“For those of us who know the history of Manggot, we naturally cannot ignore the possibility of 'abandoned devils'.”

At those words, Sanders fell silent.

If there really was another continent to the west, and devils lived there, it might be reasonable for the Empire's strongest Knight Order to be stationed here.

As if to support that thought, Enfer continued.

“Recently, numerous bodies of unknown origin have been discovered within the Empire. They're not even hiding their faces, and people with no blood relations are appearing one after another. Even among the nobles. A note is left with these bodies, saying that the deceased is a devil.”

“...There was such news? It's been a while since I left the Empire, so I haven't received recent reports.”

Sanders was so far away from the Empire now that he didn't know the Empire's news. Even the Sage Phone didn't work. This was the same for Sylvain.

But Enfer knew. Why? While Sanders was wondering about this, Enfer spoke.

“We waged war with Manggot. And the leader of Manggot was a devil. A devil bearing the name of one of the Seven Deadly Sins. After his death, the keyword 'devil' is appearing everywhere. I don't believe this is a coincidence. Most devils are born with the ability to use aura and fly using their wings. Ordinary soldiers are no match for them.”

“...Could it be, Lord... the person who conveyed the information about the western devils attacking...”

Only then did Sanders have a guess.

Why Enfer was so secretive about devils, why he didn't reveal the source of the information.

It was because the information wasn't very credible, and yet, Enfer believed it.

There were very few people who could instill such trust in Enfer.

“If the knights are afraid of death, that's something to lament. It means their spirit to protect the Empire has rotted. But if they fear a meaningless death, don't worry. That will never happen.”

“Lord...”

“Sanders, we need to be here. Trust me.”

Just like the knights, Enfer knew that this place was dangerous. But it wasn't because of the monsters outside. There was a potentially more dangerous being that could attack this place at any time.

They would be the first to witness the devil's attack, the first to respond, and while they held the line, the Empire would become aware of the devil's assault.

‘...I'm surprised. Honestly, I didn't expect him to tell me the story.’

Sanders had gone to Enfer prepared to be scolded. If it ended with just a scolding, it would be fortunate, but he was afraid of what kind of severe punishment might be imposed.

But now, Enfer was showing a side completely different from what Sanders had expected.

“...Lord, you seem to have changed a bit...”

Sanders was startled by the words that came out of his mouth unconsciously. Good heavens, even if he was relieved, how could he say such a thing to Enfer!

Did he have a death wish?

“Changed...”

However, Enfer calmly accepted even these words, and then...

“I should. That's what I'm trying to do.”

“...!”

Sanders was even more surprised than before. It was surprising enough that Enfer would say such a thing, but more than that, he saw a hint of regret in his eyes.

It could be Sanders's imagination, but it was definitely different from the face Enfer usually showed.

...Enfer had a voice that had been echoing in his ears ever since that day.

─I know I was an unreliable son to you.

His son's voice.

His second son, Frondier, was weak and powerless compared to his brother, and therefore, he never held any expectations.

That's why Enfer had long been prepared to be hated by him.

The burden of Roach was too heavy for that weak child. But he couldn't make an exception for Roach. It would be unfair to Azier and the Knights of Roach.

That's why he distanced himself from Frondier, even prepared to banish him. He believed that leaving Roach would make his son happy.

Therefore, it was okay to be hated. It had to be that way. Frondier's resentment and anger, starting from there, would burn away his laziness.

But...

─I have to pay the price for my laziness.

Frondier didn't resent him.

He said it was all his own fault and understood Enfer.

Even Frondier's laziness was ultimately nothing more than a devil's curse.

He had lived with the curse of the highest-ranking devils, the Seven Deadly Sins, all by himself.

He said that all that laziness was his own fault.

Enfer, who tried to banish him, Malia, who remained silent, Azier, who gave up on his brother.

He had been ridiculed and mocked by all of Constel, labeled with the derogatory nickname 'Human Sloth'.

He said that all of it was his own fault.

“Sanders.”

“Yes, yes?”

Enfer called out to Sanders.

His voice was so unfamiliar that Sanders stammered even in his reply.

“Have you ever apologized to someone?”

“...Ah, yes. If I made a mistake or did something wrong, I apologized. Of course, there were times when the other person forgave me and times when they didn't.”

“Then, what if...”

Starting like that, Enfer hesitated for a brief moment. In that short pause, his sigh escaped.

“What if the other person had already forgiven you before you even apologized?”

And at his next words, Sanders was left speechless.

“What should I do?”

***

There was one thing Frondier had overlooked.

Elysia, who had stepped down from her royal status and was struggling to live each day, was almost completely unaware of the Empire's overall situation.

Especially regarding Frondier.

“──So, I'm going to gather the hidden devils and move them to a different location. I want to avoid the Imperial Palace being affected as much as possible. If I get His Majesty's permission first, and the Zodiacs help out, moving them shouldn't be too difficult. The western devils will be discovered by the Knight Order first, so that's where I need your help...”

“W-w-wait a minute.”

Elysia interrupted Frondier's explanation.

“W-who's going to get Dad's permission?”

“Well, I will.”

“And who's going to ask for the Zodiacs' help?”

“Well, I will.”

“...How?”

“Huh?”

The conversation wasn't connecting. As Frondier tilted his head in confusion, Elysia continued.

“I-I mean, why would Dad, the Zodiacs, help you? You're just a student at Constel. Aren't you getting a bit too ahead of yourself just because you did well in the last war?”

Elysia looked at Frondier with a sullen expression.

That's all Elysia knew. Frondier had made a contribution in the war. That was it.

Understanding this, Frondier let out a short, “Ah.”

“What happened was...”

Frondier started to explain, raising his finger, then lowering it again.

Pulling his lips into a line, Frondier said,

“...It seems like explaining this will take even longer.”

He sighed. He wasn't even sure if she would believe him even if he explained everything diligently.

Frondier changed his mind. In this case, action was faster than explanation.

“Let's go to the Imperial Palace.”

“What?”

“I was planning to go anyway, so it's faster to see it for yourself.”