While panting, I watch Ristia who was captured within the spell. His face distorts with anguish as he glares at us with a knee on the ground.

“To think that I got defeated by you bastards…!”

I turn away. I can’t bear to look at Ristia’s unsightly expression.

How did it come into this? When did Ristia become someone who would commit something evil out of hatred towards the dragon tribesmen? Was the Ristia I knew all this time just a lie?

My eyes become a bit wet.

“Hee, seems like it is over.”

Ludriad-san appears from behind the rock holding Priscilla-chan’s hand and comes towards us.

Arere? Where’s Mistral?

Is what I think as she suddenly emerges from the cave.

“Everyone inside has already lost consciousness.”

Apparently, Mistral entered the cave without anyone noticing in order to survey the situation.

Mistral also joins us. Afterwards, we all look down at Ristia.

Ristia, trapped within the spell, can’t even move his neck. He just glares straight ahead at Ludriad-san and I with eyes full of distain.

Mistral takes Priscilla-chan’s and pulls her behind herself.

“Hey, yuusha, nice to meet you.”

Ludriad-san gives a carefree wave of his hand. Ristia spits at him in turn.

” Bastard, who are you?”

“Ah, I see. I suppose there’s no way you would know my face.”

Ludriad laughs, hera hera, with a face full of delight. Despite that, his eyes are not smiling in the slightest.

“Ernea, is this the yuusha?”

Mistral’s eyes fill with doubt as she asks.

I nod in response.

“Instead of like this, I wanted to introduce him to you as my best friend.”

I wanted to eventually introduce Mistral to Ristia. To proudly tell him that she is my bride. Instead, that didn’t happen. They met in the worst way possible.

Mistral becomes even more doubtful upon at my sorrowful expression. That’s when Priscilla-chan tilts her head and Nymia goes “nyaa.”

“Is this really the yuusha?”

Mistral asks once again.

This time, Ruiseine nods.

“Yes, there is no mistaking it.”

“Fuun, so this is the yuusha.”

For some reason, even Ludriad-san looks at us with doubt.

“W-why are you so doubtful?”

I don’t understand why they’re doubting this! Ruiseine and I have seen Risita at school practically everyday since the beginning of spring. Even if he’s now wearing this hideous expression I can bear to look at, there is no mistaking that this is Ristia.

“But…”

Mistral starts to say something, but she swallows her words partway.

“Nnmtto, this person is a demon!”

Priscilla-chan, however, someone unable to read the atmosphere, suddenly makes an outrageous statement.

“Eh?”

I can’t understand what Priscilla-chan is saying! Ristia is a demon? There’s no way it can be true! After all, he’s the yuusha whom has been chosen by the holy sword. The yuusha absolutely can’t be a demon.

However, Ristia, upon being suspected as a demon, trembles and his expression changes.

“Oi, oi, you’re saying the yuusha is a demon? There’s no way I can believe something that outrageous. Little lady, what makes you think he’s a demon?”

As expected, even Ludriad-san is surprised by such an unexpected development.

“Nnmtto, I can tell just by looking at him.”

Priscilla-chan says, as if it is just a matter of fact.

“What Priscilla-chan said is true. I also can’t see this person as anything but a demon.”

Mistral agrees with Priscilla-chan’s words.

Ludriad-san hesitates over how to respond. However, Ruiseine and I understand. Mistral, a dragon tribesman, can distinguish whether someone is a god or demon just by looking at them. I don’t know about Priscilla-chan yet, but it seems like those from the long-eared tribe are the same.

“Ehhh, then, Ristia has been a demon this whole time?”

Is it really possible? For a demon to mix among the human tribe and even end up chosen by the holy sword?

“I wonder about that. In the first place, why are you and Ruiseine convinced he’s yuusha Ristia?”

“Something like that, I can tell just by looking at him. What can be seen before you is Ristia himself. Plus, isn’t that the holy sword with him?”

At my words, Priscilla-chan again tilts her head.

“Nnmtto, that’s a magic sword.”

“Ehhh!?”

Priscilla-chan’s sudden bomb surprises everyone except for Mistral, Nymia, and herself.

“T-this is a magic sword?”

“My, my, well, well, so the holy sword’s true form is that of a magic sword?”

“There’s no way that’s possible! Grandpa said that the holy sword is a really powerful, mystical, sword.”

I unconsciously repeat what Old Sleigstar once told me. I then I hurriedly close my mouth with my right hand.

“Hee, there’s an elder with enough conviction to claim that the holy sword’s true form is actually a mystical sword? I really want to meet him.”

Ludriad looks at me with great interest.

“M-more importantly,” I divert the topic in a fluster. “What does it mean for this to be a magic sword?”

Everyone turns their gaze towards Ristia’s sword.

“It seems like asking the person himself will be faster.”

With those words, Ludriad-san approaches the edge of the crescent moon shadow which marks the barrier’s boundary. Should Ludriad-san enter the crescent moon, he’d end up bound as well. He can’t get any closer than that.

“Speaking of which, this person’s companions should be inside the cave. What did they look like?”

Even though I didn’t understand Mistral’s intentions, I describe the appearance of Ristia’s comrades to her.

Mistral puts her hand over her chin and thinks it over.

“There were no men inside the cave. There were some small children though. Also, while there were some well-kept women, there was also no well-dressed woman there weren’t any who could be considered shrine-maidens.” 

“My, my, well, well,”

Not inside the cave? Then, did they go out? If so, they might surprise attack us while our guard is down. But, Ristia himself affirmed that they were inside the cave. What does this mean?

My head is spinning. Ruiseine also looks at me with a troubled expression.

---

T/N: Hello! Sorry for disappearing for a week or two after chapter 38, I have no excuses on that other than me being a busy college student… That being said, I have rescheduled everything now, so at least it won’t happen again as I will stock more chapters, nya~ Please look forward to our Ernea collecting his series of harems! ෆ╹ .̮ ╹ෆ

E/N: I’ve been super busy too. If not, these next few chapter would have already been out. Sorry~

<39.2 The Hero, Me, and Ruiseine
40.2 Lies and Reality>