Episode 252 The Crusade of the Abyss – The End (4)
The war between the Allies and the Abyss Corporation is over.
While we were picking up the wounded soldiers and the bodies of the dead, a succubus named Leah came and declared surrender on behalf of the remaining forces of the Abyss Corporation.
As soon as we reorganized our forces, we headed to their capital, Pandemonium, and found that the tower that was once the headquarters of the Abyss Corporation had completely collapsed.
-no!!! The asset of the Magic Tower! How precious are those!!
…If anyone heard the magic tower’s screams, it felt like the world had ended.
Rather, since when was it an asset of the Magic Tower?
Opinions were divided regarding the treatment of the remaining forces of the Abyss Corporation.
Many people were of the opinion that it would be better to deal with it neatly and get rid of the trouble forever, and honestly, I also thought that way.
Because no one can trust them.
However, before making a decision, Succubus Leah asked me to speak alone.
Leia told me that Gremory collapsed the Abyss Corporation headquarters after cutting off the supply of magical energy to the drones, and ordered them to stop the war and ask for mercy from me.
…In the end, was that the last encounter?
I couldn’t figure out Gremory’s motives or true intentions until the end.
Still, despite my many doubts, the succubus did not betray me or try to take advantage of me until the end.
In fact, if it weren’t for Gremory, I might have already been dead.
And in that case, it is right for me to also maintain the minimum level of loyalty to her.
Once the decision was made, persuading the Allies was not as difficult as it seemed.
Anyway, the surviving demons themselves were not that threatening, like succubi or office workers, and their numbers were small, so it seemed like we could sufficiently control them.
Moreover, the demon survivors, including Leah, were much more cooperative than expected.
Of course, it may have been because they wanted to live somewhere else, but it seems like the demons didn’t follow Bael and Paimon’s crazy behavior because they particularly liked it.
The Allied Forces softened up a little after learning that most of the demons had been cut down into drone materials and that the surviving demons themselves were not that threatening, like succubi or office workers, and were small in number.
At a time when the headquarters where the Abyss Corporation’s core information was gathered has completely collapsed, the cooperation of the surviving demons is necessary to interpret the remaining technology of the Abyss Corporation.
In particular, the magic tower owner, who was responsible for interpreting the Abyss Corporation’s technology, welcomed it, and Christine, who decided to receive the technology from the magic tower owner and sell it to each country, also supported it, and the National Assembly and leaders of other countries quickly agreed.
In the end, after shedding a lot of blood to win against the demons and achieve their own revenge, everyone can turn their attention to the benefits that will be gained from this victory rather than resolving immediate hatred.
The door must have been connected as well. We decided to disarm the remaining forces of the Abyss Corporation and allow them to continue under the management and supervision of the Allied Forces.
* * *
Accommodation assigned in Pandemonium
after the decision meeting .
As befits the Abyss Corporation, which has been trading around the world, the accommodations for VIPs were prepared in a very luxurious manner.
The other races and demons that once filled this place and served them have almost all disappeared, and our allied forces are now in place.
I sat Christine down on the sofa and said,
“Thank you for your hard work, Christine.”
Christine smiled softly at me.
“What did I do? “You worked hard.”
Anyway, what the Allied Forces were most looking forward to as a trophy of this war was the technology of the demons that would be analyzed through the Magic Tower.
I should receive compensation, but honestly, how much can I get from demons who have few survivors?
So, it is an undeniable fact that as the biggest supporter of the magic tower, her influence would have had a great influence on the decision to treat the demons.
“What are you saying? “If it weren’t for you, I might have died of a fire just from dealing with that old man, the former magic tower owner.”
A wise man is a wise man who will freeze to death. He seems like an old man who is crazy about money.
Christine, who heard what I said, did not deny it but just chuckled.
Meanwhile, I got a basin of water, put it down in front of Christine, and grabbed her boots.
“Oh that. “I can do it.”
“I’m doing this because I want to, so please stay still.”
“Ugh…”
When I took off my boots, Christine’s feet were covered in bandages, so I looked up at her and smiled bitterly.
“I think I tried to hide it, but it was obvious.”
Christine blushed and avoided my gaze, and I carefully pulled off her stockings and unwrapped the bandages on her feet.
The exposed feet are covered with small wounds.
She may not have a calm personality like an ordinary noble lady, but that doesn’t mean she’s not someone who struggles on a rough battlefield.
I don’t know about the extent of moving around on a city or a ship, but running around a chaotic battlefield while exchanging artillery fire must have been quite rough for her.
“…Thanks for your efforts. really.”
“Tsk.”
As I carefully washed her feet, Christine flinched a little, perhaps because of the pain, and then opened her mouth.
“…isn’t it pathetic? “I came all the way here and threatened you with my life, but in reality, it wasn’t much help.”
