Constantine came looking for her on the afternoon of the third day.
Esper had just finished a sparring session with Rihanna and was sitting on the steps of the dojo, wiping away her sweat with a towel.
Eladia sat beside her, holding two cups of herbal tea she had brought from the camp cafeteria. One was already in Esper's hand, while she gently swirled the other in her own.
Then, Constantine appeared from around the corner of the corridor. His steps were quick and hurried, the holy emblem on his armor clinking continuously with every stride.
Esper looked up at him, tossing the towel over her shoulder.
“...What happened now?”
“Her Holiness wishes to summon you.”
“...So, nothing good, then.”
“I'm sorry.”
She took Eladia's hand and was about to take a step forward when Constantine stopped her, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
“...What is it?”
“...Her Holiness specifically stated that she is only summoning the Hero this time. No one else is allowed to accompany you.”
“...”
“I'm sorry. I'm just following orders.”
“Esper... it's fine...”
Esper felt Eladia's grip loosen slightly.
In response, she squeezed her hand even tighter.
“Let's go.”
“Esper...”
Constantine covered his face.
“Forget it. If the Pope asks, I'll just say I tried to stop you.”
“Thanks.”
Meanwhile, Beatrice was waiting for her in her private drawing room.
When Esper pushed the door open and entered, the Pope was leaning over the table, using her fingertip to roll a candied cherry back and forth.
Seeing Esper come in, she immediately popped the cherry into her mouth. Cheeks puffed, she flashed a sickeningly sweet smile, as if the sweetness of the cherry had transferred directly to her face.
Upon seeing Eladia behind her, her smile grew even more radiant.
“Oh? Didn't Beya say she only wanted to summon Esper?”
“I don't trust you, so I can't let her out of my sight.”
Esper held Eladia's hand, but the warmth of her palm was nowhere to be found in her voice.
“Hmm? Esper is being a bit obsessive. If you keep this up, the Saintess might end up becoming a caged canary, you know?”
Beatrice said playfully.
“If it's Esper... I wouldn't mind...”
“My, such devotion? Fine, fine, Beya admits defeat to you two. But what Beya wants to talk about is really private. Are you sure it's fine, Esper?”
“Even if she weren't here, I would tell her myself afterward.”
Beatrice studied Esper's cold demeanor, and her smile shifted slightly.
The teasing look faded, replaced by something else.
Admiration.
“Mmm, to put it simply—since Miss Demon King is a demon, after all, and even though she talked a good game at the meeting, Beya still has to look out for the safety of her own Hero. So, Beya had a little chat with her.”
She raised a finger and wagged it from side to side.
“At Maple Town—the trade hub established by Gloom, that brutal, cruel, insidious, and terrifying Demon King of the past. You are scheduled to meet her there in three days to sit down and have a nice, long talk. You'll probably have to set off tomorrow, right?”
“There's no need to look at Beya like that. Since you two will be fighting side by side soon, you can't go onto the battlefield still harboring grudges against each other, right? This is all for world peace. Do your best!”
Maple Town.
Esper's expression didn't change, but her shoulders tensed imperceptibly.
There was no way Beatrice didn't know what Maple Town meant to her.
In all likelihood, she had chosen that place on purpose.
It was chosen perfectly, stepping right on her most painful spot.
“...Is it already set?”
“Of course! Beya is always reliable, and Miss Demon King was actually very happy about it, even saying she would arrive early to wait for you. Ah, I'm so jealous—the Saintess should be happy too, right, since Esper has such an incredibly caring friend?”
“...”
“Ela, ignore her.”
Esper didn't even bother to ask why she hadn't been consulted beforehand.
This expired loli-grandma had never intended to ask for her opinion in the first place.
She was only here to deliver the notification.
“Oh, by the way, since Esper dared to bring the Saintess along even when Beya specifically summoned you alone, I assume you'll bring the Saintess to this meeting as well?”
“...”
“That won't do. Although Miss Demon King has a history with you, that's a completely different matter from how things are with Beya, and her personality is totally different too. If you bring the Saintess to the meeting like you did today, Miss Demon King might go crazy, you know?”
“...”
“If you really don't trust Beya, how about asking Miss Noelle to look after the Saintess? This meeting isn't just a casual get-together. In a sense, it concerns peace between humanity and demons.”
“Esper, you wouldn't want the combined efforts of two generations of Demon Kings to go to waste, would you?”
“...”
“Esper...”
“Oh, Esper.”
Beatrice rested her chin on the back of her hand, her blinking noticeably slower than usual.
“If you think about it carefully, do you really reject Miss Demon King completely?”
She dragged out her words, as if dissecting the question for Esper to slowly digest.
“...”
“If that were really the case, you wouldn't have kept that hairpin. Your walk wouldn't have been so stiff after the meeting ended, either. And you certainly wouldn't have spent so long staring into space at night after hearing what she said.”
“Beya saw all of those things, you know.”
“Your Holiness... you...”
Eladia hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up, but Esper cut her off.
“...Ela, forget it.”
“So, go. Go meet her, and say what was left unsaid. Whether you hate her, forgive her, or feel something else entirely, Beya won't interfere. Beya just wants to watch.”
Those golden eyes narrowed, her smile spreading from the corners of her mouth to the edges of her eyes.
“I want to see what you two will become in the end.”
Esper didn't answer. She simply turned around, took Eladia's hand, and pushed open the drawing room door.
Constantine was waiting for her at the end of the corridor. Seeing her expression, he asked nothing and simply followed quietly behind her.
After walking a few paces, Esper cursed under her breath. Her voice was quiet, but it echoed clearly in the empty corridor.
“...Bastard.”
Then, the hand that was already holding Eladia's was enveloped by an equally comforting warmth.
“It's okay...”
Eladia said softly.
“I will wait for you at the Mage Tower... until you return...”
“...Yes, Ela. I understand.”
Esper looked at Eladia's face, watching as a gentle smile slowly bloomed on her delicate features.
It was like a flower slowly opening its petals.
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