Hyaku ma no Omo

ounder ⋅ Crow

Merea tried to change the topic in a hurry.
But rather than changing the topic unnaturally, and to anger Flounder, which most would not think of trying, somehow he wanted to naturally change the topic.
But,

「I’ve got to tell the truth, I also became a Demon Lord from a Hero. It’s Somewhat embarrassing to say Hero when talking about my history, it’s because the word is confusing enough to refrain from using it. It’s hard to speak indifferently.」

In the end even Flounder wound up being betrayed.
Merea while feeling the unrewarding softness that ends up dulling his though, notices that Flounder is in the same state, such as wanting to talk about it to the end, and they decided to quietly get on this topic.

「Flounder is a Demon Lord… huh. Textually it’s not a very good look.」

This androgynous good-looking man of delicate features is a Demon Lord.
It’s quite a complicated matter because of the previous image, you would imagine a more rugged looking person to say it’s a Demon Lord.
When Merea is suffering from a mismatch of reality and the image of a Demon Lord, Flounder is continuing to say tricky words.

「After I was betrayed I was deemed to replace the previous Demon Lord, being named as a different Demon Lord -…  And being Killed was my former regret, such a thing became a regret because I wanted, if you want my honest opinion – There is no feeling of wanting you to take revenge.」

Flounder, as if he had decided that he will take the hate of the people, even though he did not deserve it, he went side by side with those words of hate.
Yet Merea didn’t hear a word of regret from Flounder, he was thinking that.

「Then, what flounder remembered as a regret.」
「That regret I had has weathered. The other regret my heart has is that I’m sorry for what happened  the others. –Everyone’s feelings.」
「If you remember then it’s good?」
「There is no such thing. At the same time, I regret that the regret had not weathered earlier. It’s good that it happened. You are a pride that we had in our lifetime, we did not want you to dirty your hands. Before the regret had weathered, if my enemy had visited this Lindholm Holy Mountain, I would have gone out of hand.」

Although Merea thought that it does not appear to be that way, on the other hand, only a spirit body that was filled with regret could be seen in the Lindholm Spirit Mountain, so it could not be totally denied.
The spirits were full of rationality, but they were like that only until the time the last of them is swallowed by the [Heavenly Sea of Souls].

— But for vessels of regret, I wonder if I got too involved

They were aware to some extent of the signs of involvement.
However, if you borrow the previous words of Flounder, the first thing is that Merea was born as a vessel to dispel the spirits of regret, so they should speak indifferently.

「But-」

Suddenly , the thoughts of Merea about Flounder were cut abruptly.
The eyes of Flounder had the same red color as Merea’s.
Two pairs of red eyes stared at each other.

「Instead, it sprouted a new regret.」
「What is it?」
「I’m worried that you will get killed by the world of today. That is what is keeping me here.」
「…」

They have stopped being pulled.
They have stopped being stuck in here.
Flounder unleashed such words, probably because he already has been called to the [Heavenly Sea of Souls] .
Merea Guessed that.
The roots of regret that had become a spirit body were ready to resolve at Lindholm sacred mountain, ready to be unleashed from wandering in the same place.
But, at the last-minute,

— What should I do to stop pulling back the release of Flounder.

What should I do.
How, will Flounder be relieved.

「- That’s what I’ve heard from Heavenly Dragon Clautice, thus those who have been labeled as a Demon Lord in a loose way, seem to be showing signs of decline.」

Once Merea is no longer worried, Flounder continued talking.

「decline…」

Merea had heard the story from Clautice.
That the time had changed and the Demon lord were in decline, now he can clearly understand the meaning and the reason for such a story.

「Because much had to be done to become that way. That way by I die, in the same way that decreased the Demon Lord as an incarnation of corruption, I think I’m the one who took too long and was the most hunted.」
「Isn’t there a nation that does not follow the stereotypes of the power of the Demon Lord as a bad thing?」
「There isn’t. Because they are looking even at the possibility of the blood of the Demon King. — And, there is a big problem in the order you do things. To determine the destination of the demon lord power, chasing them into a frenzy because their means of escape are closed off, you can not be in a defenseless state, even if you are the Demon Lord. 『Once you discard your power we will give up on our own.』 do you think that the suspicion and fear will go away? It’s hard to discard your power.」

— Certainly, discarding your power in a state of being chased sound scary…

Maybe it would not be a positive thing to thow away the power.
That way the state where you are trapped in the forces of the enemy and don’t know whats to come does not come. I think so.
Discard your weapons, to discard your power, Dissecting the body, it might come to such a thing.

