Editing Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha:Volume 5 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 2===

“My, I apologise for letting everyone experience that—“

Led by Klaus, he said to Basara and the rest.

“His majesty Wilbert passed away not many years ago, so not many people are really sure about whose name to call after ‘His Majesty’<ref>Something about honorifics denoting respect for a King/someone in a highest position of power. I improvised something similar in english</ref>… this is just too embarrassing.”

“May I ask… what kind of person was Wilbert-san?”

Basara asked. The information that Basara and Yuki knew were all from the mouths of the people in the [Village] who had taken part in the Great War. Wilbert had possessed the power to hold the Moderates Faction together and unite the whole of the Demon Realm for a period of time, yet he had chosen to withdraw his troops from the Human Realm and live a peaceful life in the Demon Realm, and had been called the strongest Demon Lord in history. 

However, even with the narratives from those people, that was no different from the lives of a noble person in a normal history textbook in the Human Realm; even after going into more details, all that would be known is their ranks and achievements – what kind of person the person in question were, will never be known. Hearing that question—

“—he was someone more valiant than anyone, yet more tender than anyone.”

Klaus answered while looking off at a faraway place in the air.

“In the past when the majority of the Demon Realm were completely fixated on getting revenge against the Gods who had exiled the Demons, your Human Realm became a good stronghold for our militancy for us to invade into the God Realm – until the point of time his majesty Wilbert appeared, where the situation changed.”

''Because—''

“He was a great negotiator who always thought about the weak and possessed an incomparable power, and he called for no more war and for peace… To not be bound anymore by our past shackles, to not seek revenge for our ancestors who were treated unfairly and with injustice, and to live for our present and our future and start creating happy days for all of us. Wilbert-sama’s will deeply moved us, giving a great shock to all of our hearts. Gradually, we supported him, and the number of people doing so increased – and in the blink of an eye, our Moderates Faction led by Wilbert-sama, successfully became the largest force in the Demon Realm.”

After that—

“His majesty announced the withdrawal of our troops in the Great War – so far, we were all just one step away from realising his majesty’s dream. Originally, our very first period of peace with no fighting at all was supposed to follow immediately after in the Demon Realm – however, fate is just too cruel.”

At that point, Klaus sighed before continuing:

“One day – Wilbert-sama came down with a serious illness.”

“…Serious illness?”

Basara asked.

“That’s right… Right to the end, all of us never found out just what illness that was, much less what caused it. It had slowly drained the Wilbert-sama who was known as the strongest Demon Lord of his power slowly day by day… up to the very last moment he drew his final breath. Following the time flow of your world, it would have happened approximately one and a half years ago.

“……………”

Klaus’s words, caused Mio’s expression to become sombre while she walked beside Basara. Learning about the cause of her father’s death – and knowing that Wilbert transferred his power to Mio while he was at death’s doorstep had indirectly caused the parents who had raised her to die before her eyes, the two emotions – sadness and sorrow, as well as countless other emotions, must now be swirling within her heart, Hence—

“<nowiki>------</nowiki>”

Without stopping or slowing down at all, Basara grasped Mio’s shoulders. As if to tell her, even if her blood or adoptive parents are no longer alive – her older brother is still right here by her side.

“…Mnn.”

Seemingly having understood Basara’s intentions, Mio then slightly leaned against Basara after letting out a small sound. Although it appears that Klaus had noticed their movements, he seemed to ignore it and didn’t turn to look back, and said:

“After Wilbert-sama passed on, both the Radical and Conservative Factions joined hands and crowned that young man known as Leohart as the new Demon Lord, while Wilbert-sama’s brother Ramsas-dono took up the responsibility of leading the Moderates Faction. However, we had never known that Wilbert-sama ever had a brother until that day, but since Ramsas-sama is a very daunting figure…”

Klaus let out a sigh—

“He had suddenly appeared in the city, most likely after finding out that Wilbert-sama became confined to bed with an illness. While that was still fine, the problem was that no one knew just what Wilbert-sama was even thinking, suddenly appointing that brother of his to take over the leadership of the Moderates Faction in his last words… and that Ramsas-dono had done just that; yet he had shown not a shred of grieve at the passing of his younger brother, and while repeatedly disregarding our protests, he had made decisions and orders which pained us, putting to waste Wilbert-sama’s kind thoughts and intentions for Mio-sama whom he had loved just as much as the Demon Realm. Many of the Moderates Faction who had found our calling thanks to his majesty’s way of thought, have been unable to accept Ramsas-dono’s personality and already left the Moderates Faction… We, who were once the largest power in the Demon Realm, have now been reduced to this current state.”

