Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 20: “I hope your feelings for him aren’t a lie.”

Chapter 20: “I hope your feelings for him aren’t a lie.”

“It’s a form of thought-guiding mental contamination.

Subtle enough that no one notices—

But steady, deliberate.

The nobles and prophets in the castle have been gradually affected.”

“It’s not strong enough to disrupt their daily lives.

But the influence is real.”

“This kind of contamination has probably been spreading for quite some time.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when it began…

But most likely, it started around the time that prophet—His Majesty’s favorite—first arrived at the castle.”

“That said, the prophet isn’t the actual source.

If someone was casting that kind of magic inside the castle, they’d be found out immediately.

He’s probably doing his job seriously—in his own way.”

“The real source is coming from outside.

Merchants and craftsmen coming and going…

Nobles from the countryside visiting the capital…

People who don’t usually stay in the royal castle, but interact with the inner circle once they’re here.

They’re unknowingly bringing the contamination in with them.”

“The worst part?

They don’t even know they’ve been affected.

And unless we’re on guard from the very beginning, it’s nearly impossible to catch.

That’s how subtle—and dangerous—it is.”

“Little by little, the infected start making decisions that work against humanity.

What do I mean by ‘against humanity’?

Things like… preparing a fake Hero.

Or trying to crush the real Hero’s will.”

“As for that creature out west—the one everyone believed was the Demon King…

No one knows what it really was.

But judging by the timing, it was probably a decoy.

Something the real Demon King put in place.”

“Taking everything into account—your report and my own investigation—this is the conclusion I’ve come to.

There’s still a lot that’s just speculation, but… I’m almost certain I’m right.”

“The real Demon King has been hiding somewhere near the royal capital for quite some time now, just waiting for the perfect moment to act.

I’m not entirely sure what it means to ‘devour the heart,’ but he clearly has some kind of power that affects people’s minds.

The mental contamination we’ve seen is likely part of that.

It’s even possible he can read thoughts.”

“But it doesn’t seem like the Demon King is overwhelmingly strong—at least not in terms of brute force.

That’s probably why he’s been working from the shadows, slowly chipping away at people’s hearts and gaining ground behind the scenes.

If he really had overwhelming strength, there’d be no need for all this.

He could’ve stormed the castle outright.”

“So then—what is his goal?

Maybe it’s to break the real Hero’s spirit.

Or to control him.

Maybe the Demon King grows stronger by turning the Hero to his side.

The fact that no one’s tried to kill him directly could be a clue—it’s more likely the plan is to twist him into something the Demon King can use.”

“Whatever the case, if we lose the one person who can defeat the Demon King… we’re finished.”

“If that Demon King out west was just a decoy, then we have to track down and defeat the real one—fast.

The problem is… we have no idea where he’s hiding.

And worse, if we send a search team and they get manipulated… it could spell disaster.”

“So, here’s what I’ve decided—though I’ll admit, it’s not the nicest plan.

I’m going to use the Hero as bait.

If we assume the Demon King is targeting him, then letting him move freely might draw the real one out.

And when that happens, I’ll lead the knights to back him up and take the Demon King down.”

“I won’t be telling him any of this.

If the Demon King really can read minds, then giving the Hero that information could tip him off… and he might slip away before we even get the chance.”

“But I trust him.

I believe he can handle it.

He’ll prove I wasn’t wrong about him.

He’s the man I plan to make my personal knight once this is all over—

So if he can’t push through something like this… then he’s not the guy I thought he was.”

“As for you, Lady Arianna, and you too, Sir Kanda—please return to the capital as originally planned, just like you’ve already defeated the Demon King.

That way, we can take the real one by surprise.

It’s a full-on performance, sure, but we’ll make it convincing.

There’ll be a parade, a party—the whole show.”

“I’ve only told a handful of people I truly trust about this.

Even the king doesn’t know.

And honestly, I doubt he’d approve anyway.

A lot of this still rests on speculation, and let’s not forget—

It was His Majesty who gave the green light for the Hero Summoning to begin with.

There’s no way he’d admit now that the summoned Hero might’ve been a fake.

Even if the prophets were under mental contamination, he’s still the one who ultimately accepted what they said.”

“That’s why I’ll be handling this matter on my own.

Depending on how things unfold… I may have to ask His Majesty to step down from the throne.

Whether you choose to side with me or with the king—that decision is entirely yours.”

“I just hope… Lady Arianna’s feelings for him are truly real.”

“Also, I’ll make arrangements for Sir Kanda to return to his original world.

Don’t worry—if we put enough pressure on the court mages, I’m sure they’ll cough up the return spell eventually.”

“Take your time, both of you.

Think it through carefully… and make your own choice.”