As I raised my hand, the commotion died down as if it had been a lie.

I decided not to make any judgment about the uproar.

So I opened my mouth in a businesslike tone, as though nothing had happened.

“Just as Idria acknowledged a moment ago, there is no longer any lie left to uncover.”

“…….”

“In a normal trial, this would be the time to deliver the verdict. However, I intend to add one more thing before that.”

“…….”

“For roughly the next ten days, I plan to take Idria with me and travel across the continent.”

I lightly cleared my throat and continued.

“And I will make Idria correct the crimes she committed. If too much time has passed and it’s impossible, she will apologize to the victims.”

“…….”

“After that, we will hold the second Demon King trial. Please settle your thoughts calmly for ten days and return to this place ten days from now.”

“Ooooh.”

“That is when you will deliver Idria’s verdict. Judge the Demon King with your own hands. The specific method for gathering opinions will be handled transparently by my party…”

“Uwoooooo!”

My remaining words were swallowed by everyone’s excited shouting.

I chuckled faintly and wrapped things up.

“Then this concludes the first Demon King trial.”

At that moment, Trail asked,

[Huh? Are you allowed to do that?]

‘What.’

[Well. You said you would let the Emperor preside.]

‘……ah.’

I glanced up at the Emperor.

He raised his hand awkwardly and proclaimed,

“With this, we conclude the first Demon King trial. Thank you for your hard work, Hero. Heroes.”

After the first Demon King trial, we gathered quietly in secret.

Offense spoke first.

“It ended well somehow. Though there was a bit of trouble in the middle.”

“I expected some trouble. I just didn’t expect people to throw things in the courtroom.”

“I understand how they feel, but still, it’s a historic trial. I didn’t think they would interrupt like that.”

“Some people tried to stop the chaos, so let’s take it positively. Things will gradually improve.”

Offense shrugged as though nothing could be done.

Xenia shifted the topic.

“Then from now on, we will be running around like crazy for ten days, right? Where do we start?”

“Mm.”

“It’s best to follow the order you mentioned in the trial, right? Making her apologize in chronological order across history.”

“No.”

I shook my head firmly.

Then I shrugged.

“I guess I’m not virtuous enough for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I would rather prioritize you all over people unrelated to me.”

The party members warmed at the meaning behind my words.

But Adwin instead grew teary-eyed.

Tap tap.

I patted his shoulder.

“Thanks for waiting so long, Adwin.”

In the end, our young necromancer, who was often embarrassing in his emotional honesty, burst into tears.

Raynus Territory.

Adwin’s hometown, where his parents lived.

With Agril and Mime’s combined effort, we arrived there in an instant, greeted immediately by ear-splitting cheers.

“Uwaaaaah!”

“Hero! Heroes!”

“Look over there. It’s the Demon King.”

“H-hey, she really is tied up, right? My eyesight isn’t great.”

“What are you so worried about? The Hero is right there.”

“She is tied up, so it should be fine. The Hero’s sword is sealing her properly.”

The first Demon King trial had already been broadcast to the entire continent through Neril’s Append View.

Because of that, the people of Raynus fully understood why we had come.

Cheok.

Agril landed us on the lord’s castle rooftop.

The lord bowed deeply.

“I never imagined you would come to our territory first. It is an eternal honor for my family.”

“No.”

“We will escort you to the guest room first so you may set down your luggage. After that, a feast in your honor…”

Did this guy fall asleep during the trial?

“Sorry, but we only have ten days.”

“Ah. R-right.”

“The Demon King’s atrocities across the continent are too many. We cannot stay in one place for long. I ask for your understanding.”

“Of course. I was short-sighted.”

“It’s fine. Then let’s begin right away.”

I glanced at Idria.

She bit her lip tightly, but whatever she felt, she clearly understood she couldn’t turn back now.

Idria stepped forward and began speaking.

“I caused a major disturbance in this place. I gathered the resentful dead of the continent and stirred up what you called a ghost incident.”

