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They took him to the place of execution.

I was told that it was carried out at three o’clock in the afternoon.

 

I hadn’t had the heart to watch, but no one brought it up either.

 

In any case, that was how I made the correct decision as a realist.

 

Fuma Kotaro made sure of his death before coming to me. He bowed his head.

 

He was now dressed as a maid.

 

“I have witnessed your resolve, Demon King Ashta. And I accept you as my king. I, Fuma Kotaro, offer you my life!”

 

He said.

 

While I was glad to have a Hero swear allegiance to me. Still, I wondered if he would realize what it is that I had done. And would he forgive me?

 

As Fuma Kotaro returned to the others including Hanzo, Eve came in.

 

She muttered to me quietly.

 

“As you ordered, I prepared a doll that looks exactly like Yuri. It was that doll that was executed.”

 

She said.

 

“Thank you. I’m sorry to have troubled you.”

 

“It’s the least that I can do for my master. However, are you sure you want to keep him alive?”

 

“Yes. I’ve already taken all of his power.”

 

It was now sealed away.

As was his memory.

He would not awaken as a Hero for a very long time.

 

“But…he may awaken one day…”

 

“I’ll deal with it when the time comes. It will be easy enough to seal it away again. In any case, I mean to keep him close and monitor him.”

 

So that is why he has a house and a job.”

 

“Aye. He is not fit to be an Adventurer. It would be better for him to apprentice under the dwarves and learn a craft.”

 

“I can see him growing strong under them. A real threat.”

 

“Perhaps.”

 

I chuckled. She was just joking.

 

“Still, you are quite merciful. Giving him not only his life, but work as well.”

 

“Well, there are those that say Ieyasu destroyed Hideyoshi’s clan, but Hideyoshi survived and lived out the rest of his days quietly.”

 

There was a song about it.

 

Lord Hideyoshi, like a flower,

Taken, by Sanada, who was like a demon,

They went, far, far away to Kagoshima.

 

Eve listened to this and smiled.

 

“It very beautiful.”

 

“I thought so too.”

 

And like that, a new resident appeared in the castle town.

A boy named Yuri who was the blacksmith’s apprentice.

And then there was the ninja called Fuma Kotaro.

Demon King Ashtaroth’s forces were growing.

 

As for Fuma Kotaro, it turned out that he had known that I had let Yuri escape.

 

I asked him about it later, and he replied,

 

“I wouldn’t have cared to serve a king who mercilessly kills children.”

 

And he had been impressed by my efforts to save him.

 

That being said, he felt that I could have done better. And he insisted that such secret operations be left to him in the future.

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