The Most Important Thing Is Filling Your Stomach

Outside the Babel Tower, at the mercenary camp.

A considerable amount of time had passed since the slash that cleaved through the ship's hull and flew into the sky. The mercenaries, recognizing that it was their leader's attack, immediately prepared to launch a fierce counterattack.

The fully armed cavalrymen were poised to attack, but stopped in their tracks at the obstruction of Hedley.

Hedley guessed it was probably an accident, and Ines's investigation proved it, but the mercenaries didn't think so.

"Hey! Hedley, hasn't the boss given the order yet?"

A mercenary angrily swung the Butcher around, and streaks of crimson light shot out from the cannon into the distance, the deafening explosion startling the monitoring agents.

"Even your older sister trusts you so much, you wouldn't want to be a traitor, would you!?"

"Shut up."

After a long silence, Hedley finally spoke, staring coldly at the mercenary, his voice lacking its usual composure.

"From this distance, I can easily cut off your head without even needing Butcher."

As if responding to its partner's anger, the Berserk Boar glared at its partner's mount with displeasure.

Thanks to its daily care, its enormous size, which stands out among its kind, is particularly imposing.

The mercenary fell silent, but the atmosphere became even more oppressive.

Hedley turned his head and sighed silently to himself.

Even though the time spent with Vera had tempered some of the mercenaries' hostility, their long-standing habits would not change.

Of course, under normal circumstances, Hedley would probably have reacted similarly.

But...

[Not everyone needs to be equipped? Only for bodyguards?]

What are you thinking? Don't treat people like weapons.

[Whether it's you or those guys, we're giving you weapons so you can protect yourselves. Just remember that.]

Recalling the response he received when he mentioned the equipment to Vera that day, Hedley suppressed his anxiety.

Hedley looked toward the entrance; Ines had already infiltrated to scout again, and all he had to do was wait.

Hopefully, it won't turn out the worst...

Silently wiping the Butcher's clothes, the scholarly aura that clashed with the mercenary gradually disappeared from Hedley's body.

Feeling the overwhelming murderous aura, the supervisor's agent couldn't help but chatter.

What on earth happened...?

Nothing happened.

"But Your Highness..."

"Nothing happened, that's all I'll tell you."

Looking into Theresa's gentle eyes, the operator sighed and could only reply in the same way to the other waiting operators.

Turning around, Theresa gently pushed the door.

The already overburdened door collapsed with a crash, revealing the empty wasteland behind it.

"I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you..."

Theresa sighed as she watched Vera embracing the girl amidst the scorched earth.

"No, it seems the medical staff's actions provoked the child."

"Ultimately, it's our fault, so just accept it."

Vera shook her head and stiffly shifted her body.

The melted armor had begun to solidify, revealing a lot of skin, which made Vera quite uncomfortable.

"Then, can you tell me about the child?"

Theresa didn't insist, after all, the losses this time were indeed quite significant.

The walls and such are secondary; the most important thing is the various facilities within the Medical Department, and just finding suppliers is a problem.

Just imagining Closure throwing a tantrum gave Theresa a headache.

"It's only natural."

Vera picked up Ifrit and got up, then followed Theresa to the reception room, explaining in the group chat as she went.

[Vera: It's temporarily resolved; the Flame Demon fragment has fallen asleep again.]

[Gregor: Can't we just kill this thing!?]

[Gorth: How do we deal with this thing hidden inside the body? Can surgery remove it?]

[Vane: So it's not that simple. The little Fire Dragon's body and the Flame Demon fragment have fused together, even their souls are connected.]

[Vane: Strictly speaking, the two are now one; it's more accurate to consider them as two different consciousnesses.]

[Gregor: No solution?]

[Vane: Hey, there's one left.]

[Vane: Demon King, Theresa happens to be an expert in this area.]

We've arrived.

Following Theresa into the reception room, before Vera could even speak—

"I think... maybe I can help this child."

Theresa reached out and gently stroked Ifrit's furrowed brow.

"This child must have gone through a very painful past, I can feel it... Hmm?"

As she was speaking, Theresa slightly opened her eyes.

"Is there still a consciousness within this child?"

In contrast to the girl's fear and sadness, another emotion of anger and hatred constantly emerged.

Seeing how quickly the other party recognized Ifrit's symptoms, Vera felt more confident in Theresa's abilities.

"Please! Please save this child!"

Vera bent down, and before the surprised Theresa could help her up, she suddenly disappeared.

Lich? Or a spatial type of Originium Arts?

Before Theresa could figure it out, Vera reappeared, bringing with her—

Boom--!

