A Misunderstood Mentor

“Is something wrong? Takumi-san”

While preparing for dinner, a concerned Reia spoke to me.
Maybe because I’m acting absent minded despite usually only being focused when making food.

“It’s nothing.
I was just thinking about something”
“Is that so.
Since it’s you, it’s definitely a grand thought the likes of me wouldn’t be able to wrap their head around”
“Yup, I’m glad you understand, that’s exactly right”

Even my usual line is monotonous and devoid of energy.
I know the reason why.

Alice.

I can’t hide my shock that shes participating on the guild’s side.

“Hey, about Alice…..”

I pause my words.
There’s probably no one who can understand Alice’s thoughts.
Why did Alice get attached to only me ten years ago.
Why did history’s weakest get mistaken as history’s strongest.
It’s all a mystery to me.

“What is it? What about Alice-sama?”
“Nah, It’s nothing”

I take a long look at Reia who’s staring at me vacantly.
What’s the chances she’s the Demon Lord?
Her technique known as Divine Possession causes an ancient god to dwell within her body.
What if without noticing the Demon Lord entered?

In the first place, why did Alice send her to me?
Ten years ago when I picked Alice up from the dungeon, if the Demon Lord was there too, then Alice and the Demon Lord are…..

“U- Umm, Takumi-san.
C- Could you not stare so hard”
“A- Ahh.
My bad”

I turn my eyes away from Reia whose face has turned bright red.

I feel the chance of Reia being the Demon Lord is fairly high, On a scale of ten, maybe seven.

“U- Um, is there something on my face?”
“I- I-t’s nothing.
I just wanted to look at your face a bit n- no that’s not right.
I didn’t mean it like that”

The two of us avoid each others eyes and look downwards.

Seeing Reia like that makes me think that she isn’t the Demon Lord.
No, that’s just what I want to believe

“The static rook defensive opening is it, you have good taste”1
“…..Watch me put an end to your cheerful central rook”

I look at Rick and the Goblin King who have been playing shogi since the morning.
There should be plenty of thing to catch up on with Rick but we haven’t spoken at all.
Like how Sasha and Bartz are or if they continued to be in a party with Nuruhachi after that time.
I tried to speak during his game but Rick would nod wordlessly and didn’t properly listen at all.

“…..Check by taking the rook”
“Ugh, could you hold back on using that move? Rikkun”

“…..I won’t hold back.
Jusrakkun”

What’s with those names, Rikkun and Jusrakkun.
You two sure have gotten friendly.
I’m a bit envious of the two.

Well the chances of these two being the Demon Lord is fairly low.
The Goblin King is around two and Rick is around three I suppose.

“How do you like my sword strike.
With this power, in one blow the stone was smashed, shaking the heavens and earth”
“You’re too loud nya.
Shut up nya”

For some reason Berserker(Mad Warrior) Sacher and Beastman King Miacis are always together
Haven’t these two gotten pretty friendly too?

I know that Miacis isn’t the Demon Lord.
And the Demon Lord probably wouldn’t like to be inside Sacher?
To the extent that the probability for Sacher is a one that’s infinitely close to zero.

Next is Chiharu.
I go to peek on Chiharu who is sleeping in the cave.
She’s curled up happily in the straw.

I think about what I know of Chiharu.
In terms of suspiciousness, Chiharu is probably at the top.
Her occasional adult personality.
Could it possibly be the Demon Lord’s personality.

“Mhmm, Chakumi, love lots”

Chiharu smiles while cutely sleep talking.
Yup I don’t like Chiharu being the Demon Lord.
Let’s reduce the probability from eight to four.

Out of the six that remained, that was the probability of being the demon lord for five of them.
And then the final person.

“Hey Karna.
What’s the chances that the Demon Lord is inside me?”

I ask Demon Sword Karna
Yes the final one was me myself.

“The chances that the Demon Lord is inside you is completely zero, Takkun.
The capacity that a normal human has doesn’t exist in you.
Both power and the astral(spirit) cannot gather without a vessel”
“…..is that so”

I’m happy and sad, but this narrows it down to 11 people.

“The Demon Lord’s presence that Miacis sensed, have you felt it Karna?”

Demon Sword Karna that has the ability to drain the strength of others is particularly sensitive to the presence of strength.

“During the Meeting of the Ten Greats, for a brief moment, I felt the a tremor.
But I cannot tell where it came from.
The presence was that faint”

As expected.
The Demon Lord purposely released a faint presence.
In order to inform Miacis that they were here.
Their goal was, probably, to have me mistaken as the Demon Lord.

My doubts have turned to conviction.
I’m being framed by the Demon Lord

“Takkun, what are you thinking?”
“…..”

I couldn’t respond to Karna.

Why is the Demon Lord doing this to me?
No in the first place, the Demon Lord shouldn’t have any relation to me.
The only thing I can think of is that, ten years ago, the Demon Lord was also in the dungeon that I picked up Alice in.

The Demon Lord Progenitor.
Whose true form hasn’t been seen, even by Miacis of the Four Heavenly kings.
Did I meet that Demon Lord at some point without knowing?

I take a deep breath in and let a deep breath out.

“It seems the time has come to move from this mountain”

Alice’s feelings and the Demon Lord’s motives.
The answer to everything is surely in that place.

The Demon Lord’s Labyrinth where I met Alice.

Translator’s Notes:
1: Static rook defensive opening, cheerful central rook, and check by taking rook is all shogi terminology.

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