「The Demon Lord, wondering what to do, I wonder if they fled around in desperation while hesitating.」
「The majority is like that – I guess so.」

Flounder shrugged, Merea then asked the question again.

「Demon Lords running away… . – I already don’t know what a Demon Lord is anymore.」
「I have said. Not only them, but also you, have a potential to be chased in the same way as them.」
「Yeah.」

It comes as said, You’re right.
Flounder’s insight for the future is scary.
Flounder that was able to foresee that 『Demon Lord』 had been drawn of the [Future Stone Fiunace], But that was because he was betrayed in the same way such as them, because I know that.

「So, if you wait too long and that happens -」

The ne moment, Flounder uncommonly broke the silence and put a hand on each shoulder of Merea in a momentum, such as to approach.
Then with force to the hand, Flounder attracted the shoulder and turned around the body of Merea to the front.
In this state, Flounder said.

「- You are to, please cooperate with the Demon Lords.」

If you see only textually, I would be surprised I’m sure the other spirits would be the same.
Cooperation with the Demon Lords.
In particular, in the past, The spirits not only know was the Demon Lord as the incarnation of corruption, Flounder may have thought I disapproved and 『You’ve got what you’re saying』
But I was brought up in order to be a hero, but cooperating with the Demon Lords which is the worst enemy of the hero.
But,

「They are not really a personification of evil, they simply have been caught in the traps of the word 『Demon Lord』, if someone was looking for help -」

If such a person is a Demon Lord.

「- I would be glad to lend a hand.」

of course,

「In the same way you try to help them I’m also trying to, and in doing so they will also try to help me.」

But,

「On top of that, they have been out of hand, if I wanted to take his hand -」

At that time I –

◆◆◆

Decided to be a Hero for the Demon Lords

◆◆◆

And,

So you,

– If you make me happy.

「Once you become able to cooperate in doing that, I also am to be protected by them. To them that also wonder if their power is something to be called a Demon Lord. One to protect other, that’s the person I wish to become.」

Surely, the worry of Flounder should have lightened a little.

「-Yup」

Flounder made a complex wry smile, but the happy color seemed to be reflected strongly in the until now bitter smile.
Flounder looked up to the sky, while intercepting the sunlight with his hand, he continued his words.

「I recalled their regrets at the monologue. You from here, in order to realize those words properly, I won’t force you to do it. I’ll say a few things out loud to organize my thoughts, it’s okay if you want to hear it.」

Flounder floated the usual smile

「Understood」

I wasn’t going to slip away, but Merea returned.(TLN: I really didn’t understand this line: 席を外すつもりはなかったが、メレアはそう返した。)
There was a silence of a few seconds, But then flounder began speaking the small words.
Merea on his words, was just quietly listening.

「I was once killed by those who I thought were my friends. Comrades of the same country. After defeating the Demon Lord, they asked for my power once more. My power called [Technique God]. My special power, was something very useful in the era of war.」

[Technique God Flounder ⋅ Crow Evil Eyes].
It’s a power to see thought the composition method of a technique in a moment.
If there is a solid understanding and an operation type ability , it would be nearly invincible.

「Techniques are always a threat. Like demon flesh that ends up penetrating a tyrant the more an intense a technique, the composition of a technique can be seen by the evil eyes. Making events in the formula to make strong attacks more easily that is otherwise out of this world, it was easy to contribute to a large-scale battle.」

Without making a cannon, the side that would shoot a cannon in a more conventional way, there is the right composition.

「Both on the strategy and tactics, who is powerful and easy to use. I had a specialized eye for techniques , they were eager to have me, as their 『Tool』– But」

Flounder sighed, and continued from it.

「I refused, refused to become their tool. To them, I was told to come and destroy the nation without any of the techniques for which I found funny. For the peace of my homeland I trained. In order to repel the near Demon Lord at the time. –not at all to invade innocent countries.」

The eyes of Flounder were serious.
And Merea finally at that time noticed, first was to keep an eye on 『A certain nation』and second he noticed that [Flounder ⋅ Crow] was the person.

Flounder was the Hero that was called for the first time as a Demon Lord.

At the same time, I know that Flounder refused the unreasonable request of his homeland to him because of his own pride,

– Really, I guess flounder really was a hero.