The room trembled slightly, and stacks of neatly arranged Pure Gold piled up and crashed down.

"This is compensation for the previous losses. If that's not enough, there will be more. The reward for helping this child will be calculated separately!"

"..."

After estimating the value of this Pure Gold, Theresa, who had seen many storms, had a somewhat complicated expression.

It wasn't because of money, but because of my circumstances.

Who is behind the ability to so easily discard valuables?

Even the Vampire King Court's expenses are occasionally covered by the Military Commission. Which branch of the Royal Court is this?

Rubbing her face, Theresa looked away from the dazzling light beside her.

She couldn't refuse; Kal'tsit was still out there working to raise funds, so Theresa had no choice but to swallow her pride and accept the aid.

The resettlement of civilians, the treatment of the wounded, and the daily supply of provisions.

There are too many places that require money to fill, and even the Demon King is short of funds.

We can only do our best to help this child...

"Then, can you tell me about this child?"

With a huge weight lifted from her shoulders, Vera briefly summarized the situation.

"This child was previously subjected to human experimentation. Someone implanted fragments of other consciousnesses into her body, and now two consciousnesses are vying for control of her body."

Upon hearing this, and considering the organization that might have done this, Theresa frowned immediately.

The Confessarius...

Qaisatusta's face flashed by, a hint of anger flickering between the demon king's brows.

"Understood, I will heal her."

Theresa raised her hands, and pure white light spilled out from between her fingers.

At the center of the light, a black crown slowly appeared.

"I will try to separate them and try not to touch the child's memories." She looked at Vera.

"If you'd like, we can do it together."

Vera was taken aback and asked in surprise:

"May I go in?"

"You are someone she trusts," Theresa explained.

"A sense of closeness will make her feel more at ease, and... you can also witness the whole process firsthand, acting as a supervisor."

Vera glanced at her, and her concerns slowly subsided.

What should I do?

"Put your hand up here."

A hand returned to the black crown, and Vera's consciousness slowly faded.

It felt like I'd lost gravity; my whole body was sinking, yet also floating upwards...

Vera opened her eyes, expecting to see Rhine Lab's laboratory, but the world before her was not quite what she had imagined.

She stood in a burning void, surrounded by countless tiny flames.

Are you surprised?

Theresa stood beside Vera, the Black Crown hovering above their heads, emitting a soft glow.

"This is... Ifrit's memory?"

"They are fragments of memory."

Theresa reached out her hand, and a patch of light fell on her fingertips.

"Memory is vague; it's made up of various fragments—emotions, temperature, smell—and it's only when all these things are mixed together that it becomes a complete memory."

She released her grip, and the patch of light rose again, merging into the fireworks that danced in the sky.

"This child's memories are so strongly connected to fire that all the fragments unfold in the form of flames."

"Should we touch upon these memories?" Vera asked.

"..."

Theresa didn't reply for a long time, Vera turned her head in confusion:

"What's wrong?"

Following the other person's gaze, Vera touched the top of her head, Crown appeared on her head without her noticing.

"Um... would you believe me if I said this was a decoration?"

Theresa chuckled and shook her head, only answering the previous question.

"No, what we're looking for isn't the memories, but the other owner—the consciousness that resides within her body."

Vera breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the other party did not investigate further.

"Where is it?"

Theresa lowered her head and looked down at her feet.

"Right here."

Boom--!!!

The moment the words fell, a fierce burst of flames erupted, the almost pure white fire twisting and rising.

Huge horns emerged from the flames, and the hideous face twisted and reformed.

What should have been a terrifying scene unfolded beneath that swollen body composed of white flames—

It was surprisingly endearing.

"This is what the Flame Demon originally looked like?"

Vera turned her head, wanting to ask Theresa what to do next, but found the latter with a blank expression.

"The Flame Demon ..." Theresa's voice was full of confusion, "How could it be the Flame Demon?"

Theresa recalled the previous meeting.

The Flame Demon attacked Columbia and took away a little girl Flame Demon its power.

Is it this child!?

Before Theresa could figure things out, the hot-tempered tenant struck first.

[Why...]

White flames surged like a tsunami, and the burning giant claw slammed down.

Boom--!!!

A pinkish-white shield opened above their heads, and a giant claw of fire slammed into it, scattering countless fragments in all directions.

Why won't you let us go!

The shards of the Flame Demon roared, filled with pain and rage that had been suppressed for far too long.

Vera covered her head, the Flame Demon's voice echoing in her mind, making her ears ring.

"Next, I will access His consciousness and quell his anger."

Theresa spoke, white and black lines spread from the Crown, enveloping the Flame Demon fragments.

