Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle - Chapter 198-2

198 – The Sword from That Day (Part 2)

Having said that, my mom stood up and headed toward her bedroom.

「Ah, if you’re not an Adventurer anymore, then your excuse about being too busy because of all the traveling you do doesn’t hold water anymore, correct?」

「Huh? Uhm…well…」

「Come visit us once in a while.」

「…Well…once in a while…」

「Heh… Good night.」

「Night.」

With my mom disappearing into her bedroom, I am left with my dad.

「Hmm… I don’t really have much I want to ask you…」

「Ahaha.」

「Oh, that’s right. You’re old enough to drink now, right, Lem?」

「Huh? Yeah. …But no, sorry. We’re going into the Dungeon tomorrow so…」

My dad looked a little disappointed, but he nodded.

「I suppose you’re right.」

「When this is all over, I’ll pop by again.」

「Ah, that would be great. I’m looking forward to it.」

My dad smiled like he really is looking forward to it.

After that, we just talked a little about this and that.

Like about someone in the village who already got married and has three children, or about how there are a lot of shops in the Demon King Castle town that offer good food.

「That’s right, I have something I wanted to give you if I ever had the chance to meet you again.」

Said my dad, as he briefly left his seat to fetch something.

He came back carrying a long, rectangular wooden box.

It wasn’t big, but it was long.

「I wonder what it could be… Can I open it?」

「Yeah.」

I gently open the lid of the wooden box and inside was…a sword.

A single sword, sheathed in its scabbard.

Perhaps, my father and I both had the same memory in our heads.

I’ve told my master about it before.

『…Uhm, when I was six years old, I asked my dad to buy me a sword.』

『But he said things like “It’s dangerous” or “You’re too young” and wouldn’t buy it for me. I understand why now, but at the time, I couldn’t. I wondered why even though I wanted it, he kept giving me reasons why he wouldn’t. I would have given up if he had just said we had no money.』

「You…probably don’t remember that time when you-」

「I remember. I remember it well.」

If he had told me that he couldn’t buy it, then there’s no helping it. I would have given up at any time.

But because he kept giving me reasons why he wouldn’t buy it, I remember feeling sad at that moment.

As if he were telling me that I couldn’t handle it. Even if that was true, it was sad to be told to give up in a roundabout way.

「Is that…so? I could never forget your face that day. Honestly, if you turned out to be a Hero…no, any combat-type Job, I was planning to buy it for you.」

「Yeah…」

But I turned out to be a Black Sorcerer instead.

I guess that’s also why he couldn’t buy me a staff. That would be like twisting the knife of how his son couldn’t be the Job he wanted to be.

「Haha… It’s a sword.」

I take it in my hands. I could feel its heft.

It’s different from the sword cane I used in the Tag Tournament.

This was a pure and simple weapon.

「I watched you in the Tag Tournament and saw how much better you’ve gotten with a sword.」

「I was blessed with a great teacher.」

「Seems so.」

He smiled, a moment passed before he spoke next.

「That sword…isn’t really that expensive, it’ll probably just slow you down, so if you don’t like it you could-」

「What are you saying? Of course, I’ll accept it」

My vision got hazy and I wiped my eyes with my arm to clear it. With a welling of emotions coming from deep within my heart…I laugh.

I laughed with all my heart, enough for both me and even my younger self from that day.

「Thank you. I’ll treasure it.」

「…! …Yeah, I firmly believe that you’re more than ready to use it now.」

My dad rubbed the corner of his eye and then stood up.

「You got a job to do tomorrow, right? Go on, get to bed.」

He turned around, hiding his expression.

「You’re right, good night.」

「Yeah.」

My dad heads to his bedroom as well.

I look at the sword again.

Even if I had bought it myself, I’m sure I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now.

We’re going to recreate Avatars tomorrow, so I’ll update the information then.

I pulled the sword out of the scabbard and caught myself staring too long at it, so I thought it was finally time to get up and go to bed.

I put out the Magical Energy lamps and head to my bedroom.

「……Huh?」

At the end of the dark hallway, there was a faint light.

As if drawn to it, I moved closer. Light seems to be leaking out of the gaps in the door.

That room is…the study? Whatever its official name is, ever since I became obsessed with Dungeon Clears, it became the video-watching room. It’s the terminal that I begged my parents for and watched Clear videos on whenever I had free time.

Of course, the Terminal and the Magic Stone required to function and transmit are both expensive, but I told them that I would pay them back when I became successful, so they bought them for me.

I wonder if my parents use it now.

It will continue to drain Magical Energy from the Magic Stone if it’s kept on like this, so I enter the room.

「…!」

When I turned on the lights, I was at a loss for words.

The wall was decorated with a frame.

In the frame are photos of me when I was with the Fenix party, newspaper articles, and magazine cut-outs.

If that was all that was there, I could have accepted it as something parents would do.

I’d be embarrassed, but I can accept it.

But what caught me by surprise…was that even a photo of Lemegeton was in there.

「……Heh…haha.」

『Ufufu, just kidding. Only a joke, Milla. I think I’ll have a bite of Sitri and Carmilla. And then, fufufu…perhaps Lemegeton here.』

『Cana, hands off Lemegeton.』

I guess he wasn’t just simply interested in the Monster Lemegeton…

「They’ve known for a long time, huh…」

I don’t think Fenix told them.

But even my best friend only realized it was me when he got hit by my Black Magic.

So, how…? I don’t know, but what I do know is that they realized my true identity and have been pretending not to know the whole time.

No, they’ve been asking me indirectly to make it more likely for me to talk about it.

They are waiting for me to give an explanation.

Like why the Demon King Castle, or how did I beat Fenix, or why do I have a horn?

They can’t help but have all these questions, yet despite it not being at all strange to want to question me about them…

…they chose to leave it alone and watch over my deeds.

「I’m no match for them…」

If there’s anything I have that I can boast about to other people, it’s that I am blessed with people.

My best friend, my master, Milla and her Highness, the many allies and friends that I’ve made in the Demon King Castle, and the respectable senior Adventurers.

Ah, but before all that, the Human Lem was blessed with parents.

Parents who believed in their child’s future, who didn’t abandon their child after he turned out to be a Black Sorcerer and instead tried to find a job for him, and who ultimately accepted him becoming an Adventurer after omitting that option.

Parents who welcome me home with open arms as if nothing had happened, even after I left the party and became the Demon King Army’s Chief of Staff and grew Majin horns. 

Once again realizing just how amazing my parents are, I stood there for a while before remembering that I could move.

I turned off the lights, powered down the terminal, and returned to my room.

My room was just as it was when I was a kid. It was clean, perhaps cleaned regularly.

I go to bed, sleeping with the sword in the scabbard held close to my chest.

I had a dream that I used the sword to fight like a hero.

Even though I looked like a Black Sorcerer, the dream was realistic and fun.

I woke up in the morning and had breakfast along with Canary and Hawk who brought Milla along.

It was almost time for the carriage to arrive, so we left the house.

I exchange one or two words with my parents and I was hugged by Canary.

I started to walk alongside Milla.

After a few steps, I turned around to look back at the four of them.

I’ll tell them everything regarding my current job after we Clear the Original Dungeon.

But I can at least say this much.

「I…am still aiming to be a hero. Its form has changed slightly from when I was a kid, though. My wish has never changed.」

The four of them just smiled gently, without saying a word.