Inside various parts of Dvalk Imperial Castle, there were many different gardens.
The place Ludger had come to was one of them, and it was a good spot for quiet conversation, out of sight from others.
‘Even so, there isn’t even anyone assigned to keep watch. Is this really acceptable?’
It was a measure taken because they knew he had no intention of running away.
If they carelessly increased the number of eyes watching him, they would naturally increase the number of mouths through which rumors could leak.
For security’s sake, this was the wiser choice.
At the center of the beautiful garden, a table and chairs for resting had been set up. Ludger walked over and sat naturally in an empty seat.
“You sit as well.”
Perhaps because Ludger’s manner was too natural, Flora—who had been staring with a slightly flustered look—sat down across from him with a dazed expression. Terrina did the same.
“......It’s a bit different from what I imagined.”
After much internal struggle, that was the first thing Flora said.
“In what way?”
“Well, you’re a detainee, so even if you’re not being treated like a serious criminal, I at least assumed it would be something similar.”
In fact, even being treated “similarly” was a luxury.
Ludger’s other name was the Prince of a Fallen Nation, and the Demon King.
Regardless of his intentions, he was the central figure who had waged the Holy War.
No matter how far one dug through the continent’s history, there was no one who had wielded influence like Ludger.
Someone like that was strolling through the Imperial Castle as if nothing were wrong?
It was hard to understand from a common-sense perspective.
“That’s something I myself was curious about.”
“......Is it really true that you’re going to be executed?”
“My, has the story gone that far already?”
“The rumors are everywhere. And I only heard the details because of my personal connections. They say you told them to carry out the execution yourself?”
“In a sense, yes. The Demon King Heathcliff has no place in this world anymore.”
“Why?”
Flora couldn’t understand.
Ludger Cherish.
No—Heathcliff von Bretus.
From the moment he was born until now, he had lived only within the whirlpool of fate.
A stigma placed upon an illegitimate child by the Lumenis Church.
Flora knew about that—she herself had similar memories.
No, even saying it was “similar” would be an insult to Ludger.
The mark carved across his back that day had been anything but small.
And considering how young he must have been when he escaped from the Holy Nation of Bretus, that mark had certainly been carved far earlier.
Just that alone was enough to make anyone harbor hatred toward the world.
As the Duke of Lumos, she should not have been thinking like this, but Flora couldn’t help pitying Heathcliff.
“The truth needs to be revealed!”
“And what would change by revealing it?”
“At the very least, people would understand why you did what you did. And there would be those who support you.”
“And what about the others? The people who will insist that wrong is wrong, no matter the circumstances? You know well enough what kind of conflict that would create.”
“I just think revealing the truth is more important.”
At Flora’s stubbornness, Ludger let out a faint laugh.
She had grown more emotional while he hadn’t been looking.
Or rather, she had become unafraid of showing her true self.
“The person right next to you doesn’t seem to think so, though.”
Ludger turned to Terrina, who had been listening quietly the whole time.
“What do you think about this argument?”
“I believe the truth should be covered, and Heathcliff, as the Demon King, should be executed.”
“Terrina!”
Flora stared at Terrina as if asking how she could say such a thing.
This was someone who had been a comrade, fighting side by side in the final Holy War against the Holy Sovereign.
“As the Lord Protector, personal feelings don’t matter. My duty is to bring peace and stability to the Empire. If I show mercy just because I pity him, who will take responsibility for what happens afterward?”
“Everyone should bear it. People need to face the truth they ignored and understand why this happened.”
“Sometimes ignorance is better. And think of it—there are demonstrations outside right now claiming the Demon King is innocent, and physical clashes with the anti–Demon King faction are already happening.”
If the truth were announced now, it would not remain merely an Imperial issue.
No matter where one went across the continent, there would be people insisting Heathcliff was right and others insisting he was wrong.
Countless differences in opinion and conflicts would erupt.
At worst, violent protests—or even war—could break out.
Even the newspapers were printing satirical cartoons depicting the current conflict.
“So, you think it’s fine for those who don’t know anything to slander and insult you as they please?”
“Even if you try to enlighten ignorance, it’s useless. Even when given the truth, this world is full of people who refuse to listen to the end.”
The closest example was the believers of the Lumenis Church.
They refused to accept that the Holy Sovereign and the Church they trusted had been wrong.
Their reaction was a crackdown, claiming everything was the work of heretics.
Some even committed acts of terror, insisting such people must not be left alone.
And that had continued for three years now.
“People of this world won’t believe the truth just because you tell it to them.”
“That’s because they’re the ones who are wrong.”
“Yes, they’re wrong. But do you know what’s even more dangerous than being wrong? Not being able to accept that you’re wrong.”
The believers of the Lumenis Church had lived by their faith.
Some had devoted ten, twenty years or more.
Would someone like that sincerely accept being told overnight that they were wrong and must recognize the real truth?
“Flora. Stop trying to persuade everyone. People in this world... not everyone is as strong as you.”
“Teacher!”
Maybe because her emotions were stirred, Flora called Ludger the way she had in the past.
He didn’t dislike hearing it, but now was not the time to dwell on it.
“Even if you tell people that they’ve lived wrongly until now, only a tiny few will accept it. And even fewer will genuinely repent.”
The majority would deny reality.
They would believe they were right and that the world was wrong.
It couldn’t be helped.
All people lived differently. Someone who was a friend to one could be an enemy to another.
The world was chaotic and complicated like that.
Like tangled threads, people endlessly divided and fought.