Vera smacked her head hard, and, unable to muffle the sound, followed suit.

"Ready."

The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding lights rapidly converged, and after a blinding flash, everything fell silent.

His physical form was gone, the previously illusory space was no more, and before him lay a burning, scorched earth.

"And this is it again..."

[The memories of that Flame Demon.]

Despite lacking a physical body, Vera could still hear Theresa's voice, but...

You seem... a little sad?

Vera sensed this inexplicable emotion; it was the Demon King's overflowing feelings.

[... it was just that the scene brought back some memories.]

Does the scene evoke emotions?

Vera quickly scanned her surroundings; the passage was impassable.

"Is this Kazdel!?"

Boom--!!!

As if to confirm Vera's words, a violent roar erupted.

Countless lights shone in the gray sky.

Lightning, fire, ice...

Various attacks rained down from the sky, and the ground, which had still revealed the outline of ruins, was instantly leveled.

Looking in the direction of those attacks, Vera could see countless figures.

Vera's eyes widened; she saw creatures from mythology.

They are...

[Gods' People.]

A voice provided the answer: the disaster had not ended.

As if in retaliation, a group of demons, completely different from the Gods' People, crawled out from underground and pounced into the sky.

Sorrow, anger, and desperate screams filled Vera's mind, the pain almost tearing her consciousness apart.

This is...

[War.]

In a daze, Vera found herself moving.

Flames enveloped her—no, she charged toward a Gods' People.

The battle raged, filled with roars. A burning giant claw pierced the throat of Gods' People, and the two fell to the ground, embracing each other and tearing at each other's bodies.

It was as if the war had been fast-forwarded; the battle in front of us was over.

The corpses of Gods' People and demons littered the Daichi, and the light in the sky gradually faded, leaving only a gray, deathly silence.

Vera turned her gaze and slowly swept it across the desolate Daichi.

Why... why are you hurting us like this?

"Vera" moves forward, bidding farewell to every living Gods' People.

[Sarkaz... why must they suffer like this?]

Anger and confusion filled Vera's heart, and she desperately wanted to release this anger.

Why are we fighting? Why are they attacking?

Burn everything! Burn this Daichi that has never accepted them!

Crying sound--

On the battlefield of death, cries of life resounded.

Vera froze on the spot, then ran towards the direction of the sound.

A Flame Demon cub.

Flames, threatening to extinguish at any moment, clung to its body, and it emitted faint cries.

Why... didn't you die?

Vera picked it up in confusion and nursed it with her blood.

A mournful dirge drifted from afar. Vera, carrying her cub, followed the sound of the song and joined the remaining surviving members of the procession, beginning yet another long journey.

The scene before me blurred, and time began to accelerate.

The Sarkaz arrived in new land and built a new home.

The Gods' People attacked again.

Battle. Slaughter. Destruction. Migration.

The cycle repeats itself endlessly.

Vera continued these cycles endlessly, and the cub in her arms had somehow grown up and stood up, resembling a young warrior.

Why? Why did they hurt us?

The young man questioned him, and the whispers in his ear answered him—

Countless Sarkaz voices surged from the All Souls, like a curse entangling the ears of every living Sarkaz.

[They are our enemies! Drink their blood, devour their flesh, for us... for the Sarkaz!]

Vera looked up; in the sky, a blood-red vortex was gathering.

The All Souls are roaring.

Amidst this roar, the Sarkaz ceased their journey.

Filling their hunger with flesh and blood, sharpening their claws with bones, the demons turned and launched an expedition towards the towns of the Gods' People.

A baby's cry rang out again from the ruins...

The Gods' People embraced their offspring, their eyes filled with hatred as they looked at "Vera".

Why... why has war never stopped?

Why... why am I still empty after taking revenge?

Why... why are you, the perpetrators, filled with hatred?

Standing on the ravaged Daichi, Vera remained silent.

The raging flames engulfed the weeping Gods' People, and all fell silent.

As long as life exists, the cycle of hatred will never end.

Our home is a prison they use to confine us.

[Destroy all nations, all order, everything!]

Let everything return to its origin.

Only in this way can a truly hatred-free world be born.

The scene before her eyes rapidly burst into flames; Vera couldn't see clearly, but she knew...

War breaks out again.

How long did this war last?

So long that the corpses of the Gods' People littered the Daichi, so long that few clans remained from their expeditions.

In that final war, the world-burning sun set.

Everything returned to quiet, but "Vera" was still not out of danger.

How much time has passed? A hundred years? A thousand years? Ten thousand years?

The blinding light woke him up.

"The experiment was a success! From today onwards, Ifrit will be your name!"

