events I had no memory of, but for some reason, they felt oddly fitting. What could this mean?

“……”

Hmm? I thought I heard something…

No, it must be my imagination. There’s nothing here.

I thought so, but suddenly light came streaming in.

Wrapped in that warm light, I…

When I woke up, I was in bed.

The sunset is streaming in through the window. I feel like I was dreaming about something, but I can’t remember.

By the way, where exactly is this place…?

Crash!

A sound of something dropping nearby.

When you slowly turn towards that direction…

There was Tiarola, eyes wide with surprise.

“Salifa…!! Ah, Salifa…!!”

Just like before, Tiarola hugs me.

Ah, I see, I am.

You’ve come back, huh?

“……I’m home, Tiarola.”

“Really, really good…!!”

With tears in her eyes, Tiarola is holding my hand.

It feels a bit embarrassing, but thinking about how much I worried you makes me feel sorry.

“Is… Tiarola okay?”

My memory is hazy, but I think I gave the power of the demon god to Tiarola and Endens. Since they received such power, I’m worried about any aftereffects.

“Yes! Compared to Salifa, it’s nothing!”

“……I’m glad.”

I feel relieved by Tiarola’s words.

Ah, speaking of which, I haven’t even had a chance to thank you yet. My mind is really not working right now.

“……Tiarola, thank you so much. For saving me. And I’m sorry for putting you in danger.”

On the bed, bow my head.

Because I let my guard down, it ended up like that. I’m sorry for putting Tiarola, Endens, and even Firai in danger.

But when I realized that everyone came to help me, I was truly happy. My heart is full of gratitude.

“Please lift your head, Salifa. We just acted as we pleased.”

“…even so”

“Even Salifa would do the same, right?”

When I looked up, Tiarola was looking at me with a gentle smile. It was a truly wonderful smile…

I can’t help but feel like my face turned red.

“……Y-yeah, maybe so. But really, thank you.”

“Hehe, I’m just happy to be able to talk with Salifa like this again.”

After that, I heard the story of what happened while I was asleep.

Apparently, I had been sleeping for about ten days. It made sense why my body wasn’t moving as I wanted.

It seems that the rebellion instigated by the Duke of Greitz has been successfully suppressed. Since they likely incorporated the power of the demon into their forces, I think they probably managed to handle it with minimal damage.

It seems that Endens is busy dealing with the aftermath of the rebellion. Moreover, they are trying to lighten the punishment for me, a member of the duke’s family. I can only be grateful that even amidst their busy schedule, they found time to check on me. Next time we meet, I will make sure to properly thank them.

It seems that Firai is helping with the reconstruction of the imperial capital. I was puzzled as to why Firai was there, but apparently, he volunteered to rescue me himself. I need to properly express my gratitude to Firai as well.

It seems that Zebras have disappeared somewhere.

Well, that man will probably keep on living stubbornly.

I also heard the story of how they rescued me, and it was a series of continuous surprises. It was a rescue operation where miracles piled upon miracles. I’m really glad everyone is safe.

“Oh, it’s already getting dark, isn’t it? I’m sorry for talking so much even though I’ve just woken up.”

After hearing the whole story, Tiarola said that.

“Will you come again tomorrow? I’ll let them know that Salifa has awakened, so I think Endens and Firai will come as well.”

“……Yeah, thanks.”

“Hehe, well then, good night. See you tomorrow.”

“……Good night”

Tiarola left the room.

My body feels heavy, but I’m not sleepy. Well, I guess I’ll take it slow here.

“……Zebras, are you there?”

Call out to the darkness.

After Tiarola left, a presence appeared in the room after a while.

“Oh, have you figured it out? You’ve really improved, haven’t you?”

Saying that, Zebras appeared without a hint of remorse. Seriously, where did he even come from?

“Hmm, it seems the demon god’s power is stable. Wonderful!”

Oh, so you just came for a follow-up observation.

Well, for this man, a human imbued with the power of a demon would be a valuable sample.

“Well, well, you really managed to survive, didn’t you? You’ve exceeded my expectations. You are truly interesting.”

The zebras are observing closely.

I have a bad feeling about this, but I might as well ask what I want to know. They’ll probably leave for somewhere soon anyway.

“I channeled the demon lord’s power into Tiarola and Endens, but is there really no effect?”

“Oh, is this your friend? Well, that’s not a problem. After all, the power of the demon lord isn’t something that can be permanently fixed. You are a vessel that I have adjusted, so you can hold the demon lord’s power.”

I find comfort in those words.

I’m also concerned about my own body, but if those two aren’t negatively affected, then that’s good.

“Well, I endured three days and nights of suffering after that, you know? The unimaginable pain of a foreign power rampaging inside my body.”

Stunned.

How carefree I am. Even though there are no aftereffects, I didn’t realize I was putting such a burden on the two of them.

“……Such a thing”

“Oh, your friend probably didn’t tell you out of consideration, right? In that case, you should just keep quiet and be grateful.”

I understand what you’re saying.

However, the fact that those words came from Zebras made me feel indescribable.

“Hmm? Oh dear, I suppose it’s time for me to disappear soon.”

Suddenly, Zebras said that.

If you’re going to leave, there’s something I want to ask you one last time.

“……How much longer do I have to live?”

How much longer can I live?

Given this situation, my lifespan has probably shortened. I would like to at least know a rough estimate.

“Hmm, yes, that’s right. I would say about five more years.”

Five years, five years, huh…

I thought I had about ten more years, but it has really shortened. But well, let’s just think that I still have five more years.

“Well, living as you please, huh? Well then, see you again sometime.”

“…See you.”

Saying that, Zebras disappeared without a trace.

How should I put it, there’s absolutely no malice or anything like that.

Well, what should I do from now on?

It seems that Endens is taking action regarding the punishment for the rebellion instigated by the Duke of Greitz, but it is unlikely that they will go unpunished. I can only hope they won’t be executed, but for now, we have no choice but to wait for the outcome.

Even if I’m allowed to live, I only have five more years. I’ve lived as Salifa up to this point, but in Sebfan, Salifa’s life ends with this incident. So, from here on, it’s like a bonus. I’ll do whatever I want freely. Well, it’s not that different from how I’ve been living so far.

If Tiarola hasn’t changed her mind, let’s go to the holy land as originally planned. After that… I wonder if I should go to the labyrinth city? Maybe I might meet the protagonist who is traveling the continent. Besides, if it’s a labyrinth city, there should be elves and dwarves. Since I’ve come to this world, I want to meet them. Well, in that case, it might be a good idea to go to that continent and meet the elf priestess, one of the main characters. Well, there are various things I want to do, so I’ll think about it carefully next time.

Lying in bed, I am lost in thought.