To be exact, she placed the soul of the second Hero, Lepia, into Mariana’s body, and Iori, who remained on the continent as a soul, had come to find her.

But explaining it that way would harm Mariana and tarnish Lepia’s honor, so it was better to adjust it.

As long as the most important part, the ghost incident in Raynus Territory was caused by the Demon King Idria, was correct, that was enough.

“Because of that, many suffered.”

“…….”

“I offer my ap… apology here and now.”

Fwoom.

Idria bowed her head.

Her lowered fist trembled violently.

What was she thinking?

Anger? Shame? Despair?

……Whatever it was, it wasn’t something I needed to dwell on.

I looked down briefly.

‘I wondered if the courtroom chaos would happen again.’

But the people of the territory seemed to reach some unspoken agreement, no one screamed or cursed.

Instead, they focused on one shared truth.

–The Demon King apologized to humanity!

Something never imagined, never dreamed of.

And they were the first people in history to experience it.

They were savoring that joy with their whole beings.

“The Demon King apologized to us!”

“Hey, calm down. If you get too excited, we will look ridiculous.”

“You’re happy too, aren’t you? Right?”

“Ahhh… I’m really glad I was born in this era.”

Idria kept her head bowed for some time.

About a minute later…

She slowly straightened and spoke to me through her soul.

[Is that enough?]

[Yeah. But you’re turning red and blue.]

[Shut up and let’s just leave. Thinking about doing this for ten days makes me despair.]

[We are not leaving yet.]

I glanced at Adwin.

[Your sins here aren’t over yet.]

Mariana had not participated in the historic moment of ‘the Demon King’s apology.’

Adwin had asked her via communication orb to stay home.

She waited at her doorstep with her hands neatly clasped.

“Mom!”

Unable to hold back any longer, Adwin ran ahead of us.

And with that momentum, he threw himself into Mariana’s arms.

“Sniff… Mom, Mom. ……Mother. Have you been well?”

“Changing the way you call me now won’t work, Adwin.”

“I don’t understand what you mean. As expected of the one who raised the friend of the dead, your words carry unmatched depth.”

Squeeze.

Mariana suddenly hugged Adwin tightly.

“If you can’t say it, Mom will say it for you.”

“…….”

“Thank you. For coming back safe. For growing so dependable.”

“Sniff…”

“My son. You are my number-one pride.”

“Huaaaang.”

Adwin burst into waterfall tears.

We waited quietly as they reunited.

A few minutes later.

Mariana finally pulled the calmed-down Adwin from her arms.

“Thank you, all of you.”

“There’s no need to thank us.”

“Adwin often told me how he was doing through the communication orb. From what I heard, I could tell how much you cared for my son.”

“…….”

“For me, that is something I’m even more grateful for than defeating the Demon King or saving humanity.”

I scratched my head.

The rest of the party also behaved uncharacteristically, unable to figure out what to do.

Mariana, who had been smiling warmly, suddenly froze.

As if her earlier gentle tone had been a lie, she spoke sharply, like a cold winter wind.

“Idria. We have met before, haven’t we?”

“…….”

“Why don’t you say something?”

“I have already apologized for what I did in this territory. I don’t intend to repeat it.”

“Tsk.”

Unable to contain herself, Mariana took a step forward.

But surprisingly, the one who stopped her was Adwin.

“That’s enough, Mom… no, Mother.”

“Adwin.”

“There’s something more urgent right now than receiving an apology, isn’t there?”

Of course.

Idria silently looked up at Mariana’s house.

“He is in that room.”

She pointed toward Somel’s room, Adwin’s father.

It seemed Mariana had kept Somel in her room ever since.

“Yes. Hurry and go.”

“I released it.”

“What?”

“I released the curse just now. Your party member’s father should have returned to normal.”

Mariana staggered.

Xenia, who had grown quite close to her since our first visit, quickly supported her.

“Mariana, are you alright?”

“Oh my, Xenia. How long has it been? What brings you here?”

“Focus. Focus.”

“R-right. This is no time for that. I need to go up immediately.”

“Of course. I will help you, let’s go.”

