Selvaro’s answer was exactly what Clay had expected.

“…Fine. I’ll check.”

It wasn’t an immediate acknowledgment of her as his sister, but it was enough. The soldiers whispered among themselves again, yet since Selimia had done no clear harm to Hanumayer, no one seemed inclined to take serious issue with it.

“I’ll handle the verification myself.”

Selvaro called for the royal court mage and ordered him to procure the necessary artifact at once. After the mage left to fulfill the order, Selvaro turned to Clay’s group.

“Regardless of this matter with Selimia, the fact remains that a Demon King has entered Hanumayer. I can’t simply overlook that.”

His brow furrowed.

“And you must have other business with me besides this.”

“I do.”

“Then I’ll ask about it—after you’ve been detained.”

At that, Selimia’s face darkened in anger.

“What are you—”

Clay caught her before she could step forward, “Fine. Do it your way.”

『My Lord!』

“It’s fine,” Clay said calmly, “No need to be concerned.”

『But—』

“Selvaro,” Clay cut her off before Syltanaro could continue, stepping forward toward the king, “No point in dragging this out. Let’s move quickly.”

“…Agreed.”

Selvaro looked around and nodded. His aide stepped forward, selecting a handful of men and dismissing the rest back to their posts.

“Let’s go.”

Clay followed Selvaro’s lead. With Syltanaro still at his waist in sword form, Selimia had no choice but to follow as well.

As the two of them worried over Clay’s decision, the group descended into a narrow underground corridor.

—Shff.

Along the way, small groups of soldiers broke off down side passages and vanished. Eventually, when only Selvaro remained, he stopped.

“This should be far enough.”

A single door stood before them. When Selvaro opened it, an opulent reception room was revealed.

“Go in.”

Clay entered without protest.

『My Lord?』 Syltanaro asked, puzzled. Selimia’s expression mirrored his confusion.

“There’s nothing strange about this,” Clay said as he took a seat, “Selvaro planned this from the start.”

The talk of ‘detention’ had only been for show—too many eyes had been watching. Clay had realized it immediately.

“I told you, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Selimia let out a faint sound, part sigh, part frustration.

“Sit down, Selimia,” Selvaro said to her.

“…Mm.”

“Sit.” Clay’s voice carried a quiet command, and she took the seat beside him.

“….”

Selvaro watched the two of them for a moment, then sat opposite.

“Demon King,” he began, his gaze fixed on Clay, “You truly are a ridiculous man.”

“Yes, I suppose I am, in some ways.”

“A traitor to humanity, once a Hero and now a Demon King—are you here to toy with me using Selimia?”

“If I wanted to toy with you, I wouldn’t do it like this.”

Clay’s eyes flicked briefly toward Selimia, “As I said, she’s modeled after your real sister. Once you check, you’ll know for sure.”

“And if I check and you’re wrong?”

“Selvaro.” Clay’s voice dropped, “I know what’s holding you back.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’re thinking about what it means if I am wrong.”

Even if Selvaro wore an impassive mask, Clay could tell—he was looking at Selimia the way he wanted to see her.

“You think I’m afraid?”

“Aren’t you?” Clay shot back.

“If you weren’t, you’d have already checked, just as I suggested.”

Pushed, Selvaro flinched slightly, then exhaled, “You were like this even when you were a Hero… sharp at reading people’s hearts.”

“Not sharp enough,” Clay said evenly, “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been abandoned by the ones I trusted.”

“…You must know the circumstances of my execution.”

“Then let’s call it selective insight—at least when it comes to me.”

Selvaro gave a dry laugh, then rose and went to a drawer in the corner. From it, he retrieved a ring.

“I prepared this before you even brought it up.”

An artifact that could reveal the nature of a soul—Soul Ring.

It was simple to use: touch the target, and the transparent gem at its center would gather their essence. At the wearer’s will, the ring would then reveal the kind of soul they possessed.

“Truthfully, I never wanted to use it.”

Because belief mattered more to him than truth.

“As long as Selimia could remain my sister, I didn’t need to know.”

His eyes turned to her.

“But she gave up being my sister. She went to you. And I decided to respect that choice.”

“Respect?” Selimia’s brow knit, “You barred me from coming back!”

“Because I didn’t think you would return.”

