Small shadows flitted around him, scattering and hiding in the corners. They trembled in fear at the sight of Adandito and cowered away.
“So scary! So scary!”
Dianel willingly shielded them with his body. The shadows seemed instantly at ease, emitting a soft rustling sound.
Adandito observed the scene and slowly opened his mouth.
“It seems like the Demon King has weakened and is gasping for breath.”
“Yeah, thanks to that, I’m feeling quite good.”
Dianel chuckled. The color returned to his complexion, which had appeared drained of vitality lately.
It was not that the Demon King had weakened, but rather that Dianel seemed to have absorbed some of the Demon King’s power. His strength had noticeably increased compared to before.
Adandito carefully observed him and spoke with a determined expression.
“What is going on? What are all these documents?”
“That’s what I was going to ask.”
Dianel stood up and faced Adandito. A pleased smile played on his lips.
“I already know everything you’re about to ask, but I’m curious why you’ve come to me.”
Adandito stared at Dianel intently and spoke.
“I came here because I need to determine if your actions are for the sake of Siara or not.”
In response, Dianel raised an eyebrow as if amused by the statement.
“Why would you say something like that? It’s only natural for me to live for her.”
“It seems like you’ve become a different person.”
“Perhaps I have become someone else.”
Dianel calmly agreed and continued speaking.
“Now that I know why I exist, I can find joy in whatever I do. Thanks to Eora’s grace, my heart has become much more at ease, and I’m quite grateful for that.”
“…Are you really thanking Eora?”
“Yes. The gods have shown great mercy even to someone like me. It seems your incessant babbling wasn’t entirely unfounded.”
Adandito took a deep breath, unable to believe what he was hearing. However, he couldn’t find any trace of falsehood in Dianel’s expression.
Dianel genuinely seemed happy, even to the point of relishing the taste of salvation and expressing gratitude to the gods.
Unknowingly, Adandito clenched his fist and muttered.
“…So it seems that Eora has indeed intervened.”
“I don’t know exactly what happened. You might know better than me. Whatever the reason, it seems to have been resolved.”
Dianel smiled cheerfully. Adandito closely followed the trajectory of that smile with his eyes and then hardened his expression.
From any angle, Dianel genuinely appeared to be enjoying himself. Adandito couldn’t sense any trace of the peculiar wariness that had surrounded Dianel before.
Had Eora assisted Dianel to the extent that even Adandito, as a servant of Eora, felt favorably disposed toward him? Adandito couldn’t understand the reason. All he knew was that Dianel seemed entirely unbothered even when discussing Eora’s grace.
Observing Adandito, who stood there with a plump figure, Dianel shrugged and asked.
“Do you need more answers? Or perhaps something else?”
“…That will be all.”
Despite his attempts to catch him off guard, Adandito ended up losing ground. Just then, one of the documents scattered around caught Adandito’s eye. He picked it up to confirm his suspicions.
The document detailed the events orchestrated by Baron Adi while hiding behind Viscount Leven. It contained substantial evidence.
Adandito roughly set the document down and delivered a stinging remark.
“You don’t seem to mind spilling something so important.”
“Well, I’ve already memorized everything.”
Dianel replied nonchalantly and sat back down. Despite the important content scattered around him, he showed no signs of vigilance.
Perhaps Dianel acted this way because he trusted Adandito. Was it because of Hierian’s words that this was an act for Siara’s sake, and Adandito believed that he wouldn’t engage in pointless actions?
While it was true, Adandito couldn’t help feeling a sense of unease. Everything about the situation felt displeasing to him.
Lost in deep contemplation, Adandito was approached by Dianel, who still had his face buried in the documents.
“Is Siara alright?”
Adandito fought the urge to speak out of line but eventually opened his mouth, struggling to control his desire to say something inappropriate.
“Who knows when she’ll come to her senses? Hierian has accessed the realm of consciousness.”
“The realm of consciousness? He’s struggling so much to regain her senses…”
Dianel let out a deep sigh, his face showing signs of deep contemplation. Seeing Dianel lost in thought, Adandito finally spoke up.
“Hierian also seems to have accessed your realm of consciousness. He fought the Demon King there and regained the power that was taken from him.”
“Ah, so that’s what happened.”
Dianel chuckled. It was a relaxed and confident reaction as if he already knew everything. Adandito furrowed his brows at him once again.
Whether it was Hierian’s situation, Siara’s collapse, or whatever happened in between, he knew nothing. It felt like he was excluded from important matters, an unfamiliar feeling. After swallowing his swirling thoughts, he finally asked what had been on his mind.
“What exactly happened with Siara?”
Dianel responded with a strange expression on his face.
“It was a life-changing experience. She told me why I should live from now on…”
Dianel trailed off as if lost in his memories and continued.
“My life is going to change significantly, Adandito. I should express my gratitude to you, who helped Siara in her training.”
Adandito remained stiff and couldn’t find the words to respond. His mouth stayed shut.
Originally, Adandito had helped Siara with her training to ensure that she could live as the Savior, even if she lost her memories. But hearing from Dianel that she had regained her memories was not a joyous occasion for him.
Moreover, Siara, who had regained her memories, was supposed to wield the power of a true Savior, yet she seemed to have lost her consciousness instead. Perhaps his assistance had caused her to exert excessive power and drain her energy.
If that were the case, the events that occurred in the vanished future might repeat themselves. Adandito had vowed to prevent her from becoming a sacrificial Savior, but now he felt conflicted.
His mind was tangled with thoughts. Just as he was about to think differently, Dianel added an explanation.
“Don’t worry. There is still something left for Siara to do as the Savior, so she will be awakened without her memories.”
“…Something left for Siara to do as the Savior.”
“You don’t look pleased at all. Are you sure there’s no problem with Siara?”
Dianel frowned. Feeling cornered, Adandito managed to nod slightly.
“…There is nothing.”
“How dull.”
Dianel chuckled, then suddenly asked.
“According to Hierian, the Demon King could become weaker or stronger in the future.”
“Oh, so that’s what the children were saying.”
“Children, you say.”
Dianel raised an eyebrow at the unusual choice of words, then continued absentmindedly.
“They will become weaker. I will continue to care for them.”
“…You speak as if you’re handling a young child, despite once being called the Demon King.”
“Is that so? Anyway, my future task is to soothe their hearts, like taking care of a young child.”
“I see.”
Without saying anything further, Adandito left the office. Dianel didn’t bother to see him off either.
The secretaries who had been expelled from the office stood awkwardly around him. Some of them appeared concerned that Dianel might clash with the High Priest and cause problems.
Among them, an elderly scribe blocked Adandito’s path and asked.
“High Priest, if it’s not impolite, could you please check on His Highness’ condition?”
Adandito smiled compassionately at the man’s obvious worry and replied.
“I’ve already confirmed that he’s safe.”
“Th-Thank you, High Priest!”
The scribe hastily bowed and expressed his gratitude. Adandito smiled gently and walked away. The scribe continued to bow until Adandito disappeared into the distance.
Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered him, but today Adandito felt a peculiar mood. He couldn’t find the right word to describe this emotion.
Why was Dianel behaving this way when he genuinely wished for Siara’s well-being? It was perplexing.
Recalling the words spoken by the dragon, Adandito’s gaze darkened. He stood still for a while, then let out a quiet sigh.
The sun had set by now. It was time for prayer.
Just as he was about to head toward the prayer room, his steps froze.
