The Catalyst: Peering

Gluck Estate.

Inside the reception room.

Rienta and the others had been gone for quite some time.

Macht sat quietly in place, reflecting on the conversation that had just taken place.

Despite numerous setbacks, it was still full of meaning.

Understanding the emotional differences between humans and Demons will be a roadmap to achieving coexistence between Demons.

This has always been its goal.

As for why this goal is set out to be...

The initial opportunity stemmed from nothing more than a trivial matter.

That day, as usual, it received orders from the Demon King to destroy a human village.

That village was just one of countless villages it had destroyed so far.

But when it stood in the burning church, preparing to deal with the last survivors in the entire village...

The village Priest was holding a long-dead parishioner, muttering things like "Malice" and "Guilt" over and over.

It had heard similar words countless times before.

However, that Priest was somewhat different from other humans.

After the Priest chanted for a long time and found that he had no reaction,

He actually said something like that.

"I see... I see... You can't understand..."

"... It's so... so pitiful..."

After the Priest finished speaking, it killed Priest without hesitation.

He then left the church, preparing to return and report.

But on its way back, it didn't know why, but a question suddenly arose in its mind.

It knew that the behavior of those who cried and trembled after witnessing it kill was out of fear.

It knew that the actions of those who, upon seeing this scene, still charged at it with a death wish, attempting to kill it, were driven by anger.

It also knows that those who hold the bodies of their loved ones and weep are showing signs of grief.

It knew that the killing intent stemmed from feelings of anger and hatred.

It had felt that way from those human knights.

But what constitutes [Malice]?

What exactly is Guilt?

Demons lack the understanding and emotions that humans take for granted.

But why is that?

Macht couldn't figure it out.

But precisely because of this, it showed interest in humans for the first time since its birth.

So, it wanted to try to understand humans.

For this reason, it did many things that were considered very strange by the Demons.

For example, it could let two surviving children fight each other, and the one that survives would spare the other's life.

He could have just killed them all.

But it let one go.

Isn't this Goodwill?

Gradually, it suddenly realized that it seemed to have fallen in love with humans.

Later, it brought up that question with Solitär.

Solitär said it was a very boring question.

Because the answer was already there when they were born.

'If deceiving humans causes us Heartache, then the Demons would have been wiped out long ago.'

This was Solitär's answer to it.

It didn't understand, and it had new questions.

What, then, is Heartache?

Over the years, it carried out numerous missions and killed countless humans.

Even so, its heart remained completely unmoved.

I still can't understand the concepts of "Malice" and "Guilt."

Until one day, during a mission to destroy a village...

There were two young survivors.

As usual, it extended Goodwill to the man and woman.

Give them weapons, let them fight, and the one who survives can leave.

The boy won; the sharp blade pierced directly through the girl's abdomen.

But the boy stood there, stunned, tears streaming down his face.

The reason was that the girl he grew up with was only pretending to attack him and had no intention of killing him at all.

Afterwards, the boy dropped the blade in his hand, knelt on the ground, and hugged the girl on the ground.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, but her expression remained blank.

His gaze was as lifeless as a corpse's.

Is this what they call [Malice]?

No, this is [Guilt]!

For the first time, Macht confronted his Guilt.

This feeling was absolutely wonderful for it!

It wanted the boy to express his current feelings in words.

But the boy put down the girl's body, picked up the blade again, pointed it at it, and called it a 'monster'.

Seeing that the boy refused to give it the answer, it killed him.

However, it was still very grateful to the nameless boy.

Thanks to him, it finally got closer to the answer.

It truly knows nothing about humans, absolutely nothing.

Even if you kill a lot of guys like the boy who are completely unrelated to you, it won't have any emotional reaction.

But in other words...

You'll probably feel Guilt if you kill someone who's closer to it.

Therefore, it needs to get closer to humans.

They have spent a long time with humans, establishing a relationship that can be described as intimate.

As a Demons, time was the one thing it had in abundance.

Its target is Fortress City of Weise, the largest human settlement on the Northern Plateau.

"I hope you can assist us in defeating the [Hero of the South]."

Macht, sitting on the steps, remained silent for a moment, then asked in return:

"Schlacht, do you think I look like the kind of person who would risk their life for the Demon King Lord?"

"Don't drag me into your pointless war games anymore. I have absolutely no interest in the Demon King's Army."

The Demon Chancellor, [The All-Knowing] Schlacht, sighed inwardly.

It was not at all surprised by Macht's answer.

After all, it had heard it countless times.

Macht walked down the steps one by one.

"You've never liked fighting with others, have you?"

"However, this is still the Demon King's order. You know, disobeying the Demon King's orders means certain death."

"You understand this without me having to tell you, right?"

Macht raised his head and looked at Macht standing below the steps.

"Trying to make an example of me? Do you think you can do that?"

Schlacht replied calmly, "Do you think I can't do it?"

Macht fell silent.

He is indeed known as the strongest of the Seven Sages of Destruction, possessing an unbreakable curse—[the Magic That Turns All Things to Gold].

But Schlacht's abilities are far more exaggerated than that.

Schlacht looked at Macht: "If I could, I wouldn't want to do this."

Macht sighed, "Since you possess the ability to glimpse the future, you've come all this way to find me, which means you desperately need me for this operation, right?"

"Moreover, it seems I cannot refuse this order."

Macht's gaze swept over the figure not far away, with two horns on its head and Mana already poised to be unleashed.

"One of the Seven Sages of Destruction, the Miracle Grausam."

"He's the toughest opponent for me."

A slight smile played on Schlacht's lips beneath his mask, "It seems you're well aware of the situation."

Now that things have come to this, Macht is at peace with it.

"Tell me, what do you need me to do?"

Schlacht said, "All you need to do is fight the [Hero of the South] with all your might."

Macht, somewhat puzzled, "That's all?"

Schlacht patiently explained, "Macht, I have foreseen countless future battles with the [Hero of the South]. This is my conclusion, and there are no problems with it."

"The conclusion is to die together with him?"

Macht couldn't quite understand the Demon Chancellor before him, who was known as the "All-Knowing" Schlacht.

Despite gathering so many Seven Sages of Destruction to subdue the [Hero of the South], their expressions still betrayed a sense of impending doom.

Schlacht did not answer, but closed his eyes to rest.

After Macht agreed to go, it peeked into the future once more.

"After the battle, Grausam will erase this part of your memory."

"Why?"

"Because someone has been spying on your memories, Macht."

Schlacht opened his eyes and exclaimed, "To make such a mistake, that's so unlike you, Macht."

Having said that, Schlacht patted Macht's shoulder lightly and said softly:

"I'm sorry, Frieren."

"I'm really sorry, Rienta."

"We cannot let you witness our battle against the [Hero of the South]."

"This is a battle concerning the survival of the Demons race, a battle that cannot be won, and a battle fought for the Demons a thousand years from now."

Macht raised his head and stared blankly at Schlacht, whose hand was on its shoulder and whose eyes were looking directly at it, yet it seemed as if it were having a conversation with someone else.

"Frieren? Rienta?"

Schlacht raised his hand, turned, and walked into the depths of the forest.

You'll find out in the future.

See you on the battlefield.

Macht looked at the two people in the distance and said softly, "I hope you survive, Schlacht."

Schlacht said without turning his head:

This is the first and last time I've heard you say something caring.

"However, I've heard this phrase far too many times in countless futures."