The Former Assassin Becomes a Noble Lady

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According to the Demon King’s Words, the woman before me was ‘Elysia Frentz,’ which naturally resembled my older sister. After all, she was my sister herself.

However, I couldn’t just call her sister like that. The one speaking through my sister’s mouth was not her, but the Demon King that occupied that body.

“Wait a minute…”

Just as I was drowning in despair, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. The Demon King had said that my sister held the soul of the Demon King within her.

But in the childhood memories I had of her, my sister never showed any behavior that could be described as demonic. It seemed that my sister and the Demon King were two separate entities, with two souls residing in one body.

In other words, the Demon King was merely sleeping inside my sister’s body at that time.

So, wouldn’t the opposite also be possible?

“Where is the original owner of that body?”

But everything was just speculation on my part, and I couldn’t know the answer. That’s why I directed my question to the one who knew it— the Demon King.

The Demon King had no reason to reveal the truth to me, the Hero. They could very well deceive me with lies to gain the upper hand.

So, perhaps it was wise to ask indirectly without letting the Demon King catch on. But I threw aside any thought of wisdom and asked the Demon King directly.

I didn’t know why, but I was convinced that this version of the Demon King, speaking through my sister’s appearance, would answer honestly without any of that petty trickery. Maybe it was a judgment I made out of an unconscious desire to believe, considering that the Demon King was in the guise of my sister.

“Oh, do you still hold onto hope even after hearing the whole truth? Is this the foolishness of humans, or is it because you are the Hero?”

I wanted to tell them to stop that nonsense, but I couldn’t bring myself to provoke the Demon King and potentially miss out on the answer I sought. I had to stand there in silence.

It seemed the Demon King expected my silence as a lack of response and continued speaking, revealing the very answer I desperately wanted to hear.

“Are you asking about the soul of the girl who was once the original owner of this body? Well, I believe by now she must be soundly asleep somewhere in consciousness, just as I was during her childhood due to my lack of power.”

That meant my sister was alive.

My sister was alive.

I could once again feel the warm embrace I thought I would never experience again, see her gentle smile, and hear her sweet song.

I could feel everything about her once more.

Everything I thought was a past I could never return to now connected me to the future.

“However, even if the girl’s soul remains, what use would it be? For it is I, the Demon King. Do you think the soul of an ordinary and tender girl could awaken again before the king of the forsaken?”

But soon mocking my hope, the Demon King spoke in a mocking tone that belittled me.

Yet I was already peeking at hope within the abyss filled with despair. The chances were undoubtedly slim to the point where even estimating them seemed meaningless, but I couldn’t give up.

I tightened my grip as if holding a Holy Sword, perhaps thanks to Mariel’s blessing, my physical condition was still in peak form.

“Alright. It seems you’ve made up your mind. So, what about it? Has your curiosity been satisfied?”

“Ah, thanks to you, I now know what I need to do. I should at least thank you.”

“Then, Hero, let’s see if your sword is also worthy of conversation.”

Though it sounded like a test, I didn’t pay it any mind. I was more than willing.

*

Clang!

I immediately parried the Demon King’s magic sword with the Holy Sword. If it weren’t for the Holy Sword, any other blade would surely have shattered.

The Demon King was stronger than any foe I faced before. Even Keltus, who had tormented me and my friends, paled in comparison to the Demon King.

But that didn’t mean I was completely overwhelmed. Unlike against Keltus, I was fully utilizing the powers of a Hero now.

The power to handle fate. It wasn’t difficult to strike attacks that would normally miss or evade blows that should ostensibly be accepted if one could change fate.

However, this was not solely my domain. Just as the Hero and the Demon King were natural rivals, the Demon King could also manipulate fate.

Moreover, if there was an iron will strong enough, one could change fate without being a Hero or a Demon King.

“Hear me, Hero! Why do you not swing your sword? Do you find me laughable?”

During our prolonged exchange of blows, the Demon King started to speak again as they did initially. It was somewhat fitting.

To be precise, as she pointed out, rather than exchanging blows, I was merely defending against the strikes of the Demon King. To strike down the Demon King is to strike down my sister. How could I bring myself to do that?

