"What kind of tea would you like?"

"Let's go with black tea. Lillias's black tea is quite famous."

"Sure, please wait a moment."

I was hastily brought here by a professor who rushed into the classroom during the lecture, and now I am seated in the Student Council room.

Shortly thereafter, the Demon King, who was yelling loudly in the schoolyard, was also guided to the Student Council room.

And now, here I am.

Facing the King of the Demon Tribe who rules over the Karab Continent. The Demon King is sitting right in front of me.

'Is she really the Demon King?'

The appearance of the Demon King seated on the sofa in front of me didn't exude the dignity befitting her status at all.

A girl with elegantly swept silver hair savoring the black tea prepared by the Student Council President.

Her apparent age, at best, was that of a high school student. She looked more like a middle school student.

However, the giant black horns at her temples clearly distinguished her from an ordinary girl.

"Um~ The black tea here is indeed delicious. I should take some with me when I leave."

"Uh, yes..."

Having abruptly sought me out, she was now merely relishing a cup of hot black tea.

She took a bite of the accompanying scone and exclaimed, "Hmm~!" in admiration, savoring the dessert.

'Even in the game, I never got to see the Demon King...'

This was my first time seeing the Demon King, who had always been shrouded in mystery.

Thus, her appearing so much like an ordinary girl was somewhat disappointing.

Above all, the fact that I had challenged the Tower of Tarlos and endured so much hardship was all because of this person, yet seeing her like this left me feeling deflated.

‘According to the prophecy, isn't the Demon King supposed to be a man?'

The prophecy from the Demon Tribe clearly stated that a child of Raphne and the Demon King would rule the world.

Which means the Demon King should be capable of impregnating Raphne, implying that the Demon King is male.

"Hmm? What's this? Your gaze feels indecent; are you interested in my body?"

When I inspected her closely, the Demon King, Reinesis, blushed and smiled teasingly.

"No, I already have someone I plan to marry. There's no such intention."

"Hmm... What a dull answer. You're a boring man."

Having a fiancée is truly beneficial at times like this.

In the past, I would have turned red with embarrassment and frustration, wanting to protest.

But now, I have not one, but three women I must marry and take responsibility for.

There's no reason for me to indulge in such teasing.

'Nonetheless, she's definitely a woman.'

That said, the Demon King's words weren't entirely off the mark. I was scrutinizing her body thoroughly.

To see if her figure was indeed feminine, or to ensure that nothing was protruding that shouldn't be, given she was a woman.

After all, she is of the Demon Tribe. She could have a body that’s undergone some sort of modification.

But upon careful examination, she was, without a doubt, a woman.

Of course, I hadn't checked under her clothes, so there was a chance there could be something unexpected.

'Perhaps it's because I changed the past.'

Although I don't understand the mechanics, before altering the past the Demon King was certainly a man.

At the very least, he would have possessed the physical attributes necessary to impregnate a woman.

That's why the Kingdom was wary of the prophecy in the first place.

But the Demon King standing before me was a woman.

One possibility is that by changing the past, the gender of the Demon King was altered.

Or perhaps the change in the past resulted in a different Demon King altogether?

These questions flashed through my mind, but there was no way to find answers at the moment.

After all, only I and the three women with me knew that the past had been changed.

Suddenly asking her, ‘Why are you a woman?’ would just make me seem bizarre.

So at the moment, there was only one question I could ask.

"So, Your Majesty, what business do you have with me?"

Without knowing the reason she had come to see me, I couldn't resist asking directly about her purpose.

I wondered if it might be considered a little rude.

But then again, she was the Demon King of the neighboring continent.

Of course, I shouldn't treat her poorly, but there's no need to be excessively formal either.

Not to mention, I barely understand etiquette anyway.

"Ah, let's discuss the details once my companion arrives."

Fortunately, the Demon King Reinesis replied with a friendly smile, indicating my question hadn't been overly rude.

"Before that friend arrives, shall I tell you something you might be curious about?"

"Something I might be curious about?"

Aside from the reason she had come to find me, was there anything else I would be curious about?

I tilted my head, puzzled, and asked.

Reinesis grinned broadly and said.

"Yes, for example... about why I am the 'Demon King.'"

"......"

I couldn't hide my surprise at her answer.

Why is Reinesis the Demon King?

That's certainly something I would be curious about.

The problem is.

Knowing that would mean.

She knows that the past has been changed.

"Ahaha! Finally, a reaction worth seeing! Much better than the little joke earlier!"

Seeing my wide-eyed expression and the sweat on my forehead, Reinesis laughed heartily, seeming pleased.

