The Story of an Arrogant Succubus Princess Who Always Looked Down on Humans as Mere Food, Until She Fell in Love With an Ordinary Man - Chapter 47

“Hey, long time no see…or maybe not, Asbel.”

A weary Gran walked into the hospital room, and Asbel responded in his usual, steady voice.

“Captain Gran. Coming here alone at a time like this—is it possible you’re moving independently, outside of the Knights’ orders?”

“…Yeah, something like that. A lot’s been going on. There are a few things I want to discuss with you. So…sorry, Eris. Could you leave us alone for a while? I’d prefer to speak to Asbel one-on-one.”

“No way, Captain! You only say that kind of thing when you’re up to something shady. Don’t leave me out!”

“Oh, come on now. Look, I’ll even give you some allowance. Go have a cake at the shop over there.”

“Yay! Thank you! …But don’t treat me like a kid!”

Eris fussed and protested for a while, but when she noticed Gran’s unusually serious expression, she said, “Well, fine. I was getting a bit hungry anyway, so I’ll go take a break.”

With that, she left the room. Once she was gone, Gran bowed his head without hesitation.

“I’m sorry, Asbel. Because of my selfish decisions, she ended up in that situation…”

“Raise your head, Captain. This isn’t your responsibility.”

“But because of me, she—”

“No. I chose not to kill Lili. I decided to live beside her. What happened to her has nothing to do with you.”

Hearing this, Gran slowly lifted his head. Asbel wasn’t one to lie about something like this. Gran exhaled softly, relieved.

“I heard about Liliana from Keydrec, an important figure in the Demon Nation. It seems there’s a faction led by Ilias, the leader of the succubi, that’s scheming to use her…to use her powers.”

“And that’s the result we’re dealing with now. Honestly, that’s beyond any single person’s abilities to manage. Eris said there’s been no movement yet, but if it starts, it’ll be a problem beyond any one country’s concern.”

“Yeah, it could even mean the end of this entire continent.”

Gran looked up at the ceiling with a bitter smile, visibly exhausted. Asbel guessed that Gran was probably carrying other burdens he hadn’t spoken of yet.

“What does the Knights’ Order plan to do? You can’t just ignore it forever because there hasn’t been any movement.”

“…Who knows? Even I don’t know yet.”

“But you’re the head of the Knights’ Order, the organization meant to protect this country. If you don’t know…or rather, are those above you arguing?”

“Exactly. Lord Gilbart seems to be negotiating with the Demon Nation, and the Royal Knights, directly under the King, are preparing to act. We’ve been told to wait, so I slacked off and came here.”

As Gran spoke with a bitter smile, Asbel asked, his expression unchanging.

“You have something you want to tell me, don’t you?”

“What makes you think that?”

“No particular reason. It’s just that whenever you have something important to say, you look worn out. Something must have happened. Earlier, you said you slacked off, but it’s more natural to assume you’ve been sent here on a secret mission from one of the nobles.”

Gran laughed, almost bitterly, and responded with a tone of resignation.

“When did you get so sharp? Though, I guess you’ve always been a bit too observant despite that blank expression.”

“Just a wild guess. If I’m wrong, feel free to laugh it off.”

“If I could laugh it off, I wouldn’t have come here.”

Gran gazed out the window. A warm breeze blew through. Without looking back at Asbel, he began to speak.

“You didn’t kill that succubus, Liliana. Was that…because you fell for her?”

“Eris asked me the same thing earlier. To be honest, I still don’t really understand what it means to love someone. But…”

Asbel closed his eyes, thinking back on his days with her. There were countless struggles, endless mistakes. But all he could remember was her smiling face, full of joy.

“I just wanted to be by her side. I wanted to keep seeing her smile. Even if that meant betraying everything I’d built up as my truth…I wanted to be with Lili.”

Asbel looked at Gran, who turned his gaze back from the window, smiling faintly with a sense of release.

“If I told you there was a way to save her, what would you do?”

“I’d do whatever it takes.”

“And if, as a result, you could no longer be by her side?”

“That…”

Asbel felt a small pain in his chest. But he laughed it off as something trivial.

“If I can’t be by Lili’s side, as long as she can live and laugh somewhere, that’s enough for me.”

“Even if it means you’ll die?”

“Yes. I’ve never once feared death.”

Gran nodded at Asbel’s answer with a pained expression and sat in a nearby chair.

“Watching someone you care about leave is harder than dying yourself. I understand that too well. So I’ll tell you everything I know. What you do with it is up to you, Asbel.”

Asbel nodded in silence, and Gran began to speak. His expression was heavy, like he was making a confession, as he shared everything about the dealings with the Demon Nation…with Keydrec.

“Maybe this was fated from the moment you became Liliana’s watcher.”

Hearing Gran’s light-hearted comment, Asbel cracked a rare smile. Destiny was an absurd concept, but he didn’t mind it right now.

“There’s no need to rely on some hidden trick of the Demon Nation. After all, Asbel, you’re here. This is something only you can do in this world. If anyone can save her…it’s you.”

“Thank you, Captain Gran. Now I know what I must do.”

“Don’t be reckless. You better not die on me. I’m done with burying my subordinates and surviving alone.”

“I won’t die. I’m Iron Face…no, Asbel the Iron Demon. I won’t be defeated by some so-called goddess.”

“Good, then. Here’s my parting gift, as I mentioned. If you mistime it, you’ll die. Whether to use it or not is up to you.”

Finally, Gran handed Asbel a sturdy leather pouch. Asbel took it in silence and gave a firm nod.

“Wait for me, Lili. I’ll come for you soon.”

Clenching the leather pouch in his hand, Asbel steeled himself. Once again, he resolved to confront that goddess.