Chapter 21: Two More

It’s magic training period in the exercise ground.

I was deep in thought while watching my classmates at the Academy practice their magic.

「Ah… Hey, Tre’ainar. Why did you want to do to destroy the human race? 」

For a moment I was concerned about my career path, while not finding an answer had me worried, I suddenly asked Tre’ainar.

『What, so sudden…』

「No, you told me a while ago… I’ve been thinking a lot about it.」

『Ho』

「What reasons did you have to become the Great Demon King and try to destroy the human race?」

As a counselor, I feel very out of place, but at this time I naturally confided my worries about my career paths to Tre’ainar, something I had never done before for my parents.

Then, Tre’ainar also answers without any particular objection.

『Well, there was the simple desire to destroy ugly human beings…. In order to unify the demons in the demon world, it was necessary to create a common enemy…. In the first place, my desire was to acquire territory far from the dark cloud-filled demon world in the sunless lands…. If just given, then there is no point in it. 』

And, the scale is too big, it does not come intuitively, and it is not helpful. It’s obvious.

『However, the reasons I became a Great Demon King were from too long ago, I fail to recall my goals, dreams and such immature notions… 』

「What, you forgot…」

『Tis just… one thing I could say was… I wanted to expand our world… so I thought. 』

Tre’ainar whispers so with his eyes looking a little distant.

The roots of the Great Demon King Tre’ainar. The desire is to expand the world.

I don’t know why he forgot the ideals that led to the Great Demon King, or whether he was upset, but it still seems to be ’what I wanted to do’.

「Used to be… I wanted to be like my father…. I used to think about it when I was a kid.」

But now I don’t have such ambitions.

It became even more so after hearing the word said by Tre’ainar a little while ago.

「To find my calling, through the 【Imperial Knight】… could be it.」

It is not a path to use as a stepping stone either.

In the first place, regardless of finding what you want to do, once you become an Imperial Knight, you will probably have plenty of work and not enough free time.

If you look at my father who doesn’t come home at all, you’ll understand.

『Child… will one not suffice? 』

「What? 」

『I am not familiar with the employment situation of people in the world today, but…. I believe in your father’s time… I think it was a time when one could not choose what path to take, right? 』

It was a sermon that I always heard somewhere.

I didn’t think that such a sermon would come out of Tre’ainar’s mouth.

I always listened to these old people’s sermons, such as ‘in our time’ and ‘things used to be harder than they are now’.

But maybe something is wrong with me today.

I listened seriously to Tre’ainar’s words.

『In a peaceful world, like yours, you have the power, the money, the environment which caters to hope, and so being idle is a supreme luxury and a sin. You must understand that. 』

That’s true.

I’ve been working harder than usual for the past few days, but my goal is to surprise my father and the world.

That ‘factor’ that has tremendous influence on one’s life, I don’t have that.

And then……

『Therefore, child. Having deliberated on the mater… 』

Then, Tre’ainar changed completely from a serious expression, and smiled as if he had evil intent…

『Without benefiting from your father’s influence… to remain in place so you may have a means to discover your true calling. Tis not that one is nonexistent, is it? 』

「What?」

『But that… I believe tis too difficult a course for such a spoiled boy. 』

I couldn’t help opening my eyes wide. A way to find out what I want to do?

If there is such a thing, naturally I want you to teach me.

But what bothers me is…

「Hey hey, is the road too tough for pompons? What is it? 」

I was asking sulking a little bit at Tre’ainar’s words as he was trying to provoke me.

And then……

“Heeey guuuys! I’m baaaaack!”

“Such bull… Don’t frolic about.”

Two voices suddenly echo in the training ground.

“Ah… They…”

It was nostalgic for me and everyone.

“Fu! And Rebal! …… I just returned from special studies abroad! Heheeee, everyoooooone!”

“Seriously… So noisy.”

Two men were there.

“””””Kyaaaaaaa!!  It’s Fuuuu!!!!””””

“”””Aaaah, Rebal!””””

“””Fu, Rival!! You’re back?”””

The moment they saw them, their classmates cheered, and the girls were screaming, especially with their eyes shining.

『Tis unpleasant. What is happening? 』

「…… Oh…… they are also classmates. And…… just…… my childhood friends.」

And for me, they’re not just classmates.

『Ho. But…… Hm…… Oh… 』

Tre’ainar seemed to feel something when she saw them.

In other words, they are the kind of people who get a reaction from the Great Demon King.

“Heheee, how are you all?”

“Hey, I’m not growing any taller if you don’t Fu. So cute!”

“Wa, wawawa, come on, guys, get back and stop that this instance!”

“No good! Fu is too huggable!”

“Waa”

“Ah, I’m so sneaky!”

First of all, the man who is immediately surrounded and crushed on by the girls.

He has the shortest height among the boys of the academy, and an infant body type lower than the girls.

In addition, his childish face, glasses, and such a childish behavior are always very popular with girls.

And above all……

「His magic power and capacity is higher than the princess’… In the field of magic, he’s first grade. The son of the 【Great Mage】, one of the seven heroes.」

『Oh… I see…… So that is the reason…. the little one there… 』

Yes, he is the son of the seven heroes same as me, and he is a childhood friend since we were kids.

Then, he inherited his father’s talent, who was a great mage, and became famous as a ‘Magical Boy Genius’, and was especially popular among women in the Imperial capital.

And……

“””””””Kyaaaaa! Mr. Rebal!”””””

“My ears hurt. Don’t talk to me if you have no reason to.”

“”””””So Dreamyyyyyy!”””””

While folding his arms with bored ,sour faced expression, he had a cold attitude towards the girls swarming him as if he found it irritating. Yet the girls found that cool demeanor from the beautiful, long-haired swordsman very attractive.

『What about that tall specimen of beauty?』

「Ah. He is better than a princess when it comes to sword skill and combat ability. He’s the strongest man in our academy. The Man Who Draws the Blood of the Seven Heroes’ 【Sword Saint】…」

『Oh, oh… I was there. He fought only with a sword, using no magic, and certainly, he had that assuming air of coldness to him. 』

Yes, he’s the same as me.

And, like Fu, a man who is said to be ‘The Sword Saint’s Successor’.

It is said that his ability is already comparable to that of an 【Advanced Warrior】.

Both of them have inherited their parents’ genes and the expectations of many people.

『Hmm. Being witness to this has made me nostalgic. I never have I imagined there would be so many legacies. 』

「Oh… Last year, the Empire sent out talented people for study and training abroad in exchanges with other countries.」

『…… Were you not chosen?』

It irritated me when he hit a sore point.

「There are only two spots for foreign students. It goes the top two students in the ranking. The princess was the overall top last year, but she declined to study abroad, so those two who were second and third at the time became international students.」

『Ho… I see.』

「What do you…」

『In other words, your second grade in the rankings is due to being advanced by the absences of ‘those two’.』

「Shut up!」

Yes, that’s exactly right.

Like the princess, the two of them are not equal to the princess in general, but they have the one aspect that makes them ‘second to none’.

And it was the one aspect that was reminiscent of the talent of their parent, who was a hero, everyone had expectations of them, and they always met those expectations.

Unlike me…