About 20 years ago, the Demon King was killed by the Hero’s Party, which consisted of three people.

 

However, the Hero died in the process, and the saint perished five years later.

 

It was a great curse directed at those who killed the Demon King.

 

As time passed, it was a curse that made them lose their humanity.

 

Humans burdened by curses and magical energy don’t last long.

 

More precisely, they either die or become something not human.

 

The mage, left alone after losing her comrades, despaired.

 

Because in the end, only she had lived.

 

That even if they killed the Demon King, peace didn’t exist.

 

With a body bearing the curse, she could no longer stand at the forefront.

 

Now, she could do nothing but prolong her worthless life day by day.

 

She wonders what it would have been like if she had died that day too.

 

At least, it wouldn’t have been as painful as it is now.

 

Sertia took on a disciple to find a reason for her remaining life.

 

Though she could no longer stand on the frontlines, she had knowledge and experience built up as a mage.

 

There were more than enough people who wanted to learn magic from her.

 

So, there was no difficulty in her retiring and getting a job as a professor at the academy.

 

Rather, the academy had offered first for her to come.

 

The title of the strongest mage in history didn’t disappear even after her retirement.

 

She was now the last remaining Demon King slayer in the world.

 

After the previous dean died, Sertia succeeded him by a unanimous vote from the other professors.

 

Now, she exists as the dean of the academy and an observer of the world.

 

Even that doesn’t have much time left.

 

Sertia opened her mouth towards her disciple, following behind as she walked through the park inside the academy.

 

“Do you know why I called you, Albert?”

 

“……”

 

“It’s almost time for me to go. Although my body doesn’t age due to the curse, I think it’s right to say that my lifespan is up.”

 

The curse laid by the Demon King slowly corroded Sertia’s body.

 

She, who was born human, is gradually being tainted to become like him. A monster.

 

Even the human who historically killed the most demons is finally changing to become like them.

 

“Originally, both my eyes were blue, and my hair wasn’t black either.”

 

“I know. I’ve closely observed your changes.”

 

“You remember that? I’m glad. It’s sad when no one remembers.”

 

Sertia sat lightly on a bench in the park.

 

Then she gestured for him to sit beside her. It was a considerate gesture for Albert, who still found walking difficult.

 

“Albert, do you know what happens to those who receive the Demon King’s curse?” She called her disciple’s name with a slightly solemn expression.

 

Whereas before a faint smile mixed with playfulness had lingered, she now appeared somewhat bitter.

 

She also looked a bit lonely.

 

The emptiness of one left alone is something an ordinary person would not be able to understand.

 

Albert sat beside her and waited for her next words.

 

“They lose their self-control as humans and become something inhuman. The previous generation’s Saint Karen, who received the same curse as me, became just like that. I had to kill my long-time comrade with my own hands.”

 

“By that, you mean……”

 

“It’s exactly as you think, Albert. I couldn’t escape from that fate either. I’m already an existence that can barely be called human.”

 

Sertia could feel her approaching death with her whole body.

 

The vast amount of mana in her body only delayed her from becoming a monster, but soon, she would become like Saint Karen.

 

There are no exceptions.

 

All those cursed by the Demon King so far have been like this.

 

So,

 

“You must succeed me. Despite how I look, I trust you.”

 

Albert was silent.

 

It was an issue he had expected to some extent.

 

But it came faster than expected.

 

Sertia’s existence acts as a pillar of the Empire.

 

She wasn’t someone who should die so vainly.

 

“I cannot become you.” After deep contemplation, Albert answered her words.

 

Even Albert, currently the best mage in the Empire, was not up to par with Sertia in her active days.

 

It’s not that he was weak, but that Sertia was exceptional.

 

No mage is superior to her in all of the Empire’s history.

 

Sertia was an irreplaceable figure.

 

In fact, all three who achieved the dream-like feat of subjugating the Demon King were irreplaceable.

 

The Hero, Elion, was one; Her Holiness, Saint Karen, was another; and Sertia, who remained the foundation of the Empire until the end, was no different.

 

If all such people die, what remains for the Empire?

 

To conclude, nothing remains.

 

The Empire, having lost its pillars, will collapse.

 

Even now, it’s barely holding on. If Sertia dies, the Empire’s collapse would be as good as confirmed.

 

Thinking practically, Albert thought he wasn’t someone worthy of succeeding her.

 

Because he hadn’t achieved as great accomplishments as them, nor was he as strong as them.

 

“Why do you think that?” Sertia asked.

 

It was a kind voice that overlapped with her past appearance.

 

The image of the master who taught him magic in his childhood. Although, there were some differences in appearance compared to before.