After washing Christine’s feet, I took a towel and wiped her feet thoroughly, then bandaged them again and opened my mouth.
“I’m pretty happy.”
“yes?”
“I feel like you’re showing your weakness for the first time in a long time.”
Christine made an astounded face and kissed the top of her foot.
“Oh, it’s dirty!”
“I just washed you. “Does this mean I don’t value you enough to give you a quick wash, ma’am?”
“That kind of thing…”
I said, smiling softly at Christine’s embarrassed appearance.
“You don’t necessarily have to be directly exposed to danger on the front lines to be helpful. “Just because we’re in the back doesn’t mean we don’t do our best.”
I lifted my head slightly and kissed her ankle again.
“I’m afraid I might do something reckless, so I feel sorry for the person who suffered and risked his life and got injured.”
He kissed her legs with love and slowly rode up –
After kissing her knees, he lifted his head up and Christine’s face was as bright red as it could be.
“Do you think I am so incompetent that I underestimate the tremendous role you played in this war, or do you think I am such a bad person that I don’t know how to thank you for all your hard work?”
“sorry. I didn’t mean that- ah!”
I gently lifted her leg and said with a deliberate chuckle.
“I’m just saying this now, but the skirt is a bit short for a uniform. “It barely reaches my knees.”
The sight of Christine gaping with her mouth open seems quite cute.
“You’re beautiful, but I’m the only one who wants to see you like that.”
“…You’re the only one who can sit me on the sofa in my uniform and enjoy it this way.”
The word “protest” was quite funny, so I burst out laughing.
Christine had a sad expression on her face, so I held her hair in my hands and kissed her lightly.
“It’s nice to be relaxed. … Now I finally feel like everything is truly over.”
Christine smiled softly.
“We still have a long way to go, Pierre. We have to investigate the Magic Tower, manage the Abyss Corporation, hold a victory ceremony, and commemorate the casualties. Moreover, the Empire of Germania and the Eastern Empire would like to invite you and Her Majesty the Queen.”
“Ugh…”
I groaned.
Still, Krafte, the home of the King of Frangiana, which was already the center of the Allied Forces, has nothing to do with it.
However, from the perspective of the Imperial Family of the Germanian Empire, they would like to use this victory to receive recognition that they were the main force of the Allied Forces and to calm the unstable internal situation.
Needless to say, the Eastern Empire was in a hurry to defend its home country, but since we occupied its home country, they would want to create the perception that we fought together.
Both of them are empires in name and appearance, but since they have not been able to play a leading role, they seem to want to build up their prestige by at least having an equal relationship.
“It’s barely over now, but you’re calling me without even noticing it. Besides, Her Majesty the Queen is not even conscious yet.”
Eris is still in a long sleep after that battle.
I was heartbroken, but the priests and doctors who examined her said that Eris’ divine power had become much stronger after the battle, and that her life was not in danger and she was conserving her strength.
“Because it is necessary. Many people died in this war, not just us but all countries. “If we confirm each other’s thoughts and establish a relationship of mutual benefit when the common enemy has disappeared and friendly relations still remain, we will be able to enter an era of peace, at least for the time being.”
Christine said that and added with a slight smile.
“And you know what? Pierre. It would be difficult for King Crocs’ brother country to establish friendly relations with the human countries of the Central Continent if not for this opportunity. “This is an ally that we invested a lot of money into, and if we’re going to do it, we need to push it to the end.”
“Haha, I don’t think I can win. “I am lucky to have a staff member like you, but sometimes I feel like I am too talented.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment, Pierre.”
Just a moment ago, it was cute that he was blushing and not knowing what to do.
“It will get busy again as soon as Her Majesty wakes up. I’m worried that Leon and Fleur are forgetting my face. “As long as I’m around, I’ll have to ask you, Heavenly Father, to do it for me.”
“Ah…”
Christine looked caught off guard by the story of the children who were still being looked after by Dumont and the nanny in the mansion.
“Why are you doing this, Christine?”
“…I think I will stay here to manage the Abyss Corporation and support the Magic Tower while you travel abroad.”
“hmm?”
It would be reassuring if she did it, but why bother when the war is over?
As she thought that, Christine immediately smiled bitterly and opened her mouth.
“…I came here on my own and threatened you with my life.”
“I still hear that sound. If it weren’t for you sending us reinforcements in time, we would have collapsed, and just having you here has saved me from despair. “It is no empty statement to say that the supply management was perfect and that you were a key contributor to the victory.”
I meant what I said, but Christine smiled bitterly and shook her head.
“That’s not it, Pierre. I thought that if you died, it would be better for me to die with you, so I ran ahead. … At the moment of making that decision, neither Leon nor Fleur came to mind.”
“….”
“If I have children, I want to make sure they grow up proud of me so that I can hear good stories about them. … After saying that.”
Christine is showing a deep sense of self-destruction.
