Chapter 160  : The Oath of the Smile

On top of a hill a short distance from the Demon King’s Castle.

It had originally been a flat plain until I used my DORECA to modify the terrain.

The hill wasn’t as large as the one for the castle, instead it was only big enough to put a normal residence.

On top of the hill there was a single thing. A tombstone.

A singular slab of stone erected in the middle of this wide open space.

Seiya’s grave.

Seiya, who had died when the (real) Evil God destroyed him in a single blow.

I stood there gazing at his grave.

A single set of footsteps interrupted the silence of this private graveyard.

「Akihito-san.」

「…it’s you huh?」

The Goddess walked over.

She still lost her powers, but she had regained her memory.

She looked just as she had when I was brought to this world. She simply walked next to me and looked at Seiya’s grave.

「So you were here.」

「Yeah」

「It finished.」

「Yeah. I don’t think he’ll be resurrecting again.」

「No he won’t. Seiya-san…only made it this far. If I had my power still then I might be able to return him back to his previous world.」

「It’s best if you don’t. If it’s the current Seiya then he won’t mix with the other world. He’s too filled with hatred. Hatred towards me.」

「Are you feeling some regret?」

「I can’t say I’m feeling regret. I foresaw this kind of ending. Since he completely became my enemy I can’t show him mercy.」

「You can’t……show him mercy?」

「After the incidents with Raisa…」

In fact you could say that he had garnered my hatred as well.

Raisa, the slave that the Goddess had once given to Seiya.

Raisa who had eventually come to my side. An Eternal Slave that I would take in as my own. A wonderful and cute existence.

She had once been under the control of the despotic Seiya. She had been tormented for too long.

But she didn’t hold any grudges.

Because Seiya was her Master and she was the slave.

This brave young thing had been mistreated by a violent Master.

「Raisa was abandoned by him…he didn’t give the order 「Die for my sake.」

「If, that happened……would it have happened?」

「Yes」

I answered immediately. I nodded and answered without hesitation.

Eternal Slaves would obey any order and feel joy from obeying.

I clearly understood from the 12 Eternal Slaves by my side.

Even if she was thrown away if he said 「Die for my sake」 an Eternal Slave would do so happily.

Seiya didn’t do that…instead he ran away on his own. Abandoning her without taking responsibility.

That……I couldn’t forgive.

「I really don’t understand your sense of values Akihito-san.」

「This is normal I’d say.」

「Normal people don’t insist that they’re normal. It’s like a drunkard.」

「mu」

「I don’t really get it…but you haven’t changed since the start.」

「Nope. I don’t think I have.」

「That’s why I think I can trust you and leave things to you.」

「Is that so?」

「Yes. Can I continue to request that you revive this world?」

「Leave it to me.」

You didn’t have to ask me again.

Since I’d come this far I’ll finish strong.

I’ll make my slaves smile, make my towns grow, and make my country prosperous.

And I’ll revive the world.

I’ll continue as I have been.

More importantly I looked at the Goddess and asked.

「What will you be doing?」

「Me?」

「Will you return? To the space you inhabited before?」

「I wonder…it seems difficult to recover my power. I was thinking that I might as well live on the surface for now.」

「Can you do that? Live like a normal person I mean.」

「I don’t know…yet.」

「I see」

Yet huh?

It’d only been a few days since she’d lost her power after all.

「However, I think it will work out.」

She said.

I didn’t have future sight, but even so it would be alright.

That’s why I answered her.

I spoke up.

「You’re wrong.」

「Eh?」

「It’s not ‘somehow’. I’ll do something about it.」

「You will?」

「If you’re unable to return then I’ll make you a place you can stay. On this land. I’ll let you live with a smile as well.」

「I live…with a smile as well…」

「Yes」

I looked at the Goddess and she looked at me. Her eyes seemed to question if I was serious or not.

I simply looked back at her. I wasn’t lying. I was serious.

「I owe you. I owe you a lot. More than I can say.」

「For making you a King?」

「For bringing me to a world with Eternal Slaves.」

That was certainly more important to me than becoming a King.

「I will return this debt. I will do it with all my power.」

「……can I make a request?」

「What is it?」

She hesitated and fiddled about before finally raising her face to look at me.

「Could you please make Sistra smile as well?」

「Sistra?」

「That girl…」

「……The Evil God huh?」

The Goddess nodded.

I don’t know what happened between those two.

I could tell that the two of them certainly had a colorful past with each other but I didn’t know the details.

I didn’t know but…

「I got it. I’ll allow her to smile as well. Unlike the cynical smile she shows now I’ll make her smile and laugh from her heart.」

「Thank you.」

The Goddess smiled a little at my declaration.

It was still weak.

This smile…I would have her smile from the bottom of her heart as well. This was my determination.