Sword of Salvation-Chapter 82: - Neither Hero Nor Villain

WHEN the evening arrived, Mariel and Celinee returned to King Maggio’s palace. They arrived just as Nea and high-ranking officers of Sterminatore were leaving through the palace gates.

It didn’t take long to guess why they had come to the palace. The trail leading to Doctor Lergen had ended at the explosion site caused by the doctor himself. Members of Sterminatore or Ultores had likely already sent information about their findings.

Mariel and Celinee had yet to report what had happened to Doctor Lergen and his secret laboratory. Mariel was also certain that no Levia flowers were around the lab. If there had been any, he had already neutralized their effects. The massive explosion caused by Lergen had also ensured that any creatures under the demon’s influence had been annihilated. So, it was highly likely that they didn’t yet know the full details.

Nea and the burly man left after exchanging a few pleasantries with Mariel and Celinee.

They said nothing about the two of them being involved in the explosion. Mariel wasn’t sure about the leader of Sterminatore, but he was a hundred percent certain that Nea knew. The mere fact that he and Celinee had made it back to Iresvilea was enough for the woman to understand. At the very least, she knew the explosion had resulted from their battle with the doctor.

Once inside the palace, Mariel and Celinee were escorted straight to the main guest room.

They didn’t have to wait long. Within a few minutes, the king arrived to meet them. He came alone and sat across from them.

Maggio informed Celinee that his daughter was training in the palace’s rear garden. She would be delighted if the ninja came to see her. Celinee couldn’t refuse when asked with such a warm smile. She had wanted to take part in the discussion, but she had also intended to meet the princess again. So, she simply nodded and left.

"You surprised me by sending them here," the king said as soon as Celinee walked away. "I thought the palace was under a sudden attack at the crack of dawn."

The "them" he referred to were the 51 half-demons Mariel had encountered in Lergen’s secret lab.

"Where are they now?" Mariel asked.

"I instructed one of my guards to place them in several inns. As long as they remain in human form, there shouldn’t be any issues."

"That means you’ve already heard what they had to say." Mariel paused and looked intently at the king. "So, Your Majesty, what do you think?" he asked.

"Princess Milly will succeed your reign," Mariel continued before the king could respond. "No matter how hard Your Majesty tries to conceal the truth, it will come to light sooner or later—and it will be far more dangerous if that truth is revealed by the opposition. That would create a crisis for your daughter.

"Of course, there will still be those who support and stand by her, but resistance will be inevitable. This kingdom will fall into civil war. Worse, it could split into two separate nations. Ah, but if Your Majesty does not intend to pass the throne to Princess Milly, you can ignore this issue altogether."

"Milly will take my place as the ruler of this kingdom," the king stated firmly. "Even if my wife gives birth again soon, and even if we have a son, Milly will still be my successor. I raised and trained her to be my heir. I cannot overlook this matter."

"In that case, Your Majesty agrees to make Mangolla a land open to half-demons?"

"This is a difficult decision," Maggio said with a long sigh. "If I do that, other kingdoms will have justification to attack. Not to mention the reactions from Sterminatore and Glazzier. It’s not impossible that I could be put on trial. Even if I wanted to do it, the situation doesn’t allow for it. For now, all I can do is turn a blind eye."

"They didn’t explain things in detail, so it’s understandable that Your Majesty misunderstood."

"What do you mean?"

Mariel didn’t answer immediately. He shifted his posture, leaning slightly forward. His fingers interlocked, and his gaze grew more intense.

"When making this kingdom open to half-demons, we couldn’t do it outright," Mariel explained. "Like Your Majesty, I also understood the consequences. That’s why we had to do it subtly and gradually. I asked those 51 people to meet Your Majesty not only as a military force for this nation.

"They would divide themselves into six groups. Each group would reside in one of the six major cities of Mangolla. They would actively eliminate emerging demons and secretly assist the citizens. During the first six months, they would focus on gaining the people’s sympathy."

"Your Majesty didn’t need to trouble yourself managing them," Mariel continued. "Just as Your Majesty created propaganda to conceal what happened to your daughter, the same approach could be taken with this matter. Your Majesty only needed to create propaganda discrediting Sterminatore and praising the half-demons after the six months ended.

"After half a year, Your Majesty could show the kingdom’s gratitude for their great service. At the same time, you could cut off funding to Sterminatore, further cornering them. Then, after three months, Your Majesty could officially integrate the half-demons as a special division of the royal military."

Mariel stopped speaking. He didn’t continue—he didn’t need to. King Maggio might not have been as intelligent as Delphia or Lergen, but he was far from stupid. Mariel’s explanation was also not complicated. On the contrary, what he conveyed was easy to understand. The king could grasp the implications without needing further elaboration.

"I fully understand what you’re saying. I can also imagine that it would be quite effective. But that still doesn’t make—ah... I suppose I could find a way to prevent suspicion from falling on me. Alright, Mariel. I agree with your plan. This is also for my daughter’s sake. Mangolla would become open to half-demons."

Maggio worried that Sterminatore would investigate the propaganda he intended to create. Moreover, their leaders already knew that the princess had become a half-demon. If a narrative suddenly emerged glorifying half-demons, Sterminatore would easily suspect Maggio. Because of that, he needed a scapegoat.

"I’m glad you agree, Your Majesty," Mariel said with a faint smile. "C wanted a place where people like her could be accepted without having to hide. If this kingdom became a safe haven for half-demons, it wouldn’t just be your daughter who would be happy."

"Speaking of Lady C, Mariel, I want her to officially become Milly’s teacher. Initially, I wanted you to train her because I believe you’re stronger, but Milly already trusts Lady C. Since she’s also a half-demon, I think she’s the ideal choice. Can you help me convince Lady C?"

It was not a surprising request from the king. More precisely, Mariel had been waiting for him to bring it up. If Maggio hadn’t taken the initiative, he would have steered the conversation in that direction himself.

"That’s a wise decision. I’m confident I could train your daughter to be strong. I also have a solid understanding of demon powers. But as you said, she would be more comfortable under C’s guidance."

"So, will you convince Lady C?"

"I’ll try, Your Majesty. But C and I don’t command each other. So, I can’t guarantee she’ll agree."

"That’s not a problem. Even if Lady C agrees for just two or three months, I’d be satisfied. I just want Milly to truly understand that being a half-demon can be a blessing. I also appreciate that you brought those 51 half-demons to me. Milly won’t have to worry about being alone anymore."

It would have been easy to say that the king didn’t need to thank him, but instead, Mariel simply nodded. And since he had achieved what he wanted, he introduced another topic. This was also one of the reasons he had returned to the palace.

"Regarding our conversation yesterday, Your Majesty, Empress Lasyana has agreed to speak with you. She..."

Mariel then explained his discussion with Lasyana from the previous day. Of course, he only mentioned matters related to the potential cooperation between the Kingdom of Mangolla and the Neiracia Empire. This also served as preparation for the king.

About two hours later, Mariel and Celinee left the palace. King Maggio and his wife had offered for them to stay longer and join them for dinner, but they politely declined. There was no special reason. Mariel and Celinee just wanted to have dinner together that night.

"By the way, Celinee," Mariel broke the silence after they had walked for several minutes from the palace. "Did the queen ask you to train her daughter?"