"Do you... know something?"

"Of course, I do. I know it very well. That you conquered the Tower of Tarlos and changed the past."

In an instant, the innocent girl's gaze shifted.

Her eyes, slit like a cat's and gleaming as if having found an interesting prey, changed completely.

"That you changed the past, erasing the prophecy given to our Demon Tribe."

"......"

I maintained my composure while moving my hand towards the Subspace Pocket.

I needed to be ready to draw out Tirfione, my strongest ally at the moment.

'How does she remember the prophecy?'

One question leads to another.

First, I was most curious if she remembers the world before the change.

And then.

Was she the Demon King who was obsessed with that prophecy?

"Ahaha! It's just a joke! No need to look so frightened! I'm simply a guest here to ask you for a favor!"

The tense atmosphere quickly dissipated as Reinesis laughed heartily, seeming to find amusement in the situation.

What is this, does she find teasing me entertaining?

"Hahaha!"

Judging by her reaction, she seems to be enjoying it.

Her laughter reminded me of a first-year kid with a Mystic Eye.

"The only reason I mentioned the prophecy is to share some background information before that friend arrives. So please, relax and listen."

"...Saying you know the prophecy, does that mean... you remember the world before the change?"

Feeling the tension leave my shoulders, I picked up the warm teacup in front of me, took a sip, and asked.

With a cheerful smile, the Demon King readily answered.

"Not at all, I can't remember!"

"...What?"

Then how?

"It's just that I can't remember, but I know someone who does."

"So, you heard about the prophecy from that person?"

"No, the prophecy is a bit of a different story."

Clink.

The Demon King placed her teacup on the table and crossed her arms confidently.

Then she answered with great pride.

"Because I removed the prophecy that was supposed to make my brother the original Demon King and took the position myself. I may not remember, but I am aware of the prophecy!"

"...What?"

I keep finding myself asking in a foolish tone.

The story is progressing too quickly.

But the words I just heard from Reinesis contained quite a lot of information.

With that information, most of my questions are resolved.

So, the Demon King before me is a different individual from the one who ruled the Demon Tribe before the past was altered.

The previous Demon King was her older brother, meaning her biological brother.

'That's why she's a woman…'

According to what she said, she got rid of the prophecy that would have made her brother the Demon King and took the position herself.

'I thought it would change with a snap.'

I have a rough idea of how the past was altered.

Certainly, in Raphne's case, the past has changed and all the memories up until now have been overwritten.

So, in the case of the Demon King as well, it's only natural that a new logical flow is created.

"Arleus, my brother, was originally the first in line to become the 13th Demon King."

Reinesis went on to explain the situation.

"But being first in line doesn’t guarantee becoming the king, right? That's why I had been preparing for a long time to take my brother's place. I persuaded the Elders to come to my side and gained the trust of the Commander-in-Chief to secure military power too."

She spoke fondly, like someone reminiscing about childhood days playing in the schoolyard.

"Then one day, I received a letter. It said a prophecy favoring Arleus was imminent. The prophecy would allow him to ascend to the throne."

"The person who sent the letter was…"

"I have no idea. It just appeared on my desk out of nowhere. Maybe it's the Goddess's blessing."

It seemed so out of place for the Demon King to speak about a Goddess.

"Anyway, thanks to the letter, I personally killed the Old Woman who gives prophecies! Thanks to that, the prophecy never appeared, and I safely became the Demon King."

Thanks to her kind explanation, many questions have disappeared.

So, the prophecy definitely never came about.

It means that there's no longer any danger for Raphne.

Relieved by this, I finished my black tea.

"...But why are you telling me this information?"

From her perspective, there wasn’t a necessity to share this with me.

However, Reinesis clearly said it was to provide pre-information.

...So this means that by telling me this information, she wants to ask me for something.

"We'll talk about that after the others arrive."

"...The 'others' you've been mentioning for a while now."

Feeling a sense of unease, I cautiously asked about her companions.

At that moment,

━Creak.

"Oh, they're here just in time."

The door to the Student Council room opened, and the 'companions' Reinesis had been talking about appeared before my eyes.

"Huff... Your Majesty, really. What do we do if you suddenly rush out like that?"

"Hahaha! It's because I was curious about the face of the Master Craftsman you had talked so much about!"

He smiled with relief at the sight of Reinesis sitting and drinking tea.

Then he looked me in the eye and grinned.

I felt quite a bit of confusion at the sight of his face.

"It's been a while, Ken. How have you been?"

He was originally supposed to be Emily’s main strategy target at this Academy.

Adrian Arnold Lillias.

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