25-211

EP.211. [Hero...?] 

“Does it hurt a lot, Elizabeth?” 

Eugene asked with a worried expression, checking on his beloved little sister Elizabeth. He was gently holding her pale ankle. 

“Hnnngh... It hurts so much, onii-chan... Please make it better...” 

That’s right. Elizabeth had hurt her ankle. With her frail body, when Eugene suddenly found himself in danger during the battle with the drake, Elizabeth lost her senses and ran toward him, only to fall. She didn’t realize she was hurt at the time; she found out on the way back. 

‘Hnnngh... I’m so happy, onii-chan... To be nursed by you like this, hehehe...’ 

The moment she realized it, this mischievous little sister started acting up, asking her brother to treat and nurse her. It made no sense-after all, for a mage, this kind of injury could be healed on her own. Elizabeth could easily heal herself, but she clung to her brother, demanding his care. 

‘But this little sister’s heart was so anxious, she wants to be compensated. I thought I’d die when I thought onii-chan might leave me...’ 

But we should understand Elizabeth’s feelings. She’s a little sister obsessed with her brother. When the dark red vortex swallowed Eugene, she thought her world was ending. Especially since she blamed herself for not fulfilling her role as the party’s mage, her guilt and shock were enormous. But Eugene came back, and her attachment only deepened. This much is actually rather mild. 

‘Cute kid. Jeanne always insisted she wasn’t hurt, and Charlotte hid it so we wouldn’t worry. But Elizabeth always wanted attention and would cling to me like a fox.’ 

Eugene Schneider, diligently tending to Elizabeth’s “injury,” knew his little sister’s psychology well. When Elizabeth exaggerated, it meant she was feeling a real lack. Eugene, always sincere about comforting his siblings, pretended not to notice and played along. 

“So that’s what happened, onii-chan. You never told me before.” 

Now it was Elizabeth’s turn to check on Eugene’s condition. Eugene told her in detail about his confrontation with the drake, the Demon God’s Eye, and the story of light and darkness-leaving out the part about his mother. 

“To be honest, at first it felt too abstract. I didn’t want to give you more to worry about when you were working so hard on the quest magic.” 

“Oh, onii-chan, how could anything about you be a bother? You’re always my top priority.” 

Eugene scratched his head, feeling he’d made a mistake, while Elizabeth soothed him with playful affection. 

“The Demon God’s Eye is a mythical evil god’s relic. Its nature is unclear, as you’d expect.” 

Elizabeth explained what she knew about the Demon God’s Eye. As a mage, she was well-versed in both magical and historical knowledge. In this world of Gaia, magic and history are closely intertwined, so Elizabeth could recite both the official and apocryphal stories Eugene had heard from the drake. 

“For example, it’s said that the reason demonic energy first spread across the world was because the Demon God’s Eye was opened. You’ve probably never heard of it, onii-chan, because it’s not in the official histories. The Church of the Radiant Goddess doesn’t acknowledge it.” 

“Oh, I see. No wonder it was new to me.” 

With so many races living in Fedon, there are many histories, often mixed together. The official history is what the Empire and the Church of the Radiant Goddess have agreed upon. The apocryphal stories are an extension of that. But there are even more obscure histories: the “heretical” histories of other races. Only mages, witches, or high-ranking nuns can access those. 

“The Sun God Avinus-I think that’s also part of the heretical canon. There are many records of sea peoples and coastal tribes worshipping a sun god.” 

“Is there any literature that mentions the name Avinus directly?” 

“No, I’ve honestly never heard it before, onii-chan.” 

The drake had mentioned two key things to Eugene: that the Demon God’s Eye had been opened, and that Eugene was the one chosen by the Sun God Avinus. Both were concepts from heretical histories. 

“I think it would be good to include Elf Priscilla in this conversation. The Demon God’s Eye and the Sun God can’t really be separated from the elves.” 

“Really? Then should I go get Priscilla?” 

“Yes, onii-chan. We’re disbanding tomorrow, so it’s best to talk tonight.” 

Elizabeth suggested bringing in Priscilla. If there were more time, they could talk separately, but since the quest was over, Elizabeth would have to return to the Academy Tower tomorrow. 

“I’ll go get Priscilla, Elizabeth! Wait here!” 

-Scurry!- 

Eugene hurried out to find Priscilla. 

“Yes... onii-chan.” 

Smirk...! 

Elizabeth saw him off with a mysterious, sly smile. 

‘Ugh... This is awkward...’ 