But I hadn’t given up.

“Or, could it be that even after hearing the truth, you still cling to that futile hope?”

Though the Demon King’s soul currently occupied my sister’s body, it seemed unlikely that the reverse was impossible just as the Demon King had taken control.

Thus, I had only one course of action. To endure and endure until my sister opens her eyes once more.

“…Seeing that fire in your eyes, it seems you’re not planning to give up. Then allow me to share a story to tempt you to reconsider.”

The Demon King continued to wield their sword against me as she spoke.

“Hero, have you never wondered? Why is it that Heroes and Demon Kings can wield fate so easily?”

“…Not particularly.”

In fact, I had never really wondered about it. I just accepted it as a power given to Heroes.

“The other name for a Hero is one who is loved by the world. Since the world wishes to please you, changing fate is hardly a big deal.”

Loved by the world, huh? Considering that, my life was far from smooth sailing. My hometown was burned by the Demonic race, and I was kidnapped by an assassination guild and raised as an assassin with my memories wiped.

Thanks to Selian’s salvation, I was able to make it this far.

“If that is the case, then what is the Demon King that allows them to manipulate fate?”

The Demon King gazed at me with a lifeless look as she continued her tale.

“If the Hero is loved by the world, the Demon King is the opposite. They are the abandoned one. Having been forsaken by the world and not belonging to it, it is not difficult to deceive fate.”

The Demon King’s eyes, staring at me, resembled the gaze my sister once had, but they could never be the same. Those empty eyes were filled with an emptiness that nothing could fill.

“Since I do not belong to the restraints of the world, I am even denied the chance of reincarnation granted to the guilty. I can no longer even remember when my first consciousness was.”

Clang! The Demon King swung their sword once more, pushing me away as they took a brief moment to catch their breath. I was grateful for the opportunity to regain my breath too.

“Before the soul of a being that has lived for hundreds, even thousands of years, what can a fragile girl that has barely seen a decade accomplish? How strong can the spirit of an ordinary girl be, even if it were to be strong?”

Soon, the Demon King declared with the assurance of a question.

“I will ask you one more time. Do you still harbor that futile hope?”

Certainly, it was as the Demon King said; there was a vast difference between my sister’s soul and the Demon King’s. The gap was so great that it could rival that of an ant to a tiger, perhaps even more.

Yet, despite that, my answer remained unchanged no matter how many times I was asked.

“Of course.”

Even the smallest speck of dust can carry hope in its heart as long as there is even a possibility.

And the Hero is the one who makes that hope a reality.

Therefore, I will never give up.

Did they say that the Hero is one loved by the world? Then my sister is one who is loved by such a Hero. Just that fact alone makes her not inferior to any Hero, so how could I give up?

I believe. I will meet my sister once more.

“…I had high expectations for you, yet this generation’s Hero is exceedingly foolish. It is easy to speak in words; I wonder how long you can endure without even the will to swing your sword?”

“Well? The proof is in the pudding? Instead of blabbing, come at me. If you hold back your strength, the sliver of possibility may just grow a little.”

With those final words, the Demon King and I continued our clash without exchanging another word.

*

“Tch….”

Oh, how embarrassing…

I had shouted with enthusiasm, yet indeed, the Demon King was the Demon King. Considering that it was possible to change fate, the outcome came down to individual skill.

And the tales of the Demon King living for hundreds or thousands of years were no exaggeration; their swordsmanship was naturally extraordinary. Despite giving it my all, I couldn’t claim victory, and since I was focused solely on defense, such outcomes were inevitable.

“You speak with the folly of an imbecile.”

The Demon King had my neck gripped and was pressing me against the wall, lifting me off the ground to the point where my feet barely touched the floor, choking me, though thankfully not enough to lose consciousness.

However, I had long since lost grip on my Holy Sword, which now lay far from my reach; my efforts were reduced to mere flailing with my hands and feet.

“Goddess, open your eyes and behold. This might finally be the moment when the world kneels before me.”

The Demon King seemed disinterested in me as the Hero, directing their final moments toward Goddess Serena beyond me.

With one hand still gripping my neck, they slowly raised the magic sword in their other hand.

And then.

Snip