 

Albert sighed as he adjusted his crooked glasses.

 

Several emotions surfaced all at once.

 

“Because I’m not as great a person as you.”

 

“Do I seem that great to you, Albert? I don’t think so myself.”

 

“That doesn’t seem like something that should come from the mouth of someone who took the Demon King’s head.”

 

“Well, did the world become peaceful just because the Demon King died?”

 

“Aren’t you the mage who killed the most demons in history?”

 

“It’s because that’s all I knew how to do. Now I can’t even do that anymore.”

 

After being cursed, Sertia became unable to use magic.

 

This is because she used all the mana to delay the curse from spreading throughout her body.

 

For Sertia, wasting mana is death.

 

So since being cursed, she hasn’t used magic except when she killed Karen.

 

“Let me tell you one thing, Albert. The talent of this generation, including you, is not far behind mine. I believe, without a doubt, that among them, there are talented individuals who can surpass me. Do you know why?”

 

“……”

 

“That’s how the human race is. With each generation, individuals are born and grow with talents superior to the previous generation. The reason I was called the strongest mage in history is the same. I was born with talent superior to the previous generation’s mages.”

 

“But in the twenty years that have passed, no one comparable to you has appeared. Why is this?”

 

“Because they were born in an era where the Demon King is dead. I think there weren’t proper opportunities to develop their talents.”

 

It’s a bit different from Sertia’s generation, who had to roll their bodies on the frontlines from childhood.

 

Even if these are turbulent times, on the surface, the war has ended.

 

“I have high expectations for the next generation of students. Of course, the same goes for you, Albert. I believe that you will protect the continent in my place even after I’m gone.”

 

They couldn’t properly develop the talent they were born with. And that included Albert as well.

 

Sertia thought that the talent of the disciple she taught was by no means inferior to her own.

 

She believed that someday he would achieve something and show something like she had done.

 

So she could close her eyes in relief now because even if she disappeared, the Empire would not fall.

 

But for some reason, Albert wanted to deny her words.

 

There might be various reasons, but the biggest reason might be that he didn’t want to see Sertia die.

 

“Is there really no way for you to not die, to not disappear?” Albert asked pleadingly.

 

“There is one. Do you want to hear it?”

 

Albert crossed his arms as if to say he would listen.

 

Even he, who had always appeared rational, had a complicated look today.

 

Sertia continued speaking.

 

In stark contrast to the cruel content, her tone was very calm.

 

“Accept the Demon King’s curse with your whole body and live on as something not human. It’s just a change of race; you don’t die, right? I don’t particularly want to die either.”

 

“……”

 

“But you don’t want that, do you? The Hero of humanity suddenly turning into the worst monster. If I lose all my humanity and go berserk, do you have the confidence to stop me?”

 

Albert couldn’t answer.

 

Perhaps because he had already imagined the worst-case scenario that came from Sertia’s mouth.

 

At this point, there is no human who can directly defeat her.

 

Who could stand against the only one who returned alive after taking the Demon King’s head?

 

This generation’s Hero? No, he was still woefully lacking compared to the Hero before him.

 

Perhaps she might become the spark of disaster.

 

If there’s one fortunate thing, it might be that she herself is aware of this aspect.

 

Sertia let out a small sigh and added her final words.

 

It was a sentence that showed deep bitterness.

 

“If not that, then please let me go. I want to close my eyes while still human, at least.”

 

She had an expression of someone on the verge of collapse.

 

She seemed close yet felt distant.

 

It was evident from her attitude alone that Sertia’s physical condition was not good.

 

Even during the conversation, her blue left eye faintly turned red and back again repeatedly.

 

It meant that maintaining her current appearance was unstable.

 

This is the end of one who dared to confront the Demon King while human.

 

Without exception, those who stood before the Demon King met the same fate as her.

 

This was the end of an era.

 

“Ahem.”

 

She must have thought the atmosphere had become heavy as she coughed lightly.

 

After that, she showed a faint smile.

 

She stood up from her seat and held out her hand to Albert.

 

“I guess I talked about too many dark things. This isn’t what I called you for.”

 

“No, it’s fine.”

 

“Then shall we walk a bit more? Actually, I’ll go straight to the main point. It’s about your battle.”

 

Albert agreed to do so.

 

Once again, Sertia walked through the academy park while Albert followed.

 

It’s like following the path his master walks.

 

But why is it that today, her back looked so small?

 

Looking back now, unlike her overwhelming reputation, she had a very small and fragile body.

 

And he had been relying on such an existence until now.

 

She had been supporting everything alone with such a body.

 

The current Sertia looked full of wounds.

 

Both physically and mentally.