The Magic Academy turned into a state where it would be better to be described as being ground zero.

There was no trace of Destruction God Europa.

On the contrary, the back mountain, the old school building, and the schoolyard had turned into a state where there was completely no telling what their original forms were.

──To think that it would have this much power.

Although they had ran away, with all of this, wouldn't there be injuries among the students……

He succumbed to anxiety, but looking closely, the blue brick school building was undamaged.

The students that had taken refuge behind it started to slowly come out and raised voices of surprise from how things like the schoolyard had changed.

After looking closely at the ground, the shockwave was most likely intercepted in front of school building.

Was it the Headmaster, or one of the teachers?

This place was the Magic Academy. So a Magician capable of doing that was here.

「Fuu……」

Diablo breathed a sigh of relief.

Lumachina nodded.

「The wickedness was destroyed. It seems that the children are also safe. As expected of you, Diablo-sama.」

「Hmph……A monster of that level is no match for……」

「Yes.」

「Well, you did pretty good work as well.」

「Thank you very much!」

With a look that said she was deeply moved from the bottom of her heart, Lumachina expressed a whole faced smile.

Diablo turned his gaze to Horun's group.

So it seemed that they were safe.

Both Horun and Angeline were astounded by the outrageous state the Magic Academy had fallen into, but they didn't look like they were injured.

Next he turned to Sylvie.

「I had told you to get 《Dispel》 ready but……」

「The procedures in the royal capital Adventurer's Guild were a pain, and it's hard to recruit anyone when in a hurry. That's why I thought that I'd try going to Lumachina-san to borrow a clergyman, seeー」

「……But to think that she herself would come, is that it?」

Sylvie shrugged her shoulders.

「Right about now, I'm guessing that the Great Cathedral is in an uproar.」

Lumachina smiled.

「It's fine. If I say that everything was at God's discretion, then the believers should also understand.」

「No……If the High Chief Priest suddenly disappears, I don't think that's fine, you know?」

*Vun vun* Sylvie waved her hand side-to-side.

Diablo also agreed with that opinion.

That being said, there was no helping the fact that she rushed out. Since things turned out safely, he decided to leave it at that.

Casually, Diablo turned his eyes to the students that were making a fuss.

──Merci.

The young flower vendor girl was together with her friends.

As expected, she was surprised by this situation, and her eyes were darting about as she was making an uproar.

She seemed to be in good health.

Everything didn't go as he had expected, but at the very least, he was able to protect her.

A smile naturally spilled out from him.

Sylvie put both of her hands behind her head.

「What'll you do? Will you report to the Headmaster? You might get a reward, you know?」

「……Together with the bill huh.」

「Putting aside the old school building and the back mountain, there's still the schoolyard, isn't thereー. If it was properly maintained, it looks like it'll go past a hundred million, doesn't itー.」

「Looking closely, even the blue brick school building, it looks like it has a fair amount of damage.」

「Diablo-san, your magic was just too strong.」

「It was a monster that needed to be defeated with a single attack. Doing that much was only natural.」

「Heyー, shall we go back to Faltra City?」

「……Umu.」

Lumachina was surprised.

「Are you already leaving, Diablo-sama……!?」

Going "Danna!", Horun raised her voice. She was already making a face that looked like she was about to cry.

「I, I……again……I did nothing but get saved……u, um……!!」

「You should study. For those that lack ability, they do not have the leisure of lamenting it.」

「Right -ssu! I'll do my best -ssu!」

Wobbly standing up, Angeline lowered her head.

「Honestly, I can't really grasp the situation but……I believe that I myself and the academy were saved. I am truly thankful to you.」

「Umu.」

Diablo nodded.

Sylvie, who had turned around to go back home, went 「Hii!?」 and raised a scream.

Simultaneous with that──

*Pachi pachi pachi pachi……* There was someone who was making a half-hearted applause.

On the roof of the church carriage that Lumachina had came riding in, a man with a large body was sitting cross-legged.

He was muscular to the point that he didn't seemed to be a Human.

Mismatched with his muscular body, his face was that of an intellectual, his black hair was parted to one side, and he wore black rimmed glasses.

He had the atmosphere of a macho bank teller.

「That was amazing. To slaughter that monster with a single attack, how wonderful.」

「Uuu……One of the Royal Palace Chivalric Order……」

Sylvie shrank back.

The other party expressed a smile.

「I am the commander, Marquis Maximum Abrams. This is our second time meeting, isn't it.」

His gaze was looking at Diablo.