I was convinced of so.
In those days that Flounder was trying to rush in an era of war, it may have been a clumsy way of life.
Maybe it was wishful thinking.
If to continue being alive, Flounder went with the instructions of his homeland, maybe he would had become a hero of the nation.
But,

Flounder ⋅ Crow chose the straight road like an idiot

The road, was a way that Flounder ⋅ Crow believed to be the 『Hero』

「Thus having refuse once — I was struck by a poison」

Flounder was laughing to his own demise

「This poison, it was a hateful one that gradually worked. To bother using a slow acting poison, it may be because they wanted time to deal with me and to offer me the antidote for a price. Anyway, rather poisonous when you notice. But I had been around because I still believed in my friends, but they were slow to notice the poison, quite slow, no — I was aware, I did not believe that they would betray me at that time and believed that it was me, I was very young and very naive.」

Still,

「And in the verge of having such a tragic last moment, I was not able to not have no regrets」

Wow.

Merea thought in a pure pride that was brought up in Flounder.

「And I regret that I was not able to convince them in the true sense of the term, but there is a regret that I did not care enough about the poison, my life was through with regrets.
— And the poison is around, because the time left is almost gone, it was to be carried out in a hurry that it should do in the end. If my eye is deprived by them, it can also be made to be a seed of war. And, it would not be a good feeling being done that. So, climbing while filled with poison in this Lindholm sacred mountain devoid of people, I put the eyes on the mountaintop. Because I was not one of those that had a sturdy body constitution, I want to compliment the me at that time even now.
Then after achieving that — I died」

It was a Fierce death
Merea felt pain run in his chest.

「Then I became a spirit, while continuing to defend my eyes and friends. Safely, my eye did not pass over to anyone. –Those eyes dwell in the body of Merea. For such reason Merea is like a son to me. So as for me I am delighted with having given the eyes to Merea」

the happy face of Flounder, was burned in the eyes of Merea

「A universal hero does not exist. — though there might not exist such a universal hero. But at least now, the era of heroes is much more diversified than it was in the past, being subdivided. somewhere there is a Hero of a certain country, but for other countries they are a Demon Lord. that kind of thing has happened in this era that is occurring.」

Hero – what a wonder.
It floated someday, such a simple question, what is a demon king, it had emerged in the mind of Merea too late.

「But still, In my eyes he was a heroic for someone who would be great, I think so. It’s okay to not be a big hero. I want to protect someone, so even with being a small hero — 」

— I want to spread the word about you guys.

Who have raised me on their own, to you guys –

「- Merea, we do not need you to spread about us, You are reward enough for us.」

Flounder stopped himself until suddenly, he said such a thing towards Merea, who was in his line of sight.
Like in words, such is the best foresight that Merea knew, it wasn’t the first, but he still was surprised, he weirdly had gotten slightly convinced there.
Maybe it is, and probably is related that life really is over at the end as a spirit, he had gotten satisfied at that thought.

「Severing or regrets, it’s a gift bigger than anything that you could give to us. But you may have not noticed, the spirits that had wandered to here have been able to escape the spell of regret thanks to you. Your soul that is across worlds, if it was not shown to me the figure of us would have been one that is not able to grow up, stuck in here wandering during hundreds of years. there would be only pain trailing in here.」
「…」

The words did not leave Merea’s mouth.

「So Merea now you have to find yourself, we spirits gave you the best battle Technique that we could, and also a way to protect something — We gave and we as spirits taught you. Now it’s up to you whether to use it.」
「I…」

Merea was a case of reincarnation, one that had been leaning against the desires of the spirits.
There would also be no other way.
Without knowing the lower bounds of incarnating, and the old tale that speaks of spirits, values have been formed by social conditions spoken by the Heavenly Dragon coming occasionally.
By it succeeding to have a mind and personality, there ir moral, which has been formed from the original incarnation, but it’s only this much.
The Merea that was born from this world, there is no influence of the world.
If Merea had impressed to be alive, but the Lindholm sacred mountain did not have a dream for the world, even of such Merea.

「『It』is your problem. There is no need to hurry. For you there is a lot of time. In order to find that something, your first priority is to survive. So I give you this mission so that you survive. Your mission is to not be crushed by the world –」

Flounder said so and showed a faint smile.
Finally, Merea and Flounder stopped talking.