Idria spoke to the two as they hurried.

“His soul will be busy adjusting for a while. He won’t be able to move properly right away.”

“…….”

“But after three or four days of rest, he will return to normal. Don’t worry.”

Mariana only nodded faintly.

Xenia helped her into the house.

Adwin naturally followed them, but then stopped walking.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to go in right now.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well… I don’t have any memory of living with my father. Even if I see him now, I don’t know what to say.”

“Adwin.”

“And our journey isn’t over yet, right? I think I would rather meet him with a clear, easy heart once everything is truly finished.”

Hmm.

Not entirely wrong.

This meeting would be short anyway. We were too busy to linger.

Letting the moment pass and returning proudly after everything was done wasn’t a bad idea.

‘Still, I think it would be better if he saw him now.’

[Speaking from experience, are we?]

‘……’

[You didn’t want to meet your father either, but you had no choice. And in the end, you were glad you did.]

‘Shut up.’

Mariana, flustered, didn’t seem to realize Adwin wasn’t coming.

We waited a bit.

Soon a voice loud enough to reach us from the second floor rang out.

“H-honey!”

“Mariana? How… huh? This is our room.”

“Sniff… honey, honey.”

“I swear I was at the inn and some weird guy…”

“It’s alright, honey. It’s all over. Everything’s over.”

Their voices gradually softened, but they were still audible to us, who surpassed ordinary humans.

Sniff.

Lisel sniffed and said,

“It’s really a relief. Congrats, Adwin.”

“Hehe. Thanks.”

“Are you really not going ?”

“Yes. We will leave as soon as Xenia comes back.”

Then..

From the second floor came Somel’s voice.

“Honey, can I ask something?”

“Anything.”

“Uh, don’t be upset that I’m asking this.”

“It’s fine. There’s nothing to be upset about when you have returned.”

“Well… haven’t you gotten a few more wrinkles?”

“…….”

Ah. Right. From Somel’s perspective, he woke up and suddenly more than ten years had passed.

The weight of time was significant.

The second floor went silent.

What… is this silence.

Tap tap.

Xenia carefully came back outside.

“Let’s run. Mariana’s face is terrifying right now.”

“O-oh. Okay.”

“But is it really okay to leave like this?”

“I was touched until just now, but now everything feels pointless.”

“That’s why people say the only thing you can rely on in life is money. You have learned something.”

“He barely came back alive… may he survive this.”

We hurried away from the house.

But then.

Thwack.

The second-floor window flew open.

Mariana shouted loudly.

“Son! Come see your father!”

Adwin flinched.

I placed a hand on his back.

“Yeah. You should go see him. Speaking from experience.”

“Hyung.”

“You will regret it if you don’t.”

He hesitated, then nodded.

And slowly turned around.

Adwin’s eyes widened.

“Father.”

Somel, with one cheek oddly bright red, was waving his arms enthusiastically.

“Son! Your mother told me the basics.”

“…….”

“I still have no idea what happened, but it’s fine. I’m alive. Our family is safe!”

“Sniff…”

“Finish your journey well and come home. We will talk about everything then.”

Adwin finally couldn’t hold back and waved.

“Yes, Father! Thank you! I will brave the labyrinth of blue moonlight and dusky mist and return soon!”

“…Honey? What is he saying?”

“Adwin has… that side of him. More importantly, I’m still not over being mad.”

“S-sorry.”

“Don’t just say sorry, take responsibility.”

“H-how should I do that?”

“Well, you shouldn’t sleep tonight, right? No, starting now.”

Thud.

Mariana slammed the window and drew the curtains.

Adwin slowly lowered his excitedly waving hand.

His ears turned bright red as he muttered,

“Could it be… I will have a baby sibling when I come back?”

“Well. Looking forward to it?”

“…A little.”

We all laughed warmly.

“…..”

But wait.

What did Idria say earlier?

–His soul will be busy adjusting for a while. He won’t be able to move properly right away

Right. She said he would need three or four days of rest.

“…….”

Well… good luck.

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