「Hmph……As if I would remember every little……!?」

From the shadow of the carriage, one more person appeared.

It was a man with a deep red long coat. He was a blond haired Elf, and hung a black-lacquered sword on his waist.

He was uninjured.

「This man is dangerous, Commander. Eventually, I──Thanatos the Immortal will defeat him.」

「Un……It might end up like that, but now is not the time.」

Diablo reflexively spoke out.

「You, shouldn't you have died?」

「Do not make me say it over and over. I am immortal.」

──So it wasn't just him insisting on that.

The reasoning behind it was unclear though.

The Royal Palace Knights, they're a bunch that seem like they'll be a pain. They were opponents that he didn't want to fight against if it was possible. Even the Commander's true ability was unclear after all.

Maximum narrowed his eyes.

「I had seen the fight but……Diablo-dono, it seemed that you had a thorough knowledge of the way that monster fought.」

「Hmph……Something of that level can be understood just by looking at it. Isn't it just that your subordinate that rushed in without any plans was incompetent?」

「What!?」

Thanatos lost his temper, but Maximum stopped him with one hand.

「No, my group member is competent. You are merely excellent to the point of being suspicious.」

「You can think whatever you like.」

Just as he had done until now, he wanted them to think "it's dangerous to confront Diablo". For that sake, he persisted on with his Demon King role play.

However, Maximum wasn't pulled into it.

「Well, outstanding strength that surpasses human knowledge is something that looks ominous from the eyes of ordinary people. Diablo-dono, there is a personage that says they would like to meet with you. Did you not know that.」

「Nu……」

He held out one hand.

「His Majesty is waiting. Please come with me.」

「And if I refuse?」

「Perish the thought. Diablo-dono, you won't refuse.」

Saying that, he turned his gaze to Horun. Then, to Angeline.

Diablo readied his Magic Staff.

「You!」

「The one who desires a peaceful settlement, between the two of us……You should know the answer to that. Isn't that right?」

「Tsk……」

To think he would make a threat.

Even though he looked like he had some considerable ability, he specialized in negotiations.

Regarding that sort of field, Sylvie was also excellent but……he couldn't expect much from her.

He was about to carelessly forget it, but to begin with, she thought that "it was better that Diablo accepted the King's order".

In this place, if the talk of the audience could be settled without anyone getting hurt, then she wouldn't speak up.

*Chira* When he peeked at her with a sidelong glance──

Sylvie put both of her hands together and implied "Sorry!".

The fact that the commander of the Royal Palace Knights was here, wouldn't that mean that she was the guide to begin with? That was the doubt that he had.

「……Damned traitor.」

「Waah, I didn't go that far, you know!?」

Lumachina stood in front of Diablo.

「This personage must not be treated impolitely. Even if it is His Majesty the King.」

Maximum's gaze instead turned to Diablo.

"What will you do?"

Depending on Diablo's decision, he would even cut down the High Chief Priest──he seemed like that sort of man.

Diablo breathed a sigh.

He placed a hand on Lumachina's shoulder.

「I sufficiently understand your devotion. Right now, you should return to the place you belong, and perform the things you need to perform.」

「Diablo-sama!?」

「Believe in me.」

「Y, yes.」

She knelt down.

Maximum tilted his head.

「I thought that the only one that the High Chief Priest offered their prayers to was God.」

「Listen carefully, Commander. If you lay a hand on my property, you and the King will definitely regret it.」

「Umu. I will take that to heart.」

He snapped his fingers.

From the end of the street, a black-lacquered carriage came along.

Maximum urged him to get on board.

「We shall guide you to the Royal Castle Grandios, Diablo-dono. Will everyone else come as well?」

「I will go alone.」

「Umu.」

He nodded.

Diablo whispered into Sylvie's ear.

「……To be honest, I cannot trust him. I will leave it to you to make it so that Horun and Lumachina do not become hostages.」

「Un. I'm sorry that things turned out this way, 'kay?」

「I don't mind.」

──It felt like I'd meet with the King anyhow, is what he thought.

The door of the black-lacquered carriage opened.

Maximum got on board first.

Thanatos, who was waiting outside of it, placed a hand on the sword on his waist.

「If you make any suspicious actions, I will cut you down.」

Diablo went up the carriage's ramp, and entrusted his body to the seat opposite of Maximum.

「Hmph……Now that you've invited me, I'm sure that you've prepared a suitable meal as entertainment, right?」

To be continued