欢迎来到精灵之森

「Thank you very much. Now what will my punishment be?」

「......Could you tell us your reasons?」

Rem asked that question.

「The reason why I handed you over to Sadraa? It was for the sake of the Demon King’s revival, and because I am a Demon King Worshipper that desires the Demon King’s revival.」

「......So it would seem. But, what I want to know, why would you, a State Knight and daughter of Duke house, become something like a Demon King Worshipper.」

Alicia bit her back teeth.

Having a bad look in her eyes, she showed a vaguely rough expression. She was completely different from the sociable honors student air that she had up until now. It seems that this was closer to her unadulterated side.

「Mankind should just be destroyed──Have you ever had that thought? I’ll beat you to death, you shitty bastard! Have you ever shouted that in your mind?」

「......Putting the degree of it aside, I have gotten angry with others. Probably, a lot more than you think I have.」

「I was forced to take a "righteousness" that I cannot agree with......」

「......Going by your position, would that be in the Royal Capital?」

「Both of my parents, the other State Knights, the Cabinet Ministers in the royal palace......And then, even the King. For me, I can no longer help but see the people of the Races as something unsightly. Enough for me to wish for this world to be destroyed.」

「......What happened to you?」

「Instead, it might have been better if there was an event that led me to be like this. Then I might be convinced with "that was a unique accident". I believe that I have been too exposed to the selfish desires that covered themselves with masks of good will and to the reverse side of splendid people that are nothing but titles.」

「......I see.」

「Or maybe, it might have been better to just abandon the country and become an Adventurer.」

Alicia looked at Shera.

Being a bit late, Shera seemed to have realized that was put out as an example.

「Ah, yeah! There were things I didn’t like about the Elven country, but now I’m having fun! The forest at night was scary but............Thanks to Rem and Diablo, things are fun now!」

「Why didn’t you want to destroy the country of the Elves?」

「EHH!? I mean, I just didn’t fit in and......although I was separated from all of them, it was fine if they lived with their own kind of happiness......」

「Did you not think that you could not allow the things that you hate to exist in this world?」

「I think I just didn’t care?」

This was the Shera that hardly got hung up by anything.

「I couldn’t allow them.」

Alicia grinded her teeth.

Rem asked a question with a bitter face.

「......You came to hate the Races, and so you continued working as a State Knight in order to destroy them?」

「Yes. I had thought that the most efficient way to bring their downfall, could only be the Demon King’s revival.」

「What a thing to......」

To think that the inner part of the virtuous and honor student-like Alicia, was a bunch of muddled hatred......

Would she have been able to be saved if she had a more flexible, or maybe suitable, personality? Even if she had things that she disliked, what if she forgot about it by relaxing with other things.

──I guess I’m something similar, aren’t I?

If he was able to skillfully release his negative feelings, he might have become more proactive in life. He might have done his best in whatever in a good way. Would things have ended without him escaping into net games to the point of being called an invalid?

Alicia was someone that was too serious. That alone was what showed on both her inner and outer faces. No matter what she did, she earnestly exerted her all without making any compromise. As a result──even in her hatred against the Races, she seriously headed for their reduction. In the form of aiming for the Demon King’s revival.

Alicia stared at Krum.

「Demon King-sama, are you truly not considering trying to bring about the ruin of the Races?」

「So obstinate -noda. If I were to hate the people of the Races as much as you, I wouldn’t even fall to despair. To begin with, of the Races, I only know of the ones here and Peter.」

The one called Peter was a bakery in the south district and sold delicious biscuits. It was run by three sibling Grasswalkers but it’s said that it was the three of them put together that made up Peter. What the heck, that’s not a personal name but a unit name, isn’t it.

Alicia nodded.

「......Is that so......In that case, there is......no longer anything left for me.」

When she lowered her head, she once again pulled out the dagger that had been sheathed.

And then, she raised it up to the back of her own neck.

Rem panicked.

「Wh, what do you intend to do!?」

「I did not think that I would be forgiven for my betrayal towards all of you......In that case, I thought it would be best to end it all myself.」

「Don’t do something so stupid!」

「Do you think so? It is something that cannot be forgiven, is it not? Not threatened by someone, nor ordered to do so, I attempted to have Rem-sama killed as a sacrifice in order to revive Demon King-sama simply because I hoped for the massive killing of the Races, you know?」

「......I am amazed by your sincerity towards the mistaken direction. However, you do understand that not everyone is the same as you, right?」

「Of course I do. It is because I differ from them that I hold unpleasant feelings for those around me.」

「......In that case, please understand that I don’t wish for your death.」

「EH!?」

Even Diablo was surprised by this. In this recent matter, the one that faced the most cruelty was Rem.

Alicia asked with a face that said that she couldn’t believe it.

「What might be the meaning of this? Do you feel that I am your comrade because of how we saved Shera-sama? If that is the case, that is a misunderstanding. That was because there was an adequate chance of victory and I only cooperated with you all in order to become trusted. I am an enemy of the Races.」

「......In that case......Why, did you release Shera unharmed just now?」

Alicia was bewildered by Rem’s question.

「Eh? That is because I had promised to do so......」

「If you really wanted to kill the Races and already intended to commit suicide, then you should have been fine with stabbing Shera.」

Even though it was an example, Shera trembled from that talk being made. She hid behind Diablo.

「Th, that’s scary～」

「Be at ease. This is a speech about how Alicia’s words of "want to kill the Races" is a falsehood because she had not done that.」

「Nn～to......So in other words, does that mean that Alicia-san doesn’t hate the Races?」

「She must have people that she hates enough to want to kill them. However, at the very least, it would seem that you, Shera, weren’t put in her list of "people I absolutely want to kill before I die". Good for you.」

「I did it!」

Shera raised up both hands.

Rem pointed her index finger.

「......Alicia, you feel strong hatred for someone of the Races, don’t you. However, you felt relieved by how I was alive, and there is a discrepancy in your words and actions from how you did not injure Shera.」

「I see. That is true.」

「......So how is it? Do you truly feel that you want to kill us?」

「It is just as you say, Rem-sama. I am a bit reluctant, but this might be where we should fight.」

「If you are reluctant, then please stop!」

「B, but, it is not good to leave things incomplete, and I must follow through with my words or else......」

「......Why are you so pointlessly diligent. Rather, don’t you think that what you are saying is strange?」

「I am not normal, after all. I......I have had enough of this! I did not have any expectations of being understood by others anyway. After all! I am all alone!」

In the end, Alicia did not slash at Rem, and tried to thrust the dagger at her own neck.

Rem extended her hand to try and stop her. However, there was no way that she would make it.

Shera raised a small scream and closed her eyes.

Krum and Edelgart basically had no concern about her losing her life, and calmly watched the scene.

Diablo chanted.

「《Arm Scrap》!!」

The tip of Alicia’s dagger hit her white throat.

At that instant──the blade crumbled.

As if the dagger were made out of sand, silver grains of sand smoothly spilled down and created a pile on the floor.

「Wha......!?」

Not just Alicia, even Rem, Shera, and Krum were surprised and gazed at Diablo.