“In fact, in the most urgent moments, I only think about my children and myself. “After all, I am also my father’s daughter.”
Because he missed his dead wife, he stopped caring for his daughter, Christine, and turned his attention to someone else.
In the end, he even tried to condone her death.
He is dead, but does his shadow still remain on Christine?
“…I’m sorry, Pierre. In the end, I can’t be a good mother. It would be better for children to grow up learning from good teachers-”
Christine’s words were cut off as I hugged her.
“You are different from the previous earl. “You can realize that what you did is regrettable for your children, and you can think about what would be better for them.”
“…but. I am a cold and selfish person. If only the people who are important to me do well, the rest will probably do well. … I honestly have nothing to say even if I’m called a witch. “People like me take care of children…”
Christine couldn’t bear to say more than that.
What are you thinking?
Do you think that you are qualified to love children?
“How amazing you are and how much I love you. I think he said those words a lot…”
Still, maybe it didn’t make much of an impression on Christine.
I think that can’t be helped either.
All her life, Christine lived a life that was far from freedom.
After her mother’s death, she tried her best to help her beloved father, but instead aroused his suspicion and caution.
Although she devotedly ran the business and led the family to prosperity in place of her father, who was helpless due to grief, her fate was tied up in an arranged marriage with me against her will.
Christine still complied with the arranged marriage and tried to calmly hand over the upper hand and leave the family, but she was attacked by Yvonne, who became the new countess, and had to engage in an unwanted conflict.
Even though he won the family fight at the age of only 18, he spent 10 years feeling indebted to the innocent Lewis, bound by the guilt of robbing him of his rightful place.
It is not her fault that along the way, she naturally learned ruthless means to protect herself.
On the contrary, I think that if she had lived a normal life, she would have become a kind and gentle person, even though she has gone through that path and learned not to choose any means, but still gets hurt by it.
Still, no matter how highly I value her and love her. You can’t make Christine think of herself as not a good person.
I stood a little away from Christine, ran my hand through her hair, and opened my mouth.
“Christine, are you afraid you’ll ruin the children?”
“…Because I know myself.”
Christine may be projecting herself onto her father or Yvonne.
“Christine. “Your father wasn’t a very good father, was he?”
“….”
Christine couldn’t answer out loud, but nodded her head weakly.
I smiled at him and asked.
“But doesn’t that mean you miss your father?”
Christine froze with her eyes wide open.
“The children are probably still missing us. To those children, you are not the Black Witch of Aquitaine. “Just mom and mom.”
“But if the kids later-”
“Shh.”
I gently stroked Christine’s back and whispered to her.
“You’ve already seen parents fail and you’re afraid you’ll end up like them. “Are you foolish enough to make the same mistake?”
“….”
“Besides, I also have one. “Do you see me as such an unreliable husband that I would let you repeat the same mistake?”
Christine slowly shook her head while holding me, and I moved slightly away from her and smiled at her.
“You are a wonderful person. The one who threw off all the chains and shackles that bound you and came here with me. So you don’t have to be afraid of anything.”
I looked into Christine’s shaking eyes and whispered with all the trust and love I had.
“Because I’m with you and you’re already free. “The things that forced your life are no longer there, so is there any reason to be afraid of something that hasn’t happened?”
“Ah… ah….”
Tears flowed down Christine’s cheeks and I whispered, wiping them away with my hands.
“Don’t cry, Christine. “From now on, I’ll only make you laugh.”
Christine smiled through her tears and
kissed me.
A soft kiss that tastes like tears.
When it fell the second and third time.
The taste of tears of sadness disappeared, and in their place was filled with the passion of indulging one another.
“Okay then. “Now that it’s over-”
Wouldn’t it be okay to enjoy it a little longer and rougher?
The moment I hugged Christine while thinking that.
There was a knocking sound.
Oh, what is it?
“…What’s going on?”
“Excuse me, Your Excellency the Marquis. This is Jose Vachet! “Her Majesty has opened her eyes!”
“….”
I slowly put Christine back down on the sofa, and without saying a word, she started putting on her stockings and boots again.
“…after. “Tell them you’ll see them soon.”
“I understand, Your Excellency the Marquis! …Did I make some mistake?”
He didn’t even open the door, but he must have realized that my voice was very uncomfortable.
I made a mistake…
I
did it.
A clueless adjutant….
“…Go and tell me what happened.”
“Yes old!”
Poor Vachet retreats outside the door.
Our eyes met and we burst into laughter without even knowing who was first.
“Anyway, the royals are the problem. Timing.”
Christine finished putting on her boots and stood up.
“Then shall we go, Mr. Unholy Husband?”
Then he smiled slightly and held out his hand to me.
“We should go back after seeing Her Majesty the Queen. We…”
I will definitely not forget the smile Christine is making right now until the day I die.
“to home.”