Brought in by Eugene, Priscilla glanced sideways at Elizabeth as she sat down. 

‘Why does it have to be my mate’s little sister... Now I can’t be blunt with her.’ 

Elves are a very family-oriented race, remembering all their roots. So, once Priscilla realized Elizabeth was Eugene’s sister, she started seeing her as her mate’s little sister and couldn’t look at her with the same cool gaze as before. 

“For humans, the Demon God’s Eye is a myth, but for elves, it’s history. The Demon God’s Eye was the counterpart to the World Tree. People call it a relic, but it’s really a living being, just like the World Tree-a higher-dimensional lifeform.” 

“Oooh...!” 

Still eager to show off her knowledge, Priscilla recounted what she knew, based on what Eugene had told her on the way to Elizabeth’s room. 

“As time passed, its form changed. The World Tree, for example, is much smaller now than it was at first. It adapted to the situation. I’ve heard the Demon God’s Eye did the same.” 

Swoosh...! 

Encouraged by Eugene’s enthusiastic reaction, Priscilla crossed her arms and continued her explanation with a serious face. 

“But its function is still the same. Just as the World Tree creates elves and emits mana and spirit energy into the world, the Demon God’s Eye has its own purpose.” 

So, its form may change, but its purpose remains the same-that was Priscilla’s summary. 

“So what does the Demon God’s Eye actually do, Priscilla?” 

Eugene asked directly. All he knew was that it charged demonic energy and caused monsters to run wild. But from Priscilla’s tone, it seemed there was more. 

“It summons the Demon King.” 

Priscilla’s answer was short and clear. The Demon God’s Eye is a system for summoning the Demon King. 

“The Demon God’s Eye summons the Demon King, Priscilla?” 

This was new information for Eugene. Elizabeth’s eyes also went wide-she, too, was hearing this for the first time. 

“I get it. There are royal demons, and sometimes one of them manifests special power and becomes the Demon King. But the Demon King born from the Demon God’s Eye is on a different level.” 

“What’s the difference, Priscilla?” 

“The Demon King created by the Demon God’s Eye is born directly with the power of the Demon God. The difference in authority is huge. But that kind of Demon King is rare-maybe only in ancient times.” 

The key difference between a normal Demon King and one born from the Demon God’s Eye is the Demon God’s direct involvement. Such Demon Kings appeared at major turning points in history. The last time a Demon King descended was at the end of the ancient era, when the Demon God’s Eye produced a Demon King, but that king eventually fell and the age of abundant demonic energy ended. 

“Is what you’re talking about connected to the legend of the Hero?” 

Elizabeth, listening to Priscilla, seemed to see a connection and asked. 

“That’s right. The Hero’s descent, as told by the Church of the Radiant Goddess, is linked to this. Of course, the church adapted it to fit their own narrative. But in the elves’ older knowledge, what they call heresy, the Demon God’s Eye is central. When the Demon God moves, so does the Goddess.” 

The Demon God’s Eye myth is a heretical history. The Church of the Radiant Goddess rejected it completely, so in their version of the Hero’s descent, the Demon God’s Eye is omitted. 

‘Then am I the Hero? Is the darkness the drake mentioned the Demon King?’ 

With such specific information, Eugene’s mind raced. What mattered to him was how these stories related to him. The drake had told him that there was a darkness that opened the Demon God’s Eye, and that the darkness was near the light-Eugene. So Eugene wondered if the drake was calling him the Hero. 

‘A being with demon blood as the Hero???’ 

But that seemed far-fetched. Eugene Schneider knew that the Hero was supposed to be a spiritually noble person. He was a human with demon blood. A Hero with demon blood seemed impossible. 

“....” 

Elizabeth watched Eugene’s increasingly troubled expression in silence. 

“Onii-chan, why don’t you tell Priscilla about what happened when the drake died and passed energy to you?” 

Elizabeth then prompted Eugene as if guiding him toward something. 

“Huh? What do you mean, Eugene?” 

Priscilla, hearing Elizabeth’s question for the first time, looked at Eugene with wide eyes. 

“Well, Priscilla, when the drake died, it seemed to leave its body behind and disappear somewhere. But before it vanished, it injected a dark purple energy into me.” 

Eugene explained in detail what happened in his final confrontation with the drake. 

“Dark purple energy??” 

Priscilla’s eyes widened at the mention of dark purple energy. 

“That’s the Demon God’s energy!” 

Because dark purple energy symbolizes the power of the Demon God.