506 – The Movements of a Certain Saint 2 (side: Lilixira)

“You sure are one lonely woman. With my chains, aren’t I the only one you can open up to? Should this Fly King-sama open up a consultation service just for you? Hmm?”

Beelzebub laughs, his mouth open wide.

“That’s enough of that. I’d like to hear about their evolved forms. The more information I have on their skills, the more credible the [Laplace Interference Authority] simulation is. If any of them are monsters that have been sighted before, it could give us a massive advantage.”

Lilixira responds, indifferent to Beelzebub’s teasing.

“What’s that about, I was being serious you know. Just how uncute are you?”

Beelzebub spits on the ground. The poisonous saliva melts through the soil, causing a plume of black fumes to rise.

A green-haired girl jumps from behind Lilixira and leans over the stump she’s sitting on.

The girl is wearing a dark dress and has a conspicuous rose ornament in her hair. With her large eyes open wide, she looks up at Lilixira and smiles. Long ears poke out of her emerald-green hair.

“Hey, Saint-sama? Are you on break from your predicting? Then, why don’t you play with Aluane?“ 

She is the [Fiend of the Great Prison], Aluane. As her title implies, until just recently she had been locked in the prison deep below the Holy Country of Liarm for nearly a century. The reason for her youthful appearance is because the blood of the elves, who once ruled over the world, flows thick in her veins.

Despite great opposition from those around her, Lilixira took Aluane outside. From what is known, Aluane is said to have destroyed at least two villages by herself, and massacred over six hundred people. To catch her, the entire country was thrown into a period of turmoil. For religious reasons, she could not be executed in Liarm, so was instead imprisoned deep underground.

“Hey, hey? Isn’t it okay? Saint-sama? Aluane wants to get along with Saint-sama, okay? Saint-sama took Aluane out of the deep dark, so Aluane is super grateful and respects Saint-sama. So, it’s okay? Right?”

Aluane clings to Lilixira. One of the things Lilixira had heard of Aluane was that she lacks intelligence. It couldn’t be known whether that was a result of her long imprisonment, or if she was like that from birth, as no humans remain alive from the time of her imprisonment.

“…We were having an important discussion just now. I’m sorry.”

Lilixira grips Aluane’s hand, a gentle smile on her face.

“That’s no good. That’s no good, Saint-sama. That act, Aluane you see, Aluane can see through it. So, you see? You see? Won’t you tell Aluane, and Aluane alone, what you really think? Okay?”

Aluane asks Lilixira, a creepy smile on her face. Lilixira gives a troubled laugh.

“Heh, if a brat like her sees through you, isn’t it obvious to everyone?”

Beelzebub drawls comfortably.

“Hey? Saint-sama, after this battle, you plan to kill Aluane somewhere, right? Right?”

What Aluane says is correct. She is far too dangerous to let live. If the situation was less desperate, Lilixira would never have chosen to rely on such an unpredictable element.

Lilixira brought her along with the promise of freedom, but if she survives, Lilixira plans to kill her while she’s still exhausted. Some of the Holy Knights also already know of this.

“That’s not the case at all.”

Lilixira replies as though troubled, her brow knotted in a frown.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Once this is over, once this is over, you see, Aluane doesn’t mind if you kill her.”

“……”

Aluane declares lightly, and Lilixira stares at her with eyes wide open, trying to guess her real intentions.

“Aluane, you see, really respects Saint-sama. Aluane is super grateful to be outside at the end. So, it’s okay, you see? Okay? So tell the truth? Just to me.”

Aluane stares deep into Lilixira’s eyes.

“…Please stop using your Demon Eye.”

Lilixira’s expression changes into a frown as she glares at Aluane.

“E-eek! Sorry! It wasn’t on purpose! It wasn’t on purpose! Aluane can’t control it very well, you see. Once she gets a little excited, it activates on its own. Aluane really wants to get along with Saint-sama. She only wants to get along. She also wants to be helpful to Saint-sama, you see? That’s truly what she thinks.”

“…I also want to get along with you.”

“Yay! Yay! So glad! Now it’s mutual love between Aluane and Saint-sama! Yay!”

For a while, Lilixira and Aluane stare at each other in silence.

“…Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?”

Aluane giggles and brings her mouth next to Lilixira’s ear.

“Hey, once we get there, could you lend Aluane five people? Okay? That way Aluane will be in better condition, you see? Okay? It’s so that Aluane will be of more use to her beloved Saint-sama. You see? Aluane will eat them in secret to not demoralise the rest, so it’ll be okay, you see?”

  “……”

Lilixira stares at her. She had heard that Aluane was lacking in intelligence, she can clearly understand Lilixira’s thoughts. Despite Aluane’s abnormal speech and behaviour, it’s clear that she has an objective view of reality.

After checking Aluane’s status for a while, Lilixira holds her head in her hands and closes her eyes. As she thinks, Aluane watches her happily. Eventually, she opens her eyes and looks at her.

“…Very well. I’ll let you have whoever five you choose. It wouldn’t be good for you to go hungry, after all. Howgrey is off limits, however.”

“It’s okay for Aluane to take that cool woman who is often with Saint-sama too then? Right? Right?”

Aluane immediately requests Alphiss. Lilixira looks up, staring over at Alphiss.

Alphiss is sitting a slight distance away from the other Holy Knights, seemingly lost in thought with a hand to her head. Apparently she was one of the last to have contact with Irushia during the turmoil caused by the ruin, and has had a lot of time to think since then. From their one-on-one conversation, Lilixira thinks it possible that Alphiss might choose to betray her a second time.

“Alphiss, you mean? She’s good with a sword, and is able to predict what I’m about to say to some extent. I plan to have her die in battle, so I’d like for you to refrain as much as possible.”

“Saint-sama loves that person, right? Right? Aluane can tell.”

“…What?”

“How small were you when you became friends? Aluane would have liked to have been friends with small Saint-sama too. Hey? Aluane knows. So won’t you tell Aluane the truth, just to Aluane? If you do, Aluane won’t do anything bad for Saint-sama. Okay? Okay?”

The smile fades from Lilixira’s face. Aluane watches her fondly, as though to say that that is the face she wanted to see. Though her expression is frozen for a few seconds, a wry smile soon returns to Lilixira’s face.

“Sure, it’s fine. I’ll give you anyone other than Howgrey. If you need to, I don’t mind if you take more than five.”

Aluane’s mouth opens in surprise.

“It’s okay? It’s fine? Really?”

Aluane stares at Lilixira’s face from point-blank range, then laughs and dances away.

“As expected of Aluane’s respected Saint-sama. Then, I’ll take them? I’ll take them, okay? It’s okay, right? Right?”

Finishing with that, she gleefully runs away from Lilixira.

“…I know I’m not one to say this, but was releasing her really a good idea? It seemed like your subordinates doubted your sanity when you took her out, but I’m starting to do the same. There’s no telling when she might turn her fangs on us. I know you were desperate and didn’t have a lot of options, but surely she’s no good? Not that I really care.”

Once Aluane is far enough away, Beelzebub calls out to Lilixira.

“That’s true, she’s more interesting than I had expected. I’m just glad that she might be as clever on the battlefield.”

A smile still on her face, Lilixira stares at Aluane.

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