He neither returned to the All Souls nor fell asleep.

Once again, He experienced the girl's suffering and saw the detestable faces of the nations in the faces of those experimenters.

The girl's body imprisoned Him, just as Kazdel had been, it was His prison.

Burn them!

"No! Silence will be angry!"

They are your enemies! You want to burn that old man alive! I know what you're thinking!

"No! I have my own way of living, and I don't need your interference!"

If you don't kill them, you will suffer forever!

Come with me, kill everyone, then kill yourselves!

"Are you crazy?! Why would I kill myself?"

The All Souls will not allow souls to rest; they will burn everything, destroying all that they possess, including their souls!

Here...

Only then can peace be attained.

Is this what you think?

Vera froze on the spot, her body thrusting uncontrollably into her chest.

Without a splash of blood, it easily disappeared into that illusory flame.

He reached out his hand, and a faint flame burned quietly.

"Perhaps we made a mistake from the beginning."

Theresa's voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing something.

"He is also a victim."

"..."

The compassionate one lowered his eyes and gently lifted the small flame in his palm.

Sleep well, may those flames no longer scorch your dreams.

[...]

No one responded, and the flames stopped burning.

The colossal object that had occupied the entire space began to recede, and the pure white flames ceased to surge, becoming clear.

The flames gradually died down, and countless spots of light began to converge and take shape.

Ifrit closed her eyes and sank quietly.

White flames spread out beneath her, no longer the cage that imprisoned her, but a bed made up for her.

She merged into the fire, and the fire accepted her in return.

The two watched silently as a spark flew out from the now-extinguished flame.

Where will it go?

Vera watched it drift away and couldn't help but ask:

"Like countless dead Sarkaz, return to the embrace of the All Souls."

"Those noisy, brain-destroying All Souls?"

"..."

Vera sighed, having gleaned the answer from Theresa's silence.

"Let's just forget about it..."

She reached out her hand, and as if sensing something, the distant Mars joyfully flew back.

Pushing this spark, they sent it into the Crown.

"Compared to that place, at least the guests sleeping here are very well-mannered."

Taking Vera's hand, the two exited the dream.

The warm light of the setting sun streamed into the room; it was dusk.

Holding the now-sleeping girl in their arms, Vera and Theresa gaze at each other.

"It seems we both have a lot to say."

Smiling, Theresa stood up.

"But before that, everyone outside must be getting impatient."

The two left together and arrived at the empty Medical Department.

Looking out along the wide wall, the cheers of the mercenaries echoed through the air.

Seeing Vera greeting the mercenaries, Theresa suddenly laughed.

"I think... I understand why you're angry."

"... Were you scared?"

"No, I was clearly smiling, wasn't I?"

Theresa turned her head and looked at the setting sun.

"However, your dream is even more extravagant than mine..."

So, it was just a dream.

"That was quite a beautiful dream."

Vera turned her head and looked at the glittering demon king.

"Which do you think is more courageous: abandoning everything for revenge, or setting aside hatred to protect what you want to safeguard?"

"Revenge..." the merciful king murmured, his eyes lowered.

"Revenge based on clear-cut grudges is not wrong in itself, but we must not forget what is more important in the name of revenge."

"But neither the Sarkaz nor any other race seem to understand..."

"It will probably take a very, very long time for him to understand," Vera replied.

"But before I figure this out..."

Guh~~

A clear rumbling sound came from Ifrit's abdomen, and both of them saw the girl, who should have been asleep, blush.

Vera smiled and changed her original statement.

"Until I figure it out... Theresa, would you like to go have dinner together?"

Upon receiving the unexpected invitation, the pink-haired demon king blinked.

Can I invite other people along?

"... Okay, let's go together."

"You two!!!"

A resentful voice rang out from behind, and the two people, who were in a pleasant atmosphere, froze.

Closure, enveloped in resentment, resembled a demon and staggered toward the two like a zombie.

"Can someone explain to me... what's going on with the Medical Department?!"

"Run!"

Before Theresa could explain, Vera grabbed her and fled.

"Don't even think about running away! Leave me the compensation!!!"

Hatred, an instinct from which life cannot escape.

But before satisfying our instincts, perhaps we should confront more important issues.

"You gluttonous idiot! Stop it! Didn't we say we had to wait for the boss before we could eat!?"

"Um, call me Rice! Besides, I was just cleaning up the cold food beforehand. Do you want the boss to eat cold food?"

"Is that the point?! The important thing is the attitude!"

"Stop arguing, our boss doesn't care about all that."

"Swallow the food in your mouth, "Rice shouted.

"Filling our stomachs is more important!"