“There’s no need to create more conflict. Sometimes letting something be buried quietly is also a method.”
“And that’s fine with you? Aren’t you resentful? If what you say is true, then humanity has always advanced this way.”
“That’s not entirely wrong. Conflict and struggle don’t always produce the worst results. But this is only my personal wish.”
A soft breeze blew.
It was a sensation of nature he couldn’t feel within the Hollow Space.
Ludger closed his eyes briefly, feeling it, then opened them /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ again.
“History has suffered too many wounds. Even if it’s a shortcut or a trick, I want people to enjoy this rare peace while they can.”
“But... you’ll be unhappy, teacher.”
“Why would I be unhappy?”
Ludger corrected her—her thought was entirely wrong.
“I’m not unhappy. Someone came all the way here to think of me, didn’t they?”
“.......”
“And I have no lingering attachment to my life as Heathcliff. The most important moments of my life were undoubtedly the times I spent at Seorn.”
Ludger smiled softly at Flora.
“When I first met you and when I taught you.”
“......!”
Flora flinched, her cheeks turning red.
Next to her, Terrina let out a low hum.
“And the Lord Protector, despite appearances, feels the same way you do.”
“......So you noticed.”
“There was no hostility in your eyes.”
“And yet you told me to act with long-term perspective?”
It seemed they had spoken about it before coming here.
Flora shot Terrina a reproachful glare.
Of course, Terrina wasn’t the type to flinch at a look like that.
“......Yes. As the Lord Protector, I must prevent conflict—but he was once a comrade who fought the Holy Sovereign alongside us.”
“That’s enough for me.”
Flora realized Ludger wouldn’t be swayed.
Yes, he had always been like this.
Whatever he believed was right, he followed through to the end.
And if this was what Ludger wanted, then what he wished from her was the same—
To push forward with unwavering conviction, just as he did.
Whether the world thought it right or wrong didn’t matter—what mattered was sincerely believing it to be right and acting upon it.
That was the posture of a transcendent, the ideal Ludger pursued.
Flora understood it in her head, yet living up to it was difficult.
She could only feel that she had failed to reach that level.
“So then, what do you plan to do now?”
“Heathcliff, as the Demon King who waged the Holy War, will be executed. That is what must happen.”
“Of course, it’ll be a fake condemned man who inherits the identity of Heathcliff, right?”
With a faint smile, Ludger confirmed it.
“You’ve hit the core well. You’ve grown.”
“When I first heard you approved your own execution, I thought, what on earth is he planning? But after thinking about it carefully, I realized it wasn’t that.”
He agreed to the execution—but only for the symbolic Demon King, not with any intention of dying.
“And will that really be enough?”
“Heathcliff’s life is a shackle to me. I’m not entirely without regret, but if I can cut it off, then cutting it off boldly is the right choice.”
“Hah. I was even preparing to submit a petition to His Majesty, but now I feel like a fool for worrying.”
“That’s not true.”
Ludger looked straight at Flora.
“You came all the way here out of concern for me. I appreciate that. Your actions were never wasted.”
“......Which is exactly why I feel like a fool.”
Flora rose from her seat.
She turned her head sharply, as if to hide her flushed face.
“You’re leaving?”
“I’m very busy now that I’m a duchess. And I’ve said everything I wanted to say.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll be able to meet again.”
Flora didn’t answer and walked off briskly.
Her behavior was brusque, but Ludger knew it was just to hide her embarrassment.
Not to mention—when she left, he had caught the faintest smile at the corner of her mouth.
“So, you’re finished as well?”
“In truth, I came for another matter.”
“What is it?”
“Arsène Lupin.”
From Terrina’s mouth came a familiar subject.
Yes. Those days certainly existed.
The phantom thief of the century.
The criminal Terrina had tried to catch but never could.
“My. So you came to accuse me of that crime?”
“At first, that was my intent. Everything that happened in Rederbelk was connected to you in some way. But as time passed, my thoughts changed.”
“Did you not act for the greater good?”
“If you put it like that, it’s absurd for me to arrest you over something that happened in another country. I just wanted to confirm something. Mister Owner of Royal Street.”
“Well.”
Judging by how much she said, Terrina had already reached her own conclusion.
“You’ve changed, Terrina Lionhowl.”
“Yes. I have.”
Terrina recalled the Holy War.
Her subordinates controlled by brainwashing.
Alex, who sacrificed his life to save her lieutenant.
The comrades who held hands and fought the Holy Sovereign together.
What was right? What was wrong?
Who was justice? Who was evil?
Even after the Holy War ended, Terrina had no choice but to continue wrestling with those questions.
“The Demon King Heathcliff, who caused countless incidents in the past, will be executed. But Ludger Cherish will not. He is an innocent teacher of Seorn in this case.”
Terrina had struggled over whether she could say these words in front of him.
Because of the past, she feared her firm disposition might take a bad turn.
But once she actually faced him and spoke, she felt unexpectedly relieved—
To the point that she wondered why she had worried at all.
“Thank you for listening.”
Terrina stood up after expressing her gratitude.
Just as she was about to leave, she spoke to Ludger.
“Oh, right. My friend Casey asked me to deliver a message.”
Casey Selmore.
At the appearance of the familiar name, Ludger’s eyes lit with interest.
“What message?”
“She said: make sure you meet her. And this time, don’t run away.”
Hearing that, Ludger couldn’t help bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha. Really, she’s a persistent young lady.”
So persistent that it seemed she still hadn’t given up.