He spoke of the state of affairs after Wilbert’s death with a regretful expression.

“Lucia-dono, too, had also admired his majesty Wilbert… But ever since she became Ramsas-dono’s aide, she only follows his orders obediently.”

While leading them through a grand gallery three-stories high, Klaus continued:

“However -- for most of us, our loyalty towards his majesty has not reduced one bit over these years.”

As Basara, Mio, and Yuki stopped amidst following Klaus--

『————！』


They drew a breath simultaneously, for they noticed a large group of people looking towards them. From maidservants, clerics, and servants who cooked and cleaned, to soldiers donning a sword -- their numbers exceeded into the hundreds.

They shouted at the shocking sudden appearance of Mio and the others:

『——Mio-sama, welcome！』

Voices overflowing with passion overlapped each other, making the air itself in this atrium shake.

“Eh… This…”

Seeing Mio becoming flustered at the grand welcoming, Klaus smiled and said to her:

“Mio-sama… would sending them a simple greeting be fine with you? They’ve been waiting here for a very long time for his majesty Wilbert’s daughter to appear.”

“Greeting..? How should I go about doing that…”

Seeing Mio sending him a plea with her eyes, Basara reluctantly nodded and said:

“Don’t think about it too much, Klaus-san said a simple greeting would be enough, so giving them a wave should be fine?”

“Yes, that’ll be good.”

Klaus smiled and nodded, and Mio then walked towards a spot where the people on the floor below can see her.

“Um… Like this?”

She then lightly raised her hand -- and the masses returned a large reaction, with happiness as if eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new monarch. Amongst it--

''…Hmm?''

Basara noticed that the sights of some of the people weren’t focused on Mio alone. Following their gazes--

『——————』

He immediately understood what they were looking at, and slightly widened his eyes. On the wall of the atrium -- behind Mio, near the top of the wall, a gigantic portraiture hung there.

The one depicted was a male demon with the same hair colour as Mio -- no mistaking it, it was a portrait of Wilbert.

From the viewpoint of the ones below, it was as if Mio is carrying on Wilbert’s legacy, with Wilbert watching over his own daughter.

“…Basara, is this really fine?”

Yuki had noticed it too, and asked at a volume where only Basara could hear. What Yuki was worried about, was those people below having hopes that Mio would become the new Demon Lord. Mio herself wanted to be rid of any and all fights amongst the demons over her and live peacefully in the Human Realm; since she has no intention of becoming the Demon Lord at all, she should try to not do anything that would give people any ideas. And yet--

“Can’t be helped… Since the stage has already been prepared to this extent, we’ll just cause unnecessary conflicts if we don’t go along with it.”

With a solemn face, Basara took a glance at Klaus. The old demon who had probably arranged this performance, was gazing warmly at Mio.

Using subordinates to have Mio lower her emotional defenses, and using the pressure from the masses to make Mio feel that [I have a duty to fulfil as the Demon Lord] -- as expected from Klaus, that wily old fox.

Perhaps he had already prepared all of this long ago. Who knows, with the excuse [a more suitable room has been prepared] to forcibly dissuade Lucia and then leaving that room, was all part of that plan.

''…However.''

From the night Lucia had arrived at the Toujou Residences with the invitation from the Demon Realm, already more than one month already passed.

This side was already more than naturally and thoroughly prepared. How this side would move and what type of tricks they would play -- Basara had thought up some possibilities and countermeasures, so the current situation was still within his expectations. Of course, how the situation will develop may not go as expected--

''…No matter what, avoiding being led around by the nose by them is a must.''

This place is the Demon Realm, as well as the Moderates Faction’s stronghold. They have the home field advantage.

''--But still,'' Toujou Basara told himself.

''For obtaining the future Mio and us all want,''

''For going back to the Human Realm -- and living our lives together, the gambit must be played.''