Yet even so, he had loosened the defenses along the routes she might take home—holding on to a sliver of hope.

“I kept that hope, just in case you changed your mind. As a king, it was something I shouldn’t have done.”

“Hah.” Selimia’s laugh was bitter, “So you’re saying you broke your own rules for me? I never asked you to.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Selvaro looked back at Clay.

“You see? Whatever we once had—it’s over.”

“Selimia,” Clay said quietly.

Clay gave her a command.

“Admit that you’re Selvaro’s sister.”

“…What?”

Her expression froze in surprise.

“B-But…”

“I need Selvaro’s sister right now. Only then can I ask him for what I need.”

It wasn’t exactly something one would normally say right in front of the person in question, but Clay didn’t care.

“Or is that too much for you?”

Selimia swallowed hard, “Mmh…”

Her eyes went to Selvaro, whose expression was complicated. Even in this situation, he still hadn’t entirely abandoned hope—because Clay had claimed Selimia was modeled after his sister.

If that were true, there was no way he could truly let her go. Even when he hadn’t known exactly what she was, he had tried to believe she was his sister to the very end.

“What… what will you do?”

In the end, Selimia addressed Selvaro directly, “The Demon King says I should.”

Seeing Selimia move at Clay’s order made Selvaro’s brow twitch, but no amount of inner turmoil was going to change the decision he would make.

“I…” Selvaro said slowly, “…want to.”

“Wow, seriously?” Selimia grimaced, “You want to think of me as your sister that badly?”

“Selimia.”

“A-Ah, I was just wondering, that’s all! I’m not refusing the Demon King’s order.”

At Clay’s voice, she flinched and waved her hands. Watching her, Selvaro seemed to reach a decision. He slipped a ring onto his finger.

“Still, I need proof now.”

“You mean you’re going to verify it?”

“You wouldn’t call it a problem now, would you, Demon King? You’re the one who suggested it.”

Clay nodded, “Do it however you want, Selvaro. Selimia, cooperate.”

Reluctantly, she stepped up to him. Selvaro looked down at her.

“This really is absurd,” he muttered.

To have the one he thought was his only family taken by the Demon King, only to work with that same Demon King to get her back…

He grasped her arm and activated the ring.

Whoosh—

The colorless band flared blue, absorbing her essence, “Let’s verify it.”

He didn’t hesitate. Right there in front of Clay and Selimia, Selvaro used the ring to peer into the shape of her soul.

Hsssss…

After a moment, the light spilling from the ring formed an image.

It was—

“Selimia.”

It was unmistakably her. More precisely, a younger Selimia.

Clench.

Selvaro’s fists tightened. The proof was right before his eyes—this Selimia had indeed been shaped after the original.

“You can feel it too, can’t you? Not just see it,” Clay said.

The ring’s wielder could interpret exactly what the revealed soul-shape meant.

“So then…”

Looking at the shaken Selvaro, Clay continued, “Will you grant me one request—for Selimia’s sake?”

A request Selvaro could not refuse.

Clay’s demand was simple: safe passage into the Snowfield’s Boundary.

“I’ll be going with Selimia. You know how dangerous it is to enter unprepared.”

Anyone entering the Boundary faced hallucinations and phantom voices, making it nearly impossible to distinguish real threats from false ones.

“I want an artifact to resist the illusions and whispers—and a sensory enhancement ritual to tell real from fake.”

Selvaro hesitated for a moment, but with Selimia involved, he could hardly refuse.

“…Understood.”

He started toward the door, “To make it look like I questioned you thoroughly, I’ll wait a while before moving you to another room. In the meantime, I’ll prepare what you asked for.”

As he stepped out, he glanced back at Selimia, then turned his gaze forward and disappeared down the hall.

Once the door shut, Selimia turned to Clay with a hint of complaint, “My Lord, am I really like that man’s sister?”

“Yes.”

“Mmh.”

“Not to your liking?”

“I just don’t want to belong here, that’s all.”

She seemed almost afraid he’d leave her behind. Clay gave a short laugh.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be staying with me.“Really?”

“But you will acknowledge your connection to Selvaro.”

His voice was firm, “Whether you like it or not, it benefits the Demon King’s army.”

Selimia hesitated, then nodded, “Yes, if it’s for you, My Lord.”

(End of Chapter)

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